Welcome to New Life Design

Every woman’s insecurity–I feel fat!

Identity

A couple of Sundays ago while getting ready for church, I excitedly put on a new outfit I had just received for my birthday.  I had gone shopping with my mom about a month prior, tried on the pants, my mom bought them and saved them for my birthday.  Now the time had come to wear my new outfit.  But, to my dismay, the pants didn’t fit.  “WHAT!?!  They fit just fine a month ago!  What happened?”  They didn’t just feel tight, they looked too tight–inappropriate to wear out of the house too tight.  “Have I gained that much weight in one month?,” I thought.  “I look awful!  I feel so fat!  I just keep getting bigger and bigger!”  I felt quite discouraged and down on myself. 

I believe this is a very common feeling.  It usually leads to trying one diet plan after another.  Sometimes we find success, but often not.  Often we try to change our behavior or change the way we appear on the outside without fixing the real problem on the inside–our thoughts & beliefs.  That may work for a little while, but if we don’t address the root cause, the problem’s going to reappear in one form or another.  It’s like smoke coming from a fire.  You could spray some air freshener or open a window to try and get rid of the smoke smell, or you could go find the fire and put it out.  As a friend of mine says, “Follow the smoke trail.”

Well, that’s just what I did on that Sunday afternoon.  As I weeded through my thoughts and emotions, I discoved a few beliefs that were incorrect.  I found the fire:  (1)  My outward appearance makes me acceptable and valuable, (2)  I can get a good measure of my personal worth/value by comparing myself to others, and (3)  I can increase my personal worth/value by losing weight.  These are the false beliefs that led me to get down on myself, cry, compare myself to more people to try to make me feel better, and try even harder to lose weight. 

In taking this time with God to identify my feeling, thoughts, and false beliefs, He revealed His Truth to me, and that made all the difference in the world.  My value is not based on my appearance–it is based on being God’s creation and His child!  Psalm 139 says, “I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”  God values me so much that He planned for His only Son to die so that He could have me back.  Because of Christ, I am “accepted in the Beloved.” (Eph 1:6)  When I compare myself to others to see how I measure up, it’s like giving them permission to determine my personal worth.  The truth it that only God can assign value to His creation.  He says I’m already acceptable and valuable, so there’s no need for me to prove myself  WOW!  That’s freeing! Knowing the truth frees me up to take care of my body because I know I’m valuable.

Rebecca:-)

Prayer & Praise Update

Prayer & Praise

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

An All Too Common Fear – Rejection

Grace Insights

Rejection – what an awful word.  We don’t like to talk about it, teach about it or even read it.  We don’t even like to readily admit that we all have experienced it in some form or another.  It is humiliating to our flesh to admit rejection.  I, like many others had suffered in silence from rejection and the awful fear that it creates.  I know in my own life that I have feared rejection because to be rejected would say to me that I was “worthless” or not “good enough” and I need to be loved and accepted by others in order to feel secure and significant.  What about you??  Do you fear rejection?  If so, ask yourself, “If I were rejected, what would that say about me?”  Chances are that you will discover your very own “False Belief” (as we like to call it).  So…what is the truth?  For myself – I found truth in I John 4.  I had read it many times and wondered about its full meaning.  I sensed in my spirit that there was much more there but I could not see it….Until….I read it in light of God’s wonderful grace.  In verse 7 John begins talking about loving one another and that love springs from God.  He goes on to explain the wonderful message of God sending his own Son to be the propitiation for our sins.  Verse 12 then shares a unique truth.  He says that if we love one another God abides in us and His love is brought to completion in us.  Brought to completion means brought to its full maturity, runs its full course and is perfected in us.  If you go on a few verses you find verse 18 that says “there is no fear in love, but full grown love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror.  For fear brings with it the thought of punishment, and so he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love” (Amplified Bible) – meaning he is not yet grown into love’s complete perfection.  I believe what Father wanted me to understand is that when I receive and embrace God’s full love for me; He meets all my needs for security and significance.  This in turn frees me to allow Christ to love and serve others through me because I don’t need anything in return from them – I am free.  When I seek to get those needs of security and significance met by others I am not free but I am bound to them.  If they do not reciprocate in like fashion I end up hurt and feeling rejected.  Thanks be to our Lord Jesus Christ – I don’t have to live this way anymore!  Isn’t it great that God IS our New Life Design!!

Dana

Prayer & Praise Update

Prayer & Praise

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

Our Spiritual Inheritance In Christ Jesus

Identity

      I thought I would post this on our NLD Blog.  I had the wonderful opportunity to share this message with a women’s group in Douglasville on Valentine’s Day.  They were so warm and receptive and I appreciated the opportunity to share some time with them for the sake of the Kingdom of God.  Check out the five teaching points below entitled “Our Spiritual Inheritance In Christ Jesus”. 

1.        In Christ, you are spiritually one with Him –

I Corinthians 6:17 says, “But the person who is united to the Lord becomes one spirit with Him.”  Not only did Christ die for you, but you died with Christ. 

“Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him…”  Romans 6:6; Cf. Gal. 2:20

In fact, you were also buried with Him, raised with Him, and have even ascended with Him.  Romans 6:4; Ephesians 2:5-6  This has radical implication for your spiritual life!

 2.       In Christ, you are free from the authority of sin –

The old man is now out of the picture:  “knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.  For he who has died has been freed from sin”  Praise the Lord – We don’t have to sin anymore – there is complete freedom in Christ!  Romans 6:6 

What liberating truth.  John 8:32 “And you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free.” 

3.       In Christ, you are a partaker of His resurrection life –

“Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him…For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, he lives to God.  Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord” Romans 6:8; 10-11.  Does a dead man talk?  Does a dead man interact with life and friends?  NO…HE’S DEAD!  We are to consider ourselves DEAD to sin!  This resurrection life is our resource for living victoriously Ephesians 1:16-21. 

4.       In Christ, you have a new identity –

Although you still have a relative identity based on your gender, race, personality, family status, etc., these are now secondary:  “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.  For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.  There is neither Jew, nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus “ Galatians 3:26-28.  Since your essential identity is based on spiritual rebirth, you are called a believer, a royal priesthood, a fellow citizen with the saints, a member of God’s house hold, an ambassador for Christ, and His workmanship!  I Peter 2:9; Ephesians 2:9-10, 2 Cor. 5:20.  “How great a love that the Father has lavished on us that we should be called Children of God and that is what we are.”  I John 3:1.  When our mind is renewed with Truth this inspires us to dignified words and actions that adorn the doctrine of the grace of God.

 5.       In Christ, you have a new nature –

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT) “What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons.  They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone.  A new life has begun!” As Paul testified, “For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man” Romans 7:22.  Living righteously corresponds with the real you. “Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His (God’s) seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God” I John 3:9.  Since a good tree cannot bear bad fruit, sinful desires are attributed to the flesh.  This carnal aspect of the soul is in us, but it is not us.  Does this sound like theological hair-splitting?  Apparently not to the apostle Paul.  According to Romans 7:20, he specified: “Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me” Romans 7:20.  Of course, this does not excuse our responsibility for our actions.  Yet, it is reassuring to know that your essential nature (spirit) is holy and completely on God’s side.  When the believer is born again, God’s DNA (so to speak) is placed into his human spirit.  To use Peter’s phrase, we have been made “partakers of the divine nature” 2 Peter 1:4.

Isn’t this great news that enables glorious living!!  It literally is a “NEW LIFE DESIGN”!!  Praise the Lord – He changes the way we think in order to change the way we feel in order to change the way we behave.

Dana

6 Month Ministry Update

Prayer & Praise

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!!

Dearly Loved Children

Identity

“Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. ”  ~Ephesians 5:1-2

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”  ~Colossians 3:12

What does it mean to be a dearly loved child of God?  In the Greek it’s translated like this:  esteemed, worthy of love, an intimate relationship of love, friendship, and trust.  I believe that’s exactly what our hearts long for–love, affection, intimacy, value.  The great news is that in Christ, we have it already!  We don’t have to seek, search, or strive to get what we long for.  We already have it!  Stop, recognize, and rest in the identity God has given–His dearly loved child.

Rebecca:-)

Year End Message

Prayer & Praise

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

Prayer & Praise

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 🙂

Marathon Running & God

Grace Insights

Some of you may know that I have “bit the bullet” so to speak and signed up to run a marathon.  Yes, I did say marathon….and yes, I am very well aware that a marathon means running 26.2 miles.  I know…I am probably crazy but this is something that I have always dreamed of doing athletically but never thought it could become a reality. 

I have been progressing very well in our training according to my partners who seem pleased with our progress.  On Saturday mornings we do our “long runs” and this past Saturday 16 miles was on the agenda.  I was hoping for another great run like I had the previous Saturday when we did 15, but it started to fall apart at the end.  I began experiencing joint pain in my right hip and knee.  I knew it was not an injury so to speak but my body adjusting to the distance that we were running.  I finished the run but was very concerned about the joint pain and wondering if my body was going to let me continue training. 

Earlier this week I made a trip to GNC for Glucosamine/Chondroitin etc….  All week long I would attempt to pray about this because I really want to be able to continue my training and run the marathon on January 13th but there was this guilt that would come up.  There was this feeling of needing to avoid God on the issue. 

When Thursday rolled around I got up late and in my haste to get my “workout” in (because you absolutely can not miss during marathon training) and get to the office, I did not have my quiet time.  Well, I got to the office only to realize that I had a lot to do, a denist appointment to squeez in at 12:30, appointments to get ready for and I just felt ill prepared for the day.  When I did get to the dentist at 12:35 they infomed me that my appointment was at 12:10 and they couldn’t work me in.   It was ok with me because who likes going to the dentist anyway and I felt unprepared to even see the dentist! 

I was telling Rebecca how I felt that afternoon and she started asking me some of our our most familiar questions that I ask clients…one of which was, “do you feel out of control?”.  My response was no – because I know I was never in control to begin with – God is – but after thinking about that – I realized – I don’t feel out of control but I feel condemned! 

After some honest soul searching, here is what I felt like God spoke to me about…There were these thoughts in my head like, “This pain you are feeling is God punishing you because you didn’t totally pray about running this marathon…you just thought about it for awhile and signed yourself up.  God is not going to let you run this marathon now.  He is certaintly not going to minister through you today because you didn’t spend time with him this morning.  Who do you think you are anyway trying to point these folks to God when you didn’t even spend time with Him this morning!”  Wow…how foreign is that??  Now, I knew in my mind that this could not be true, but I was afraid to face it until this morning on the way to the office.  When I did have a quiet time this morning I still had my guard up, but driving in to the office this morning my guard began to drop a little as I thought about things.  All the sudden I had these thougths:  “Dana, with regards to running, what have you always wanted to do? (run a marathon).  At any other time of your life was there presented to you the right time and opportunity to train and run one? (no).  You thought it was so impossible to even seriously pray about running one – oh you have mentioned it a few times – but you have never seriously prayed about it but, because I love you – I have provided the friends to train with, and the time and opportunity to run one.  I am giving you the desires of your heart.” Immediately I thought of Psalms 37:4 “Delight yourself in the LORD; and He will give you the desires of your heart.”  Wow…there is a change in thought!  Because I have delighted myself in Him and He loves me, He gives me the desires of my heart.  Now remember – we have to keep things in perspective here and interpret this verse correctly.  God has not provided me a 4 door Jeep Wrangler yet – so lets be careful!!

By faith I do believe I will complete this training and by faith I do believe I will cross that finish line.  Will the process be painful…probably…but will God see me through…You bet!  BTW…the same is true of our spiritual journey.  Hebrews says to run the race set before us keeping our eyes focused on the author and PERFECTER of our faith.  Will you and I complete this spiritual training…yes! (Phil 1:4)  Will the process be painful…probably, but He said in Corinthians that His GRACE would be sufficient for you and me! 

Looking forward to seeing you at the Finish Line!

Dana