The Invitation

The word “invitation” implies that you are wanted, and that there is going to be something good, a future blessing. An invitation to the prom can immediately alleviate a young girl’s fears that she will be left out. An invitation to the boss’s house for dinner says you are accepted. After all, few are fired from their jobs in that environment. An invitation to a wedding means that you have a friend who wants to include you in an important family event. And an invitation to meet with one of the most respected Christian publishers in America means that you have a product worthy of their time!

And so it was on December 9, 2003 that Sally Shriver, a board member and an invaluable asset to the ministry, boarded a plane for Colorado Springs with invitation in hand to meet with the editors and other team members of Navpress, the publishing division of The Navigators.

From the moment we pulled out of my driveway I sensed the presence and blessings of God Himself. The plane to Denver International was full except for the seat between the two of us so we were able to spread out a bit. We were met at the airport by my sister and her husband who treated us to a delicious lunch.

Then we rented a car that was so fun to drive that even the trip to Colorado Springs from Denver was true joy not to mention breathtakingly beautiful. Though the land was covered with snow the roads were clear so we southern girls thought we were getting a little taste of heaven as every where we looked were mountains and majesty.

It was dark when we arrived at Glen Erie, a lovely castle like structure that was built in the late eighteen hundreds and is now a part of the Navigators Ministry and there we spent the next two nights.

The next day we met with the Navpress Team. Dan Rich greeted us at the door and took us on a tour of the building. Every room had stellar views of the surrounding environment of broad vistas and tall mountains. And then he ushered us into a room of about ten people,

At this point we had no idea what to expect. We had been invited, we knew they were interested in The Amazing Collection but apart from that we knew nothing. And so we tried very hard to appear poised and confident, but inside we were scared and fearful and anxious.

Dan began the meeting by directing each of the team members to go around the room and give their impressions of The Amazing Collection. They had certainly done their homework as each one spoke with a familiarity of the study, both the DVDs and the workbook.

And it was at this point that we were blown away. THEY LOVED IT!

We had been in production for two years and even still we were only half way through the project. During that time we had never had any “professional” look at the study with an eye for ministry usefulness. Oh, we had all of our friends look at it and of course they loved it…but then they were our friends and totally prejudiced so their opinions couldn’t be totally trusted. But here were ten PROFESSIONALS who knew the publishing market inside and out, who spent every day going through scripts and books and proposals…and they really, really thought our work was excellent!

I wanted to put my head down on the table and cry for joy. Of course I DID NOT do this because I was trying so hard to look poised and confident…but inside I felt like falling on my face before the Throne of Grace in thanksgiving for a God who had done it all and then gone before us with such blessings that my heart could hardly contain them all!

Two days later when we walked out of those offices with a promised contract and we WERE confident! God had assured us that all of the time and effort over the last two years was worth it all and that He would use it for His glory. We didn’t know how, but we knew that He would.

An Invitation….a Blessing….A Future….

And the Lord offers us an invitation:

Isaiah 55:1-2

“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat!

Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Isaiah 55:1-2

The Edit

Edit: to prepare by selecting individual sections and arranging them in sequence.

I like that word. I wish it pertained to life. It allows the editor (person who edits) the ability to place things in a way that is the most understandable. So if I could do that with life, then I would place the end at the beginning of most all of the trials I have known so that it would be easier to understand the “why”. It would relieve much worry and hand wringing.

Then there are those times when unkind words escape from my lips and land on the ear of some unsuspecting soul. I would simply edit those out and no harm would be done. So for sure, editing life would be a good deal and greatly enhance one’s time here on earth.

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With every teaching session of The Amazing Collection there had to be some film editing. Each teacher was responsible for editing their own section. We would go to Soteria Productions and sit for hours with Shane Ortiz and cut and paste film bits on a computer until our eyes and ears were rendered useless! We would stagger out blurry eyed and tired but with the hope that all of the cutting and pasting had somehow made things more understandable and…well…better. It was a job I hated. It required details and I am so not into that.

On some occasions we would turn to Eleanor for help. Eleanor was the best at it and is to this day. We have recently completed our twelfth filmed study, Invincible Love/Invisible War and she volunteered (perhaps not by choice) to do all of the editing for those six thirty-five minute sections. She is an absolute whiz as an editor and can find the smallest error and then can figure out how to fix it. I think she is a miracle worker!

The week on December 4, 2002 was one of those “nothing can go wrong” weeks. We had received an invitation to fly to Colorado Springs, Colorado to meet with some of the big people” at Navpress, a Christian Publishing company. We were thrilled beyond words and Sally Shriver and I had been chosen to be the Big Dream Representatives for the trip. We were all pretty much overwhelmed with all God had done to make that trip possible.

Then out of the blue we received an enormous donation of $150,000 to be given to Big Dream over a period of a year. The first check for $50,000 had arrived that week giving us a huge cushion in the bank account. We were sailing alone lapping up the wind God was blowing our way.

About mid week Shane sent me an opener clip for the Early Minor Prophets. I had done these openers for all of the different sets. Though I never had a written script, I would have in my mind what I wanted to say so would just sit down, say it, get up and not give it another thought. On this day I was sitting in my house watching this little clip, just reviewing what I had said and suddenly realized I had left out a significant part! This does not sound like a big deal but we were in the process of editing. The filming had been done weeks ago. There was no turning, no refilming at this point.

So the beatings began. You know what I mean (unless you are one of my perfect friends!). You don’t need for anyone to tell you how stupid you are. You do it to yourself and with every word uttered within your soul there is another “stripe across its back”.

And so in broken humility I sat down with Shane to see what we could do. As far as I was concerned it was all hopeless. But Shane saw things through the eyes of an editor. He began to move a little piece of my talk to another place, then another part put somewhere else and added some of the extra footage that we had taken.

“Finished!”, he said after a few minutes and we reran the film. And there I was looking at the camera and…I WAS MAKING SENSE! I actually looked and talked with some intelligence! And like Eleanor, Shane also proved himself to be a miracle worker.

I wrote in my journal that day, “ God continues to pour out upon us gracious kindness and abundant mercy.” Mercy! Kindness! Both given to those who need it the most.

Ephesians 2:4

But God being rich in mercy because of His great

love with which He loved us..”

Turns in the Road

We have a GPS. It is a strange instrument. I do not have any idea how it works and I am convinced it has a mind of its own. Most of the time, it is a wonderful invention but sometimes it leads me to places I do not want to go. A couple of weeks ago I was in East Atlanta and needed to go to Dawsonville, GA so I punched in my destination. I followed the sweet voice of the lady in the box. She had me turn one way then another. Soon my internal GPS was in unfamiliar surroundings with no idea where I was. As she directed me to take one more turn, I ran right into a gate…of a gated community. I was no where near Dawsonville! It took a stop at CVS and a kindly man to get me on the right track.

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Following God can indeed take us places where we didn’t think we were going. Sometimes I think He is simply asking us to trust even when we end up in a place which was not our planed destination. And that happened to us often as we followed “THE LEADER” while producing The Amazing Collection.

One such time was in the summer of 2003. I had gotten the name of Katherine Helmers, a literary agent in Colorado Springs, from wonderful Nancy Guthrie when I had attended the CBA convention in Orlando Florida. I was sure she would be able to help us find a publishing company who would take on our study. However, after a brief conversation she declined saying she was working with Philip Yancey on his newest book and didn’t have the time for anything else. I was disappointed but then she recommended John Eames, another literary agent, who was spending the summer in Colorado.

Shortly after our conversation I received a call from him! He was excited about the project and wanted to know if he could be of some assistance to us. It seems he was in Colorado Springs that day having lunch with a friend when Katherine walked in and proceeded to tell him about us!

I was elated! Even more exciting was that I was on my way to Colorado for a wedding so we made arrangements to meet that Friday on August 15, 2003. On Wednesday I sent him a couple of videos then left for Colorado. On Thursday I talked to him again eagerly looking forward to “God’s appointment” on the following day. Friday morning I got a message on my cell phone that he had to cancel. To say the least, I was devastated. We did not talk again for several months.

In November I got a call from John and we agreed to meet together on December 3, 2003. He was coming to town and just thought it would be a good idea if we could get together. I agreed and so we met. I was so pleased to find him to be a most friendly, warm and delightful man. Thus began a wonderful relationship that continues to this day. Little did I know then how mightily God would use him in many different ways as we traversed the muddy waters of contracts, ministry legalities, business decisions and other times we needed a wise counselor. He was and is a God-send. …not as we thought…but even better.

Isaiah 30: 20-21

He, your Teacher will no longer hide Himself , but your eyes will behold your Teacher. And your ears will hear a word behind you,, “This is the way, walk in it, whenever you turn to the right or to the left.

It’s Just A Call Away

One phone call can change a lot of things. Most recently we received a phone call from our son-in-law and he simply said, “He’s on the way. Gotta go” and with that life did change as we welcomed into the world our seventh grandchild. Or there was the one from Jenna years ago that announced that she had a ring on her finger and a wedding proposal! Life changed wonderfully with that call, too. Throughout life it is not difficult to remember the changes that came with a simple call. Sometimes those calls being about drastic changes and some times bring just small ones. None the less, one call can make all the difference in the world.

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Mid October, 2003 I got a call from a Mr. Dan Rich. He was not at all familiar to me but he introduced himself as one of the publishers at Navpress, a publishing company that was well known to us. He went on to say he had heard about The Amazing Collection and would love to meet with me and find out more about it. I was absolutely shocked. To this day I have no idea how he found out about us and how he found my name and number. That will remain with one of God’s mysteries.

Two weeks later, on Wednesday morning, October 22, 2003, Robin Rosebrough and I met Dan at one of the local restaurants. He had flown into Atlanta to meet with us because he heard that “God was up to something” and he wanted to hear all about it.

There is nothing we enjoy talking about more than all God has done for us as we have pressed on to produce the Amazing Collection: The Bible Book By Book. We had more stories than most people want to listen to when it came to all God was doing for us as we pressed on to produce the Amazing Collection. I feel certain we talked his ear off but he was most gracious and listened carefully and asked wonderful questions and all in all sealed a friendship that continues to this day.

The meeting lasted three and a half hours and when we parted we had no idea what those three and a half hours would bring but we felt God had something in mind and indeed He did.

Later I not only heard from Dan but we were offered a short term contract with Navpress. In it they committed $180,000 to the continued development of the product including packaging and marketing. It was beyond anything we could have ever imagined.

During the next few months, they would change the design of the covers, hire a professional developmental editor and a proof editor, design a continuity program and market it through their catalogues. This was the professional help we so desperately needed but had no idea how to go about getting it. But God did and He provided abundantly more than we could have ever thought to ask. He provided excellence!

But the best part was the friendships that developed through this brief partnership. Dan, Kathy Mosier, Leigh McLeroy, Pat Reinstein and Terry Beheimer all proved to be not only greatly talented but people who gave so generously of their talents and their hearts! Though seven years have passed, they are still friends of the ministry and continue to help us out on every new project.

And it all began with one simple call.

Psalm 17:6

I have called upon Thee,

For Thou wilt answer me O God.

Incline Thine ear to me

And hear my speech.

Caught on Film

I got my first camera when I was nine years old. It was a Kodak Brownie Hawkeye, a model few people will now remember. But for me it was a gift of enormous value, for now I could look at the world thru lens and actually capture what I saw as a permanent record. It was astonishing, a miracle, or at least I thought it so at the time.

But it also made me a lot more conscious of what the eye sees and what I really wanted to capture. I took a picture of my sister’s shoelaces by accident. And then there was the photo of Mom as she was turning her head quickly…well I think it was my mother but then who could tell? It was simply a blur.

Taking a picture is not easy, that is if you really want a good outcome. And in those days before computer every single print cost money. I spent all of my allowance more than once on a series of goof-ups that ended up in the trash. So two things are needed for a fool-proof picture. You need a good camera and a good camera man with an eye to know what to capture and what to leave.

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Lani Rae Hughes called me on the afternoon of September 23, 2003. She had been hired a year earlier by our “partners” Soteria Productions as producer for all of The Amazing Collection programs and had proved to be a competent, capable young woman. Besides, she was just a lot of fun and encouraged all of us and for many reasons I had learned to trust her and her judgment.

On this particular day she was asking for the big bucks. She wanted a boom camera for Soteria Productions to film All Rise with Babbie Mason for the book of Ezekiel. A boom camera is a large camera on a long, stable arm that can be maneuvered up high and down low and can get into a lot of places a lone cameraman cannot get into and it does it fast. She said they wanted the best and this kind of camera would do just that!

They had a vision for the song and as she described it to me it all sounded good. But then she ‘lowered the boom’ so to speak and told me the cost. It would be $800 for a couple of hours of camera time and an experienced cameraman I was shocked to say the least. This sounded like an enormous amount of money at a time when the bank account looked mighty low. Did we REALLY need to spend so much money just to get a little bit better view, a higher view? I thought of my Hawkeye that we purchased for a mere seven dollars in 1955. Surely the costs were outrageous. But instead of just saying NO (which I was inclined to do!) I told Lani to pray about it and if God wanted a boom camera than I knew He would provide for it.

I hung up and went to the mailbox. There was a check for $20,000 for Big Dream. By the time I got back to the house Eleanor was calling saying she had just gotten a check for $2,000 and that very morning she and her prayer team had asked God for $22, 000.

So I called Lani back. I guess God wanted a boom camera and indeed He did because to this day that is one of my very favorite music videos ever. It was a lesson for sure. We were trying to produce something that could bring glory to God. We were not to short change on those things of importance. We would use the boom camera time and time again and each time it would add beauty and interest to the film beyond anything a “still” camera could do and every time God provided .

Colossians 3:17

Whatever you do in word or deed it all in the name of the Lord.

Lessons in the Woodpile

As a child of nine my father had instructed me to move a huge pile of wood from the side yard to our cellar where it would be stored for the winter months. Because of the enormity of the task I felt he was asking the impossible and so had a difficult time getting started. Well not just difficult, I simply didn’t do it.

Time went on and my father mentioned it from time to time but because I sensed no real urgency, I assumed he realized that it was impossible also, so I simply ignored it hoping it would get done by itself. But the funny thing about such tasks, they don’t go away.

One Saturday morning I made plans with my friend Joanne Miller to do some fun thing but for some reason, father chose that moment to say “no” I could not go until the wood pile was safely stacked in the cellar.

I was angry. Why was I given this assignment? I had two sisters…what about THEM? But father stood firm and so with an attitude that could sink a ship I began to move the wood, one piece at a time.

But as I began the daunting task, Joanne showed up and seeing the size of the wood pile and the discouragement I felt chose to jump in and help. All morning long we went back and forth, back and forth hour after hour. But something unusual began to happen. The neatly stacked wood pile in the cellar began to grow and grow and grow and the pile in the side yard shrank in equal proportions. Four hours later, the job was done and with it came a great sense of satisfaction and pride.

It was a lesson I will never forget and it has stayed me well as I have grappled with jobs that seemed impossible.

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Thomas Carlyle, the great Scottish satirical writer, was once quoted as saying, “Every noble work is at first impossible”. But there is also a wonderful quote from the angel Gabriel as he stood before Mary in Luke1:37, “For with God nothing will be impossible”. It was another lesson we would learn on the road to producing The Amazing Collection: The Bible Book By Book.

Several brilliant businessmen who were our wise counselors had often told me that I needed a business plan for Big Dream Ministries. But as I thought about the difficulty of putting together a plan for a future I could only imagine, it seemed impossible, certainly beyond my knowledge and efforts. Eleanor and Linda also concluded that it was beyond our expertise. We also had the problem of trying to figure out just what God would do. We sensed we were on a road with Him but He knew the way and how we were going to get to the destination. Our job was to follow. Yet persisting voices kept pushing me to develop a plan. I was stymied and so I did the only thing I knew how to do. I did nothing.

On July 6, 2003 I received an email from the daughter of a dear friend. Amy Westbrook had just graduated from college and was waiting to begin a job. She said she had plenty of time and would love to help us out at the office. I can never refuse such an offer so a couple of hours later she was sitting with me talking about how her time might be best used.

What do you enjoy doing? I asked.

Well, I LOVE writing up business plans and if you need any help with that I could do that for you!

A week later, and many lengthy conversations, she presented me with the Big Dream Business Plan, beautifully developed, wonderfully packaged and perfectly executed. The impossible became reality because with God working through His people, all things are possible!

Luke 18:27

The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.

Feasting with the Lord

One of the thrills of being a grown-up is there are more opportunities for one to practice hospitality. During early marriage when we had so little extra money we would have folks over for hotdogs (before they were thought to be poison) and potato chips. As resources increased, the food improved. But one thing remained consistent; when folks are gathered around our table accompanied by some good food, I will often be moved to happy tears because it gives me a little picture of heaven.

When the children of Israel where spending a year at Mt. Sinai God commanded certain times of feasting and fasting ….times set apart for the people to have a break from the normal work routines of every day life and focus on God and one another. He knew we needed those breaks. In many ways when we do take time for such feasts, I think He joins us in spiritual ways that adds joy to the occasions. So on June 13, 2003, we had the first of several feasts so we could break from the work we were doing and focus on what God had done and simply enjoy the company of one another.

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We had worked for a year and a half and had accomplished much. We had added several fabulous volunteers to our team. We had seen God provide tens of thousands of dollars to fund “The Amazing Collection: The Bible Book By Book” project. We had filmed, duplicated, and made available twelve videos and two workbooks. It was time to pull apart and feast and fellowship and reflect on all God had done for us.

They began to arrive at our home around 6:00, thirty-two folks who had spent the last year and a half, working in various ways to help make our BIG DREAM become a reality. They came happy and they came hungry and the evening was not going to disappoint them.

Paul Ryzcek is a family friend and a phenomenal cook. He spends his days remodeling houses and installing freezer units for huge commercial companies. Yet even though his schedule keeps him running day after day he graciously volunteered to come and cook New Orleans shrimp for us. Two huge pots sat on the grill bubbling with hot melted butter, a hundred garlic cloves, Italian dressing and at least a can of pepper all ready to have the shrimp dropped into it and simmered to perfection.

But there were also platters of chicken, a watermelon scooped and filled with chucks of fruits and whole berries, creamy grits folded into gruyere and parmesan cheese, tomato mozzarella salad, marinated asparagus, and an assortment of hot rolls. After dinner root beer floats were served to all capping the feast perfectly.

Large round tables were set up to encourage good conversation but little encouragement was needed because these people shared so much in common, They all held to a firm belief in a Sovereign King who was working behind the scenes to make the impossible possible. There was more to talk about then there was time!

John Carozza is an awesome pianist and after dinner he sat at the piano and began to play. Soon every voice was joining in singing hymns and praise songs, all pointing to the One who had brought us all together.

At that moment I felt that Emmanuel, God With Us, really was! The whole room seemed filled with His glory! The voices were strong and clear and beautiful (thanks so much in part to Jen and John Carozza and Trace and Joel Balin!) but it was more than that. It sounded like the voices of angels and I thought at the time, they truly were singing along with us.

Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty….present at the feast, a feast that would never have taken place had He not shown Himself so strong and powerful on our behalf.

Psalm 13:6

I will sing to the Lord

For He has dealt bountifully with me.

The Extraordinary and the Ordinary

My uncle Dan was an extraordinary man. He was at the invasion at Normandy Beach in WWII and had built his life philosophy from that one catastrophic event. He decided that if he lived through that horrific battle he would never have a “bad day”. He had seen the worst and nothing else compared to it.
And so, day after day, he lived “good days”, and it served him well. Through hard work perseverance, a fabulous outlook and impeccable character he built a small empire. But as the empire grew, Uncle Dan saw himself as no more important or more valuable then the “least of these”. He made himself available to others and treated all with great respect. I loved that about him…as did thousands of others as reflected at his funeral. The huge church could not contain all of his “friends”.

It is a most wondrous thing when extraordinary people live humbly in the ordinary with their fellow man and are available and willing to help whenever they can.

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As Genie and Colin (our testimony coordinators) sought out people who would allow us to film their testimonies for The Amazing Collection DVD Bible Study, one name kept coming to mind. Kay Arthur has a remarkable story of redemption. Kay is an extraordinary woman in Christendom; in fact one could consider her a “star”, a celebrity, unreachable to the ordinary person. And so we did not pursue her knowing that we were perhaps too small to even be considered.

But after several months of excuses, Colin called Reach Out Ranch, home to Kay and some of her staff, that also houses facilities for conferences and classes. There was a short conversation with her secretary along with the explanation that we could not pay for this service, and then the secretary promised to call back soon with an answer. It gave us all a ray of hope. And so we waited.

But the wait was not long and the response was startling and wonderful. Kay would be happy for us to bring our crew up to film her and indeed no payment was necessary. It would be her privilege!! We were elated!

The day arrived and Kelle and Shane, (our production team) Genie, Colin and I all drove the hundred and twenty miles to Chattanooga, Tenn. With little difficulty we found the ranch and a staff member led us to a perfect room. It had great lighting and plenty of space for everyone.

Within minutes of set-up Kay arrived. OK I admit it. I was hugely intimidated by her…all that she had accomplished, all of the books she had written, all of the millions of men and women she had inspired, and her incredible dedication to God’s Word. In fact, I had elevated her to a place somewhere very near the heavenly Throne!

But the intimidation quickly melted away with a most unusual thing … a hug! Indeed Kay Arthur went around the room and didn’t shake hands, but she hugged each one of us as if we were family. And it was at that moment I realized that indeed we really WERE family!

What was even more remarkable was her desire to serve US. If we needed her to turn a certain way, it was done. She kept a close eye on the computer screen and helped us with lighting and placement as she was an expert in that area. And she gave her testimony over and over again until it was perfect. There was no hurry; she was simply ours for as long as we needed her. In the end we were able to film a fabulous testimony for the book of Isaiah.

In Scripture, James says that we are never to elevate or lower another human being. It sounds good but I seldom see it actually played out by those who reach a certain prominence. But I am grateful for the people God has put in my life who take God’s Word and clearly, humbly, unselfishly, and remarkably live it out! The extraordinary and the ordinary…. all for God, all one family, united in Christ Jesus.

James 2:1 & 9

My brethren do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism. But if you show partiality you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors

Timing is Everything

I love a story. For some reason God has made my brain to work in a way that may not be normal. Give me some details and I will soon forget them. Tell me a story and I may remember it for life. I have a feeling there are some other folks that have the same kind of genetic make up because Jesus surely told a few good ones in the form of parables, made up stories that had a moral….and the people remembered them!
Paul wasn’t so much of a parable-teller as he was willing and excited about telling HIS story. And that also was a good one, so much so that he kept the attention of some mighty powerful men. The thing about Paul’s story was that is was true and yet as fabulous, exciting, dramatic and interesting as any great piece of fiction.
 

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We knew that testimonies were powerful. We had witnessed it ourselves as we listened to the stories from the people God brought to us. But sometimes we had a difficult time finding the person God had chosen, though in time He always revealed it to us.

One evening I was doing the dishes and my Beloved called from the other room asking for a telephone number from my address book. I dried my hands and was paging through the pages looking for the “B’s which would have brought me to the number he needed.

As I cast my eyes down the page they landed on Jane Bateman’s name and in a millisecond I knew she would have the perfect story for the book of Luke.

Jane had come across my path years before when I was directing the Women’s Fellowship. I had asked her to teach a series after hearing from several women in the area about the excellence of her teaching and communication skills. But after getting to know her and hearing her story I was so impressed with the courage and faith of the woman and I became her fan.

But soon after the friendship began to grow she moved, and then moved again and I lost contact for several years.

So looking at my address book I decided to take a chance and call the only number I had. It was late at night, far past most people’s bedtime but for some reason I felt an urgency.

She answered the phone and I was elated. I told her I would so love to film her story and she seemed delighted to do so. I told her I was so glad that I was able to reach her and her reply reminded me that God was in control!

“I am moving tomorrow to another city and the phone will be disconnected. If you had waited a few hours you would not have gotten me.”

Had I only hesitated I would not have been able to find her. But then if I had not looked up a number in the address book I would not have been reminded of her story.

A few weeks later our film crew arrived in Greenville, South Carolina and we were able to get her incredible story on film for the Amazing Collection so that millions of women could be encouraged and inspired by her life.

“For you have made me glad by what you have done. I will sing for joy at the works of Thy hands. How great are Thy works!”

Psalm 92:4

The Times They Are A Changing

It is a chore to keep up with the trends. Every season I am reminded that I am behind the times. As soon as I lengthen my skirts the style goes up. Once I manage to get big hair the styles change to straight and flat. But the good thing about being older is that I have reached a point that I just don’t care! I LIKE my skirts longer. My hair IS flat, and I don’t care if every one in the world has a tattoo I simply will not.

But when it comes to technology and business, that is something entirely different. We MUST care or be run over by the tech changes that will outdate us in a heart beat!

We had ordered the first several sets of the Amazing Collection in the standard VHS because that was the newest and the best. They took up large amounts of room in our warehouse. They were beautifully boxed in even larger containers that took up even more space. But it was the best and the newest and we were grateful to have them.

I was in Blockbuster one day, that super store of home movie-dom when I noticed something peculiar. It was a DVD…sleek, small and NEW! They carried a small selection of movies in this new format. I was curious but not interested.

A month later I again visited my local Blockbuster and to my horror the employees were working feverishly taking down every VHS and replacing it with a DVD! Not one VHS was left in its place. “The future is here” the clerk said to me. “But I’m not ready for it!” I replied. “Well, I guess we don’t have a choice.” He said with a sigh.

No choice! I thought about all our VHS in the warehouse. I thought about how they would all look in a dumpster. I thought about the incredible waste of money. And then I thought about Blockbuster. Really, we had no choice.

We have always struggled with the reality of the cost of doing business and the responsibility of good stewardship. Our donors trust us and the way we spend money and in return we do everything we can to be as financial astute as possible.

So, we did what we always do…we went to the Lord and asked direction. Every board member felt we had no choice. Soon after making the decision to go to DVD we received a gift of $50,000. So we ordered the Amazing Collection in DVD and cleared out the warehouse of VHS, giving as many away as we could and the rest went into the dumpster.

I look at all of the DVDs in the warehouse today and wonder, what will be next? For faster than I like, the times they are a changing.

Ecclesiastes 3:1

To everything there is a season ,

A time for every purpose under heaven.

Where is the Comfort Zone?

The first day of any new experience is always the worst as it takes us totally out of our comfort zone.

The first day in kindergarten is horrific. Who are those people and why do I have to sit in my seat at this desk? No comfort on that day!

The first day of high school is terrible. Where is my locker and why do we have to change classes? No comfort then!

The first day of college is confusing. What do you mean I have to change not only classes but whole buildings that are blocks away from each other? Definitely no comfort!

The first day of a new job is awkward. Will I like these people? Am I capable of doing the work and will I ever be able to fit in and be a part of a team? By now we should be use to it but…well…admit it, it just is NOT comfortable!

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And so in February 2003 Eleanor, Robin, Linda, Margie and I loaded up two vans and headed towards a new experience for all of us that took us totally out of that zone we love…comfort. We were on our way to our first ever convention, The National Religious Broadcasters Convention in Nashville, Tennessee. We were excited and we were nervous. We had no idea what to expect except that we felt confident God Himself was sending us there and there was a plan and we needed to fit into it.

Five women who do not know what they are doing, moving their booth and accompanying stuff into a convention center is quite a sight to witness. First we couldn’t find the loading dock. Margie saw some men standing by the place we thought was the right one so she got out of her van and asked direction. Margie is charm personified so they not only told us where to park the vans for unloading but also showed us the very spot, directed the vans as we backed into the dock and helped us unload! God provided just what we needed.

We hauled all the equipment and boxes to our assigned spot with the help of some very strong and gracious men, but as soon as they left we saw we had a problem. The “booth” was in two round containers. We opened them up and sat looking at the contents not even beginning to know where to begin. Just about that time God sent another angel in the form of a young man who just happened to be from Eleanor’s alma mater, Penn State. They became fast “college buddies” and not surprisingly he knew exactly how to set up the booth. Before long we had it all in place and decorated. As we stood back and looked, I have to say we were all enormously pleased with the results! God had indeed provided in every way.

The next day was the opening day. It began with a fabulous worship service that included Michael W. Smith, David Phelps, and several other top vocalists. We were awed to say the least! Allistair Begg gave the message and although he was a new name to us I don’t think we will ever forget him or his message. There was such power in every word and we left feeling that indeed God had met us there and had blessed us beyond anything we could have imagined.

But it was only the beginning. During the next two days we realized that God was pouring out blessing upon blessing on us. Our booth had more traffic than almost any other. The response was so positive and we made many wonderful contacts. Then as if that was not enough a couple of our dear girlfriends, Genie Brady and Jan Butler from Roswell, showed up unexpectedly to surprise us! To make that visit even more enjoyable it began to snow so they could not go home until the next day. Their presence was like strong arms under us and we knew for sure that they did not just COME…they had been SENT!

To top it all off, it was announced that President George Bush would be making an appearance to address those at the conference. Simply put, seven ladies went from basking in a place outside their comfort zone to experiencing the love, provision and comfort of their God.

Psalm 119:76

Let, I pray, Your merciful kindness be for my comfort,

According to your word to Your servant.

Convention Issues

We had taken a step and signed up for a convention. It wasn’t just any convention but the National Religious Broadcasters Convention in February 2003 that was held in Nashville, Tennessee at the Opryland Convention Center. We had decided, I am sure one evening at a late night meeting when none of us were thinking clearly, to not only attend but to actually have a Big Dream Ministries, Inc booth.

All of this sounds great of course unless you were the Big Dream Board made up of women who had never been to a convention nor had ever even seen a booth!

By late December we were beginning to wonder what in the world had we gotten ourselves into and how could we get out. The convention board had sent us a large notebook with all of the instructions and rules and suddenly we were face to face with that horrible thing called reality! However, we HAD paid the convention fee and could think of several really good reasons why we should be there.

So on Thursday evening December 5, 2002 we did the only thing we knew how to do. We met and prayed. We had specific prayer needs.

1. Help us make sense of the convention notebook!
2. Help us to be able to have a booth that was attractive and informative.

Later that week I was talking to a friend who had helped us with various things in the past. I told him my problem and he said, “Oh you must talk to my friend Tom!” I called Tom and left a message with what we needed and asked if he could meet with me the following week.

I hung up and went back to working on my computer when the phone rang. It was Tom.

“I have some good news and some bad news”, he said.

I asked for the good first and he then began to rattle off several great suggestions for a booth.

1. Keep it simple
2. Have large pictures of the four teachers to hang on the back wall along with the company logo
3. Stack the product up from the floor up at the base of the booth.
4. Give away Georgia peanuts
5. Have a small TV on the table with a looped VHS of the promo
6. Have the ladies behind the booth all wear something that stands out, like bright colored sweaters
7. Have take- home copies of the promo to give to anyone who is interested
8. Have plenty of business cards

The bad news? He couldn’t meet the following week. But then he no longer needed to as we had our plan for the booth. Robin ordered bright, shocking pink sweaters for each one of us and we had the photos taken along with the logo designed and mounted The peanuts were ordered from the Georgia peanut association all in little individual bags with Georgia written on them. The booth was donated to us and the carpet was ordered and the sweaters monogrammed with the Amazing Collection logo.

As if designed by God Himself, everything came together and we were ready to embark on yet another adventure: Conventions!

A Lesson from a Manicure

I know how  Sarah felt. Time was running out…or had already run out and God didn’t seem to have a plan. When one’s back is up against a wall it is easy...oh so easy…to look for alternatives to the problem (Genesis 16). Sarah knew God wanted her to have a baby but it was getting so late and now she was old and well, God surely would appreciate the help! Her choice of helping God ended in conflict that rages to this day.

Or what about King Ahaz (2 Kings 16)who was up against the armies of Syria and Israel. Ahaz thought God could use a little help so he paid the Assyrians to “come up and save me from the hand of the kings who rise up against me”. Assyria was too happy to give a helping hand and in the end it was a disaster as Assyria was influential in Ahaz leading the people of Judah to worship other gods and would prove a thorn in Judah’s flesh and a mighty conqueror of Israel. .

Then there was Big Dream Ministries. Check out these journal entries:

October 26, 2002: Big Dream is up against a wall. We have almost no money. This has been the first time we have been behind in our payments. I got a call from _____ a Nashville media businessman who thinks he can get us into secular stores.

October 30, 2002: Today we have $1500 in our checking account and we owe $9000.We can go no further and today I need to call Soteria and tell them the work must stop. I am meeting with _________ who is very brilliant at raising funds from foundations. Hopefully she will be able to help.

But then after a week of grasping at everything but God, this entry records that our eyes were brought back where they belonged.

November 8, 2002: Big Dream has NO money. We owe Soteria $4500 yesterday, $4500 next week and $4500 the week after that. The board just met and we came to the realization that we have been looking to man to provide and to ‘save” us from this financial crisis, but we have not looked to God as was our original commitment. This week we have tuned back to Him in trust and confidence that He can provide when He wants to.

I felt relief and yet still worried about my ability to rightly hear from God. AND I questioned once again if we were truly being wise and not naïve. I guess in many ways I was questioning if God would truly provide for our great need.

Then something simple yet quite profound happened to me. Many would not understand but I received a touch from God. I had an appointment to get my hair cut. It took all of my “personal hygiene” budget that month. But my hands were a mess and I longed to have extra money in the budget for a manicure...but alas, it wasn’t there.

Soon after the board made their decision I received a call from the salon saying they had just hired a new manicurist and she was giving complimentary manicures. Would I like one? A free manicure is unheard of in my social circle but there it was. One for me right when I longed for it!

Sometimes the Spirit of God simply whispers, “This is a gift for you from God” and I knew it was. But it was more than that. It was reassurance that God could provide and that He would provide.

Over the next few weeks we received over $70,000. The crisis was over and we were changed.

It was a great lesson for us. It redirected our vision. We would NOT look to any foundation and would no longer even apply for grants. We would not look to man, not look to secular stores, not look ANYWHERE on earth…but we would look to God alone.

Sarah learned the hard way. Ahaz learned the hard way. We were spared the hard way but I am so grateful we learned the lesson well.

Psalm 31:1

In You O Lord I put my trust;

Let me never be ashamed;

Deliver me in Your righteousness.

Remedy for a Rebellious Brain

The first time I ever stood in front of a large group of people to speak I was absolutely terrified. I have read that after ‘death’ that is the one thing most people are afraid of and I certainly fell into that category. The real problem is that your mind decides to take a vacation about the time you reach the podium. It simply shuts down and tries to convince you that it really isn’t there. Try as you might, it is nearly impossible to pull up the brilliantly composed work you would like to present for the most interested listeners. Instead, words tumble over thoughts and in the end you can walk away feeling like a great fool and your audience is exhausted trying to make sense of your nonsense!

Lance Brady has been a wonderful friend of Big Dream Ministries since the beginning. He and his wife, Genie, have been great encouragers to us. In October 2002 Lance called with a gift he wanted to give to each one of the teachers. SpeakEasy is an Atlanta based company that provides excellent classes for people who have to stand up in front of others and give presentations. He had arranged for us to attend the classes so that we might be more confident in our presentations. We were blown away by his great generosity and immediately signed up for the classes.

However, shortly before we were to attend I got a call that our class was canceled and I would need to reschedule. Well, life got in the way and I didn’t get around to it until I got another call from Lance encouraging me to move forward. Because of his prodding, I began to sense that God was up to something. So the call was made and we were all set to take classes at SpeakEasy.

Entering a classroom of nine strangers is not always comfortable but I was so surprised to find the class included high powered businessmen and women, confident in what they did and exuding success. It was intimidating to say the least. We saw ourselves as neither high powered, business women, successful, nor confident.

Nevertheless, the playing field evened out as each person began to give their carefully written speeches. We had three minutes each to give our presentations. I was one of the last but found that other’s confidence fled out the window as each person got up in front of the group. We were all the same. Simply a group of people who would rather hide than speak in front of an audience.

Strange as it sounds, their fear gave me confidence! If they felt as I did, then together we could help each other move forward, become more confident and shape a talk that made sense. In other words, we could overcome our rebellious brain, force it to straighten up and behave, and remember what our purpose was all about.

As teachers our purpose was very different from our classmates. They were selling a product but we wanted to transform lives through the Word of God. For Eleanor, Linda, Margie and me that was great motivation. In the end, we left the classes more confident, more assured, better equipped and most grateful to God who worked through the enormous generosity of Lance Brady.

I Know That!

My mother did her job well but she had such a reluctant student. She was an expert seamstress and tried with diligence to teach me how to sew. She loved materials and threads and sewing machines and yarns and from those materials she could and would make dream dresses for me. I dutifully followed her instructions so by the time I went to college I had the knowledge I needed to sew but I refused to do it. It was boring. It was tedious. It took way too much time. And beside why should I bother? Mom continued to sew for me!

However, that all changed the day I got married. For some reason which I could not understand at the time, Mom put her sewing machine away and took up painting while I was left to fend for myself. I had gotten use to nice clothes....cheap. Now as we struggled financially to pay for graduate and undergraduate tuitions on $6300 a year, there was no money for clothes. However there was a little money for material. And so I dragged that knowledge out (along with an old sewing machine one of Mama’s friends gave me) and put it into service. Soon I was making my own dream dresses.

Like my sewing skills, one can have the knowledge without having it affect their lives, but when we put that knowledge to work it can greatly enhance it. But sometimes lack of putting knowledge to work can be brutally harmful even leading to destruction. Listen to these words from Hosea 4:6:

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.

Because you have rejected knowledge,

I also will reject you from being priests for Me;

Because you have forgotten the law of your God,

I also will forget your children.

…because they have ceased obeying the Lord.”

In this passage God is saying something important to all of us. Learn. Know. Study. Obey. There is much to be gained but equally much, oh so very much, to be lost if we choose to ignore the very words, guidance, counsel, and truth, that God gives us in His Word.

At least once a week we get a call at Big Dream Ministries from someone who tells us, “I never knew or understood the whole Bible. The Amazing Collection has opened my eyes to so much of God’s Word that I didn’t understand!” We love those calls. God’s Word changes lives. It sets the captives free. It brings joy to the depressed and courage to the fearful. But without it…..well words like “destroy” “reject”, and “forgotten” paint a sobering picture. Love demands obedience but before obedience there must come knowledge.

When it comes to sewing it really isn’t earth shattering if knowledge is not followed by obedience. But God’s Word? Well it really is.

Emotional Roller Coaster

Emotions are funny. They seem to hit with a mind of their own. Joy can turn to sorrow in a millisecond and sorrow can turn to joy. I remember as a young woman sending the man I loved off on a military cruiser for the summer as a midshipman. I had expected a letter at least once a week and probably more. But week after week passed with no word and I grew more and more distressed. After six weeks had passed and still no letter I was fully convinced that his love for me had grown cold and that I would never see him again.

But one day a telegram arrived (you can tell how long ago this occurred!). It had just a few small words: “I love you. I miss you. See you soon.” And in that moment all anxiety turned at joyful anticipation.

Emotions change and they can change quickly.

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October 3, 2002 a shipment of 1000 sets of DVDs arrived from CRT Custom Products out of Nashville. This included the books of Genesis through 2 Kings. The packaging was beautiful. The price was less than what we had thought. And as the many boxes were being lifted into the warehouse I have to admit I was overwhelmingly excited. We had worked hundreds and hundreds of hours and here was the culmination of all of that work, prayer, time and tears.

The shipping truck pulled away and I was left alone. The boxes were piled high all around the room. Boxes that contained 5000 companion workbooks also added to the enormous amount of “product’. And then a thought occurred to me. We had 1000 sets that we had to sell. We had no sales staff. We had no brochure. We had no mailing list and no advertising budget.

I raced to the office and looked over the list of all of the people who said they wanted a set as soon as we received them. One, two three, four, five, six, seven…..seven…that was it! That left us with 993 sets of DVD’s and 2493 workbooks! And at that moment emotions changed and all joy turned to raw terror! What were we thinking? Did we have any idea how many 1000 sets were? Couldn’t we have ordered 250 or better yet 25!!

Then I remembered the past. God. God providing the money we needed. God providing the perfect testimonies for every book. God providing talented vocalists. God providing our every need. And so, why would I think that God could not provide for our needs at this point?

That was eight years ago. The warehouse is once again packed only now we have reordered workbooks tens of times and the DVD’s have multiplied as we have added new studies. Seven broadcasting stations air the Amazing Collection in five languages world wide. Had I known that on October 3, 2002 I would have continued in my excitement, continued in joy. But isn’t that what Christ tells us to do?

Consider it all joy brethren when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.

James 1:2

Do You Remember?

Some years ago our Big Dream team went on a little retreat near the Georgia mountains. Eleanor Lewis gave a talk on the theme of “remembering”. It was fascinating to see how serious God is about us remembering what He has done, remembering who He is, remembering His works and goodness. The longer I live the more crucial those words become because the truth is I often fail to remember and it is in that failing that anxiety finds its fertile ground

I began keeping a journal as a young adult. There are times now that I will pull out one of those books and read a few pages. What is shocking is not what I have remembered but what I have forgotten! And so often what I have forgotten are the mighty works of God. Those journal entries are proof that when God says do not be anxious, do not fear, do not be concerned, He can say that because He is in control and He IS working all things out. So many of the blog stories are nothing more than stories from my journals and each one calls out…. “do not be anxious! God has a plan and it is good!”

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We had been trying to find the right song and story for First Chronicles, something that would develop the idea of restoration. After searching for some time and getting down right stressed over the whole thing we finally came up with a song that a very popular recording artist had just recorded. It wasn’t by any means perfect but it was the best we could come up with. There was only one problem. It would be very expensive for us to get a license. We felt we had no choice and so we moved reluctantly forward but the very night we were going to film, the weather turned nasty and we were unable to do it. We rescheduled.

The next day we met with Eleanor Sams to hear her testimony and talk with her about filming her for First Chronicles. She had the most gentle, loving spirit and was immensely bright and articulate. She brought along a scrapbook that had wonderful old family pictures that helped to enhance her story.

Eleanor’s story is unusual. She grew up with a black mother and father in a close knit family. But after she had children she found out that she had a white grandfather, a slave owner. It was a blow to her because she had prejudices, resentment and anger but God worked a miracle in her heart and through some very unusual circumstances brought restoration to her and her family.

After talking with her at some length, Kelle, our production/creative guru, came up with a great idea. She wanted to incorporate some of those family pictures into the testimony.
Eleanor agreed that would be a wonderful idea and so it was set that the following week we would film both Eleanor telling her story and also use several pictures from the scrapbook.

On the way home that night, Kelle began to think that we needed a Negro spiritual as the music for that book. It would go right along with Eleanor’s story, in fact it would be great to have a “story board’ for the music that would not only enhance the song but also Eleanor’s great story.

Kelle called Antonia Lawrence, a lovely vocalist who had done some work for us previously. Antonia’s response was shocking and thrilling. “I will not only sing a Negro spiritual, I will write one tonight just for this story of restoration!”

And so it came about that Eleanor told her story of restoration. Antonio wrote and sang a song of restoration. And Eleanor’s daughter did the acting for the “story board” and Eleanor’s scrapbook provided the extra visuals that enhanced it all.

Remember? Remember! God is in the details and even when we don’t see it at the moment, He is in control.

I will remember the deeds of the Lord;

Yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.

Psalm 77:11

What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You

There is an old saying” What you don’t know can’t hurt you” that has been around for decades, maybe centuries. Now come, let us reason together. That is the greatest lie known to man? EVER!

For instance if you don’t know that fire can burn you up and you decide to walk into it, it probably will hurt you…a lot. If you don’t understand the pull of gravity and jump off a twenty story building there is a very good chance (like 100%) that indeed it will hurt you.

When it came to the legal aspects of production what we didn’t know really could have hurt us greatly. By God’s grace, we were able to learn a truth before we got ourselves and the ministry into legal trouble.

We had assumed that if we wanted to use a piece of music in our film project we would simply include it. So for the first few weeks of development we carefully choose music we thought would fit into each teaching session. Then we began to learn from several of our music professional friends that, no indeed, you can NOT use any music you want. In fact all music (except for that which is classified Public Domain or was written especially for us and given to us) is protected by a very complex systems of licenses. In fact had we known just HOW complex all of this would be we would NEVER have used ANY music. But then I do believe God revealed only as much as He wanted us to know, a little at a time so we WOULD add the music He wanted in every section.

Our first step toward taking care of legal business in the music area was to ask Elise Norman to help us obtain the music licenses required. Elise is a beautiful mother of four, an attorney and a dynamic vocalist. She graciously agreed to help us. And so we began the process of gathering licenses needed.

Now for a little music license education:

Synchronization License gives us permission to use the music in a video. We would
need one of these for almost every piece of music we used.

Mechanical License gives us permission to record someone’s music using our own
vocalist and musicians.

Master Use License gives us permission to use a recording that is already in existence.

So almost every song would require two licenses. Deciding what kind of licenses we needed was only the very beginning. Then we had to identify the company who owned the music. Silly me…I thought you simply pick up the phone and call Toby Mac or the Gaithers and, bingo, we would have the required license. NOT SO! Companies own the music and it is not always easy to find the right company. Once we had that part identified we then sent in an application for the license.

I know God gives all of His children opportunities to learn patience but He really outdid Himself with us…and He used music license companies to teach us! It was not uncommon to wait two, three or four years before finalizing the paperwork. Once that is done then we get to write a check, usually about fifteen cents for every DVD duplicated with that song on it. In our case, it was one thousand.

All of this took immense amount of time and effort. Elise worked on this for more than two years and then because the task got overwhelming, she handed it back to us and we hired a music lawyer from Nashville at great expense to get the rest of the licenses . Two or three years later (and much money) he said he did not have the time to complete this and turned it over to a music license friend of his who did this on the side. That was a disaster as this fellow had all of our records for more than eighteen months. During that time we had the opportunity to spend more money and receive little help. We fired him at the end of a very frustrating relationship and Jodie Mannion took over the work . Jodie worked on it for two years and we then hired a music service company to help her and now after nine years it looks like we are about at the end with only two more licenses to finalize.

I am so grateful to God that He did not allow us to find out the hard way that what we don’t know can ruin a person, company, a nation.

Lamentations 3:22

Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed,

Because His compassions fail not.

They are new every morning.

Great is your faithfulness.

Fitting Into His Schedule

I remember the final months of my mother’s life. She had become a complete invalid, paralyzed from the neck down. She lived with us and I was her care giver. Her needs were great and truly demanded more from me that I thought I could possibly give.

One evening, in total exhaustion. I knelt by my bed and with tears streaming down my face, poured out my frustration and anguish to God. When I was done listing all of my complaints and the many duties that were beyond human might, I stopped talking just long enough to hear the Still Small Voice. “I will restore to you the years the locust have eaten” (Joel 2:25). Eleven words and they made all of the difference. I rose, clinging to the promise.

Mama passed away several months later. I had cared for her for three years. God was good to His promise and the next three years proved to be full of rich blessings beyond my wildest dreams. During those years there was plenty of time for rest, spiritual and mental refreshment and a great deal of joy knowing Mom had received the best care and was now with her Savior.

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I ponder God’s schedule for my life because in many ways my schedule is HIS schedule. I hear talk of the need to protect oneself from the demands of others, I see great boundaries that people put on their lives because they want to be sure they get enough “down time” or “me time” or whatever else you want to call it. But my experience has been a bit different. I do think God demands much from those who love Him and are called His children. But He is also mindful of the need for rest and relaxation and provides it at the most surprising times. 

There were many days of packed schedules while we were developing, teaching and filming. One such day looked like this:

Morning:
4:00 Study and prayer
5:00 -8:00 Clean the house
8-9 Shower, dress, go to meeting
9:30 Prayer team meeting
11:00 Meeting with our copyright consultant

Afternoon:
12:30 Doctors appointment
2:00 Meeting with our workbook writer.
4:00 Meeting with Speak Easy Training Group

Each time I found myself frantically running from one thing to another just barely arriving in time for the next event.

By 3:30 I was driving the 35 miles to downtown Atlanta for the 4:00 meeting I had been asked to attend. I was worn out and still had the grocery shopping to do and several letters to write before the day was over. “ Lord, I need help”, I prayed.

My cell phone rang. The meeting in Atlanta was canceled. I turned my car around, got the groceries, wrote my letters and was able to have dinner on the table for my husband when he arrived. The rest of the evening was spent in quiet rest.

This is not a coincident. In fact it happens with some regularity. Many times I have been so pressed for time only to see God intercede in the most creative and unexpected ways to free up my schedule and allow me the rest I need.

I do not see any of the disciples spending a lot of time protecting their schedules but more seemed to pour their lives out for Christ, trusting Him to empower them for the work He wanted them to do and trusting Him to provide the rest and refreshment they needed at the right time. That is the way I want my life to be, under the control of God’s schedule for my life, never saying “no” to Him, being totally available to whatever He wants me to do, when He wants me to do it.

Come to Me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest.

Matthew 11:28

No Distractions. Please

We don’t have a TV set. We had one up until 1980 and then the old Arvin died and we decided not to replace it. As time passed no one wanted it back because we found we were enjoying the peace that came with no noise.


My mother in law moved in with us in 2002. She brought a TV with her. Things had changed in twenty- two years. First of all it is impossible to just watch the news. Along the bottom of the screen is important information that draws the eye and the mind. When that happens I totally loose what the announcer says because in my small brain I can only take in one thing at a time. In constant frustration I am torn between the earth shattering news the announcer is saying and the critical information that blips along the bottom of the screen. I admit, I am easily distracted and the distractions cause me to miss gaining accurate information about anything on the news!! It proves that the eyes and the ears are connected in a mysterious way….


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After we had gained the opportunity to film at Walk Thru the Bible, we realized we needed a set. Soteria helped us by recommending Guy Tuttle’s company and so we contacted him and explained what we needed. We told him our budget and he kindly did not flinch or laugh. We said we wanted to film a Bible Study that taught the Bible sequentially from Genesis to Revelation. He seemed to understand. And then we left everything in his hands.


On May 20, 2002, the day before our first filming, I arrived at the studio to see how things were coming along. There were numerous people all busy doing their thing: cameras were being set up, lighting guys were on tall ladders hanging huge lights from the ceiling, the sound men were getting their equipment in place. All in all there was a bit of chaos. But as soon as I walked into the actual filming area I was struck by calm. Guy had worked his magic and designed a set that was peaceful, lovely and well,…perfect! Unlike television, there was nothing to distract, to pull eye away from the message. The creamy color was pleasing to the eye and the large plants on the side added soothing color. The sheer curtain behind the stage hung in front of our deep cranberry logo, “The Amazing Collection’ all printed on Plexiglas so the letters seemed to hand in space.


The platform was raise about six inches and in front was a perfect clear podium that was unobtrusive yet large enough to hold our Bible and notes. And best of all the cost fit our budget perfectly.


Though it is not fancy as some, it is none the less perfect, for we wanted the Word to be the centerpiece with no distractions. And once again we saw God provide the right people at the right time. And somehow, He gave them the creativity to produce the perfect set at the perfect price.


That set would see us through sixty-six film sessions over a period of four years. And each time we would go back into the studio, Guy’s company would have the set ready for us. Beauty without distraction. Calmness without chaos. ….and no distractions.

Ecclesiastes 9:17

The words of the wise heard in quietness are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools.

“Oh To See Ourselves As Others See Us”

It is impossible to judge ones self accurately. I can picture in my mind myself as a thirteen year old. In one picture I am on my way to the county fair. I have on my head (I am so ashamed to admit it) a long haired, gray, winter hat (yes HAT, not wig) that I have brushed down to look like hair. I am wearing it in August. I thought I looked adorable. I didn’t.

So I ask myself, where was my mother!!! She was a sensible, wise and good woman who loved me dearly. Surely she could have put a stop to such poor judgment? But I feel certain that she just couldn’t bring herself to tell me I looked ridiculous and so said nothing. I wish she had.

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We had completed the first twelve DVDs. We would force our family members to watch every one of them and they always gave raved reviews. But like my mother, family can not always be trusted to give an accurate opinion.


Though we had talked to a few churches, no church had jumped at the chance to use them for their ladies ministry. In fact, one church had rejected them after viewing the first video because of a theological difference. (They would later embrace the study and incorporate it into their highly successful Women’s Ministry program.)


The truth is we had no idea if the work we had done would resonate with other women. We simply could not judge it accurately. We had begged God to help the women who watched the programs to truly “learn for life” through our teaching. But in order for the student to learn, the teacher must have presented the material in an interesting and understandable way. We just didn’t know if we had accomplished that or not.


Susan Frost was director of the Women’s Ministry at Eastside Baptist Church in Marietta Georgia. She was a friend and knew about what we were trying to do. She took a leap of faith and added The Amazing Collection: The Bible for Women Book By Book to their fall program. And with that we waited.


Waiting is not fun especially when a lot is hanging on the outcome. We had a great deal tied up in the work. Not only a large amount of money been donated and spent but also a tremendous amount of work had gone into the project by forty plus people. Still we had no guarantee that what we had done was “good enough” for women and ministry.


On February 13, 2002 I got a call. The Eastside ladies loved the videos! They were learning so much. And YES they were learning for life.


I am not sure what happens between the confidence of a thirteen year old and the lack of confidence of fifty plus year old but I do know that at thirteen we can think more highly of ourselves then perhaps we ought. But later in life it can be just the opposite. Life has shown us that there are many others who are smarter and better at any given talent and yes, even have more fashion sense then we do! Eleanor, Linda, Margie and I all struggled with trying to see the filmed sessions with clear eyes but we just couldn’t. We would find every flaw and grieve over not doing a better job. At last we had to go to the only source of comfort and help we knew. “Lord, please give us Your power and wisdom to do the best that we can. But where it is not good enough change it and make it so.


These days as I receive words of praise from as far away as the Middle East, England, Scotland, New Zealand and Australia not to mention the many emails of encouragement from the states, we all realize that God heard our prayers. He has literally “cooked the DVDs” in the can” and has helped us produce a tool that greatly impacts women and helps them learn for life about every book in God’s Word. It is His and He has done it.

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The amazing thing was that on that fateful night as a thirteen year old, I met my future husband for the first time. He was fourteen and at the fair with a mutual friend. It is evidence of God’s grace and mercy that I would even be considered to be his wife after such an unfortunate first impression. It is also evidence that it is not our great wisdom that matters but God’s great intervention, kindness, strength and mercy.


Yes, judging oneself accurately is impossible.

Our soul waits for the Lord;

He is our help and our shield.

Our heart shall rejoice in Him,

Because we have trusted in His holy name.

Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us,

Just as we hope in You.

Psalm 33:20-22