Welcome to New Life Design

Perilous Times

Trials & Adversity

Today is exactly 3 weeks until election day in our country.  We will vote on many positions, amendments etc…but most of all we will elect a new president for our country.  With many out of jobs, our housing market plummeting, and our economic crises many have expressed a lot of emotion about what is going on namely fear and anger.  I know the more and more that I understand about what is going on the more angry I find myself becoming.  I can understand why many Americans are expressing a lot of anger at some of these politcal rally’s. 

This morning my running partner was sharing about this conference that she was at over the weekend. When she and others from the conference were out running several were expressing who they were going to vote for and were being very negative and ugly about the other party.  I thought her response was the best that it could have been in the situation…..what she said went a little something like this, “ya’ll, we need to quit talking about this because God is totally in control anyway.”  Think about that for just a moment…..God is incontrol of the election – God is incontrol of our economy – God is incontrol of all our foriegn affairs – God is incontrol of all of it!  When I remember this, I find myself asking, “why am I afraid?”  Do I really believe what I say I believe?  obviously if I say God is incontrol but I am feeling afaid there is a disconect somewhere.  Our feelings/emotions always display what we really believe.  In James 1:8 he calls the man who doubts a “double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”  The more we pour truth in and then experience that truth, the more firm our foundation becomes and we grow in our confidence and security in Christ.

If you are finding yourself a bit afraid today as you think about our world and what is going on, you are in good company.  I challenge you to do what I am doing.  Go to God and ask Him a very simple quetion that goes like this, “God, what is it that I do not know about You, that if I did know I would not be afraid right now?”  Pay close attention and listen to him over the next several days and weeks.  He will reveal to you the answer to that question and fill your heart with faith.  You too, then, will grow in your confidence level and in your assurance of our mighty, soverign God.

Some great verses on fear:

Isaiah 41:10 “Fear not; for I am with you: be not dismayed; for I am your God:  I will strengthen you; yes, I will help you; yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteiousness.”

Isaiah 43:1b-3 “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine!  When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overflow you.  When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame burn you.”

Psalm 56:3 “What time I am afraid, I will trust in God.”

Matthew 7:31- “Do not be anxious then saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘With what shall we clothe ourselves?’…for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.  But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.  Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Philippians 4:6-7 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

I hope that these verses minister to you as they have ministered to me. 

Dana

Living From God – Not For God

Grace Insights

Hello Everyone,

Have you ever said this statement or made this commitment, “I’m going to start living for God!”  If you are like me, growing up you may have heard a lot of people encouraging you to “Live for God”.  My interpretation of that was that I needed to find out what the Bible said about what God expected of a Christian and I needed to fulfill those expectations and then I would be a good christian and God would be pleased with me.  So I worked really, really hard at finding out those expectations and attempting to live up to them.  Now, don’t misunderstand…I really loved God and wanted to please Him.  So I worked really hard at this and was completly sincere in everything I did.  I loved going to church and loved my friends that I hung out with.  I believe we all had a sincere love for God and wanted to please God. 

I don’t think those that taught us to “Live for God” realized what they were saying nor did they mean to bring confusion into our lives.  Their teaching at that time accomplished God’s purposes in me and kept me out of a lot of trouble that could have reeked havoc in my life.  The trouble that I found myself in years later was that I felt like I never could measure up to God’s standards and that it was never enough.  I couldn’t understand after I had worked so hard for so long that the idea of “success” that I was looking for in my relationship with God and ministry seemed so illusive. 

At one point I felt successful-like everything was going well and then I arrived at a place and it was like the bottom feel out.  No matter how hard I worked I just couldn’t be successful.  I even resorted to praying harder and more often, I spent more time studing the Bible and begging God to please intervene.  I memorized more scripture, got an accountability partner and witnessed more.  At one point, I remember thinking that because I wasn’t tithing more God was punishing me.  Yet, the intervention that I prayed for never seemed to happen.  I felt abandoned and left by God.  I would pray and felt as if my prayers bounced off the ceiling and came right back and hit me in the head.  I did not know that all the while, God was there, protecting me but allowing me to go through a process called brokenness.  This process enabled me to see that all of my efforts would never be good enough and that Christ had already done all the work on the cross.  He did love me and He was pleased with me.  I could quit my striving and working hard to please Him.

Jesus did this exact same thing when He began his earthly ministry.  The religious establishment would teach their rules and regulations and Jesus would come along and raise the bar on them.  One example was when they taught about adultery and Jesus came along and said if you even looked at a women with lust in your heart then you had committed adultery with her.  Another was if anyone wants to sue you and take your tunic (undershirt) then give him your coat also; or if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.  Jesus caps off some of this teaching by saying, “You, therefore, must be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.”  Now, there’s a standard to attempt to live up to!  Wow….that makes me tired just thinking about it.  What was Jesus meaning here?  I have heard many debate and try to explain away what all this means.  I myself did that many times.  FYI….a legalist will always have an explanation for these verses….excuses really, because they can’t live up to that standard and that is exactly what I think Jesus was up to here.  He wanted all of us across time to see and realize that we could never live up to this standard so we would get to the end of ourselves and quit trying.  At this point we then look to Him and see the sufficiency of the cross and realize that in Christ all of our needs are met and we can receive the beautiful gift of His love and acceptance of us.  What a precious relationhip we can then experience with Father!  I call it “Living Loved”.  I am full, complete, satisfied, valued and worth everything to my Father in heaven who made the ultimate sacrifice for me.  He literally put my needs before Himself and made it possible for me to be crucified with Him and receive His life inside of me.  I am now a new creation in Him.  I don’t have to work hard or earn anything.  It is all a free gift that I can rest in and experience on a daily bases. 

Do I serve the Lord now, you may ask?  Yes!  But with a whole new perspective.  I don’t live FOR God anymore…I live FROM God now.  Meaning, I allow Christ, who is my very life to express Himself in and through me.  I live out of Christ strength not my own.  As Paul said in Gal. 2:20,“I am curcified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.  This life that I live in the body I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”  The old Dana is now dead and now Christ is living through me. 

Think about these verses from the Message out of Galatians 3, “Let me put this question to you:  How did your new life begin?  Was it by working your heads off to please God?  Or was it by responding to God’s Message to you?  Are you going to continue this craziness?  For only crazy people would think they could complete by their own efforts what was begun by God.  If you weren’t smart enough or strong enough to begin it, how do you suppose you could perfect it?  Did you go through this whole painful learning process for nothing?  It is not yet a total loss, but it certaintly will be if you keep this up!  Answer this question:  Does the God who lavishly provides you with his own presence, His Holy Spirit, working things in your lives you could never do for yourselves, does He do these things because of your strenuous moral striving or because you trust Him to do them in you?  Don’t these things happen among you just as they happened with Abraham?  He believed God, and that act of belief was turned into a life that was right with God.

Later in the chapter Paul says, “And that means that anyone who tries to live by his own effort, independent of God, is doomed to failure.” 

And later he says, “The obvious impossibility of carrying out such a moral program should make it plain that no one can sustain a relationship with God that way.  The person who lives in right relationship with God does it by embracing what God arranges for him.  Doing things for God is the opposite of entering into what God does for you.”

Well, I guess that about sums up this one!  Rest….and live FROM Him and not FOR Him!

Dana

A Radical New Idea for NLD

Our Faith Journey

Hello Everyone,

I know it has been some time since we have posted a blog.  There has been much going on around here along with the normal means of business and ministry for the last several weeks and we appreciate your patience.  For those of you that have not heard, Tony’s (my husband) Grandfather did pass away and we were out of town for the funeral and have since been trying to get caught back up.  Rebecca has been on vacation this week enjoying the beaches of Florida in between hurricanes.  We will see what kind of savage tan she comes back with!  Tony and I have been holding down the fort and it has only been Christ through us that we have survived!! 

Let me share with you a new opportunity that it appears that Father is giving us.  It has been our hearts desire and prayer from the beginning of NLD (New Life Design) that we not do ministry events just because every other ministry similar to ours does that event.  We want to be uniquely who God desires NLD to be.  We have been asked, “Are you going to do one of those Grace Life Conferences?”  Well, we would like to but it just hasn’t been time yet.  There have been several other ideas we have “kicked around” and yet, Father just hasn’t given us a peace about them.  But one thing that we have begun to see emerge over the last month is this idea to provide an authentic, small group Bible study for our clients, former clients and friends.  There was a series of really strange events that began happening to confirm this really radical idea that Rebecca and I had been tossing around off and on for most of the summer.  One of these events that started happening was that several of our clients started to meet each other.  Obviously, we operate under a code of confidentiality and I tell our clients that no one will ever know you are going through our coaching process unless you tell them because we can not.  It just so happens that several of our clients go to the same church in the area and through a series of random events one couple came in for their session announcing that they had meet this other couple.  Well, you can image my surprise.  They ended up sharing a meal together and really making a connection and sharing about what they are learning in the process and how Father is changing their lives.  So much of what the couples said was exactly what Rebecca and I had talked about providing through a small group.  This was just one of the things that Father used to confirm this idea with us.

Another thought that had continued to emerge in me was this complete paradigm shift in thinking about church, small groups etc….  My heart has always been about being relational verses being involved in Religion.  But recently, I have really gotten a better grasp at what being relational actually means.  It doesn’t mean that you attend a small group or Sunday school class with your church; It is so much more than that.  The relational part starts with being relational with Father – receiving, embracing and walking in the reality of Father’s affection for us.  When that is happening on a moment by moment basis in our daily lives we begin to know more of what it means to love others.  We have to experience being well loved by Father first before we can love others well.  As we are walking in Father’s affection we become convinced of our identity, acceptance, purpose and are so satisfied and fulfilled with Father and His work in our lives.  At that point, His perfect love drives out our fear of being rejected and left alone so we can, in a healthy way, risk being open with one another and loving each other.  I have sinced that this is to be a key characteristic of NLD and a key point that we are to teach our clients.

So, with that said we are looking forward to beginning a small group Bible study through the ministry of NLD on Tuesday, October 7 at 6:30pm.  We will be meeting here at our offices every OTHER week and the Study we will be going through is called the Grace Walk Experience, a 9 week study writen by Steve McVey.  This group is open to any of our current clients, former clients, their spouses and friends of NLD.  If you would like to be apart of this group please call Rebecca or myself or email us to get your name on the list.  It is a “first come, first serve” basis as we can only take 12 members at a time. 

We desire this group to grow into a place of being real and authentic with each other.  No masks allowed here!  The uniqueness of a group like this is that if you are going through the coaching experience or have gone through it you know that you have no reason to impress, put on aires, feel the need to conform, please or act like you have it all together.  The process that we take people through is for every Christian – but the unfortunate, yet maybe the fortortunate thing is that you don’t pick up the phone to call someone like me and commit to this process unless you have found yourself at the bottom of the barrell.  Lessons learned at the “Bottom of the Barrell” prove to be grace centered and forever life altering.  One of these days I am going to write up a teaching series entitled “Lessons Learned @ The Bottom of The Barrell”  Humility becomes a huge focus in those lessons that we learn and that coupled with embracing your identity in Christ just seems to disarm the need to put up a good front or implore a “keep up your image” philosophy.  Therefore, my hope is that in this group as we genuinely connect with each other, hearing each others stories and studying God’s Truth we will become real and authentic with each other.  I think it is at this point where Christ as our very life will then flow out of us and spill out all over each other bringing sweet healing to our wounds.  Yes, no man is an island and we do need each other on this journey.  Come experience a “New Design for Living” with us here at NLD.

Dana

Close to God

God Concept

Do you ever think, “I feel so far away from God.  I want to be close to God again.  What do I have to do to get closer to God?”  I have had these same thoughts over and over again.  For many years, I depended on these feelings, and my relationship with God seemed up and down and up and down.  I couldn’t maintain any consistency because I was depending on my efforts/performance (reading my Bible, praying, going to church events & conferences, being Christ-like, attending Bible studies, etc.) to attain closeness with God.  If I missed a quiet time, I felt far away from God.  If I messed up, I thought God was punishing me by being distant.  If I didn’t feel God’s presence, then I thought He didn’t care.  If I didn’t finish all my tasks or do something the right way, then I felt like God was distant and didn’t hear my prayers.  If I didn’t feel close to God when I prayed, then I thought He wasn’t listening. 

Then God opened my eyes to the truth that as a believer, I can’t get any closer to God than I already am.  He’s inside me–how can I get any closer than that?.  I don’t have to do anything to get closer to God.    Do I always feel his presence?  No, but that doesn’t mean He’s not there.  His presence in my life has nothing to do with my Christian performance, but everything to do with the cross of Jesus Christ.  So now, when those feelings of distance come, I have a choice–believe the feelings or believe the truth, the promises of God:

“But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him”  (1 Cor 6:17)

“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?”  (1 Corinthians 6:19)

“In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation–having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,”  (Ephesians 1:13)

“He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”  (2 Corinthians 5:21)

“for He Himself has said, ‘I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU,'” (Hebrews 13:5)

“Where can I go from Your Spirit?  Or where can I flee from Your presence?  If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there.  If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me.”  (Psalm 139:7-10)

Rebecca:-)

Happy 1 Year Anniversary New Life Design

Our Faith Journey

Hello everyone,

We are an excited bunch around here today.  This month is the official 1 year anniversary of New Life Design.  We can’t believe that it has been a whole year since we “set up shop” and “hung out our shingle” as we say.  We are indeed grateful for all that Father has done over the past year.  The step of faith was so worth it!!

As I reflect back on this faith journey so far, I am reminded of the verses in Hebrews 11 that I spent much time pouring over before we announced the plans for NLD.  This chapter journals the experiences of many saints who lived by faith and brought honor to the kingdom of God.  One part in particular beckons my attention day after day and that is verses 13-16.  Let me share them with you….

“All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.  For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own.  And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return.  But as it is, they desire a better country, that is a heavenly one.  Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.”

These people were controlled and sustained by their faith.  Even though they had not seen with their own eyes the fulfillment of the promise before they died, they kept their focus on God who sustained and controlled them.  Scripture is very quick to say that they did not focus on what they had left behind but on what was ahead of them and the call of God “to go”.  I am intrigued by the part of verse 15 that says that if they had been thinking of what they left behind they would have had opportunity to return.  But to return would have been disobedience.  In the Amplified Bible verse 15 says, “…they would have found constant opportunity to return to it.”

I am finding that with this faith jouney our key lies in where we set our minds!  Where is our daily focus?  What is our attitude each day?  Regardless of whether you are in the midst of a huge faith step, battling with your own fleshly ways, or just desiring to live a victorious Christian life – the key is focusing our minds.  Another verse in the next chapter of Hebrews helps us with this.  Chapter 12:1b-2a says, “…let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith…”  Our victory is not found in striving, laboring, toiling, and working.  No!  It is found in fixing our eyes on Jesus!  Period….end of sentence.  Just as you don’t work, labor or strive to put away all those fleshly behaviors, you don’t work, labor or strive to get more faith either.  The answer is found in placing our focus on our Father and who He is and who we are in Him.  Victory over the flesh will come and you will see greater faith than you could have imagined bubbling up inside of you as you fix your focus – set your mind on Father.  We received our salvation by faith as we looked to Jesus so what makes us think we will receive victory in these other areas any other way? 

For these characters in Hebrews 11, I find upon deeper study that their faith was promted, aroused and actuated.  It was not created, grown or develped.  Some of you may be familiar with 2 Peter 1:3 that says, “seeing that His divine power has granted to us (meaning He has already given it to us) everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.”  He has already given us everything we need….all the faith, all the victory over sin, all the patience etc… that we need for daily living.  You have what you need within your spirit because you have Christ’s life in your spirit.  If we take responsibility for setting our mind, focusing our attention on Him each day, allowing Him to live His life out through us then we will never lack anything that we need for each day. 

So, we invite you to celebrate with us this huge mileston that Father has brought about and continue to set your mind, focus and attention on Him each day.  You will begin to see your faith aroused, promted and actuated!  You will indeed find victory over the flesh!  Experiencing Christ’s life as your source is an awesome adventure, and as we have found today, it leads you to milestones that you never thought possible!!

Dana

Today Is My Mother In Law’s Birthday

Grace Insights, Identity, Trials & Adversity

Grace has so many facets…..so many gifts for us….so much to offer us!  Grace allows us the freedom to be real, authentic, and vulnerable.  When we understand more of who we are in Christ and His enormous love for us, it becomes easier for us to be real with each other-and that is when true relationship takes place.  We spend so much time, energy, and effort trying to “keep up our image”, trying maintain control of our circumstances and those around us and that is exhausting; not to mention impossible to accomplish! 

What does all this have to do with my mother in law and her birthday….well, she is one who is real, vulnerable, and authentic.  Today is her birthday and she is having a tough day and it has nothing to do with being a year older because, quite honestly….I think she really, truly is “over all that” nonsense.  There were bigger issues on her mind.  As she ate lunch with us she was free to be herself, free to not have to act like a super, spiritual giant that has everything under control.  That freed her up to “loosen up”, laugh with her family and allow her own children to encourage her to help her get through the day.  She may have some tough circumstances right now, but she knows her God, she knows who she is, and who she belongs to and that is enough for her.  She knows Grace Himself intimately…..she loves Grace and Grace knows and loves her.  She knows she is secure in Grace and knows that Grace will provide for her.  She knows that Grace is in control of her circumstances and the people around her.  She even knows that Grace will thoroughly work all things together for her good and His Glory. 

Now that’s my mother in law.  Just by being in her presence, she makes me want to be better – to be the best person that I can be – to desire to be all that God intends for me to be.  Yes, I know some of you may be flipping out that someone can actually say they have a mother in law like that.  Well, you see, I prayed for a long time for a “wonderful, spirit filled mother in LOVE” and she was worth the wait!  Even when I struggle and fall back in my legalistic ideas of living, she speaks grace to me and loves me just the way that I am and accepts me as one of her own – no rules, no expectations (maybe except to love her son-ha-ha), no requirements.  She just loves.

You may be wondering who my mother in law is.  Well, because of who she is and her humility she would not want her name mentioned in something like this.  If you know her you would agree with me.  She would only want your prayers and for you to come and get to know this man who changed her life – Grace Himself – Jesus Christ.  She would tell you that when you experience Him and hear what He has to say about you – you would fall in love with Him immediately.  So, what are you waiting for….”Come to me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

So….to a wonderful, spirit filled “Mother In Love”…..Happy Birthday!  If I could turn out to be just half of what you and my own mother are like…..wow…..that would be awesome!  I am so blessed!

Dana

Freedom, One of the Many Benefits of Grace

Grace Insights

We have such freedom and adventure in God’s Grace.  We are safe with grace even though it is unpredictable.  Jesus seemed unpredictable to those around Him but He was just living out of obedience to His Father’s directions.  If you read the gospels carefully, you will see that His unpredictable behavior drove the Pharisees crazy! 

Grace allows “out of the box” living.  If you are like me and you have spent the majority of your life up until this point living from a law based mentality, grace may seem a little scary.  In reality, we have nothing to fear as I John 4 reminds us that perfect love drives out all fear.  So with grace it might seem a bit “risky” if you know what I mean.  Living by the law was so “cut and dried”.  Dry….now there is a good word for it.  Grace is alive, organic and relational. 

Was the law bad?  No way!  It accomplished it’s purpose in revealing my sin and my need for a Savior.  I realized very quickly that I could not keep the letter of the law 24/7 so I needed what Christ provided on the cross.  I needed life, forgiveness, peace and relationship!  Christ on the cross was grace providing all that I needed.  Now, I walk in, abide in, make myself at home in His wonderful, matchless grace! 

Through this grace, I can give up my performance based behaving and trying to be perfect.  I have a net below to catch me if I fail.  That net is called Grace.  Let me share with you an illustration that I found rather enlightening from Juan Carlos Ortiz.  I read this in the book entitled “Rest Assured” by Bill Ewing.  Mr. Ortiz once recalled a circus attendee who had the privilege of talking to a performer after a show.  He commented on how the net saved the trapeze artists’ life.  The performer looked a bit humored.  Still struck with awe the guest exclaimed, “That net saved your life!”  In broken English, the artist expressed that this was indeed true, but then tried to explain the net’s further purpose. “Yes, the net saves us,”  he said in a heavy French accent, “but its most important purpose is to allow us to get better.  With it stretching below we can try and fail without fear, becoming the very best we could ever be.” 

Wow!  God’s grace allows us to try and fail without fear while we stretch and grow.  Now there is a new spin on failure!  With this point of view there is no reason to fear failure.  Again, as I said in a previous blog – for us a Christians, there is room for failure and when we do, it is a forward motion – a failing forward as I call it.  This is how we learn and grow and become all that God has planned for us to be (Eph. 2:10).

Galatians 2:19-20 The Message – “What actually took place is this:  I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and it didn’t work.  So I quit being a “law man” so that I could be God’s man.  Christ’s life showed me how, and enabled me to do it.  I identified myself completely with him.  Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ.  My ego is no longer central.  It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God.  Christ lives in me.”

May you grow more and more in the GRACE and KNOWLEDGE of our Lord Jesus Christ – our Abba Father – our Daddy – our Papa!

Dana

“Strivers Anonymous” – A Friend’s Story of an Exchanged Life

Grace Insights

I wanted to share a wonderful testimony with you.  This is from Myra Woods who is one of our Board Members here at NLD.  We had asked her to write up her story of how she came to understand the exchanged life and the impact that Grace has made on her life.  When I read this earlier today I just had to give you a sneak preview.  This is hopefully going to be in our Summer Newsletter that is going out in a few days.

Dana

Strivers Anonymous. If there were such an organization, I would be a member, for this is my confession, “My name is Myra Woods and I am a Striver.” But, thank God, a recovering striver. Jesus rescued me from my pitiful self-efforts at living the Christian life and He set me free. “How?,” you ask? When I came to the end of my rope and He offered to exchange His life for mine. I accepted.

 

For me, to live was to try harder, to grow greater, to understand fuller, and to doubt deeper. I was forever striving to control and desperately hold on to those things that kept me safe. Combine these efforts with a concept of God who wouldn’t rescue me from my frustrations and fears when I so needed Him to. Do you see a recipe for a life full of anxiety, fear and panic attacks? Well, that’s what my life was.

 

I was emotionally exhausted. I was trying to hang on by my fingernails to keep from falling into an abyss – an abyss of darkness. One of my most challenging emotional journeys was when I was on an airplane. Once, I single handedly kept a 747 in the air between Denver and Atlanta using all the emotional strength I had. I worked harder than the pilot and co-pilot combined. On arrival to Atlanta, I was exhausted! That was my life. The only way I know to describe it is: I was emotionally exhausted.

 

Three times over the past two decades I sought professional help. I credit two Christian counselors who saw me through some tough times and helped me survive not only my own clinical depression but my husband’s as well. I left their care better able to cope and thankful for their guidance. It was not until I attended a Grace Life Conference, however, that lasting change happened.

 

After listening for two days about how the flesh exhibits itself I began to see clearly just how I had been striving so hard to keep it together, to make my faith stronger, to not doubt, to grasp truth, to always do the right thing. Whatever my hand found to do I was going to strive to do it….myself. But all it got me was a life full of anxiety, fear and depression. Surely there was an easier way to live the Christian life.

 

Fear had driven my life for so long, and I was desperate to know what else God had to offer. I was afraid to surrender it all for fear of what God might do. I had been unable to let go while my fingernails were becoming weaker and weaker.

 

The instructor at the Grace Life Conference quoted scripture after scripture about who we were in Christ and what Jesus had done for us and in us. I realized I was not living out of that identity but out of my own strength. That night God offered to exchange His strength for mine.

 

Isaiah 40:31 says, “Those who wait on the Lord will gain (exchange) new strength; They will mount up with wings (literally, sprout wings) like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.”

 

The instructor guided us to a page in our workbook entitled “The Selfer’s Prayer” and began to read. He encouraged us to go home and get before the Lord with this prayer. I couldn’t wait. Tears began to flow and the Holy Spirit flooded my heart with the knowledge that I needed to repent of trying to live the Christian life in my own strength, to quit striving and start trusting. I literally lost it. It was very loud in my head and in my heart as I said the words of that prayer through my tears. If my life had depended on it I could not have waited to get home to do business with the Lord. What happened that night is a significant benchmark in my spiritual journey.

 

2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creature. Behold old things have passed away and all things have become new.” Something new happened in me that night. There was a release – a realization that God was truly good and I could trust Him no matter what. I could let go and know He would catch me. Were these new truths for me? No. I knew Jesus lived in my heart through the Holy Spirit, but somewhere I had missed the part where He was actually going to live the Christian life as me.

 

One of my favorite verses is,

 

“I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless, I live, yet not I but Christ lives in me. And the life I live in the flesh, I live by faith of the Son of God who loves me and gave Himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

 

Since that weekend five years ago the grace message “Christ in YOU” has flowed like a river through me. I have the promise that He will make all things new in every area I learn to trust Him with and that He loves and accepts me just as I am – all because of who He has made me to be – His holy, pure and righteous child.

 

Not only do I experience a security I had never known, but I am learning to enjoy an intimacy with Him that I never dreamed possible. I have the hope that where ever I am, what ever I experience, whomever I need to deal with, Jesus is there with me to live His life through me.

 

There are days I feel like something new is happening, that there is something new to share with a friend about the Lord, but I can’t really point to any one thing. Everyday is just new because He’s in it.

 

The message of grace continues to change my life. Knowing I am completely accepted, loved beyond my comprehension, and will never be abandoned strengthens my faith to rest in the power of the very life of Jesus living in me.

 

This is the grace message. This is the grace message that New Life Design teaches. It can change your life. It did mine.

 

I serve on the Board of Directors of New Life Design because I believe in the transforming power of the Word of God in a person’s life. I believe in the emphasis on God’s grace in the counseling ministry. I believe in the ministry of the Holy Spirit to guide, to heal and restore a person’s faith. This is what the ministry of New Life Design is all about.

 

Jesus invites us – no, He pleads with us, “Come to Me those who are weary (who work to exhaustion) and heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your soul (mind, will and emotions).” Matthew 11:28-29

 

Failing Forward

Grace Insights, Prayer & Praise

The weekend before Father’s Day my husband and I went camping.  Everything that could have gone wrong did!  We are now affectionately referring to the trip as “The Camping Trip from !??@#@#!

On the Friday morning that we were leaving I had returned home from running to find that Tony had decided that we would after all take the boat.  That meant we had to wash it and make sure it was running before we headed out.  It also meant that we would have to make two trips to the camp ground – one to take the camper and then one to take the boat.  Well, what was supposed to be two trips turned into three because I had forgotten several other “key” items.  So late that evening after everything was set up we decided to go put the boat in and maybe I could ski a bit.  We ended up being plagued with boat problems the entire trip and me burning my leg while trying to help him fix it. 

Then on Saturday evening after dinner while trying to work on the boat again our minature schnauzer named Nissi got in the trash and proceded to help herself to some corn on the cob.  Now, that might not be a tragedy for you and your dog but for a dog with a very sensitive digestive tract it spells EMERGENCY!  Sure enough….at 1:20 am Sunday morning she began throwing up.  She threw up every hour on the hour just about all day Sunday.  That afternoon we ended up in the Cobb Emergency Vet Clinic getting blood work, X-rays, meds for nausa, and fluids to prevent dehydration.  After running up a nice bill they decided that there were no blockages in her digestive tract (thank goodness – that would have meant surgery and several thousands of dollars) so we were free to take her back with us.  What we didn’t know is that her tummy was full of the cob broken in pieces that although they were too big to go through her digestive tract they had to eventually come up.  So yes, she threw up corn cob for the next week.  Seriously, Father’s day was the first day that she didn’t throw up after this whole ordeal.  I think that had it not been for the “God Moment” that I had on Tuesday the whole thing would have just been a bust.

To explain the “God Moment” I have to tell you about getting the boat out of the lake on Monday evening before we were to pack up and head back on Tuesday morning.  I usually drive the boat over to the boat ramp and drive it on to the trailer which is a “hairy ordeal” anyway but due to the problems we had I suggested that Tony drive the boat over and I would take the truck, hook up the trailor and back it down the ramp.  I was a little nervous about this because it had been awhile since I had hooked it up by myself plus, I always have a hard time knowing if the trailor hitch is securely fastened over the ball.  I knew I could not do this alone so I immediately remembered that Christ is to live His life out through me and so I was to let Him do this – not me.  And wouldn’t you just know it…..He got the trailor hitched, backed down the ramp and back into the camp site driveway.  Wow, I thought….”God, you were 3 for 3!”  So, on Tuesday morning I am begining to pack up and keep an eye on Nissi as she is still throwing up and then Tony leaves to take the boat back with a truck load of camping gear.  He calls me after being gone about 20 minutes to say that the trailor had popped off the hitch when he went over one of the speed bumps in the camp ground but thankfully this sweet man stopped and helped him pick up the trailor carrying the boat and put it back on the hitch.  Well, I immediately had issue with God because I was trusting him to hook all that up through me and I just expected that it would be done right the first time.  As I struggled with my thoughts later that day I was wondering why God didn’t come through.  I felt like He let me down, I felt like a failure and that the whole camping trip was a failure but suddently….God spoke!  I sensed that He began to tell me that all my life I have not only expected perfection from myself, I have demanded it.  I never gave myself room to fail.  Failure was not okay in my book.  He said that failure is how we learn sometimes and that under His authority that there was room to fail and it was okay.  It was as if I had been given freedom to fail for the first time in my life.  I had always linked my Identity, others thoughts of love and acceptance of me to my performance.  If my performance was perfect then I was okay but if I failed I was not okay and something was terribly wrong with me. 

You can imagine what criticism does to us when this is how we operate.  So now we can relax – in trying new things there is always a learning curve and we may make mistakes but we will learn and with Christ we are safe in Him.  I hope that encourages you to be okay with trying new things because often times we will not try new things because we are afraid of failing.  When our security is in Him our Identity is safe and secure and that is when it becomes okay to fail.  God never wastes a failure but He always uses it for our good and His Glory.  Wow….I feel better already!

Dana 

The 20 Year Class Renuion

Grace Insights

Well, just before I began to write this post I got a notice saying that my 20 year class reunion is going to be held this summer. Ouch! That really bits! I can’t believe it has been that long! I know….some of you out there are saying, “Welcome to my world!” and others are saying, “You’re only as old as you feel!” and I know some of you are saying, “Dana, get over it!” etc….” Yes, I understand all that but it is just the thought that 20 years have flown by. You may laugh, but I never thought I would live this long, but here we are 20 years later!

I am reminded that a lot of pressure comes with class reunions. You know what I mean?? People want to be able to say that they have accomplised something over the last 20 years, that their lives have counted for something. Some are still trying to gain that love and acceptance from others. They still have not learned that those same old fleshly strategies don’t work. I wonder how many of my classmates have just decided today to go on that diet or exercise plan? They want to show up to impress others with how they look feeling like they have to look a certain way so others will love and accept them and think well of them. Their performance and appearance must be at top notch perfection! Wow….I’m tired just thinking about it all.

Quite fankly, the “old me” use to live this way. I spent so much time, energy and resources trying to impress, measure up, be perfect, look perfect, perform perfectly….get the “perfect picture”?? I exhausted myself and when I took an evaluation at how I was doing, I always came up with the same old thoughts – it was never good enough – I was never good enough. Finally, one day just a few years ago God had put me in the “perfect” sceniro to show me that my fleshly stratagies just wouldn’t work and I was harming myself with the continued efforts to try to make them work. My “perfect” sceniro happened to be the wonderful world of “church work”. My first few attempts seemed to work pretty well so when I moved to Georgia over 12 years ago I continued to pull out the same stratagies to get my needs met and would you believe it when I said I hit a brick wall?? I couldn’t do anything right, keep anybody happy or be successful in anything I did. I was plegged with problems, mishaps, shortcomings, failures you name it! Well, it was over the course of several years that God led me to that place of brokenness. I kept trying to tell him I had been broken enough through all the death and tragedy in my family over recent years but, oh no….I had not been willing to SEE and release those fleshly stratagies that I held on to for LIFE. God had to prove to me that my way of finding LIFE and getting my needs met just did not cut it. So, I crumbled and when I did….ironically….I found that LIFE and identity that I was so desperately looking for. I found the love and acceptance of Father that I so desperatly needed.

Now, I can honestly say I am experiencing more and more freedom from peoples opinions and their thoughts about me. I am living in that “sweet spot” of life where I do what I do because that is what Father ask of me and He has put the desires in my heart to do those things that he has created me to do and it glorifies Him. That is what the sum total of our lives ought to be about anyway….Glorifying Him and Him alone (not ourselves).

For all my fellow “people pleasers” out there – this is the one time that I can truly say….”the grass really is greener over here!” Come on over and join me!

Dana