My Life

A life fully alive

2011-07-31T09:50:00.000-07:00

Why would a man check out from life being content to live day to day going through the motions of living? Why for that matter would a woman check out? Why would a person choose to live life in discontentment and with a hardened heart than to live life the way God designed, fully alive? God I don't understand. Can a woman whose husband has checked out of life and maybe the marriage, still live a life fully and wonderfully alive? Can she find a way to do that? Can you Father fulfill a woman's heart to be fully alive when her husband is walking dead? Lord show me...teach me, so I can share this with the women in my life.

Lord it appears that the first thing I must do to live life fully alive is to be sure I do not have a hardened heart. Lord I ask you to reveal anything that might hinder me from walking moment by moment each day with you. Is there some area in my life that is not pleasing to you? Father I will take a few minutes to let you speak to my heart.....yes Lord, I hear you. I agree Father and nail that area of my life you just revealed to me to the cross. Thank you Father for forgiving me when you died for me. I trust you Lord to work in my life to direct me away from that area and to help me turn away from it. Lord thank you for speaking to me so that my heart stays tender towards your voice.

The second way to live fully alive is to read God's Word each day. I know Father that you speak to me through your Word. In 1 Corinthians 2 it says's I can know your mind through the Holy Spirit revelation to me. WOW! To think I can know the mind of God is mind boggling to say the least. So let me get this in my thought process, I can know God's will for my life? If I read His Word He will reveal to me His plans for me? So by reading the Bible, I can walk in His will for me because I will be hearing Him speak to me? As I understand this, the answers are a whopping and resounding, YES!

As I come to terms with living fully alive there seems to be a process. First I must have a tender heart through agreeing with God when I do something that is not pleasing to Him and acknowledge and receive His forgiveness which He already paid for when He died for me on the cross. Next, I hear the Holy Spirit speak to me the mind of God by reading His Word which in turn offers me the opportunity to walk with God in fellowship moment by moment with the result of a fully alive life.

Okay..that seems easy enough. I can do that!

It seems to me the reward is worth the cost. I like rewards! It also seems to me it is a choice to walk in this manner as opposed to walking checked out of life with a hardened heart.

Why would I not choose life? Life lived fully alive is my choice. I want all that God has for me, nothing less. What is it you want in life?

2011-04-28T10:17:00.001-07:00

Successful Witnessing

“Successful witnessing is simply taking the initiative to share Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit and leave the results to God.”

Some time ago, while talking with a friend, I asked about a step-sister who had suffered a life threatening illness as a result of poor choices. While she was recovering in the hospital, I mailed her a Bible and some booklets to read. I spoke with her on the phone and shared with her some truths of the gospel. I realized she needed someone who could meet with her on a regular basis to answer her questions and to equip her to know Christ intimately. Although she lives in a small outlying community several miles from a town of any size my friend informed me the stepsister was being visited by two women who were giving her book studies. Instantly, I felt the heat rise in my face as the book studies were information about a religion I knew was a cult. Righteous indignation began to creep all over me as I realized I did not know anyone I could call to visit this step-sister living in the middle of no-where. Could I have called you? Who would be willing to equip her with the gospel of Jesus Christ, a hurting woman, an outcast, knowing they would have to travel many miles out of their way to serve? Who could I call to be a witness to her?

As I have pondered on this, I came to the realization there are three characteristics that must take place in the Christian’s life to be an effective witnesses for Christ. The three characteristics that must take place are; a heart change, a life controlled and empowered by the Holy Spirit and a desire to love and serve others.

First, we must have a heart change. A pastor friend has often joked that his life has taken on a feminine side now that he has had a heart transplant. His new heart is from a woman! Men often attribute emotions to women and it is true that a heart change does involve some level of emotion however, we must keep in mind our walk with the Lord is not just an emotional walk. Dr. Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, explains what happens when a person has a heart change. He says three things take place: there is an emotional decision, an intellectual understanding and an act of the will.

Just like in the courtship stage prior to marriage, we emotionally fall in love. We want to spend time with our fiancé to get to know them. We want to talk with them and to be with them. Remember the warm feeling you had just hearing their voice on the phone or seeing them drive up to your home? I remember spending endless hours sitting in the car talking with my husband before we were married not wanting our time together to be over. We must also emotionally fall in love with Jesus. It is a heart change.

John 1:12 & 13 says, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” Important to this change of heart is to know Christ is who He says He is. More Than a Carpenter author Josh McDowell uses the argument that Christ is either a liar, a lunatic or he is who he says he is our Savior and Lord. A person must ask themselves, “Is there any rational basis for following Christ?” Look at the claims Jesus made about Himself and see whether or not there is any evidence to support the claims. When we know what is true and can state facts about the truth, we will be much more vocal in its defense. It is an intellectual knowing. However, just knowing Jesus is who He says He is, is not enough. While having an emotional experience and coming to an intellectual realization that Jesus is who He says He is, there is more. We must make a choice.

As an act of our will we choose to be a follower of Christ. In the same way, we choose our spouse by saying, ‘I do’. When I stood at the altar to marry my husband, I had a choice to make. So too a decision must be made about Christ. If we choose to follow Him, then He will need to have access to every area of our life.. God is looking for F.A.C.T. people. People who, are faithful, available, committed and teachable. Emotionally we fall in love with Jesus, we know intellectually that He is who He says He is and we have made a decision to trust our life to Him. Now we have a heart change.

The second characteristic of an effective witness is to understand what it means to be controlled and empowered by the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 5:18 says, “Do not get drunk on wine for this is a waste but rather be (being) filled with the Holy Spirit.” Ephesians 5:8 says, “For you were formerly darkness but now you are light in the Lord, walk as children of light.”

Until 1990 I did not understand what these verses meant. I knew in my heart that if I died I would go to heaven because of Christ’s payment on the cross for me, but my life was “walking” in frustration and disharmony with God. My life was like a car going down a one way street in the wrong direction. I was the driver of that car and although I knew I was going the wrong way, I could not get turned around. I lived a defeated Christian life. I was not sharing my faith, I was a poor witness, I was making bad choices and I had no desire to read the Bible. Much to my sadness today, during this difficult time I taught a children’s Sunday school class, worshipped in church regularly along side of other believers and participated in church classes and functions. I looked good on the outside but was miserable on the inside. Then I discovered how to get turned around. Christ is now in His rightful place in my life, controlling and empowering me.

However, “Walking as children of light” means our daily life is a moment by moment, minute by minute, hour by hour experience with God allowing the Holy Spirit to speak truth to us, speaking to us of sin. Ouch! This is big in our walk with God. It is imperative we understand what sin is. Sin is doing anything both in attitude and action that is against God. Today I seem to be convicted in the area of attitude the most. Have you heard the term, “they have a bad attitude or they think they are better than others?” These are a sin of attitude. In order to walk in fellowship (harmony) with God it is important to confess sin as quickly as the Holy Spirit speaks it to you. It is often in this conviction-confession process that the enemy will hinder us. Guilt is a battle ground by satan. If we are laden with unconfessed sin and guilt, we will be ill-equipped to share our faith. It is satan’s role to render Christians ineffective in the area of witnessing and if we are not sharing our faith then we are fruitless for Christ. Another victory for satan. At the start of each day be sure God is on the throne of your life.

Confession is agreeing with God about your sin. It is an expression of faith and an act of obedience, which results in God making real in your experience what he has already done for you through the death of His son. This real and ongoing experience of God’s forgiveness helps you remain an open channel through which God’s love and power can flow. Unconfessed sin short-circuits the flow of God’s power in your life. (How You Can Know God’s Love and Forgiveness by Dr. Bill Bright.)

After a heart change (Christ in on the throne of our life) and the Holy Spirit is controlling and empowering us (we have confessed all known sin and received God’s love and forgiveness) the third characteristic for being an effective witness for Christ is a willing heart to love and serve others. In the second greatest command, Christ tells us to love others as ourselves. One of the ways we do that is by caring about the spiritual life of others. Out of our love for God, we want people to know Him too.

After training a group of women in how to share their faith by using the Four Spiritual Laws booklet titled Journey of Joy, I left the first class of what would be a 12 week Foundations class with a heavy heart. Several of the ladies were new in their faith and I had given them quite a challenge to share the booklet with one person before we met again the following week. Discouragement began to drop little beads of doubt into my mind. I felt I had asked too much of these ladies and it was too soon into our times of meeting together. Fear that they might not return the following week due to the assignment I had given them caused me to question the use of the booklet. As I sat sulking in the corner of a lonely and quiet restaurant for lunch, I noticed two couples place their order at the counter and saunter over to sit at the table next to mine. I found it odd that in the entire establishment of table choices they chose to sit next to me. As they shared together I overhead one of the men ask the other couple, “Have I told you how I came to know Christ as my Savior by someone sharing the Four Spiritual Laws with me?” I could not believe what I had just heard. I leaned over to hear more of this mans story, almost falling off my chair, however I did try not to look too obvious but I was so overtaken with amazement that I had to lean in. I did not want to miss a word this man was saying. He went on to share his story with his lunch companions. My heart leapt with joy. As the couples were leaving I boldly stopped the man who gave his story and learned he was sharing with his pastor. I explained what had happened that morning in my class and my discouragement. I know God allowed these two couples to sit at the table next to me at the very time I would be in that same restaurant to encourage me, and did it ever. I was even more convinced using this little booklet was a way to share my faith effectively. Using a booklet like the Journey of Joy or Would You Like to Know God Personally gives an edge to sharing your faith. At first I am told that the booklet feels uncomfortable and canned. I felt that way too. I can remember the first time I was asked to go door to door sharing the booklet in a training class. Horror, sheer horror, took over my mind, my body and my emotions. When I was told it was my turn to share the booklet I did not think I would be able to breathe. I prayed as I knocked on the door that no one would answer however a woman came to the door and somehow by the grace of God I was able to share with her. As you share the booklet more and more, a level of confidence begins to take over. To be successful in sharing our faith it is important we care more about the person and what is going on in their spiritual life than the emotional trauma we might experience.

Successful witnessing then, is simply taking the initiative to share Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit and leave the results to God. I do not know if the woman at the door came to know Christ as her Savior as a result of me sharing the booklet with her, like the man in the restaurant did, but I do know we who were in the training that day were successful witnesses. We simply took the initiative, we were controlled and empowered by the Holy Spirit and we left the results to God.

Always keeping our “spiritual antennae” up, looking for ways to transition a conversation from the things that are going on in the world or around the persons life to the spiritual will result in being successful witnesses. Be confident. This is a divine appointment. It is indeed God’s will for you to share your faith, however, be sensitive as you share. If the listener seems interested in what you are saying but does not have the time to listen right then, ask them to lunch or coffee with you. Let them know you would like to share your story (testimony) with them. The Purpose Driven Life book by Rick Warren confirms how important it is to write out your story using three parts; what life was like before you knew Christ, how you came to know Christ and what your life is like now. No one can dispute your testimony. It is your story. The Bible tells us in Revelation 12:11, “And they overcame him (satan)…..because of the word of their testimony…..”

Please do not be preachy or talk negatively about any church or doctrine. The person you may have been able to share Christ with might have been raised in the very church you are talking badly about. Keep Christ pre-eminent in your conversation. Often times the ones you are sharing with will want to go on about something of insignificance to the message of salvation. Keep coming back to Christ and what He has done for you. The other evening I had the awesome opportunity to share with a former neighbor whose wife was dying of cancer. I went to visit them because God had laid them on my heart. I wanted to take the peace of Christ to them because I was not sure of where they were in their spiritual journey. As I visited with him, she was asleep, he shared with me how they had left the church in the 1960’s and had not been back because of a misunderstanding. They had thrown out the baby (Jesus) with the bathwater (church). After visiting for an hour and a half and developing a relationship with him, I was able to effectively begin to share my story and God’s love for us. I gave him the Would You Like to Know God Personally booklet to read later and asked him if he would read it to his wife. As I was leaving her bell rang indicating she was awake. He asked me to wait and went in to see his wife. A minute or so later he walked out and said she would like to see me. I did get to pray with his wife that night. The next day I received a phone call from this husband saying his wife had died early in the morning and that he had read the booklet to her after I left. In my time of sharing with this man it was important that we did not get off on subjects of little value that took away from the message of Christ. Time was short in this couples life and for that matter in all of our lives.

Another way of loving others is to help equip them for their journey, their daily walk with Jesus. Perhaps this would involve meeting with them in your home or theirs or for coffee or lunch at a local restaurant to take them through a basic Bible study. These studies can be purchased at the local Christian bookstore or maybe your church has already prepared a study you could use. Take several weeks to look up scripture and pray together. Commit to each other the time and day you will meet and the expectation of your time together. Then be faithful to fulfill your commitment.

A person who is “walking” with God in fellowship and harmony due to a changed heart is controlled and empowered by the Holy Spirit and is successfully sharing their faith with others. This person is a successful witness and is leaving the results to God. This is the person I could have called knowing they would go out of their way, perhaps way out of their way, to meet with this stepsister to help equip her with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

How about it, could I call you to help equip others for Jesus Christ?

by Cathy Cheshier
founder, Discipleship Ministry International, Inc.
a discipleship ministry equipping the church for Christ

Captured Heart

2010-12-29T06:40:00.001-08:00

As I sit at my laptop this very cold morning in Phoenix Arizona, sipping my first cup of morning coffee, waiting for the predicted rain to wash the desert and snow to the high country, noticing a freeze warning alert on my Droid phone, my mind has wandered back to Javon Wilson. "Lord are you asking me to help this young man? Lord is that you talking to me about him?" This morning as I was nestled in my bed under warm covering, somewhere between the time of sleep and comprehension, I began to ask God these questions. As I realized it might be true, Javon has been captured by my heart, I knew the answers. It was then that I also knew I could not do this alone. It is too big and so I ask God for help. "If, and it seems it is, if this is a part of your plan for me, Lord, I need your help." I will desperately need His help.

Javon, a 14 year old boy and member of the Juggalo family (they do not call themselves a gang although others do) on Mill Avenue in Tempe, was arrested in October 2010 for 1st degree murder being tried as an adult and held at the county jail.

Wow, I again am overwhelmed by his crime and his age and his life story. Javon is a young boy who has had a terrible home life. His father a former hard core drug addict (who recently went into rehab and is now in jail in Phoenix for child support and other past charges), his mother kicking him out of his home at 13 years old because he did not get along with the new boyfriend. Sure there might have been places this young man could go instead of the streets, like his grandmother's home or his school counselor, however there is a lure on the streets, especially on Mill Ave. It is known that kids come from all over to join the family of Juggalo's that hang out mostly around the streets surrounding Mill Ave in Tempe. These run-aways and lost kids, like Javon find solace in their new found friends. There is a camaraderie amongst each other, they have each other's back. For the first time in Javon's life he found commonality.

Javon loves music, he likes to sing and write music. The Juggalos follow the band Insane Clown Posse or 'ICP' with lyrics that speak of sexuality, brutality and God known as 'horrorcore hip-hop' with band members painting their faces to look like clowns. The group was formed by Joseph Bruce, Violent J and Joseph Utsler, Shaggy 2 Dope and calls their followers Juggalos.

In a June 2010 interview with The Columbian's Alan Sculley, Bruce explained, "[Sex and violence is] the stuff that people are talking about on the streets...to get attention, you have to speak their language. You have to interest them, gain their trust, talk to them and show you're one of them. You're a person from the street and speak of your experiences. Then at the end you can tell them God has helped me out like this and it might transfer over instead of just come straight out and just speak straight out of religion." This has led some to say this group is a sub-Christian band trying to lead people to God, others are saying until these men say they are Christians they should not be called a Christian group.

Perhaps these are some reasons Javon decided to follow the music of 'ICP' as it spoke to the terrible things this young boy has seen and heard in his short life and yet gave him hope that there is a God and maybe, just maybe, God cares.

In a weird and strange interview about the economy Christine Boomer of ABC Channel 15news met up with Javon Wilson just a couple of hours prior to the murder. In the interview Javon was upbeat and shared his heart to be peaceful and write music. He sang a song into the camera about love and peace and God. See the the clip below although you may have to cut and paste into your browser.

http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/valleyfever/2010/10/creepy_interview_with_teenaged.php

This is what I need; $40,000.00 to defend Javon. My niece and her husband, Todd and Cari Nolan criminal attorneys in Phoenix, have agreed to defend Javon pro-bono except for expenses which they believe to be about $40,000.00. I know God is able. I asked Todd after he spent two hours with Javon, "is this young boy worth saving?" Todd with a broken voice responded, "Yes, most definitely, Javon is worth saving!"

Javon is being charged as an adult.

My plan: 1) Immediately petition the court to get Javon out of jail and into the hands of New Horizon Christian Academy in Flagstaff Arizona, a Teen Challenge boys facility where he can receive a caring support team along with schooling and a deeper understanding of Faith in God. 2) Get charges removed, dropped or in juvenile court, this would be at the leading of Todd and Cari, his attorneys. 3) Begin raising $40,000.00.

How you can help: Pray....then email me at: dmii@cox.net. Let's talk.

Eve's Temptation

2010-11-06T14:10:00.000-07:00

I wonder if Eve's temptation went something like this..."I saw you as you came in even though the room was full of beautiful women there was no one like you. I noticed your beauty above all the rest, the aura of confidence around you. I watched you. I studied you as you moved. I was intrigued by your hands, your hair and the way you carried your body. When you came near I discovered I wanted to know you and so I desired you." He was not especially handsome or striking but he had a sound when he spoke that caused me to listen. Could it be these might have been the words spoken to Eve ever so sweetly, so enticing? As she meditated upon his voice, his words, his longing, did she say to him, "I am yours." Did she open her heart to look upon the tree to do anything he asked of her? A man can do this to a woman. He can appear out of nowhere, unsuspectingly masculine, desiring and sweet. A man can entice her to think about him, to desire him, to be filled with passion, to want more. Women find this in the romance novels lining the shelves of Borders Books making these books the number 1 best selling books of all books purchased by women. A woman's porn. We long to be told of our beauty, our intrigue, our mystery. We are starved for the words that tell us we have what a man wants and needs to fulfill his passions, his desires. So we listen, even though we know we should not. And as the words are spoken we cry inside to hear more and know death is waiting if we hold on.

Holloween or 'Trunk or Treat'?

2010-10-24T09:16:00.000-07:00

My heart hurts as I learn more about events that as a Christian I participate in that may or may not be what I think they are about. The last couple of years I have been struggling with Christmas and the commercialization of Christ’s birth. Christmas has become everything but about Christ coming into this world to reconcile me to my Father God.

Now that Halloween is approaching I saw this article posted to my FB page and thought it appropriate to send out. This will take 10 minutes to read but the article is very informative. I went on to read the next article that has a link at the bottom of this article.

http://www.spiritwatch.org/occhallow.htm

What should we as Christians do about Halloween now that we are informed? I believe it is a great opportunity to share Christ. We can hand out candy with a Christian message or candy and a little booklet that a child could easily read telling the story of Christ. These can be purchased at the Christian bookstore. We can volunteer at our church’s ‘Trunk or Treat’ as the article mentions. Most churches are now seeing the need for an alternative to Halloween.

Be blessed this week as we pray about Halloween and what it means for Followers of Christ

Sweet Baby Girl

2010-10-12T12:11:00.000-07:00

On October 12Th, 2008 the call came early in the morning hour as my husband and I slept at our little cabin in the north country of Arizona. It is our retreat. We had just arrived the day before and had planned to stay for several days. Little did we know this would be the time. The call came on that Sunday morning to tell us our precious 8 month old grandbaby girl Roselyn Kay Haire had gone to be with Jesus. Even as I type this now tears come too easy. My heart broke that morning and a piece of it went with Roselyn. As we gathered our things quickly and left our retreat and as we we drove through the tall pines and green patches underneath I began to think of Roselyn and what heaven must look like. I took out a pen and paper and wrote this poem trying to imagine Roselyn doing the things a little girl would do in a heavenly place. Once down the hill and at the side of Roselyn lying there so still in her basinet, wrapped in a hand sewn yellow blanket and in the dress already picked for her for this day, I saw the words beauty and perfection. Months earlier those words were placed in my heart for Roselyn but I did not understand until that moment when my eyes fell upon her face. It was in that instant of time I knew she was perfect and she was most certanily beautiful. I do not understand all of these things that life and death have for us on this earth but I do know and am convinced God does and so I leave these things to Him and trust His plan for life and in His plan for death. And so today we celebrate Roselyn's life and we grieve for our loss but rejoice because our hope is in her Creator, Jesus Christ.

An 'Ode To A Grandaughter

Now you are gone
Our sweet baby girl
We will rock you and hold you
And sing you a new song.
And our arms will long
To hold your tiny little frame,
And long to brush our lips across
Your cheek all the same

But we gave you away
The day you were born,
And we will speak
Today of our love.
And our hearts will bear
The scar of how we are torn.

Into God’s arms go,
We offer you, our sweet little girl.
We will remain only a little while to show
The world of your beauty and perfection.

Go dance by the rivers edge
And sing the song of your delight
As you jump around on tippy-toe.
Go run with the children sweet baby girl
Flitting here and froe,
Just like a butterfly,
Don’t be shy
Our sweet baby girl.

Sit in the green grass
Play with the lion and the lamb.
In our hearts we hear the laughter,
We see the sparkle in your eye,
And we sigh.
Because we miss you
You see, sweet little girl.
Our hearts are lifted to a new high
Knowing Jesus in right there by your side.

You are free now, sweet baby girl
And while we may not see you for a while,
We know, one day, in just a little time
We will see you again, when all is fine.

by Cathy Cheshier 10/12/2008

The word "Mother"

2010-09-19T08:23:00.000-07:00

First I want to acknowledge this is a quote from the book Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge and is not my own writing. I am honored by a young sweet woman who is growing in her walk with Jesus who calls me 'Mother' and so it is to her I post today.

To Mother
As large as the role our mothers have played, the word "mother" is more powerful when used as a verb than as a noun. All women are not mothers but all women are called to mother. To mother is to nurture, to train, to educate, to rear. As daughters of Eve, all women are uniquely gifted to help others in their lives become more of who they truly are - to encourage, nurture and mother them towards their true selves. In doing this, women partner with Christ in the vital mission of bringing forth life.

The nurturing of life is a high and holy calling. And as a woman, it is yours. Yes, it takes many shapes and has a myriad of faces. Yes, men are called to this as well. But uniquely and deeply, this calling makes up part of the very fiber of a woman's soul - the calling to mother.

All women are called to mother. And all women are called to give birth. Women give birth to all kinds of things - to a book (it's nearly as hard as a child, believe me), to a church or to a movement. Women give birth to ideas, to creative expressions, to ministries. We birth life in others by inviting them into deeper realms of healing, to deeper walks with God, to deeper intimacy with Jesus. A woman is not less of a woman because she is not a wife or has not physically born a child. The heart and life of a woman is much vaster than that. All women are made in the image of God in that we bring forth life. When we enter into our world and into the lives of those we love and offer our tender and strong feminine hearts, we cannot help but mother them.

The capacity of a woman's heart for meaningful relationships is vast. There is no way your husband or your children can ever provide the intimacy and relational satisfaction you need. A woman must have women friends.

It is here, in the realm of relationship that women receive the most joy and the profoundest sorrows. The friendships of women inhabit a terrain of great mystery. There is a fierce jealousy, a fiery devotion and a great loyalty between women friends. Our friendships flow in the deep waters of the heart where God dwells and transformation takes place. It is here, in this holy place that a woman can partner with God in impacting another and be impacted by another for lasting good. It is here that she can mother, nurture, encourage and call forth Life.

To have a woman friend is to relax into another soul and be welcomed in all that you are and all that you are not. To know that, as a woman, you are not alone. Friendships between women provide a safe place to share in the experiences of life as a woman.

(Captivating, 176-180)

Sunday Community

2010-07-18T08:39:00.000-07:00

HIt is early morning, mid-July and hot outside. In Phoenix it is always hot at this time of year even in the morning. It seems the day starts hot and just gets hotter. The TV is on. I am listening to Tiger Woods talk about his golf game and I am reminded that I need to pray God's blessings for his life. It is Sunday morning and soon I will prepare for church. As I type this blog today I can hear my heart long for community. To be involved in community, to share my heart and to hear the heart beats of others, to love and to be loved, just the way I am, yet nudged to work on weak areas and further develop my strengths. John Maxwell in a seminar several years ago encouraged those of us in attendance to work on our strengths. He further went on to say we were not to ignore our weak areas but instead to focus on our strengths. I liked that. Most of time we are told to work on our weak areas. But Maxwell said that if our weakness was a 4 or 5 on a scale of 1-10 that if we worked hard we might get that weakness to a 5 or 6. He said instead if we worked on our strengths which might be a 6 or 7 on the scale, we could move that to a 7 or 8. Wow! The Bible says that 'iron sharpens iron' meaning other people in my life smooth me. That way as I am in community I am not only using my strengths and increasing my ability to serve God to a higher degree, I am also smoothing out those weak areas. Seems like community is the answer for me to grow in both my strengths and my weakness.

Pornography

2010-07-08T14:47:00.000-07:00

Susie (name has been changed), I got your message today and am so grateful for what God is doing. Please take it slow and continue to know this is a process that will take time. Change for Joe will be the most difficult thing he has ever done in his life but the reward God will give him will be the greatest freedom he will ever experience. God is all about freedom which is why He sent His son to die in our place....so we could be set free! I am so proud of you...your heart is so good and full and rich. Stay focused on yourself working out with Joe what you guys have agreed to in counsel and trust God with the rest. I love you and feel your pain as well as your excitement that the future does not have to look like the past. You have sought wisdom, trusted God in it and endured to maturity in Christ. James 1. I trust one day you will be able to share your story to give hope to so many woman who are suffering under the stigma that they must be silent and endure. We need to address this issue with woman so they can be equipped, just like you to make the right decisions, to act in a forward motion towards healing and freedom.

Ministry Opportunities

2010-06-27T17:54:00.000-07:00

We of the DMI Team really do believe God’s people want to be matured and built up in their faith in Jesus Christ.(Col 2:6&7)For over 15 years this has been our calling. We have seen the fruit of this passion as those we have trained are passing this same vision on to others. Thus DMI is about to embark on a new opportunity.

DMI has been offered 900 sq ft of newly renovated space in a retail location at the NWC of 51st Ave and Cactus through it's favor with a Christian owner. The cost to have our office in this location is approximately $300.00 per month plus electricity. DMI needs your help and we need it right away to make this move possible. If everyone who reads this blog were able to send a $100.00 donation immediately to DMI we could make this move by August 1st, 2010. The DMI Team takes no salaries nor do they profit in anyway as all donations are used for ministry purposes.

The opportunity this location provides is unlimited and we believe God has opened the door for us to expand the way we do ministry. For instance, we will offer weekly Bible Study & Discipling groups led by Betty Bublitz, myself and others along with leadership & evangelism training seminars. Also available will be weekly Christian Yoga classes, job interview training and preparing a resume. We are exploring various other ministy ideas and would be interested if you have an idea for our new facilities because we would like to hear about it.

Right now we need the following and would like to know if you would be willing to participate with us in any of these opportunities?

1-Helping us move to our new location.

2-Video/Podcast abilities to tape our events and put together short YouTube type videos

3-Host a fund raising opportunity

4-Donate a Computer & Printer

5-Volunteer bookkeeper 2-4 hours per month

6-Speakers/sound system to enhance seminars & trainings

7- 8’ Conference Table

8-Stackable chairs for meetings

9-Light Construction work to build out a 6' half wall adding a countertop with underneath shelves

10-Monthly committed givers-we can accept direct payments through your employer if you opt in for charitable contributions as most companies have this available

11-Committed prayer partners

12-Web designer/host who will get us back on the internet with an up to date site

I believe God is asking us to make the need known and take the ministry to another level & trust Him for the bounty. So that is what I am doing. Amen!

PS. DMI is a Non-Profit 501C3 ministry and we do give tax deductable receipts!

DMI
dmii@cox.net
P O Box 11300
Glendale, AZ 85318

Father's Day

2010-06-19T09:13:00.000-07:00

When the immigration issues came to light in Arizona I found myself wanting to call my Daddy for his opinion. He lived just a few miles north of the Mexico-Arizona border outside the town of Douglas. He loved the Mexican people and traveled into Mexico often helping with a small community of Christians just on the south side of the border in a little town called Nacco, Mexico. My dad often handed out a little booklet published by Campus Crusade for Christ called "Would You Like To Know God Personally" sharing his faith even when a Highway Patrol officer stopped him for a broken tail light. That same officer was days later called to the scene of a fatal accident on Highway 91 at Grants Road where my father, for a reason we will never know, did not stop, t-boning another vehicle. The horrific accident took the life of a young mother, her mother and my father. As I walked the area of the accident, there in the dirt of the desert, was the booklet. Covered in sand I almost passed it up for discarded trash but quickly realized the dusty little booklet would become my Father's legacy. At his service, my sister and I had each page copied onto a larger page and gave it as a handout to each of the 300+ people that lined the standing room only service. My dad was not a hero, he was not even always an ideal father, but he was my daddy and I loved him....and I miss him.

Memorial Day

2010-05-28T11:38:00.000-07:00

My, how time has whizzed by like a whirlwind since my adult children with children have informed us, the grandparents, of our duty and obligation to the annual getaway of the adult only children. To put it in a nutshell, it means we, that is the grandparents, get the opportunity, as my adult children remind me often, to babysit. Well the youngest is three so that is not really babysitting, but then again when you are approaching sixty, almost touching sixty to be exact, three years old is really close to being a baby. And so as the annual trip goes, the adult children gather together and plan for a year their adventure trip, reminding the grandparents, us, of how much fun they will have on this gathering of the brothers and sisters and how I should appreciate how much they like each other, as though that makes their plans easier to encompass for the grandparents, us, to embrace. Ha! It just makes me wonder if I truly can survive another of their annual trips of the brotherhood and sisterhood, because it means we, that is the grandparents, us, get the opportunity, there is that word again, to babysit the adult children's offspring. Don't get me wrong I love those little ones. They are a blessing to me and to my heart. They are fun and full of life. These children of my adult children light up my life and remind me of my legacy. However, and that is a very big however, I know how fully tired I will be and ready, yes very ready, to give these little ones back to my adult children when they arrive four days later. Without any regret, I will close the door behind them when they leave and collapse on the couch, a bittersweet smile on my face that the annual trip is over and yet a good time well spent for everyone!

Women In Ministry

2010-05-15T08:29:00.000-07:00

OK...it has been a while, well maybe a long while since I have blogged however I just read a blog by Felicity Dale, co-author of The Rabbit and the Elephant, about women in ministry and it sparked my need to comment. Since I am a woman and since I am in ministry and since I believe all women and for that matter all men are in ministry as Followers of Christ I want to clarify what being a woman in ministry really means. I believe we are all called to be available to share Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit and leave the results to God. To me that is ministry and all living human beings are to do this. It was Jesus' last words on earth. However the kind of ministry I think Felicity was talking about is from a pulpit. While I am OK with a woman in the pulpit (I use this word to refer to the use of a platform which could represent a woman talking to a group)and I have had the opportunity many times myself and enjoy doing so, I believe there is a point that needs not to be missed. In the beginning, when man and woman were created and woman stepped up in leadership and led her husband into biting the apple, I believe at that time her man could have and should have covered her with something like this, "Now honey you know what God says about this. I am taking the leadership here and I am not going to eat the apple. I know you already have taken that bite, but because i love you so much and because the buck stops here as your leader, I am going to not participate in this. I love you very much however I am going to be firm in my leadership role and cover you. I know God will understand because He is a loving God." Now that is leadership magnified. I do believe as a side-note that Eve would have been covered by Adam's obedience...we will never know though will we? So with that said I think it is very important that women grab hold of the value of being an equal partner however also know the equally important value of being under the covering of their husbands. If a woman is not married God is her covering and in all things she must be diligent to seek God's counsel and the wise counsel of Godly people both men and women in her life. If a woman is married she must be under the counsel of her husband which does not matter if he is a believer or not which is a hard concept for a woman whose husband is not walking with Christ as his head. In this way all her ways will be blessed because she is not seeking the limelight for personal glory rather being in submission to God's authority as her ultimate head and then to her husband. I have more to say about this in my next post.

The Snake & The Man

2009-11-27T07:56:00.000-08:00

Several years ago I heard a psychologist speak at a co-dependant meeting I was attending, a category I knew I met all the criteria at the time. The noted psychologist told the story of a snake at the bottom of a mountain where a man was preparing to hike to the summit. The snake seeing the man and a possible opportunity slithered over to him ever so kindly and in its sweetest most gentle voice asked the climber, "Good sir, would you kindly take me to the top? You could put me in your pocket and take me out when you get to your destination." The man alarmed jumped back a step and peering down at the snake responded "No, you are a snake and you will bite me!" The snake thinking ahead of the man quickly exclaimed, "I promise I will not bite you. Just put me in your pocket and take me out when you arrive at the top. I will go on my way." The man began to ponder this as the snake did have an attitude of humbleness and after all seemed gentle enough. Maybe the man could help the snake. Being a person of compassion and wanting to help others the man finally, however with a slight hesitation, replied to the snake, "OK I will take you to the top." The man bent down, picked up the snake and slipped it ever so softly into his front coat pocket. After several long hours the man finally stood on the summit. He reached into his pocket and set the snake on the ground. The snake looked up at the man and without missing a beat bit the man on the shin of his leg sinking it's fangs deeply injecting lethal doses of venom. The man startled and confused writhing in pain began shouting at the snake, "You bit me!" The snake quickly began to slide it's slimy body across the rocks however turned back to face the man with a sneering look and eyes as evil as the night hissed, "But you knew I was a snake...."

How sad but true this story is for those who think they are making wise decisions but know in their hearts their choices will prove as fatal as the mans. The mans mistake came because he did not seek counsel about the snake nor did he trust in himself to believe what he knew to be true. The man let the snake tell him he was not a snake. He also went against common reason and began to believe that compassion meant listening to a false statement and acted on his heart of mercy rather than realizing sometimes compassion must say "No!"

GOOD ENOUGH?

2009-09-26T10:01:00.000-07:00

In my humble opinion I think we need the extremists, the tree hugger and the “crazy religious folks” as AxeMan calls them (from another blog) to balance the universe. It causes us to strike a middle ground offering some sacrifice to each to make peace. However because of this the friction is growing in America and across our great world. How does this affect me as a HUMAN? I must use my influence wisely. After searching I have come to conclude for me I can not take credit for being a ‘good human.’ Left to my own device I fall short. I also have come to the conclusion that I can not take credit for any ‘good’ I might do. Oh sure I can ‘be’ good when I want to be good but to be ‘good’ all the time…can’t do it! That brings to point another conclusion of the judge of GOOD. Who judges my good? Is it you another HUMAN or is it by my own standard of measure? How much is good enough? If I feed the poor what about the other poor I did not feed, since there will always be the poor. If I give money, what about the money I did not give and used for some selfish act to satisfy a selfish desire. Who is the judge of my giving? It is too much to bear to be both judge and jury of my own destiny. Guilt and shame and condemnation are the judge….I can never be GOOD enough! I have come to the conclusion after careful study and analysis that the universe is too big and complex, too beautiful and beyond my understanding. And after careful study have concluded there is a God and He created it all. It is His measure of GOOD I live by and not my own. It is He in me that produces the desire to ‘BE’ a better HUMAN and it is by His measure I serve others and in this serving I find peace.

Desired Love

2009-09-19T09:38:00.000-07:00

It is the longing of every heart to be loved, a deep rich thirst quenching love. A love of selfish desire of satisfying depths. A love that goes far beyond outward appearance and inward dysfunctions. A love that listens with admiration and desire. A love with passion and greatness in its ambitions. How can this love be found? Every man, woman and child cries out in their search for the elusive love that for brief moments makes it's human presence known. The longing and pain for lack of this love pushes us to pursue the fleeting glimpses and settle for the moments, precious as they are, yet without lasting fulfillment. Jesus says He is a living water always fresh and satisfying. His love is everlasting without confines or restrictions His love is beyond measure or depth. God says this love can only be found in Him...John 3:16.

http://dynamicliving4u.com/

2009-08-30T08:48:00.000-07:00

Listen first to the video in the Title then come back to read the blog. While the event posted at the end of the video is long past the message will live on forever. Do you believe God loves you? It is truly the separation of the believer. How can we say we believe and not believe wholly the purity of God's great love? I do not think we can. It goes back to my blog post on looking in the mirror. What do you say about yourself when you look in the mirror? Does your message reflect how much you are loved just the way you are? This is a tough question and it is one I am working on. I can not give what I do not own.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxOytYLlhiQ

2009-08-25T07:35:00.000-07:00

First click on the link in the title page and listen to an amazing diamond in the rough. Then come back to read the blog. I know we have heard several people like Paul Potts lately who have incredible voices however have been judged by what is seen on the outside. I tell the ladies I mentor that the real person is the one on the inside when they close the door of their home to outsiders. When we hear these talents we are thrilled with their abilities and quite amazed and yet perplexed because we find ourselves asking the question, "where have you been all your life?" It seems some of these hidden talents tend to be older, yet I admit some have been younger, but it is the older ones we marvel most about. Because news spreads fast, venues like youtube and others quickly alert us when these talents are discovered. Yet on the outside and until they open their mouth, judgement is still persistent. Even after the talent is exposed a makeover becomes one of the first priorities, oh not necessarily by the talent themselves but by the important people looking on. Why is that? Actually truth be known it helps to remove the judgement about the person. In real estate the first impression known as 'curb appeal' sells the house. Anyway, much like these new found talents God is looking for the person on the inside. He isn't much concerned with what you look like on the outside. Are you a diamond in the rough waiting for your talent to be exposed? Perhaps you say "I can't sing!" Well neither can I. In fact I am accused of being tone deaf, but that is another story. Or you might have said, "I do not have a talent." Ouch! Ask God to show you His talent that He created you to share with the world. It is there. Don't judge yourself by the outward appearance. Ask God to help you look deep inside. What is your passion? The talent is probably submerged there. The world needs the diamond you might have had hidden all these years. Take a deep breath and step on stage.....

Value of Life

2009-08-08T07:53:00.000-07:00

On this early Saturday morning in the heat of an August summer in Phoenix Arizona I began to muse on the value of life. The air-conditioning vent just quite blowing the cool air over my body and small beads of tiny moisture has begun to settle on my forehead. The house is quiet, my husband off to his usual Saturday early morning golf game. His robe is found thrown over a chair in the family room so not to disturb me as he quickly dressed in the faint light of the dawn. My coffee is cooling down as it sits beside my laptop. I am too busy typing to drink from the cup. God has reminded me of my value. An often overlooked and underestimated value. As much as I try, I fight the fact I have no clue what my value is to me or to God. Sometimes I think I have great value and other times, especially when I am looking in the mirror, I can not find value at all. The words that come to mind: too fat, loose skin, eyes wrinkly, skin sagging, age creeping. Why I can wave with the skin that hangs from my underarm! Can't you? What am I saying? Am I crazy to type this out and acutally let the world read my insecurities? I must be! But in spite of all of my ineffeciencies, I am valuable. God loves me. He says so. The price that was paid for me was beyond my understanding and yet this price is my hope. I am working on what I say when I look in a mirror. I want those thoughts to match the words I read about me in the Bible. What words do you think on when you look in the mirror? Do they reflect the words that God says about You? Do you know what God says about You? If not read the book of John in the New Testament. This book will give you more understanding of who this person was that gave everything for you and me. Regardless of what we think or believe.

Twitter

2009-06-15T07:15:00.000-07:00

Check out my new twitter page at http://twitter.com/home

Life

2007-09-06T21:34:00.000-07:00

It is late and I am tired. The land deal is still moving forward but now the Buyer wants the Seller to reduce the price. And so goes the way of real estate deals. It is too early to tell if the Buyer will go away if the Seller does not throw them a bone. Or if the bone is really a crumb and it is not enough. Reality check....I have been out of town in the mountains of northern Arizona in our little cabin for several weeks. When we left to come home it was a cool 72 and by the time we hit the valley two hours later it was a very hot 111. I really would like to stay at the cabin! How can I amass riches and live in the mountains??? Any ideas?

Family

2007-08-12T17:48:00.000-07:00

I can not think of a better way to celebrate the Lord's day than with my family. There is much blessing with family but there is also tears. My family is very important. Today we celebrated two of my grandchildren's birthdays. Calli who is one and Trevin who turned three. They are so cute and sweet and very important to our clan. There are eight grandchildren and one on the way. Today we talked about the effect of accountability in family. The oldest grandson who is a football star at his highschool was caught drinking in his freshman year. As a family we all got together and sat him in the middle of us. We talked to him about how his actions speak to the family and how his choice hurt us. It has been two years and he is doing great. Family is like coarse sandpaper and yet it is the glue that keeps me on solid ground. We need each other, not to be in each of our business, but to get our backs when the going gets tough.

Praise God! The church land sold. Now I am looking for a building for them.

Land Sale

2007-06-21T19:57:00.000-07:00

Today I worked on a land sale in a small town on the border of Phoenix. It is an 11 acre mixed use site that sits in the midst of major development. The Seller is struggling with the loan and I am looking for an investor to pick it up and close quickly. Perhaps you know an investor who would like more information. It is dissapointing that the Seller, a church, got themselves in this situation. I know there is a bigger picture for all of us to learn. As I sat in a meeting with the leaders of the church my heart went out to them. I want so much to help them. I listed the property at $9.00 p/s/f and will sell it for much less.

Maybe one of the people I spoke to today will be the Buyer. Hope so!

Weary today

2007-06-09T15:27:00.000-07:00

Today I am a little weary and tired. Drained might be a better word. I have been writing all day and that sure makes the eyes tired. I made a little french coffee earlier and that picked me up some but then like a dud dropped me off somewhere in the afternoon. Tonight we go to church but I think I would like to wait and go tomorrow. It seems so not right to go on Saturday night instead of Sunday but I gues that is relative to whether or not a person grew up going on Saturday or Sunday.

I am glad I go. Church has become a huge part of my life. I like the community it brings into my life. Webster Dict says community is a place where people can meet with common goals and ideas. I like that. This is what my church is for me. I say my church but I can find this community in almost any church I would attend. I just finished the book, Blue Like Jazz and I love the way he talks about community and its neccessity in each persons life. We were created for community.

So perhaps tonight or maybe tomorrow which ever it becomes I will go into my community and worship God with all my heart. Perhaps I will see you there?

My Life

2007-05-27T08:49:00.000-07:00

This was my first visit to Hawaii in April of '07. In the background is DiamondHead on the island of Oahu. My husband was a Marine stationed in Oahu in 1970-'72 when the Viet Nam war was in full swing. He always felt a little guilty because he did not actually go to Nam. On the 29th day of leave before being shipped out to Nam an order came to his parents home that changed the course of his life. Instead of Viet Nam, where several of his friends would loose their lives, he was sent to Hawaii to work in legal affairs.

My husband and I have been married 11 years. He is my third husband and I am his fourth wife. Odds definately were against us before we started and it has had it's rough times. Our pattern of divorce is certainly easier it seems at times than the fight to stay together. We both made some decisions to be wiser this time. One of the greatest decisions was to make God, Lord of our lives. That said does not make it easy. Just because we have both come to some major conclusions in terms of knowing there is a God and Jesus is who He says He is and we are committed to discovering what this means for us, does not make marriage an easy venture. Some of the others decisions we have made are to honor our marriage with loyalty to each other and to never talk or use the word divorce. We know this is the last marriage for each of us and we will be together until it is our time to leave this earth.

In the last few years I have been driven with passion to share the understanding of God and marriage with other women who are struggling in their walk with God and marriage. In this blog I will talk about some of these encounters and how they are coming to terms with their lives, their success and failure. I will talk about my own life as it relates.