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Includes a financial snapshot, Giving by Design update, and prayer requests.
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Quarterly Ministry Update
You are receiving this e-mail because you have supported our ministry in the past, or you signed up to receive updates at LivingbyDesign.org/Give. If you do wish to receive quarterly ministry updates from Living by Design Ministries in the future, you can unsubscribe here.

Hello,
Friend!

When I was young, I spent an exorbitant amount of mental energy preparing for a future that never came.

My mind was consumed with the "maybes," "what-ifs," and "if only's" of life.

I rarely had time to deal with today's problems because I was obsessed with tomorrow's possibilities.

Visionary people must exercise immense personal discipline if they wish to live a productive life.

The biblical principle that has helped combat the temptation of tomorrowland is Sabbath rest.

Setting aside a whole day each week to look back on all the "good" (Gen 1:31) God has done in my life is a restorative practice I depend on.

Genesis 2:2-3 HCSB says, " By the seventh day, God completed His work that He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work that He had done. God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, for on it He rested from His work of creation."

Unlike God, my work is never truly complete. This is why I must force myself to stop and Sabbath regularly.

Sometimes, I don't realize how empty my spiritual and emotional tank is until my pre-planned rest days show up on the calendar.

Creating space for rest is a labor of lovefor my family, my Father, and my future. I do it because God commands it; I enjoy it because God blesses it.

Looking back is an important part of preparing for the future.

It is abundantly more fruitful than fretting about what may, or may not, happen tomorrow.

I am writing this quarterly update during my 6-week summer Sabbatical from public ministry.

I wish I could tell you that this ministry break has been refreshing and rejuvenating.

Unfortunately, reality rarely meets our expectations.  

I feel like this break from public ministry simply created space for me to minister to the private needs of my children, spouse, and extended family.

And for that, I am grateful. Truly grateful. But I'm also tired and in desperate need of some spiritual refueling.

So today, I ask you to join me in looking back on all the good God has done and praying that He will continue to supernaturally provide for this ministry in the future.

He is the only One capable of filling up all our empty spaces and giving us the strength we need to bear fruit in every season.


Sarah Koontz
President, Living by Design Ministries

P.S. If you have any questions or want more information on any of the topics discussed in this quarterly update, please don't hesitate to contact our team at info@livingbydesign.org.

A New Giving by Design Partnership
 
 
In May, we partnered with our friends at Wheat & Honey Co. to donate ten handpainted Bibles to the Freedom Shield Organization. They are a non-profit organization rescuing women and children from human trafficking. You can click here to see the event recap on the Wheatful Woman blog.
"Your donation allowed Wheat and Honey Co. to have the EXACT amount of Bibles needed for each guest at our Wheatful Women event to have a personal Bible to encounter the Lord through, pray over, and journal in for a woman rescued by Freedom Shield. This gives me chills! We are so grateful for the ways the Lord moves through all the work Living by Design Ministries is doing. Thank you for your generosity. It has been my greatest joy to watch the Lord stir in our ministry for His perfect timing and use of your gift." - Britt Goff, founder of Wheat & Honey Co.

"I wanted to personally thank you for the Bibles you donated to our organization! The Bibles provided go straight to our safe houses where we care for rescued victims of sex trafficking. Just this week, two of our ladies received the hand painted Bibles and gave their lives to the Lord. I had the honor of baptizing both of them. You are making an eternal impact! They were both so proud of their Bibles and have been reading them daily. Each woman who enters our program gets to choose a Bible to keep with her. We are so grateful for your generosity on their behalf! - Carrie Grace, Executive Director of the Freedom Shield Foundation

 
Prayer Requests for Living by Design Ministries
Pray for Summer Bible Study Participants: Please pray for everyone who chooses to participate in one of our free 6-week summer studies (It is Well, Pray Like David, & Reclaim the Sabbath). Ask God to speak to them clearly through His Word and ignite a fire in their hearts for His ways. Pray also that they would receive all the study e-mails, consistently engage in the process of personal Bible study, and experience the freedom and victory that can only be found in Christ.

✔ Pray for Rest & Rejuvenation: Every summer, we take a six-week break from social media, SOULfood Saturday e-mails, and blog posts. This allows our staff and volunteers to step back and recoup after a busy fundraising season and releasing new resources. During the downtime, Sarah Koontz will be continuing work on our fall Bible study. Pray for clarity, direction, wisdom, and endurance as she seeks to write a 7-week study on the Parables of Jesus Christ.

✔ Praise Report from the Koontz Family: We are excited to report that the migraine headaches Sarah has been suffering from for the past 3-4 years have resolved. Under her father's medical care, she has found a natural treatment to balance her hormones and has not had to take any migraine medicine for 8+ weeks. This is a huge answer to prayer, and we are just beside ourselves with thankfulness to the Lord for His direction and healing in this area. Thank you to everyone who has prayed for Sarah's health over the past several years. She feels stronger and healthier than she has in a decade, and we owe this community a huge debt of gratitude for your faithful intercession on her behalf. To God be the glory!
All Support Team members receive quarterly ministry updates, info about Bible Study Launch Team opportunities, volunteer and fundraiser information. We also have a private Facebook group just for you. This is a place where we can connect with the individuals within our support community and share ministry updates and requests in a more timely, personal manner.  
 
 
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