Hi Everyone,
The blog below is what I just wrote up to our prayer team as a year end review of New Life Design. I thought I would post it up here on our blog as well so you could see what all has been happening with us at NLD. 2010 has been a great year and we are looking forward to what God has in store for us in 2011. I guess I could say a major theme that I sense the Lord telling me for NLD in 2011 is to be on the look out for where He is at work and take those opportunities as invitations to join Him there. So, that is our plan for 2011!
Happy New Year!
We hope you got 2011 off to a great start. We certainly have here at NLD. Time has really flown by and it is hard to believe that we are actually sitting in 2011. We are closer to our Lord’s return than ever before. It is our desire to join God where He is at work in and through NLD in 2011.
Highlights of 2010
Along with our weekly coaching with clients that we do here at the office, here are some highlights of the 2010 year.
We began 2010 in faith that God would provide for us financially and he has done so in miraculous ways! We have seen support and gift giving come in at just the right time and we have ended 2010 with God increasing our client number and despite our economy we have ended several months in the black! God is so good!
We had the opportunity to lead 2 semesters of our Spiritual Formation Group. Last winter/spring semester we went through an 8 week study of the Grace Life Conference and this Fall we studied “Portraits of Intimacy”. This was a study that I wrote and put together. It was an awesome group of folks and we had some great feedback from our evaluations.
In May I had the opportunity to teach several sessions of the Advanced Grace Life Training with our friends from Life Discipleship International as we worked with the Pastor and his wife from Haiti.
I also had the opportunity to continue teaching on Wednesday mornings in the Ladies Bible Study at FBC Powder Springs. This has been a great opportunity to continue to teach about Grace, our identity in Christ, the cross and our co-crucifixion with Christ, etc… This fall we ventured into Revelation! This was particularly exciting as we looked at prophecy and what the Bible has to say about end time events. Keep looking up, folks! His return is closer than you think! Are you ready?
This past Sunday while home for the holidays, I had the chance to teach the College/Young Single Adults Sunday School class that my Mom has begun at their church and it was yet another opportunity to begin to share the message of God’s grace. It was awesome to see them participate and listen with such interest as I mapped out the diagram of Body, Soul and Spirit for them and shared about their “new life design” in Christ.
As you can see, we have been busy! I am constantly reminded that our level of influence and effectiveness flows in direct proportion to our level of intimacy with Father. Therefore, I am taking careful precaution to nourish and sustain my own personal relationship with Christ in a number of ways. Number one is making sure I have adequate time alone with Father each morning. I call it “Breakfast with Papa”. I offer him a bowl of cereal most mornings but He is never interested. I guess when you are the “Bread of Life” you really don’t need cereal!! LOL!! I also am focusing on sharpening my “listening to God” skills and learning that He has a lot to say when we get still and open to His plan and agenda for the day and quit being so wrapped up in our own agenda. I obviously continue to read everything on grace that I can get my hands on but have also begun reading a lot of Henry Blackaby materials. Tony and I are continuing to attend his Bible study that he does once a month. This has proved very beneficial for both of us and we really enjoy it. I don’t know what is more challenging, the message we receive or getting up at 4 in the morning to attend the study!
Beginning 2011
We are jumping in to 2011 with many opportunities ahead of us as well. This week I resume the Ladies Bible Study at FBC Powder Springs on Wednesday. This next Sunday I have the opportunity to begin a 4 week study with a Sunday School Class at FBC Powder Springs focused on Grace and at the end of February Tony and I will be headed to the Cabo San Lucas area of Mexico to pray and help some folks search out some mission opportunities there. Its seems God is up to something and He is inviting us to join Him there! That is just the beginning! I know God has great things in store for 2011 so please keep praying for us!
Dana