Make A Difference Mentoring Blog

Legacy Lives On

2008-04-30T19:11:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

Get ready because Joy's life lives on in her granddaughter Kristie! When she asked me to create a Bible study for her women in Phoenix God's anointing fell all over this project. The result? The Phoenix Girls Short and Sweet Bible Study exclusively designed for women on the go in ministry. The theme throughout is living a life of balance, meaning and purpose with passion. This 21 week study on the Book of John has Phoenix Girls' stories interwoven in every chapter giving great take away value to each lesson. Stories of dealing with everything from diet, depression, alcohol, sexuality, kids, marriage, work, stress, growing up, rejection, forgiveness, lonliness and much more.

You'll find yourself saying, "If she can do it, so can I!" It is the most relational study I have ever seen. You will end up with a deeper more abiding relationship with Jesus. Let's face it. It's all about Him! He loves you so much, He died for you so you can have eternal life with Him. Living His Kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven is easier with women who face the same stuff you do every day. Due out in January of next year, I will definitely keep you updated on its publishing date!

Remember, God already has friends in your life who are meant to be there. Pray and ask for Holy Spirit revelation on who He wants you to connect with. Go for it!

Ode To Joy

2007-12-16T10:29:00.001-08:00

Dear Friends,

This is a note of mixed joy and sadness. Friday, my dear and precious friend Joy passed away at 1:05pm. She was 89, it was her time to leave this earth and she lived strong to the end. She is now at peace with Jesus in heaven!

Joy truly enjoyed God, daily abided in Jesus and loved every person she met. This was the greatest common bond in our beautiful Godly friendship.

One of her favorite Scriptures was John 15:7
"If you live in Me [abide vitally united to Me] and My words remain in you and continue to live in your hearts, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you."

Joy said, "If I want what He wants, I will be praying for what He wants, so of course He will answer my prayers. My answered prayers are simply the consequence of abiding in Jesus.

"I am the branch on the Vine, and Jesus, Himself, is the Vine flowing through me; that makes me a child of God in the sense that when I pray, the Father sees me as Jesus. When He sees me in the righteousness of His own Son, He will not deny me. I know God is wonderful and that He loves me.

"When I speak to the Father, He sees me as He sees Jesus. That's the way I learned to pray when I understood who I was in His sight, and here I am because of Him. When you actually awaken to the fact that the Life of the Vine is in you, what happens is that it becomes a healing flow.

"It's a renewing flow, an understanding flow that keeps me safe. I understand who I am, because I know Who is in me. Anyone can have this; it doesn't matter who your earthly father is."

Now Joy is enjoying Jesus face to Face! She was so outstanding for who she was and how she lived. As we wrote together, I would tell her I have an 'Ode to Joy' written out in my mind to her that needed to be told. "Honey," she would laugh, "You just save it for my funeral!"

Tomorrow I am headed to her hometown to do just that. I will miss Joy acutely and deeply. But I am forever grateful that God gave me such a phenomenal friendship, that I loved Joy, enjoyed her, respected her and took the baton that God gave me through her and ran with it. Living with no regrets in our most precious relationships is priceless. And even when there is regret, Joy showed me how to live in redemption because God does restore the lost and broken pieces and makes us and those closest to us whole!

Joy is thrilled in heaven that I am posting her ode on our website:

Ode To Joy

Joy had a listening heart because she knew
Listening felt like love.
Joy walked with me the rugged road to forgiveness
Because she knew
This was the only way to true lasting happiness.

She taught me not to take offense
And let it roll off my back,
To hold my own with quiet dignity.
She taught me unconditional respect at the point of conflict
It is why I am still married!

She showed me how not to be
So heavenly bound
That I’d be no earthly good,
Because she knew God’s practical ways
Lead us to His spiritual principles.

She wanted to be like Mother Theresa
But not look like her!
She was like Mother Theresa
Because she knew
Like Mother Theresa you need to be somebody to someone.

Joy was a blessing to me in every way
Not because of anything she did
But just because of who she was.
Our friendship had no personal hidden agendas-
Just love and be there for each other.

Her favorite song was:
“Out in the highways and byways of life
Many are weary and sad,
Carry the sunshine where darkness is rife
Making the sorrowing glad

“Make me a blessing
Make me a blessing
Out of my life may Jesus shine
Make me a blessing, oh Savior, I pray
Make me a blessing to someone today.”

Christmas is when we sing Joy to the world!
She is singing with Jesus right now
in all the glory He has for her
She would want each one of us to know right now…
“There’s a little bit of Joy in each one of us!”
Joy Barnett
1918 - 2007

Do you love Jesus most?

2007-08-30T10:31:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

God loves us and wants the best for us. We receive His best when we put Him first. He wants us to love Him first and others as ourselves. As simple as this sounds, it is often difficult to accomplish. In Jeremiah Chapters 42-44, the people would not listen to Jeremiah prefering to hold on to their idolatrous ways. Tired and defeated by their enemies, they ran to Jeremiah, asking, Show us what to do and we'll do it.

God responded through Jeremiah saying, Remain where you are and I'll build you up. Don't fear the king of Babylon for he is a mere man, while I am the all-wise, all-powerful and ever-present God. If you choose not to stay, violence and hunger shall overtake you.

A few proud and insolent men, including the leaders refused to believe God's Word through Jeremiah, robbing the rest of the people of God's mercy. God responded through Jeremiah, You and your wives have both decared with your mouths and fulfilled it with your hands. You confirm your vows and perform your vows! You defy My warnings.

Only a handful of people survived. Are you defying His warnings or deifying His Word? God is so great and so merciful He sent His only begotten Son to pay the price for our sins so that we might have eternal life!

God is constantly speaking to us. He speaks through His Word and through the circumstances of our lives. We just need to listen. He uses Godly friends to keep us close to Him. May we declare with our mouths and in our actions that Jesus is our Lover and our Lord! Go for it!

2007-07-14T23:57:00.000-07:00

Something significant recently happened with the St. John’s Women’s Book Club. The May Book of the Month was Make a Difference Mentoring Woman to Woman and the April Book of the Month was the Secret. Speaking at the May meeting with mentoring friends, we found everyone's perspective insightful: “We liked most of what the author said in the Secret. She was very positive, loving and encouraging. But… there was something that didn’t quite sit right about it in our minds. When we read your book the following month, we realized what was missing. The Secret’s author takes all the good in her life and says use it for yourself. It is a totally self centered Godless philosophy. There is no meaning in this.

"Make A Difference Mentoring Woman To Woman says use all the good in your life and give it to God for His Glory and for His Purposes. Your book gives life meaning in Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. We need more of this in our lives.” This is truly a God thing! The need for a deeper and more intimate prayer life was also of paramount importance. Since now is the day of salvation, we gathered in a big circle and prayed for each other from our hearts. It was a moment in time walking on holy ground.

Showing our vulnerability in prayer takes a lot of courage and honesty, but is worth the risk. As Mark Twain and Bill Bright said, “It’s lonely out on the limb, but that’s wherethe fruit is.”

2007-07-14T19:15:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

Today was an amazing day on the Dana Sturgeon Show Live in San Diego. But something in my heart is bothering me. When Mary called into the show asking about Jesus' perspective on adultery, I stopped. She is living with her boyfriend, has children and believes she will be left on the streets if she leaves him. Her first husband was adulterous and their marriage ended in divorce. She also believes she is not free to remarry. When I encouraged her to find a church to help, she responded by saying she has no self esteem and has been to many churches. What did I say? I let her know I too, am divorced and remarried. That the divorce rate is as high in the church as it is in the world. That she is forgiven and we can't use self esteem as an excuse to stay in our sin. But my response was incomplete.

So Mary, if you read this, please know that Jesus called people by name. Jesus calls you by name. He will use whatever it takes to bring you to Him. If it's not church, it will be something else, someone else or some other circumstance. What did He say to Martha who was distracted with things that were not so important?

But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"

"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed? Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

Put Jesus first and trust Him for the results. He knows what you need before you even ask. xoxo

2007-05-06T01:12:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

The following is an excerpt from Make A Difference Mentoring from Joy's Perspective, now 89 years old, still strong with her keen sharp mind and wits and full of the Holy Spirit:

"As we grow from infancy to maturity, the body is constantly struggling to make necessary adjustments. So it is with our spiritual growth. God knows how to stretch each area so tht we can grow. It may hurt a little. We may not understand because if we understood, the real value of the process would be lost. But when we trust anyway and reach and search, we find new treasures in living that finally reveal to us why those things had to happen in our lives.

"As I get older, I see the cycle of life as children marry and leave. And the people I used to know are one-by-one dying and leaving. I have learned that the season of life bring different identities to us at times.

"There was a time when I was known as Hershel's wife and my children's mom. As I reflect on who I have been, I realize I am still the same person. The circumstances changed, but I did not. I find my identity in Christ Jesus and by blessing the people He puts in my path. You don't have to go looking for it. My identity is the same, but my description changes according to the circumstances and my seasons of life. I've learned not to let the circumstances dictate my identity. New generations come along to define us. When you get stuck in the past, you can't reach the present generation.

"Because of this truth, Lindsey and I stand shoulder to shoulder bridging the generation gap. God initiated this plan, and the Holy Spirit enabled this plan to work. God's mentoring enables us to combine our strengths together. Mentoring reaches a place where it's not just to our needs; it goes far beyond that. Needs become strengths and are united. Strength together can put ten thousand to flight.

"God planned it all. Jesus initiated it and made it possible. The Holy Spirit is here to lead us and to point us to Jesus. The Holy Spirit is our Mentor who walks with us to teach us, to comfort us, and to guide us into all truth. He is our Holy Mentor, God our Father, Jesus our Brother, the Holy Spirit our Mentor."

2007-02-26T11:34:00.000-08:00

Red Letter Rhema:

"The prodigal son is still the Father's child."

"So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him." Luke 15:20

2007-02-03T23:31:00.000-08:00

Loving trusted friendships have helped me stay the course in my walk with God, marriage and family more than anything else. I don't know what I would do without my friends. When I am in an intense place in my relationships at home with my husband or children, my friends fill the void so I can do the right thing and stay right with God. Sometimes I have friction with my friends too, but we work it out. In "A World Waiting to be Born", M. Scott Peck displays insightful perspective on this.

According to Dr. Peck, "When nuns and monks used to come to see me for consultation, ninety-five percent of the time the first thing they wanted to talk to me about was "community." And ninety-five percent of the time what they meant by community was something like "Sister Suzie is driving me up a wall" or "I'm about to strangle Brother Thomas." Many have the fantasy that convents and monasteries are places of great holy tranquility, where the monks and nuns go about their day in unending, prayerful peace of mind. The reality is that they are ususally places of great struggle and tension and friction.

"But even though it is what they most frequently complain about, community is also perhaps the primary reason that nuns and monks join monasteries and convents. They know somehow, correctly, that they need the friction of community to polish them to refine them on their journeys of spritual growth... A marriage properly should be a marriage of two people gathered together for some purpose higher than the mere pleasure of being together: namely, to enhance each other's spiritual journeys."

Even when I don't like truth from my friends, I listen because they love me. "Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend [to show rage or worthy purpose]." Proverbs 27:17 Then I thank God for them because they make me feel loved and secure even when I don't feel secure in my circumstances.

I give thanks to my God for you always when I mention you in my prayers... Philemon 1:4 Pray for God to reveal to you Holy Spirit inspired friendships that may already be in your life, friends who love you and are honest with you in a loving way. Then thank God for them. Go for it!

2007-01-09T19:25:00.000-08:00

Dear Sister Billie,

If you send your email I will respond to your request. I too, felt a sense of destiny when we met. God brought us together for His purpose and the following scripture came to mind for you.
"And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you." Philippians 1:6 I look forward to hearing from you! xoxo

2007-01-09T08:30:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

The following is an excerpt from a personal friend's note:

"After a long day at work ... I sat down in my office and began leafing through your book. I must share with you, I just finished reading your story cover-to-cover. ...you have a wonderful message to share with the world. Having a mentor is truly one of life's blessings and it is a gift.

I placed such value in your raw honesty while I was turning each page. Having known you, reading your book touched me deeply. Life is full of struggles and challenges. When a person connects on a deep level with another human being who can guide and teach them, it is indeed something precious, something that nourishes the soul.

Lindsey, thank you for sharing your book with me. We never know when we will impact someone's life...please know, you have impacted mine."

We all lead busy lives, and as another loving trusted friend once said, "My dear, life only gains momentum!" Taking time for others is a choice and in our busy world, little life bites mean the most. It takes no extra time to turn a frown into a smile. Just use your mouth muscles in the opposite way. It can take a little as 30 seconds to pick up the phone and answer the questions of a friend in need. Go for it! xoxo

2006-12-27T02:20:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

During this beautiful Christmas season, the Holy Spirit prompted an amazing thought, "Christmas is just another day and Jesus wants His birthday celebrated every day. He wants us to love and worship Him each day and love each other." I shared this with Dana live during her Christmas Special one hour broadcast on KPRZ Dana Sturgeon Live talk show 10 days ago. This wonderful thought lead me to have a lovely Christmas with my family and friends, enjoying each person God put in my path. Not worrying about wrapping all the gifts but rather wrapping each person with His love and care. Not putting presents first, but His Presence first in everything.

My Christmas cookie recipe may rock and everyone loves it, but baked with His love they taste even better! As I learned in Al Anon, I came to Al Anon perfect and only got worse. Each cookie used to have to be decorated and cookie cutter perfect, but as I let go and let my children learn to bake themselves those cookies were anything but perfect. They were lumpy, uncooked, overbaked and the frosting not like mine. Over the years practice made a difference.

They are now beautifully baked, wonderfully designed, cookie cutter darling and the frosting is the best yet. They are actually prettier and more creative than anything I could ever think of. But it took years of my letting go OVER AND OVER AGAIN and YEARS of practice. YEARS of letting go and learning to love. I learned that my human perfection divides, but God's divine perfection unifies. The only perfect thing in life is Jesus' Love and He makes everything worthwhile and even CHRISTmas cookies taste better! May you have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! xoxo

2006-11-21T09:13:00.000-08:00

Little Life Bite:

"And they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, and to yearn for Him with all their heart's desire and with all their soul;" 2 Chronicles 15:12 Amplfied

Sometimes my desires change as I am hit with all the day's troubles and challenges. At this point when I pray, "Jesus, help me want what You want!" He re-aligns my heart and will with His so His will is done and not mine. xoxo

2006-11-12T22:02:00.000-08:00

Dear Life Church Women,

You are phenomenal! From the minute I landed in Pittsburgh seeing Carol's beautiful smiling face at the gate it was Heaven from then on! Nina's basket was delicously gorgeous and opened immediately. The drive to Nemacolin and seeing fall leaves piled with the fragrant smell of fall was exhilarating. Meeting Amy with her mom Pat, Kimberly who sang like an angel and all of you created a special place in my heart where I will cherish you all forever. Please tell Ilene, Kathy and Martha I send a hug. Erica, email me. Amy, your amazing spirit leads your women with a Godly integrity and love. The Holy Spirit is upon you and I am praying for deeper loving friendships as you into the Holy of Holies with Jesus Who keeps you safe. It is the safest place to be. Carol, we were meant to meet and have a holy friendship for such a time as this. You are all loved, wanted and appreciated!

Sending you each a BIG hug, Lindsey

2006-10-06T01:46:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

Saturday will find me in Phoenix with Jennifer Cecil and Hilary Griffith as we film and talk about their phenomenal relationship. Without Jennifer walking alongside Hilary, she would not be where she is today. Wait til you hear how God uses everyday friendships to enable us to live life with purpose, clarity and destiny. Who are those people in your life you can be real with? What are you doing to nurture, respect, promote and enjoy each other? Pray for Holy Spirit revelation of those in your life who fit this criterion. Amazing friendships are all around you just waiting to happen. Go for it!

2006-09-21T08:16:00.001-07:00

Dear Friends,

My Phoenix book signing was amazing! It was a Holy Spiritual Infusion of Life with Phoenix Girls 2006 Adventure Yourself Women's Conference. Joy's lasting legacy is her granddaughter Kristie Barnett Sexton as Kristie leads the women with Unparalleled Passion. In fact, the Women's Ministry Theme is PassionIn The House.

Kristie planted a life changing thought: The Number One Killer of Passion is Comfort. Sometimes we get so comfortable physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually that we refuse to acknowledge a change that needs to take place or move on it. Once we do, we experience a newfound freedom and breathing room we never had before. Our obedience rekindles our Passion.

God's anointing on Kristie and her women spills over to everyone they touch. They speak, they do and God moves with them. There is healing, there is deliverance and new life springing up all around them. As you give in- NOT give up!- to what Jesus has for you, His anointing will overflow in your life touching everyone in your path.

"See, I am doing a new thng! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland." Isaiah 43:19

Get outside your comfort zone, give in to Jesus' Will for you and go for it!

2006-08-30T12:32:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

Are you aware of what you're feeling inside? What's really fueling your motives? How do you recognize what motivates you? My Holy Mentor the Holy Spirit showed me an ingenious process that reveals our inner motives and brings them to light: Spiritual Situational Awareness®.

The U.S. Coastguard uses Situational Awareness, an integral part of piloting aircraft and boats. It's knowing what's going on around you. Pilots have to be able to identify, process, and understand critical elements of information in order to safely and effectively navigate from one location to the next. This awareness enables them to reach their intended destination securely, protecting passengers and their lives as well as preventing storm related accidents.

Spiritual Situational Awareness® is becoming cognizant of what's going on inside you. It's recognizing issues in your life that need to be addressed. Joy's mentoring helped me safely and effectively navigate my life. Her hindsight was often the forecast that saved me from a lot of turbulent life storms!

There are three essential elements of Spiritual Situational Awareness®:
1. Awareness: Knowing what is going on inside of you. When you feel something inside your heart, it is there for a reason and acknowledge it. Pray and Jesus WILL show you what's up. Be willing to listen.
2. Appraisal: Once you see the issue, ignorance is no longer an option. You have a God given gift to choose how you will respond to the issue you see. Pray for wisdom.
3. Action: Doing is the cement that holds your purpose intact. Pray for grace and strength to do what He wants you to do. God is a debtor to no man and will provide!

"Father forgive them, for they know not what they do." Luke 23:34 I believe Jesus was speaking of our unconsious motives or those sinful areas in our lives yet to be exposed by the Holy Spirit and understood by us. Read more about this divine and phenomenal process in Make A Difference Mentoring Woman To Woman. Spiritual Situational Awareness® gives Holy Spirit inspired revelation fueling strong spiritual growth. Go for it!

2006-08-13T00:55:00.000-07:00

Joy and I found a secret that really defined our relationship and made it the lifelong friendship we enjoy to this day.

The greatest gift we gave each other and still share is our unconditional love for each other. No strings attached, no expectations, judgments, pre conceived notions or wants, hidden agendas, what’s in it for me. Not ‘here I am’, but rather ‘there you are’ and ‘I see you’. Just an acceptance of who we are and how God made us. Each person is a child of God, worthy of courtesy and respect.
♥

So for the sake of Christ, I am well pleased and take pleasure in infirmities, insults, hardships, persecutions, perplexities and distresses; for when I am weak [ in human strength], then am I [truly] strong (able, powerful in divine strength).
2 Corinthians 12:10 Amplified

When I am weak, Jesus is My Strength.
♥

4In Him was Life, and the Life was the Light of men.

5And the Light shines on in the darkness, for the darkness has never overpowered it [put it out or absorbed it or appropriated it, and is unreceptive to it]. John 1:4,5

His Life is in His impenetrable Love. The problem is not a lack of love in the world today. The problem is our lack of expressing what is already in us. The solution is to open our hearts and give to each other what we desperately need- His love. God is omnipresent which means we only have to give and receive what is already there. Jesus paid the price and has done it all so we simply need to live His Love out with each other.

The Easter Egg Hunt for the Blind in San Diego is a volunteer effort that really reflects Jesus’ love. My children lead the people right to the egg that is there. They see the egg with their hands, smile and eat the candy. They enjoy each other, look beyond the blindness and receive the love and joy of connecting with each other. Last year, Hannah accompanied Yvette with her Seeing Eye dog to find eggs. This year, we walked into the main room and saw her of course since she could not see us. She heard Hannah’s voice and said, Hannah is that you? After a whole year, she recognized Hannah’s little voice! Yvette’s eyes are so deformed but her love and personality are so beautiful my kids don’t even notice her deformity. They just see her effervescent joy and love. Yvette daily lives 1 Cor 13:12: She clearly sees in Jesus’ love and perfection, His reality and face to face.

2006-07-04T05:08:00.000-07:00

July 4 in Rick Renner's "Sparkling Gems" reads:

"If you want to fulfill God's plan for your life, there's one thing you must not do: Don't forsake the daily fellowship and encouragement of other believers! Hebrews 3:13 tells us that we need to "...exhort one another daily..." But what does it mean to "exhort"?

The word for "exhort" that is used in this verse comes from the Greek word parakaleo. It is a compound of the words para and kaleo. The word para means alongside, and the word kaleo means to call, to invite, to speak, or to beckon. When these two words are compounded into one, it gives the picture of someone who has come closely alongside of another person for the sake of speaking to him, consoling him, comforting him, or assisting him with instruction, counsel, or advice.

Because it is so helpful when someone comes alongside to support you in this manner, this word is often translated in the New Testament as the word encouragement. Jesus used the word paraklete, a derivative of the word parakaleo, to describe the Holy Spirit as the "Comforter" in John 14:16. (See Make A Difference Mentoring Woman To Woman pp. 15 and 17. Mentoring enables you to do the right thing because your mentor is walking through it with you. The Holy Spirit is your Comforter and Mentor.)

These verses make it abundantly clear that we need to both give and receive encouragement from other believers on a daily basis. This is such a vital principle that the tense used in the Greek language calls for continual action. In other words, we are not to just enourage one another once a week; we are to make this a matter of lifestyle. We must get into the habit of encouraging one another, doing it so often that it becomes a daily practice!

Think how encouraging it is when someone cares enough to take you to lunch, call you on the telephone, write you a note, or go out of his way at the office or church to come to you and ask how you are doing. It is especially very strengthening to know that someone really cares about you if you're going throuugh challenging times!

But rather than fixate only on your need to be encouraged, try taking your eyes off yourself to see those around you who are also in need of strength. Think of someone you know whom you can strengthen by coming alongside him to speak words of comfort, consolation, or bravery. Maybe you can take that person to lunch; call him on the telephone; drop him a note; or go out of your way to see how he is doing. Remember, you're not the only one who needs encouragement! (See page page 72 in the book's only non anonymous story of Hilary Griffith's relationship with aunt Jennifer her mentor whose support strengthened Hilary to compete and win Miss Scottsdale 4 days after being raped. Jen blessed Hilary by walking alongside her in the most difficult time of her life. Last Saturday June 24, Hilary was crowned Miss Arizona! She gives God the glory for her triumph and credits Jennifer for her healing and ability to forgive.)

We all need encouragement from brothers and sisters in the Lord who will lovingly attach themselves to us- watching us, making observations about us, and finding ways to provoke us unto love and good deeds. But we must also turn around and do the same for other believers. That's what the Body of Christ is all about!

So recognize that when you're feeling down and left out, you need fellowship with people of faith more that ever. Jesus understood this principle. When He went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray the night before His crucifixion, He asked Peter, James, and John to come pray with Him. Jesus needed their fellowship and strength that night, or He wouldn't have requested it.

Recognize your need for others - and acknowledge that others need you as well. The daily exhortation and encouragement of other believers will help you stir up your faith to hold fast to your confession until it becomes a reality. And as an added side benefit, you will experience more deeply the Presence of the Lord in your life through the joy of knowing and loving other people of like faith!

My Prayer For Today

Lord, I want to be a major source of blessing to people in my life! Help me to quit being so fixated on myself and to see how I can become a strength and encouragement to others who are around me. Your Word commands me to be involved in giving daily encouragment. And since I am seriously committed to obeying Your Word, I intend to find a way to

encourage someone who needs strength today!

I pray this in Jesus' name!

My Confession For Today

I confess that I need to be encouraged! God's Word commands me to be encouraged daily, so I choose to believe that encouragement is what I need. I recongnize my need for others, and I acknowledge that others need my encouragement as well. The daily exhortation and encouragement of other believers will stir up my faith

and help me hold fast to my confession of faith!

I declare this by faith in Jesus' name!

Blessed and Happy 4th of July.

2006-06-25T22:59:00.000-07:00

Moms and mentors play different roles but share the strongest attribute- LOVE. Mentoring is spiritual impetus for the calling while mothering is nurturing. BOTH dynamics PASS on powerful life LESSONS within a LOVING safe setting. God uses mentoring to learn life lessons in adulthood missed in childhood. Hannah who has her own page in the book wrote the following today after her first baby sitting experience. She gained such compassion for a mom's job she wrote the following:

Mom

I need someone to comfort me,

To tell me it's OK,

To stroke my hair

And kiss my cheek,

To hold me tight when I feel weak,

To make hurt go away.

I need someone to care for me,

Someone who's always there

To take my hand

And wipe my tears,

To stand on guard against my fears

To help when life's unfair.

That person is my mom,

And kindness with her is a bomb,

She owns a book

You should go look.

But I love her because she's kind-

That's why I call her mine.

Mentoring and mothering may be different, but they BOTH MAKE A WONDERFUL DIFFERENCE!

2006-05-26T13:29:00.000-07:00

Many women are asking, "How do I find or become a mentor?" Most of us want good strong connected relationships, but are you willing to do whatever it takes to have it? The first tip to a mentored relationship (on page 115 in the book) is: Discover Your Heart's Desire. Figure out what needs YOU have (Do you need help primarily with your marriage, your kids, yourself, or your career, etc.?) and SEARCH for the BEST living example you can find. Whatever void you feel in your heart, PRAY and ALLOW God to answer your needs through those He puts in your path. If you meet someone who is willing to connect with you, DON'T be afraid to call and get together. "Keep on asking and it will be given you: keep on seeking and you will find; keep on knocking [reverently] and [the door] will be opend to you. For everone who keeps on asking receives; and he who keeps on seeking finds; and to him who keeps on knocking, [the door] will be opened." Matthew 7:7,8

I was a strong willed, young mom who was called to be a leader's wife, but I felt insecure. Joy was the best living example of a leader's wife I had ever met. We met one evening 23 years ago and I followed up by inviting her to lunch. I arranged a babysitter for my daughter and picked up Joy since she was new to the area. We had the best time together and we stayed in touch.

If you want to mentor, be available. Be WILLING to be hospitable and receptive when someone younger or inexeperienced makes the littlest effort to get together. Don't worry about misunderstanding or personal rejection. The same healthy foundational principles for a good friendship or marriage apply to mentoring.

I had no idea that God was simultaneously filling a void for Joy as well because her husband had recently died and she felt lonely. Her heart's desire was to help people, so Joy was TRUE to her heart's desire by responding to the invitation to get together. God filled the huge emptiness in her life with our friendship, which evolved into a valuable mentoring relationship.

If you are looking for a mentor, start by asking yourself questions like these:
Where do I feel most needy in my life? What issues or problems keep popping up that I need help solving? What negative behaviors do I need to work on? Do I feel there are areas of my life that truly need improvement? Who do I look up to? What type of personality and character traits am I attracted to? Are these traits that I should be attracted to?

If you would like to be a mentor, start by asking yourself questions like these:
Am I willing to talk when I am approached by someone in need? Am I open to new friendships? Am I willing to take the time and risk to get close to someone? Am I patient and willing to go through the process?

I would LOVE to hear any feedback or any of your personal experiences. Please tell me! I would also LOVE to hear any questions and I will prayerfully do my best to answer them. I look forward to hearing from you soon! Go for it!

2006-05-23T11:21:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

God's reign drops are starting to fall on each of us and this Holy Spirit anointed mentoring movement. We need to connect with each other and make it safe to love each other so we can be who He meant us to be. We reap what we sow and as you sow seeds of righteousness, God will bless you. It is all about Jesus and He loves us so much He blesses us! I received the following note before the book was published:

"Lindsey, I know you have no idea who this person is sending you an e-mail. Well first let me explain. I spent a month at my son and daughter-in-laws home, after a very tramatic experience I had just had. I saw your manucript, and was interested with the title, since some how God has managed to put so many young women in my life. The more I read your manuscript, the more I knew I had to read. I wanted to say thank you for putting this out, and do you have your book out yet?

Now, I guess I need to let you know who I am, my name is Naomi, and I am Dave Yearwood's mom and Catherine is my daughter-in-law, the funny thing is I am mentoring her, and she has become a mentor to a couple of girls on Wrightsville beach. I am very blessed by this manuel, and am always picking it up. So thank you. God love you, and the kids are doing great.

In His Love, Naomi Parker" 1.18.06

Make A Difference Mentoring Woman To Woman

p. 97 in book:

"Out in the highway and byways of life

Many are weary and sad.

Carry the sunshine where darkness is rife,

Making the sorrowing glad.

Chorus:

Make me a blessing

Out of my life may Jesus shine

Make me a blessing, oh Savior, I pray

Make me a blessing to someone today.

Author Unknown"

As Jesus is Our Biggest Blessing and Naomi is passing the Blessing,

be a blessing today even in the littlest way,

Lindsey

2006-05-23T10:54:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

You are a blessing! God created each one of us with an inborn heartfelt desire to make a difference in the world which we live. This desire fulfilled gives us meaning for living. And it starts in the littlest way. Just as rain drops make thunderstorms, God's "reigndrops make showers of blessings". So do not forsake the littlest opportunity to be a blessing in someone's life, even if it's just to let the car in front of you go first. We women can sometimes feel so depleted that there is almost nothing left to give. Am I giving it my all? Jesus knows how you feel.

"Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything— all she had to live on." Mark 12:41-44

2006-02-28T10:27:00.000-08:00

Subject: thank you for the great read

Lindsey,

This is the first time I have had to sit down at my computer since we had lunch. Thank you dear, for carving time out of your oh, so busy schedule to visit and share. I greatly enjoyed spending time with you. My soul "settles in" when I am around you, if that makes sense.

I wanted to tell you that I had read the first chapter of your book on the web site, but I sat down with the preprint and reread it. There is just something about reading something that is in my hands that is more personal and better. It really is good, Lindsey. If I can be honest, I had mixed feelings when I heard the title because I had been in the hard-driving business world, where finding a mentor as a woman was difficult at best and often dangerous and costly. My reaction had to do with my negative experiences in the past with mentoring, i.e. simply the word, "mentoring".

Your chapter and set up for the book, however, was nothing like I had expected. As I read it, I found myself drinking it in like the first few drinks of hot chocolate on a cold day that just hit the spot and spread warmth throughout your body. It was inspiring, heartwarming, informative, and more. It took back, for me, what mentoring was and is supposed to be and give. Your description of mentoring, was perfect.

Your chapter was so very well written, easy to read, interesting, and Holy Spirit centered. It truly was a great read. Thank you for sharing it with me. You are a talented and gifted woman. I am glad that you are sharing your talents with the rest of us. I cannot wait to read the rest of the book and share it with others.
Blessings,
Michelle

2006-01-17T13:37:00.000-08:00

Dearest Lindsey,

I am so honored that I would be able to read a draft of your upcoming book, which, by the way, CONGRATULATIONS on. What a privilege that God has called you to write such a beautiful tome and that He would provide such a reputable publisher to get it into the hands of people whose soul sickness could begin to heal if they could hook up with a God-loving and honoring mentor.

I apologize for taking a few days to respond to your request for me to be an endorser to your book… first, I was a little stunned; why would you want my endorsement? But then also, I didn’t want to hastily respond until I had had a chance to really spend some time with the book… and God gave me that opportunity in the form of a big block of time on Friday in between concerts in Sacramento. I wanted to be thoughtful in my response and if I were to right a statement for you, I wanted it to come from a place of having actually read your book and spent some time in prayer and reflection over it.

I have had the luxury of having three incredible mentors in my renewed Christian life… two were sponsors in my 12-step program, and one is my current mentor, Gail. Gail sounds like your Joy. Gail is much older than I am, married to a pastor, and kicks my patootie like no one else ever has. And I depend on her for that! Not many people will give me the ol’ spiritual “one-two” and Gail is one who, when she does, I pay attention. And she is teaching me how to have a fulfilling marriage. And to be a deep and abiding friend. And the women I now mentor are recipients of her great influence and teaching in my life. It’s as if God has made her the conduit that allows me to hear His voice. Somewhere in Chapter 2 or 3, you beg the questions “Who is pushing you closer to Jesus?” If not for Gail, I’m not sure my iron would remain as sharp. I now know that I personally need this kind of relationship to remind me that I’m His!

You said something profound on page 74: You said ”When you have a mentor or someone in your path who is successfully well into their journey in life, their wisdom and experience has the potential to catapult you into your place of destiny simply because they have already learned the hard lessons of life and are willing to pass them on to you if you are willing to receive them.” “Catapult” is right! This is the key to moving on in life towards our destiny… yet so many people won’t do it! I remember lamenting to my first sponsor about how unchanged so many “sober” people were in the program and her responding by saying “most people don’t want this”. I was shocked. How could they not? I was so “done” with my old way of living that the new life I found in AA and simultaneously, the renewed life I found in my new honest relationship with Christ, I was ready to do whatever it took to change my life. How could others not? Today, I understand more what she meant. Today, I see this in the church… many Christians really don’t want to do whatever it takes to live the abundant life… it costs too much! And Gail has helped me taste, touch, and feel the abundant life as she shows me how to live through the teachings in His word and through the great modeling in her own life.

In Chapter 6, I love your description of the legacy we can leave… I especially appreciate the insights fleshed out there about living an attitude of forgiveness. When you shared about feeling like you had blown it one time and telling Joy about it, and then her responding to you “Why honey, if you had told me you had killed someone, I would love you no matter what.” I was struck with the “being taught and healed at the same time” thing…

A couple other things I like about this book… You show the reader HOW to mentor and to be mentored. So many authors talk about it and around it, but not many actually describe how it can be done. I hear this all the time by women who ask me to teach them how to mentor in the way that I mentor. Aaaughgh! So tough to articulate! But you’ve done a great job of it. Thank you. I also appreciate the way you weave the premise of sponsorship (in our 12-step world) into your definition of mentoring. Brilliantly done without “giving away” anything. I also really like the “Personal Process Assessment” pieces at the end of each chapter as it forces the reader to stop and think about what they’ve just heard and apply it to their life. Nice touch.

Well, all that to say, I would be honored to write an endorsement. I can’t believe Thomas Nelson Publishers would care one little bit about one from someone as obtuse as me, but if they do, perhaps this might be usable:

“For a practical mentoring ‘how-to’, Make A Difference Mentoring Woman To Woman is a must-read. How a woman can expect to grow to her fullest God-given potential is beyond me without the nudging, tough love and unconditional support that comes from a focused and committed Christian mentor. Using the example born out of their own precious relationship, Lindsey and Joy show us how it’s done.”
- Sylvia Lange

In closing, I just wanted to share this. All my life, my mom has always told me “you are only as good a tennis player as the person you play tennis with”… without a God-focused friend and mentor, such as the one I have in Gail, I would be hitting the net on each serve. Thank you for taking the time to write such a beautiful treatise on the merits of such an important relationship, and with such style and grace.

Much love and prayers for success on this project,
Sylvia

Welcome to Joy of Destiny!

2005-09-20T14:53:00.000-07:00

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