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posted by Robert on 03/11/07

I enjoyed spending this past week at the Indianapolis Training Center, helping Mr. Gothard and Dr. Paine as they hosted a Total Health Seminar. Even though the dates of the seminar were only finalized a few weeks in advance, a remarkable number of attendees showed up to learn how to identify the root causes of disease as opposed to simply managing symptoms with drugs. At the end of the seminar the participants radiated with gratefulness as they expressed their appreciation for all of the life-changing truths that they had learned throughout the week.

Standing atop a 10-foot ladder, I snapped the group photo to the left with a Nikon D70 on a beautifully sunny afternoon. One gentleman missed the picture so I had to Photoshop him in afterwards. Can you guess which person wasn’t really there? (Hint)

The week was a special one for me because I got to spend it with many good Training Center friends. Clayton Reedstrom, a talented culinary artist, carved a beautiful monkey out of a squash and intricate flowers from radishes in a special fruit dish for Mr. Gothard’s office. Isn’t it amazing?

This week I have been meditating on the command to rejoice, even during trials and testing. One person walked up to me during the week and asked, “How can you be so happy all the time?” It was a great opportunity to share how rejoicing is a choice and the key to joy is finding it “in the Lord” (Philippians 4:4). His goodness is definitely cause for rejoicing!

4 Comments » | posted in Ministry Reports

posted by Mom on 03/10/07

In the year 2002 my son Robert gave Don and I a book for Christmas entitled “Morning by Morning” by Charles Spurgeon. Finally last year, 2006, I decided to read this devotional guide.There was a paragraph for each day of the year with a very short, very uncommon scripture text. I found each paragraph to be a tremendous blessing to me. Through these devotionals the Lord was able to give me “the lift” I needed for each day. I have highlighted the phrases that were of special meaning to me and gone back many times when faced with a need to remember the rich insights.

One of these was the entry for Feb. 20th entitled “God, that comforteth those that are cast down” 2 Cor. 7:16. It read “And who comforteth like Him? Go to some poor, melancholy, distressed child of God; tell him sweet promises, and whisper in his ear choice words of comfort; he is like the deaf adder, he listens not to the voice of the charmer, charm he never so wisely… you will bring forth no psalm of praise, no hallelujahs, no joyful sonnets. Be let God come to His child; let Him lift up his countenance, and the mourner’s eyes glisten with hope…Christian, when thou art dry, go to God, ask Him to shed abroad His joy in thy heart, and then thy joy shall be full. Do not go to earthly acquaintances, for you will find them Job’s comforters after all; but go first and foremost to thy “God, that comforteth those that are cast down,” and you will soon say, “In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul.”

I had first heard of Charles Spurgeon from my grandfather when I was a girl. Unlike myself, my grandfather read quite a bit and I remember him always having a pile of books beside his chair and more piles in his bedroom, much to my grandmother’s chagrin. I am now, out of curiosity, reading a biography of this incredible “preacher.” Maybe later I can tell you what factors in his life contributed to his literary success.

5 Comments » | posted in Book Reports

posted by Donald on 03/8/07

Do you know the feeling you have when you find something that you have been looking for? An item you’ve lost, a certain book at the library, a puzzle piece that you’ve been searching and searching for? The Lord wants us to experience this feeling of discovery in a new way every morning!

This is our motivation for family devotions. We call this time a “Wisdom Search” because, in whatever section we read, we look for wisdom: God’s perspective on the needs of the day. We also call it a “Rhema Search” after the Greek word rhema, which describes a Biblical principle applied to a specific situation.

This year the Lord’s direction for us was to read through the books of the Bible in chronological order. It is the first time that we have followed this pattern and is very interesting to track on the timeline of history.

God’s work in history is one thing that stands out in Genesis and Exodus. He often spoke, worked, or performed a promise much sooner or much later than I would have naturally suspected Him to. It shows how our heavenly Father is neither constrained to act instantly nor oblivious to the things that go on in our lives, but continues to operate from His larger frame of reference and supply what grace and peace is needed at the time.

How grateful I am to Dad and Mom for making this a part of our daily schedule. It’s one of those things that haven’t changed since as far back as I can remember.

The first picture was from 1992. Robert is the young chap in the foreground and Daniel is the one sitting beside Dad. This picture is from this year. Daniel is the one sitting next to me and Jonathan and David (both wearing green—and younger than Daniel) are now growing up to approach Daniel and I in height. It’s great to be growing together spiritually and physically. Because of the riches there are to find in Scripture, we have the opportunity, every day, to follow the example of the 49ers and go on a Wisdom Search, seeking for wisdom as for hid treasures (Proverbs 2).

“The foundation of American life rests upon the home and the family.” (President Herbert Hoover; August, 1928)

Quick Quiz:

How many times does the Hebrew word for grace occur in the Old Testament? 4? 7? 25? About 50? About 70?

7 Comments » | posted in Family News

posted by James on 03/3/07

God distinctly declares that His ways are not our ways. He also declares that His ways are higher than our ways. (Isaiah 55:8-9) When I submit my will to His will, I die to my own ways and thus become able to follow His higher ways. This is where creativity starts! Instead of looking at problems from the same view as everyone else, it is now possible to see the same problem from a different perspective, God’s perspective. And what God does never returns void but instead brings accomplishment and prosperity. What better creativity could you have?!

I came across a good illustration of this concept not too long ago. For the Final Project of the Prizewinning Photography Continuing Education Course, I was assigned to take five pictures of one subject, three in color and two in black and white. It could be of anything. As I was thinking about it, the Rubik’s cube crossed my mind. At first, I dismissed the thought because surely it would be impossible to get five creative perspectives of it. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized it was a good idea. When I had taken the final five pictures, I was thinking that it would have been fun if I was assigned to take ten! It really is amazing the creativity you can have with such a simple object as the Rubik’s cube.

This is just a reminder that even the smallest things can be seen from many different perspectives.

4 Comments » | posted in Photography