Captured Heart

As I sit at my laptop this very cold morning in Phoenix Arizona, sipping my first cup of morning coffee, waiting for the predicted rain to wash the desert and snow to the high country, noticing a freeze warning alert on my Droid phone, my mind has wandered back to Javon Wilson. "Lord are you asking me to help this young man? Lord is that you talking to me about him?" This morning as I was nestled in my bed under warm covering, somewhere between the time of sleep and comprehension, I began to ask God these questions. As I realized it might be true, Javon has been captured by my heart, I knew the answers. It was then that I also knew I could not do this alone. It is too big and so I ask God for help. "If, and it seems it is, if this is a part of your plan for me, Lord, I need your help." I will desperately need His help.

Javon, a 14 year old boy and member of the Juggalo family (they do not call themselves a gang although others do) on Mill Avenue in Tempe, was arrested in October 2010 for 1st degree murder being tried as an adult and held at the county jail.

Wow, I again am overwhelmed by his crime and his age and his life story. Javon is a young boy who has had a terrible home life. His father a former hard core drug addict (who recently went into rehab and is now in jail in Phoenix for child support and other past charges), his mother kicking him out of his home at 13 years old because he did not get along with the new boyfriend. Sure there might have been places this young man could go instead of the streets, like his grandmother's home or his school counselor, however there is a lure on the streets, especially on Mill Ave. It is known that kids come from all over to join the family of Juggalo's that hang out mostly around the streets surrounding Mill Ave in Tempe. These run-aways and lost kids, like Javon find solace in their new found friends. There is a camaraderie amongst each other, they have each other's back. For the first time in Javon's life he found commonality.

Javon loves music, he likes to sing and write music. The Juggalos follow the band Insane Clown Posse or 'ICP' with lyrics that speak of sexuality, brutality and God known as 'horrorcore hip-hop' with band members painting their faces to look like clowns. The group was formed by Joseph Bruce, Violent J and Joseph Utsler, Shaggy 2 Dope and calls their followers Juggalos.

In a June 2010 interview with The Columbian's Alan Sculley, Bruce explained, "[Sex and violence is] the stuff that people are talking about on the streets...to get attention, you have to speak their language. You have to interest them, gain their trust, talk to them and show you're one of them. You're a person from the street and speak of your experiences. Then at the end you can tell them God has helped me out like this and it might transfer over instead of just come straight out and just speak straight out of religion." This has led some to say this group is a sub-Christian band trying to lead people to God, others are saying until these men say they are Christians they should not be called a Christian group.

Perhaps these are some reasons Javon decided to follow the music of 'ICP' as it spoke to the terrible things this young boy has seen and heard in his short life and yet gave him hope that there is a God and maybe, just maybe, God cares.

In a weird and strange interview about the economy Christine Boomer of ABC Channel 15news met up with Javon Wilson just a couple of hours prior to the murder. In the interview Javon was upbeat and shared his heart to be peaceful and write music. He sang a song into the camera about love and peace and God. See the the clip below although you may have to cut and paste into your browser.

http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/valleyfever/2010/10/creepy_interview_with_teenaged.php

This is what I need; $40,000.00 to defend Javon. My niece and her husband, Todd and Cari Nolan criminal attorneys in Phoenix, have agreed to defend Javon pro-bono except for expenses which they believe to be about $40,000.00. I know God is able. I asked Todd after he spent two hours with Javon, "is this young boy worth saving?" Todd with a broken voice responded, "Yes, most definitely, Javon is worth saving!"

Javon is being charged as an adult.

My plan: 1) Immediately petition the court to get Javon out of jail and into the hands of New Horizon Christian Academy in Flagstaff Arizona, a Teen Challenge boys facility where he can receive a caring support team along with schooling and a deeper understanding of Faith in God. 2) Get charges removed, dropped or in juvenile court, this would be at the leading of Todd and Cari, his attorneys. 3) Begin raising $40,000.00.

How you can help: Pray....then email me at: dmii@cox.net. Let's talk.

Eve's Temptation

I wonder if Eve's temptation went something like this..."I saw you as you came in even though the room was full of beautiful women there was no one like you. I noticed your beauty above all the rest, the aura of confidence around you. I watched you. I studied you as you moved. I was intrigued by your hands, your hair and the way you carried your body. When you came near I discovered I wanted to know you and so I desired you." He was not especially handsome or striking but he had a sound when he spoke that caused me to listen. Could it be these might have been the words spoken to Eve ever so sweetly, so enticing? As she meditated upon his voice, his words, his longing, did she say to him, "I am yours." Did she open her heart to look upon the tree to do anything he asked of her? A man can do this to a woman. He can appear out of nowhere, unsuspectingly masculine, desiring and sweet. A man can entice her to think about him, to desire him, to be filled with passion, to want more. Women find this in the romance novels lining the shelves of Borders Books making these books the number 1 best selling books of all books purchased by women. A woman's porn. We long to be told of our beauty, our intrigue, our mystery. We are starved for the words that tell us we have what a man wants and needs to fulfill his passions, his desires. So we listen, even though we know we should not. And as the words are spoken we cry inside to hear more and know death is waiting if we hold on.

Holloween or 'Trunk or Treat'?

My heart hurts as I learn more about events that as a Christian I participate in that may or may not be what I think they are about. The last couple of years I have been struggling with Christmas and the commercialization of Christ’s birth. Christmas has become everything but about Christ coming into this world to reconcile me to my Father God.

Now that Halloween is approaching I saw this article posted to my FB page and thought it appropriate to send out. This will take 10 minutes to read but the article is very informative. I went on to read the next article that has a link at the bottom of this article.

http://www.spiritwatch.org/occhallow.htm

What should we as Christians do about Halloween now that we are informed? I believe it is a great opportunity to share Christ. We can hand out candy with a Christian message or candy and a little booklet that a child could easily read telling the story of Christ. These can be purchased at the Christian bookstore. We can volunteer at our church’s ‘Trunk or Treat’ as the article mentions. Most churches are now seeing the need for an alternative to Halloween.

Be blessed this week as we pray about Halloween and what it means for Followers of Christ

Sweet Baby Girl

On October 12Th, 2008 the call came early in the morning hour as my husband and I slept at our little cabin in the north country of Arizona. It is our retreat. We had just arrived the day before and had planned to stay for several days. Little did we know this would be the time. The call came on that Sunday morning to tell us our precious 8 month old grandbaby girl Roselyn Kay Haire had gone to be with Jesus. Even as I type this now tears come too easy. My heart broke that morning and a piece of it went with Roselyn. As we gathered our things quickly and left our retreat and as we we drove through the tall pines and green patches underneath I began to think of Roselyn and what heaven must look like. I took out a pen and paper and wrote this poem trying to imagine Roselyn doing the things a little girl would do in a heavenly place. Once down the hill and at the side of Roselyn lying there so still in her basinet, wrapped in a hand sewn yellow blanket and in the dress already picked for her for this day, I saw the words beauty and perfection. Months earlier those words were placed in my heart for Roselyn but I did not understand until that moment when my eyes fell upon her face. It was in that instant of time I knew she was perfect and she was most certanily beautiful. I do not understand all of these things that life and death have for us on this earth but I do know and am convinced God does and so I leave these things to Him and trust His plan for life and in His plan for death. And so today we celebrate Roselyn's life and we grieve for our loss but rejoice because our hope is in her Creator, Jesus Christ.

An 'Ode To A Grandaughter

Now you are gone
Our sweet baby girl
We will rock you and hold you
And sing you a new song.
And our arms will long
To hold your tiny little frame,
And long to brush our lips across
Your cheek all the same

But we gave you away
The day you were born,
And we will speak
Today of our love.
And our hearts will bear
The scar of how we are torn.

Into God’s arms go,
We offer you, our sweet little girl.
We will remain only a little while to show
The world of your beauty and perfection.

Go dance by the rivers edge
And sing the song of your delight
As you jump around on tippy-toe.
Go run with the children sweet baby girl
Flitting here and froe,
Just like a butterfly,
Don’t be shy
Our sweet baby girl.

Sit in the green grass
Play with the lion and the lamb.
In our hearts we hear the laughter,
We see the sparkle in your eye,
And we sigh.
Because we miss you
You see, sweet little girl.
Our hearts are lifted to a new high
Knowing Jesus in right there by your side.

You are free now, sweet baby girl
And while we may not see you for a while,
We know, one day, in just a little time
We will see you again, when all is fine.

by Cathy Cheshier 10/12/2008

The word "Mother"

First I want to acknowledge this is a quote from the book Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge and is not my own writing. I am honored by a young sweet woman who is growing in her walk with Jesus who calls me 'Mother' and so it is to her I post today.

To Mother
As large as the role our mothers have played, the word "mother" is more powerful when used as a verb than as a noun. All women are not mothers but all women are called to mother. To mother is to nurture, to train, to educate, to rear. As daughters of Eve, all women are uniquely gifted to help others in their lives become more of who they truly are - to encourage, nurture and mother them towards their true selves. In doing this, women partner with Christ in the vital mission of bringing forth life.

The nurturing of life is a high and holy calling. And as a woman, it is yours. Yes, it takes many shapes and has a myriad of faces. Yes, men are called to this as well. But uniquely and deeply, this calling makes up part of the very fiber of a woman's soul - the calling to mother.

All women are called to mother. And all women are called to give birth. Women give birth to all kinds of things - to a book (it's nearly as hard as a child, believe me), to a church or to a movement. Women give birth to ideas, to creative expressions, to ministries. We birth life in others by inviting them into deeper realms of healing, to deeper walks with God, to deeper intimacy with Jesus. A woman is not less of a woman because she is not a wife or has not physically born a child. The heart and life of a woman is much vaster than that. All women are made in the image of God in that we bring forth life. When we enter into our world and into the lives of those we love and offer our tender and strong feminine hearts, we cannot help but mother them.

The capacity of a woman's heart for meaningful relationships is vast. There is no way your husband or your children can ever provide the intimacy and relational satisfaction you need. A woman must have women friends.

It is here, in the realm of relationship that women receive the most joy and the profoundest sorrows. The friendships of women inhabit a terrain of great mystery. There is a fierce jealousy, a fiery devotion and a great loyalty between women friends. Our friendships flow in the deep waters of the heart where God dwells and transformation takes place. It is here, in this holy place that a woman can partner with God in impacting another and be impacted by another for lasting good. It is here that she can mother, nurture, encourage and call forth Life.

To have a woman friend is to relax into another soul and be welcomed in all that you are and all that you are not. To know that, as a woman, you are not alone. Friendships between women provide a safe place to share in the experiences of life as a woman.

(Captivating, 176-180)

Sunday Community

HIt is early morning, mid-July and hot outside. In Phoenix it is always hot at this time of year even in the morning. It seems the day starts hot and just gets hotter. The TV is on. I am listening to Tiger Woods talk about his golf game and I am reminded that I need to pray God's blessings for his life. It is Sunday morning and soon I will prepare for church. As I type this blog today I can hear my heart long for community. To be involved in community, to share my heart and to hear the heart beats of others, to love and to be loved, just the way I am, yet nudged to work on weak areas and further develop my strengths. John Maxwell in a seminar several years ago encouraged those of us in attendance to work on our strengths. He further went on to say we were not to ignore our weak areas but instead to focus on our strengths. I liked that. Most of time we are told to work on our weak areas. But Maxwell said that if our weakness was a 4 or 5 on a scale of 1-10 that if we worked hard we might get that weakness to a 5 or 6. He said instead if we worked on our strengths which might be a 6 or 7 on the scale, we could move that to a 7 or 8. Wow! The Bible says that 'iron sharpens iron' meaning other people in my life smooth me. That way as I am in community I am not only using my strengths and increasing my ability to serve God to a higher degree, I am also smoothing out those weak areas. Seems like community is the answer for me to grow in both my strengths and my weakness.

Pornography

Susie (name has been changed), I got your message today and am so grateful for what God is doing. Please take it slow and continue to know this is a process that will take time. Change for Joe will be the most difficult thing he has ever done in his life but the reward God will give him will be the greatest freedom he will ever experience. God is all about freedom which is why He sent His son to die in our place....so we could be set free! I am so proud of you...your heart is so good and full and rich. Stay focused on yourself working out with Joe what you guys have agreed to in counsel and trust God with the rest. I love you and feel your pain as well as your excitement that the future does not have to look like the past. You have sought wisdom, trusted God in it and endured to maturity in Christ. James 1. I trust one day you will be able to share your story to give hope to so many woman who are suffering under the stigma that they must be silent and endure. We need to address this issue with woman so they can be equipped, just like you to make the right decisions, to act in a forward motion towards healing and freedom.

Ministry Opportunities

We of the DMI Team really do believe God’s people want to be matured and built up in their faith in Jesus Christ.(Col 2:6&7)For over 15 years this has been our calling. We have seen the fruit of this passion as those we have trained are passing this same vision on to others. Thus DMI is about to embark on a new opportunity.

DMI has been offered 900 sq ft of newly renovated space in a retail location at the NWC of 51st Ave and Cactus through it's favor with a Christian owner. The cost to have our office in this location is approximately $300.00 per month plus electricity. DMI needs your help and we need it right away to make this move possible. If everyone who reads this blog were able to send a $100.00 donation immediately to DMI we could make this move by August 1st, 2010. The DMI Team takes no salaries nor do they profit in anyway as all donations are used for ministry purposes.

The opportunity this location provides is unlimited and we believe God has opened the door for us to expand the way we do ministry. For instance, we will offer weekly Bible Study & Discipling groups led by Betty Bublitz, myself and others along with leadership & evangelism training seminars. Also available will be weekly Christian Yoga classes, job interview training and preparing a resume. We are exploring various other ministy ideas and would be interested if you have an idea for our new facilities because we would like to hear about it.

Right now we need the following and would like to know if you would be willing to participate with us in any of these opportunities?

1-Helping us move to our new location.

2-Video/Podcast abilities to tape our events and put together short YouTube type videos

3-Host a fund raising opportunity

4-Donate a Computer & Printer

5-Volunteer bookkeeper 2-4 hours per month

6-Speakers/sound system to enhance seminars & trainings

7- 8’ Conference Table

8-Stackable chairs for meetings

9-Light Construction work to build out a 6' half wall adding a countertop with underneath shelves

10-Monthly committed givers-we can accept direct payments through your employer if you opt in for charitable contributions as most companies have this available

11-Committed prayer partners

12-Web designer/host who will get us back on the internet with an up to date site

I believe God is asking us to make the need known and take the ministry to another level & trust Him for the bounty. So that is what I am doing. Amen!

PS. DMI is a Non-Profit 501C3 ministry and we do give tax deductable receipts!

DMI
dmii@cox.net
P O Box 11300
Glendale, AZ 85318

Father's Day

When the immigration issues came to light in Arizona I found myself wanting to call my Daddy for his opinion. He lived just a few miles north of the Mexico-Arizona border outside the town of Douglas. He loved the Mexican people and traveled into Mexico often helping with a small community of Christians just on the south side of the border in a little town called Nacco, Mexico. My dad often handed out a little booklet published by Campus Crusade for Christ called "Would You Like To Know God Personally" sharing his faith even when a Highway Patrol officer stopped him for a broken tail light. That same officer was days later called to the scene of a fatal accident on Highway 91 at Grants Road where my father, for a reason we will never know, did not stop, t-boning another vehicle. The horrific accident took the life of a young mother, her mother and my father. As I walked the area of the accident, there in the dirt of the desert, was the booklet. Covered in sand I almost passed it up for discarded trash but quickly realized the dusty little booklet would become my Father's legacy. At his service, my sister and I had each page copied onto a larger page and gave it as a handout to each of the 300+ people that lined the standing room only service. My dad was not a hero, he was not even always an ideal father, but he was my daddy and I loved him....and I miss him.

Memorial Day

My, how time has whizzed by like a whirlwind since my adult children with children have informed us, the grandparents, of our duty and obligation to the annual getaway of the adult only children. To put it in a nutshell, it means we, that is the grandparents, get the opportunity, as my adult children remind me often, to babysit. Well the youngest is three so that is not really babysitting, but then again when you are approaching sixty, almost touching sixty to be exact, three years old is really close to being a baby. And so as the annual trip goes, the adult children gather together and plan for a year their adventure trip, reminding the grandparents, us, of how much fun they will have on this gathering of the brothers and sisters and how I should appreciate how much they like each other, as though that makes their plans easier to encompass for the grandparents, us, to embrace. Ha! It just makes me wonder if I truly can survive another of their annual trips of the brotherhood and sisterhood, because it means we, that is the grandparents, us, get the opportunity, there is that word again, to babysit the adult children's offspring. Don't get me wrong I love those little ones. They are a blessing to me and to my heart. They are fun and full of life. These children of my adult children light up my life and remind me of my legacy. However, and that is a very big however, I know how fully tired I will be and ready, yes very ready, to give these little ones back to my adult children when they arrive four days later. Without any regret, I will close the door behind them when they leave and collapse on the couch, a bittersweet smile on my face that the annual trip is over and yet a good time well spent for everyone!

Women In Ministry

OK...it has been a while, well maybe a long while since I have blogged however I just read a blog by Felicity Dale, co-author of The Rabbit and the Elephant, about women in ministry and it sparked my need to comment. Since I am a woman and since I am in ministry and since I believe all women and for that matter all men are in ministry as Followers of Christ I want to clarify what being a woman in ministry really means. I believe we are all called to be available to share Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit and leave the results to God. To me that is ministry and all living human beings are to do this. It was Jesus' last words on earth. However the kind of ministry I think Felicity was talking about is from a pulpit. While I am OK with a woman in the pulpit (I use this word to refer to the use of a platform which could represent a woman talking to a group)and I have had the opportunity many times myself and enjoy doing so, I believe there is a point that needs not to be missed. In the beginning, when man and woman were created and woman stepped up in leadership and led her husband into biting the apple, I believe at that time her man could have and should have covered her with something like this, "Now honey you know what God says about this. I am taking the leadership here and I am not going to eat the apple. I know you already have taken that bite, but because i love you so much and because the buck stops here as your leader, I am going to not participate in this. I love you very much however I am going to be firm in my leadership role and cover you. I know God will understand because He is a loving God." Now that is leadership magnified. I do believe as a side-note that Eve would have been covered by Adam's obedience...we will never know though will we? So with that said I think it is very important that women grab hold of the value of being an equal partner however also know the equally important value of being under the covering of their husbands. If a woman is not married God is her covering and in all things she must be diligent to seek God's counsel and the wise counsel of Godly people both men and women in her life. If a woman is married she must be under the counsel of her husband which does not matter if he is a believer or not which is a hard concept for a woman whose husband is not walking with Christ as his head. In this way all her ways will be blessed because she is not seeking the limelight for personal glory rather being in submission to God's authority as her ultimate head and then to her husband. I have more to say about this in my next post.