Women of Significance communique Jan 2010

january 2012

. . . AND ArouND the worlD!PAKIStAN • ChINA • AuStrAlIA • FIJI • FrANCe

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Women of Significance

n It’s Time to Do It: The Master’s Business Ministry

n D.I.Y. with God

n Mrs. Fields Cookies

n Guardian Angel in the Mall

n Ever Increasing . . . Never C.E.A.S.E.ing!

n Are You a Microwave or Crock Pot?

n How To Get Out of Debt and Stay Out

n The Greatest Chief Information, and Technology Officer, Still in Existence—God

n Help! The Chocolate is Calling Me!

n Letting Go of the Past, Heaven is too Close

WOS on the Move . . . Reaching Out and Connecting!

A New Business DIY Projects

Stay at Home MomBack to College

Do It Yourself

“You Are Valuable Right Where You Are!”

Dr. Cheryl HillVisionary

Hello Women of Significance,

This “season” will prove to be a time of D.I.Y. (do it yourself). Have you ever felt like you have great dreams and visions and you cannot see how this would ever get done through you so you try to give your vision and dream away to those who LOOK as if they are the one to drive this vision? Well, I am here to tell you that your focus MUST change. God NEVER said that you had to have the money, or the building or the immediate staff all that God wants you to do is believe it and “do it yourself ”.

This does not mean that you do not need assistance from others but it does mean that you have everything in your hand to “proceed”. You have a mind, a mouth to declare it and to decree it and you have eyes to see. God will place His favor upon you to attract everything you need. Do not become disheartened. Keep moving and stand until you see this vision come to pass.

Do It Yourself, God is saying . . . if you don’t believe what you see who else can carry the vision out but you? This indeed is your season to move and to move with the tools you need! This is your season to stop giving things away and D.I.Y.!

Dr. Cheryl

2 Women of Significance / january 2012

It’s Time to Do It: About the Master’s Business Ministry

Last summer I bought a fig tree at the flower nursery. My husband and I kept talking about the need to take the tree out of the pot and plant it in the ground, but for some reason we never did get it planted . . . we’d just talk about it. After all this time, today I finally planted the fig tree in my yard . . . after a year. As I was digging the hole the thought came to me . . . “It’s time to stop talking about it and do it.” I believe that was the Lord speaking a word to my heart.

You know, we can talk about needing to get closer to the Lord, we can talk about doing something He has told us to do, we can talk about what we should do, but just talking about it isn’t enough . . . you need to do it. If all you do is talk about a thing, you will never reap the benefits from it. That fig tree wasn’t going to do much confined to that pot, so I wouldn’t get to enjoy my reason for buying it in the first place. My husband and I talked, almost weekly, about how we ought to get it planted. What kept us from doing it was excuses—I can’t do it today because it’s too hot, I can’t plant it right now because it’s raining, I can’t plant it because it has a fig on it so I’ll wait and see what that fig is going to do, I’m too tired to plant it right now—excuses. As long as you find an excuse as to why you can’t do something, you will talk yourself out of doing it.

What is there in your live that the Lord has dealt with you about and you know you ought to do it, you keep talk-ing about doing it, and you plan to get around to it one day, but you aren’t doing it? Are you justifying it by giving excuses? Are you going to just keep talking about it? There comes a time when you have to stop talking about doing it and just do it. Now is that time. Ask God to give you the grace, strength, and help you need to get up and do it . . . you’ve talked about it long enough.

You are welcomed to make copies and distribute this free of charge. You may also forward them via e-mail. Please remember to give credit to “About the Master’s Business Ministry”.

“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heavens.” — Ecclesiastes 3:1

3Women of Significance / january 2012

(continued on next page)

D.I.Y. with God

D.I.Y. means to Do It Yourself with God of course. Many times we think that we have to give everything away or bring groups of people into your vision. For those of you who have had great dreams, designs and prophetic confir-mations I believe that God is saying in this season for you to “do it yourself ”. This does not mean that God will not allow others to assist you but your thinking will have to change concerning how the people will be used and what your role is in this vision and dream (s).

Have you had great dreams and plans to do something and every time you tried to give this great vision (s) away to others it just did not materialize? This had been part of my journey. I could see the vision, I would know how to work the vision BUT then I would think that I could not handle such a great vision and would try to give this vision to someone else when in fact God wanted me to oversee it.

For years I would write plans of the things I sensed God would give me. Some of these things were to develop and launch a magazine, work with dignitaries and to develop communities. Would you believe after years of trying to give it away I am now the visionary of all of these things?

Here are some of the following stumbling blocks that occurred during my walk towards these visions. I believe this will help you in your new season to KNOW that God has called you to see and to DO great things. Just remember great does not always mean that it has to have whistles, bells and lights. It means that it will have impact on the lives of others.

Some stumbling blocks:

• I believed I did not have the experience or education to lead.

• I believed that I should not be “dreaming/thinking” in this great capacity.

• I believed if I could find a qualified person with the experience that they would LEAP at the ideas and implement it.

• I could not find enough people to CELEBRATE the vision.

BUT

• I began to believe that I could do what God kept presenting to me in the Vision.

• Once I believed that the vision (s) were for me to Do It Yourself with God I then had the confidence to see it through.

• As I present the visions to people it is now celebrated because I took “ownership” of these visions.

• I began to use the spirit God has given me to discern; people, places and the timing of the Lord.


Now what I have seen in visions and dreams are coming to pass because I now know that I can D.I. Y. When God gives you reoccurring visions or dreams that speaks to your destiny you must know that the Vision is for YOU. You must lead it, cultivate it and cast the vision. No one will be as passionate as you will be about this vision.

My stumbling block was FAITH to believe that I could. Without “faith” it is impossible to please God!—Hebrews 11:6

This season invest in yourself and let faith do its work in you. This season you cannot fail. You will move forward and faith will rule over doubt.

Please make sure you send in your testimonies of your D.I.Y. experiences with God. Log onto www.wosonline.org

D.I.Y. with God (continued)

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Debra (Debbi) J. Fields epitomizes the American dream. From America’s cherished tradition of humble beginnings, she launched what has become one of the nation’s most visible, successful dessert empires.

She is one of the few innovators and entrepreneurs to see their name become a product brand symbol of quality that is known and revered worldwide. Few dream achievers (Ford, Edison, Bell among them) live to enjoy such well-deserved ac-claim.

More than 25 years of entrepreneurial, operational and managerial experience, all of it earned in a company she built (literally) from scratch. Founder, baker, chief cookie lover and former Chairman, of Mrs. Fields Cookies, a $450 million company she founded in 1977. Mrs. Fields has since sold her company, which is a market leader among fresh-baked cookie stores.

At the age of 20, Debbi was a young housewife with no business experience. Yet, she had a dream, a recipe, and a passion for sharing her chocolate chip cookies. She managed to do what most people considered impossible. She convinced a bank to finance a business concept which had never before been proven and which appeared on the surface to have little likelihood of success.

Mrs. Fields wanted to open a chocolate chip cookie bakeshop and store. On August 16, 1977, Mrs. Fields Choco-late Chippery opened its doors to the public in Palo Alto, California. Twenty-plus years later, Debbi Fields’ role had expanded from managing one shop to supervising operations, brand name management, public relations and prod-uct development of her company’s 600+ company-owned and franchise stores in the United States and 10 foreign nations.

Debbi Fields’ personal values guide her role as a business-woman. Her philosophy of excellence, stated in her motto of “Good Enough Never Is,” is mirrored in a company that has earned a reputation for providing the best in product qual-ity and superior customer service. She attributes her great-est success to her ability to relate to her customers and earn their lifelong loyalty.

With expansion on the horizon in 1989, Mrs. Fields, Inc. was among the first companies to take advantage of dramatic computer technology advancements. Debbi Fields led her

Mrs. Fields Cookies



Mrs. Fields Cookies (continued)

company into the computer age, streamlining operations and production schedules with a state-of-the-art computer sys-tem. Her program is used as a model for business efficiency at Harvard Business School. It remains an example of successful application of technology in business management.

Debbi Fields’ business accomplishments and capabilities reach far beyond managing Mrs. Fields, Inc. Today, she sits on the boards of Outback Steakhouse, WKNO (a public radio and TV station), and The Orpheum Theater. She is in the process of co-authoring a book called “Service Entropy”.

She is the author of two cookbooks published by Time-Life. The first, 100 Recipes from the Kitchen of Debbi Fields has sold more than 1.8 million copies and was the first cookbook to top The New York Times bestseller list. The sec-ond, I Love Chocolate cookbook, published in 1994, has enjoyed tremendous success as well, posting sales of over half a million copies. She hosted Great American Desserts, a weekly program that aired nationally, on public televi-sion and is also the name of her third and newest book, Debbi Fields Great American Desserts, published by Simon and Schuster.

Debbi is the mother of Jessica (23), Jenessa (21), Jennifer (19), Ashley (14), and McKenzie (11). She resides in Memphis, Tennessee with her husband and family.

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Guardian Angel in the Mall

In April, 2005, I went to the Shawnee, Oklahoma Wal-Mart Super Center to shop for a few items to do some household repairs and things to take with me on active military duty. I had to admit I was near the automotive section when a woman, who appeared to be in her early twenties, left her 3 or 4 year old daughter in the toy sec-tion saying: “You go play in the toy section while I go look at some clothes. Stay there and don’t go anywhere else. Okay?”

“What!” I thought. “This woman has to be out her ever loving skull to leave her daughter alone in this large store! Good gosh! Hasn’t she watched the television lately? Does she even read the newspa-pers? Doesn’t she realize that children this young are picked up every day? Should I call Child Pro-tective Services?”

The little girl played happily with as many toys as she could reach and stayed where she was told. However, I was concerned about a girl this young in a store being without a parent to protect her. I wanted to give the mother a piece of my mind right then and there but then I would have to leave

the child unattended or the mother might call store security maybe even the police to report that I had evil inten-tions with her daughter or even worse with her.

I decided I would tell her off nicely after when she came back to get her child. So I decided to just hang around in the area set up for back to school items instead of going to get some motor oil. I spent more than forty-five min-utes watching from a distance a 3 or 4 year old little girl I had never met before to make sure that someone other than her mother did not come to take her from the store. Then she decided she wanted something from a high shelf and began to climb up a shelf. I held my breath hoping she would not fall. Luckily the next shelf level was too high for her to reach. I breathed a sigh of relief. I questioned myself again, “Eh, you should call the police. Maybe this woman planned to just leave her daughter hoping that someone would just take her. It’s happened. A guy did that in Oklahoma City several months ago.”

As I removed my cell phone from my belt, her mother finally returned with a shopping cart full of intimate wear and other clothing. I put my cell phone back on my belt and breathed a sigh of relief as the mother walked away not

Stephen A. PetersonContributor


Guardian Angel in the Mall (continued)

realizing how close I came to calling the authorities out to come pick up her unsupervised child. I went back to picking up the items I needed. As I did so, I questioned myself concerning my own decision. “Would this woman do this again? Surely not! Would she? Maybe? I made the wrong decision!

For several days following this incident, I debated and agonized my failure to report this woman’s actions. I thought to myself how strange the entire situation had been. No one knew I was watching over this little girl. If she would have fallen, strayed away or someone other than her mother would have tried to take her, I know I would have pre-vented her from getting taken or hurt. Or would I? These sorts of questions went through my mind. Then I thought human responses are always filled with uncertainty but not God’s. God is watching me every moment of the day whether I know it or not. His decisions are sure and without question. Maybe my task for this hour and day was to be this little girl’s living guardian angel.


“Ever Increasing . . . Never C.E.A.S.E.ing:A Blueprint for Direction”


Marykaye Jacquet Contributor

Can you imagine wondering where to find the answers to questions when it seems no one in your circle has ever had to ask these new emerging 21st century questions before? Who do you talk to when no one around you appears to be as aggressive in the works of ministry that you are experiencing? Questions arise such as how do I entertain ministry guests outside the United States, who obviously have a different culture structure and who may find our common gestures offensive? Those were the types of questions that continually arose among the minds of two young ladies; one on the East coast and the other on the West Coast.

They are two women of God facing the same challenges in two different geographical areas, yet next door neigh-bors in the sense of their dilemmas. Their dilemma was the “ever increasing, never C.E.A.S.E.ing growth and popularity of their Pastors and spiritual leaders.” This was a good problem to have and one that turned their search for answers between the two women into an annual ministry and marketplace training/conference.

As Marjorie and Beverly (both Executive Administrative Assistants to two of the most popular Mega Ministry Giants in 21st century church) began to share their passion they began to realize the need to create an environ-ment for like minded ministry leaders to receive training, shared visions and ministry goals that are aggressive and innovative. This of course encompassed the need to with the pressures, challenges and high profile of the ministry. To this they began to build a team of administrative personnel who have accepted the call and charge to build the business of the Kingdom.

So then, with coffee cups a reach away; note pads, I-Pads and emails their conversations continued over the next few years (yes, years!). As it is said “greatness is seldom born overnight”. The two soon came up with an idea that would not only help them answer and resolve some of the questions they faced but would focus towards the devel-opment of training for others who have been called to this position of an Executive Assistant. Now, let us be clear about the responsibility and authority that is entrusted in an Executive Assistant. The are the voice of the Senior

Pastor in carrying out many task. They help to carry out this huge vision on many levels.

Creating a safe and inviting environment was a great IDEA but the idea needed a blueprint for direction or the ability to network with others who would want to provide support and strategies for building a stronger organization.

Thus was born, C.E.A.S.E., Inc. an entity designed specifically for the benefit of Executive Administrative Assistants that will


equip, support, mentor, and minister to individuals who serve and work in ALL areas of Christian ministry. The newborn entity made its arrival with a huge mandate for facilitating an instructional/learning atmo-sphere in administration and providing a voice to those who model and promote a spirit of authenticity and excellence to its members. They both realized that their challenge required a solution. The solution then birthed an answer and a ministry/business. This is how God works!

Ms. Beverly Robinson, Executive Assistant (EA) to Bishop T.D. Jakes, Senior Pastor of The Potter’s House in Dal-las, TX for more than 20 years brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to this vision that was conceived the Thanksgiving weekend of November 2009 with the co-founder Ms. Marjorie Duncan who has served for 30 years as the EA to Bishop Noel Jones, Senior Pastor of the City of Refuge Church in Gardena, CA. They both understood that this had become an exciting, yet perplexing time in ministry history. The changes that they had seen technolog-ically had sometimes depersonalized what is done in ministry, however, the nature of what is done as ministry still requires the individual attention of the church staff.

All too soon it began to come together. Leading professionals in the world of Christian Executive Administration from across the nation disembarked in Dallas, TX for the first Annual C.E.A.S.E. Conference; a conference designed to provide support, empowerment, and enlightenment for other executive administrators and administra-tive support staff. Over the 2-day weekend, the group attended various training workshops with gifted speakers/presenters who are at the top in their field of expertise.

Beverly and Marjorie, realized early on, that the success of C.E.A.S.E. would be to keep the important balance be-tween critical thinking and spiritual development; while continuing to build from the mandate of the ministry, the call of the man and the mission of the message.

Ms. Robinson expresses that “C.E.A.S.E. is bursting forth with a vision to see support staff empowered, equipped and able to embrace all the call of ministry in the 21st century Church requires.

C.E.A.S.E., Inc., now fully incorporated, has a steering committee of 16 members from across various states that rise to the challenge of communication through conference calls, emails, and strategy meetings to ensure their plan-ning is kept on schedule.

“Ever Increasing…. Never C.E.A.S.E.ing!” (continued)


Are You a Microwave or Crock Pot?

Kimberly ChastainContributor

In our fast-paced society, we often want everything done quickly or your boss wants it done yesterday. In your spiritual life are you a Microwave or Crock Pot? I think often we want God to answer our prayers in Microwave fashion. I prayed a specific request today and I want it answered today. If our prayers are not answered quickly, we often wonder, “What is God doing?” We also decide to go it on our own and not wait for God’s direction. Often it is difficult to wait on God’s timing.

When we are in Crock pot mode we pray and rest in the knowledge that God’s timing is best. Often, God may have to let several things simmer in our life before he answers our prayer. Many times in my life I have seen God’s handiwork after the situation is over. If God had answered my prayer the way I wanted him to, it would not have gone well at all. God knows what is best for us and when it is best for something to happen.

I look at Scripture and see God works in Microwave and Crock Pot mode. When Daniel was in the lion’s den God worked immediately to shut the mouths of the lions. I have to admit if I was Daniel I would want to know why God didn’t act before I got thrown in the lion’s den. Daniel being thrown in the lion’s den was used to reflect God’s glory and power. God also works in Crock Pot mode. Do you remember Joshua and the battle of Jericho? The people of Israel were marching around a wall for 7 days. Don’t you imagine they asked God, “Why?” During that time Rahab was getting her family ready to leave Jericho. Could it be that God took seven days of marching around Jericho, to save one woman and her family? Could it be that God took that time for one woman who was faithful to God in spite of her lifestyle, in spite of her whole community being against God to show his glory? Most of the Israelites did not know about Rahab, but God did. In God’s perfect timing he rescued the Israelites and Rahab, not in the way the Israelites would have wanted. God gave them victory in the battle in Crock pot mode.

So, I ask you are you in Microwave mode or Crock Pot mode in your spiritual life? Please remember God is always in control even when it feels everything is out of control. Trust God’s timing and know he only wants what is best for you.

Kimberly M. Chastain, MS, LMFT is the Christian Working Mom Coach and a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who specializes in helping Christian women make the most of their lives. She is the author of the on-line course, “I Can’t Say No” and Pearls of Encouragement for Christian Working Moms, a free e-book. If you suffer from “I Can’t Say ‘No” Syndrome, visit Kimberly’s site today for the details on an exciting email course that’s sure to set you free! http://www.christianworkingmom.com/online.htm.



How To Get Out of Debt and Stay Out

Gord and Gertie Guide Contributor

The recent downturn in the global economy has pushed many people to the edge of financial crisis more than ever before. There isn’t a person on the planet who has not suffered at the hands of this recession. We have all heard of the large and small businesses that have been affected but it has also hit home in our local communities where budgets have been cut and programs lost. With all of this, many families have suffered the fallout.

No matter what the scale, we have become accustom to debt and lost the ability to see clearly the consequences of unwise financial decisions and a heavy debt. It’s time to take a good hard look in our own lives at what we can do to get back on the right track and rebuild a solid financial foundation.

Prevention IS the Best Medicine Everyone needs to create their own Financial Plan. It may sound like a daunting task but in reality it’s all about planning. By setting the time aside to discuss with a professional you can begin to outline your financial goals and plan for unexpected events that are bound to arise throughout the years.

Unfortunately, many people avoid the reality of the unexpected and without an emergency fund, they add to their debt load with more credit to make ends meet. This type of cycle can not only be overwhelming but incredibly difficult to break.

Talking with someone you trust can help you make the changes into redistributing your income in a smarter way. By taking control of how we spend, we are controlling how much we can save and this can be one of the best ways to reduce your family’s level of financial stress.

Creating Your Financial Plan The first step is to divide all income into four main categories;

Fixed Expenses— These are expenses that do not change, such as rent, mortgage, insurance, and vehicle payments. There is seldom changes with these expenses and are often the lions share of the monthly income.

Variable Expenses—This is how we manage our lives with food, bills, childcare, transportation, repairs, entertainment, etc... The more we stay away from using credit cards in this area, the more successful we will be in the long term.

Savings—This is where we need to build a growing cushion to cover unexpected future needs. It’s important to be disciplined here. An easy way to manage this is to choose an amount as a percentage of your income. A good rule of thumb is 10 - 20% of your monthly net income. Once the amount is decide you must be diligent by having the savings withdrawn automatically and into an account that will earn interest without risk.

Debt Repayment—This is as important as your savings in recovering from a heavy debt load. This includes credit cards balances, store credits, outstanding loans, penalties and fees. Never pay just the minimum balance


How To Get Out of Debt and Stay Out (continued)

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on your credit cards and pay off the highest interest bearing loan first. When you have paid down one debt, add the extra cash that’s now available onto the next high interest loan and continue the pattern until you are completely debt free.

In understanding the basics in creating a financial plan, you are building a solid foundation that will leave you less vulnerable to the uncertainties of life. By implementing a few key strategies and living within your means, you are being proactive and staying in control of your finances. And this is the key to getting out of debt, and staying out.

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The Greatest Chief Information, and Technology Officer, Still in Existence—God

Kathy David Contributor

God invented Information Technology. Technology has always been a part of God’s Kingdom even during biblical times. When we hear the word technology, we think of computers, Smart Phones, apps, Internet, HD T.V., 3D Movies, Smart Cars, Smart Homes, and other electronic machines, and gadgets.

At one point, writing was a technological breakthrough. One of the most successful technological innovations ever created, is the ability to communicate with others through writing. Today, when we think of writing, we do not think about it as modern technology, but it is!

One of the first biblical references we see the point of this technology was when God himself, inscribed the Ten Commandments on two stone tablets, which he gave to Moses on Mount Sinai as described in the book of Exodus and Deuteronomy, the era when the information revolution began. God saw a need to communicate through this technology, so people will remember His promise, and God can communicate with his family for generations to come. Technology has always been a tool God created for His people, and to be used for his Kingdom. This has allowed Christians to spread his word and his message (The Holy Bible) to distant places, and to be remembered for ages.

God is the creator of all things and he has called us to cultivate. What was one of God’s first commands He gave to Adam? God asked Adam to cultivate from His creations. Since the beginning of time, we have always been inspired by God, to use his creations. He inspires us to develop different technologies that will advance his Kingdom. In my example of writing, the first evidence of the writing systems was the inscribing in stones. In other cultures, the markings using plant or animal based colorings, and many years later, the invention of ink and paper. Then came pencils, printing presses, pens, type writers, and all the way through today’s advanced communication systems, the personal computer and the Internet.

The technology, although remarkably different and extremely advanced from biblical times, has the same single purpose - It is for the advancement of God’s Kingdom! Now, we have other media of communications we use with the access of the Internet, such as email, video cast, texting, social media accounts such as facebook, twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, personal and business websites, and blogging (but not limited to), to communicate information and news to people at a much faster rate, than ever before.

We can find out about what’s going on around the world with just one click. We have real time access to news media around the world. We can easily find business, politics, financial, management, entertainment, and technology resources amongst others, to stay informed. We are much more informed about what’s going on around the world more than ever before, and at a pace much faster than we have ever experienced.



The Greatest Chief Information, and Technology Officer, Still in Existence—God (continued)

How is this shaping how we communicate? We now have a global reach with today’s electronic technology. Currently there are no boundaries to whom we connect with around the world. We can easily create a sphere of influence to help us in business, in causes, in promoting messages right from the Internet. We can leverage technology, to connect with other like-minded and Christ-centered people globally. A great example of using technology effectively for the Kingdom of God is the founder of Women of Significance (WOS), Dr. Cheryl Hill.

WOS connect with women from around the world. By the use of facebook, the WOS communiqué, through email, and online magazine, WOS successfully launched their online ministry. Dr. Hill and her WOS team, by the application of different technological medias, have been able to spread their message to other Christian women globally.

WOS has a reach and influence with people from Africa, North and South America, Europe, and with other key countries. Ten years ago, it would require financial resources and travel time to develop a ministry with a global reach. Now, we can have a ministry, a business, a forum, or organization almost overnight, with the use of electronic technology.

How is it so vital to us? As technology continues to evolve, we also need to advance ourselves along with it. We need to stay informed. We need to know what is going on in Christian communities around the world. We need to play a role in what God has called all of His children to do - spread the gospel. Spreading the gospel to people is easier than ever before. This is possible through the use of the Internet. The Internet also gives us access to news and information that we may not necessarily get through watching T.V.

It is now essential to stay connected using technology. As Technology changes and it continue to improve, so are the laws and views around the world which are impacting Christian values and communities. As technology changes, we change as a culture along with it, and we change technology by how we utilize and access it. It is vital to remember always, to use technology for God’s glory and His Kingdom.

What is crucial to God? Just like how it was necessary for God to share the 10 commandments by inscribing on stone tablets to His people, it is still vital to God today that we continue to spread His message to people around the world. Most importantly, it is particularly crucial to God that we honor Him in everything we do. It is necessary to Him that we honor him during interactions with people, in business, and how we live daily. We have a holy God and we need to be a Holy people. Technology is different today. It will continue to change, but one thing that we can be sure of, God is in everything we do as His people. He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. The most notable thing to remember, is that He - God, will always be the same even in today’s ever changing technologically advancing world.


Help! The Chocolate is Calling Me

I came around the corner of the laundry to find my two-year-old daughter munching on a serve of dog biscuits. She was very pleased with her find and didn’t want to let go of her treats. I wasn’t too worried – I know the biscuits have no artificial colours and probably don’t have too much offal in the ingredients! And she’ll have such a glossy coat! This morning she was sitting on the grass under the washing line nibbling on a mushroom she’d discovered growing there. I’m happy for her. I wish I could find delight in such simple foods.

My problem – and this is where the whole sordid tale starts – is a compulsion to eat chocolate and biscuits (people biscuits, not dog biscuits), when I have no need for extra calories at all. I tried to put on a skirt for church and found I couldn’t do up the zip – and this is a skirt I have worn quite comfortably for the past year or so since losing a lot of my pregnancy girth. So instead of continuing to lose weight I found I had started putting it on again.

I was in despair! Could it have anything to do with the fortnight-long chocothon I put myself through as a treat for my birthday? Could it have anything to do with the biscuits I eat at night when I’m feeling a bit peckish? Could it be the food I eat when I’m not hungry at all – but just eating for something to do?

It is a sordid tale indeed. For we buy organic fruit and vegetables when we’re not growing them ourselves. We espouse the health benefits of exercise, rest, fresh air and clean water, yet as fast as I do one good thing, I am undoing it with another bad habit.

My bad habits started as a child. (Like most modern people I blame it all on my upbringing.) Instead of preparing lunch for me to take to school, my mum would often bring me a can of soft drink and an apple turnover at lunchtime. When I didn’t get a special lunch delivery, I was able to order tuckshop, and all I remember receiving were big fat cream buns in a plastic bag. …And they didn’t have that horrible real cream either but mock cream with lots of gelatine and sugar. I’d scoop out the cream and put it in

the bag, chew a little hole in the end, then squirt the cream into my mouth. Yum!

As I got older, Dad told me “salt will kill you, but there’s nothing wrong with sugar”. He would take me to the bakery and ask what I wanted. Apple turnovers dusted with icing sugar, jam and cream donuts, custard tarts, vanilla slices… whatever I wanted, I could have. Perhaps it was his way of being a ‘fun’ dad after my parents had separated. I didn’t care; I just wanted the pastry.

My parents didn’t seem to have much concern about controlling my diet. I refused fresh fruit and vegetables and preferred to eat cereal, tinned spaghetti and anything processed with lots of sugar or fat. I didn’t make the effort to expand my range of food groups until at the age of 17 I left home and realised two things: 1. Junk food is more expensive than simple, natural food, and 2. normal people saw me as weird and fussy when I rejected most vegetables on my plate.

Obviously it took a long time to re-educate my tastebuds and to recognise the value of fruit and veges. Years of frustration in the kitchen gradually led me to the point where I can now cook simple but healthy meals for my family without a panic attack (or feelings of revulsion). I even crave certain vegetables when I haven’t had them for a while!


Susan JohnstoneContributor


Help! The Chocolate is Calling Me (continued)

But still, ‘old mate’ sugar calls to me in between meals, and whenever I go shopping. There are plausible reasons why this is so… low blood sugar after a trying day, urging me to lift my mood with a quick sugar rush and some endorphins. The concept of ‘comfort food’ never meant much to me, until I actively tried to stop eating so much sweet stuff. Now what I can’t have, I want more than ever.

Struggling with self-control is a familiar issue for everyone. I spoke to a lady who was trying to lose weight by having special milkshakes as a substitute for eating the things she shouldn’t. I asked if she was exercising, and she said that she hardly got time to use her treadmill. She said, “I’ve got a thousand excuses why I don’t do it, but I know it’s up to me to make the effort.”

Sometime ago I set myself a 30-day sit-up challenge, to see if I could tone up my stomach (like on the TV ads for the “You-Beaut No-Strings-Attached Belly Bonanza”). The first night I lay on the lounge room floor and spent 15 minutes doing variations of the traditional sit-up. The next night I forgot, but then I did well on my second attempt at the 30-day challenge. Then the next night… well… I didn’t actually specify that the 30 days had to be consecutive!

I am reminded of Paul’s statement in Romans: “I am a mortal, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do; for I don’t do what I would like to do, but instead I do what I hate…. I know that good does not live in me – that is, in my human nature. For even though the desire to do good is in me, I am not able to do it. I don’t do the good I want to do; instead I do the evil that I do not want to do.”*

I have made yet another resolution to cut out the biscuits and empty calories. I will try to exercise more. I will eat only what is beneficial for me (most times). This time I am going to make it work! But I’m not doing it on my own. I’m going to ask God to help me, and I know that where I am weak, He is strong.

I’ll keep you posted . . .

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Letting Go of the Past, Heaven is too CloseB. Mae AllenContributor

A lot of us hold on to the hurts of the past. We may have forgiven the person(s) but the past may still crop up now and then. I think it hurts the most or maybe differently when Christians are involved in the process of bringing about misunderstood or hurt feelings.

All my life I have only been a member of one church, except for a brief time in my 30’s. We were a family that all went to the same church. We all loved going to church on Sunday. As I got older, some of my siblings started going to different churches. I knew that this was what God needed us to do, spread our faith.

We always respected the minister as being used by God. We were raised in the era where we never ques-tioned the authorities of the church. Oh yes, we had our little fun! I never realized how much my dad had to pray to keep his house in order and all he sacrificed until I became a parent.

In those days, if you did something that the church board thought was an offence to the church, there would be a special church meeting held and you were brought before the church for them to make a decision of what to do which to me felt like being before judgment (guess they were following the Old Testament). I had only been to one of those meetings. For the most part young people didn’t attend these meetings because we felt our voices didn’t count. I use to sit in the choir room alone and listen to what was being said and a lot of it I didn’t understand.

My dad was a deacon at the church along with some of the strongest Christian men I had ever known. Dad had to work 2 jobs to keep our family living a middle class lifestyle. We never understood the word poor, because dad worked so hard. He also worked hard for the church. As he got older, being totally dedicated to his family and the church we began to see it taking toll on him. At that time, the deacons had meetings which lasted late hours into the night. Dad was burning out. You know, sometimes we need to ask God and learn what He wants us to do. Many times, we do too much of the wrong thing and we also get burnt out. Dad had to ask God what he needed to do. I guess the answer that God gave him was to resign from the deacon board and support the church in other ways.

When things got a little easier at home and with encouragement from his fellow deacons, dad decided that he would return to the deacon board. He wrote a letter to the pastor and the board. He had to go before the church for them to decide whether he could be reinstated. That one night in my life changed how I felt about some of the Christians I saw as so strong.


Letting Go of the Past, Heaven is too Close (continued)

The things that were said at that meeting hurt me more than my dad. There was one deacon at the church that I will never forget. When it came to his time to speak, he quoted the Bible saying, “I have no fault in this man” (Luke 23:14). Other members of the church spoke harshly about why dad resigned, some even misquoted what others were saying. That night I remember one thing. I stood up and said “I am glad our children are not present to really see how badly we as Christians act, and I took my seat.

Dad was not accepted back on the board, but he also never left the church. He loved that church. He joined the choir and other ministries, where he carried out what God had for him. I think my dad attended every program and every funeral. You could always depend on dad.

I said all of this to say, you can forgive, but you never really forget. The thing you have to learn is that if you pray about it long enough, God will give you the power and peace to let go. Many of us don’t want to let it go. Many times our rationale may be that if we keep that hurt in our heart, others won’t hurt us. That is wrong; living that way wouldn’t allow you to let the love of others get into your heart either.

The older we get, we need to let all of that pain and hurt leave and let forgiveness into our hearts. If you have been blessed lived to be a senior and still hold on to that stuff, you had better let it go. Think about it, you are closer to going to heaven, than you have ever been in your life. Give it a try, you will find the joy God will give you outweighs any hurt or pain of the past. Think about it this way, how many times has Jesus forgiven you and even other people for things you have done or said.

Count it all joy that God has given you the mind to still be able to forgive. Many people at this stage of the game have lost the ability to forgive, they can only forget.



16

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Women of Significance / november 2011Women of Significance

SpotlightEach month we will highlight our Women of Significance so that each of you can get to know one another. Please let us keep each other in prayer and pray that we all fulfill our destiny.

Sonya SellsSilsbee, Texas Sonya Empowers is her facebook tagline! Sonja is founder of Elite Institute of Development, Inc., a training and development firm. Sonja serves as an empowerment strategist, developer and soon-to-be published author of “The Dark Side of Love: Secrets of a Church Girl.”

Karen Cheeks Silver Spring, MarylandKaren is a young emerging interna-tional leader who has studied Com-munications and Public Relations at Towson State University. She is a phenomenal woman! She is married to Antonio E. Cheeks

Sonya Gardiner Suva, FijiSonya likes the works of Mahatma Ghandi, Mother Theresa and Sid Roth. She is a woman of significance!

Kia Holmes London Kia is a dedicated woman of God. One of her favorite quotes is “you look much better when you smile”.

Lanette R. Frazier

Pine Bluff, ArkansasLanette is a people’s person. Currently working in the Mayor’s office, she is an Inde-pendent Beauty Consultant, a Spiritual & Empowerment Speaker and coach who loves to inspire people to stand and fight through adversities.

Rhonda Allen Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Rhonda says: I refuse to make resolutions, but I will set goals. Without a vision the people perish. I would just suggest one thing, if he lets you live . . . live! Rhonda is one of the anchors of the Women of Significance Team!


Ever had one of those funny questions about life? Then please read on. When it comes to funny questions and thoughts about life, every time I think I’ve seen them all I find one I’ve never seen before or come up with more of my own. The following are some of the ones I’ve discovered or written however, I know there’s more because that’s, well... life. So, if you find while reading these funny questions and thoughts about life make you smile, pass them along. All right, let’s get started!

Funny Questions about life - Group 1: Why does Hawaiian pizza also contain Canadian Bacon? Grape Nuts cereal. No grapes - no nuts. Huh? What’s the difference between regular ketchup and fancy ketchup? Do Dutch people always split the bill? If you use Miracle Whip on Wonder Bread, do you have to use Heavenly Ham?

Funny Questions about life - Group 2: Is there ever a day that mattresses aren’t on sale? They make bullet proof vests, why not bullet proof pants? Why are oriental rug stores always going out of business? Is there any difference between partly cloudy and partly sunny?

Funny Questions about life - Group 3: If it only takes one match to start a forest fire, why on earth does it take me a whole box of matches and a can of lighter fluid to light my grill? When they ship those styrofoam peanuts, what do they pack them in? How do you know when pickles or sour cream has gone bad?

Funny Questions about life - Group 4: How does one know when their bagpipes need tuning? Allstate Insurance has a disclaimer that reads: not available in all states. What? If Donkey Kong’s main character is a monkey, why isn’t it called Monkey Kong? Why does the word lisp have an “s” in it?

Funny Questions about life - Group 5: How come you never read the headline, “Psychic Wins Lottery”? The next time someone says, “Now I’ve seen everything”, ask them if they’ve ever seen a UPS truck parked in a parking space. Has anyone ever really seen a Jolly Rancher? If you get a club soda stain, how do you remove it?

Funny Questions about life - Group 6: Has anyone (besides Donald Trump’s wife) ever been fooled by a comb over? Is it really possible to change the direction of a bowling ball by waving your hands? There’s senior citizens, so why aren’t there junior citizens?

Funny Questions about life - Group 7: They say laughter is the best medicine - so who came up with the phrase, “I died laughing”? Why do doctors leave the room when you’re getting dressed? After all, they’ve already seen you naked. What’s wrong with the United States? They only have two choices for President, but fifty for Miss America. Any reason they nail down the lid of a coffin? When butterflies get upset or nervous, what do they get in their stomachs?


Funny Questions About LifeHal Lacious Contributor


Funny Questions about life - Group 8: Where do they put price stickers on non-stick pans? If it’s called lipstick, why is it always coming off? When they sing, “Take me out to the ball game” they’re already there. Why? Who’s idea was it to make the word abbreviation so long?

Yes, these are just a few of the Funny Questions about life that try men’s -and women’s souls. And there’s a ton

more funny questions about life not listed here. Some of them come to me during the course of a day. For example, why does every shampoo bottle say, lather, rinse, repeat? I’m sorry, did I miss my head entirely the first time or do you just want to sell more shampoo? If you have or have thought up any funny questions of life yourself, feel free to send them along and thanks for wasting a few minutes of your life pondering these funny questions of life. Now get out there and do something good. Like figuring out what people in China call their good plates.

Hal Lacious is an award winning copywriter, author, and proud co-owner of http://www.kiddiekort.com. To read more mindless questions, please go to http://funny-questions.blogspot.com

Funny Questions About Life (continued)


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Women to WatchEvery month we will feature on our on-line website “Women to Watch”. This is im-portant to us to showcase women around the world who are impacting their sphere of influence. These women do not necessarily have to be famous but they must have qualities that are integral, reaching women and setting godly examples.

They can be housewives doing great things, CEO, farmers, etc. Please let WOS know if you know of any women in your sphere of influence or women you have heard of that should be showcased. They may be local or international. WOS would also love to showcase “emerging” leaders.

Send your nomination to [email protected]

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WRITERS’ GuIDElInES

All writings will be subject to approval.

These are just a few suggestions to assist you in your writing. Each article that you write should have something that each woman can implement. You may also have a brief testimony/story about how you implement each instruction given. Please be led by the Holy Spirit.

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Women of Significance communique Jan 2010

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