Heart to Heart with Cheri

THANK YOU, for those who prayed for us and those attending this wonderful week of meetings and the conference in Brazil! See report of this trip and answers to prayer by clicking here. 

When my husband and I were recently in San Jose dos Campos, Brazil, for “Conferencia Catavento 07”,  we had the most fascinating conversation with staff during lunchtime about how our view of God (and how we relate to Him) are impacted by our fathers, and how vital it is to our relationship to move past a flawed parent to embrace the love of God. I had just spoken on this topic in a session and it was amazing how it resonated with each person around the table and several hundred who came forward for prayer on this issue.

The youth director of the church in San Jose dos Campos shared how in many of the teenagers’ lives, the biggest stumbling block to their entering into a close relationship with God is having fathers who left the family by divorce or absenteeism. The director of Celebrate Recovery, who ministers to addicts and alcoholics of all ages, discussed how she sees this dynamic in so many lives. The children’s minister said they work with kids after they come to Christ to foster healing from hurts they’ve received in their homes so the children can experience the Father’s love. And we all agreed what a wonderful thing it would be if churches and counselors didn’t have to do “damage control” in kids’ and adults’ lives because God’s love was well represented and transmitted by parents, teachers, the church and authority figures.

I truly believe this is one of the major things that God is saying to His people all around the world today and hear it wherever I go: to get our image of God healed so we can see Him and know Him as He really is. Not to be deceived or captivated by the ideas about God put forth on CNN, movies or the media. And not to base our view of God on how our earthly fathers treated us or through the lens of present or past disappointments or hurts. Instead, to discover God in His Word, that we might connect with him on a deeper level than ever before, and become all He created us to be.

If this resonates with you, let me encourage you to meditate on the quotes below about who God is, and consider as a start these suggestions:

Get in touch with how you see God. Think about how you see God when you pray. Draw a picture of how you and God are doing, or how you feel/think abut God. This activity can be very revealing and helpful. When one young woman did this, she had a blank pages; she was angry and felt distant from God.  When another woman drew her picture, she was sitting on the porch and Jesus was beside her, and over coffee she was telling him her problems. Another was in a big throne room and she was so unimportant compared to all the others, she didn’t even approach God. If you’re really honest, how do you see your heavenly Father?

Release your faulty views of God to Him and immerse yourself in Scripture to gain a true picture of God. Ask God to clean off your “father filter” and open the eyes of your heart to see Him as He really is. You see, God isn’t like my father or stepfather, and he isn’t exactly like your dad, either. Instead of having a performance-oriented relationship with the Lord as sometimes we have with our earthly fathers, we learn through God’s Word that His love isn’t available only when we measure up to hard-to-reach demands. God chose us when He planned creation (Ephesians 1:11-12). He is the great Giver who desires to lavish love on you simply because you’re his child (1 John 3:1).

Even if your father was critical, controlling, absent, or performance-oriented, God isn’t like any of these. He’s not a stern policeman or an unaffectionate, undependable parent. The Lord is the complete expression of love (1 John 4:16) who delights in us and loves to shower us with gifts that far exceed our capacity to imagine (1 Corinthians 2:9; Ephesians 3:20). He longs to be gracious and show us his mercy (Isaiah 30:18).

Be willing to forgive. As I put my old views of God next to how the Bible depicts him, it became apparent that one thing I needed to do was forgive my stepfather for not representing the heart and love of God. For instance, one afternoon as I was praying with the women in my support group, I remembered the day I’d walked home after school as a child, looking for “Mr. Pup,” the little terrier my father had given my sister and me in his last year of life. So much had changed in our lives—with Papa’s sudden death had come a different house and a change of school, neighborhood, and friends—but this pup was a reminder of a daddy’s love. We searched for hours, even going door to door. Then, as sunset melted into darkness, my mother and stepfather drove up the driveway. We ran out to the car, crying, “Where’s Mr. Pup? Have you seen him?”

“I took that dog out in the country and left him on the road today,” my stepfather answered. “He’s a messy mutt, and I don’t like dogs around.”

I hadn’t thought of that incident for years. I began crying, feelings of betrayal and helplessness flooding back.

My friend Mary Jane put her arm around me. “Jesus was there; he was with you every day of your life,” she said. I sensed he was there on the sidewalk, his arms around the little girl who knew she’s never see her beloved dog again. Jesus really cared. He wasn’t hard or unfeeling; he wasn’t going to take away something as my stepfather had done.

That began a process of inner healing that eventually allowed me to forgive my stepfather for “Mr. Pup” and other hurtful things. Extending forgiveness freed me emotionally, spiritually, and physically; I became more able to experience the joy of knowing my heavenly Father.

Book Give-A-Way
 

                                                 

This month we are giving away a copy of of the three book series School Savvy Kids which includes:

Raising Motivated Kids

School Starts at Home

Talkers, Watchers, & Doers: Unlocking Your Child’s Unique Learning Potential

In order to be eligible for a chance to win, please email us an answer to the following question:

What’s the best thing you’ve done that has encouraged your kids’ learning or helped them achieve more?

We will share your answers in next month's eNews.

Quotable Quotes

God is not a reluctant stranger who must be bullied into responding to the cries and requests of his children. He is not a self-serving tyrant who demands more works and greater deeds before he relents and answers our petitions…Instead, he’s an infinitely resourceful God who is never in short supply. He is an infinitely passionate God who rejoices in doing good for those he has redeemed. And he is an infinitely gracious God who abounds in kindness, mercy, and power.

                                                   --Sam Storms
 

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Faith focuses your eyes on God and his promises,

Faithfulness, and availability,

Faith sees God present, deeply concerned, and active.

Faith looks at the problems and needs from God’s perspective.

                                                  --Wesley Duewel

                                                 

Book Review

The Giant Leaf:  Take a Giant Leaf of Faith
By Dave Lui and Douglas Wood
$19.99
Winepress Publishing

This beautifully illustrated children’s book casts a fresh light on a story as old as time. In The Giant Leaf, a young fox named Kendu dreams every night of a giant leaf and the freedom he longs for. Oppressed into slavery by the Beasts as were all the other foxes, Kendu had to keep digging holes where the Beasts would place their eggs—far into the night, until his paws bled and his strength was gone. When an opportunity for escape from the Beasts presents itself, Kendu summons all his courage and ventures out into the blackness of the Wilds, despite warnings that a fearsome beast known as the Animal Eater resides there. With his two newfound friends, a monkey named Yitzhak and Odelia, a plucky koala bear who is looking for her mate, Gula, Kendu is determined to find the giant leaf from his dream. And as Kendu and his friends take that giant leaf of faith, you’ll be as surprised as they are at what they discover. I highly recommend this book, and it will bless you as much as it does the children you read it to.

I met the author, Davy Liu, and his wife at the international book convention recently. Davy has received international acclaim for his paintings and illustrations. As an animator, he worked on films such as Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, and Mulan. Co-creator Douglas Wood has created animated television series for Disney and National Geographic and is a screenwriter.

You can purchase this book for $14.99 at Christian Book Distributors.

 

Recommended Resources

Great Inspiration and Help for
Back to School Time!
Each book in the School Savvy Kids series helps parents prepare their kids for success in life Experienced author who has been an educator at every level, from elementary school to college Cheri offers practical ways for parents to become            
involved in their kids education  You can purchase each book in this series for $11.99 with $1.00  shipping by using our special order form.

Loving Your Spouse Through Prayer: How to Pray God’s Word Into Your Marriage
Praying together as a couple, and praying for your mate, is the mortar in a marriage—a way for a couple to turn toward each other rather than away from each other. It also invites God’s love into the relationship. You can purchase this book at PC Publications for $13.99, which includes shipping or at your local bookstore.
 

The One Year Book of Praying Through the Bible
A doable, inspiring daily devotional for all ages, women and men.  It enables readers to experience the power of God's Word and prayer each day and to grow in their spiritual life and be encouraged in their journey.  This book has gone into its 5th printing and has over 85,000 copies in print and we constantly hear how it's blessing people's lives. Purchase at PC Publications for $12.99, which includes shipping or at your local bookstore.