Could You Be A Legalist? – Take The Quiz!

Hello Everyone…..I hope the title there got your attention!  Many of us who have come to embrace God’s grace and exchanging our lives for Christ life have come out of a very legalistic way of thinking.  You may have only wadded knee deep in it or if you are like me you have had periods of your life where you swam in it!  To be honest, I had no idea how legalistic my thinking had become.  I was shocked and quite frankly appalled at some of the beliefs that I held on to when God allowed my legalistic rules to completely unravel my life.  The quiz provided below is a way to help you discern legalistic thoughts and the resulting emotions and behaviors.  So I challenge you to take the quiz, laugh a little at yourself but on a serious note take stock of your beliefs and values and make sure they are Biblical and balanced full of Grace & Truth.

The Quiz!

1.  God’s degree of love for me depends on what I do.

2.  Meeting the expectations of others, especially those in my congregation or in positions of authority, are paramount.

3.  Moral and ethical questions are usually black and white and only made into fuzzy shades of gray by hand-wringing, bleeding-heart types.

4.  I try hard to obey God and it irritates me that others think they can get away with avoiding the same level of dedication.

5.  I fall short because I don’t have enough faith, or because I haven’t prayed enough, or because i just need to be a better peron.

6.  God is predisposed to be angry with me because I am a sinner.  My main goal in life is to try to gain God’s favor by doing things that will impress Him.

7.  My sense of spiritual well-being is linked to a Christian leader or membership in my church rather than a personal relationship with God.

8.  I tell my children not to do something in chruch or around other Christian families that I allow in my home.

9.  I believe my church is God’s true church and that most other Christians may be sincere, but are sincerly wrong.

10.  The exterior choices a person makes in what they wear, hairstyle, piercings, tattoos, etc. is a clear indication of that person’s character.

11.  I sometimes worry that people might take advantage of grace if it’s preached too much-people might think they can do anything they want.

12.  After being around Christians for a while I feel drained-weary of putting up a false front.

13.  When I happen to miss a service or activity of my church I feel quilty.

14.  I will likely get into heaven, even though I’m far from perfect, because I have tried to be a basically good person and God will take that into account.

Well….how did you do?  Now, one word of caution….If you just took the quiz and are sitting there thinking, “Oh, I don’t believe any of that, I have never thought any of those things!”…..be careful…..you might be a (warning…..this could hurt) self righteous legalist.  Often times we are all quilty of covering up what is really there by having a very sujective view of ourselves.  We are constantly focused on ourselves and being significant & secure so therefore we must appear great and look like we have it all together spiritually.  That thought right there lends itself to legalistic thinking and living.    It amazes me that out of all of the clients that we see the ones who stuggle the most with the message that we share are the legalists.  I think back in my own life that God had to really humble me and bring me to the end of myself (which was quite excruciating) for me to “get it”.  I am also reminded that the only people that Jesus Christ was ever really “harsh” with were the Pharisees and yes…it was the Pharisees that missed Him.  We need to let this be a red flag for us….let’s ask God to reveal the legalistic thoughts and behaviors in our lives that we may not even be aware of.

Roll Tide!

Dana

Failing Forward

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 

Prayer & Praise Update

Prayer Team,

“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come”.  2 Corinthians 5:17

Thank you so much for your continued efforts in praying for New Life Design.  God has been so faithful to us and here we are with 7 months under our belts.  All our needs have been supplied and even in abundance!  We are paying rent on our facilities, keeping the lights on, heating and cooling paid for, buying office supplies as needed, supplying the resources for our clients, paying insurance and taxes and we even have an emergency fund!  Yes….even Dave Ramsey would be proud!!  You bless us with your prayers.  Here are a few updates on things and some specific prayer requests that you can bring before Father this week:

1.        Pray for our clients’ eyes to be opened to the truth that will set them free.  Pray that God will heal the broken places in their souls and that they would completely surrender those things that are holding them back to Him.  John 8:32, Prov. 14:30a, Ps. 23:3, Matt. 16:24

2.       NLD is hosting our very first “Marriage! The Journey” Conference on May 16-17 here at our offices.  We only have room for 8 couples so pray that God will bring the couples that he wants to come and hear this message on God’s design for marriage.  We hope in the future to be able to do this conference in many different churches and have enough room for many more to attend.  Pray that God will open the right doors at the right time for this.  On April 11-12 Tony and I will be doing what we call a “trial run” of the “Marriage! The Journey” Conference in our home with some of our family and friends that have graciously volunteered of their time to let us “practice” on them.  So pray for us as we prepare and that this weekend would be helpful for us.  Eph. 5:1-2, I John 4:18-19

3.       Pray for God to put a hedge of protection around NLD and that the enemy would be completely blocked from attacking us.  This is very important as we are still in our infancy.  We battle not against flesh and blood but against powers, principalities and spiritual forces of this present world.  Eph. 4:12

4.       Pray that God would continue to meet all our budget needs and that God would continue to speak to people about supporting our ministry financially.  It is our prayer that one day we would grow to a place where Rebecca and I can draw a small salary but that is in Father’s hands and we are completely dependent on Him by faith.  If He does not desire that for us we are ok with that.  Phi. 4:19

5.       We seem to be adding new clients each week!  This past week was one of the busiest weeks so far.  Pray that God would continue to send those people who are ready for this process and that He would give them the courage to call us.  I Peter 5:6-7

Dana

Prayer & Praise Update

Hello Everyone,

Thank you for your prayer support for NLD.  The last two weeks have been very busy and we are so thankful.  We added a new client, have another considering going through the process and another prospective client coming in the first of next week.  If you have read the previous blog you know that I had a speaking engagement yesterday and got a chance to share Truth with a wonderful group of women here in Douglasville.  God is at work and we are amazed at every turn.  As I was wrapping up a session with one lady this week I was just overwhelmed with such a sense of privilege and gratitude to be used by Father to help others find life and freedom in Christ.

This next week will be a busy week of appointments, study and prep and then the next week I am going with Tony to Las Vegas to a trade show to demo a product that DATO Technologies has been able to help create.  While he is “wheeling & dealing” at the trade show (not at the casinos ha-ha), I will be held up in the hotel room studying a resource and going through training Cd’s in hopes to incorporate this into our coaching process.  Please pray that Father will give me a clear mind ready to learn and discernment as to how this could help minister to many who are dealing with deep wounds. 

Some additional resources that I will be studying has to do with how to protect your ministry.  As you know, the Enemy does not like that we are sharing the Truth that liberates with many who have struggled and many who have been bound up in so much emotional and spiritual bondage.  As my Pastor, Mike Woods, whom I had the chance to serve under at FBC Powder Springs, would often remind us as a staff that “hurting people hurt people”.  Our Enemy, the Devil would like no more than to use one of these precious ones that we are helping to try to attack us and destroy us.  So, we must be “wise as serpents and as innocent as doves”.  Pray that Father would provide much wisdom and insight through these resources.

I Peter 5:8-9 (NLT) “Be careful!  Watch out for attacks from the Devil, your great enemy.  He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour.  Take a firm stand against him, and be strong in your faith.  Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are.”

Dana

6 Month Ministry Update

Thank you for your prayers for New Life Design.  I can’t believe that we have been going now for 6 months and things are looking wonderful!  My faith has been stretched and thankfully God has supplied the courage to take the steps needed to match the stretching.   At this time exactly one year ago I was very discouraged with where I was at AND at the same time very much afraid of where God was calling me to.  As I say, a war had ensued in my mind and emotions.  Just to give you a window into my soul, here is the wide gamut of emotions that I was experiencing:  I was so burdened over the vision that God had planted, scared to raise support, curious about what this new vision would turn into, worried about finances, excited about a new dream and experiencing an odd mix of being “miserably comfortable” with a weekly pay check at the last assignment that God had given.   Very quickly I began to realize that God was saying it is time to embark on a new vision.  Although I have read books and literature on Vision and Leadership, I have never really considered myself as a “visionary” type person until God planted the vision.  I completely attest to the fact that God calls the ordinary person to do the extra-ordinary for Him.  In the process, we grow and are challenged to allow Christ to express His very life in and through us – that, by the way, is the secret to the extra-ordinary living!!

News About Where We Are:
Many of you know that we were given rent free office space for the first 6 months.  That means as of today (Feb. 1) we began paying rent.  I am so excited to tell you that the check has been sent and all is well with the budget!  It was so wonderful last night to lay my head on the pillow and know that all was well because God has so faithfully provided for us.  Many of you know that Tony, Rebecca and myself are big Dave Ramsey – Financial Peace fans.  We have been conducting our ministry budget based on those principles including operating debt free and God has blessed our obedience.  Praise the Lord for what He has done!!

More News….
I was looking over some info earlier this week getting ready for our Board Meeting this past Tuesday night and it was exciting to look at the numbers.  I must say, for once this Baptist girl enjoyed looking at numbers!  Ha-Ha!!  In almost 6 months we have had the opportunity to share Christ with 26 people and out of the 26 – 22 have decided to go through the process and be discipled!!   Also, 1 out the 22 realized that she was not saved and has prayed to receive Christ and is being discipled.  Now that is some news that I can get pumped about.  What awesome prospects of sending 22 people back to their churches healed, discipled and ready to serve!  This number also includes several who are participating in the Marital Coaching and we are seeing God begin to put marriages back together and transform the individuals.  Wow…now for me….that’s ministry!! 

We are excited to see what God has in store for the rest of 2008 and into 2009.  I know there may be some “faith challenges” ahead but I know my God is trustworthy and faithful!  If you had told me February 1st a year ago that all this would be a reality, I am not so sure I would have believed you.  But look at what God has done!  This very point is what kept me focused during some intense planning we did this week concerning the future of the ministry.  We mapped out where we think God may be taking us from February 08 to February 09.  I had a tendency to get a little apprehensive but I am reminded that this whole deal was God’s idea in the first place and He can do as He pleases with it.  Please keep praying for us and for God to intervene in the lives of these individuals.  Without Christ, we can do nothing, but with Him….all things are possible! – John 15:5 & Matt. 19:26.

Running To Win – Dana
P.S.  While I was typing this Blog I booked another new client!!  As you can see….God is sending them….we need you praying!!!  Please, stop right now a voice a prayer to Father to minister, heal and transform our clients!  We love you!!

Year End Message

Hello Everyone,

I can’t believe we are on the eve of Christmas!  I had to renew my drivers license this week and it was a reminder that time has just flown by! 

We have been open here at New Life Design for four months now and we have been so blessed.  If you were not able to join us for our Christmas Open House you missed a treat.  We had a great time celebrating what God has done for us.  We have continued to add clients through the month of December and we had one client pray to receive Christ!  We are seeing God do some amazing things in peoples lives and that is why we are here.  God willing, we will continue to do what He has called us to through out 2008 as well.  Please continue to pray for us and our clients through the holidays.

Be on the look out for our New Life Design Newsletter that is in the mail!  If you do not receive one, please email us at info@anewlifedesign.orgor call Rebecca at the office and she will get one to you.

If you would like to make a year end contribution to New Life Design you can still do so via paypal or through snail mail.  Please make sure it is post marked by December 31. 

Thank you to all who have been praying for our ministry and who have contributed monetarily or through time and talents.  You have blessed us this year and we are forever indebted to you.  This ministry would not exist if it were not for you.  Thank you and God bless you.

Still enjoying the New Design!

Dana

Growing & Harvesting

What a week!!  God is working!!  He added 2 individuals and 2 couples to our clientel this past week.  We are very excited to have the opportunity to encourage them in their journey with the Lord! 

Jesus has found one more lost sheep!!  What great joy to welcome a sister into our family!!  One of our clients prayed to receive Christ during her first coaching session with Dana last week.  Praise the Lord!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rebecca 🙂

Prayer & Praise Update

Hi Everyone!

I guess most are in full swing of Christmas shopping, decorating, cookie baking, etc…!  I can’t believe that this time of year is here already!  That means that New Life Design has been up and running for 3 1/2 months now.  Wow!  Time really does fly when you are having fun!! 

I can truly say we are having a great time around here.  It is awesome to be right in the middle of watching God transform lives.  We have several already far enough in the process where the “lights are starting to come on” so to speak.  They really are walking in a “new Light”.  I just sit back and enjoy hearing their comments of excitement about what they are learning…sometimes I just weep tears of joy because many have hurt so bad and struggled so hard and the moment the “Light” dawns in their minds and hearts it is just overwhelming.

 Please keep praying daily for us!  I read this note this morning while studing on prayer:

“D.E. Host, the man who took over for Hudson Taylor, wrote a book, Behind the Ranges.  He was working in two villages in China.  The people with whom he lived and worked were not doing that well.  But the people in the other village who were across the ranges were doing well!  He visited them now and then, but they were always doing great.  He began to ask the Lord what was goin on.  How could those across the ranges be doing better than those with whom he lived and worked?  The Lord showed him the answer.  Although he was spending much time counseling, preaching, and teaching, to those with whom he lived, he spent much more time in prayer for those across the ranges.  He concluded that there were four basic elements in making disciples: 1. prayer, 2. prayer, 3. prayer, 4. The Word..in that order and in about that amount.”    Leroy Eims, DTS Chapel   

Some specific requests:

1.  Our Clients – as the story above noted – pray, pray and pray some more!  We now have around 10 individuals and two couples going through the coaching process!  We are half way to full capacity in just 3 months!  Praise the Lord!!

2. More New Clients – Join me in praying that as folks are ready to hear this message that God will allow New Life Design to cross their paths and they will have the courage to call us.

3.  Speaking Engagementon December 7th at Pleasent Grove Baptist Church for their Women’s Christmas Dinner.  They have almost 300 women signed up.  Pray that God will clearly communicate His message through me.  Topic for the evening:  Keys that Unlock the Mystery of Prayer.

4.  Support Raising for Rebecca and Myself.  Continue to ask God to raise up donors for our ministry so we can keep doing what God has called us to do!

Thank you so much for your prayer support!  We love you and appreciate you! 

“God does not say we must have a great faith, but faith in a great God!”  Dr. Lee Turner – The Grace Discipleship Course

Enjoying the New Design,

Dana

Praise & Prayer Requests

Hello Prayer Team!

If you have been keeping up with our blogs you have seen that we have been doing a lot of praying!  Rebecca mentioned the Prayer Retreat that we did last week.  That was an incredible experience.  I can not put into words what that experience meant to me except to say that it was the most productive 48 hours of my life!  This kind of experience really sharpens your senses to the Holy Spirit and His presence in and around you.  We really felt like God gave us some keen insight about several things concerning NLD (New Life Design).  I will be sharing some of those things in this email update. 

Below you will find an updated prayer and praise list.  We thank you for your continued prayer support daily for NLD!

Praises

1.  As you may have seen in a previous blog last week we did add 4 more clients and that has come through “officially”!  We have several more potential clients so pray that if it is God’s timing that they will contact us.

2.  The NLD Brochures for advertising that we are having designed will soon be finished and ready for printing.  We have been praying for the money to cover the cost for printing and constantly tweaking our budget in preparation to pay for them.  We were not sure what the exact cost would be but we found out that it will be about $400 cheaper than we were expecting!!  So…I am happy to announce that due to some small unexpected donations that have been given and our constant “tweaking” we do have the money to pay for the printing now!  Thank the Lord!!  God really does take each ones “small amount” and turn it into something big to accomplish His purposes!!  He also uses gifts and abilities that He has endowed us with to accomplish His purposes as well – so special thanks to John for donating his time & talent designing and Rebecca for her work “tweaking” our budget to make sure we are able to do this.  God has blessed us with some great folks with some great talents!!  Ministry happens because of you!  We are grateful!!

Prayer Requests

1.  Continue to pray that our phone will ring with new clients as the Lord directs and has people ready.

2.  We need more folks to be monthly support donors.

3.  Support Dinners – Monday, October 29 & Tuesday November 15.  This is an idea that we have been praying over for several weeks and on the prayer retreat we felt like God gave us the “green light” on this.  He has mapped out the details – who, when, where, and how.  This idea involves two dinners in which different folks would be invited to attend.  After a meal together we will share the vision and ministry of NLD with those present.  We will let them know how God showed us this plan and called us out to do this.  We will then help them understand the direction that we feel God has asked us to pursue and then ask them to prayerfully consider becoming a monthly donor for NLD as well as a prayer team member.  We feel like God has laid specific families on our minds to invite to these dinners.  Please pray that God would begin to prepare their hearts and minds about this and that they will walk in obedience with what He shows them to do.

4.  Pray for God’s protection over the ministry of NLD.  Remember – the enemy is not happy that this ministry is up and running!  (1 Peter 5:8)

5.  We are in the midst of decision making concerning some items of insurance.  Ask God to grant us wisdom and insight to make the right decisions. 

Thank you for your faithful prayers!  Because of our new identity in Christ Jesus we have complete access to our Father and can approach His throne with confidence and faith believing that He hears us and will grant us our request!  Oh, speaking of prayer…I have been asked to speak on December 7 at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church at their women’s ministry Christmas Dinner on prayer.  Please ask Father to give me a specific word from Him to share with them on that special night.  Also pray for their planning and prep.  I know they would appreciate it!

Enjoying The New Life! 

Dana