Donna Schuller's Blog

Renew Your Mind For A New You

2012-01-18T10:41:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you but most days I feel like technology has a huge influence on me!   That's why I practice and I stress to others the importance of time alone without the distractions of phones, t.v., internet, radio, or anything that prevents us from an undisturbed time of self-reflection, prayer, and meditation. For some of you that word "meditation" might throw up some red flags but let me assure you that I am only refering to the silent moments where we wait for God to speak to us.   Prayer is great but sometimes I think we might try to talk God's ear off and thus we can never hear his answers. Of course I pray but the next step for me is to meditate and wait for an answer.   This isn't always easy because I have my own agenda and besides that I don't always receive the answers I want. Often I hear no answers at all.

   In my last writing I focused on the body. Today I want to focus on the mind.   There are so many sayings when it comes to the mind so I thought I'd add a little levity and list a few. Feel free to comment and add more as you please! Here goes:

Keep in mind that I am not always right and most often I need to be in the state of mind to write. Hopefully you will keep an open mind when reading as I know that sometimes I may seem out of my mind because most days I have a lot on my mind. My goal is to attract like-minded individuals so we can grow together in body, mind, and spirit. If we can strive to be of one mind I know we can help inspire and motivate others. I realize that we are sometimes double-minded and thus we can give each other a piece of our mind but the goal is to always have a meeting of the minds on this blog. You can change your mind as to whether or not you want to read it but please be mindful that we are all individuals and entitled to our opinions.   Never mind that I won't always say what you need to hear but please bear in mind that I try to be sincere and honest. I need to put to mind that not all of you will read all my blogs but if I set my mind on not including too much mind-boggling information I am sure that it will help with the mind-set of us all. If you change your mind after reading this ridiculously silly paragraph, at least know that I am not on any mind-altering, mind-blowing, mind-bending substances. I am trying to take your mind's off of negative, self-destructive thoughts and help you to set your minds on productive, God-inspired blessings. Yes, to change you mind-set so that in your mind's-eye you may begin to believe how great the father's love is for you! (please don't mind me for this craziness!)

"...be transformed by the renewing of your mind, then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing, and perfect will." Romans 12-2b

To be transformed is to change your personality or character; your deep and inner-self. To make, new, fresh, young, strong; or to give spiritual strength to, to re-establish, to revive, to begin again, to become a new person. In science it is related to the word transmute which means "a change in basic nature that seems almost miraculous." I found this definition to be most interesting since I'm sure that many of us have known a person who seemed to have changed overnight (miraculously). I believe this is one of God's amazing mysteries, that he has the power to change anything, anytime, in the blink of an eye. For most of us however change is a process which takes time and determination.   This is why I say it is so important to spend time in solitude and deep thought; to get away from all gadgets and entertaining distractions. If you want to transform your mind I think you need to "pray like it all depends on God and then go to work like it all depends on you."   Martin Luther

It's a new year and it can be a new you as long as you are willing to put in the time.   As I said last week, we are body, mind, and spirit.   What part of your mind do you need to change or improve on? Write down your goals for self-improvement and personal growth in the area of your emotions. Until you get those in check you will seriously impede your ability to have good physical health. This will also affect your spiritual life. How you feel about yourself and others will influence how you feel about God and vice-versa.

Start spending time alone today. Start with five minutes if that's all you have, or if that's all you can handle. You can add five minutes a day (or a week) until you spend at least twenty to thirty minutes alone each day.   Take your Bible with you and also a pad of paper and a pen. Be open to what you might hear or what actions you might take as a result of this time alone.   You will be amazed at how much you will learn about yourself by doing this very simple thing.

It's a new year so make it a new you!

God is blessing you. Donna

New Year, New You!

2012-01-09T20:20:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

What is the best thing that happened to you in 2011? What are you most looking forward to in 2012?

You can ask any one of our four kids and they will tell you that this question was a focal point each New Year's Eve or Day for as long as they can remember.    These questions encourage a great time of sharing and I urge you to try it. Since we just recently saw in the new year there's plenty of time even now!

If you noticed I didn't ask "what is the worst or most painful thing that happened in 2011" I also didn't ask you what kinds of hurdles you have to jump over in order to make 2012 a great year.   Often it is so much easier for us to look back and come up with our gripes and negative memories. Many of us were taught to focus on what we don't want in the future and this can easily sabotage what we do want! What is it you are thankful for? What is it you most want to accomplish?   Focus on what you do want, not on what you don't want. It's a habit that at first may be difficult to embrace, but once you adopt it it you will find that you will experience more of God's blessings in all areas of life.

I am a nutritionist and one of the things I love to do is to give workshops to groups of people. I'm giving one tomorrow. I prefer this to one on one coaching because I really like the interaction that I get with a group. We've all heard that there's strength in numbers and I have found this to be true in many ways. Although my workshops focus on nutrition and physical health I make it a point to let people know that health is much more than taking care of the physical body. In order to have good health we must strive for a balance in body, mind, and spirit (soul). When discussing exercise and nutrition I tell people that they are spiritual beings on a human journey and thus they need to make sure that their spiritual health is in order. The same goes for emotional health. I don't believe you can be whole unless you examine the mind and address the issues in your emotional catch-basins which have been filling up for years. (I don't need to go into unhealthy food habits and if you want to learn about toxic relationships with food please go to angiewyatt.com and read her latest blogs-they are great)

Remember to plan what you will do this day, this week, this month, and this year! Although it is a very old saying, I adhere to: "if you are failing to plan you are planning to fail."

1) Make a list of your goals. Divide them into physical, spiritual, emotional
2) Do a detox.   This should include embracing new and healthy habits: body, mind, and spirit. Clean up your eating habits, start or improve your exercise, put all negative, doubt-creating messages out of your mind, pray and ask God how you can improve on this and how you can grow closer to him. Concentrate and write down what you will do. Do not dwell on what you won't do.
3) Get an accountability partner and share your New Year's Goals with them. Make sure you choose someone who you can really trust. Ideally someone you look up to or admire.
4) Write an action plan and place it where you will see it several times a day. Be intentional about sticking to it! Example: if you tell yourself that you are going to work out three days a week make sure you plan that time around your work, family and social life. Willpower can only go so far! If you do not have a scheduled time for workouts, prayer time, and self-reflection (mental time) you may be taken off track and off guard easily! Write down realistic goals in this action plan and pray about it daily.

   Eat food as close to the way that God made it as possible. Choose natural, certified organic, and hormone-free whenever possible.   Limit your intake of dairy and red meat. Instead eat more wild fish and range-free chicken. It you are a meat eater build your diet as close to vegetarian as possible. Eat your vegetables raw when you can. Eat a raw vegetable or low sugar fruit at every meal.
Take quality supplements that have been certified and tested by third party scientific studies.
Get your inflammation under control. (if you have a lot of aches and pains this is inflammation which could be caused by food allergies like a reaction to gluten.) Inflammation can also cause skin problems, asthma, heart problems and more.

The above is a brief outline that I will share in my January workshops. If you are local and would like to attend one they are held at Living Fitness in Newport Coast.   To sign-up you can call: 949-640-2300 or go to: www.livingfitnessoc.com

2012 can be what you make it. Be intentional. Be loving. Be thoughtful. Be kind. Be appreciative. Find a purpose. Expect the best in people and in yourself.

"Every moment comes to you pregnant with a divine purpose. Once you do with it as you please, it plunges into eternity, to remain forever what you made it."

Fulton Sheen

What will you make of 2012?   Cherish each moment. Be careful what you do with them.

"The body is a unit, although it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body....if one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it."    1 Corinthians 12:12 & 26

God is blessing you.    Donna

Merry Christmas Season!

2011-12-04T23:03:00.001-08:00

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Crystal Cathedral Goes To The Diocese of Orange

2011-11-18T12:46:00.000-08:00

Hello Friends,

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and my ways are not your ways, declares the Lord"

I promised many of you that I would post something about the sale of the church as soon as I had something to post.

Judge approves Crystal Cathedral sale to diocese

By AMY TAXIN

SANTA ANA, Calif.

A federal judge has approved the sale of the Crystal Cathedral to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange to help the financially struggling church emerge from bankruptcy.

U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Robert N. Kwan approved the sale at a hearing in Santa Ana on Thursday.

The decision came after a bidding war between the diocese and Orange County's Chapman University for the 40-acre property in Garden Grove.

The diocese plans to use the site for a countywide cathedral, which means Crystal Cathedral congregants will need to move to a new location.

Chapman had wanted to use the site to expand its health sciences offerings and possibly start a medical school.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

The board of directors of Crystal Cathedral Ministries announced Thursday that its preferred buyer for the megachurch's campus is the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange.

The announcement came just before a bankruptcy court hearing at which a judge was expected to decide between competing offers from the diocese and Chapman University.

The Catholic diocese wants the property for a cathedral of its own, while the university would use it to expand educational programs.

A board statement said it preferred terms of the $57.5 million Catholic bid for the Orange County cathedral, longtime home of the "Hour of Power" broadcast.

"The Catholic plan allows Crystal Cathedral ministry full and exclusive use of the Crystal Cathedral and the majority of the property for three years," it said.

In addition, the Family Life Center would be available for 18 months while temporary solutions are found to house programs for children and youth.

U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Robert N. Kwan has said he believes the bids from Chapman University and the diocese are both feasible options, and asked the Crystal Cathedral's board to state its preferred buyer at Thursday's hearing. The board previously favored the university's bid, which was raised Wednesday to $59 million.

Some Crystal Cathedral members fear their church will dwindle if the 40-acre grounds are sold to the diocese and they must move to a new location. They noted that congregants emptied their pockets to help build the elaborate building and many planned to be buried in the nearby cemetery.

Others fear the broadcast that funds 70 percent of the church's revenue will lose viewers if moved to a different, less striking setting.

"That's our church -- the Crystal Cathedral. We bought and paid for it," said Bob Canfield, a 73-year-old general contractor who joined the church five years ago. "We feel like we've been raped of our ministry."

For many congregants at the Crystal Cathedral, the church building designed by renowned architect Philip Johnson and made up of 10,000 panes of glass has become intertwined with the church's identity.

"They're no different than any other business. They have to market themselves, and they have a particular branding and they've put all their eggs in that basket," said Richard Flory, director of research at University of Southern California's Center for Religion and Civic Culture. "That would be a difficult transition for them to make."

Rev. Robert H. Schuller started the Southern California ministry as a drive-in church in the 1950s under the auspices of the Reformed Church in America. Decades later, the church evolved into an international televangelism empire and erected its now-famous building.

In 2008, the church's revenues plummeted amid a decline in donations and ticket sales for holiday pageants due to the recession, (church officials said.) But some experts say the church failed to attract younger members while alienating older churchgoers with an ill-fated attempt to turn the church over to Schuller's son, ending in a bitter and public family feud.

The church laid off employees and cut salaries, but its debts surpassed $43 million, prompting the Crystal Cathedral to declare bankruptcy last year.

Some congregants at the Crystal Cathedral said losing their church would be a sign of failure of the ministry's leadership and they wouldn't follow its leaders to a new site. (end of article)

**If I were to re-write the highlighted pargraph it would read something like: "On July 9, 2008 in an "emergency board meeting" called by Dr. Robert H. Schuller, and with a few key board members "out-of-town or unavailable to attend", the Board of Directors for the Hour of Power decided to give control of the ministry to Jim Penner, husband of Dr. Robert H. Schuller's youngest daughter, Gretchen. As a result, Mr. Penner, in a single-handed decision, separated Pastor Robert A. Schuller from the global congregation by taking him off the air of the Hour of Power telecast. Even so, Pastor Schuller continued preaching to the local Crystal Cathedral congregation each Sunday through the beginning of the fall season. Mr. Penner then told him he could no longer use the pulpit of the Crystal Cathedral on Sunday mornings. Once that happened there was little hope left for a significant relationship between pastor and parishioners. After three months of trying to restore the church's local consistory board's authority, and after dead-end negotiations with the family members, it became clear that Pastor Robert A.Schuller was left no other choice but to resign. Unfortunately for the ministry Pastor Schuller's book, "Leaning Into God When Life Is Pushing You Away" was released about the same time as his departure and it had been slated as the major fundraising gift for the fall 2008 Hour of Power season. This book was anxiously anticipated as it followed on the heels of his New York Times bestseller, "Walking In Your Own Shoes." Key staff people, many of them adored pastors and mentors, or experts in financial accountability and leadership, including Dr. Jim Poit and his dedicated staff, were let go without considering further serious ramifications. Month after month the ministry continued it's rapid decline without ever once repenting of or correcting the mistakes being made. Prior to the careless and foolish decisions of July 2008 the ministry had embraced a bright future as highly recognized and prepared for years, Pastor Robert A. Schuller continued his father's uplifting, hope-filled, traditional, Christ-centered ministry which Dr. Robert H. Schuller had birthed over 50 years before. Partnering with Dr. Jim Poit, a graduate of Princeton Seminary and St. Andrew's, Pastor Robert A. Schuller and Dr. Poit had been building an incredibly capable and wise staff worthy of their calling in so many ways. Adding to the church's problems, Pastor Robert A. Schuller's untimely removal from the televised church service happened suddenly, without any proper or formal announcement, thus causing worldwide concern for Pastor Schuller's health. Rumors circulated that he "must have cancer", or maybe "he had been unfaithful to his wife". "Why else would a faithful congregation be left in the dark?" The ministry's income plummeted as thousands of letters and emails began pouring into the ministry and into the media, week after week, month after month. Still church "leadership" gave no answers as to why the people's pastor, Robert A. Schuller, had suddenly vanished from their screens after 32 continuous years on the Hour of Power; the last two and a half years as their senior pastor. Contributing to the confusion and to the ministry's downturn was that only a couple of years had passed since hundreds of dinners had been hosted nationwide where multiple generations of church members had given standing ovations of support as Dr. Robert H. Schuller asked the question, "would they would support his son as the new senior pastor?" ...And then we experienced the worst economy in decades. This proved to be too much for the un-experienced, "correspondence course pastors" and other leadership that was driving the ministry off a cliff, since that fateful day of July 9, 2008. In October of 2009 the "leadership" filed for bankruptcy protection... and the rest is history.

Still in all, God will restore what man has neglected and driven away.  God is in the restoration business!  I woke up with a heavy heart yesterday and I believe I was somehow divinely directed to thes verses.  I have been pondering the whole idea of being a remnant lately and all the remnants in my life that have formed the whole.  A remnant is a leftover, a scrap of a bigger whole.  There is a lot left over so let's all do something great with our future.

Jeremiah 23:1-4

"Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture! declares the Lord. Therefore this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to the shepherds who tend my people: Because you have scattered my flock and driven them away and have not bestowed care on them, I will bestow punishment on you for the evil you have done. I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and will bring them back to their pasture where they will be fruitful and increase in number. I will place shepherds over them who will tend them, and they will no longer be afraid or terrified, nor will any be missing declares the Lord."

Remember to always count what you have left. Never count what you have lost. Be thankful this Thanksgiving.

God is blessing you always. Donna

A Time For Everything

2011-11-13T09:44:00.000-08:00

"We are called to know God, not his plans." Isaiah 55:8,9

Hi Everyone,
I know that it has been too long since I have blogged! You can attribute it to stress, "writer's block",   traveling, too many changes, or any of the above.
Most of you know what is transpiring at the Crystal Cathedral and that has certainly contributed to my somewhat solemn mood. By tomorrow the fate of that landmark ministry will be determined by the bankruptcy court.   I think that's the real reason I haven't felt like blogging. The situation is just one more reminder of all we have gone through over the past three and a half years. One bad decision after another has led to the decision that will take place tomorrow.
I feel for those of you who are feeling grief and pain at the loss of what once was.    We still get regular messages via phone calls, letters, and emails asking us "when is Robert A. going to return and help restore the church?" First of all you must remember that my husband did not leave without trying to save the church.   There was not a great choice given after he was removed from The Hour Of Power; and you might not know that he kept preaching to the local church until he was told that he could no longer preach in the CC on Sunday mornings. For over three years the answer to the question people still pose is the same as it has always been: "if there is proper governance installed and if The Penners and The Colemans step down, then, and only then would Robert even consider a formal call to return as the pastor." And, after tomorrow, who knows what will be left of the church, which is already down to a local congregation of a little more than a couple of hundred (from what we hear).
Robert and I both experienced the same feelings that a lot of you are just now experiencing after we realized that our gifts and calling were no longer appreciated, wanted, or needed at the ministry and which led to our ultimate departure. It has been enough time now that the real heart-piercing feelings of betrayal and abandonment that accompanied that departure brought to us have begun to heal. We have tried our best to move-on but with all the media hype and all the reminders of what we considered our life's calling, it has been a very difficult thing to do. This being said, we are with you all in prayer as the decision is made tomorrow.
Remember that no matter what happens, there is comfort in knowing that God is in the plans even though we don't understand. Like the scripture above says, knowing God is something we are called to do. Keep loving him and getting to know him better day by day.    Knowing his plans however is not something that we are supposed to guess at. Prayerfully facing each day and trusting God with the outcome is what continues the cycle of hope and healing in our lives.   Always remember that there is a time for everything and a purpose for all of it.

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:

A time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,

a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,

a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones together,

a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

a time to search and a time to give up,

a time to keep and a time to throw away,

a time to tear and a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak,

a time to love and a time to hate,

a time for war and a time for peace.

.....He has made everything beautiful in it's time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of man yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end."

Ecclesiastes 3: 1-11

May you find peace and comfort in what God has planned for the future.

God is blessing you. Donna

Homeland Security

2011-09-11T13:39:00.000-07:00

"What is my only comfort (security) in life and in death? That I am not my own, but belong body and soul, in life and in death-to my faithful savior Jesus Christ." The Heidelberg Catechism

As we ponder the great tragedy that struck the USA ten years ago today, let us all remember that throughout history there have been both natural and the unthinkable humanly caused disasters. We must further remember that we are all going to die some day. It's not so important how or when we will die: what is important is how we choose to live.

There is a rainbow at the end of every storm, only sometimes we can't see it.

May God continue to strengthen and heal all the 9/11 families and friends. I pray that each of us would hold on to the memory by appreciating each and every day we have. There is still a lot of good in this world so concentrate on that. Get involved with something great! Go out and make a difference.

"Finally, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is praiseworthy--think about such things....put all of this to practice, and the God of peace will be with you always." Philipians 4:8,9

God is blessing you. Donna

A Summer To Remember

2011-08-31T17:11:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends and Blog followers,
Let me start by saying "wheeuuww"! We've almost made it through the summer here in the Northern Hemisphere. I thought I would give you an update and fill you in on what Robert and I have been up to.

A couple's prayer for Christina and Chad at their wedding reception.

For those of you who also follow us on Facebook you've more than likely seen that our daughter, Christina got married on August 21st! What a great day it was, beginning with a lovely service in our own Laguna Presbyterian Church here in Laguna Beach, which happens to be the place where I attended Sunday school as a child. Robert was father of the bride and walked her down the aisle, Dr. Robert H. read a scripture which Christina had selected, and her brother, Bobby conducted the service and pronounced them husband and wife. Afterwards we enjoyed a beautiful and very lively reception at our friends, Mindy and Glenn Stearns' house in Pelican Hill, Newport Coast. All in all it was a perfect day filled with love and the many blessings of God.

Crazy enough, twenty-four hours later Robert and I were on a plane bound for Mongolia where we spent a week participating in a global peace convention and festival. The main purpose of this particular peace conference was to set the stage for a meeting between North and South Korea in November. Mongolia is positioned to mediate this next gathering as they have diplomatic relations with both Koreas. It is anticipated that our next meeting with take place in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang. We are hoping and praying that we can make a difference in not only helping people find inner peace, but with helping to facilitate what is surely on God's heart, and that is to encourage peace in all corners of the globe. For more information you can go to their website at globalpeacefestival.org

Robert and I in front of "Great Hall, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade"

Me speaking on "Family As The Foundation For Peace"

Upon returning home a day and a half ago, we have moved out of the apartment we were staying in and back into our home. There is something really great about sleeping in your own bed after being away for seven weeks! We have also launched a very exciting project! We have opened our home for "spiritual retreats". We look forward to hosting retreats for 1-4 people where we will help people grow closer to God in body, mind, and spirit. As many of you might recall, this is what we did for years at Rancho Capistrano with our "Possibility Living Seminars." As an ordained pastor with years of life experience Robert is well-positioned to shepherd, mentor, and counsel. As a certified nutritional consultant and a family systems student and teacher for the past twenty years, I know I am prepared to help people with their physical issues such as diet and exercise as well as joining my husband in counseling and mentoring. Both of us also have a passion, a desire, and the experience to help individuals with family disharmony, business or financial struggles, grief, dealing with children, and other challenging issues. We want to help people make sense of it all and more importantly find peace and wholeness through the process. For more information on our retreat go to airbnb.com Type in "Laguna Beach" and then "Robert A. Schuller Spiritual...."below on the right.

The beach is a great place for spiritual reflection

I don't know what most of you are facing today or what challenges you are dealing with. What I can assure you of is this: whatever you are dealing with, God will get you through it. I am convinced and certain that the promises of God are real and you can count on them. I say this as one who has experienced the death of my father when I was a child, a divorce in my 20s, marrying Robert and helping him to raise his two plus our two, a life-threatening illness of a daughter, and finally the betrayal of close family members. These are only the heartaches and disappointments that come to mind immediately. I know that a lot of you have lived through similar situations and have experienced personal growth in wisdom and patience having survived them. So have I. This is a perfect example of God's message of hope and restoration!
In the new testament book of Peter, chapter one, verses 10 and 11 it is written:
"And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast."
Remember that we cannot count on things happening in our own timing but if we continue to rely and trust in God, in his timing all will be made right... somehow, some way.
Remember...God is blessing you. Donna

Moving, Weddings, etc!!

2011-07-26T08:58:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends!
I have received many emails asking if we are okay and the answer is "yes"!   This summer has proved to be yet another season of transition and adjustment.   We have rented out our family home for "summer rental" (the much needed cash flow was just too good to pass up!) and our daughter Christina is getting married on August 21st! Needless to say it is a bit chaotic in the Schuller household these days!
We continue to feel so fortunate and blessed as Robert's media business continues to grow in many healthy ways. We have also taken on or continue to be involved in several projects locally and globally.    Locally we are involved in training and leadership for a new anti-oxidant energy drink company called Xsera. Both locally and internationally I continue to broker telecommunications, gas and electricity. I also continue to coach individuals in body, mind, and spirit health through my nutritional coaching practice.
Robert and I both leave for our next Global Peace Festival, this year in Mongolia, a day and a half after the wedding! There we will once again espouse conflict resolution as we encourage and help facilitate peace-building efforts among the world's main religions.
The most exciting project that we plan on launching this September is our private spiritual retreats for 1-4 persons, all in the privacy of our own home! Both Robert and myself will be offering one-on-one counseling sessions, leadership and mentoring training, marriage and friendship renewal, financial advice, and complete body, mind, and spirit restoration. I will even cook you a healthy continental breakfast each day! You can check out our listing on airbnb.com ..."Robert A. Schuller Spiritual"
Of course we continue to attend our son Bobby's church and encourage his efforts with The St. Patrick Project as we enjoy our darling grandbaby, Haven.
Please continue to pray for us as we do for you.
Change is not easy but a necessary part of life.   No change=no growth. I believe with all my heart that each detour of our plans and every challenge we face avails us the opportunity for character building. It also helps teach us awareness and deep appreciation for the many blessings around us every day.
If you too are experiencing a season of change I encourage you to make a list of all of your blessings. This includes your family and friends, opportunities, your job, your personal possessions, or anything that you have in life. Make sure the list is at least one page, single-spaced. Post it where you can read it each morning. Remember to thank God for how much you have... never dwell on what you have lost.

              Christina and I at a Christmas party 2010

"We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God, not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character, and character hope. And hope does not disappoint us..."   Romans 5:2-5
Always hold on to hope.   Good things are just around the corner!
God is blessing you.   Donna

Robert's New Book

2011-06-09T18:45:00.001-07:00

When You're Down To Nothing, God is UP to Something

2011-06-01T12:13:00.000-07:00

Preaching at a church in Kenya. November 2010

When You're Down to Nothing; God is Up to Something

Written By Robert A. Schuller

Delivered on the HOP as his last sermon there ever on 08/31/08

I concluded last week's message with words that I want to begin my message with today. These words exemplify everything about the story that I want you to take with you today. The words are: When you're down to nothing God is up to something! That is something that is important for us to realize. I'm going to tell you a story today and I will begin by setting the stage and setting the situation. I am going to tell you of a law in the Old Testament in the fifteenth chapter of the Book of Leviticus. It reads as follows: "When a woman has a discharge of blood for many days at a time other than her monthly period she will be unclean. Any bed she lies on will be unclean and anything she sits on will be unclean. Whoever touches them will be unclean. He must wash his clothes and bathe with water and he will be unclean till evening." (Leviticus 15: 25-27) In the book of Mark, Chapter 5 we read: "A large crowd followed and pressed around Jesus. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had. Yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus she came up behind him and touched his cloak because she thought if I just touch his clothes I'll be healed. Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him and he turned around to the crowd and said, 'Who touched my clothes?' The disciples said,'You see the people crowded around you and yet you ask who touched me?' But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and trembled in fear and told him the whole truth. He said to her, 'Daughter your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.'

She heard about Jesus. She believed that Jesus could heal her. She acted in faith and she received her healing. It begins with the fact that she heard the word about Jesus as it started spreading around Syria and around Galilee and throughout the region. People would come from miles and miles to receive some kind of a healing and they were being healed! This woman heard about Jesus. She heard about the fact that he could possibly heal her and it was her last hope. She was down to nothing. She spent everything she had on doctors and trying to get well, but to no avail. She was down to nothing. When you're down to nothing God is up to something! She heard about Jesus and she had a glimmer of hope.

There was a group of frogs who decided to have a race and on the race they decided they were going to climb this high tower. So the word got out that the frogs were racing and all the frogs of the whole world came to watch this amazing feat as they scaled this tower. As they started racing up the tower everyone started saying, "It's impossible for anyone to reach the top of that tower," and others said, "Look at them, they can't possibly succeed; they are going to fail." One by one they would fall and the other frogs would shout, "Oh there goes another one! We knew it couldn't happen. It's impossible." One by one they all fell except for one frog that made it to the top. Having made it to the top they interviewed him. They came up to him and they said, "Where did you find the strength to get up to the top of the tower?" He said, "What? I'm sorry I can't hear you. I'm deaf." The frog never heard that it was impossible. He never heard that others were failing. He never heard anything except he saw his goal. He heard that they were going to have a race to the top and that's all he heard. He didn't hear the negative; he just saw his goal and he reached for his goal. He succeeded.

What do you hear today? When you have nothing and you are down to nothing what do you hear? Do you hear the voices that say, "You are nothing and there is no hope." Or do you hear that there is possibly a means and a way to succeed? Can you hear that God is up to something? If you can hear that you can pull yourself out of any hole that you find yourself in today. There is nothing that is impossible with God. Absolutely nothing.

The woman heard that Jesus was around. She believed. She believed that if she could get close enough to him to touch his garment, she would be healed. Now think about that for a moment. Let me tell you about the law again. The law said: Whoever touches them will be unclean. He must wash his clothes and bathe with water and he will be unclean till evening. And what's her plan? She's going to go and touch him. Tell me that isn't gutsy! She knows he is not going to touch her because he's a rabbi he's not going to touch her. But maybe she can touch him and maybe that will work. She believed it. St. Paul tells us in Corinthians that we live by faith and not by sight. We live by faith.

So many people say, "I'll believe it when I see it." If we wait to see it to believe you're going to be waiting a long time because the sight comes to those who believe and when you believe it then you'll see it. This past week I had the privilege of going and listening to an oilman you might be familiar with. His name is T. Boon Pickens and he calls himself an oilman and an entrepreneur and a geologist. One of the things I heard him say as he was addressing a group of about 280 people was that he has dug a lot of wells. He said not all the wells that he dug were successful. He hit a lot of dry wells, but he believed in every one. He would never dig a well that he didn't believe in. But he said, "I hit enough of them. I hit some. But if I never believed and never dug how many would I have hit?" He would never have hit a single well if he didn't try them.

Believe. When you believe you will see it. The woman heard, she believed and she acted. Somehow she was able to press through the crowd. It was really crowded because even the disciples couldn't figure out what in the world he was talking about and she touched the hem of his garment. Now the hems of the garments that Jesus wore were probably not what you envision. The pictures you see that depict the dress of Christ are probably not very accurate. One of the things we know is that Jesus always wore a prayer shawl. Every conservative, orthodox Jew to this day wears the prayer shawl. That would have been one of the things that Jesus would have worn. Chances are she touched the actual tassels on his prayer shawl. The prayer shawl is called a tallith. Chances are she touched one of those four tassels. Every prayer shawl has four tassels on it. Those tassels are to remind them of the power of God reaching the four corners of the earth; having the ability to do anything. So if she can touch the tassel of his prayer shawl she could be healed. She squeezed through the crowd. She touched it.

I watched a video the other day, which was a spoof on the Tom Hanks movie, "The Castaway." Are you familiar with that movie? In The Castaway, Tom Hanks is lost for several years. He was traveling on a FedEx plane which crashed and there are all these FedEx packages around the island. Finally Tom Hanks is rescued and there is a package he decided he was going to bring back to a woman. He brings the package to the woman and says, "I've been stranded on an island for all these years and I wanted to deliver your package to you. Well that's the spoof on Tom Hanks. The video I saw shows this man walking up to this door and he has a big long beard. It looks like he has just got off the island, but he has a FedEx shirt on and he is holding a FedEx box and he hands the FedEx box to this lady. She opens it up right away and inside the box was a satellite phone, fishing hooks and fishing line and a lighter, etc., and she kept pulling things out of the box that could have made life so much more comfortable for him while he was stranded on the island.

The question I have for you is this. How many FedEx packages are sitting around your feet and you've never opened them? You're down to nothing and God sends you blessings but you don't have enough faith to open the box. Respond to the blessing that God is giving you. Inside is everything you need to give you the hope and vision, and a map to give you the direction to climb from nothing to something! She heard it. She believed it. She acted and she received it. She was healed and Jesus felt the power leave him and he whirled around and he said, "Who touched me?" Seeing the woman he said, "Your faith has made you well go in peace."

She was healed. She was healed in every way, which then opened the door so she could go to her temple. She wasn't able to go to her temple for twelve years. She wasn't able to touch anyone for twelve years. She wasn't able to embrace her husband, her children, and her grandchildren. She wasn't able to embrace her parents, her friends. She was totally cut off from society in every way. Physically she was healed, which then healed her socially and at the same time healed her spiritually. Jesus said to her, "Go forth in peace."

Today I encourage you to come before God in prayer. Wherever your needs are, whatever your frustrations are today just remember this: When you're down to nothing God is up to something. As a result of that God is going to bless us in some way. We just need to open our ears and hear. Open our hearts and believe. Open our hands and act. Open our hearts and receive. Receive His blessings today. He wants to heal you spiritually, emotionally and physically. God is in the process of doing that all the time.

So I encourage you to pray. I pray for hundreds of people every week. I receive hundreds of prayer cards every week. I go online and I pray for people on our website and I can't begin to tell you how many people are struggling financially, physically, relationally. This woman in the scripture had lost everything to doctors. She'd lost her health. She'd lost her relationships. She was lost spiritually. However, she had enough faith to simply reach out and everything changed. The same thing will be true with you. If you will reach out to Jesus in prayer everything will change. Because when you're down to nothing God is up to something. Don't ever forget it. Carry it with you always and remember this story.

Dear God, we thank you that you are in the process of bringing healing and hope and goodness to people's lives today tomorrow and always. Help us to hear your message and to believe and to act accordingly so that we will receive the bounties and the blessings that you have for us. We love you, God. Amen.

Robert A. Schuller-"When You Are Down To Nothing, God Is Up To Something" Part 1

2011-05-24T14:27:00.000-07:00

As I had hoped, Robert has committed to blogging about his latest book which is scheduled to be released in September! I am so happy that he "is back" albeit a very different format. This is my first time publishing his video so please be patient as I have not yet mastered the audio edit!! The good news is that I can only get better as I learn!

I know that the title"When You Are Down To Nothing, God Is Up To Something" is so timely for so many of us. Times are tougher than ever in my life time. I am convinced that Robert will minister to many with this video blog. Please join in the conversation and feel safe to share what trials you face or anything else you want to share. Remember-God is blessing you always, Donna

Mother's Legacy

2011-05-10T15:11:00.000-07:00

My mom and I in Caesarea of Phillipi May 2010

We recently celebrated Mother's Day in the USA and this year I spent a length of time reflecting on the many blessings that my mom has passed down to me. It's so easy to focus on what one didn't have but if you are a functioning and healthy individual then there's a lot for you to be aware of and be thankful for. Find time to focus on at least one good thing about your life, specifically your childhood, and discover how to look at life with new and appreciative eyes.
From my earliest memory mom always got up and cooked my brother and I breakfast. And I mean always! This wasn't just something to put in our stomachs, this was a well-balanced and healthy meal consisting of protein and complex carbohydrates, accompanied by fresh-squeezed juice or a half a fresh grapefruit; and of course our daily vitamins! Since studying food and becoming a nutritionist several years back (imagine why!) I have asked her how she knew what to feed us and how she figured out things such as, butter is better than margarine, whole wheat is better than white bread, a bit of protein is essential at every meal as is something raw (fruit, veggies, or anything providing live enzymes) Of course we had to eat everything on the plate too "because there were starving children in other parts of the world"... As a result, one value she passed on to me was to never be wasteful.    We didn't struggle with weight issues because the food was nutrient dense and once we finished our chores (my main one was ironing...yuck!)   we "played"outside instead of watching television, using computers, cell phones, or any other electronic devices that may have caused us to be lazy. Laziness was never tolerated! We weren't allowed soft drinks except on rare occasion during family pizza nights. We also had to ask if we wanted to snack in between meals. She also knew that we needed at least 8 hours of sleep and she firmly enforced a bedtime for more years than I want to tell you about! We weren't allowed to watch more than a few hours of t.v. a week, while sitting at least five feet from the television so as not to wreck our eyes and our overall health (how did she know about electro-magnetic fields back then?!) And, believe it or not, my mom put out which clothes we were allowed to wear to school until I was in the 6th grade. One time when mom was working out of town I convinced my Grandma that it was okay for me to wear my new, fringed, white leather moccasins to school. This was not at all true because Mom did not consider those to be appropriate school clothing. I thought I would get away with the trickery until it rained that day and I ruined my moccasins. Of course mom found out and not only did I lose them to damage but I also was grounded for a week as a result of disobeying her.
All of these family guidelines and rituals were intentional and I've implemented plenty of them while raising my own children but there's another type of legacy that was passed on to me. This includes values and habits that mom really didn't talk about but instead modeled. Intrinsic, non-negotiable core values and a deep sense of commitment that I rely on even today when times in life get tough and I feel like running away!
My mom was a single mom through most of my teenage years. My dad was killed in a car accident when I was just thirteen and my brother only ten. After that tragic event I watched her expand her skills, roll up her sleeves, and get to work in whatever ways necessary in order to keep meals on the table, our mortgage paid, and good clothes on our backs. She never rested and she certainly didn't ever feel sorry for herself. I now appreciate that it was a very difficult time for such a young woman whose children had lost their Dad but she showed us daily how very much we had left.
From sun up to sundown, her work ethic was second to none. Her strength of character in speaking the truth in love was not always appreciated but as I get older I know that mom has never been one to talk behind someones back, instead she will always tell it to their face!   She sewed the most beautiful and stylish dresses for almost every one of my high school dances and she often hosted the pre-dance dinner party in our home, setting the tables with her best china and spending hours preparing and serving the food. I will never forget her "cherries jubilee" desert that she so lovingly prepared one year.
All of this work ethic and true grit as such a young mom too. She was only sixteen when she married my dad and just eighteen when I was born.   At thirty-one she was left alone to raise two young children who would soon turn into mischevious teenagers. The trials we put her through must have been really difficult to face alone. I know I had a full-time husband around when I was raising my children and even then it was never easy.
I watched mom persevere and never quit. She worked full-time and did whatever she could to support us and she never did anything less than excellent.   She read Christian self-help books and taught us about being positive and always looking for the best in people. She strove for greatness, as she does to this day.
I'm sure she spent many painful nights suffering alone or questioning God in the quietness of her room, but she never burdened us with her sadness. Instead she put on an "I can conquer anything" attitude, and she did! She gave selflessly to my brother and I and we always new we were loved. Through it all, every day, bright and early, exhausted from work or not, she faithfully cooked our great breakfast, squeezed and poured our juice and made sure we took our vitamins.
What a legacy...what a mom! Thank you God.
He is blessing you!   Donna

"Churchgoers More Likely to Become Obese"

2011-03-31T18:20:00.000-07:00

Okay...now I KNOW that there will be a lot of you who will not like this article which was sent to me so I'm writing this first before you scroll down to read it!
Several years ago when my nutritional coaching extended to the church I discovered that as long as I didn't 'touch' people's Sunday donuts they would listen to what I had to say!
Interesting that eating disorders are rampant in the church because over-eating as opposed to excessive drinking, drug abuse, gambling, sex addiction and pornography, is somehow acceptable addictions although a person with a "food problem" may be suffering just as bad as the rest.   This is frequently a terrible situation because addiction is addiction and it needs to be addressed.   If a person is dealing with an addiction there is an underlying issue causing that addiction which needs to be treated so the person can get well in order to fulfill God's purpose for their life. What better place should there be than the church to safely deal with and heal from that addiction? Unfortunately in most cases the whole eating junk food thing has become part of church culture and for many food can be a real problem. In 2 Corinthians 6 verse 3 we read, "We put no stumbling block in anyone's path, so that our ministry will not be discredited."
Many years ago when my husband and I were pastoring our church at Rancho Capistrano we decided to make a policy which banned donuts from the church campus. We suggested that people bring muffins or any other healthier alternative as snacks.   I thought we were fair as most muffins aren't exactly health food either but they are a heck of a lot better than the donuts (AKA "Do-Nots'!) We also discouraged handing out candy to the children as rewards because most problems with food begin when we are young and associating candy with reward can cause problems down the road. You get the picture, I'm sure.     Should we never have sweets or "junk food", of course not, just something to be aware of.
We were created in God's image: body, mind, and soul.   Here's what the Bible says about your body.   "Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." 1 Corinthians 6:19, 20
If you close your eyes and and recite this what comes to mind when you think of a temple? Meditate on that for a few minutes.
A temple is a sacred place and that is how God views your body...His creation. He dwells in you. So honor God by honoring your bodies.
Jesus said, "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, 'here it is', or 'there it is', because the kingdom of God is within you." Luke 17:21
Remember always, God is blessing you!   Donna

Churchgoers More Likely to Become Obese                     by Michael O'Riordan

March 25, 2011 (Atlanta, Georgia) Results from a new study suggest that churchgoing folks are consuming a little bit more than the spiritual weight of God's good word [1]. Individuals who attend church frequently in young adulthood are significantly more likely to become obese in middle age, according to a new analysis of the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study.
Presenting the results here this week at EPI|NPAM 2011, the Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention and Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Metabolism 2011 Conference, researchers say the news isn't all doom and gloom, however.
"The upshot is that we know that religious people are less likely to smoke, more likely to have better physical and mental status, and more likely to live longer," lead investigator Dr Matthew
Feinstein (Northwestern University, Chicago, IL) told heartwire . "They're doing a lot right in some areas, but there is room for improvement. There is also a lot of potential for effective initiatives to be implemented because religious organizations often have preexisting infrastructure and social support systems, which are key contributors to establishing effective health initiatives, like antiobesity initiatives."
Last year, along with senior investigator Dr Donald Lloyd-Jones (Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL), Feinstein and colleagues conducted a cross-sectional analysis of the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) cohort and showed that increased religious involvement, including more frequent prayer and meditation, was associated with a greater prevalence of obesity.
"Given that finding, we wanted to look earlier in adulthood in order to understand more about the longitudinal or temporal nature of this relationship," said Feinstein.
The group analyzed religious involvement in 2433 male and female participants aged 20 to 32 years old in the CARDIA trial. Participation in religious services was defined as high (at least once weekly), medium (regular, but not weekly), low (rarely), or never. After approximately 18 years of follow-up, the investigators assessed the cardiovascular risk profile, including obesity, in the now␣middle-aged participants, with middle age defined as between 38 and 50 years of age.
After adjustment for multiple variables, including age, race, sex, education, income, and baseline body-mass index, individuals with a high frequency of religious participation in young adulthood were 50% more likely than those with no religious participation to become obese by middle age.
Odds Ratios for Incidence of Obesity (Adjusted for Baseline Demographics, CVD Risk Factors, and Smoking)
Measure for Obesity
No religious participation-    1.0
Low frequency participation-    0.98
Medium frequency participation-    1.28
High frequency participation-    1.48
One previous hypothesis for the increased rates of obesity among churchgoing individuals had been their lower rates of smoking. As smoking acts as an appetite suppressant and churchgoers smoke less frequently, this might have led to higher rates of obesity because they ate more. However, Feinstein and colleagues performed additional analyses that adjusted for smoking and still observed an association between religious participation and obesity, almost to the same degree. In addition, based on the MESA cross-sectional data, some had proposed that obese people were more likely to gravitate toward friends and support in religious communities. However, these new longitudinal data from CARDIA implies that this too is not the case.
"It's tough to infer any causality from this, because we didn't look at specific mechanisms," said Feinstein. "One possible explanation, though, is that religious gatherings might center on eating traditional, high-calorie comfort food, and this in itself might contribute to the higher incidence and prevalence of obesity."

American Heart Association Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism / Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention (AHA EPI-NPAM) 2011 Scientific Sessions

‘Walking in Your Own Shoes: Discover God’s Direction for Your Life’

2011-03-06T18:19:00.000-08:00

‘Walking in Your Own Shoes: Discover God’s Direction for Your Life’

Growth In Peace

2011-02-12T16:22:00.000-08:00

As I think about peace today I turn to the day's headlines which read as follows:

Egypt Erupts in Jubilation as Mubarak Steps Down

By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK

The departure of President Hosni Mubarak was a pivotal turn in a revolt that has upended one of the Arab's world's most enduring dictatorships.

The above headline does not emote feelings of peace and yet it was something that needed to happen in order to hopefully restore a peaceful future for Egypt. Please continue to pray for this land and their future leaders.

Here's what Jesus says in the book of Luke 12, verses 22-28. "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body; what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you can not do this little thing, why do you worry about the rest? Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and then thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith.?"

Worry is the thief of peace yet we all spend countless hours worrying about things that never happen!

One of my favorite devotional books was written by E. Stanley Jones and is titled, "Growing Spiritually". In one of his writings on peace he shares this: "Growth in peace is growth in adjustment, growth in adjustment is growth in maturity of character. Growth in peace is the acid test of growth. Peace is not a luxury to be added to life; it is a sign of a growing life. Not growing in peace equals not growing in life. The most splendid flower is the least striving. Call it effortless assimilation. The plant receives what is around it (sun, water, soil) and it grows effortlessly into a beautiful flower.

Learn to take in, it is the measure of your growth. The tense do not take in. They grow by expenditure of energy and struggle. This is self-defeating!"

I have observed that many people can not thrive effortlessly because they are not in an situation where they can grow. Like a potentially beautiful plant which is starved of water and sunlight, so is the person who is living in a toxic environment.

Find a hobby or activity that takes you outside daily. Pay attention to the little birds, the beautiful flowers, or the way the leaves on a tree move in the wind. Spend a quiet morning by yourself, if even for ten or twenty minutes. Take time to do nothing but think (and maybe) journal. (Sometimes even journaling can become a task to be completed) Learn to appreciate quiet solitude. Listen to your heart. Listen to God. You will be amazed at what you will discover about effortless times spent alone.

Choose to surround yourself with healthy, peaceful, and positive people. There is enough turmoil in this world without the added stress of living in an unhealthy situation. God wants you to find peace and happiness and maybe it's time for you to be courageous and make a change so you can be all He wants you to become!

God is blessing you.

What Are You Afraid Of?

2011-01-21T21:09:00.000-08:00

"Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still." Exodus 14: 13 &14

These are the encouraging words of Moses as he led the Israelites out of Egypt. This population of very brave people were exiting Egypt, on the run, and experiencing uncharted territory and uncertain times ahead. They must have been terrified as they saw the masses of the Egyptian armies bearing down on them.   None the less they persevered and followed the call of God to cross the Red Sea and God was faithful as he helped them cross.
Many of us might feel as though we have "Egyptians" chasing after us today. Of course I am not talking about this fine race or culture which exists today. I am speaking of the fear and anxiety causing situations right now that bring up the same emotions that were experienced by the Israelites as a result of their fear of the Egyptians of their day.
Power, fear, uncertainty. anxious thoughts and lack of hope for the future are things that everyone faces at some time in their life.
To help overcome these feelings that are not from God, try repeating to yourself and meditating on the above scripture.
What are your "Egyptians" today? Where do you need to "be still" and courageous? Are you standing firm on the promises of God or are you wavering in uncertainty and fear?       Trust Him, be still, and know that what you are afraid of today may not be important tomorrow. "God will fight for you"!
God is blessing you.

What is Your Dream?

2011-01-17T10:05:00.000-08:00

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." Martin Luther King, Jr.

http://www.mlkonline.net/video-i-have-a-dream-speech.html

Although his life was cut short, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a dreamer of big dreams. and there are many examples of dreamers in the Bible.   Dreams are a very important part of faith and without faith and trust in the future you are doomed to negativity and non-productive behaviors. What are your dreams and hopes for the future for yourself and your family? Write them down, post them, share them, believe in them!

As we remember Martin Luther King Jr. today we also remember that NOTHING is impossible with God! "Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."    Hebrews 11:1

God is blessing you!

New Year's Goals!!

2011-01-03T11:45:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

   I am filled with hope for 2011 and am off to a running start!   Our financial situation has never been more difficult to deal with so I am "praying like it all depends on God but working like it all depends on me."
I have started a new international business, have been working hard, and I am filled with faith that this will be my best year ever!   My husband Robert is assisting me and it feels so good to be doing something together again!
Here is a verbal and written exercise I do at the beginning of each new year. This has been a family tradition since my kids were young and it can really help you start 2011 off on the right foot.
1) Share your happiest time/best memory of 2010.
2) Verbalize your goals for 2011. Write them down and share them with trusted family members or friends. Keep them displayed in a prominent place where you will be reminded of them daily. Remember that there is great power in the act of writing what you hope for.   Use paper and a pen.    Only use a computer for the final copy which I frame and post on my office wall each year.
3) Think big.   No dream or goal is too big if God is in the center of it. I usually have 10-12 goals for the year.   I don't always accomplish everything but at least I come closer than I would have had I not made them a goal in the first place!
It is tempting to spend time in doubt and worry yet at the end of the day there is no point in it.   I encourage you to make a positive plan for success today. Write it down, put it in a visible place, pray about it, stick to it!!
" Our doubts are traitors, that make us lose the good, we oft might win, by fearing to attempt."
Shakespeare   As the Bible puts it...
"For I know the plans I have for you says the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you; plans to give you hope and a future."   Jeremiah 29:11

God is blessing you. Donna

Merry Christmas!!

2010-12-25T15:27:00.000-08:00

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and all of God's amazing blessings for the new year in 2011!!

We attended Bobby's church last night and it was so special. Great Christmas hymns including our own handbell director and soloist, John von Wolzogen! A wonderful, short yet powerful message by guest speaker/pastor Michael Bischof! He reminded us that Jesus is the light of the world and the light always reigns over darkness! Think about the lights of your tree, your house, and especially what lights up your heart and soul this season. May the light always remind you of our Lord Jesus.
God is blessing you and yours!! Donna and family

The high"light" of our season was celebrating Haven's 1st Birthday on December 14th! She continues to light up our lives with love, joy, and hope for the future!!

Doing Good

2010-12-02T10:24:00.000-08:00

"Our thoughts are traitors, that make us lose the good, we oft might win, by fearing to attempt."
William Shakespeare
I love this quote because like most people, I struggle with fears now and then. Fear that I am not doing a good enough job, fear of loss, or fear of failure if I try something new.

In the Old Testament, in one of the books of wisdom named Ecclesiastes, you can read this:
"Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it again." Ecclesiastes 11:1

I believe this is a written charge for us to be adventurous and bold. To accept the risks and the benefits of those who are brave enough to go out into the open seas to make a living...or maybe to find a new land. It is a challenge to us which says that we should not always play it safe in life. Take risks, try something new...Go for it!!
What fears do you have that might be holding you back from accomplishing some great project or special invitation to do good?
God is blessing you always and in all things.

Happy Thanksgiving in the USA

2010-11-25T09:08:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,
I hope you will thank God for all of your many blessings today. I am so thankful for my family and the love we share. "Talk" to you all soon.

A sign on the wall of the Manila Times (newspaper)

God is blessing you. Donna

Global Peace Convention 2010

2010-11-13T11:39:00.000-08:00

Photos from Global Peace Convention 2009, Manila, Philippines

A marching band to welcome us! It was all little kids!

In Mindanao with the locals

Hi All,
Robert and I are getting packed to leave for our yearly participation in The Global Peace Convention. You may remember my blog from last year regarding Robert's leaving his suit bag due to our rushing to make the flight to Manila, Philippines (the sight of last years convention!) All turned out well and we are looking forward to speaking at this peace-promoting event again this year. We have also printed out our itineraries and are sure of the departure time! We will remember ALL of our luggage this year too!
World peace is an interesting and a very popular subject but I always remember that peace begins at home. This is what I will address to the many different people from many diverse cultures and religions as I lead a break-out session at the convention. One thing we all have in common is the desire to have our loved-ones live in a peaceful environment. I will address practical ways to create and teach peace within the four walls of the home. Of course as a Christian I will share with them that I try to follow the ways of the Prince of Peace.
"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33
I will make sure I get a video to share with you all!

God is blessing you. Donna

Body, Mind and Spirit Health for the Holidays

2010-11-07T15:06:00.000-08:00

Hi Friends!
I apologize to those who have been waiting for another video. Although I love doing them, lately the majority of my time has been spent working on re-launching my nutrition practice. As of January 1st I will be a full-time nutrition coach, helping people eat right as part of their total wellness routine! Of course I still adhere to and espouse the importance of spiritual and mental fitness also so my plans are to gradually integrate all three major aspects of our humanity into this blog. I truly believe that to separate any of one of the three mentioned above from any one of the others, is a terrible mistake. I am pretty sure that most of us know people who are so off-balanced in one of the areas of body, mind or spirit (soul) that they suffer substantially in one or more of the others. My goal is to help people become more balanced in their physical, emotional, and spiritual lives so they can be shinning lights in a sometimes dark world.
Please send me any ideas you would like to see addressed and/or ask me a question about body, mind, spirit fitness. How are you doing at balancing all three areas of your life?

This is my grand baby, Haven! She is so pure in body, mind, and spirit because she has not been polluted by the things of this world.

Now that the major holidays are fast approaching it is more important than ever to take care of yourself. Don't wait until New Year's resolution time...make a plan now, write it down, put it in a place where can look at it everyday. Commit to it. Stress, bad eating habits, lack of exercise, and not carving out time alone to meditate and pray will take it's toll on your over-all health if you don't have an action plan!
Today my son, Bobby delivered another really good message on commitment and calling. It will be posted on his church's blog by Tuesday afternoon and I highly recommend you listen to it because it was excellent! His website is: ocgathering.com
Take care of yourself, body, mind, and spirit. Be a good example and help others do the same.
"Act as if you are someone's only role model"
God is blessing you. Donna

Holy Land and Petra trip scheduled for May 26-June 5, 2011!

2010-10-20T13:09:00.000-07:00

I will be posting a video very soon! I was getting ready to do one and the rain started and hasn't stopped here in Southern Cal!!

I also want to announce our next Holy Land trip coming up in May 2011. If you would like more information please email me at holylandtrip10@gmail.com

New Seasons

2010-10-05T22:38:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to begin regular video posting again! I hope you all liked Robert's sermon from The Gathering Community. We have so much ministry going on and The St. Patrick Project is helping many people in amazing ways. Stay tuned for an update on our missions projects coming soon! Keep us in your prayers please. Happy Fall! God is blessing you. Donna

The Wall

2010-09-29T15:26:00.000-07:00

My husband recently spoke at The Gathering for our son, Bobby.    If you are live locally please consider joining us some Sunday at 11am.   143 S. Lemon St. Old Towne Orange (The American Legion Bldg)
If you are not able to physically attend please keep us in your prayers. We will be updating you regularly regarding our missions projects with The St. Patrick Project.
God is blessing you!   Donna

The Wall by Robert Anthony Schuller from Robert Schuller on Vimeo.

"Keep A Good Thought" Kay Glavas

2010-09-15T12:54:00.000-07:00

"Never think gloom and never talk gloom. If you look for good, you will find it" Karl Bach

"...whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things" Philipians 4:8

In less than a week we will usher in a new season. Here in my hemisphere we will begin our fall. As I reflect upon the quickly passing summer months, I remember that there are also seasons in my life: ones of sadness and joy; success and failure. All of them present opportunities for growth.
As you approach your new season try to focus on what you have gained, not what you have lost...what you have accomplished and not what you have failed to do. Nothing is wasted. Everything has a purpose under heaven. Read Ecclesiastes 3 in the Old Testament

New video blog series on Body, Mind and Spirit health and connection, with regular special guest, coming soon!

God is blessing you always. Donna


The alter at The Gathering. Join Bobby Schuller 11am on Sundays. 143 S. Lemon St. Orange, CA	(Robert A. speaking this Sunday)

I Am Coming Back Soon!!

2010-09-10T11:39:00.000-07:00

Hello to all my blog church friends. I have been on a "leave of absence" but I am going to start posting again very soon, I promise. I have missed the communication between us all. I have been thinking and praying about where to go from where we have all been and how much the internet has matured since I first started this blog in March of 2009. It is amazing to see how much "stuff" there is out there now!

Many of you have contacted me to ask "where have you been?" I want you to know how much I appreciate your notes and it feels really good to be missed! Talk to you soon and remember always and it all things...God is blessing you. Donna
(this is a photo from a summer vacation with two of our adult children, Christina and Anthony. It was so great spending time with them!!)

Thoughts from July 28

2010-07-30T21:38:00.000-07:00

                                         Uncertainty
Anxious thoughts creep in because the future in unknown. An empty vacuum sucks up anything yet a body, mind, and spirit full of hope wastes no time living in fear. Choosing to entertain peaceful images and putting into practice the love which comes from above, we attempt to move heaven with our powerlessness.
July 28, 2010-Donna Schuller-For my dear friends Mary and Tom Olds

I took this photo outside the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem when we were there a few weeks ago.
I loved the way the soft sandy colors of the wall sat in sharp contrast to the green of the trees and the vivid pink of the flowers in the foreground.   Jerusalem is the land of our Lord and I am certain that he lived there while he was on earth. I also know for certain that he continues to live in the hearts of all of us who chose to hold on to our hope that we find through Him.
I am looking forward to posting my videos again soon!
God is blessing you. Donna

The Link to Rober't blog

2010-07-20T21:32:00.001-07:00

http:/robertaschuller.blogspot.com

Robert Started A Blog!!

2010-07-18T19:58:00.000-07:00

Hello friends,
I want you all to know that my husband Robert started a blog so go to robertaschuller.blogspot.com
and sign up! I also posted several things here on my blog today. Check out below.
   God is blessing you

Everyday Life with Robert A. Schuller

2010-07-18T16:23:00.000-07:00

Many of you have emailed me or written to me and asked "how can I see "Everyday Life"? For those of you that do not get ALN or Family Net I have posted the award winning pilot for this new dramatic television show for your viewing. This pilot was shown for the first time last November.
Everyday Life from Alin Bijan on Vimeo.

Pain on The Mount

2010-07-18T15:50:00.000-07:00

Hi All,
My husband Robert has decided to start blogging and I thought I would also post the sermons he has done in the USA over the past almost two years. This first one is from August of last year. This was delivered in our son, Bobby's church: The Gathering Community in Orange, California. Enjoy. You can also go to robertaschuller.blogspot.com to see two more.
God is blessing you Donna

Happy Fourth of July in the USA!!

2010-07-04T09:01:00.000-07:00

I received this in an email and thought it was worth sharing. It also brought to mind the freedom I experience through the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus.

In Galatians 5 verse 1 St. Paul tells us "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."

As I reflect on what my freedom means to me I thank all of our service men and women who have protected me over the years (sometimes from only God knows what) and I also thank God for giving me freedom through Christ.

(photo taken on the Sea of Galilee)

Happy Independence Day!!

Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence?

Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died.

Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned.

Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured.

Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War.

They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.

What kind of men were they?

Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists. Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners; men of means, well educated, but they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured. Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags.

Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward.

Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.

At the battle of Yorktown , Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.

Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.

John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished.

So, take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday and silently thank these patriots. It's not much to ask for the price they paid.

Remember: freedom is never free!

God is blessing you!

Western (Whailing) Wall, Jerusalem 2010

2010-06-30T11:59:00.000-07:00

This photo was taken at the Walling Wall, also referred to as "kotel", or place of weeping in the Old City Jerusalem on one of the last nights of our recent trip to The Holy Land. This is a very sacred site as this is the remnant of the retaining wall which once supported and enclosed the Second Temple. Every day people come to mourn and bemoan the destruction of the temple. The original walls were constructed around 19 BCE (before the current age) by Herod The Great and were added to from the 7th Century onwards. This photo was taken around ten o'clock at night and thus there were very few people present.

Twenty-one other friends shared eight amazing days with Robert and I, walking and praying in the holiest and most exotic sites in the world. Although we just returned less than one month ago, our family has made the commitment to lead another Holy Land tour next year. It worked out so well leaving over Memorial Day weekend that we have selected the same time frame and will more than likely leave around May 27th and return around June 6th. If you are interested please contact me via this blog, on Facebook (where you can see the rest of my photos), or at rdsm2008@gmail.com

"And now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul..."

Deuteronomy 10:12

God is blessing you, Donna

More Love

2010-05-27T07:31:00.000-07:00

        There is a John Mayer song where he refrains, "If you want more love why don't you say so?" Maybe you know the song.   It's been really popular for a while now and the other day when I heard it I began to think about asking for love and more specifically why is it sometimes so hard to ask for help!? Sometimes if we shut people out because we think we can do it alone, we are missing a blessing that only they can give...something we really need at the time, and maybe something they need.
Jesus tells us to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind." And also to "love your neighbor as yourself." If he wants us to show love to everyone around us imagine how much more he must want us to show it to our family members and loved-ones.
        This week has been an especially busy one for us.   For one, we have been preparing for our departure to the Holy Land. ( In fact I am leaving the house in three hours and I haven't packed yet!)   We have also hosted a very special visitor in our already pretty full house.   Our married daughter, Angie has been here since Monday. She flew out from Dallas for her cousin's wedding which will take place in a couple of days and she arrived a few days early so she could spend some time with us.   It has been a wonderful week and we have enjoyed her company so much. Unfortunately her husband, Chris couldn't come with her but I am now realizing that this was meant to be. Angie needed to spend time with and show love to her younger sister in a very special way.
   Our 24 year old, Christina has recently accepted a part-time position as a fitness instructor in a local gym.    As things worked out this past Monday she began her "practice teaching." I am a fitness enthusiast and I wanted to support Christina, so of course I was there for her debut.    Imagine my surprise when just five minutes into class in walked Angie!! Robert has just picked Angie up from the airport and since she also wanted to show her support for her sister she hustled her way there just in time for the one hour "FitBar" class.
         Later that night as Christina was going over her choreography with Angie she asked for her sister to give her some feedback and she also asked for some advice. I am not sure if Christina was remembering that Angie used to both choreograph and teach dance routines or not but the point is she asked for help and Angie lovingly and graciously gave it!
The next day Christina's routine was near perfect!
          How wonderful it was for me to witness this giving, caring spirit in Angie. And, how important it was for me to remember that I don't always have to do things on my own either. It's okay to ask for advice or a helping hand when I need it.
         Who can you ask for help or advice today? Who might you be able to show the gift of time and love?
"Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you." Matthew 7:7    As John Mayer puts it, "If you want more love why don't you say so?"
God is blessing you.   Donna

Rest For Your Soul

2010-05-12T15:05:00.000-07:00

"Come to me all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light"   Matthew 11:28 (words of Jesus)

This is my husband, Robert and our new grand daughter, Haven. We love Haven so much and we have the privilege of taking care of her every Monday, which has now become my favorite day of the week. It's the day that I put aside all the things that I could and should do and I rest in her presence for several hours while giving her mommy and daddy a much needed break.
I couldn't resist taking this photo. Haven had been a little fussy this day and did not want to stay down in her bed during her scheduled nap time. Robert, as the loving grandpa that he is, picked her up and comforted her and before I knew it they were both sound asleep!

As grandparent's our love for Haven is unconditional, constant, and ever-present, even when she is away from us. It reminds me that our heavenly father's love for us is even greater.   Jesus tells us to "come to me." This verse does not imply that we wait until next month or next year, it emphasizes the present...now. God promises to be our partner when we are weary (tired) and burdened by life's many challenging situations. No burden is too heavy for Jesus and he exudes love and humility from his gentle spirit, and tender heart. He also promises that he will "give you rest". This means rest which is freely given and not something to be earned. It is unconditional, constant, and ever-present, just like our love for our grand baby, yet even more so! He goes on to say that his "yoke is easy and my burden is light." In Greek easy means "well-fitting" which makes me think about how easy it is to have a relationship with Him. He is there for me any and all the time.
A yoke, usually refers to the wooden beam which ties two oxen or other animals together so that they will work together as a team, evenly and smoothly, when plowing a field. The correlation in this scripture implies the partnership or working together between us and God.   When we learn to rely on Him instead of on our own human frailties, we are tied together and the good news is that He will always carry more than half the load.   When we are heavy in heart or if we are struggling with hopelessness, anger, bitterness, or illness we can rest in Him and find freedom, peace, love and rest.

I truly believe that babies are born with an innate ability to love God and others. They are innocent and helpless and they are pure in their trust until it is broken. God honors and loves little babies and children but He also loves you. For some of us a lifetime of disappointments and hurts makes it more difficult to put ourselves out there and to trust or risk taking a chance again. For others it is hard to love out of fear of rejection or abandonment.    Jesus wants you to be tied to him so that you can be a part of His family. He will never reject you or hurt you. He wants to carry more than His share when your load gets too heavy to carry alone or when you are too tired to go on.   You can rest with Him any time.
I close with a few words from one of my favorite worship songs from Hillsong Church in Australia.

"Everyone needs compassion, a love that's never failing, let mercy fall on me. Everyone needs forgiveness, the kindness of a savior, the hope of nations.

Savior, he can move the mountains, my God is mighty to save, He is mighty to save.

Forever, author of salvation, He rose and conquered the grave, Jesus conquered the grave.

So take me as you find me, all my fears and failures, fill my life again. I give my life to follow, everything I believe in, now I surrender.....

Shine your light and let the whole world see, for the glory of the risen king!!"

God is blessing you.

Pruning

2010-04-27T11:33:00.000-07:00

"I am the vine, my father is the gardener. He cuts every branch in me that doesn't bear fruit. Every branch that does he prunes so it will be more fruitful." John 15:1-2

I have been quiet lately, I have needed this time.   I have been praying, pondering, thinking, meditating, questioning, wondering, resting, leaning, and listening for answers.   I am now convinced more than ever that even though it is important to give, it is okay to receive too.   Just like breathing in and then exhaling out, all of life is give and take. I need oxygen so I receive it from earth's plants. They need carbon dioxide and so I give it back to them.   If I don't receive I have nothing to give. If I don't give, they have nothing to receive.
It's Spring and in Southern California we have had record rainfall this year. My plants are basking in the rich nutrients showered on them as the clouds continue to fill and then empty so late in the season. The infant greens and the blossoms are more vibrant than ever and the birds sing joyfully as they are busy building their nests.
I enjoy my plants and my backyard immensely. I spend up to an hour of quiet time outside as I begin each day. This year I have paid close attention to each plant's growth cycle and I have witnessed maturity through the natural pruning process. Some of my plants have also died since last year. I have learned that the natural life cycle of red banana trees is on average a couple of years.   In two spots where there once stood a beautiful, full-leafed ten to twelve foot tree, there is now only a hole in the ground.   I am contemplating what to plant there next.
All of life has a cycle and as much as we try to hold to what is beautiful or what we think helps us to feel happy or secure we all must experience a season of pruning. Sometimes our "branches" need to be cut off all together.
I believe that I have been going through a season of personal pruning.   God is showing me what I should cut-off and what should be pruned so that I might produce more beautiful fruit. In some cases it is hard to determine what exactly I need to get rid of so I have been sitting by quietly and letting my heart, my soul, and my mind rest in the perfect gardener....God. I have been receiving peace of mind from His beautiful creation manifested in the living things found right outside my back door.   It feels good to receive this blessing so for now I rest in it.
I suspect that others of you are feeling this season of new life and new growth. I know that many of you are in the midst of health crisis. Others are surviving the end of a relationship by separation or death. There are also many other personal or family problems which may be plaguing your mind or interrupting your sense of security. Maybe you are questioning or looking for answers?
Even though it is a painful process, remember that pruning or cutting-off is a part of life.   "I have come to give you life and give it abundantly" says Jesus in John 10:10     He doesn't say I have come to give you an easy or a predictable life.   An abundant life means a full life, a complete life, an entire life. A life including many ups and downs...the pruning or the cutting-off.
Maybe God has been revealing something to you during this season of regrowth? I hope and pray that you will embrace your changes and always look for what potential beauty is left from your pruning.   I also hope that your personal season of growth will include both giving and receiving.
God is blessing you.

Amazing Love

2010-04-02T09:28:00.000-07:00

Today is Good Friday and I awoke early to the words of this beautiful song by Chris Tomlin.   I wanted to share these lyrics with you so that you might also embrace them along with the significance of this day.

"I'm forgiven because you were foresaken,
I'm accepted, You were condemmed.
I am alive and well, Your spirit is within me,
Because you died and rose again.

Amazing love,
how can it be
That You, my King, should die for me?
Amazing love,
I know it's true.
It's my joy to honor You,
In all I do. I honor you.

I'm forgiven because You were foresaken,
I'm accepted, You were condemmed.
I am alive and well, Your spirit is within me,
Because you died and rose again.

Amazing love.
How can it be
That You, my King, should die for me?
Amazing love,
I know it's true.
It's my joy to honor You,
In all I do, I honor You.

You are my King,
Jesus You are my King."

"Christ did not have to offer himself many times. He wasn't like a high priest who goes into the most holy place each year to offer the blood of an animal. If he had offered himself every year, he would have suffered many times since the creation of the world. But instead, near the end of time he offered himself once and for all, so that he could be a sacrifice that does away with sin.
We die only once, and then we are judged. So Christ died only once to take away the sins of many people."   Hebrews 9-25-27

I pray that anything that has a strong-hold over your life would die today, Good Friday.   I further pray that these issues that are holding you back be completely dead and buried. In three days from now, on Easter morning I pray that you recognize the significance of God's greatest gift to you; Jesus. Through Him you have the ability to re-invent yourself and become an even better, more healthily integrated person than you are today. I recognize that God is powerful enough to take away all bitterness, hatred, unforgiveness, jealousy, hurt, anger, or unhealthy habits. I am convinced that God can take all of our shortcomings and difficult or painful situations and use them for His good.   Remember that God is blessing you always and in all things. Donna

What is Faith?

2010-03-15T22:21:00.000-07:00

According to Websters's Dictionary faith is "firm belief in something for which there is no proof."   In the book of Hebrews, also known as "the book of better things", we read that "faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." (Heb 11:1 NIV) I like this translation because there is so much power evoked in the words "assurance" and "conviction".   Assurance means that we can have confidence of mind or freedom from self-doubt or uncertainty. Further, assurance graces us when something inspires (breaths the breath of life into) us.   The word conviction is equally as strong as it stands for having a strong persuasion or belief in the state of being convinced or certain! I don't know about you but for me, especially when I go through the rough times in life I need something to hold on to, to be convinced of, to be persuaded by. My faith in God through Jesus is assuring, convicting, inspiring, and persuading!
In his book, "Mere Christianity" C.S. Lewis devotes two short yet powerful chapters to faith. If you have not done so I recommend you read some of Lewis' works. He has been referred to as the most original Christian writer of the twentieth century; his writings are both thought-provoking and wisdom-filled.    A few things stood out to me regarding his writing about faith including his observance that even though a person once accepts a thing as true he or she doesn't automatically go on believing it as long as nothing can disprove that it is so. Not at all. He goes on to say that "the human mind is not only ruled by reason but also by emotion therefor the battle between faith and reason is on one side and emotion and imagination on the other." Further he says, "I am not asking anyone to accept Christianity if his (or her) best reasoning tells them that the weight of the evidence is against it. That is not the point at which Faith comes in. But supposing a one's reason once decides that the weight of the evidence is for it. I can tell that person what is going to happen to them in the next few weeks. The emotions can rise up at anytime and carry out a sort of blitz on their belief...I am talking about moments when a mere mood can rise up against it. Faith is holding on to things your reason has once accepted, in spite of your changing moods."
This writing reminds me of the last video blog I did a few weeks back when I talked about a particular chapter in Robert A. Schuller's book, "Leaning Into God...." and how it is so easy to accept God's gift of life and blessings when things are going good. In fact we often take God for granted in the 'good' times. At the same time when the painful things of life come up (and they will) it is so easy to blame him or turn away from him.   We can accept, reject, or measure our faith depending on our circumstances. I think these are the some of the "moods" C.S. Lewis was referring to. He also points out that "when he was an atheist he had moods where Christianity looked terribly probable."   How interesting!
A few years back Robert and I had lunch with an entire table of Noble Laureate scientists. This group of all men consisted of astro-physicists and mathematicians, all who had been awarded the coveted prize at some time in their careers. We were the only ones at the lunch table who had not received this esteemed prize and naturally when we sat down we were asked, "what do you do?" The conversation became very interesting from there and the one thing I will never forget is where the faith discussion took us. Even though almost all of them were professed atheists not a single one of them would say he knew for sure that the heavens and earth was NOT created by God!   This brings me back to Lewis' writing and his thesis that he believes most people think of believing in God as passing an exam which proves he exists.   He goes on to say that once you are a Christian you need to take that thinking and "blow it to bits" and he says that after that some people will believe Christianity is a failure and give up.   "God has been waiting for the moment at which you discover that there is no question of earning a pass mark in this exam, or putting Him in your debt."
I say it this way, you believe because you decide to believe and you go from there. It doesn't have to be a radical conversion like Saint Paul's either. Mine was not that way.   Once I recognized the power and comfort I could have by not only believing but practicing my faith, the evidence for my belief continued to grow stronger. One goes on to develop faith by reading the Bible, joining a small group of other Christians, and going to worship in public places.
Your life will be more fulfilled once you make the decision to believe that God is real and can be your partner through the ups and downs of life.   I am not saying that your life will necessarily be less troubled or that you will never doubt. Doubt is where faith really comes into play. It is okay to question and wonder. You can even get angry, yell, or curse at God.   He can handle it much better than your best friend, your spouse, your boss, your employer, or your kids.   If you do not yet have an active and committed faith I want to challenge you to make the decision to start trusting God with your life today. What do you have to lose?   Remember that there is no passing or failing with God. He only asks that you work on developing a close relationship with Him. Start where you are today. And always remember...
God IS blessing you always, Donna

Fear Or Faith?

2010-02-25T14:56:00.000-08:00

Most psychologists believe that there are only two fears we are born with. One being the fear of loud noises, the other is the fear of falling. I don't know about you but on occasion, throughout my life I have certainly dealt with more than just those two fears. To this day I am afraid of roller coasters that go upside down!
In reality I am not talking about getting over lesser fears such as fear of amusement park rides. I am referring to phobias and fears that might be based on hurtful or tragic childhood situations or anything that immobilizes us, that keeps us from trusting God and that freezes our feet to the floor when it comes to exercising our faith. These might include fear of rejection, fear of being unloved, fear of our health collapsing, fear of lack of finances, fear of intimacy, or even fear of success. The list is as long as there are hearts and souls who endure them.

As we delve into the next chapter in Robert A. Schuller's "Leaning Into God When Life Is Pushing You Away" we explore the relationship between our faith in God vs. our fear of anything else. It doesn't matter what kind of fear it is. Fear negates faith. When our faith is negated our closeness to God is weakened. When our closeness to God is weakened we are living a life which has less meaning and significance. There is a story in the Bible found in the New Testament book of Matthew, chapter 8, verses 23-27 which finds Jesus out on the sea of Galilee in a huge storm.   He had fallen asleep and awoke to his disciples yelling at him to do something! Jesus replied to the disciples, "you of little faith, why are you so afraid?" (vs 26) In the book of Mark when reading the same story he is quoted as asking, "why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith.?" Jesus did not say, "why are you so unbelieving?" For Jesus the opposite of faith is not unbelief but it is fear. In fact the words "fear" and "afraid" occur more than 520 times in the Bible. Fear has been plaguing humans forever.
Robert goes on to write that our life can be defined by how one perceives the future. Are you defining your life by your faith or by your fears?
We are now more almost two months into the new year of 2010. By this time you should have a clear idea of what your goals for this year will be. Mine are written out and framed where I can see them every day. I have eleven clear-cut goals which cover several different categories in my life: spiritual, physical, professional and personal goals. If you have not clearly defined what you would like to accomplish this year I want to encourage you to take the time today and do this.   If you are failing to plan, you might be planning to fail and God wants you to be a success so you can be a light in a dark world.    A good source to help you define your goals is called "The One Page Miracle" taken from a chapter in a book by Dr. Daniel Amen. You can Google "one page miracle" and find a very helpful template to follow. As you begin the process of writing out your goals first start by praying and asking for God's guidance. Next you might want to evaluate where you have come from in the last year of 2009 including making note of any goals that you did not accomplish so that you can roll them over into this year. It is never too late to start over!!
"For I know the plans I have for you says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for evil. Plans to prosper you and give you a future filled with hope.   Jeremiah 29:11
God is blessing you.   Donna

Humiliation

2010-02-04T20:33:00.000-08:00

Genesis 37:26-28

What timing for our next chapter review in "Leaning Into God When Life Is Pushing You Away"! Our discussion on my husband's book now takes us to "Finding Freedom When Isolated Through Humiliation."   According to the dictionary the definition of humiliation is "reducing or lowering one's position in their own eyes or in the eyes of others." Further, the act of trying to humiliate someone can be extremely destructive to one's self-respect and dignity.
Maybe you read one of the twenty or so recent press releases issued by the Crystal Cathedral just a few days ago? Ironically this deluge of several derogitory interviews and stories started on my birthday, January 29th, and ran through the weekend! If you caught any of these stories you might have picked up on some rather disparaging remarks being slung around regarding my husband, Robert. One of our friends on the East Coast emailed us an article from the New York Times along with the comment, "They sure threw you under the bus!"
Figuratively speaking, of course, there will always be those people who want to throw us under the bus, feed us to the sharks, or dump us into a deep well to get rid of us (as did Joseph's brothers in the Old Testament story).   The important thing to ask yourself is "when these injustices happen to me, how am I going to react?" I would be dishonest if I didn't tell you that after I read the articles I wanted to "set the record straight" for the many misrepresentations that were quoted in some of the articles. I wanted to scream, "leave my husband out of your mess... we have moved on!" I wanted to dig through our records to provide proof that my husband had nothing to do with the downturn of what was once a very successful Christian ministry. I wanted to share with the world some of the thousands of sad letters and comments that have arrived for us over the past year and a half via email and the U.S. post office. I was so angry because I felt that once again Robert had been unjustly accused in an attempt to humiliate him. Only a few days prior Robert's good news that his new program, "Everyday Life" had been nominated for a MovieGuide Award was announced. For hours I contemplated revenge and my mind was filled with frustration and thoughts of getting back at the people who continue to try to hurt us. The good news is this: I did not do any of the above... nor will I. Instead I went outside the next morning and I did what I always do.   I read my Bible and I prayed.   I read half of Psalm 119 one day and the other half the next. I meditated on verses such as: 22-24 "Remove me from scorn and contempt, for I keep your statutes. Though rulers sit together and slander me, your servant will meditate on your decrees. Your statutes are my delight. They are my counselors." And verses 69, and 70, "Though the arrogant have smeared me with lies, I keep your precepts with all my heart. Their hearts are callous and unfeeling, but I delight in your law. "
The truth is the more I think about humiliation the more I conclude that no one can humiliate you without your permission. The great psychologist and holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl experienced the worst kind of humiliation through his near death experience in the concentration camp. Through all his suffering and pain he practiced as part of what he later taught in his "logotherapy" "you can take everything away from me but you can never take away my freedom of how I will react".
We read in the new testament, "It is for freedom the Christ has set us Free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery...You my brothers, were called to be free." Galatians 5:1, 13   Yes, we are free to decide how we will react to people's attempt to humiliate us.   They cannot enslave us by forcing us to react the way they want us to. My husband ends the chapter by saying that the last thing in the world you want to do when you have been humiliated is to disconnect from God and his truth. Indeed you want to do what Jesus did in the day of his own humiliation--entrust yourself to God: "when they hurled insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead he entrusted himself to him who judges justly." 1 Peter 2:23
Maybe you have felt humiliated over the loss of a marriage, a job, your health, or your reputation. Or perhaps you have been made a scapegoat as a result of another person's mistake. Although these situations can be painful and you will need to go through a season of healthy grief, remember in the end that Christ has set you free.   With God's help and through prayer, you decide how you will react to life's ups and downs. Entrust your lives to Him and remember that God is blessing you always! Donna

Regrets

2010-01-26T15:24:00.000-08:00

"God's gifts and his call are irrevocable." Romans 11:29

Continuing on with "Leaning Into God When Life Is Pushing You Away" by Robert A. Schuller we come to the chapter on regrets. In his writings Robert suggests that "regrets and remorse are a part of the fabric of everyone's life". He goes on to point out that there are two kinds of regret: debilitating regret and incorporated regret. The first kind of regret anchors you to your past; it haunts you and holds you back from becoming all that you were made by God to be. It causes you to hold on to the ideas and the images of "what could have been." I recently experienced this kind of regret and I thank God that through his mercy, the power of prayer, a faithful and strong husband, great kids, and the support of many friends worldwide, I did not dwell in it for long. For months after we left the Crystal Cathedral I actually had dreams (nightmares) where I would analyze and try to figure out the "what-ifs". Those thoughts could have become obsessions and the obsessions could have paralyzed me and held me back from my life's purpose which is to "connect people one to another for common, worthwhile, God-centered goals." Instead of being debilitated by my painful regrets I made a conscience decision to incorporate my regrets and to use them to grow closer to God and to the many people who still loved and supported me. My twenty-four years of experience as a pastor's wife has allowed me to connect with people on a global scale and has further assisted in my appreciation of people's diversity yet similarities in their struggles and triumphs. Some days I had to pray and dig deep to believe these things. I reached out through this blog that I started in March 2009 and this too has been a major source of eliminating debilitating regret. I cannot speak for my husband Robert but during the later part of 2008 and most of 2009 I witnessed months of emotionally and spiritually challenging times for him. Throughout he kept true to his calling and he relied on the mercy of God to see him through. Today you can read where his new show, "Everyday Life" has been nominated for the "Epiphany Award" by MovieGuide (movieguide.com) I am certain that his faithfulness and his patience through prayer saw him through.

God doesn't hold on to regrets and he doesn't want you to hold on to them either. Instead he covers them with his mercy which is never-ending. If you have debilitating regret today you can translate your past into incorporated regret. One spiritual exercise that has worked well for me and for the groups which I have led is this: Find an undisturbed place where you can find about fifteen to thirty minutes of solitude. Sit with your eyes closed, your legs uncrossed, your arms relaxed at your side. Concentrate on your breathing and as you inhale imagine inhaling the peace and mercy of God in Jesus. As you exhale imagine all of the regret in your life disappearing. Continue to inhale and exhale as you purge your mind, body and spirit of all the past regrets that might have a stronghold over you. You should do this as often as you can and you will see how easy it is to accept the grace and mercy of a loving God.

Remember God does not change his mind about you and His purpose will be fulfilled. Leave your regrets at the foot of the cross. God is blessing you always, Donna

Schuller's TV show nominated for $100,000 award | schuller, television, life - News - The Orange County Register

2010-01-26T14:14:00.001-08:00

Schuller's TV show nominated for $100,000 award | schuller, television, life - News - The Orange County Register

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Fig Tree

2010-01-13T21:06:00.001-08:00

Our Newest Family Member!

2010-01-12T15:34:00.000-08:00

Hi All! I did a video yesterday which continues our discussion on "Leaning Into God When Life Is Pushing You Away." Bobby will put it up soon, I'm sure. In the meantime I thought you'd like to see a photo that was taken on Christmas Eve. I am joyfully holding Haven Claire Schuller, born December 14 and my youngest, Anthony, is "holding" our dog Royce.

Just yesterday we got to spend several hours with Haven while her mommy and daddy went out on a date. It was a lot of fun! God is blessing you, Donna

Redemption and a New Start

2010-01-02T13:05:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! It's 2010...can you believe it? It seems like we just ushered in the new millineum and yet when I look back over the past ten years I see how many things have radically changed for me and my family and I know it took years to arrive where I am today. I bet you can say the same. Interesting thing about the New Year is it represents the traditional time when many people re-evaluate their lives and themselves and make resolutions to become better persons with more productive habits. I know for my husband and my kids we always put together our individual lists entitled "goals for the new year". Somehow setting goals makes more sense to me than getting rid of old habits or trading them for new ones. The good news is this: it doesn't matter how you approach it, goals or resolutions, we all have a chance to start over. And not just on January 1st! Christ came so that we could have a new start minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day, or year by year. In Philippians 3:12-14 St.Paul shares with us how he regarded his past and faced his future: "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
Are you holding on to something from your past that is keeping you from a brilliant, productive future? Maybe it is time to clean out the cobwebs of your soul and start fresh.
Before the Christmas holidays we were discussing my husband's new book, "Leaning Into God When Life Is Pushing You Away." We talked about guilt and how it can keep you from a close relationship with God and others. Today I will address the issue of shame. The psychologist Norman Wright wrote that the difference between guilt and shame is that guilt says "I made a mistake" while shame says "I am a mistake." I have also heard it said "I did something bad" vs. "I am bad." Shame can cut us to the very core and it can draw a deep line which separates us from our loving God who wants to have a relationship with us. It can make us feel like we are unworthy of such a relationship and so we continue to hide or run away from God instead of leaning into Him.
The first people to ever deal with shame were Adam and Eve. I'm sure you know the story. They disobeyed God by eating from the tree of good and evil and then they felt deep shame. It was so bad that even they hid from God but of course no one can hide from God for long. He knows everything. God opened their eyes to the fact that they were without clothes but He also provided a way out for them by providing them with clothes. He always provides a way to escape from our shame. In the new testament Peter denied Christ and yet when Jesus first saw Peter again following the betrayal how did Jesus respond to him? He told him to " take care of my lambs, take care of my sheep, feed my sheep." John 21:15-17 He was telling Peter not to waste his time on the guilt or shame of his past mistakes but instead he told him what to do so that he could face his future with a purpose for living.
I believe a major way to get rid of the shame in your life is to make sure you are fulfilling your God-given purpose. (I also must say, depending on the your circumstances you may even need to seek psychological counseling) Once you know your purpose you will be so busy fulfilling it at work, with your family, with your friends, and in all aspects of your life that you won't have time to entertain the negative thoughts of your past failures and mistakes. If you aren't sure what your purpose is I want to encourage you to take the steps necessary so you can find out. From there you can write your own personal mission statement. My life's mission and purpose is this: "Connecting people one to another for common, Christ-centered, worthwhile goals." Since I know what my purpose is I can rest assured that no matter how my outside life circumstances might change as long as I follow my calling, I can find purpose. A book that helped me write my mission statement was "The Path" by Laurie Beth Jones. I did this a few years ago and I am sure by now there are plenty of other good resources. Although it might take you some time to get your mission statement down to something meaningful yet concise. Believe me , it will be worth the effort.
Discover the purpose for your life and you will grown even closer to God knowing that He is your partner through all things. Also, remember that God keeps no record of wrongs so each minute you can start fresh. Wishing you great things in 2010 or "Begin again in 2010."
God is blessing you always in all things, Donna

God is Blessing You!

2009-12-12T17:33:00.000-08:00

Hello from Manila, Philippines where Robert and I have been speaking at the Global Peace Convention. globalpeacefestival.org/convention/ We are enjoying a very inspirational few days while sharing ourselves and also listening to the other presenters. This morning is Sunday here and we have just been greatly inspired by the peaceful message of Archbishop Eliud Wabukala from Narobi, Kenya as he spoke at an interfaith prayer and meditation service. Yours truly was asked to go up on the platform and help lead in the singing of "Amazing Grace". Somehow the organizers got the message last year that I am the one in the family who sings(not!) I just know all the words to all the songs!! I did sing and it was special.
Right before we left to fly here I posted a photo of our son, Anthony's homecoming. Maybe you were wondering why I had nothing to say?! I actually did but my time was abruptly cut short. Last Tuesday evening Robert and I were home packing and preparing to leave for the airport when I happened to pull-up our flight itinerary. At that moment I realized that our flight left that night at 9:15 pm, NOT 12:15am, three hours later, as we had planned! It was at 7:15pm when I made the discovery, shortly after I had posted Anthony and Robert's photo!! Since we live 65 miles South of LAX airport and since Robert was showering at the time, at that point we did not expect to make our flight. We "flew" out the door just after 7:30. With the help of our daughter, Christina, who drove us, and with the assistance of some very efficient and flexible concierge service personnel at LAX, we managed to get there and check-in 45 minutes before departure, and we even checked our luggage!! And guess what? Our luggage made it too! Well, almost all of our luggage! Once we got to LAX Robert realized that he had left his suit bag with all of his business attire hanging on the back of our bedroom door. In our haste he had remembered his duffel which was filled with exercise clothes, tennis shoes, toiletries, and a case of his newly released books. Not exactly the proper attire for an opening speaker at the Global Peace Conference. (By the way we both travel really casual, especially for a 15 hour flight so those clothes on his back didn't help any!)
This entire episode brings to mind a great scripture found in Proverbs 19:21 "Many are the plans in a man's (or woman's) heart but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails." As much as we try and make things turn out according to our plan (like arriving to the airport at least two hours before an international flight departure!) sometimes things happen and we have to do our best to make it work out anyway. We also have to try to stay calm and remember that God knows what is best and if we "work like it all depends on us and pray like it all depends on God" then we will have a better chance of fulfilling our purpose for the minute, the day, the week, the year, and a for our lifetime.
As it turned out we arrived in the Philippines at 5:30 am which gave us plenty of time to shop for Robert. And in a country where Robert is considered gigantic at 6'3" and 200 pounds, it only took us a short while to find the perfect slacks, shirts and even a navy blue blazer! Once again God proved himself faithful and he provided exactly what we needed when we needed it.
A word on "Welcome Home" from last time. If Robert and myself are this excited about our son's homecoming how much more isn't our heavenly father elated when his children return to him? If there is anything keeping you from a beautiful and fulfilling relationship with our Lord I pray that the obstacles would be lifted and that you would also be able to experience His love and His "peace which passes all understanding." God is waiting to welcome you home.
God is blessing you during this holy season of Christmas. Donna

Welcome Home!!!

2009-12-08T19:18:00.001-08:00

Roots

2009-11-24T09:18:00.001-08:00

Life Is Uncertain

2009-11-13T12:01:00.000-08:00

"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation: but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world" John 16:33
(words of Jesus)

For the next several weeks I plan on writing and videoing about Robert's newly released book, "Leaning Into God When Life Is Pushing You Away." As of this past week it is available where they sell books across America or on amazon.com After some thought I decided that the forward alone contained a very significant life message and so I am starting there.
My husband writes that at the time he began writing this book life was fairly predictable and routine. He was the senior pastor of the worldwide church, The Crystal Cathedral and he was filling shoes that had been picked out for him long ago. He assumed that he would lead that church well into the future, at least until he reached retirement age. Then came that fateful day of July 9, 2008 when decisions were made and everything he thought of as certain and predictable came crashing down. My intention here is not to revisit what happened but rather to discuss the realities of life. "Stuff Happens" (as the bumper sticker so eloquently states!) It's how we react to the 'stuff' that can either cause us to become better, wiser people or angry, bitter people.

I am guessing that many of you (if not all of you) can think back at a time when you were going about your business living your life and "pow" in a flash things changed for you. Maybe it was a diagnosis of a serious health situation? Or perhaps it was the sudden ending of a relationship that you thought was a forever thing? Possibly it was a terrible accident that left you lost and wondering why?
I can still remember the color of the sky, feel the temperature, and smell the scents in the air, and the people present in my house when I experienced my first run-in with how uncertain life can be. At just 13 years old my mom awoke me and my 10 year old brother very early on a Saturday morning. She sat us down and through her tears she shared with us that my father had been killed in a car accident the night before. One minute he was healthy and happy, the next he was gone. He was only 40 years old. Needless to say this tragedy altered the direction of our lives forever and through my pain I had to choose between leaning into God or running away. I chose the later. I reacted to my suffering in a way Robert mentions in his book. I felt hurt and angry and I internalized that I must have done something wrong or God wouldn't have taken my dad away from me. I remember the non-stop messages that ran through my head for what seemed like years. "If only I had not been so selfish hanging out with my friends and instead spent time with him that Friday night, he wouldn't have been in the accident." Or..."Maybe he isn't really dead but he is so brain-injured that no one wants to tell me the truth." These are just a couple of the things I told myself over and over but both of these were lies because of my lack of trust in a God who loved me. I just didn't have a mature enough relationship with God to allow Him to help me through so I created more suffering for myself instead of leaning into Him as my comforter.

How many of you have had a similar response to something tragic in your life? Did you lean into God or did you(like me)run away? Consider sharing how you handled your pain and if you didn't what did you do and how have you learned to trust God and lean into Him today? My prayer and my desire is to have your stories offer hope to those in need of some encouragement. Whether or not we respond to one another isn't important. There are many people who read this that we will never know but God knows who needs a note of hope today.
We all have "stuff" happen, there's no avoiding it. When adversity strikes, and it will, we can learn from our experiences and move forward. We can become great examples of how God's unfailing love can and will get us through anything.
In your laughter and in your tears, God is blessing you, Donna

My Blog, Updates, and Pumpkins

2009-11-04T08:35:00.000-08:00

Lean Into God

2009-10-26T11:11:00.001-07:00

"Whether a tree falls to the South or to the North, in the place where it falls, there will it lie." Ecclesiastes 11:3b
Why would a tree fall in any particular direction when it falls? I believe this depends on the way that tree was growing or leaning when it met it's ill fate. I read this scripture and it reminds me of my own life's trials. In recent years I have learned to trust God more and to lean into Him and I have found great comfort and strength in doing so. I can also remember times in my past when I tried to run away from God which only increased my loneliness, my suffering, and my pain. The second part of the verse above says that the tree will lie in the way it falls. Sometimes we will lie for a while when we fall too and I would much rather fall into God than fall into the world and all of it's uncertainties. Which way are you leaning today? Are you growing closer to God by leaning into Him or are you leaning away from Him when life's struggles and challenges come your way? My husband has a new book which is being released on November 12, 2009. The title is: "Leaning Into God When Life Is Pushing You Away" I am currently reading this book and I enjoying it very much. I believe that this book can change your relationship with God and with others as it will help you learn how lean on Him. You will discover how to integrate past disappointments and failures into a productive, healthy, guilt and shame-free present and future. If you want to pre-order Robert's book you can go to amazon.com and in the search box under "books" just type in, "Leaning Into God..."
I am convinced that God wants us to lean into Him, especially when we are blown around and sometimes crushed by the storms of life! He will keep us stabilized when our world is full of chaos.
I have also included the Publisher's Weekly review below. Until next week, always remember that no matter what you are going through, God is blessing you. Donna

Publisher's Weekly Review
Leaning into God When Life Is Pushing You Away Robert A. Schuller with William Kruidenier. FaithWords, $22.99 (256p) ISBN 978-0-446-58098-4
Inspirational author Schuller offers readers who want to respond to adversity with, and through, faith a fine primer on pressing toward God despite pain and problems. Schuller, whose newest ministry is the television and Internet outlet ComStar Media, shares with readers the circumstances of his painful departure from leadership at the Crystal Cathedral founded by his father, Robert H. Schuller, and explains how this life-altering detour caused him to re-examine the foundations of his faith. Stronger from the experience, the author encourages fellow Christians to seek out God especially when life is darkest and confusion greatest. Readers will find solid resources: practical suggestions as well as numerous inspirational stories of real men and women who successfully faced down the giants in their lives. Schuller specifically addresses such issues as guilt, shame, regret, anxiety, disappointment and fear. In each chapter he offers fresh perspective, renewed hope and fresh faith tools for those going through hardship, as well as strong reminders that God is always present and never fails. (Nov.)

How Big Is (your) God?

2009-10-18T09:26:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I spent several hours at a women's event put on by "Imagine" of Newport Church Women. The day was power-packed with honest, straight-forward preaching from two amazing women. The first was the co-pastor of the Newport Church, Diana Wilson. She is awesome! The guest speaker was a world-reknown speaker, Christine Caine. She is from Newport Church's parent church, Hillsong, of Sydney, Australia. I love these Aussies for many reasons but I think the main reason their preaching resonates so strongly in my heart and soul is that it is no-nonsense preaching. No shallow platitudes, no worrying about political correctness or whether or not someone might be offended by the strength of their messages! I love it, they are so refreshing and honest! In one of Christine's messages yesterday she challenged everyone by asking the question, "how big is your God?" She went on to strongly deliver the truth that God is who He is; all-powerful, all-knowing, ever-present, all-loving, never-ending....
The problem lies in who we believe that He is. So I ask you...what is the size of your God? We either honor, respect and revere him for who He is and what He is or we minimize and doubt Him. It reminds me of the quote from Tozer: "Whatever comes to your mind when you think about God is the most important thing about you." Yesterday's message gave a whole new layer to my understanding of this quote. God is everything to me so why do I sometimes doubt or lack in complete trust? One of my favorite Bible verses is found in Hebrews 11:1, "Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." I read again "assurance" and "conviction". It doesn't say "maybe" or "could be" does it?!
One of the best books on prayer that I have ever read is a very small book called, "How To Get Your Prayers Answered" by a Jewish Rabbi, Irwin Katsof. This small book completely changed my prayer life during a time when I had to be reminded just how big my God really is! One of the most important things I learned from Rabbi Katsof's writings was to first see the answered prayer and then approach God with thanksgiving as if He had already answered it. I will give you an example here: Instead of, "Dear God, please be with Anthony in Papua New Guinea, surround Him with your arms of protection so that he may reach many people with your good news....."
My prayers have changed to: "Dear God, I thank you so much that you are always with Anthony wherever he goes. I have the assurance that you are protecting him and shielding him right now as he shares your good news with many people". Can you see the difference here? I went from asking (which is sometimes begging!) to believing that God is already doing what I am asking...and He is!! He is a gigantic God and He can handle everything all the time. I am going to close now as I am running off to hear another great sermon this Sunday morning. Robert, Christina and I are going to hear Bobby at "The Gathering". I hope this gave you some food for thought and remember that God is blessing you!

body mind spirit

2009-10-10T14:34:00.000-07:00

Fall Cleaning

2009-10-02T13:25:00.001-07:00

Hot Glass

2009-09-25T15:39:00.000-07:00

Back By Popular Demand! Rev. Robert A. Schuller Returns to TV

2009-09-17T14:04:00.000-07:00

Back By Popular Demand! Rev. Robert A. Schuller Returns to TV
Click on this link and it will take you to an article just released yesterday!
Imagine my surprise when I opened my gmail account last evening and this Google alert appeared,"Robert A.Schuller...returns to t.v." Although Robert has been taping his new program in Dallas all week I had no idea that this information was to be released so I was completely surprised! Yes, things are continuing to look brighter as we get through what we had to go through (sounds like one of Robert's book titles!) This week is just another reminder that we serve a faithful God who knows what is best for us even when we can't make any sense of our situation. Please continue to pray for Robert as he uses his gift of inspiration and he shares the faith in new and exciting ways.

As I was reading and enjoying my backyard early this morning a tiny hummingbird appeared and hovered about two feet from my face right at eye level. While I studied his colorful feathers and long, sharp beak he lingered for what seemed like minutes, as if to remind me that beauty is all around me every day: I only need to look and listen for the sights and sounds of God. It brought to my mind the words of Jesus found in Matthew 6, verses 25-27 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?"

My prayer and wish for you is that you will slow down, take a deep breath of hope, exhale the breath of worry and despair; take note of and appreciate the natural beauty that is all around you. God is blessing you, Donna

Waiting For New Camera!

2009-09-09T07:49:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,
I did not forget about my blog and about all of you! That's not the case but what is true is that Bobby bought his first house so he and Hannah have been moving, putting things away, and working on the yard. With their full-time ministry that leaves little time for video taping ME!! Meanwhile I went online and ordered a "Minnow" which is a very basic, and very small, high definition video camera. I am hoping to receive it today and when I do I will set it up and do my own video. I won't know how to do the back round music or any edits so you will have to grow through this next stage of blogging with me.
I do have two great things to report. First of all, Robert begins taping his new program, "Everyday Life" next Monday. We are all looking forward to an air date in the next couple of months. American Life Television (americanlifetv.com) continues to expand it's coverage nationwide so hopefully most of you will be able to watch the program. If not, go online or write your provider and request it in your area. Very soon a very sophisticated partner internet site will launch so no worries, you will be able to pick it up there as well. The second exciting thing is this: Robert's 15th book, "Leaning Into God When Life Is Pushing You Away" will be out in bookstores in November. You can go online now and pre-order it at a discounted rate. Go to amazon.com and write "Leaning Into God" in the search window.
During my morning devotions I was reading E.Stanley Jones, "Growing Spirtitually." The lesson today was on Self-Control in speech. Refering to the book of James, Chapter 3, Dr. Jones shared the importance of controlling the tongue and the words that come out of our mouths. At the center of the lesson he highlighted these three things: impulse, consideration, and speech. Too many of us jump from impulse to speech and forget the consideration part. I know I have been guilty of this many times! Before you send that letter or email, sleep on it and think about the words you have written. Does it serve your motivation to create a constructive outcome? Does it encourage with honesty and directness but also patience and love? I want to leave you with this word from James verse 5: "...the tongue is a small part of the body but it makes great boasts." 6b: "it (can) corrupt the whole person, set the whole course of his (or her) life on fire." 9:
My prayer for you today is that you would use your words to encourage, motivate and praise. God is blessing you.

Free People, Free People

2009-09-01T10:36:00.000-07:00

This is a statement that was made several times by many speakers over two days and sixteen hours of learning, praying, worshiping, confessing, and releasing. Robert and I have been back since Saturday but it took a while to recover from a rather heavy healing seminar that we attended at Gateway Church in Dallas. We were invited by our daughter, Angie. She is a pastor there and more specifically she is a staff member and a leader of "Freedom Ministies". They do an incredible job facilitating God's ability to "free" both lay persons and those in professional ministry. It was a lot to take-in but I believe one more necessary element in helping us heal from our past so that we may continue to grow into more mature and whole (free) persons.
You can read in Isaiah 43:16-21 that Judah is called upon to forget when she struggled to become a nation among nations. Through the process of their former captivity and return, a new thing was happening.
It is necessary to heal from our past by acknowledging it (not denying it was) but don't dwell on it or live in it!
Regret is the past crippling the future.
If a person constantly reviews the "what ifs" in their lives, they will never move forward into the future and receive what God has for them. Regret means to be disappointed, unhappy; look back upon; be disturbed over; kick oneself; or to experience dissatisfaction. We must press into the future and that means moving beyond regrets that are in our lives. The apostle Paul tell us in Phillipians 3:13-15 "Forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore let us, as many as are mature have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you."
God wants you to be FREE!
He is blessing you! Donna

Quiet Time

2009-08-25T12:31:00.000-07:00

2009-08-15T15:45:00.001-07:00

Robert's message from Sunday

2009-08-13T13:47:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone!
Robert's message will be posted on The Gathering blog very soon. Bobby was two weeks behind in his posting since he has been in the middle of two moves! One was his office and the other was his home! He now has both of his last two messages posted and his dad's (Robert's) will be up soon. The address is: ocgathering.blogspot.com God is blessing you, Donna

Why Pain?

2009-08-10T09:07:00.000-07:00

It's Monday morning and I am just getting around to writing! It's been a very busy last week! Yesterday our youngest daughter Christina and I threw a bridal shower for her best friend. Like most important celebrations, it took days to prepare everything and in what feels like an instant, it is behind us! What an honor to assist Christina in such a fun day for her best friend!

Another great thing took place yesterday. My husband Robert was the guest speaker in Bobby's church and it was the first time he had preached in the United States since last fall. The topic of his sermon was pain; an experience very familiar to him over the past year. As people on planet earth we cannot avoid pain: physical, mental, spiritual. The Bible and our faith doesn't' promise the absence of pain, in fact it teaches us just the opposite. Reading through the Sermon on The Mount Robert reminded us of Jesus' very important message regarding "the poor in spirit, those who morn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and the persecuted." Many of the experiences that Jesus mentions in his most significant words ever shared refer to things that are painful to go through. His assurances of what happens to us as a result of getting through these rough times are what we need to focus on. During the reading of the scripture yesterday I pulled out the small pocket Bible that I carry in my purse. I admit that it was hard to follow along as the translation I carry with me is "The Message". Later in the day I read aloud to Robert the explanation that The Message translation gives the words in the Sermon On The Mount. I found them quite helpful in understanding in the vernacular what Jesus was saying in his day and to his culture. Here they are:
"You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule. You're blessed when you've lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One who is most dear to you. You're blessed when you're content with just who you are-no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves owners of everything that can't be bought. You're blessed when you've worked up a good appetite for God. He's food and drink in the best meal you'll ever eat. You're blessed when you care. At the moment of being 'care-full" you find yourself being cared for. You're blessed when you get your inside world-your mind and heart-put right. Then you can see God in the outside world. You're blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That's when you discover who you really are, and your place in God's family. You're blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God's kingdom. Not only that-count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens-give a cheer-even! for though they don't like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble." Matthew 5:3-11 (The Message)
Yes, two thousand years ago Jesus shared with us that pain and suffering is unavoidable. I guess the real issue is "what are we going to do with our pain?" Feel free to share and start some conversation here on this blog. Also, check with The Gathering blog in the next few days and you will be able to see Robert's sermon. Hopefully it will help you as you deal with the real and sometimes very painful experiences we all face in this life on earth. Here is his blog website: Ocgathering.blogspot.com
Until next time. God is blessing you! Donna

2009-08-02T13:55:00.000-07:00

Transformed and Renewed

2009-08-01T08:16:00.000-07:00

Last week you saw me in the American Legion Hall; a building which is transformed into a beautiful, spiritual setting each Sunday by a group of volunteers. Each helper knows the goal and can clearly see the changes as the sights, smells, and symbols of The Gathering come alive by the time the service starts at eleven o'clock. How beautiful to witness this physical transformation and the fruits of the labor involved! Although this physical change in form and appearance takes a lot of work it brings to my mind an even greater and more difficult kind of change. It is a change which can not be physically seen.
The Bible teaches us to "be transformed by the renewing of your mind". I believe this self-transformation requires time spent in self-reflection and the willingness to grow and develop into all we can be with God's help. The heart of this kind of change has little to do with what's on the outside but everything to do with what's on the inside. Even mentioning this is a frightening thought for some because most of us don't want to change anything we're doing but we do want to change others!
If you've read my profile or if you know me at all you will recognize that I am an energetic person who prefers outside activities over sitting down with a book, reading a devotional, or spending much time in self-reflection. To me I would rather work it all out in the gym, on the volleyball court, the hiking trail, or the tennis court. I share this with you because sitting down quietly and searching for answers in solitude does not come naturally for me. I know this about myself and it has taken a daily morning routine to help me connect with God in a peaceful and meaningful way. I find it necessary for my mental and spiritual well-being to begin each day with a thirty minute quiet time outside in my backyard. I read and I enjoy the sights and sounds of nature before I face whatever the day has in store for me. This ritual has helped me stay centered and focused on the message God has for me regarding myself and others and I am committed to it.
I read and answer a lot of emails and letters and I have prayed for the many physical, emotional and spiritual challenges that people face. Some are very stress-filled, hopeless, and filled with discouragement. For those of you facing these daily trials my hope and prayer for you is that as you begin your day you would remember to ask God for new life and strength as you face each situation. Take time to wait and listen to God's answers as you pray for personal transformation and renewal. Find a trusted friend to help you if you find this too difficult a task. You might even need to seek professional counseling.

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen in eternal." 2 Cor 4:16-18 NIV

Remember to keep your eyes focused on what is unseen including all of your hopes and dreams for a great future.
Until next week, remember that God IS blessing you!

Weekend Update

2009-07-25T12:38:00.001-07:00

The Missionary

2009-07-11T22:39:00.000-07:00

Good-byes

2009-07-08T14:20:00.000-07:00

Hi All,
I am sorry that I didn't post anything last Friday. Several things came up all at once and I was feeling overwhelmed so I decided to take a week off from writing or doing a video. I hope you don't mind.

Last Friday Robert and I attended a going away party for The Poit family. It was hosted by some very good friends Jim and Ramona Case at their lovely home in Fullerton. It was an emotional event because Jim and Linda Poit came all the way from Michigan to work with Robert and I at the Crystal Cathedral right after my husband was installed as the senior pastor in 2006. Jim was the Executive Pastor and Linda worked in the education department under Robert's sister. Shortly after we left they were both let go. Wrapped up in saying good-bye to them is yet another reminder that our dreams of building the church through a great future have vanished. A very difficult thing to accept, even now, nearly a year later.

Saturday was the 4th of July and most of our kids were here. Christina came down from Hermosa Beach. Anthony still lives here until tomorrow and Bobby and Hannah are staying with us until their escrow closes on their new home in Orange. Only Angie and Chris were missing. We had a nice day at the beach and then watched the fireworks as they exploded alongside the reflection of a full moon over the Pacific Ocean. A day of taking stock of our freedom and independence enjoyed in this great nation.

Sunday Robert and I went to church and then that evening we officiated a memorial service that took place on a boat out of Newport Harbor here in South Orange County. The service was for Joseph Purcilly, USMC retired major; a great patriot and also a friend. I grew up with his daughter, D'Anne and she and I are still friends today. It was a very touching service and appropriately held on July 5. I lost my dad when I was just thirteen so in many ways it is surreal for me to experience so many of my friends now losing their dads to illness and old age. Time and again I ask myself if it is more difficult to lose someone suddenly when they are young or if it is worse to lose them to an illness as they get older. I have spent many hours pondering this question and I have not come up with an answer yet. Part of me says you love people more with every passing day, therefore it is more difficult to lose them as time goes on. Another way I think has to do with the tragedy of losing a young person. How unfair it seems. The whys and the what ifs that our mind tricks us into thinking about. It's a reminder that we need to appreciate each and every day and we need to tell our loved ones that we love them every day. Each day is truly a gift from God.

Monday, at the crack of dawn I left on an airplane bound for NYC. I used some of my airline miles and accompanied our daughter Christina to New York. She had an audition for a television show and I felt honored that my twenty-three year old wanted her mom along instead of another friend. She told me they would distract her from her work (which they would have!) We had a great two days together.

Today I am planning a going away party for our youngest, Anthony. He leaves for Australia tomorrow where he will be completing a program with Youth With A Mission (YWAM) for three months and then another two and a half month mission trip somewhere else on the globe (to be determined when he completes the program) This is a very difficult time for me although I am thrilled for his opportunity and for his gracious and wonderful heart in desiring to serve God this way. He is our youngest and I will miss him terribly!

I decided to share some of myself with all of you in hopes that you can pray for our family as we are still adjusting to our new roles. We did the same thing for so many years. We served many of you and another holiday without our church is another reminder that so much is lost but there is so much to be grateful for and to look forward to. I am coming to grips with "good-bye" and I don't think it's ever easy.

"As they were walking along the road a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds have nests, but the son of Man has no place to lay his head." He said to another man, "Follow me." But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God." Still another said, "I will follow you Lord; but first let me go back and say good-bye to my family." Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of heaven." Luke 9:57-62

Wishing you the peace and understanding of God when you go through your trials and temptations. Keep looking forward, keep looking up. Your friend in Christ, Donna

Mexican Turkey

2009-06-27T21:11:00.001-07:00

Opening Thoughts

2009-06-20T12:44:00.000-07:00

Video coming shortly!

2009-06-19T21:18:00.000-07:00

Anthony and I in Israel 2008

Hello friends,
It's Friday night and my video has been shot but Bobby has to complete it for posting tomorrow. He is putting together a montage from the first Sunday service last week in our new location.
We have also been working on putting together three new projects for the St. Patrick Project and I will announce these efforts in the next week or two. One thing we are doing is sending a couple of missionaries to Australia next month where they will train with YWAM (Youth With A Mission) for three months. Once they have completed their service in Australia they will continue in another assigned country for an additional 2-3 months. Their names are Alexis Leavitt and Anthony Schuller (our youngest son shown above!) Please pray for these young people as they dedicate the next 5-6 months to helping others and sharing the good news of the love of Jesus. These two young people have been raising the money required for this incredible assignment over the past few months. If you would like to support them you can send your tax deductible donation to St. Patrick Project at P.O. Box 1584 Orange, CA. 92856-6584. Please put a sticky note on your check stating that this is for either Anthony, Alexis, or both.
I can't wait to share another message with you tomorrow.
Moving forward with God or as another friend always says, "onward and upward"
Remember that He is blessing YOU!! Donna

New Beginnings!

2009-06-13T03:25:00.000-07:00

Just a day now and The Gathering and it's pastor, our son Bobby, will be in their new home on South Lemon Street in Old Town Orange, California. If anyone had told me just one year ago that Robert would no longer be at the Crystal Cathedral and that Bobby would be right behind his dad in his exit, I would have said "no way!" After all, we were all committed for many, many years to come! Interesting how change can come into our lives so suddenly and so unexpectedly. As you read this I bet you can think of a time when you were taken off guard and you ended up having to make significant and uncomfortable changes in your own life. In fact, you can probably think of this happening more than a couple of times. I know I can. We can and will be blown around by the winds of change. Sometimes we might even feel like we are about to be blown to bits in hurricane or tornado force winds. When we feel this way we need to take cover quickly! Hopefully we know where our shelter waits and we always take refuge there. If we can remember to run to the loving arms of Jesus and hide in his presence until the storm passes, our comfort will come from knowing that through faith in God we can survive anything.
Yes, change is difficult and we may have to experience the shock and disappointment of having our dreams shattered, or our relationships broken. Here's the great news... once we allow God to begin the healing process we become open to using the lessons learned through our pain. We can see that God provides justification through it all and just as He has promised, "All things work together for good to those who love God and who have been called according to His purpose" Romans 8:28
Thank you for continuing to pray for Bobby, his wife Hannah, and their unborn child as they lead their church through the doors of a new beginning! I also pray for you that you would see the opportunities in your new beginnings, whatever they might be!
Until then, remember, God is blessing you, Donna

Caged Bird

2009-06-05T16:50:00.001-07:00

Seashells

2009-05-30T08:58:00.001-07:00

American Life Television Network!

2009-05-28T17:56:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I have had several inquiries as to how to get ALN. We are currently on cable and continuing to build our subscription base. To inquire please log-on to americanlifetv.com On the right side of the screen you will see "click here to request ALN in your area" Once you enter your zipcode and then click on "search" a drop-down menu with your possible providers will appear. From there it takes another 30 secs to complete the form to be sent directly to the cable company! Please also encourage your family and friends to do the same. The more letters the better! Donna

Remembering Memorial Day

2009-05-22T15:02:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends, Bobby(pastor and video dude) and Hannah went for a short vacation with her family to Florida. I was glad to see them take some time off, especially since they will be adding a little one to their family next December. After that their time will no longer be their own! In case you haven't heard, Hannah is pregnant! Yes, Robert and I are going to be grandparents! I am looking forward to keeping you informed as things progress over the next several months. I'm hoping they don't find out if it's a boy or girl. Surprises are the best!
As we approach the Memorial Day weekend here in the U.S. I am reminded of the reason for this national holiday. It doesn't matter what your political affiliation is or how you stand on the policies of war. This weekend is a time for recognizing and honoring those who gave their lives protecting us and ensuring our freedoms through their commitment to the armed services. To these men and women throughout history, I am grateful.
There is also a lot of fun to be had on this weekend of picnics and barbecues. I can remember my favorite Memorial Day celebrations, can you? For many consecutive years while Robert was pastoring Rancho Capistrano Community Church, we would have a huge all-church picnic. Our celebration was like no other as we had the beautiful 97 acre property where we staged softball games, pie and watermelon eating contests, gunny sack races, water balloon tosses, etc. I think you get the idea. A couple hundred people would gather on blankets and in beach chairs as we spent the day eating and enjoying each others company! Our children were young and it was an event for all ages. I can still taste the barbecued corn on the cob or smell the hamburgers as I remember chasing away yellow jackets and other insects who loved the sticky deserts set out for all to share. Reminiscing is fun.
I don't know what we are doing this weekend but I imagine staying home since Robert hasn't been home too much lately. Maybe we'll have a picnic or barbecue of our own. Here's the good news: creating memories doesn't have to cost a lot. The investment of time with people is the best investment you will ever make. I hope you decide to spend time with your family or friends this weekend. If I don't see my kids this weekend I'm going to call them and ask about their favorite Memorial Day. I'm betting it's one of the years we spent at Rancho Capistrano.
Wishing you a beautiful weekend and may you create many great memories to be treasured for years to come. Until next week.
Donna

Waiting Again!

2009-05-20T18:24:00.000-07:00

Hello to all my faithful bloggers! I just wanted to let you know that the press release for Robert's new project will come out after the Memorial Day weekend here in the U.S. The date for this exciting news is set for Wednesday, May 27th. God is blessing you! Donna

Poet's Peace

2009-05-15T22:40:00.001-07:00

Leaning Trees

2009-05-08T17:07:00.001-07:00

Grandma's Gratitude

2009-05-01T09:31:00.001-07:00

Unexpected Tomatoes

2009-04-21T21:11:00.001-07:00

Delays

2009-04-17T17:27:00.000-07:00

Waiting, waiting, waiting! How much time do we all spend waiting?
Maybe you have heard that we should "not be anxious for anything but through prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God" Some of you will know that this is a Bible verse found in the new testament book of Philippians, Chapter 4, verse 6. If you're anything like me maybe you also find that sometimes this is a tough thing to do!
It seems like life is sometimes full of delays. I'm sure you have probably experienced some kind of waiting lately, one of those "adventures" supposed to build patience!
I had two of those incidences just today. First of all I went to the airport to pick up my husband, Robert, and his plane was forty minutes late. As is common at most airports these days I wasn't allowed to pull up to the curb and wait and I was too cheap to pay for parking. So, what to do? I ended up exiting the airport maneuvering to about a block away where I managed to find a free parking spot in a small office complex. From there, windows rolled down, light breeze on my face, I had the enjoyment of watching the planes take-off and land. Let me explain that airports hold a special place in my heart. My dad was a commercial airline pilot so I have very fond memories of not only watching jets take-off and land but also actually siting with him in the cockpit during flight. I also spent eight years as a flight attendant in my twenties. But today I sat grounded, windows down, my little Maltese dog on my lap (yes I've turned into one of those who takes their dog in the car with them!) Of course I was disappointed that Robert's flight was late as I was very anxious to see him. Never the less his delay provided me a memorable experience. I was able to stop all the busyness and actually think! For twenty minutes I reflected on the past, enjoyed the present moment, and dreamt of the future. By the time I drove up to greet Robert I was completely relaxed and thankful for his delay.
Next waiting game I played today has to do with my video blog. My videographer, Bobby, dedicated a few hours to me yesterday and we had a lot of fun taping my next two videos. The only challenge was he only had a few hours last night to edit and post one. He left for an all-day educational meeting today with a new web designer that is helping him design our new St. Patrick Project website. He called to let me know that he didn't get my video posted yet and probably won't until at least tomorrow. I hope you all don't mind but I am once again writing.
What's the point here? I think it's just that things don't always go the way we planned. However, when your best-laid plans come undone find something productive or worthwhile to do during your delays. Take a walk this weekend. Read a book. Smell the flowers of Spring! There is a lot to thank God for!

Happy the person, and happy they alone,
Who can call today their own,
They who, secure within, can say,
"Tommorrow, do thy worst, for I have lived today" John Dryden

Until next time, God IS blessing you! Donna

It's Not Over!

2009-04-10T06:04:00.000-07:00

It's Good Friday. No video today....I've "gone dark" since my videographer (Bobby) isn't available. Although it wasn't planned, I think the darkness is appropriate since this morning represents a dark time in history. It's the morning that Jesus Christ was dragged from his overnight prison cell, mocked, beaten, tortured, paraded throughout Jerusalem, and finally crucified between two thieves. On this day Jesus not only felt terrible physical pain but he also experienced the deep emotional pain of abandonment. As he was nearing death he cried out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" He ultimately surrendered to God the father and then he died.
Try to imagine how Jesus felt; alone, afraid, uncertain, defeated, deceived. Many who he had grown to know and love had turned their backs on him. From beginning to the bitter end of that tragic day, he suffered a terrible and very painful way to die. All hope had been destroyed that Friday for the people who had followed him and who expected and believed that he would save them from the ills of society. Those followers certainly would not have given this day the name "Good Friday". There was nothing good about it. It was over....or was it?
Now, nearly two thousand years later we know why we call it "Good" Friday. We know the outcome of the story. Jesus Christ conquered death by rising from the dead three days after suffering death by crucifixion. The stone was rolled away from the burial spot and the tomb was empty! He did this so he God could provide a means to allow people to be forgiven of their shortcomings (sins). So that all who believe in him as their lord and savior will have eternal life. This is the celebration of Easter morning!
Today you might be feeling alone or afraid. Maybe you are grieving or maybe you are enduring great physical pain or hardship. Perhaps you also feel abandoned. The outcome of your personal story is not yet known. If you are feeling down or even hopeless remember that all hope was gone on the day that Jesus died. More importantly remember that on Easter morning he rose from the dead and on that day hope was reborn. Christ continues to live in your heart if you accept and believe in him. He will assist you in overcoming anything if you allow and ask him to help. Pray, have faith and hope. Believe. "He has risen, He has risen indeed." Happy Easter! May you experience His love in a renewed way this year. Until next week... Donna

Spring

2009-04-03T07:59:00.000-07:00

Reconnecting

2009-03-27T16:19:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone- I've really missed communicating with all of you so here goes... my very first blog! My hope is to write to you weekly via short vignettes or devotionals where I can also keep you informed of what my husband and I have been up to. Thanks to a 27 year old son, Bobby, I will also be doing a video blog. (Yikes! ) Many of you have written and emailed that you have been worried about us. We have greatly appreciated your correspondence and especially your prayers. We are finally beginning to heal after some really rough months of wondering "why?" Once we stopped asking the wrong question and we started asking instead "what should we do now Lord?" we started seeing that God had bigger and better plans than we had ever imagined.
These days Robert has been very hard at work developing a new Christian ministry which will allow him the honor of continuing to speak inspiration and hope to the world. He will do this by once again spreading the good news of Christ on the television and on the world wide web. More to come on this very creative and new way of doing ministry when it is time.
We have also launched "The St Patrick Project". St. Patrick was known as the father of the monastic movement although he never pastored a church. He helped to rescue Western Europe from the dark ages by preserving literature and the arts of old, caring for the needy, and teaching about the love of Christ. He did all of this in a time of uncertainty and he did it all through spiritual communities. In these uncertain times there is a huge need for the spirit of this great human being to minister to lost and broken people around the world. The St Patrick Project will honor this by rallying local Christians to transform their cities through social action, the arts, and community. Every day people from different cultures and traditions will volunteer and work together to mentor kinds, paint and clean bad neighborhoods, showcase concerts for inner city teens, visit people in prisons, and care for the homeless. All of these actions will be anchored by Bobby and Hannah's ongoing faith community, "The Gathering" located in Old Town Orange, California. From there we will all continue to be the hands and the feet of Christ, serving as a model of what can be done through the love of Christ. Our hope and our goal is to reach the world with this message of "caring for the least of these".
After a long and lonely winter we are seeing the Spring! God is good and He has taken us through some dark and desolate months. We are entering a new season of our lives and it promises to be great. Our prayer is that if you are feeling lonely, down, or deserted, that you too will soon enter the Spring of your life . Until next week...
With God's continued blessings, even when we can't see or feel them, Donna
St. Patrick Project
P.O. Box 1584
Orange, CA. 92856-6584