Lawton First Assembly

4 fall 2021/winter 2022 I f you are new to GLife, I would like to extend a huge WELCOME and thank you for opening the pages of our magazine. Our desire and purpose for GLife Magazine is to offer inspiration by sharing real-life stories and articles from women who may provide just the encouragement that you are seeking. Each story is unique, genuine and real. Each story shared is evidence that the Creator of the Universe is not distant or removed; rather, He is nearby and intimately involved in our lives. As you read each story shared in GLife, I trust that you will sense the heart of each writer to be vulnerable as they reflect on their journey to finding wholeness through an authentic relationship with Jesus Christ. At the end of the day, that's what is most important – a relationship with Jesus. Life is full of transitions. You may have heard the saying, "e only constant in LIFE is change." Well, as Gary and I embark on a transitional time of our lives, we have reflected a lot, and anticipated a lot. In 2021, we celebrate 45 years of marriage on December 4. is past June, we celebrated 26 years here at Lawton First Assembly, and have celebrated our children getting married, and enjoyed becoming grandparents. We have experienced the loss of a parent, and the loss of many other family members and friends. We have experienced life-threatening illness. We have been exuberant in seasons and devastated in other seasons of our lives. And as the song, It Is Well, says, "rough it all ... through it all, My eyes are on You and it is well, with me." Truly, as Gary and I transition into a new pace of life, we sense the Lord speaking to us to transition well by keeping our eyes on Him. We do not fully know what the next season of our lives will look like, but we know this – we have been through enough to know that HE is enough for us. I have written an article in this issue of GLife called "Togetherness." Gary and I have enjoyed 45 years of marriage and we have shared 8 Traits of a Long-Lasting Marriage. I think you will find it to be both informative and engaging. Check it out on Page 19. We found that some of the transitional experiences we have gone through were rewarding, joyful, challenging, exhausting or sad. Often, life transitions foster positive emotions like joy, hope and peace, as well as negative emotions like worry, doubt, anxiety, depression, grief or loss. During this difficult time that we have all experienced during the Pandemic of Covid-19, we find ourselves transitioning almost daily. Many of you reading GLife have experienced or are experiencing now some major life transitions. Some of those transitions include starting or ending a relationship, getting married, getting divorced, having or adopting a child, starting a new job, attending school, experiencing significant financial gain or loss, buying or selling a home, health issues, moving, retiring or perhaps suffering a loss or death. As humans, we are constantly faced with new life situations and circumstances, many of which are beyond our control. We find ourselves often worrying about tomorrow. e Bible says, "erefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? (Matthew 6:25 -27) I encourage you to pray more, worry less, laugh more, stress less, hug more and hurry less. Transitions in life will come. Keep leaning in and TRUSTING GOD! He has us! Still Trusting, Lawton First Assembly Women's Magazine Women's Pastor Debbie Pratt Assistant Amber Stephens Art Director Heather Chatterjee Publishing Consultant Laura Clevenger Contributors Pastor Debbie Pratt, Laura Newman Clevenger, Family Features, Lupe Ostruske, Shereyl Grubbs, Lilian DeOliveria, Emilee Basham, Deborah and Alan Spencer, Rachel Cruze, Pastor Lacey Gardner Advertising Opportunities (580) 536-9325 E-mail: girlfriends@lawtonfirst.org G-Life Magazine Lawton First Assembly of God 2201 NW 82nd Street, Lawton, OK 73505 G-Life magazine is published by Lawton First Assembly. It is distributed free of charge throughout Southwest Oklahoma. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without written permission. G-Life magazine is not responsible for statements made by advertisers or writers. We make every effort to ensure the accuracy of information we print, but cannot be held responsible for any consequences arising from omissions or errors. All photography and letters sent to G-Life magazine will be treated unconditionally, assigned for publication and copyright purposes and are subject to unrestricted right to edit and comment editorially. For information on where to find G-Life magazine, or how to become a distributor, call (580) 536-9325 or e-mail girlfriends@lawtonfirst.org. Copyright 2021 by Lawton First Assembly. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is forbidden. Comments and suggestions are welcome. Everything advertised in this publication shall be made available for purchaser, user, or patronage. ©Lawton First Assembly 2021 All Rights Reserved Volume 15, Number 2 girlfriends@lawtonfirst.org lawtonfirst.org/girlfriends facebook.com/lfagirlfriends twitter.com/lfagirlfriends Connect With Us welcome

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