Infinite Love Blog

2012-05-17T18:27:00.001-04:00

Hello,

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Much Love,
Dawn Ford
Infinite Love Ministries, INC.
Our Website

Do You Worship the Mush God?

2012-03-05T19:36:00.000-05:00

Worshiping a Mush God can get messy. Photo From

This article was referenced by my pastor on Sunday. I ended up pulling the whole article and wanted to share. It was written by Nicholas Von Hoffman.

The Mush God has been known to appear all over the world on Sunday mornings to a great many people wanting to relax and read the Sunday paper and have a nice hot cup of coffee. He is always there to soothe you and put your mind at rest. Always ready to tell you that you deserve the rest today because you have worked so hard during the week. He is also eager to tell you about that really important game on TV, or to remind you about all the things that you need to do around the house this Sunday morning.

During the week the Mush God appears all over the place. He appears with politicians at ribbon-cutting ceremonies, and to clergymen speaking at the start of all the various government legislative proceedings. In fact the Mush God is the god that politicians always seem to turn to. The Mush God just adores politicians.
The Mush God is also the father of the innocuous and harmless prayer. Most people just love to hear the Mush God speak. You could easily get him to give an opening prayer at the start of a hooker’s convention, and he would gladly promise that no one at all would be offended. The Mush God is very proud that his beliefs and doctrines are completely non-irritating and non-offensive.

This Mush God loves to interact with other people and he especially loves to show up whenever spiritual questions are being debated. He just loves to talk about his views on tolerance.

The Mush God has no theology to speak of. His is a pure Cream of Wheat type of divinity. Here is finally a God that doesn’t believe in strictness and rigidity. His laws seem to be made out of rubber because they bend so much. You can take any of his laws and mold them in a much more, “useful” manner. People just love this Mush God because he is so very easy to get along with. What a convenient god. Oh thank heavens for the Mush God.

The Mush God has no particular credo, no tenets of faith, nothing that would make it difficult for either the believer or the nonbeliever alike to lower their heads when he speaks. In fact the Mush God is not a jealous god at all, and will gladly share the platform with any other gods that anyone might have.
Call him the god of the Rotary, or the god of the optimists. This god is the protector of the Buddy System. The Mush God is the Lord of secular ritual.

The Mush God is a serviceable god who will fit in anywhere. His laws are chiseled not on tablets of stone, but they are written on sand which allows his laws to be open to amendment, qualification, change, and erasure. His laws can easily blend in with the beliefs of anyone.

Here is a God that will compromise with you. He will gladly relax the rules. He will make allowances and declare all wars, of any type, to be holy wars. Here is a god that is all too happy to look the other way.
Here is a god who is a good friend to everyone, in fact the Mush God tells all his friends that they can do no wrong, that all activities are fine with him. And most people just love him for that and are all to happy to follow him, where ever he might lead them.

Post a comment to these questions below:

1. In what areas of you life do you serve a Mush God?

2. What can you do differently to eliminate the Mush God in your life?

3. Is this statement true or false? Why? Why not? "If you stand for everything, you stand for nothing."

Dawn Ford, is the VP of Infinite Love Ministries, INC. A non-profit dedicated to teaching all about the infinite love of Christ. For more information or to have Dawn speak at your next event. Infinite Love's Website

Are You Dealing with an E.G.R.P.?

2012-02-23T16:24:00.000-05:00


Those E.G.R.P.s can drive you crazy, but take heart.

By Dawn Ford

We all have a least one “E.G.R.P" in our life; an Extra Grace Required Person. You know the one that drives you a little crazy, gets on your last nerve. You can meet them anywhere. Work, the grocery store, maybe even in your own home.

Unfortunately, we don’t get off the hook with God when we are called to love everyone. Everyone means everyone. Even the E.G.R.P’s. Gulp. Even our enemies.

Love is not a feeling. It’s a choice. An action word.

“...let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love, does not know God, because God is love,” 1 John 4:7-8.

God is the Source

We can’t do this on our own. As mere humans we don’t have the capacity, but as Christ followers, God is the source of our love. He loved us so much, He gave us His one and only son. If God never did another thing for us, He gave us the greatest gift we could ever receive; the gift of eternal life.

Jesus is the Example

Jesus is a perfect example of how we should love others. While we will never be perfect, we can look to Him as a model. He gave up his throne, put on skin and walked among us. He lived through ever possible emotion, felt every possible victory and suffered every possible defeat. His life and death are all about His love for us and the love He has for His Father. Our only goal should be to be more like him.

The Holy Spirit is the Power

The Holy Spirit gives us the power to agape (unconditionally) love one another. He lives in our hearts, making us more Christ-like. If we seek His guidance we will not only love others the way they deserve but, we may even pray for them, and have compassion for them.

Questions:

1. Do you have an E.G.R.P in your life right now? Why do you think God has them bugging you?

2. What's one thing that you can do to love them?

Dawn Ford is VP and creative director for Infinite Love Ministries. A non-profit dedicated to showing all the infinite love of Christ. If you want to get involved or have Dawn speak at your next's women's event check out our website at Infinite Love Ministries.

Photo from iStockPhoto.com

Can You Comprehend God's Infinite Love?

2012-02-14T16:13:00.001-05:00

By Dawn Ford

http://www.infiniteloveministries.com/

With a ministry named Infinite Love, what else would I be talking about on Valentine’s Day, but God’s infinite love for us? There is no better way to do that then to study the scripture that sparked our name.

Scripture

Ephesians 3:16-19

“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

Back Story

Paul is writing to the church in Ephesus and all believers everywhere to strengthen their Christian faith. He does this by explaining the purpose of the church and the body of Christ as a whole.¹

Paul is in prison in Rome under house arrest. In the day he was free to move around the house with the supervision of soldiers, but every night he was chained to a soldier to make sure he did not escape before his trial before Caesar. His crime was his missionary efforts on behalf of the Gentiles (non Jews, as in us). Paul suffered for the very truth he would explain to the Ephesians in this six chapter book, but this did not make him back down one bit. The last thing Paul wanted was people to feel sorry for him because he was imprisoned. He wanted his readers to realize that it is a benefit for them that he was a prisoner. ²

Paul opens Ephesians Chapter 3 describing himself as, “a prisoner for Christ Jesus for you the Gentiles,” (Eph 3:1). Paul might have been physically chained to a Roman solider, but he knew that Jesus was the Lord of his life, not the Roman government, so if he was a prisoner, he was Jesus’ prisoner.³ The scripture quoted above is part of a prayer Paul speaks of the Ephesians and us.

Treasures and Truths for Us

“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being.” Paul has experienced many trials and tribulations up to this point but, he also knows how God has sustained and strengthened him abundantly. God through the Holy Spirit wants to strengthen us in the same way. As a member of God’s family He promises His love and power to every member of His family.⁴ Just like Paul, all we have to do is believe and receive.

“...so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith...” In the Greek language there are two words that mean “live in.” One denotes live in a place as a stranger, the other refers to settling in and making a permanent home. Dwell, katoikeō, means a permanent home. Jesus wants to settle down in our hearts forever, not just visiting as a stranger.⁵

“...being rooted and established in love...” Paul is asking the Ephesians (and us) to be rooted and grounded in their love for one another. Spurgeon put it this way, “Two expressions are used: ‘rooted,’ like a living tree which lays hold upon the soil, twists itself round the rocks, and cannot be upturned: ‘grounded,’ like a building which has been settled, as a whole, and will never show any cracks or flaws in the future through failures in the foundation.” ⁶

“...to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ...”

The love of Jesus is so wide that it covers all our sins, our failures and our shortcomings. It covers every circumstance in our life and works it all out for good.
God’s love is so long, it covers us before we were born and it will be with us after we die. Jeremiah 31:3 tells us “...I have loved you with an everlasting love.” We can’t out love God and we can never lose His love.
God’s love is deeper than any human's could be. Philippians 2:7-8 tell us how deep the love of Jesus goes; “...but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” No one can go lower than the death of the cross, and that is how deep the love of Jesus is for us.
God’s love lifts us to great heights. “How high you might ask?” It lifts us to heavenly places where we are seated with Christ. “...He has raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:6).

“...and to know this love that surpasses all knowledge.” There is no way to really comprehend God’s love for us, but we get a somewhat better understanding when we look at the cross. The cross pointed in four ways, essentially in every direction, because . . .

God’s love is wide enough to include every person.

God’s love is long enough to last through all eternity.

God’s love is deep enough to reach the worst sinner.

God’s love is high enough to take us to heaven.⁷

God’s love for all of us is infinite. On this Valentine's Day, whether you get a card, flowers, dinner or chocolate know beyond a shadow of a doubt that your God is crazy in love with you and has already given you the greatest gift he could ever give, His son.

1. Life Application Study Bible, New International Version, 1991, p 2128.
2. http://www.blueletterbible.org/, David Guzik commentary on Ephesians 3.
3. D. Guzik
4. D. Guzik
5. D. Guzik
6. http://www.spurgeon.us/
7. D. Guzik

Dawn Ford is the VP and Co-founder of Infinite Love Ministries, INC. A non-profit dedicated to showing all the infinite love of Christ. For more information please visit our website, http://www.infiniteloveministries.com/

Looking for Everlasting Love? You Won't Find it with the Vampires, Werewolves or Other Things that Go Bump in the Night

2012-01-19T04:30:00.000-05:00

Stock photo Twilight, http://bit.ly/wv6x8q

by: Dawn Ford

OK, it’s confession time.

I’m a Christian woman who got sucked into the Twilight series. In my defense, it started a couple of years ago when I saw several of my fifth grades girls^*walking around school with the books. As a speech therapist, anything that got my language impaired/learning disabled girls (or boys for that matter) reading was of interest to me. I had done lesson plans for the Harry Potter series, as well as Lord of the Rings, so I figured, this was no different.

What I didn’t expect was how hooked I got. I devoured the four books in a week, waited with great anticipation for the first two movies and started reading other books in the same genre. When the third movie was about to be released, a reporter friend Dave, was tasked to write an article on the world wide phenomenon. On his Facebook page he posed a simple question, “Why do women like Twilight?”

It gave me time to pause, to reflect and quite frankly shook me back to reality. I realize the main reason I was enthralled with the series, (especially the first book) was the love between the two main characters. The idea of someone loving you forever, with that kind of intensity is intoxicating. Who wouldn’t want to be loved like that? Of course, the shake back to reality came when I remembered I was already loved in just that way.

Scripture

John 3:16

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Back Story

In John 3, Jesus is talking to Nicodemus a Pharisee. His chief job, as part of the Jewish ruling counsel, was the strict interpretation and observance of Mosaic Law. By the time Jesus came on the scene the Pharisees along with Scribes, and Sadducees had twisted these laws into rules and regulations that where impossible to follow. They were Jesus’ staunchest critics because He called them out at every opportunity for their legalistic, unrealistic ways.

Nicodemus came to Jesus at night. He had heard Him preach during the day, had seen Him perform miracles and Nic wanted to know more. Right off the bat, Jesus blows Nicodemus’ mind by telling him, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again,” (John 3:3).

It was taught widely among the Jews at that time, that since they descended from Abraham, they were automatically assured of heaven. In fact, some Rabbis taught that Abraham stood watch at the gate of hell, just to make sure that none of his descendants accidentally wandered in there.¹

Then Jesus utters the most famously quoted verse out of all 31,373 in the bible, shattering another long standing Jewish belief that God not only loved the Jews, but the whole world.

Our Take Away

In one verse we learn it all:

We learn the object of God’s love (agape, unconditional love): the world.

We learn the expression and the gift of God’s love: He gave His only begotten Son. God’s love didn’t just feel for the plight of a fallen world. God did something about it, and He gave the most precious thing to give: His only begotten Son.
We learn the recipient of God’s love: Whoever believes in Him. God loves the world, but the world does not receive or benefit from that love until it believes in Jesus, the gift that the Father gave. For the record, believes in means much more than intellectual awareness or agreement. It means to trust in, to rely on, and to cling to.
We learn the intention of God’s love: should not perish. God’s love actually saves man from eternal destruction. God looks at fallen humanity, does not want it to perish, and so in His love He extends the gift of salvation in Jesus Christ.
We learn the duration of God’s love: everlasting life. The love we receive among people may fade or turn, but God’s love will never change. He will never stop loving His people, even unto the furthest distance of eternity.²

It's not about being judgmental.

I didn’t see the fourth Twilight movie, I won’t see the fifth and I don’t have the books on my shelf anymore. Don’t misunderstand me. I’m not saying reading this material or other secular works are wrong. For me, it made me take my eye off the true love that is extremely intoxicating, all encompassing and undeniably infinite.

Questions:

1. Is there something in your life that takes your eyes off the true love, the unconditional love of God?

2. If so, how will you chose today to refocus on what's really important?

References:

* ATTENTION PARENTS: Fifth grade girls should not be reading these books. There is a teen rating for a reason. If you do find your child reading these books or any other above their age range, use it as a teachable moment and read the books together.

1 and 2: http://www.blueletterbible.org/, David Guzik's commentary at John, Chapter 3.

Dawn Ford is VP of Infinite Love Ministries, INC (ILM). A non-profit corporation dedicated to showing all the infinite love of Christ. For more information, check out the tabs at the top of this page or visit our website, http://www.infiniteloveministries.com/

There is No Racism Under Christ

2012-01-16T17:26:00.000-05:00

Martin Luther King, 1964

By: Dawn Ford

I enjoy working with Preschools and Kindergarteners. They love and accept everyone. It doesn’t matter what you look like, how you walk or how you talk, these little people with pure hearts eat together, play together, and even have rest time together.

Unfortunately a sad thing happens when many of these same sweet Preschoolers became third and fourth graders. Suddenly, differences are noticed, tagged and in extreme causes exploited. As an educator I work hard to combat these issues head on but it’s difficult to stop the ball once it’s in motion.

As we reflect today on the man Martin Luther King and his message, we can be proud of many accomplishments in the almost 44 years since his death. Praise God my generation and younger have not had to live through the day to day outward aggression that tore this country apart in the 1960’s. As Christ followers however, we must not be complacent and not enter into a Passive Racism where we turn a blind eye to problems and issues that still plague our country and our world today.

Scripture

Colossians 3: 1-14

^11"Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

¹²Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³ Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

¹⁴And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."

Back story

Paul is writing to the church in Colosse, a city in Asia Minor (now Turkey) and believers everywhere. The letter is composed from a prison cell in Rome, in an attempt to combat new believers combining the Christian truth with paganism and secular philosophy. ¹

In chapters 1-2 Paul explains how the world’s teaching are totally empty when compared with God’s plan and he challenges the Colossians to reject shallow answers and to live in union with Christ. Once they (and us) enter that union with Christ, Paul urges the Colossians to foster union with one another and live in harmony under the love a Christ, (chapters 3 and 4). ²

Our Take Away

There is no racism under God. God is very specific early in His Word, when He calls Abram to leave Ur (yes folks that’s modern day Iraq) and follow Him. In Genesis 12: 1-3 and again in Genesis 18:18, God specifically states that all people on earth and all nations will be blessed through Abram (later Abraham). No nation, people or race is given preferential treatment. Even the Jews, while they are called God’s “chosen people”, God meant they were “chosen” to bring his message of love and acceptance to the world.

One little Jewish boy got is so right. Look at Christ teaches when he put on skin and came to earth. Jesus’ “superstars” in his parables and in his teaching where always people the Jews despised; The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:33-37), 10 lepers are healed, only the Samaritan comes back to thank Jesus (Luke 17:16), the Roman official who has so much faith Christ will heal his servant, he tells Jesus, he doesn’t even have to come to his house, just speak the healing and it will be done (Matt 8:6-11).

Jesus purposely picked races the Jews looked down on, not to only teach them the Good News was for all but also to show God doesn’t play favorites.

Our only call is to love. Once you are a Christ follower the love you have for Him, should translate into love for all – friends, fellow believers, spouses, children, parents, slaves and masters.

What can we do now?

Be mindful. While you might not speak or act with hate, tolerating others behavior, jokes, speech, and actions is all forms of passive racism. Racism stems from fear and misplaced pride. While it should be done in love, be bold enough to educate what is appropriate under Christ’s direction.

Also, use situations as teachable moments for your children and children in your sphere of influence. The only way I combated the shift from PreK acceptance to fourth grade bigotry was letting it know what I would tolerate and what I wouldn’t.

ALL means ALL. The word for “all,” “kole” in Hebrew, “pas” in Greek means, “each, every, any, all, the whole, everyone, all things, everything.” Christ message is for all. He wants to be in all and He wants us to love all.

Questions:

1. What are you reflecting on today as we celebrate Martin Luther King Day?

2. What can you do differently to facilitate Christ ALL approach?

Dawn Ford is a licensed speech language pathologist and the Vice President of Infinite Love Ministries, INC. A not for profit corporation dedicated to showing all the infinite love of Christ. For more information check out the website, http://www.infiniteloveministries.com/

1 and 2, Life Application Bible, New International Version, 1988, page 2156

What do you smell like?

2011-11-30T20:39:00.001-05:00

www.istockphoto.com

By Dawn Ford

I used to hate walking in a department store. I have so many allergies; I’d have to dodge the perfume ladies, wanting to sprits me with some new fragrance. While I admire perfume on others, I’m limited to simple clean scents that don’t make me sneeze or make my nose run. As Christians it’s really no different, we have to be careful what kind of scent we give off to others, making sure we’re always pleasing and never overpowering.

In 2 Corinthians 2, Paul states, “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him.” [2 Cor 2:14] As Christ followers, we're supposed give off a pleasant fragrance. Let's look at the whole scripture to get an idea how.

Scripture

2 Corinthians 2:14-17 (NIV)

“But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task? Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God.”¹

Back Story

The small Corinthian church was weak, but in their defense, Corinth was a tough town. As part of post Hellenistic Greece, Corinth was an important port city on the Aegean Sea. It was a very busy prosperous town, with lots of visitors from all over and many pagan temples that worship the Greek gods.

The Christians in Corinth struggled in their surroundings. With all kinds of corruption and every conceivable sin going on around them, they felt a great pressure to adapt. In First Corinthians, Paul tried to instruct them in their faith, resolve conflicts and solve problems. Most received the letter well, but among them there were false teachers who denied Paul’s authority and attempted to slander him. Second Corinthians is written to defend his position and to denounce those who were twisting the truth. ²

The Use of Imagery

To make his point, Paul used imagery the Corinthians and others of that time period would have understood. When the Romans conquered an area, there would be a Roman triumphal procession through the towns. The Roman general would display his treasures and captives amidst a cloud of incense burned to the gods. To the victors, the aroma was sweet; to the captives in the parade, it was the smell of slavery and death. ³

In the same way, Christ the triumphant ruler of our lives has a sweet smelling aroma to those of us who believe in Him. Consequently to those who don’t know Him (or have been hurt by someone claiming to follow in His name), the Good News message of the Gospel may have a horrible stench smelling like death.

Our Take Away

Just like expensive perfume, a little goes a long way? Yes there will be times when someone asks you specific questions about Christ and they’ll want you to go into detail and explain. For the most part, your actions will have an opportunity to speak louder than your words. Do you just "dab" yourself in Christ enough so those around you get your clean fresh scent or are you so overpowering you make others sick to their stomach?

Smells leave an imprint. The olfactory or sense of smell is the most primitive and most sensitive, so from an early age, different smells are imprinted in our brains. Just as easy as smelling your mom’s homemade apple pie today can bring back wonderful memories of your childhood, smelling bleach or antiseptic can bring back a terrible hospital experience. What’s going to be your lasting smell; pleasant or painful?

Sometimes no matter how good you smell you’re still going to make someone sneeze. Even if we do and say all the right things, people can still be turned off and reject the Good News of Christ. Jesus addressed this very specifically in Gospel of John, “...No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him...,” (John 6:44). Our only requirement is to be good ambassadors of Christ and to represent Him well. Remember, you may be only be one link of a chain of saints who brings a soul to Christ.

Are you up to the task? Spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ is not for the weak, but go back to Paul’s words above, “But thanks be to God, who always leads us...” (verse 14) and “...we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God,” (verse17). There are hints of how to be fragrant:

Let God lead you.

'Sincerity' is translated from the Greek word eilikrineia, which means “pure” or “transparent.” Paul’s message and ministry, had no hidden motives or agendas. Neither should ours.

We speak in the sight of God in Christ. Paul was always aware that his first audience in ministry was God Himself. Every word he spoke, he spoke in the sight of God. Its the same for us.

Questions

1. We're all human and we all make mistakes. Think about a time you may have come on too strong. How would you do things different if you had the opportunity?

2. Jesus said, "...No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him...," (John 6:44). How does that change the way you look at your role as a Christ follower and ambassador for him?

1 Life Application Study Bible, New International Version, 1991, p. 2095.
2 Life Application Study Bible, New International Version, 1991, p. 2059.
3 www.blueletterbible.org, commentary by David Gurzik on 2 Corinthians.

Dawn Ford is the VP of Infinite Love Ministries, INC., a not for profit corporation dedicated to transforming lives through the power of God's Word. Please visit www.infiniteloveministries.com to contact Dawn as a speaker for you next women's event.

Advent Week One - The Candle of Hope

2011-11-26T01:33:00.001-05:00

www.istockphoto.com

By Dawn Ford

2 out of 5

In my first teaching on Advent we explored the beginning origins and why we prepare and celebrate these four weeks prior to Christ’s birth (http://bit.ly/uD0ZUW). In teachings 2 through 5 we’ll look at a theme for each week of Advent; hope peace, joy and love and a scripture to correspond. This week we’ll be discussing the hope of Advent.

Our scripture,

“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners...” 1Timothy 1:15.

The back story

Paul wrote 1Timothy in approximately 64 AD to Timothy, a trusted protégé. Timothy is the first second generation Christian mentioned in the bible; his mother Eunice and his grandmother Lois were believers. Paul has entrusted Timothy to lead the church in Ephesus, a tough assignment due to the city being full of pagans and the church being infiltrated with false teachers. Paul is writing to encourage the young leader. ¹

Scripture in Context

Let’s look at the scripture as it appears in context through the NIV version verses 12-16:

“I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service.

Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief.

The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners--of whom I am the worst.

But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.”²

As Saul, Paul was a hater of Christians. He took great pride in hunting believers, and ordered Stephen’s death; (Acts 7:57-8:3). Before he was saved he was the worst of the worst, yet God used him to bring the Good News to the Gentiles.

What is your hope?

Your sin does not disqualify you.

Paul’s past did not disqualify him from serving God. God’s mercy and grace were enough to cover his past and enable him to serve God. You should never feel that your past makes you unable to be used by God.

To qualify you have to be a sinner.

Since Jesus came into the world to save sinners, this is the first necessary qualification

for being a child of God - being a sinner. Sinners are not disqualified from coming to God, because Jesus came to save them. So he came to save you and me.

God wants to pure abundant grace on you.

Paul killed Christ followers, yet God loved him all the same. He forgave him and lavished him with acceptance and love.

“After Paul was saved, he became a foremost saint. The Lord did not allot him a second-class place in the church. He had been the leading sinner, but his Lord did not, therefore, say, ‘I save you, but I shall always remember your wickedness to your disadvantage.’ Not so: he counted him faithful, putting him into the ministry and into the apostleship, so that he was not a whit behind the very chief of the apostles. Brother, there is no reason why, if you have gone very far in sin, you should not go equally far in usefulness.” (Spurgeon) ³

What does God have planned for you?

Paul was an ordinary man who did extraordinary things for the kingdom of God. What does God have in store for you? Do you think you’re the worst of the worst? That your sins are far too great and God could never love you. Oh my friend here is your hope, our hope. God sent his only son to save you and me. Only the sick need a physician. The sicker you are the greater the healing.

Questions

1. Reread the scripture above, 1 Timothy 1:12-16. Reading how God treated Paul despite his offenses, what hope does that give you?

2. Do you believe you are worthy of God's abundant grace? Why or Why not?

1 Commentary by David Guzik, www.blueletterbible.org, 1Timothy 1.

2 Life Application Study Bible, New International Version, 1991, pp 2187-88.

3 Commentary by David Guzik, www.blueletterbible.org, 1Timothy 1.

Dawn Ford is the founder and VP of Infinite Love Ministries, INC. a not for profit corporation Dedicated to showing all the infinite love of Christ. If you would like Dawn to speak at your next women's event please contact her at www.infiniteloveministries.com .

Advent - Celebrating the Coming of our Lord

2011-11-22T18:57:00.001-05:00

www.istockphoto.com

By Dawn Ford.

Part 1 in a 5 part series.

Looking Both Ways

When I was a little girl, my best friend Holly lived around the corner and down the block. Before I was able to walk by myself, I had to prove to my mother that I could get there safely. Part of the proof was that I looked both ways before I crossed the street.

It seems to me many Christians today have forgotten the necessity of “looking both ways.” I don’t mean looking to the left and right on a specific street, but rather to events in the past and events in the future. Like the rest of our culture, all too often we get so caught up in the urgency of our daily lives that we fail to notice the larger picture of which we are only a small part.

The Meaning of Advent

The word “advent” comes from the Latin word adventus and means “arrival” or “coming.” The season of Advent, which originated in the 6th century A.D., is a four-week period preceding December 25^th. During this time, Christians dedicate themselves both to remembrance and to anticipation. Advent is all about looking both ways, because during these four weeks, we take time to slow down and look behind us to Christ’s first coming (the adventus) and ahead of us to the Second Coming (the parousia).

A Time of Anticipation

The important thing Advent helps us remember is that we are located between these two arrivals, seemingly stuck somewhere after the “already” but still within the “not yet” of God’s kingdom. Jesus Christ, the Lord of Life, has already come in the flesh. He has already been crucified. He has already been resurrected. He has already defeated death. The victory has already been won.

Nevertheless, we do not yet see the full effects of Christ’s victory played out in our world. Death is not yet merely a distant nightmare. Our lives are not yet free from all sin. Peace and justice are not yet ubiquitous. Hunger has not yet become a thing of the past. HIV and AIDS have not yet been defeated.

Admittedly, this can seem quite confusing. We may find ourselves despairing—wondering why, if Christ were really victorious, so many awful things continue in our world. Why does my friend have cancer? Why can’t I find a job? Why do thousands die every day from lack of clean water or millions in the developing world suffer from treatable diseases?

A Time of Self Examination

No, things most certainly are not as they should be. Yet the great hope of the good news we profess is that all things will one day be put right. We look both ways at Advent to remind ourselves of this. But we mustn’t do this lightly or halfheartedly. After all, the whole point of looking both ways before crossing the road is so you’ll know what you ought to do: If there is a car approaching, you shouldn’t step into the street. By helping us remember exactly where, or rather when, we are, Advent reminds us of the kind of people we ought to be during the brief years we are given in this life.

And in the meantime, we wait. Too often, though, we think waiting is a passive thing. We just go about our business, and sooner or later, God will do His thing. But this thinking is deeply flawed. Again and again in the New Testament, Jesus gives us parables that suggest that waiting must be active. This waiting is less like watching a sunset and more like preparing for winter: The wood must be chopped and stacked, the harvest brought into the barn, the leaky roof mended. After all, it is the slothful and lazy servant—the one who merely buries the talent he’s been entrusted with by the master—who receives a harsh punishment upon the master’s return (Matthew 25:14-30).

A Time of Celebration

By looking into the past, we’re reminded of all that Christ has done. By looking into the future, we’re expectant of all Christ will do. Advent helps us remember that we’ve got work to do while we wait. Not so that God will love us, but rather because He already does. We love, after all, because “he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). The intentional practices of Advent frame our responsibilities and help us take a good, sober look at our lives during the in-between times.

Christ has come. Christ is risen. Christ is coming again. He’s given us work to do in the meantime. How are we living: selfishly or selflessly? Are we caring for our world? Are we loving our God? Are we loving our neighbors?

Hope, Peace, Joy and Love

The above picture shows the traditional Advent wreath. A candle is lite each week to represent a biblical theme. Over the coming weeks I'll be discussing the themes of hope, peace, joy and love. In the center of the wreath is the fifth candle, the Christ candle, which is lite on Christmas Eve to make the Messiah's arrival. I'm looking forward to taking this journey with you.

Questions:

1. How does your family get ready to celebrate the birth of our Lord?

2. What things could you and your family do differently this year to slow down, and actually enjoy this time of year?

Dawn Ford is the founder and VP of Infinite Love Ministries, INC. A not for profit corporation dedicated to showing all the infinite love of Christ. For more information, check out our website at www.infiniteloveministries.com.

Excerpts taken from —Mike Yankoski foreword from the World Vision Advent Study Guide
Author of Under the Overpass: A Journey of Faith on the Streets of America and executive editor of Zealous Love: A Practical Guide to Social Justice

Don't Quit

2011-10-07T14:04:00.001-04:00

www.istockphoto.com

By: Dawn Ford

When things go wrong as sometimes the will.

When the road you’re trudging seems all up hill.
When the funds are low and the debts are high.
When you want to smile, but you have to sigh.
When care is pressing you don’t a bit,
Rest if you must, but don’t you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns.
AND MANY A FAILURE TURNS ABOUT.
WHEN HE MIGHT HAVE WON HAD HE STUCK IT OUT.
Don’t give up though the pace seems slow –
You may succeed with another blow.
Success if failure turned inside out.
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt.
And you can never tell how close you are.
It may be near when it seems so far.
So stick to the fight when you hardest hit.
It’s when things seem worst that you must NEVER QUIT!

- Author Unknown

I remember the first time I heard this poem. I was a freshman in high school at the FFA National Convention in an arena with 20,000 other students. I quickly memorized these 18 lines and they were my mantra for many years.

As life sped along though, these words were lost to me. I completely forgot them. Until this morning. Out the blue, they popped in my head and I quickly typed them without hesitation.

Isn't it amazing how God can speak to my heart and know exactly what I need to hear? To top it off, He’s so personal. He spoke to me in my love language; Words of Affirmation. He knows how important words are to me and how they convey love directly to me.

What is your love language? http://www.5lovelanguages.com/assessments/love/

How does God convey His love for you?

Dawn Ford is the VP of Infinite Love Ministries, INC. She is dedicated to showing all the infinite love of Christ - directly through teaching and speaking about God and indirectly through assisting with programs that promote literacy and proper healthcare. For more information please visit the ministries website, www.infiniteloveministries.com

Is Your Perception Cloudy?

2011-09-27T18:08:00.001-04:00

Picture 1: Does your perception cloud everything you do?

Picture 2: Or do you let the sun shine through?

By: Dawn B. Ford

“My perception is my reality.”

However, if your perception is wrong it could cloud everything you believe to be true about yourself and world around you.

Perception of yourself

What are the “tapes” that play over and over in your head? Are they positive or negative? For years I let negative words spoken by others dictate who I was. It wasn’t until I dove into God’s word that I realized how destructive those “tapes” and subsequently my “self-talk” was.

You are “fearfully and wonderfully made” for a purpose (Psalms 139:14). In Hebrew fearfully is translated from the word “yare” which means “to cause astonishment and awe, to be held in awe.” Palah is the Hebrew word for wonderfully, meaning “to be distinct, to be separated, to be distinguished.” When God looks at you, he is in awe and sees you as a unique distinctive work of art.

You can love yourself as much as God does. Not in a cocky or egotistical way, but in a confident way because you know your place and worth in His kingdom.

Perception of others

Ever looked at someone and made a snap decision on who they were and what they were going to be like?

When I was in college I worked part-time in a jewelry store. One Saturday a gentleman came into the store filthy from head to toe. My colleagues took one look at him, perceived he had no money, and busied themselves to avoid waiting on him. I was new; it was slow, so I decided to walk over. I treated him like every other customer, with respect. To everyone’s surprise he paid cash for a 5 carat tennis bracelet. I got the commission and he never forgot how I treated him. From then on, he would only work with me.

Image the perception the ruling class had about Jesus’ disciples. Can you blame them? Take Peter for example. Would you have picked him for your team or a major assignment in your corporation? He was hot headed, loud, always said the wrong thing and had a major issue with peer pressure.

But Jesus saw something else. In Matthew 16 he makes a bold statement.

“...And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” (Matthew 16:18) (Underlining and bold added by me).

Peter means “a rock, a stone.” In Greek - petros. The word “rock” in the above sentence is translated from petra “a cliff or a ridge...a much bigger rock.” Jesus saw Peter’s reality and was saying to him, “Peter you are strong like a rock (pointing to him) and on this “rock” (pointing to himself) I will build my church.” *

Jesus is basically telling Peter no matter what people think or how you mess up; you’re a chip off the old block. Jesus looks at each one of the same way. We’re all his favorites.

Perception of God

How do you view God? A distant father? A supreme being who really doesn’t care? Judge, jury, executioner?

God is pure love. If you been told or you feel any different, you’ve been lied to or you’re being duped. If anyone claiming to be a Christ follower has treated you with anything less than love, they misrepresented themselves and God.

“...let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love, does not know God because God is love,” 1 John 4:7-8.

Again the Greek language is sometimes hard to translate to English. The Greeks had four different words for love, we only have one. Eros meant passionate love. Philia meant brotherly love and Storge meant affection for. The love mentioned in the above verses is Agape; an unconditional full blown no-matter-what kind of love. God loves us that way and we are called to agape love in the same way.

How do you change your perception to sunny?

· Read and study the bible. How we view God is the foundation of how we see ourselves and others. If we don’t know the truth about God, then we can’t possibly know how he sees us and how we're supposed to treat others.

· Give others a break. We’re all human. We all mess up. Think of the times you’ve been extended grace and give grace in return.

· It’s not all about you. Sometimes people have a bad day. Sometimes the look on their face that has nothing to do with you. Don’t let problems fester in your head that aren't really there.

Questions to think about

1. Does your self worth come from what others say about you or what God says about you?

2. Ever believe your perception of someone or something was dead on and then you found out you were dead wrong? What did you do?

3. What can you do today to change your perception of yourself? Others? God?

* www.blueletterbible.com commentary by David Guzik.

Dawn Ford is the VP and Creative Director of Infinite Love Ministries, INC. A 501 (c)(3) non-profit dedicated to showing all the infinite love of Christ. For more informaiton or to contact Dawn to speak at your next women's event check out our website www.infiniteloveministries.com

Have You Irritated Anyone Lately?

2011-09-01T20:42:00.000-04:00

By: Dawn Ford

Have you ever read a book where you enjoyed every character, agreed with everything they did or there were only “good guys” in the story? I don’t know about you, but that would put me to sleep. Every good story needs some kind of conflict. Or the opposite. Have you ever read a book where you didn’t like any of the characters, didn’t agree with anything they did, and there were only “bad guys” in the story? I wouldn’t be able to finish it. What’s the point of reading a story if there’s no one to root for?

So why as Christ Followers do we tell our story between two extremes? Either we’re the forever “good guys” bending to the world almost apologizing for our beliefs or we’re the forever “bad guys” hitting people over the head with our bible bullying them into belief. While we are called to the “great commission” (Matthew 28:19), we are not called to bring anyone to Christ kicking or screaming.

A great model for balance was Jesus Christ. From the moment of his birth to his death 33 years later, he pretty much irked someone. Whether it was King Herod (Matthew 2:1-19), the ruling class (pick a gospel and read it), or a self-righteous Jew (Luke 10:30-37), he wasn’t afraid to make waves, to make people think or call people out if they weren’t living appropriately. But how he did it was just as important as why he did it.

1. Jesus knew his audience. Jesus was a Jew living in first century Palestine. The majority of his audiences were Jews. He knew who he was speaking to, what they struggle with and what the constraints of society were. While he taught using imagery his audience would understand, he wasn’t afraid to challenge them. Especially about their religious beliefs, their class structure and their gender basis.

2. Jesus knew the facts. During Jesus time every male Jew was taught in the synagogue until they were 14 years of age. Then from there if they showed promise the boys were trained further. Jesus’ earthly father was a carpenter, so Jesus was destine to learn the trade and be a carpenter as well. The possibility of him being trained beyond 14 was slim. While he was divine, during his three year ministry many did not realize that, so his knowledge of scripture for the amount of formal training was astounding. Even the soldier’s first attempt to arrest him was confounded by his knowledge of scripture and his ability to teach. (John 7:45-46)

3. Jesus only had one agenda. While Jesus made many scratch their heads and had them walking away unable to argue with him, his motives for pure and his agenda very specific. He wanted to bring people back to his father. (John 5:19, John 6:32) It wasn’t about winning the argument. It wasn’t about being right. It was about opening people’s eyes and making them see the truth they already knew in a radical way.

4. Jesus always made his argument in love. Whether he was eating with a tax collector, correcting Peter or given the Pharisees a hard time, he never watered down his message. He never tried to make his words easier to swallow and he never shoved his message down anyone’s throat. He spoke truth, but left it up to his audience if they were going to follow.

Discussion Questions:

1. Where do you fall between the two extremes? How can you make an effort to be more balanced in your approach?

2. Do you have a strong knowledge of scripture and the word of God or do you rely on others to give you the data dump?

3. What do you do if someone gets mad at you about your Christian beliefs?

Leave a comment below. Let me know what you think.

Dawn Ford is the Vice President and Creative Director for Infinite Love Ministries. A non-profit corporation dedicated to showing all the infinite love of Christ. This is done two ways; directly through sound bible teaching and indirectly through supporting programs that promote literacy and better health care. For more info. check out www.infiniteloveministries.com.

Jesus Christ was a Liberal

2011-05-03T17:19:00.012-04:00

by Dawn Ford

Now wait a minute, before you get all riled up and angry, hear me out. In our day and age, the term “liberal” has been hijacked to describe a political ideology, taking on a very negative connotation in conservative circles. But if you look up the true definition of the word, it means a lot more than its current usage.

Liberal: adjective

• Free from prejudice or bigotry; tolerant,
• Open-minded,
• Characterized by generosity and willingness to give in large amounts,
• Given freely or abundantly; generous.

Not the picture we normally conjure up is it...and how does Jesus fit in? In the 400 years of silence between the Bible’s Old and New Testaments, a ruling political and social class rose in the nation of Israel. These men were known as the Scribes, the Sanhedrin, the Pharisees and the Sadducees. They each had specific jobs, and rarely got along with one another, but together they twisted Mosaic Law into an impossible set of rules and regulations. Couple this with Roman occupation and the Jewish people where under constant oppression. In first century Palestine, they were primed for a Messiah to rescue them.

On to this backdrop, Jesus enters the scene. Not preaching a military overthrow, but still radical in his ideas for the time. Imagine how crazy his first public sermon recorded in the Gospel of Matthew must have sounded? Jesus was bold and he spoke to his Jewish audience, challenging everything they thought was truth. With statements like:

• “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you,” Matt 5:11-12.

Bless are those who persecute me? What? I’m suppose to take that? You’re tell me I must bless the Romans?

• “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment,” Matt 5:21-22.

Anytime Jesus says, “You heard that...” He is quoting Jewish Mosaic Law (from Moses) back to them, scripture they already knew, and radically changing it. Being angry is sin? That’s not what the 10 commandments say, and not what they were taught. And come on, for hundreds of years and what’s happened to us, we have a right to be angry.

• "You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also,” Matt 5-38-39.

We deserve to be able to take revenge on our enemies.

• "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, Matt 5:43-44.

Can you imagine, all those people listening to this sermon...ruling class, worker bees and slaves...Love your enemies, pray for them....His guy is a nut! And there is even more; the sermon goes on for two more chapters, but you get the idea. Jesus came at the right time not to mock what the law, but to make them realize how far they had twisted it. No one including the Pharisees and the Sadducees, who were the religious leaders of the time, could possibly live up to the rules and regulations that they had created and no one should. They were missing the point and Jesus was calling them on it.

For the next three years he didn’t just preach about what they need to change, he demonstrated what he meant. He didn’t just preach about being loving, or serving others, he generously, “liberally” if you will, gave of himself to the crowds, to his disciples, to people he met on the street. He was open-minded (liberal) in his love for others. He hung out with, broke bread with sinners, tax-collectors, lepers, prostitutes and the marginalized. He was patient and tolerate (liberal) with those who disagreed with him. Though he always spoke truth, and never was so tolerate that he watered down his message, he never did in a way that would disgrace His Father in Heaven. And though he was is Father’s son, he abundantly, generously, liberally, gave of himself for us and died on a cross.

How about us? As His followers, as people who claim to know Him, love Him and speak in His name...How “liberal” are we, with our love, our generosity our tolerance. I used to really enjoy the song, “They Will Know We Our Christians by our Love.” Sadly I fear, many of us are known more for the fish on our car, the cross on our neck or the T-shirt we don, instead of how we radically love others in His name. We play on “the team,” of Christian, but how many of us actually get off the sidelines and get our jersey dirty. How many of us really know the Word of God for ourselves and not just have it fed to us by someone else. How many of us can present the truth and love of the gospel message not, by how we “preach” it to others, but by how we live our lives?

If we want Jesus to radically change others, we need to let Him radically change us. We need to dive into His Word and read about His liberal love first hand, so we can in turn generously love others. Now is the time my friends, not to be “conservative” with your knowledge of Christ, but serve and love others with a liberal compassion that mirrors who we serve. Jesus my loves is calling you out...how are you going to answer?

Dawn Ford is the VP and creative director of Infinite Love Ministries, INC. a 501(c)(3) corporation dedicated to showing all the infinite love of Christ. For more information visit www.infiniteloveministries.com

The Ultimate Butterfly Effect, Part 2

2011-02-22T11:37:00.005-05:00

By: Dawn B. Ford
Part 2 of 3
In part one of this series (right below this post), we explored the scientific principle of the Butterfly Effect, which states everything in weather is interconnected and the slightest change in a given pattern could have profound affects. Using this law of physics as our starting point, we explored the idea that we could become a Butterfly Effect ourselves and have a positive effect on others. This section will look at some tangible ways to put our idea into practice.
So how can “little old you” affect many?

Your Sphere of Influence
Before you get overwhelmed with the concept of affecting thousands, millions or billions of people, stop, breathe and open your eyes. You won’t have to look long...there are literally hurting people everywhere. You don’t have to start grand, just a simple act of service can mean a lot.

Sometimes all a person needs is a smile, a hug, a helping hand or a listening ear. What if we all slowed down long enough to meet another’s need? How could you change a life today by just increasing your awareness and shifting your focus from your “to do list” to your “meet a need list.” Stop right now and think...is there someone you need to call? Is there a co-worker that is struggling? Is there a neighbor who needs a helping hand? Is there a spouse or a child who needs a little encouragement?

And what if you are the one who is hurting? Research shows that when we step out of ourselves and help others, we in turn are helped. Psychologists, Mark Snyder, PhD, from the University of Minnesota and Allen Omoto, PhD, from the Claremont Graduate University have studied individuals who volunteer for over 20 years. They have surveyed thousands of volunteers from all different age groups, all different backgrounds and have identified five primary motivations as to why people volunteer:

• Values. Volunteering to satisfy personal values or humanitarian concerns. For some people this can have a religious component.
• Community concern. Volunteering to help a particular community, such as a neighborhood or ethnic group, to which you feel attached.
• Esteem enhancement. Volunteering to feel better about yourself or escape other pressures.
• Understanding. Volunteering to gain a better understanding of other people, cultures or places.
• Personal development. Volunteering to challenge yourself, meet new people and make new friends, or further your career.

As you can see 3 of the 5 motivations start as a self-driven focus that moves outward, so both individuals benefit from the act of service. Another study conducted at the University of Kansas, showed the more someone volunteered, the more their compassion and concern grew. When you move in serve to another, you not only give, but also receive a positive Butterfly Effect. (“Helping Others, Helping Ourselves”, By Lea Winerman, Monitor On Psychology, December 2006, Vol. 37, No. 11, Print version: page 38).

Your Gifts and Talents

Everyone is good at something. Are you a whiz with computers or a gifted teacher? Are you good with a hammer or are you great at organizing? Maybe you can cook like nobody’s business?
Why not use your gifts and talents to help others? There are literally hundreds of organizations with all different focuses in need of your expertise. We’ve all been given special gifts and talents we cannot horde or keep to ourselves. Figure out what you’re passionate about, what would get you out of bed on a Saturday morning and start there. The more you enjoy something, the less work it is and the more someone would benefit from your abilities.
This also sustains the Butterfly Effect, as an article published in 1998 in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (Vol. 74, No. 6, pages 1516-1530), revealed. Psychologist E. Gil Clary, PhD, and Snyder found that the more closely a volunteer’s motivations and talents where match with the act of serve, the longer they volunteered.
On the flip side of things, being a positive Butterfly Effect can also allow you to step out of your comfort zone and try something you would not normally do. When I felt the pull to go on my first mission trip, I was planning to go with a group called Operation Smile. They help children all over the world who were born with cleft lip and/or palate. As a speech language pathologist, this is something I do as part of my career, so it would have been second nature. For reasons, out of my control the trip didn’t work out.
Instead I went with a friend to Mississippi to rebuild houses for family’s devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Me, Dawn B. Ford, afraid of power tools, afraid of heights and ladders and had never really picked up a hammer in her life, I was going to go help rebuild houses??? Well let me tell you, it was the most amazing trips of my life. I loved every minute of it. It was something I had never done and would have thought I could never do.

To Serve is a Verb

To serve: (verb)
• To render assistance; be of use; help.
• To be in the service of; work for.
• To be useful or of service to; help.
The act of serving or being a positive Butterfly Effect requires action. So you must get involved, you must invest your time, your talents and you must engage in relationships.
If you are involved in a church there are many opportunities to serve. If that is not your thing, get involved with a service project at work or check out your local newspaper /radio. I also found a great website called Volunteer Match.Org. All you need to enter is your zip code and all the local service opportunities in your area will pop up.
http://www.volunteermatch.org/search/
An organization near and dear to my heart is Led2Serve. Cofounders, Nancy Cummings and Vanessa Puleo equip, inspire and mobilize people to serve. If you, your family or your group want to find a serve project they have opportunities, locally in Orlando, nationally and internationally. And if you have a need for volunteers they can help you get the hands and feet you need.
http://www.led2serve.com/
Today there is so much darkness in the world and its time we all got together and shed some light. We can all be a positive Butterfly Effect, start small. Just start. Who knows the lives you can impact forever, if you start today.
Part three will highlight individuals both past and present who used the Butterfly Effect impact millions and changed the world.
Dawn Ford is the VP and creative director for Infinite Love Ministries. A Florida Non-profit corporation dedicated to showing all the infinite love of Christ. Check out their website at http://www.infiniteloveministries.com/

The Ultimate Butterfly Effect

2011-01-29T13:39:00.003-05:00

Part 1 of 3
By Dawn Ford

I have a dear friend who is very into Physics. In an attempt to have some frame of reference and to increase our possible conversation topics, I did what everyone does now-a-days...I did a Google search. Before I was buried too deep in the endless cycle of information I came upon some fascinating research – it’s called the Butterfly Effect.

In 1963, Edward Lorenz, a mathematician, gave a presentation to the New York Academy of Sciences. His theory, called the Butterfly Effect, stated that a butterfly could flap its wings and set air molecules in motion that in turn would move other air molecules — which would then move additional air molecules — eventually becoming able to influence weather patterns on the other side of the planet. For years this theory remained an interesting myth. In the mid 1990s, however, physics professors from several universities, working in tandem, proved the butterfly effect was accurate, viable, and worked every time. It has since been given the status of a law and is now known in scientific circles as the sensitive dependence on initial conditions.

That’s pretty much a fancy way of saying that everything in weather is interconnected and the slightest change in a pattern could have profound affects. Which got me thinking, does the Butterfly Effect only apply to weather or could it translate to other areas? Could we apply the concept to our lives? What would happen if we looked at every interaction or action we take, as having the potential to be extremely significant? We would have to realize that everything we do matters...whether positive or negative, whether good or evil, EVERYTHING WE DO MATTERS.

We can’t change the past, but isn’t it safe to assume we could make small changes now that will have a huge impact later? What if we made a conscious effort that when we come in contact with others, we would be a positive Butterfly Effect in their lives? How would their lives be changed? How would ours be changed?

Just think if all of us decided to flutter our wings with a little more kindness, a little more patience, a little more forgiveness, a little more love. We could permanently affect those around us. And then what if we took it a step further? What if we fed someone, clothed them, provide shelter, taught them to read, or gave them proper medical care?

Each of us have been given gifts and talents and we can’t waste or horde them. Each one of us is significant, special and here for a purpose. Sometimes it’s subtle, sometimes it’s dramatic, but each one of us, by our own hand has the potential to alter thousands, millions, billions of lives. A positive Butterfly Effect...think about it, lives being changed, caught in a chain of events begun by you this day. So where would you begin?

Part 2 of this article will explore the tangible ways you can become a positive Butterfly Effect.

Dawn Ford is the VP and creative director for Infinite Love Ministries, a FL non-profit corporation dedicated to showing all the Infinite Love of Christ. www.infiniteloveminsitries.com

Making a Plan and Working the Plan

2011-01-10T09:02:00.002-05:00

Hello,

Below you'll find our goals and objectives for 2011. We'll keep you posted as the year goes along. We wanted to share these with you for several reasons...

1. So you can keep us in prayer.
2. So you can give us feedback.
3. So you can help us stay accountable.

Thank you for you continued support.

Dawn Ford, VP Infinite Love Ministries
Dawn@infiniteloveministries.com

Goals and Objectives for Infinite Love Ministries 2011

Objectives for 2011:

1. Infinite Love Ministries will become a 501 (c) (3) Non-Profit Corporation.
2. Infinite Love Ministries will begin to earn money to build a reserve.
3. Infinite Love Ministries will establish screen process to begin to distribute funds to support literacy and medical needs locally.

First Quarter

• VP Dawn Ford to work for ministry full time, no salary
• Receive 501 (c) (3) Tax Exemption Status, allowing for grants and donations
• Marketing - Multi media- Blog, FB, Emails, Newsletters
• Create Data Base of Magazine requirements for Publishing
• Publish Articles for Christian/Relevant Magazines
• Continue Speaking Engagements
• Create and Establish CD’s for purchases of Bible Teachings
• Annual Board Meeting

Second Quarter

• March 1st – VP Dawn Ford – Entered a fiction writing contest, made it to the top 30, will know if the manuscript won...grand prize- story to be published
• March 3-6 Florida Christian Writing Conference – Manuscript for a non-fiction bible study entered in competition...meetings with multiple publishing companies and literary agents.
• Continue Speaking
• Continue Marketing
• Continue Publishing Articles
• Board Meeting

Third Quarter

• Transition Base of Operation of Ministry to Santa Barbara California
• Establish Non-Profit Status in California
• Create Data Base of Local Churches
• Become Familiar with Local needs – literacy, medical and spiritual
• Create Data Base of Local Publications
• Continue Speaking Engagements
• Board meeting

Fourth Quarter

• Establish Screen process to be fiscally responsible for distribution of funds
• Continue Speaking Engagements
• Continue Publishing
• Board meeting

Where I Should have Started...At the Beginning

2010-08-12T23:08:00.003-04:00

Who, what, where, when, why and how? To tell a story these are the basic questions that have to be answered. Fourth graders learn this. Unfortunately, it was a concept I must have missed because I’ve been asked several times this week, “What is Infinite Love Ministries and why would you even begin to take this on???” So forgive me for starting in the middle, but let me back up and explain my heart and what God placed in it.

The best way to sum it up is, it was born out of my love for God’s Word and God’s Girls.

I grew up in a religious home and knew all the “do’s and don’ts” of Christianity. I went to church every Sunday and let others tell me about God and the bible. I knew a lot of “stuff” about God and could even tell stories from the Old and New Testament. But the “god” I knew (little ‘g’ is on purpose), was small, didn’t really factor in my life and was only there to ‘zap’ me when I did something wrong. When a major life crisis came 13 years ago the “god” I knew couldn’t help me and I fell apart. I was convinced I did something to make God angry and when I couldn’t figure out what it was, I got angry. Really angry. I walked away from God. I wanted no part of him, or the people that followed him.

Praise God I had a smart Daddy and a dear Godly girlfriend who would not let me go. Slowly and lovingly they introduced me to the one true GOD. I began to heal and began to put the pieces together. Both of them encouraged me to read the Bible for myself. It totally changed every aspect of my life. I know now, to the core of my being, God truly wanted me to be healed and whole so I could serve and love others into His kingdom. He ROCKED MY WORLD. The more I studied and learned, the more I can’t keep it a secret.

I knew God had given me gifts and talents in the area of teaching and speaking but I had only used these in my career as a speech language pathologist. Six years ago, God presented an opportunity for me to speak at a women’s event and things took off from there.

Two years ago, I was in Myrtle Beach, praying in a little room, about to go on stage to speak, when God gave me this vision of His Girls bleeding in the pews. I kept hearing the words over and over again, “They know me, but they don’t KNOW me.” Event after event I kept meeting Christian women who looked great on the outside but where dying on the inside. They were with their girlfriends and having fun, but when they came to me to pray privately, they were broken, lost and hurt. They were not living in joy and had no idea how much God truly loved them. As I prayed about this, the idea for Infinite Love Ministries was born. The name comes from Ephesians 3:17-19,

“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have the power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ and to know this love that surpasses all knowledge.”

I believe God has put me on the Kingdom calendar at this time for one purpose; to let women know everywhere the infinite love of Christ and I’m starting with His Girls. I get the great commission, and believe in it. I also know and understand that the man is the head. But I believe with all my being, the woman is the heart. And if your heart is not healthy, the head and the rest of the body cannot function. God needs His Girls healthy to take on the full charge of being Titus 2 women and training other women up. I believe that once a woman understands God’s love, she is forever changed, and it’s absolutely contagious. Ultimately everyone around her is changed.

I believe in the full power and weight of the Word and believe in the one who is the Word. Through sound bible teaching, drama, prayer and God’s grace, I teach women the power of knowing God’s love in their lives. We are in phase one, getting the word out, developing materials, completing paperwork to get federal tax exemption services. We envision one day having our own published materials, hosting our own events and funding programs that support advancing the Kingdom, literacy and healthcare.

Thank you so much for taking time. Please pray for God’s continued guidance as we step out in faith, check out the website, become a fan of Facebook, tell your friends, pastors, women’s ministry leaders.

Love you all. Have an awesome day.

Dawn

Being a Shelter in the Storm

2010-07-07T06:24:00.000-04:00

Why are we here? The only reason God does not take us up to heaven immediately when we make the commitment to be Christ followers is to stay here and do some good. Life as we all know, is very hard, and most of us feel we can't do much to change it. But we're wrong. Recent events in life have made me realize, even the little things make a huge difference.

In Isaiah 32:1-2, God reveals a powerful picture of what people who follow a righteous leader should look like:

"See, a king will reign in righteousness and rulers will rule with justice. Each man will be like a shelter from the wind, and a refuge from the storm, like streams of water in the desert and the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land."

Wow! Each man (and woman) should be a strong shelter, a place of refuge, a refreshing stream and a place of shade...OUCH! How many of us could say, this is our goal when we wake up in the morning? We are blessed, so we in turn should be a blessing.

Once Jesus arrives on the scene, Our King echoes the same message of love, compassion that Isaiah does. But what's our tendency? To spend way too much time condemning and tell others what they do wrong. The end result; we kill any opportunity to really show them God's love.

What is the one thing that is universal to all of us and makes us all part of the human race? PAIN! Yes, pain...we've all experienced it, we've all lived through it, we're all going to experience it again. Everyone of us wants to mean something, to do something beneficial. If we start looking for opportunities to help ease others pain, we become that refuge that God inspired Isaiah to speak of. We positively affect our sphere of influence and change lives one heart at a time.

How do we do this with everything else in our lives going on? Ask God to start to give you eyes that don't just look, but really see and ears that don't just hear, but really listen. I promise it won't take long before you will see people around you that need an encouraging word, a warm smile, hug or a moment of your time. It's really not as hard as it sounds and it can be done anywhere and any time. You don't need to be trained, schooled or know the bible like the back of your hand...all you need is to be in the moment and look for opportunities. The time is now. Take the challenge and make your goal to be a shelter in the storm and a cup of refreshing water. I also promise it will cause your life to be more purposeful and fulfilled.

Have an awesome day,
Dawn

Start Up

2010-07-06T13:48:00.000-04:00

Hello,

As we move forward with Infinite Love Minstries, we felt establishing a blog was important. This will be a source of inspiration, and information on the ministry. We hope you will enjoying following what God has planned as we step out in his name.

2010-07-06T13:06:00.000-04:00