As the school year is coming to an end, us moms put on our Vacation Coordinator hats and busily begin preparing for “the best summer vacation yet!” Some of us have a few weeks to begin this yearly flutter of signing our children up for summer camps, missions trips, coordinating family vacations, summer school, etc. Others have a little over a month to fill our children’s summer vacation with fun memories of their childhood that we hope they will pass on to their children one day.

But in the midst of all this hustle and bustle, we must stop to ask ourselves, “What do I want my children to remember about their summer vacations? Do I want them to remember how fun it was, or how full it was?” That is, how deep, not wide. Then, we’re faced with the dilemma of having to choose between fun vs. spiritually edifying. But do we really have to choose? Can fun and spiritual depth coexist? Well, I believe it can, and this month’s cover girl proves it!

It’s my pleasure to introduce to you, Chonda Pierce. Our sister Chonda is a talented and hilarious Christian comedian who has authored six (6) books, produced multiple DVD’s of her performances, a gifted singer/songwriter, co-host of Aspiring Women , and co-founder of PKI – Preacher’s Kids International. In 2006, Chonda also helped found Branches Recovery Center which is “a Christian, faith-based center for emotional and spiritual restoration and recovery for those broken by addiction, depression and shame“.

I’ve been a fan of Chonda’s for nearly a decade, after I first saw her at a Women of Faith Conference. My favorite thing about her, believe it or not, isn’t that she’s funny. What I love most about her is that she loves Jesus Christ as Lord, and that is more than evident. I love that I can laugh with her, cry with her, worship in song with her, hear the Gospel and listen to her unashamedly claim her dependence, trust and devotion to our Savior. Every time I tell someone about her, or send them one of her DVD’s, I always say, “You’ve got to listen to this sister. She LOVES Jesus! Oh, and she’s also hilarious! And she’s got a great voice!”

I pray that you are truly blessed by her story and how God continues to be her greatest hero.

Sunny: Sister Chonda, I’ve been a fan for years! Recently, me and my three men (husband and two teenage boys), laughed, cried and worshiped with you as we watched “Stayin’ Alive…Laughing” DVD. In this DVD and your book, Laughing in the Dark: A Comedian’s Journey Through Depression (Simon and Schuster, Inc.) you lovingly and honestly share your battle with depression. You could’ve just hid this and said you were just taking a sabbatical or something. What moved you to share this very private time in your life with the public?

Chonda: I feel like in my life, silence is a bigger danger than depression. I spent my childhood keeping secrets. So I just set out to be honest and I think I was as surprised as anyone that my career stayed intact. It is a known fact that, spiritually and psychologically, anything that is dragged out of the dark into the light, no longer has power over you.

Sunny: Amen to that sister! What was the greatest lesson you learned from your bout with depression?

Chonda: That how I feel doesn’t change who God is. There are several folks in the Bible who many people believe suffer from depression, so I’m in good company. I’ve learned that depression is a reminder to me to serve God; again because of who He is and not because of the way He makes me feel.

Sunny: You’ve got that right. When we read the accounts of many great men of faith i.e., Elijah, Jeremiah, Job, Asaph, etc., we can clearly see that depression is not unusual for a Christian, but is a norm for many who love God and experience the darkness and depravity of a world full of sin – especially within ourselves. In your book, Laughing in the Dark: A Comedian’s Journey Through Depression you said “Rehearse in the dark, what you learned in the light.” Would you please share with our readers, what you mean by this statement and how it helps you?

Chonda: That means on a good day when you are in God’s word, and you are feeling His presence and understanding that He’s in control, to rehearse as if those revelations are real, when you are in the dark; because the feelings in the dark are lying to you. But the fact remains that if you have felt God’s presence, you trust that it is real and is there with you in the dark, even though you might not “feel” it. There’s an old premise in performance that says “fake it ’til you make it” which tricks your confidence into believing that you are a seasoned professional. And though I don’t have a performance based faith, I do believe that your depressed mind can be trained into rehearsing what you have come to know as truth, rather than what you might be feeling at the time.

Sunny: That reminds me of a verse from Scripture [Hebrews 10:23] and a verse from an old hymn by R. Kelso Carter, ♪ ♫”Standing on the promises that cannot fail, When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail, By the living Word of God I shall prevail, Standing on the promises of God.” ♫ ♪ As always, I absolutely love the title of your latest DVD, “This Ain’t Prettyville” that was recently released on March 24, 2009. Can you tell us about this comedy bit, and why you felt this was an important topic to cover?

Chonda: It was the natural progression with the work I’m doing to manage depression, understanding myself based on the wrong and the right information from childhood, media influences and life’s circumstances. It helps us to remember to embrace the “real” in each of us.

Sunny: Truly the “real” is always more powerful than how we happen to “feel”. As you stated, how we feel from moment to moment isn’t always true. Well it’s so obvious our Father God ain’t through with you yet sister! I see that the Lord has recently given you a host spot alongside Shirley Rose and Michelle McKinney Hammond on the talk show, Aspiring Women which airs every Monday at 10:00 a.m. EST on Total Living Network (TLN). How did this come about?

Chonda: I had been a guest on their show many times through the years. I fell in love with their enthusiasm to share stories of people’s real lives, ups and downs. So they asked and I said, “Sure, why not?” Aspiring Women has given me a great place to broaden my communication skills.

Sunny: I noticed your husband David also has a new, nationally released book (March 17, 2009) entitled, Don’t Let Me Go (WaterBrook/Random House Press). It covers the 3 year journey David took with Chera while climbing 4 mountains and running 2 marathons. This sounds so interesting! I’m curious, what is the main theme of this book and why was David inspired to write it?

Chonda: The main theme of the book is that we learn as much in the valleys as we do in the mountain tops. He just wrote it as a gift to Chera – didn’t know it was going to be a book. You can get more information at DavidWPierce.com and he would be more than happy to talk with you about his mindset while he was writing it.

Sunny: Well, I did visit David’s sight and I encourage others to visit as well! The short video he shares about the book, what he and Chera experienced and a snippet of what he learned was very inspiring. I love this quote from David’s site: “Although this is a book about pain and perseverance, disappointment and victory, it is mostly what a father learns about his daughter—by watching her character, both in the valleys and on the mountaintops.” Personally, I’m so inspired, that while I only have boys, I’m going to get the book and read it because I believe all us parents would benefit from watching our children’s character and learning more about them.

In 1993, you worked with Second Row, Inc. to found PKI – Preacher’s Kids International. I love the purpose of this ministry: “The purpose of PKI is to provide ministry and support to the families of preachers, missionaries, evangelists and other Christian professional ministers. Our immediate focus is the adult children of those families — offering celebrations and recovery through counseling, group interaction, retreats, and seminars.” Why do you have this ministry and why call the place for your retreats the “Funny Farm”?

Chonda: We always wanted to do something to give back to the people who are walking the same journey I had walked in my childhood. I remember so many “have to do’s” as a preacher’s kid: you have to show up to everything, have to go early, have to stay late, have to dress a certain way or be in a certain place, all because you are a preacher’s kid. So I created a place where kids could say, “Look what I get to do, because I’m a preacher’s kid!” And why the Funny Farm? Because we like alliteration! And it’s a catchy title. And there are some funny things out there – videos, books…and I mean come on; I’m a comic, with a farm, hello?!

Sunny: Sister Chonda you crack me up! What a wonderful ministry for PK’s! And yes, I never thought about that, you are a comic, who owns a farm…so I suppose, naturally, it would be funny.

In closing, would you mind sharing with our readers a Scripture or passage (and/or song) that our gracious Lord is using to minister to you right now, and why?

Chonda: I love a song by Shannon Wexelberg called the “The Story.” It’s off of her Story Of My Life CD. I first heard it about a month ago and it spoke to me of the importance of talking about your lives. It just hit my heart. Below is the Scripture God is using to minister to me right now; and in light of everything I’ve shared so far, I believe the reason why it ministers to me, is obvious.

It is the Spirit that gives life. Flesh doesn’t give life. The words I told you are spirit, and they give life.
John 6:63

Chonda, thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to visit with us and sharing your heart. I’ve truly been encouraged by everything you’ve shared and I am inspired to slow down, smell the roses and be grateful for all the things our Father God teaches us in the “light” so that we may rightly apply His truths in the darkness.

If you’d like to be blessed with stories of God’s faithfulness, great singing, solid/biblical truths – while laughing, please be sure to visit our sister Chonda at:

And as if Chonda’s visit with us here at CWO wasn’t enough of a blessing, she’s graciously offered us TWO autographed copies of her latest DVD, “This Ain’t Prettyville”. I’ve already watched it (more than once ) and have been so encouraged, amused and blessed! You’ll love her opening song and will probably shout a loud “AMEN!” like I did.

We have used the online randomizer tool, and chosen two winners from our list of commenters:

Congratulations to: Aubrey Miller and Cathy Davis

Dondi Scumaci is an international speaker, author, and an expert in professional and personal development. She is well known for her high energy on the platform and for the dramatic results that her seminars inspire. Prior to establishing her consulting firm, Elevations Unlimited, Inc., Dondi was Vice President and Director for two of the largest financial institutions in the United States.

Dondi co-authored Thriving in the Midst of Change and developed Mentoring-in-a-Box, an interactive, self- study tool for mentors and protégés. She is also the author of Designed for Success, a book which helps encourage and advise women in today’s hectic workplace.

Now Dondi’s newest book,  Ready, Set … Grow has made it’s debut! Dondi has dedicated her life’s work to the subjects of women, business, and success. In Ready, Set…Grow! she helps you discover and set your passions free by digging deep into who you are and where you want to go. Full of inspiring examples and practical action steps, Ready, Set…Grow!:

* Realistically confronts the obstacles to living an inspired life
* Encourages and empowers you through personal accountability
* Helps you incorporate the spiritual into your everyday life
* Drives inspiring concepts to practical applications
* And more!

Also, check out this link to a YouTube video of Dondi describing her book: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3v1CcNBz-h0

©2009, Jill Hart

With the rampant immorality we all witness around us through the news media, movies, magazines, etc. I know many Christians feel as if Christ might return at any time. And He may. But as Scripture says, no one will know the exact time or hour, so we ought to live our lives with eternal purpose so that we might not be ashamed at His coming (1 John2:28).

As Christians we live in this world, but we have been called out of this world by the sovereign and righteous word of our Creator and God. But sometimes, this task seems so hard. It seems so hard to fix our eyes on Christ and not on protecting ourselves, our children, or even our own comforts and personal delights. We get tired, and we easily believe the devil’s lie that we should enjoy ourselves while we have the time. When really, we need to remember that our time here is short and it’s meant to be spent on God’s passions and desires, not ours. We will have all eternity to rest from our work, but we only have a short time here to actual do the work our Lord, our Master, our Savior has commanded us to accomplish (John 9:4, Ephesians 5:15-16).

This is why I’m so delighted to introduce to you, Larissa Lam, co-host of JCTV’s Top 3, singer/songwriter/recording artist with her latest album “Revolutionary“, and the Founder of On The Way Up and Beautiful Faith ministries! This sister is passionate about being a good steward of the time, talents and gifts God has given her. In this interview, she shares with us her fears, her victories in Christ and how God took this spoiled, only-child and molded her to become a voice; a beautiful voice crying out for all to repent and trust in the Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Sunny: God chose to make you a Chinese-American and called you into an industry where you’re the minority of minorities. Has this been difficult?

Larissa: I grew up in California, where I was surrounded by blonde-haired, blue-eyed girls who played with blond-haired, blue-eyed dolls and watched shows and movies with the same. I found that I often wished I wasn’t Chinese and even as a young child was aware that I was “different”.

I was only 1 out of 4 Asians in my entire class, all the up to junior high school. This was quite discouraging to me and I continued to dislike my own ethnicity – to the point where I didn’t even speak Chinese (up to the age of 5). One year, my mom sent me to Hong Kong to visit my cousins and I picked up the language pretty quickly. By the time I was a teenager, I was fluent in both Cantonese and Mandarin. I truly believe my ability to pick up languages quickly is a God-given gift so that I can preach the Gospel through the music industry and reach people groups I wouldn’t ordinarily be able to reach if I only spoke one language.

In 2003, I had an epiphany! I attended a leadership retreat with Media Fellowship International (we met in the CBS studio in Los Angeles). I shared with everyone how I was very interested and willing to go on missions in the name of Jesus, but absolutely not to Asia! Just then, one of my friends said, “Oh my goodness, you’re like Jonah, and China is your Nineveh!” This was the year I chose to yield to God’s calling regardless of my personal dislikes and insecurities.

Sunny: I’m glad you got out of there before you got swallowed by a big fish! You offer eight (8) wonderful speaking topics with On the Way Up Ministries, which one(s) is/are your favorite and why?

Larissa: I have three favorites.

• How I was brainwashed into thinking I wanted to be a doctor and lived to tell about it.

Although I was raised by Christian parents, I was raised with strong eastern cultural values. This meant I was raised to love God, trust Jesus with my life, but also consider academics and family honor before and above everything else – including my spiritual growth. I struggled with this and I share my struggles as well as my victories in Christ when asked to speak on this topic.

This is one of my favorite topics because I think it’s very important for others in my situation to recognize that Christ is to take preeminence in all our lives. There is no one and nothing above Jesus and I enjoy encouraging others to trust God and live boldly in their faith, regardless of circumstantial influences.

• Never Say “Never” to God.

I love this topic because it covers (in detail) what I just shared about really disliking how God made me a Chinese-American and how my strong dislike caused me to say that I’d go anywhere and do anything to serve God, just not in China. God has a great sense of humor and a lot of patience. I’m so thankful for that!

• Hollywood: the hidden mission field.

I’m particularly passionate about this topic because I believe that’s why God made me a Chinese-American with musical talents and abilities.
As Christians, we often think of Hollywood as the big “Satan”. In Christian circles, we will talk about how disgusted we are with all the Lindsay Lohan’s or Britney Spears, but how often do we stop to pray for them?

People are so willing to pray for those who are in Africa and will go on missions or support those who are on missions there, but we aren’t so quick to pray for those in Hollywood when in fact, they have much in common. Those who live in Africa and in Hollywood are stricken by AIDS (due to rampant sexual immorality); both groups worship idols, live with self-centered and self-survivalist mentalities and most importantly, live lives totally separated from God. We want Hollywood to change, but if their hearts aren’t transformed by Christ, how can we expect them to change? They can’t.

Christians should absolutely stand in our convictions, but without neglecting to manifest the same compassion of Christ to reach the lost with the Gospel.

I implore every reader, next time you see something on TV or in the movies that you don’t like, instead of judging them, stop what you’re doing and earnestly pray for them. You can even pick a celebrity and commit to pray for them faithfully. For those who are interested, there’s a group called Hollywood Prayer Network and they have kind of an “adopt-a-celebrity” program where they match up the people who are not in the arts industry to pray for those who are.

Sunny: Oh sister, you’re so right! I know I’ve done that a lot myself. I get disgusted with what I see or hear, but I don’t often stop to pray for them – I mean earnestly pray for them and their salvation. Thank you for the reproof. I noticed you offer three (3) different kinds of workshops through On The Way Up Ministries. One of them is Personal Ministry Consultant. Is this workshop offered to everyone or just those who are in the arts industry?

Larissa: This workshop is offered to anyone. One of my gifts is helping others find their gifts so they can use them to bring glory to God. The consultation is very personal and I help them to find the best match for their God-given gifts with the profession God is calling them to.
Each workshop is tailored to that specific church or an individual or groups particular needs. Depending on the depth of information they require, I can do a condensed one-day workshop, or an intense two-day workshop.

Sunny: Wow, that’s really cool! I think this workshop would benefit anyone who’s truly looking to serve God and honor the gifts He’s given them! I saw that you have a new feature on your Beautiful Faith ministry (a division of On The Way Up Ministries and a department of Artists in Christian Testimony International). Can you share with us what “Beautiful Faith Stories” is all about, why you created it and how our readers can participate?

Larissa: Sure Sunny, I’d love to! I’ve noticed that people are really enjoying the idea of video testimonies and we really want to push the Beautiful Faith movement in that direction. We want to help others share their beautiful faith in Christ through personal video testimonies.

The primary purpose of doing this is to spread the Gospel through these videos, to encourage believers who are going through personal struggles and exhort them to start sharing what God has done in their lives through their faith in Christ.

We encourage readers to view the videos that are already on our website by clicking “Beautiful Faith Stories”; then make their own beautiful faith videos (about 2 to 4 minutes long), submit them to us through our website and/or on YouTube, Tangle, Facebook or other forms of web capabilities. And who knows, maybe your video will be featured on our Beautiful Faith website!

Sunny: Oh precious sister, thank you so much for presenting this opportunity for all of us to share what Christ has done in our lives for the edification of the Body and salvation of the lost! Can you tell us more about your passion for missions?

Larissa: During my sophomore year in college, I went on a mission trip to Mexico for a week. There was much in the trip that was out of my comfort zone: we worked in a town in the middle of nowhere, we had running water for only 12 hours per day, witnessed to migrant farmers, traveled on roads that really weren’t roads, etc.

One night we were stuck in a ditch in the middle of the night, in the middle of nowhere. And there, it is pitch black, so it’s scary. There were no “street” lights because there really wasn’t a street. So we prayed. We were so humbled and grateful when we saw lights – lights coming from a vehicle driving down this deserted dirt road; and wouldn’t you know it, it was a tow truck. When I witnessed God’s miraculous hand in getting us out of that ditch, I realized at that moment that missions – preaching the Gospel was very important to Him.

From that point on, I had a passion for missions; God had completely transformed my perspective on life. Through World Christian Movement, the Lord taught me that He is a missionary God. The Lord taught me that the whole purpose we’re here is to see everyone worship God.

I’m a recovering judgmental Christian. Instead of being disgusted by seeing others live ungodly lives, God has given me Christ’s compassion to love them and pray for their salvation – and now I want to share the Gospel with them any way that I can. I don’t see people through my disgust anymore. I see them through God’s merciful eyes. I’m so grateful to God for that.

Sunny: Yes sister, I often pray that our Heavenly Father will direct me in His love and Christ’s perseverance (2 Thessalonians 3:5). It’s so much harder than we think. Speaking of missions, I understand both you and your husband are traveling to China this summer to do some missions work. How long will you be there and can you share any specifics about the work you’ll be doing?

Larissa: My husband, Baldwin (a.k.a. Only Won) is going to China for “work”. His company is sending him there. We saw that my husband’s work charge was clearly the Lord opening a door for us to preach the Gospel in China.

For security reasons, I’m not at liberty to share any specifics. It is illegal in China to proselyte in a public area. So we are essentially going as “under cover missionaries”. Also, I can’t really say how long I’ll be there because it’s all up to the Lord. I’ll be there as long as God wants me there. I’m totally trusting God to work out all the details and would very much appreciate prayers.

Sunny: You got it sister! Our readers are fabulous and I know they’ll be praying for your “secret mission”. Do you and Baldwin do a lot of missions work together? If so, what kind?

Larissa: Well, we try to. Right now, Baldwin is working as a full-time Engineer. At some point, he would like to stop doing that (at least full-time) and would like to devote more time to missions work. We’re working on a website for him called LyricalEngineer.com. We really want to use the internet to impact people for Christ. Baldwin’s target audience are those who are on the internet.

Sunny: Can our readers get involved with On The Way Up and/or Beautiful Faith ministries?

Larissa: Yes! That would be great! They can sign up for our newsletters which include: prayer requests, volunteer opportunities i.e., updating things on the website, updating the database, scheduling events (missions trips, speaking engagements, conferences, etc.). We’re in need of volunteers who are gifted in administration and graphic design. We also need people who are willing to host an event at their church, people who will faithfully commit to pray for us and those who feel led to support us financially as well. We want to continue to invest in the lives of others who also want to be messengers of the Gospel.

Sunny: Is there a specific Scripture verse or passage you’ve been meditating on lately that has helped you stay focused on God’s calling for you? If so, how have they helped you?

Larissa: Yes, there are three right now that God is really using to keep me focused on His call and not my fears.

2 Corinthians 12:9 ~ This verse resonates with me because of the vision and call God has given me. The world is very big and as messengers of the Gospel, I feel like most people – overwhelmed with this task to preach to Gospel to all nations. Sometimes it seems so overwhelming I don’t want to do it. God is growing these ministries (On The Way Up and Beautiful Faith ministries) and He alone is the one who pulls me through in Christ’s strength while I’m weak. God provides the resources, knowledge and wisdom to do all that He’s called me to do.

Isaiah 41:10 and Philippians 4:6-7 ~ God has used these Scriptures to remind me that I don’t have to be afraid to fail. So often, the task seems so great; I don’t want to do it because I’m afraid I will fail. I’m even afraid to go to China. It’s very much out of my comfort zone. Although I speak the language, I can’t read it. I don’t even know the details about this trip and that makes me a bit nervous. There are many “unknowns” and God has used these two Scriptures to really comfort me in His sovereignty and works of righteousness. I know I’m not in this alone and I want to encourage others to join me and get involved so we can work together as the Body of Christ to preach the Gospel to all nations.

Sunny: Sister Larissa, thank you so much for visiting with us here at CWO! I’m so encouraged by your faith and trust in Christ as well as your passion to exhort your brothers and sisters in Christ to preach the Gospel – even to those in Hollywood. I’m so thankful for how God has made you and have really been blessed by this interview and getting to know your heart for Christ, our Savior. May the Lord our God bless you and protect you as you walk in faith, in abandoned love and humility. May the Lord Jesus Christ be honored and exalted in all our lives as we remember that we are but dust and our time here is shorter than we think. And may we all use our time wisely.

“So teach us [Lord] to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.”
~ Psalm 90:12

For more information on how you can participate in preaching the Gospel to Hollywood or in your specific vocation, please contact our sister Larissa at:

Virginia Smith is a writer of humorous novels, a speaker, and an avid scuba diver. She left her twenty-year career as a corporate director in the summer of 2006 to launch her career as a writer. Since that time she has written or contracted ten novels.

Ginny writes in two genres: contemporary fiction and mysteries. A Taste of Murder (October 2008) is her sixth release, following Stuck in the Middle (February 2008), Sincerely Mayla (February 2008), Just As I Am (February 2006), Murder by Mushroom (August 2007), and Bluegrass Peril (December 2007).

Tune in as Jill chats with author Virginia ‘Ginny’ Smith about her newest novel, Age Before Beauty. The book centers around a work-at-home mom – one of Jill’s favorite topics. Ginny shares about what inspired the book and what readers will take away from reading this hilarious, heart-warming story.

©2009, Jill Hart

Before I introduce our guest for this month’s cover, I thought it would be best for me to confess something first. I am not an avid reader. Besides the Bible, I’ve never enjoyed reading and have been frustrated my entire life, as I constantly find myself asleep after reading for only a few minutes.

In addition, I don’t particularly enjoy reading fiction books. And now I’ll share with you, why this confession is so important to mention, prior to introducing this month’s cover girl. Our guest this month is an author… of a fiction book nonetheless. And do you know what? It is FABULOUS! It has to be, I didn’t even fall asleep! And if that weren’t enough of a miracle, I really enjoyed it! Why? I believe mostly because it wasn’t the typical story, nor was it the typical fiction book. Instead, it was a book that really made me consider some very deep faith issues. It caused me to contemplate why I believe what I believe, it challenged me to consider if I would behave the same way if put in a similar situation and also provoked me to wonder if I am living out true biblical Christianity or have succumbed to the comforts of cultural Christianity.

Now with all that said and done, I’d like to introduce you to our dear sister, Lisa McKay, whom God has used to prove to me that all fiction books are not boring and some even have deep spiritual impact on the lives of those who read them.

Our sister Lisa has come to visit us with her debut novel, my hands came away red, (Moody Publishers). I have not only been intrigued by this wonderful book she wrote, but also by her life she so honestly shares.

Lisa is a trained forensic psychologist who works as the Director of Training and Education Services at the Headington Institute in California. She has dual citizenship in Australia and Canada and has lived in eight countries. By the time you read this, she will be in New Zealand on her honeymoon.

As I’m writing this, I’m realizing that today is the day that Lisa travels to Australia for her wedding set for the 24^th of January. And I’m praying that the Lord will richly bless this precious sister whom I’ve so enjoyed getting to know through this interview; with hopes that our new friendship will blossom in Christ.

I pray that God will ignite your heart to ponder the depth and height of the riches found only in Christ as you get to know Lisa through this interview, just as He did with me.

Most people find it difficult to plan a wedding in the same town in which they live. But you live in California, you’re engaged to man who lives in Papua New Guinea (PNG) and will be married in January 2009 in Australia. This is quite interesting, to say the least. Would you please share with us how you can see the hand of God guiding you in all of this?

I believe it was the hand of God that enabled Mike and I to connect in the first place. The short version of that story is that a friend of Mike’s saw a press release for my novel and read about my role at the Headington Institute, which is to provide stress and trauma training for humanitarian aid workers. She thought of an aid worker friend of hers who lived in PNG and could do with some information on stress and trauma, so she went to my writing website trying to figure out how to sign Mike up for the Headington Institute’s newsletter. Then she read some of my essays before emailing Mike and encouraging him to read some of my writing. He did, and then he emailed me, and….well, six months later we were engaged.

I used to hear people say things like, “Oh, when you meet the right person, you’ll know. You’ll just know” Before meeting Mike sayings like that often frustrated me. But that sense of “knowing”, a relaxed sort of peace and the room to just be myself, was present right from the beginning with us. Perhaps it partly comes with being older – we were both 31 when we met and are very grateful for the lessons we learned solo during our twenties – but also I had a sense from quite early on that we would most likely be married. That is probably what enabled me to (mostly) to keep my head when Mike proposed to me in May, after we had spent a total of less than three weeks face to face in the same country.

The unique manner in which we met, the mutual friends we already had in Melbourne (people I’d met while growing up in Zimbabwe and whom Mike got to know when he lived in Melbourne) our shared passions and experiences related to humanitarian work, the ways in which we were able to establish patterns of deep and transparent communication across the miles, even the fact that we were 31 when we met, not 21… I see the fingerprints of God on all those facets of our relationship.

That is truly amazing Lisa! And even as an “outsider” I can see the fingerprints of God all over your relationship with Mike! I suppose if ever people ask if the two of you were “set up” you can tell them, “Yes, by God!”

I noticed you have Opportunity International and International Justice linked on your website. What are your affiliations and/or involvement with these organizations?

After I finished the first draft of my hands came away red, before I started querying publishers, I felt led to make the decision to give away all my royalties should it ever actually be published. So when I got the contract with Moody, I decided to use the money to support charities working in Asia, particularly Indonesia, since that’s where the book was set. I picked OI and IJM because they are organizations I respect that target poverty and injustice in very different (but both very important) ways. OI works in microfinance – providing small loans to allow poor entrepreneurs to start or expand a business. IJM is a human rights agency that documents injustices related to slavery, sexual exploitation, and other forms of violent oppression. They work with local officials and court systems to strengthen public justice systems.

Bless you dear sister for your obedience to the Lord in giving all your royalties to both these wonderful, Christ-honoring organizations. I was especially impressed with the Scriptures they both base their commitments on: IJM – Isaiah 1:17; OI – Matthew 5:42 and Proverbs 14:31.

Your position at the Headington Institute is not only very interesting, but it is also vital to those who are called to “defend the rights of the poor and needy” (Proverbs 31:9) Would you please share with us what are the most exciting and fulfilling aspects of your job and what are the most heartbreaking and difficult aspects of your job?

I do love traveling to run workshops on stress, trauma and resilience with groups of humanitarian workers. Last month I spent a couple of weeks in Kenya, working with humanitarian workers and counselors based in Nairobi. These are people who do amazing work under incredibly difficult circumstances. Some document the sexual abuse of children in order to help prosecute offenders. Others work with refugees in the Sudan, or teachers in the slum areas of Nairobi, or child soldiers in Liberia. One of the workshops I ran focused on the topic of spirituality – it is almost impossible to do this sort of work without it affecting your worldview, your source of strength and hope, and your deepest sense of what is important. Given the challenges they are facing, it was such a privilege to help these inspirational people explore how their career has impacted their spirituality and values, and how they can prepare to meet and grow from future spiritual challenges.

Ironically, however, it’s this very aspect I find so rewarding that can also be the most draining and difficult. The time spent in airports and on planes to get to and from workshops, the focused energy required for teaching, and bearing witness to the stories that are shared by participants can all leave me physically and emotionally exhausted.

I truly believe this is God’s calling on your life dear sister. As so often, it seems that the very strengths and passions God has given us, is exactly where Satan attacks us. But all glory be to Jesus Christ, who alone can refresh us and overwhelm us with His joy – delighting in obedience to God.

You say that you provide “spiritual” support to the relief workers as well. What does that mean? Do you mean spirituality in general or is this another avenue God has provided you to spread the Gospel of Christ? Not that you would “force” it on people, but would present it to them?

I’m glad you asked about this, as this is an important point to be clear on related to work.

The Headington Institute is not technically a “faith-based organization”. This grants us access to work with a broader range of groups than we would have if we were specifically a “Christian organization”. As a result, I often have a mixed faith group in my workshops. I always talk about the importance of spiritual awareness and self-care, and ways in which spirituality and religious faith are impacted by humanitarian work. However, in my role as workshop facilitator I always talk about spirituality in very general terms and define it as, “your deepest sense of meaning and purpose, hope and faith.” This allows participants to explore these concepts within their own understanding of faith, and promotes open dialogue within the group. The group members will often end up talking openly about their personal faith and religious beliefs. However I rarely do that as the facilitator, and almost never without being directly questioned on the topic by a participant. What a wonderful opportunity God has given you! I will certainly include this in my prayers for you sweet sister as you minister to these precious people in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I sincerely pray that God will open many doors for you to share the salvation found only in the Son of God.

In your essay entitled Unexpected Joy, you state: “I was trying to figure out how to make sense of pain. And I was trying to follow through on a promise I made at eighteen.” Would you please elaborate on this statement by sharing what pain were you referring to and what promise you made at eighteen?

When I was eighteen I went on my own backpack mission trip – to the Philippines. A couple of months before I left I read an article about pirate attacks in Southeast Asia and it set me to wondering what would happen if my trip met up with a bunch of modern-day pirates. That would be a cool story, I thought. Someone should really write an honest story about a mission team that collides with some of the worst this world offers, God.

Somehow, during the following weeks that thought slowly became a conviction. I should do that. Then it morphed into a promise. I will do that…

I had no idea at the time that it would take me seven years to write anything decent, and five more years before the book would see the light of day. If I’d known that, I might perhaps have been much more careful with my promises!

The story I initially had in mind changed during those twelve years. The role of pirates shrank to a couple of lines, and increasingly I found myself (and the characters) grappling with troubling questions about pain and suffering. I grew up in Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, and as a young adult I worked in prisons, with the police, on child-death review teams, and slums in the Philippines, and in the Balkans after the wars there. All of those experiences had raised many questions about pain that I didn’t feel I had good answers for. These turned out to be the same sorts of questions that the characters in the novel were confronted with. Why does pain exist at all, for example, and what’s the point of suffering? How can a loving God bear to stand by and watch the bad unfurl beside the good in the wilderness of freedom and choice?

Writing Hands in many ways was a personal quest. I wanted to tell a good story, yes. But telling that story also allowed me to explore those questions about pain through the medium of fiction and the eyes of different characters, and come to a clearer sense of God’s peace with my own answers (or lack thereof).

Those are great questions sister. Thank you for honestly sharing your personal challenges with your faith in order to comfort other sisters who may be facing similar issues.

One of my favorite parts of your book was that you used a real letter your father wrote to you. I wish I could quote the entire letter, it’s so wonderful! But I’ll only quote this one sentence that really blessed me, “He [God] doesn’t spare us all difficulties, but He does walk through every situation with us.” When and why did you father write this letter to you? How did it affect you?

As my parents dropped me off at Boot Camp when I went on my own mission trip, my Dad gave me a spiral bound notebook with a letter from him on the front page. In the letter he talked about wanting to protect me from the difficulties that can come in life, but knowing that that’s not in his job description as a parent, or even within his ability, but that God is always present.

During the three-month trip I used that notebook as a journal, so I saw it every time I went to write. It was a very tough summer – blisters, heat stroke, long hikes, no showers, no toilets…the list could go on. But seeing my Dad’s letter in my journal reminded me that I had family who loved me (even if they felt very far away) and that God loved me too – even if He felt very far away as well.

Precious sister Lisa, I’m so blown away by this! As a parent, I so often desire to shield my children from pains I’ve suffered. What your dad wrote to you has really ministered to me as a mom, and has helped me to remember what my God-given role is.

It seems your main character Cori has quite a bit in common with your real life i.e., you both grew up in many countries, you’re both Australian, how you both felt about moving to the States, and you both were part of a Teen Missions International backpack team. I know your book is fiction, but did you base any of the story on your personal experiences during your 1994 Teen Missions to the Philippines?

Yes. There is more than a little “fictionography” in there, especially the experiences in the first half of the book. Although I didn’t decide to go on my own missions trip to escape a relationship, other aspects of Cori’s heartache at leaving Kenya and her rather breathtakingly casual approach to signing up for the trip came from my own experiences. So did many of the details in the Boot Camp scenes.

Thankfully my own mission team never witnessed the violence that Cori’s team is exposed to. These details, however, I reconstructed as best I could based on events that had actually unfolded in Indonesia, and the questions that Cori grapples with after these awful events – questions about human nature, and the nature and sovereignty of God – are all questions I’ve found personally confronting as the result of life and work experiences during my twenties.

Again, thank you Lisa for being so transparent with us so that we may clearly see the work of Christ in you.

What kind of research did you do to find out about the true “civil war” that occurred between the Christians and the Muslims in Ambon in 1999?

I was attending university in Australia during this time, but spent several months of every year in Indonesia between 1996 and 2000 because my parents and brother were living in Jakarta. A month after they were evacuated to Singapore during the 1998 Jakarta riots we all returned to Indonesia with a new awareness of the instability of the region. There were tanks on the street, various shops had been gutted, and some friends who’d stayed and hunkered down during the riots were struggling with post-traumatic stress issues. There was tension in the air.

Having been sensitized by the events in Jakarta, when Ambon went into meltdown in 1999 I guess I just paid attention to what was going on. I clipped out articles from the Jakarta Post and saved them. I took a tape recorder and interviewed missionaries who had fled the violence. I looked at maps, read travel guides, and bought picture books and postcards of scenes from Ambon and the other islands to help me visualize what the place looked like. I tracked down detailed reports published by the International Crisis Group and Human Rights Watch to help me understand the human rights abuses that had occurred and what had sparked and maintained this conflict. I know I didn’t get every detail in the story absolutely right, but I tried as very hard to understand and portray the complexity of the events involved.

Wow, I can’t even imagine what that would be like! We live in such blessed conditions here in America. I feel a bit shameful for the “inconveniences” I so often fret about. Thank you for putting things into perspective for me.

What in particular about this village and situation interested you enough to write about it?

I wanted Cori and the other characters in the story to be confronted with some of the worst that the world has to offer – with life at its most disturbing and confusing. The Moluku Islands of Indonesia are the only area in the country with a significant indigenous Christian population and, under pressure, Ambon fractured suddenly and violently down the fault line of religion. What followed was awful, and disturbing. And very, very confusing.

What happened in Ambon and the surrounding islands – with Muslims and Christians killing each other in the name of God and clan – raised all sorts of questions for me about the nature of this specific conflict, and I knew it would for the characters in the story, too. What caused some people of faith on both sides of the conflict to resist the violence and try to protect others, while many others who called themselves Muslim or Christian picked up machetes? Was this so-called “religious war” really about faith, or was it more about politics and/or power and/or money? What role did the government and the army have in fomenting the conflict? How on earth do you even begin to love your enemy when your enemies just burned down your house and killed your family?

The very fact that these were tough questions with no easy answer, perhaps with no single “right” answer, was what drew me to write about Ambon.

I believe this is a challenge for all believers. I think sometimes, instead of trying to figure it all out, it is wise to do what you’ve done – trust Jesus’ words in Luke 6:27-28 & 35-36 and obey them, even if you don’t understand. Then trust God with the results. This is similar to what you wrote in the last chapter of your book where Cori writes about something one of her friends/somewhat romantic interest from the mission trip to Ambon said, “He [Kyle] says you just have to make a choice based on what you know about God. And relax and trust for the rest of what you don’t know.” Where did this statement come from?

I think that many of the questions that Cori agonizes over during the story just don’t have clear answers (this side of heaven, anyway). This is perhaps especially true when it comes to some of those “why” questions – “Why did God allow this to happen when He could have prevented it?” Articulating and wrestling with really tough questions like this one is probably an integral part of maturing and growing as a person and as a Christian. But at some point I suspect that sitting with these questions can become a counterproductive and “stuck” sort of spinning that can lead to mental, emotional, and spiritual paralysis.

Several months after the trip, Cori was quite understandably still hurting, angry, and confused. Perhaps she wasn’t yet at the “paralyzed” stage, but there were signs that she was toying with embracing that sort of “stuckness”. As I was trying to think through what I might say to someone in her situation, as a counselor or a friend, I kept coming back to the fact that sometimes we just aren’t going to get the answers that we want to our questions. We are not going to be able to know “why”, or “what for”? I believe that acknowledging and sitting with hurt and frustration and confusion is very important. And I also believe so is knowing when to say, “OK, enough. Right now I don’t know. I can’t know. So, based on what I do know and feel to be true, what do I want to hold on to, how do I want to live, and how do I want to move forward?”

Those were some of the biggest choices I felt Cori was facing at the end of the story. I understand the temptation to stay mired in confusion and angst – I’ve given into it myself on more than one occasion. But I also do believe the words Kyle spoke to Cori are very true. At some point, at many points throughout life, you just have to make a choice based on what you do know and relax and trust God about the rest.

I agree with you dear sister. I think so often we struggle with trying to make sense of it all, that we forget we are yet but dust (Psalm 103:8-14), and God alone is omniscient and omnipotent; and rest in that truth.

Would you mind very much sharing with our readers any Scripture verse or passage that the Lord is using to impact your life right now and why?

Scripture that I’ve been really touched by lately is Ephesians 3:16-19

“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

There’s just so much packed in these few short verses. I’ve been particularly struck that Paul’s prayer is that they would be strengthened with power through the Spirit so that Christ may dwell in their hearts through faith rather than the other way around. I think I’m often tempted to reverse the equation to make it look something like this, “if I’m a good enough Christian, and have enough faith, then I’ll be strengthened with power.” It’s been so freeing to be reminded that my relationship with God, doesn’t depend solely on my own efforts to “have enough faith”, and that the important power Paul is talking about here isn’t linked to “doing and accomplishing” but to understanding and experiencing the glorious mystery of the love of God!

AMEN sister! You echoed God’s words in Jeremiah 9:23-24.

“Thus says the LORD; “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understand and knows Me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.”

Precious sister Lisa, thank you so much for visiting with us here at CWO! You have been a sure blessing from God, and I am confident God has used you to minister to many other sisters out there who have been and may still be grappling with the similar “faith challenges”.

I enjoyed reading my hands came away red, and look forward to reading your second novel….I mean the one that you’ll have published next. (*wink* *wink*)

To find the latest news on Lisa, read her essays and be completely blessed, please visit her at:

©2009, Sunny Shell

Find more interviews like this in Sunny Shell’s monthly column: “Sister to Sister.”

Happy 2009!! I am over the moon excited to introduce you to Christian pop singer/songwriter Rebecca St. James.  In addition to her Grammy, she is a multiple Dove Award winner.  Rebecca St. James, born in Australia, has been a leading female voice in Christian Music.  But did you know she is also an establish author? 

Rebecca skyrocketed as an author with her book, Wait For Me, where she discusses sexual purity.   Wait For Me reached the #1 spot on the prestigious CBA (Young Adult) book chart in 2003.  In 2004 she released, SHE and SHE Teen.  SHE, which also hit #1 on the CBA Young Adult Chart, gives modern womanhood a voice based on a return to biblical principles.

Rebecca’s passion is still young women, but her newest devotional book Pure: A 90-Day Devotional for the Mind, the Body & the Spirit is for women of all ages.  Purity is something, as Christians, we should strive for daily.  But what does it mean to live a pure life?  Reading Rebecca’s devotional book Pure is like sitting down with a best friend in a coffee shop.  What you see is what you get.  She is real, she is honest, and she is a woman with a heart for God.  

Rebecca we are so excited to have you visiting us here at Christian Women Online Magazine.  Can you tell us a little bit about yourself, and also how you moved from Australia to the United States?

We moved to America originally because of my dad’s job in Christian music. My parents made the move with six kids—me, the oldest—and my five younger brothers.  My mother was expecting my younger sister, Libby, at the time.  My dad was a concert promoter back in Australia and always involved in Christian music at some level.  Unfortunately shortly after moving here, he lost his new job and we were forced into some very hard times as a family.  Through that time period, I saw God move on our behalf in dramatic ways—someone gave us a car, groceries would appear on our porch, someone even paid the hospital bills for Libby to be born, and to this day, we don’t know who did this for us. All this had a very profound spiritual impact on me at a very impressionable age—I saw firsthand with my family, while still very young, how we can fully trust God’s faithfulness.

It is amazing to see how the actions of one person, can make an eternal impact on someone.  Many times we as Christians think “what can I do, I am only one person?”  This example shows how one action can change a person’s walk with Christ.  Wow!

How did you get your start as a Christian singer?

With my dad being a Christian promoter back in Australia, as I mentioned, I literally grew up around music. I remember going to shows as a very little kid and looking at the performers onstage in the lights and wondering if they were having fun!  My brothers and I would actually put on little ‘shows’ at home for my parents—we would pretend to sell tickets and merchandise—so now looking back, I think maybe I had somewhat of an inkling even then of what was to come.  I was never really driven to be a singer as some people are—I actually remember purposefully giving God my gifts and talents when I was quite young and asking Him to use me. I didn’t quite know what this might look like in my life. 

I made a record in Australia but actually my real start came here in the U.S.  I was singing at our church and several executives from my label, EMI, heard me and were interested in signing me.  That was the real start of what was to come. I was only 15 at the time and I could never have imagined all the aspects of the journey God was about to take me on.  It’s definitely been an incredible adventure thus far.

You have written several books, but in your new 90-day devotional titledPure you encourage women to live a life of purity from the inside out.  Can you share with us what you mean by living a life of purity?

Striving to live a pure life physically is obviously a huge aspect of life as a Christian and one that we hear talked about a great deal. But in addition, the way you turn over your fears and priorities to God, the way you forgive others, the way you think about every aspect of life—this one and the one to come—are also part of living a ‘pure’ life.

When living out our love of God becomes our biggest passion, our lives are greatly impacted.  Not only our decisions about how we treat our bodies, but also how we protect and feed our minds and spirits as well. That’s a picture of a ‘pure’ lifestyle.”

What are some of the ways we can guard our hearts on a daily basis?

As I mention in Pure,  when my six siblings and I were growing up, our parents placed a sign on top of our television to remind us to be aware of what we allowed into our minds,  It was Psalms 101:2-3 and says: ‘I will live with a pure heart in my own home.  I will not put anything wicked before my eyes.’ 

On a day to day basis, we can prevent a great deal of anguish in our lives by guarding what we put into our minds—and ultimately what we allow to take root in the heart.  We need to be really wise about the simple things: the magazines we read, what we look at in our travels on the internet, what movies and television we watch, and, of course, the music we listen to.  What goes ‘in’ is ultimately going to come ‘out’ in our lives and actions. We need to ask for God’s strength to say no to the harmful—to go against the grain of what is prevalent in the world around us.  The best way to ‘guard the heart’ that I have found is to daily spend time in God’s Word—to ask Him every day to purify and renew my mind.

You share in one of your devotionals how we tend to live our lives surviving one challenge just so we can move on to the next one.  Can you share how as Christians we can get trapped in “survival mode?”

There have been seasons in my life, as I talked about in the book, where I realized I wasn’t thriving—I was simply surviving!  ‘Survival mode’ for me was simply getting by day-to-day and not failing. It was rooted in fear—fear of rejection, of stepping out to new opportunities, or people or challenges, even at times wanting what I did to be ‘just right’ to the point of agonizing over the creative process. It was exhausting to focus on surviving one challenge to get to the next one—a never ending cycle.  It took me some time to wake up to the reality that God doesn’t want us to just survive—He wants us to thrive!  In my own life, I have come to the realization that God is in total control of my steps—they are ordered of Him—and with Him guiding the path I can throw off all fears—I can move from ‘survive’ to ‘thrive’!”

In the past one of your passions has been your ministry to teens.  What would you say is your primary passion for your ministry today?

I’m still very passionate about reaching young people—the Wait For Memessage about waiting for sex until marriage is a huge part of my message and one that I continue to share from concert stages all over the world.  I have felt in this, the most recent season of my life, God really calling me to Christian film—to bringing a Godly message through this medium.  I am very exciting about this new aspect of my life and am seeing God open doors in recent months for me in the film community!

Singing, to writing and now acting, how do you balance everything and not burn out?

A few years ago I had to learn a very difficult lesson about the need for ‘balance’ in my life.  In certain seasons of my ministry, I have overtaxed myself and have paid the consequences both with emotional and physical exhaustion.  I didn’t have much left to give and came the closest to burn out that I ever want to get—a place where I never want to go again!  God is concerned that we learn to balance our lives physically and emotionally—learning that there is a time to work, and a time to rest.

In my own life, I’ve had to learn to set boundaries—and even harder sometimes—I’ve had to learn to say ‘no.’  Finding the balance between rest and work, grace and discipline, giving and receiving—all are daily exercises we all have to face.  I find I can avoid going off track by spending time each day with God and asking Him for daily wisdom on finding balance.

You are an advocate for one of the ministries dear to my heart, Compassion International.  How has this ministry changed you?

I am passionate about sharing the message of Compassion with everyone who will listen.  In my work with Compassion, I’ve seen their ministry in operation first hand in parts of the world where children would have little hope without the presence of this wonderful ministry.  On a trip several years ago to Rwanda to film for Compassion, I saw the stark contrast of their work in one of the poorest regions of the world.  I witnessed little children with clean, bright, shining faces singing songs about Jesus and radiating His love at the Compassion school which stood literally within the shadow of the town’s very foul, wretched garbage dump.  Here in the midst of the unlovely, Compassion had raised a standard for God—and children’s lives through Compassion sponsorship were being pulled from poverty and lack and being forever changed.  They are a ministry that’s truly impacting for the Kingdom.

To learn more about Compassion International please see their blog herehttp://blog.compassion.com.

Are there any upcoming projects you can share with us?

I’m very excited about a film I am working on that will be released in 2009—a wonderful door God has opened in this current season!  It’s called To the Wall.

It’s a faith and family film about two young guys whose dads died in the Vietnam war. The movie contains flashbacks from Vietnam, showing the friendship between the fathers of these two young men. One is a believer, the other is struggling with matters of faith. Wayne and John, the young guys, embark on a journey to the Vietnam wall in DC, to see their fathers’ names and to connect with their history. Along the way, they meet my character, Annie and her cousin Ted, and we bring some lighter elements to the film.  As a ‘PS’ to readers –I would love additional prayer for God’s peace and joy to shine through me and for inspiration as I move into this new genre.

Rebecca St. James with Candace Cameron Bure 
on set during the filming of “To The Wall.”

We will definitely be praying for God’s blessing on this new exciting adventure.  I will be looking forward to the release of  “To The Wall.”

Thank you so much for taking the time to visit with us here.  Can you share a scripture with us that God has recently placed on your heart?

I have one to share that is very special to me—a recurring reminder in my life and ministry. It’s Act 20:24. In the Living translation it says: But life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned to me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about God’s mighty kindness and love.”  I pray we are reminded daily that through Jesus, each of us as Christians, have the privilege in this world of being ‘bearers of good news!’  How awesome is that?

Pure: A 90-Day Devotional for the Mind, the Body & the Spirit” by Rebecca St. James is a perfect devotional book to begin your new year.  Each chapter is short but rich in content.  If you would like a chance to win “Pure: A 90-Day Devotional for the Mind, the Body & the Spirit” by Rebecca St. James (for January ‘09 only) please visit our Book Draw.

©2009, Lori Kasbeer

Lori’s personal blog can be found at Lori’s Reflections (www.laurelwreathsreflections.com) and additional book reviews at Lori’s Book Reviews (www.laurelwreathsreflections.com/lorisbookreviews )

What a beautiful way to enter the New Year! I’ve recently had the immense blessing of interviewing a dear sister in the Lord who is so humble and so on fire for Christ I was warmed with our Lord’s presence just chatting with her on the phone. 

I’d seen our sister Larissa Lam on JCTV’s “Top 3” before, but I never knew about the depth of her passion for our Savior and His Gospel message. I just thought it was great to see a cute, little spunky Christian gal making a positive impact on younger girls who would really be inspired by her honest, open and genuine demeanor. Little did I know, behind all her spunk, was a fire for Christ, well contained by the Holy Spirit with whom she strives to stay in step with as she seeks God’s guidance for every aspect of her life. 

I am very pleased to introduce to you, our sweet sister, Larissa Lam. 

Hello there sister Larissa! Thank you so much for allowing me this interview. I’m very intrigued by your story and can’t wait to hear all your responses to my questions. I’m confident it will be a sure blessing for our readers as well. 

I see that you’re involved with and have founded many ministries. Can you tell us a little bit about the two ministries you’ve personally founded: On the Way Up Ministries (OTWU) and Beautiful Faith? 

Both On the Way Up and Beautiful Faith Ministries are a department of A.C.T.(Artists in Christian Testimony International), which I discovered about 4 to 5 years ago as I began to search out exactly how God wanted me to use the musical talents He’s given me. 

I realized that while I enjoyed writing songs, singing and producing, I felt there was more to Christian music than just that. Beyond the concert, my heart is very connected with smaller and multi-ethnic churches that do not have large budgets to host conferences, have musical guest and/or speakers. That’s where On the Way Up comes in. At OTWU, we provide resources for Christian musical artists to: 

• EVANGELIZE – through outreach concerts and events across the U.S. and abroad.
• EDUCATE – others about Christians in the arts and the importance of missions through conferences and guest speaking at schools and universities.
• EQUIP – though music training seminars, workshops and disciplining others to use their gifts to spread the Gospel and be competitive with the mainstream.
• ENCOURAGE – by offering musicians prayer support, mentorship, networking and other resources.

How did God inspire you to create your latest ministry, Beautiful Faith? 

God’s inspiration came to me as a twofold passion: 

1. I want to motivate believers to grow in their faith and see what God is doing in their lives and share with others. I want to encourage believers to spread the Gospel without comparing themselves to other people who have different personalities, gifts and talents.
2. I also want to speak to unbelievers and help them to understand what God’s beautiful faith is truly about. I want to tell them that Jesus is someone they need to know personally in their own lives.

Wow, that’s fabulous sister! It’s just like what you wrote as your slogan on your Beautiful Faith website “The hope is that everyone will experience God’s beautiful faith in their lives.” 

Can you tell us how God introduced you to the other 12 sisters who have joined you in this mission with Beautiful Faith? 

After God made it clear what He wanted, I worked through Christian networks and personal referrals for Christian female artists who had a ministry that encompassed a mission’s heart. As the music portion of Beautiful Faith began to develop, God revealed to us, the wonderful stories that emerged beyond the music for each of us. We want to make sure that we never lose sight of the stories God has given each of us that demonstrate His miraculous power in our lives; even with things that might be considered as insignificant. This is very important to us as we’ve witnessed that even the seemingly insignificant aspects of our lives, becomes something amazingly beautiful when they are placed in the hands of our awesome God. 

Thank you so much for pointing out that simple, yet often forgotten truth,“even the seemingly insignificant aspects of our lives, becomes something amazingly beautiful when they are placed in the hands of our awesome God.” AMEN to that sister! 

If someone was interested in hosting a Beautiful Faith event at their church or home, how would they go about it? 

I remember many years ago, I had to say “No.” to an event due to finances. The church that asked me to come didn’t have much of a budget and I didn’t have personal finances to get myself there either. I hated that and never want that to happen again. Once is enough. Due to this, we at Beautiful Faith do not have a set fee for any of our ministry services. Instead we work on a case by case basis so that money will never be the hindrance for anyone who would like to host a Beautiful Faith event. 

If anyone is interested in hosting a Beautiful Faith event, they can contact methrough our website.

The Higher Sounds CD includes 10 bonus, downloadable songs and 13 devotionals that accompany each song. 

Some of the plans for Beautiful Faith in the near future will include our readers/supporters to submit and share their beautiful faith stories on our blog either through writing or with vlogs (video logs). 

That sounds very exciting! I’m sure many of our readers would love to submit their beautiful faith stories! Thank you so much for providing this opportunity. Now about the ministries you’re involved in, hosting JCTV’s “Top 3” and “The Hope.” Can you tell me how you got involved with these ministries? 

Sure! About 6 years ago I had several friends in the music ministry who were involved in the TV industry. They said I was a good talker and suggested that I would make a good host on a TV show. I didn’t think much of it at first, but the Lord put it on my heart to pursue this avenue, so I did. In the beginning, I kept getting cast, but nothing would happen. After some time, my business manager met someone who was a friend of a friend of a friend who was responsible for reviewing material for a new youth channel called JCTV (Jesus Christ TV, a ministry of TBN). I auditioned and got one of the four hosting spots for JCTV’s “Top 3” program. I’ve been a host on “Top 3” for four years now. 

I got involved with The Hope through a referral. This film is somewhat like the Jesus Film Project and a video Bible combined. The producers (Mars Hill Productions) needed an Asian-American female to be one of their main storytellers. Somehow they heard about me, contacted me and asked me to submit a video audition tape. 

The interesting thing about this experience was that my first day of her filming was on 9/11. We all just stopped and prayed. After we finished praying, we were even more convinced that this movie needed to be made. 

I’d like to get a bit more personal if you don’t mind. Since it’s obvious that you have a huge heart for evangelism, would you mind sharing with us how you got saved? 

I’d love to! I’m the only child of Chinese-American parents who took me to church pretty much since I was born. My aunt and uncle who still live in Hong Kong were the first in our family to get saved and they basically evangelized the rest of us. 

But it wasn’t until my cousins (children of my aunt and uncle who told us about Christ) from Hong Kong came to live with us for a few years that I really came to understand who Jesus is. I was 10 and they were 16 and 17. I loved having them around because it was like having sisters! Even though they were a lot older than me, they were kind enough to invite me with them to attend the youth group at our church. One Friday night, the pastor gave a message on forgiveness and a personal relationship with Christ. This was the first time I’d ever heard this! That same evening, the pastor also extended an invitation for all those who wanted to know Jesus, personally; to believe and trust that He alone can save anyone from their sins. I trusted Jesus as my personal Savior and the Lord of my life, that very night. 

That’s truly an amazing story Larissa! How wonderful it is to know that God sent your cousins to you from across the ocean, to save your soul? I’m in wonder of it all. God is gracious. Is this one of the reasons why your songs and all the ministries you’re involved in are so evangelistic in nature? 

My upbringing has something to do with it, but honestly, the most significant reason is simple, it’s in Scripture. God commands that all His children evangelize according to Mathew 28:18-20. This is why He made us. Our whole purpose is to see everyone glorify the Lord. When you see God’s word change people’s lives, this becomes your passion. I didn’t always feel this way though, especially not when I first started in the music industry. At 16, I began incorporating an evangelistic message in my music, but it was secondary and certainly wasn’t the focal point that it is now. It wasn’t until I began to personally grow in the Lord that Jesus’ purpose for why He came to earth, became the passion of my life. 

I have a great desire to encourage others who don’t consider themselves to be an evangelist, because really, neither do I. But I’m doing it and God’s using me, and I want others to see that He can use them too. God doesn’t require nor expect everyone to be a Billy Graham in order to preach the Gospel. God only requires that each person have a willing heart to use whatever He has given them. Personally, I didn’t think I was equipped at all to do all that God has called me to do. In fact, when I started, I really had very little knowledge of the Bible. But we all have to start somewhere. As I grew in my knowledge of Christ, I also grew into a much deeper relationship with Him. It really all ties together, every step of obedience grows a person in their faith. 

Even though I didn’t use to, I now purposely look for situations to share the Gospel with someone and I use whatever means God’s given me to do it. 

Well sister Larissa, I’m just blown away with the passion God has put in your heart and your desire to encourage others who feel the same ineptness you once felt. Your conferences, seminars and concerts must be amazing! The only thing I’m wondering now is how we can host one of your events at my church!  

You got saved when you were 10, wrote you first song at 13, but didn’t begin to incorporate the Gospel in your music until you were 16, why? 

Although I was saved at 10 and wrote my first song at 13, I was just doing it for fun and never really considered music as an option for a career. Up until I was 16, I thought I was going to be a doctor. But one day I visited my dad’s office, got completely disgusted, and realized that I probably wouldn’t make a very good doctor. This was not a good day for me because I’m somewhat of a control freak and have always felt that I needed to have my whole life planned out, and up to this point, I thought I had. I was very upset, because in just one incident, my entire life’s goal had just vanished and I experienced a nebulous void; with no concrete plan for my life. It was a strange place to be. That’s when the Lord came to my rescue and called me into music missions. 

Don’t you just love it when God causes our personal dreams to vanish, just to put before us, His greater will for our lives? I love when God does that! 

After God called you into the music industry, how did you get started? 

In college I worked at a recording studio. The owner of the studio, Bill Schnee, was very influential in helping me see what it really means to be a Christian working in the mainstream; the salt and light for Christ. Although I had the desire to shine a light into the music industry, I wasn’t spiritually mature enough at the time. To be honest, up until that point, I really had some illusions of grandeur. It wasn’t until the end of my college years that everything and everyone God used to guide me as a music missionary, that I truly understood what it meant to be doing all this for the Lord. 

After God instilled the purpose of His call to me; to be a messenger of His Gospel through music, I graduated from college, and was hired as the CFO for NSOUL Records (an independent label). Within only a few months of working with NSOUL, one of the groups at the label (Nitro Praise), were in need of a singer for a Campus Crusade Conference. They asked me, “Do you want to go?” I said, “Yes!” and that was that. I worked as a CFO at NSOUL by day and sang with Nitro Praise for the next 2 years on the weekends. 

God used my time with both Bill Schnee and Nitro Praise to shape and train me to more effectively communicate the Gospel as a performer. Everyone with Nitro Praise really helped me to see that there was more to our music than entertainment, but that we could and should use all that God has given us to impact the world for Christ. After every concert all the members of Nitro Praise would go and talk to the people who attended. They showed me that the heart of the concert, wasn’t the performance, but personally sharing the Gospel with those God brought to the concerts. 

God is sovereign and He is faithful! Praise the Lord our God for all His goodness to us! 

Well, now that I’ve gotten so personal with you, I’m sure you wouldn’t mind sharing with us how you met your husband Only Won (a.k.a Baldwin). I understand that you’re newlyweds? 

Yes, we’re newlyweds! We were married on March 29, 2008.  

I really like telling this story because this is just one of the many stories of how God uses the seemingly insignificant aspects of our lives to truly make something beautiful. 

One of my friends from college heard about Only Won and suggested that I connect with him, but strictly on a professional basis of course (wink, wink). It turned out that Only Won’s producer, Maximillian just happened to be one of my other good friends from Nitro Praise! So I thought, “Well, any friend of Maximillian’s is a friend of mine.” That’s what began our 2 year emailing to keep in touch, but remember it was strictly just business. 

Then one day, Only Won invited me to do a concert with him at his church in Sacramento. It was pretty funny from that point on. Our friend Maximillian began to play matchmaker, but this wasn’t one of those well-thought out mature matchmaking situations, no; it was more like the ones we all remember from our middle school days. Maximillian would say to me, “Hey, I think Baldwin likes you, but he’s not sure how you feel.” Then he’d go to Baldwin and say the same thing about me. And the really funny thing about this, is that Max was right….about both of us…obviously.  

You see, even in this story about how I met my husband is all about God’s miraculous work in the things that we would never think would be significant, like singing with Nitro Praise. Had I never sung with them, not only would’ve I not benefited from their love for Christ, but I would’ve also never met my husband. I look back now and see how God used everything and everyone to be who I am now, both as a wife and as a music missionary. 

Again, I’m just in awe of how God is using you to show the rest of us that in God’s economy, nothing is wasted. God can use one situation to bless the multitudes, we just have to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus so we can see what He’s doing. 

I really love your voice and I especially love what, or rather Who you sing for and about. I found out that you freely give of your time and talent to teach others on Expert Village. I’m very impressed with some of the things you do, (like the yawning warm-up exercise) I mean, you’re very transparent and well, I think it takes a lot of humility to teach the way you do. Can you share with us how this all came about? 

Oh, thank you Sunny. And honestly, until you mentioned it, I never thought about the embarrassment factor. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.  

The way I found out about Expert Village is by seeing a notice/casting for people with different expertise. Even though I was sure they wouldn’t choose me (because there are so many talented singers out there), I went ahead and submitted a video. The next thing I know, they’re calling me and asking me if they could have a camera crew video me giving some singing lessons. And now people can watch me yawn on the world wide web.  

I’ve received many emails from around the world due to my training videos on Expert Village and I’ve even gotten a student from this as well! I see this as another venue God has provided me to share the Gospel message. 

You’re generous heart blesses me sister! Well, are you ready for some light-hearted, easy questions now? I understand that you love trying new foods, me too! I love to eat! And even though you’re Chinese, you don’t like Chinese food, why not? I’m Korean and I love it!  

I’m not really sure why I don’t like Chinese food. For one thing, I don’t like ginger and there’s lots of ginger in Chinese food. I have some other theories, but they’re just theories. But you know what? I actually like Korean food better than I like Chinese food. Oh, and the best part about being Chinese and not liking Chinese food, is that people ask me that question a lot and God even uses this quirk of mine to start a conversation with someone so I can witness to them! Isn’t that great? 

That is great sister! I love how you think! So do you ever eat Chinese food or is it banned from your menu? 

Now I get to share with you how much I love my husband. Only Won absolutely loves dim sum. So I eat it with him, even though I really don’t like it. It’s one of the ways I show him that I love him and prefer him over my own desires. 

It sounds like as a newlywed, you’re already putting biblical submission into practice. Way to go sister! 

Besides your love for trying new foods, I understand that you also really love Garfield. Precious sister, could you please elaborate on your Garfield fetish? 

Ha, ha, ha! You found out about that, huh? It’s true, I love Garfield. I think it all started when I was six and I got my first Garfield comic book. 

I now have a collection of Garfield stuffed animals, comic books and I’ve even attended a Garfield Cruise for Garfield’s 25th birthday celebration with the creator of Garfield and other fanatics. 

Do you want to know something else? Garfield was at my wedding! Yes, I had a 2 foot tall Garfield that sat right next to my parents. My mom dressed him in a vest and bow tie. He looked great! 

If you lived closer, I think we’d hang out! Your love for Jesus is so intense and it shows in how you choose to live your life. You also know how to just relax and be silly too. I think that’s great! 

I’m really inspired by how passionate you are for our Lord and for the people He came to save. Would you share with us a Scripture verse or passage God is using right now to penetrate your heart to refine you? 

Yes, I’d have to say that it’s my life passage: Proverbs. 3:5-6. I’ve been meditating on it a lot lately as I reflect on all that God has done in my life this past year and just wondering what He has in store for me in 2009. And I don’t mean big picture wise, I mean the specific steps God wants me to take in everything, whether it be in my wifehood, singing, hosting beyond JCTV, Beautiful Faith events in churches, homes, etc. I’m not sure just yet on the specifics, but that’s okay, because God does and I trust Him to move me forward. 

In closing, since you’re so good with step-by-step encouragement, would you please share with our readers something you do personally to live out your life passage? 

I’d love to! I want to encourage all believers to remember that we are all ambassadors of Christ, we are all messengers of His Gospel. 

I use something I call a “target list”. This target list consists of all the people and/or ministries God’s put in my life. This list was created when I found myself overwhelmed with trying to daily remember to write down all the names of people and ministries I needed to pray for each day. I hate forgetting to pray for people and I know I can’t pray for everyone, so I started a target list that is found at the very back of my prayer journal. Instead of trying to daily remember people’s names and ministries I need to be praying for, I now have them organized on my target list, into categories i.e., family, friends, coworkers, unsaved friends, ministries, etc. This way, I always have them written down and I can add new names under the appropriate categories or take off the prayers that have been answered. It’s really nice to go back and see all the prayers God has so graciously answered. 

Sister Larissa, thank you so much for visiting with me today! I just love your heart and am so grateful to God for all that He is working through you! I for one have truly been encouraged to be more purposeful with my everyday evangelism and to allow God to use me, even with the things I might deem as insignificant. Thank you so much dear sister! I’m going to include your name on my “target list.”  

Please visit our sister Larissa at: 
Beautiful Faith.org or: 

©2009, Sunny Shell

God has been so gracious and kind to allow me the privilege of interviewing a precious sister in the Lord.

Renee Swope was born in New Orleans, and raised in North Carolina since she was twelve. During her senior year in college, she fell “head-over-heels” in love with our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ, and her life has never been the same.

Although Renee felt God call her to share her story of how He used her journey through depression and a myriad of other trials to draw her to His Son, for the next ten years, she kept her personal story a secret because she feared rejection. But in 1999, Renee mortified that part of her flesh that told her she couldn’t do it and proclaimed God’s promises as she fully surrendered to the Lord and prayed, “Okay Lord, I will trust You. I will tell Your story. Even to just one, even to a small Bible study and even if You call me to a share with a larger group. I will do whatever You want me to do for You have set my heart free! I want to be a display of Your splendor, not my own.”

With this proclamation of full surrender and trust in God, Renee willingly participated in the Master’s work as He refined and shaped her into a gifted speaker who engages her audience with the raw realities of life, personal struggles, and victories in Christ Jesus. She does all this without watering down the Gospel and its message of humility, repentance and gratitude that comes with saving faith.

From the very beginning of her story of how God revealed His will for her in 1989, to witnessing His plan come to fruition ten years later; she shares with us how she’s still learning, and still growing. With child-like awe, Renee continues to be wooed and amazed by our sovereign Father God’s intimate love, comfort and guidance He provides for each of His children. Through her role as a wife, mom, speaker and staff member at Proverbs 31 Ministries, she feels that she is living out her life passage, Isaiah 63:1-3.

I am delighted to share this interview with you as this is the time of year where all God’s children contemplate why we are here and why we celebrate our Savior’s birth.

And now, I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce to you, our precious sister Renee Swope, daughter of the Lord God Most High, married to her best friend, J.J., mother of two blessings: Joshua (13) and Andrew (11).

Renee is an author, speaker and co-host of Proverbs 31 Ministries’ radio show, and also serves as Executive Director of Radio, Speaking and Devotions.

Renee, would you share with us how you first got connected with Proverbs 31 Ministries?

After my husband accepted a job offer in Charlotte, NC, my mom, who didn’t even live in Charlotte, happened to find the Charlotte Observer Sunday newspaper in her driveway. There was a huge article in the “Faith and Family” section about a few women in Charlotte who were college grads that decided to become stay-at-home moms and start a ministry to encourage other SAHMs. It was called The Proverbs 31 Homemaker.

My mom cut out the article and placed a sticky note on it that read, “These sound like the kind of friends you need. I hope you find them when you get to Charlotte.”

Aren’t moms great!? Well, I decided not to wait until we moved to Charlotte to find a friend. I needed advice for where we could find an apartment, a pediatrician and a church. My heart was especially drawn to one of the women in the article because her husband owned a Chick-fil-A and she was expecting a baby in May. I had worked at Chick-fil-A in high school and I was pregnant with our first child around and due in May, too. With these two things in common I thought it was surely a sign that we were meant to be friends!

I called 411 to get a number for the TerKeurst family. I still can’t believe I did that. Lysa answered the phone, and I blabbered to her the whole story. She probably thought I was some lunatic but she was so sweet and offered the name of her pediatrician, suggested some areas of Charlotte to consider for apartments and encouraged me to call her when we got to town.

Wow Renee, that’s an incredible story of God’s providential care in your entire move to Charlotte! I’m constantly in awe of how God connects His children together, even before we ever meet in person. In what capacity did you serve/work at first with Proverbs 31 Ministries?

A few weeks after we moved to Charlotte, I called Lysa again. We had lunch at Chick-fil-A of course, and became friends over chicken nuggets, sweet tea and two sweet babies who were born just a week apart. I learned all about the ministry and the women involved. It was small at the time, with a newsletter circulation of about 75 family and friends.

That day she mentioned the editor was transitioning out of her role and they needed someone to fill it. I had publishing experience so I told her that I might be able to help.

She’s such a great recruiter! I started volunteering for the ministry in September 1995, working from home. Each month I’d collect articles and cut out clip art to paste in the layouts. We’d copy the newsletter at Kinko’s and meet in one of our homes to put labels and postage on them for our monthly mailing. We didn’t have a website or email back then! It’s amazing what God has done and how He has used very ordinary women to reach women across the world in extraordinary ways (now 13 years later) through our website, magazine, radio, online devotionals, speakers and so much more.

Chicken nuggets, sweet tea and two babies – sounds like another wonderful speaking topic on friendship and how to work in ministry together! I love your one-minute radio spots! How do you come up with the topics and what to say in just one minute that would bring the greatest impact to women on a specific topic?

Thanks! I love it when someone tells us that the one-minute we have to speak into a woman’s heart really does make a difference. Our goal for the Proverbs 31 radio show is to help a woman pause in the middle of her busy day to get a sense of God’s peace, purpose and perspective. First, I try to put myself in a woman’s everyday setting; imagining where she will be when she hears the show: running errands, on the way to work, at her desk, driving carpool, or hurrying home. Second, I think about lessons God’s taught me over the weeks leading up to my deadline i.e., what I’m worried about, what I’m learning in my marriage, what I’m struggling with, how I’m enjoying my relationship with God or a friend, and how I’m trying to balance my role as wife, mom and a working woman. Blogging also helps me think of show ideas. Reading through my posts reminds me of what God’s been doing in my life. I also love reading women’s comments and their blogs because they show me where women are and what we all need for encouragement.

Renee, that’s really amazing how God has helped you tailor a one-minute radio spot to speak to numerous women who need to hear His voice through you. I’m encouraged by your prayers and intentional effort you make to impact our daily lives with the truth of Christ in only one minute. Thank you so much!

What came first, your speaking ministry or your role in the Proverbs 31 Ministry?

My role with Proverbs 31 Ministries came first. I joined the staff as the editor of the newsletter in 1995 and served in that role until 1999. Later, I sensed God calling me to transition into a volunteer role with less time commitment. It was very hard at first! I missed being part of the staff, but I also knew it was what God wanted and what I needed. For the next two years, I served in various capacities which included: promotions, helping with office administration and fundraising projects. But mostly, I spent my kids’ nap times digging deep into God’s Word and letting Him dig deep into my heart in a way I never had before. I would write down Scriptures and journal about everything God was teaching me. I learned so much about Him and His heart toward me. I learned to find my identity in Who He was and what He had done, instead of seeking to feel significant based on what I could do or who I was. That was an important process for me, as it is for each of us; to find value in Christ alone.

I’m so thankful you listened to the Lord, even when you didn’t quite understand all the reasons. I know many sisters in Christ have greatly benefited from your obedience. How did your speaking ministry begin?

My speaking ministry started through my home church. During my “digging deep” season, I offered to write a small topical Bible study that tied in with a 3-part series of supper seminars my pastor’s wife had taught. The leaders had been praying for a gift to give the attendees of the seminars, and asked me to write the Bible study. At the end of the last supper seminar, 1000 copies were given away. In the spring, I was asked to teach a class based on the study I’d written. The next fall, I wrote another study and taught two more series. That was my first speaking experience. During the summer of 2001, I attended the Proverbs 31 Ministries first annual She Speaks Conference. At the end of this conference, P31 offered a certification process for those who felt called to speak. It was such a natural fit. For the first few years, God grew me and my messages through local opportunities which included: continuing to teach at my church, speaking to women’s small groups, and occasionally speaking at local dinner events and MOPs groups.

I love how God takes our offerings (your offer to write the Bible study) to help others, and uses our token of love to birth His greater purpose for us. What is your role in the P31 “She Speaks” Conference and how did this conference come about?

I am a part of the P31 leadership planning team and one of the speakers at our She Speaks Conference for women’s ministry leaders, speakers, writers and bloggers. The first She Speaks Conference was held in 2001 to equip and encourage women in their calling to share the story God is telling through their lives based on Proverbs 31:26, “She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.” Our whole team and staff speak and/or serve at this annual life-changing event that we host in the Charlotte, NC area each year.

When it became obvious God was calling you into a speaking ministry, how did you choose the 10 topics you would speak on?

Every one of my topics is birthed and developed in my heart through life experience and whatever God is teaching me. My messages reflect my greatest struggles, desires and passions: reading God’s Word and making it come alive in my heart and in my everyday relationships; hearing, recognizing and listening to God’s voice and not the enemy’s accusations; living a purpose-filled and balanced life; developing authentic and Christ-centered friendships that complete and not compete; being a purpose-driven mom; bringing out God’s best in my kids and my husband by being their greatest encourager; experiencing the power of prayer and praise in my everyday life. Wow, I thought having 10 topics was too many. Maybe I need to add more!

I noticed that you’ll be adding three (3) more great topics to your speaking ministry: What Happens When Women Pray, Living Waters: Receive, Rest, Renew and Remain and Without a Doubt: Living Confidently in Christ. Would you please share with us how and why God led you to speak about these new topics and when you’ll begin offering them?

Oh, you saw that I am adding more already. I’ve started offering my new topics for events that are booked for 2009 and 2010. All of them were birthed through life lessons that I’ve learned over the past couple of years.

What Happens When Women Pray is a retreat where we unpack some powerful truths and life lessons Jesus taught about prayer. We also talk about what it looks like to live a life defined by conversations with God – where we talk to Him and listen to Him in what I call “all-throughout-my-day prayers” and then we talk about what happens when we stop talking and start walking out what He has revealed to us through prayer in our relationships with our family, our friends, and those we work and serve alongside.

Living Waters: Receive, Rest, Renew and Remain is a retreat where we first talk about positioning ourselves daily to RECEIVE what God wants to give us through a “really knowing me” kind of relationship with Christ where we find all that we’ve ever wanted: unconditional love, assurance, acceptance, and grace. Only then can we REST in Him. We can stop worrying and live rested instead of rest-less lives as we learn to follow His lead and take on His burdens while trusting Him with ours. In the next session we RENEW our minds with His truth and live like we BELIEVE HIM! We close the retreat by discussing the need to REMAIN in a constant place of dependence on Christ – allowing Him to live His life in us and through us so that we can do all things through Him who gives us strength, peace, joy and purpose.

Without a Doubt: Living Confidently in Christ is my newest retreat topic. This message was birthed through my own exhausting battle with doubt and based on victory I found in God’s word from one of my favorite stories in Judges 6 about Gideon. Through it I’ve learned: how to see myself the way God sees me, how to be encouraged by God’s promise to always give me His presence and power, and how to trust Him to become who He’s called me to be, and defeat my own enemies of doubt and fear. Doubt has been a struggle for most of my life and I never realized it’s a struggle for almost all women. I’m excited to be able to talk and teach about it from God’s Word so we can overcome its destructive power and live confidently in Christ!

AMEN to that sister! These new topics are just as fabulous as your original ten! There are many women who really need to hear the messages of hope in Christ alone–in spite of our temporal circumstances and fears.

I’m very interested in your workbook entitled: Shaped with Purpose. Would you please share a little bit about this workbook?

I wrote my Shaped with Purpose workbook after my own 2-year journey of discovering and then embracing God’s purpose for my life, instead of living out everyone else’s purposes for me. It’s a 25-page guide to help a woman discover and understand the one-of-a-kind woman she is; designed by God with a unique blend of spiritual gifts, heart’s desires, abilities, personality and experiences that shape His calling and purpose for her life.

Thank you once again for your faithfulness to our Lord, His calling on your life and your willingness to be so transparent for Christ’s glory! Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to ask you something very personal. I understand that you’re in the process of adopting a daughter (or two) between the ages of 4 – 10 from Ethiopia. Can you tell us how God revealed His will to you in this area, your first reaction, any challenges and/or victories in Christ along the way?

In October 2008, I spoke at a women’s conference with my dear friend Lysa TerKeurst. When we got there I bought a t-shirt that said: “Live Dangerously ~ Christ’s love moves me to extremes (2 Corinthians 5:14)“.

I had no idea how prophetic that quote would be over the next 24 hours. That day, I had this deep sense that God had brought my life full circle. Later I sat in the audience listening to Lysa teach her message, “What Happens When Women say Yes to God.” Although I’d heard her stories, and even lived some of them with her, I sensed God was not giving me a review of Lysa’s story; He was giving me a preview of my own.

You see, my husband J.J. had been praying for almost three years that God would give me the same desire he had to adopt. During Lysa’s last message God clearly spoke to my heart about my fears. He answered every concern with huge confirmations through Lysa. And in my heart I knew He wanted me to give away the kind of love I had been given when I was adopted as His child through Jesus Christ.

I opened my heart and my hands and asked Him to remove my fears and fill them with His peace. Immediately, I closed my eyes and the face of a little girl with chocolate brown skin appeared in my mind. I knew God was telling me to go home and share with J.J. that God was calling us to adopt a daughter (or two) from Africa. My heart emptied of all fears and filled with joy as I said “Yes, Lord. I will!”

Soon after I said “Yes!”, I felt the Holy Spirit whispering to my soul, “You can trust Me. It is done.” I strongly sensed God had gone before us and prepared the way. In the days that followed He revealed what He had already done.

1. God provided money – we found out that my husband’s company reimburses $10K per child in adoption expense.
2. God provided time – we got our paperwork done quickly.
3. God provided direction – my friend Deanna called that week to tell me they were adopting three children from Ethiopia which happened to be the country we were leaning towards because we sponsor a girl from Ethiopia through Compassion International. That same week J.J. found out his co-worker, who is a Christian, was born and raised in Ethiopia. Both women have been such a source of encouragement and prayer.

We are a year into the process and still waiting. This fall we thought we’d found the two girls God wanted us to adopt, but there was a miscommunication and another family is adopting them. I was so sad and felt as if I had a miscarriage. But something beautiful happened in my heart through that loss. God showed me how to love them through prayer and let go of them through a letter I shared on my blog. Even through all of the ups and downs God’s given us incredible peace. We know that what has already been done in Heaven will, in God’s perfect timing, be done on earth.

I thank you deeply for being so transparent with us–allowing us to see right through you and your pain, so we can see the goodness and sovereignty of Jesus our Lord. Your letter to Shasho and Zenie was used by God to exhort me not be afraid to be real in my pain, while still trusting our sovereign and good LORD.

On a bit of a “lighter”, yet important note, would you please share some Christmas traditions you and your husband have implemented in your family to keep Christ the center of Christmas?

We hide all of the “baby Jesus” figures so that our mangers are not complete until Christmas morning. Also, we don’t open our gifts until after Christmas breakfast, so that we can give gifts from our hearts to Jesus. We set a place for Jesus at the table and give Him our red “You are Special” plate. We have small candle holders clipped to each plate and as we go around telling what gift we want to give from our hearts to God and each other, we light our candles.

It’s so special! Now, I have to admit that this was not a popular new tradition when I suggested it a few years ago, but now we love it! Our hearts are in such a sweet place once we go to the tree to open our gifts. Plus it makes the day and the fun last so much longer.

I love this tradition! I can see how it would set a person’s heart and mind in preparation for the real Reason why Christians celebrate Christmas. In closing, do you have a Scripture verse or passage that God has recently laid on your heart that you’d like to share?

I was recently re-reading the story about Mary, finding out God wanted her be the mother of His Son (Luke 1:28-38). Mary responded with complete surrender to God’s calling, making herself available, because she knew that above all else she was “the Lord’s servant.” Then she answered with confident faith: “May it be to me as He has said.” At the moment Mary declared that she was a woman who not only believed in God, but really BELIEVED God!!! God not only used her faith, He honored her faith.

He brought another woman (Elizabeth) into her life that would remind Mary of God’s favor. Elizabeth celebrated and encouraged Mary’s faith when she exclaimed: “Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished.” (v.45) I want to be a woman who believes God, and also a friend who encourages others to live like they believe Him, too! “For I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.” (2 Tim.1:12b)

You’re an inspiration, dear sister. Thank you so much, Renee, for taking the time to allow us the privilege to have a glimpse of how God is faithfully completing His work that He begun in you. May the Lord our God bless you and your family with a Christmas filled with His miracles!

Visit Renee at:
Proverbs 31 Ministries Proverbs 31 Radio Ministry

©2008, Sunny Shell

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About the Author:
Sunny Shell

Sunny’s been an oddball her entire life! Raised in Alexandria, Virginia in the early 1970’s, she was the only Christian, in an immigrant, Korean-Buddhist household, where she is the youngest of three children.

When she was only four years old, the Lord of hosts, miraculously provided for a bus to pick her up every Sunday to take her to church, where she first heard the Good News of Jesus Christ, so that she might intimately know His agape love for her. And this truly was the best and greatest news she’d ever heard….and it still is!

Sunny is in the process of writing her first Bible Study entitled  A Wife’s Biblical Submission which she is currently teaching online. She has been a guest contributor for the Internet Café Devotions and is a monthly contributor for At The Well.

Visit her website:

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Hollywood mom Barbara Cameron visits with us this month to tell us what it’s like to raise two children who became household names starring in hit TV series. Her son, Kirk Cameron, played the role of Mike Seaver on the show, “Growing Pains” (1985-1992), and her daughter, Candace, played D.J. Tanner on the popular series, “Full House” (1987-1995). Barbara is the mother of four and author of the newly released book, A Full House of Growing Pains.

Barbara, I enjoyed reading your new book. Can you tell our CWO readers what A Full House of Growing Pains is about?
It’s basically the story of my journey as a mom of four children, two of whom worked in the entertainment industry. I take the reader on a very personal and private journey into our family’s life. I share my intimate struggles as a wife, mother and woman.

How did your children become involved in show business?
This story goes way back to when Kirk and his sister Bridgette were two and three years old. My husband, Robert, and I lived in a small apartment, and I made friends with a neighbor in the same building, Francine Rich. She had a cute son named Adam who was acting in commercials. He later landed the role of “Nicholas” on the show, “Eight is Enough.” Fran encouraged me to take my children to see her agent, but I never thought anything would come of it, and I wasn’t sure I even wanted to.
We later moved and bought our first home in Fillmore, California. In time, Fran and I ran into each other again, and I invited her to my home for lunch. During that visit, I showed her some recent pictures of the children in my sister’s wedding. Kirk was the ring-bearer, and Bridgette and Melissa were flower girls. She asked if she could show the picture to Adam’s agent. I finally agreed, not thinking anything of it. I figured this was probably the best way to put an end to her asking me again!

Then two days later, Fran called and told me the agent wanted to see all the kids, and to call to set up an appointment. So that was it. I made an appointment, took the children in, and the agent wanted to represent Kirk and Melissa, and told me to bring Candace back in a year, since she was only four at the time.

Kirk and Melissa started booking commercials, then about a year later, Candace started working. Later, Melissa decided she didn’t want to do it anymore. Kirk and Candace continued booking commercials, small parts on television movies, and films. Then Kirk landed the role on “Growing Pains.” While Candace was working on the film, “Punchline,” with Sally Fields and John Goodman, she auditioned for “Full House” and after a series of call-backs she landed the role of “D.J. Tanner.”

What kinds of challenges did you face raising a family in Hollywood?
I think my first challenge was trying to find my way around Hollywood. You’re always traveling during peek time, so traffic is horrendous. We had some scary adventures navigating Hollywood Hills in our 1968 stick shift V.W. bus! I’d take the long way just to avoid the hills.
When the children first started doing commercials, it was fun and exciting, and also pretty safe. But as Kirk and Candace’s shows gained in popularity, so did they, and soon our lives changed drastically. We experienced the celebrity life you only read about in magazines. We rode in limos and flew all over the world. The temptations were tremendous. Money! Fame! Stardom!

How did your family respond to being in the limelight?
It’s amazing how people treat you differently when they assume you have money. We were perceived as being rich and famous, yet we weren’t any different than the families in our neighborhood. Robert was a junior high school teacher, and I was a stay-at-home mom raising four children. We lived in a tract home, and all the kids had chores and were disciplined if they disobeyed.

The challenges grew harder as the children became more popular and became teenagers. Some of those challenges were that the kids in school were very tough on Candace. We had many people come in and out of our lives who only wanted a glimpse of how we lived. Some who didn’t give us the time of day suddenly wanted to become our friends, and those we considered friends suddenly asked us not to come around anymore.

Someone who worked for us for ten years stole a large amount of money from our children’s account. The person was caught and put in jail. We had stalkers and some pretty scary incidents. There were challenges in my relationship with my husband, and between the children and their dad. Our life was truly “a full house of growing pains.”

Was there ever any jealousy from your other two daughters?
Bridgette and Melissa were very supportive siblings. Bridgette always wanted to act; in fact, she was the one I thought the agent would take. But when the agent didn’t, Bridgette took it all in stride, as that was her personality and character. She was always positive, even in the difficult times.

I don’t think there was any jealousy. Kirk and Candace were always very kind and generous to their siblings. Kirk and Candace working in the business was just the way it was. Their life was different than Bridgette and Melissa’s. But we were also a family, and we made sure the whole family enjoyed the ride.

How did you help keep your family close during those chaotic years?
We took family vacations whenever possible, going camping in our tent trailer or to the beach on Sundays. This became a family tradition for many years. We spent a lot of time at home having birthday parties, holiday gatherings, anything we could do together.

And I have to attribute my husband to keeping us grounded. Robert’s focus for our children was college. He believed that the children working in the entertainment industry was just for fun. I remember he said to me, “I’ll believe it’s something to consider as a career when Kirk makes his first $10,000.” Well, after a few commercials, Kirk was on his way!

So, after seeing the children making an income, we soon realized this could develop into something they could do as a career. As Kirk’s show became more popular, he became one of the “teen heartthrobs” of America, and we lost much of our privacy. Our family interacted more with the friends we had before the children were in the business, and our extended family as well.

Why did you decide to write a book about your life as a Hollywood mom?
First of all, it wasn’t my idea to write it! A few years ago, Ray Comfort, Kirk’s ministry partner, kept telling me, “Barbara, you should write a book! You have so many great stories to tell about how you kept your children grounded while living in the world of Hollywood.”

I thought Ray was absolutely nuts. My thought was, Who in the world would really care to read about the life of the Cameron family … how boring! Yet, over the years, I’ve had many parents ask me about how to get their child intothe business. They wanted to know how my husband and I handled the fame while keeping our family strong and intact.

When Ray said this book could be a wonderful evangelistic tool, I reconsidered. I thought Who am I to say “no” to the possibility of sharing the life God gave us in hopes that it could draw someone closer to Him?

Yet I didn’t know the first thing about writing a book. Ray told me, “Just start writing.” And so A Full House of Growing Pains was born.

Your book delves into some painful issues relating to your marriage. Can you share some of your struggles?
I married about a year after high school, after meeting Robert at one of California’s beaches. Since he’s seven years older than me, I looked up to him and valued his opinions. My vision of marriage was that you became “one.” I had hoped we would love each other so much, no matter what we did, or where we went, we would always be together and want to be with each other.

A few years into marriage, my husband’s strong verbal skills started to weigh heavily on me. I felt criticized and judged. And yet that was what I loved about Robert in the first place. He was my voice. As the “honeymoon” drifted away, I started believing I wasn’t happy. What was happening? What was going wrong? I soon made a vow to myself that when my children were 18 years old, I would get out of the marriage, if things continued along that path.

When Kirk and Candace landed the television series, our lives changed. I was exposed to a whole new world. I became more confident. I began making my own decisions, expressing myself more, and managing their careers. I was now a businesswoman, able to draw an income and have money of my own.

It was tough on our marriage, which began to spiral downhill. I realized I didn’t have to wait until my children were 18 years old. I could leave now!

What made you decide to stick things out?
I watched my children experience the struggles in our marriage. They saw how it threatened to tear our family apart. Yet through it all, they learned about commitment.They learned that running away from problems in life won’t solve anything, but instead will destroy what is precious. They learned there is a God who loved them and wanted a personal relationship with them. They learned what it really means to be living for Christ.

Today, my grandchildren are being trained up in the Lord which is just so awesome to witness! My husband and I visit our grandchildren together, not separately. They will learn through my book about their grandparents’ struggles and how, through Christ, we were able to keep our marriage together.

We are thrilled to have Candace joining us here at CWO as a regular columnist. Can you give us the scoop on what your son Kirk is up to these days?
Kirk and his wife, Chelsea, just celebrated their 15-year anniversary. They have six children, ranging in age from 3 to 9 years old. I don’t remember who the adopted ones are. They’re all beautiful children God brought into their lives. Chelsea has her hands full caring for the children, while Kirk travels to speak at universities, high schools, churches, conferences, and community events throughout the country.

When he’s home, he works on “The Way of the Master,” a reality TV show that he and Ray Comfort have created, which won the National Religious Broadcasters’ Best Program award for 2005 and 2006 and a People’s Choice award for 2004, 2005, and 2006. He also co-hosts “The Way of the Master” radio show, which broadcasts daily, and occasionally appears as a guest host for other television shows. Kirk is actively involved in developing family entertainment.

Wow! Your whole family is staying busy. Do you have any advice on how today’s Christian women can have healthy marriages and families in a culture that is increasingly hostile to our values?
I learned through Debi Pearl’s book, Created to Be His Help Meet, this truth: “No man has ever crawled out from under his wife’s criticism to become a better man.” The Bible talks about winning our husband over without a word (1 Peter 3:1). This was very powerful for me to hear.

The Bible also talks about how a wise woman builds up her house and a foolish one tears it down. These verses from the Bible are God’s commands for us women. It doesn’t matter if you’re married to an unbelieving husband, God is our authority, and He is first in our life. If we will live according to His word, we’ll see the fruit of our labor.
There is hope for our marriages, and divorce is not the answer. God hates divorce. It’s a convenient way for us to continue living in sin. It reeks of the unbiblical modern gospel message that preaches “God has a wonderful plan for your life.” Ladies, don’t buy into the lies that you hear in your head. That little voice that says you deserve better, that you should be happy. The adversary wants nothing more than to destroy our families, and he is doing a wonderful job of it today!

We deserve nothing, and yet though the incredible love of God, He will help us to be the wife, mother, and woman He created us to be if we will just seek His Will for our lives. My favorite verses are Phil 3:14: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” and Mark 8:36: “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”

I hope that readers will come away from my book relating to my experiences and understanding that there is hope for their marriages and their children’s salvation, even in the teenage years! It’s through repentance and faith, followed by obedience and the power of prayer, that will help your family be the best it can be.

Thank you so much for your encouraging words, Barbara! ~ Heather

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Read more about Barbara, as Heather asks about her trips to Africa, her involvement with Make-a-Wish Foundation, and Camp Firefly. Please follow this link to part 2 of their interview:

Barbara Cameron Interview, Part 2

Learn more about all the exciting ministries the Cameron family is involved in through visiting these websites:

Barbara Cameron, www.barbaracameron.net
Way of the Master, www.wayofthemaster.com
Candace Cameron, www.candacecameronbure.net

A Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts
by Trish Berg, Terra Hangen, Cathy Messecar,  Brenda Nixon,
Karen Robbins, & Leslie Wilson

Terra Hangen, mother of two adult sons, lives in coastal California with her husband and their two cats. She loves to write and share tips on gardening, Christmas celebrations, cats, recipes, book reviews, and everything else that catches her fancy. Her articles have been published in Country Woman, Victorian Homes, Back Home, San Diego Family Magazine, Lutheran Digest, Mature Living and many others. She is currently writing a gardening book that includes scripture. Her garden column appears each month at www.positivelyfeminine.org

Terra along with five other women authored “Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts,” a book written to help us unclutter Christmas and bring harmony to this busy season. Turning the pages of this practical book, you’ll find tips for creating traditions, gift giving, growing myrrh, and so much more! The colorful eye-catching design makes this book the ideal gift!

I understand that you co-authored your book with five other women, what prompted your group to come together on this project?

We are all members of an online Christian writer’s group, and I noticed that Brenda Nixon, like me, was a Christian who wrote for secular publications. I sent her an email and asked if we could be Barnabas partners, and our group quickly grew to 6 gals. Cathy had the idea for a book of Christmas firsts, and we all got involved, with Cathy Messecar doing much of the shaping of the book.

How did you go about naming it, “A Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts?”

Cathy came up with Christmas Firsts, and we liked “quilt” and “scrapbook.” I love “scrapbook” because all of our tiny parts created a more beautiful “whole.” We call ourselves “The Word Quilters,” so we got to use both words.

Was it difficult to coordinate the project with several writers being involved?

Yes and no. Together we work remarkably well, and agree that the hand of God is in this. Each writer has different strengths–I am called the “garden guru.” I wrote many green related tips for the holidays like how to make a wreath of pine cones, and how to select a living tree. Leslie is an expert on several aspects of Christmas, and gives many presentations on the topic, so she was already poised to contribute.

We have been surprised that our votes on book related questions were often unanimous. Now how often does that happen in everyday life with a group of six gals? (By the way, we have never all been in the same room together. Only one of us, Karen Robbins, has met all of us.)

Since I’m a designer, I have to ask…who designed the book cover? It’s beautiful!

Thank you. Leafwood Publishers used Thinkpen Design to create the artwork, and they have won awards for other books they have designed.

The entire book is as pretty as the cover, and I wish you all could see the pages; it is not white paper with text, but full color on each page, with a scrapbook feel.

When we saw the color designs for the cover online, and got to vote on our favorite, we were unanimous in loving this cover, with the blue background and silver stars.

What is one of your favorite “firsts” from the book?

Several favorites are “Purple Stocking” where Karen describes how her adopted daughter chose the color of her first Christmas stocking, and “Mr. Paul” where Brenda describes how her daughters created a bountiful gift basket as a surprise for an elderly man.  “Decorating For Love” tells about Trish’s attempt to create a tradition while decorating an outdoor tree in freezing weather.

Is there a general message our readers can take away from this book?

We help readers put Jesus front and center for the holiday, and this takes the pressure off of doing too much. We share some easy cookie recipes, my baklava recipe, and ideas for creating family traditions.

What great Christmas tips or ideas did you glean from your co-authors?

I felt a few pangs of joy as I read their contributions, and a smidgeon of sadness (just a touch) that I hadn’t learned about their traditions years ago.

Cathy explains how to set up a Santa chair, which won’t cost you any money, and Leslie describes a fun balloon bouquet tradition.

You’ve said that creating traditions creates stronger families. Can you share a personal example of that?

Things families do each year become threads that bind us together. One day my children may recreate some of our traditions for their own families, and take them to see the Nutcracker Ballet, for example.

How does this book differ from other Christmas books?

It offers stories of Christmas firsts, which I have never seen in any other book. The idea is the first time for a Christmas milestone, like a prodigal child returning home, or my story of my first Christmas camping in the Everglades.

I understand that you’re on the CWO blogroll. Where do you hang your hat in the blogosphere?

My own blog is http://terragarden.blogspot.com  I blog about all sorts of topics, with a focus of gardening ideas, and also book reviews and book giveaways.

Each of us blogs one day a week at http://scrapbookofchristmasfirsts.blogspot.com
My day is Friday. This blog is an ever growing resource for any Christmas subject, with answers to many holiday dilemmas.

How long have you been blogging?

I began my blog in January 2008, I visit other folk’s blogs and leave comments, and especially like gardeners’ blogs.

Where can readers go to find out more about the book, and can we order it online?

You can order from Amazon and from Christianbook.com, call toll free 1 877 816-4455, or visit: 
www.christmas-scrapbook.info. 

Lots of people have told us that if you hold the book in your hands, you will want to buy it. It has a warm, friendly, scrapbooky feel to it.

You’re right, Terra! I’ve held it in my hand, and thought that it was one of the most beautiful books that I’ve seen. It would definitely make a great gift, or a coffee table book for the holidays.

When you think of Christmas, is there a Bible verse that comes to mind?
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 KJV

In closing, is there anything that you’d like to add?

Writing is a journey, and I am very joyful to have my writing partners with me: Trish Berg, Leslie Wilson, Cathy Messecar, Brenda Nixon and Karen Robbins. We are now a very close family and hope that our creativity and love of Jesus will reach out and hug you in the pages of this book.

Great job, ladies. We look forward to seeing many more book projects from you all in the future!

(Congratulations to Blair Frye, who won a copy of this book!)

Find out more about the book at:
www.christmas-scrapbook.info

Visit Terra at her blog:
http://terragarden.blogspot.com