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