THE BIG QUESTION with Cynthia L. Simmons

Q: Does the Bible call the Ten Commandments the “law of liberty”? How could the Law liberate someone?

YOU ARE CORRECT ABOUT THE PHRASE. JAMES 1:25 (ESV) SAYS:

But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. This verse makes us take a closer look at the Law, which from the context includes the whole Bible.

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Circle the Wagons

Rhonda Rhea Donuts
By Rhonda Rhea in Leading Hearts magazine

COFFEE AND DONUTS. THEY GO TOGETHER LIKE LOVE AND MARRIAGE.

Someday I’d like to write a poem and I’d like to start it with the line, “Coffee and donuts, sittin’ in a tree.” I’m not sure where to go from there.

I get that far and all I know is that I want to be in that tree. I confess I’ve had a few too many donuts. Sad to say, the bough on that tree would be bending pretty low about now.

That’s why I decided to go on yet another diet recently. Also, sad to say, I’ve already fallen off the wagon. I’m thinking of putting up a sign that says,

“Please keep body inside the wagon at all times, and please stay seated until the wagon comes to a complete and final stop.”

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THE BIG QUESTION: Q: Did you ever have a crisis of faith?

by CYNTHIA L. SIMMONS| WWW.CLSIMMONS.COM in Leading Hearts Magazine

Q: Did you ever have a crisis of faith? How did you resolve it?

YES, AND I GREW UP IN A CHRISTIAN HOME. We attended church regularly, including special services several times a year with visiting ministers. At six, I realized my sin and confessed faith in Christ. When I entered ninth grade, my parents enrolled me in church school where I learned creationism.

However, during my teen years, misgivings clouded my mind. Guest pastors told the exact illustration as if it happened to them, and I labeled them dishonest. Plus, church leaders didn’t live up to their own standards.

Well-versed in Genesis, I longed to hear from evolutionists so I could compare the reasoning. While these thoughts churned, my cousin shared his own doubts.

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Are You Living Exposed?

by Dr. Susan B. Mead in Leading Hearts magazine

YES, EXPOSED. EMBARRASSED. EXTREMELY VULNERABLE. Has something happened, shattering the world around you, shaming you as your life is exposed for all to see? Do you feel humiliation as others freely comment on your misfortune, both publicly and privately?

Yeah, me too. I lost a son to drugs and alcohol. I did not lose him in a way that others would call honorable — serving his country — or in a way that others would say was unpreventable — to some horrid disease. Yet I lost him, and I know what it feels like to grieve over a lost child.

I was heartbroken and ashamed. Rearing children to adulthood, addiction-free, and having them proclaim Jesus as Lord defined successful mothering to me. And I’d failed. Miserably. I felt exposed. Why?

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Praying to Move Mountains

by Linda Evans Shepherd in Leading Hearts Magazine

I AM LIKE A PRAYER INVESTIGATOR. I HAD TO BE BECAUSE I HAD A MOUNTAIN TO MOVE.
After a violent car crash put my 18-month-old baby into a coma, I needed to know what it would take to touch my daughter through the power of prayer.
Since that fateful day, I’ve made it my mission to understand prayer. I’ve spent hours scouring the Word to discover and understand the prayer secrets it contains, and most importantly, I’ve prayed. I’ve battled. I’ve contended. I’ve sought God. I’ve claimed promises, and I’ve prayed through roadblocks.


I’ve experienced breakthroughs and felt the heartache when God says no. I’ve worked with prayer teams and prayer partners, fought the enemy and prayed with countless people. And yes! I have seen God move. I have seen God answer prayer.


In my new book, When You Need to Move a Mountain, I share what I’ve learned to help readers not only become a person of prayer, but a person who can use prayer to reverse the works of the enemy, to save lives, to be blessed with provision and to flow into God’s best for their lives.

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Want to Grow Great Fruit? Get Rid of These Inheritance Spoilers.

by Sharon Elliott in Leading Hearts Magazine

IF YOU’RE ANYTHING LIKE ME, ONE OF MY REASONS FOR BEING A CHRISTIAN IS GOING TO HEAVEN. Some years ago, the singer Evie sang a song with the lyric that said, “If heaven never was promised to me, neither God’s promise to live eternally, it’s been worth just having the Lord in my life.”

That’s true when I’m counting my blessings, but I have to be honest, heaven’s still a big part of the deal for me.

With that in mind, I take very seriously biblical warnings like that of Galatians 5:19-20 which lists the things that will hinder me from inheriting the kingdom of God. 

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Don’t Cry if You’ve Just Spilled Your Hair Dye


by Rhonda Rhea @RhondaRhea in Leading Hearts Magazine

I doubt it’s any surprise that I’ve never been known for being low maintenance. Recently, though, I did at least shoot for being a little less of a budget drain. Like maybe a bit more “DIY” in a few areas. I confess, “do-it-yourself” is rather out of my wheelhouse. I’m a lot more comfortable as a “do-it-for-me” kind of gal. But I was willing to try. I decided to focus on the hair budget. No, not giving up the color. I’d dye first (pa-dum-ching).

I don’t think I’ll ever be so low maintenance that I’ll go colorless. But I thought, surely I could color it myself. What could go wrong?

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Mentoring Essentials to Maximize Your Life!

by Jayme Hull @JaymeHull in Leading Hearts Magazine

As a young professional in New York City, surrounded by stars and fashion, I often felt about two inches tall. Unseen by some, judged by others. Sure, I had a few friends, but I longed to find a woman who had been in my shoes and walking a few steps ahead of me. I knew I needed a mentor.

One Sunday, I mustered up the courage to talk with a pastor at Times Square who connected me with a mentor. Her warm eyes and inviting smile put me at ease the first time we met.

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