SHARON HARRINGTON HOWARD
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PREPAREDNESS

3/27/2020

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PREPAREDNESS...
The time to prepare for emergencies is BEFORE the emergency. The time to prepare for battle is in times of peace. I’m thankful for a wise mother who instilled in me to be prepared. She didn’t tell me to ‘stockpile’ supplies but she told me to always have a little extra on hand. Her reasoning was that you never know what might happen. She would tell me NOT to wait until I was completely out before restocking. There were two reasons for this: 1) if you purchase items before running out you can look for it ‘on sale’ and save money and 2) in case of emergency, you have extra on hand.
When everybody ran to the stores for supplies at the beginning of the pandemic, I already had extra toilet tissue, Kleenex, trash bags, non-perishable food, etc. I believe this wisdom from my mother was the result of what must have been difficult experiences. She was born during the great depression in 1933 and was a child during the stringent rationings of WWII. I’m thankful she taught me this principle. This is a great idea for our ‘physical’ needs but how much more important is it for our SPIRITUAL NEEDS?
We must spend time in prayer and in God’s word every day and during times of peace to have a ‘well to draw from’ in times of need. It’s important to do like Psalm 119:11 (NIV): I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
Just like we must prepare for emergencies in good times, we have to place the blood of the lamb on the doorpost of our homes when God gives the INSTRUCTION, not when the death angel is standing at the front door.
Mike and I have been in our home almost eight years and immediately when we moved in, we asked dear friends from our old church to come pray over our home and ask God’s blessing. Our house was over fifteen years old when we moved in and we asked God to cleanse and purify our home of any evil. We wanted the only spirit allowed on our property to be the HOLY SPIRIT.
More recently I used anointing oil (olive oil) on all door frames and walked the property line, sprinkling oil on the ground. I prayed protection over our property, our family and home. We asked God to bless and protect us.
I was aware of this scripture:
Psalm 91: 10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. 11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
I’ve had a license plate frame on my car that states: “Angels are watching over me” for over twenty years and angels HAVE taken care of me on the roads!
This is why, when the pandemic came along, it may have been unnerving but it didn't change my level of trust.
There are many wonderful promises from God in the Bible and if we study it, we can know in our spirit what those promises are, especially during times of emergency. Start learning His promises today so you're always PREPARED. Learn the ones below and find your own in His word. We WILL get through this together. God bless you and keep you safe.
Psalm 37:25
I have been young and now I am old, Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken Or his descendants begging bread.
Matthew 6:26
Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?
 Psalm 56:11
In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me.
Psalm 118:6a
The Lord is on my side; I will not fear
Isaiah 41:10 
Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
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MY CORONA SCARE

3/19/2020

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 What a month I’ve had. I want to start by saying, I am SO BLESSED and thankful that I know Jesus and ‘all things work together for good to those who love the Lord and are called according to his purpose’ (Romans 8:28).
I had carpal tunnel release surgery on my right hand on February 17. I was in a lot of pain for about five days and took prescription pain pills every four hours along with Advil. I normally do not take pain medication. I hardly take aspirin.
Seven days after surgery, I became terribly sick. Eleven days after surgery I had stitches removed from my hand and then I began to have a horrible headache. The pain was so bad, I didn’t want to open my eyes and the only relief was sleep. The pain was so unbearable that I went to the hospital emergency room for the FIRST TIME in my adult life. They did a CT Scan of my sinuses and gave me fluids and drugs for my headache but sent me home. I was sneezing, running a fever and coughing. At that point they weren’t testing for Corona Virus unless you had been out of the country. I kept thinking about all the people attending to me in the surgery center and I didn't know if they had been infected. I knew I couldn’t go out of the house and take a chance of giving my sickness to anyone so, I self-quarantined before it was mandatory. I think I could have recovered from the infection quicker if I had not been recovering from surgery.
It didn’t help matters that the Corona Virus arrived in the United States and every time I turned on the T.V. President Trump was conducting a press conference about the seriousness of the virus and how many people had died. I continued to take antibiotics and began to feel better but couldn’t shake the cough. The doctor in the ER wanted me to follow-up with my Primary Care Physician, so two weeks after the ER when I was still coughing, I called my PCP and was able to get an appointment. It was the first day Mike didn’t have to drive the school bus since schools had closed.
Mike and I were in the car on the way to the doctor’s when their office called. The young lady on the phone said she spoke with my doctor who said I could still be contagious and "they did not want me in their office." She gave me an 866# to call to discuss further testing for Covid-19. Now I'm REALLY worried I might have the virus.
My husband and mother thought I should call the number right away and get tested. I prayed and asked God to give me direction. I couldn’t stand the idea of getting my name on the list of Americans who might have a deadly virus. I didn’t want to give the government control of my personal healthcare and I didn’t want to be hospitalized or told where to quarantine, so after seeking the counsel of a precious sister-in-the-Lord, I decided NOT to call the 866#. I self-quarantine and continued to pray. I did not go out, because I DID NOT want to infect others. I stayed home, praying to get better. Remember, I was still nursing an open wound and had limited use of my right hand, relying on Mike to help me do most things. I had NO energy and got winded easily. I couldn’t do anything but lay around. Depression was trying to set in but thanks to wonderful friends checking on me, it did not prevail.
However, the more I read complaints on Facebook about the inconvenience of the closures, I became infuriated. If I were healthy and had to stay home, it’s one thing, but being sick during this time was misery. I wanted to say, if you’re not sick and simply inconvenienced – PLEASE STOP COMPLAINING! Be thankful you’re healthy and PRAY that you stay that way. Follow the guidelines and have respect for those who ARE sick and those with preexisting health conditions. JUST PRAY.
One week after trying to see my PCP, I’m feeling better. I have been building my energy up this week and have a follow-up with my hand surgeon tomorrow. I’m getting more use of my hand (able to type now) and have NO problem being quarantined at home with my husband since I can get things done around the house.... inside and out! I enjoy working around my house. I LOVE our property, so I have no problem staying home now that I’m healthy. Thank you, Jesus!
This was a very scary experience and I had to combat the fear of wondering if I had the virus. Mike is in the ‘at risk’ age and I saw on the news a thirty-six-year-old was in critical condition. I’m human and thinking I might have a deadly disease was scary but I listened to a lot of wonderful preachers online. I had to feed my spirit, be smart and TRUST God. I knew God would be with me NO MATTER what happened. So I’ve been down and sick for a month which felt like an eternity and this was my CORONA SCARE story. That's as close as I want to get to it.
I want to let everyone know that during one early morning prayer time, I felt the Holy Spirit impress  this on me:
This virus will pass through the United States quickly and be over faster than anyone expected. It will clearly be a miracle of God in our nation because of the prayers of the saints. Our country will be THE LEAST AFFECTED COUNTRY IN THE WORLD with the least number of deaths, per capita. The entire world will recognize God’s hand of protection on us and MANY WILL BE SAVED and turn to the Lord because of his mercy shown on us.

Please pray with me, this will happen and churches will be fuller than before this event. We read in the Bible that whenever God allowed disasters, it was with a desire to see the people return to Him.
But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. (Revelation 2:4 nasb)
REPENT AND TURN TO GOD, TODAY! God bless you and keep you.
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