VL - Issue 14 - November 2014
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REAL PEOPLE | REAL STORIES | REAL HOPE<br />
Quarterly Publication<br />
<strong>Issue</strong> 4 20<strong>14</strong><br />
A Publication of Kristi Overton Johnson Ministries<br />
Doin’ Time<br />
For Jesus<br />
Can You Follow<br />
The Leader?<br />
Where My<br />
Brother<br />
Once STOOD
PIERCE THE HEART<br />
OF CAPTIVES<br />
WITH GOD’S LOVE!<br />
There are hundreds of thousands of individuals in the prison system who<br />
desperately need to know about God’s power, love, and grace. With your help and<br />
God’s Truth, Victorious Living can set the captives free!<br />
SEND VICTORIOUS LIVING!<br />
♥ Sponsor a prison<br />
$<br />
400 sends a case of approximately 200 copies of <strong>VL</strong> each quarter for one year into a prison.<br />
♥ Share your story<br />
Your story has power!<br />
Let others know how God’s redemptive power and love has transformed your life!<br />
♥ Give Victorious Living To An Inmate<br />
For $ 20, you can give Victorious Living to an inmate for one year.<br />
As a special gift, we will send you Victorious Living, too!<br />
CHANGE A LIFE TODAY<br />
visit kojministries.org<br />
or call 352-478-2098 for more information
I WAS IN<br />
PRISON<br />
And You Visited Me.<br />
Matthew 25:36<br />
SEND VICTORIOUS LIVING
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FROM THE PUBLISHER<br />
NO LIMITS!<br />
Boundaries protect, provide order, and show what<br />
is expected. Homes, prisons, businesses, churches,<br />
schools, relationships, finances… nothing can operate<br />
successfully without boundaries. The very heart of healthy<br />
boundaries is to create an atmosphere of victory.<br />
Recently, a friend and I were praying. My friend prayed<br />
something to the effect of, “Lord, help us to dream big.<br />
May we see no boundaries. May we move forward with<br />
no limits knowing that all things are possible with You.”<br />
As I thought about her words, I realized that not all<br />
boundaries are profitable.<br />
I’ve often heard people refer to their boundaries:<br />
I can’t. I don’t have enough money.<br />
I can’t. I’ve never done that before.<br />
I can’t. My past is too tainted.<br />
I can’t. I don’t have an education.<br />
I can’t. I’m a girl.<br />
I can’t. I don’t have time.<br />
I can’t. So and so won’t approve.<br />
I can’t. Others have tried and they didn’t succeed.<br />
I could go on and on listing people’s excuses as to why<br />
the visions in their heart can’t be accomplished.<br />
I’ve also witnessed other people erect boundaries in<br />
the form of “you can’ts.” Along with their “you can’t”<br />
they provide various reasons why someone’s dream will<br />
never be a reality. Here’s the thing: the boundaries of “I<br />
can’t” and “you can’t” aren’t really boundaries at all.<br />
Rather they are illusions created by man and even Satan<br />
to kill, steal, and destroy your God-given dreams.<br />
With God, there are no boundaries of what can be<br />
accomplished. If you stay close to Him, love and seek Him<br />
with your whole heart, and follow His lead, He will give<br />
you success in every area and every season of your life.<br />
(Joshua 1:7-9) Guaranteed. You really can do all things<br />
through Christ who gives you strength. (Philippians 4:13)<br />
You can also overcome; because greater is He that is in<br />
you than he that is in the world! (I John 4:4)<br />
Truthfully, the only thing that can hold you back in life<br />
is you… not your circumstances, past, education, gender,<br />
race, size, experience, or anything else you can imagine.<br />
Every time you agree with the perceived boundaries that<br />
you or others have erected in your mind, you give them<br />
the power to hold you back. You build fortresses that<br />
bind and suffocate your dreams.<br />
There is no limit to God’s power, knowledge, and<br />
presence. There is also no limit to His love. This was<br />
proven over 2000 years ago when He gave His One and<br />
Only Son for you and me. As Romans 8:32 says, “Since<br />
He did not spare even His own Son but gave Him up for<br />
us all, won’t He also give us everything else?”<br />
The moment you realize that God, the very One who<br />
created this universe and holds it in the palms of His<br />
hands, is on your side, you will realize that there really<br />
are no boundaries. Christ in you equals power, provision,<br />
protection, and victory.<br />
Someone may be sitting in<br />
prison thinking, “Yeah right. Let<br />
me see God get me out of this<br />
boundary.” I can’t for one minute say that I’ve been<br />
where you are, but I can say this with all confidence: the<br />
walls of a prison are no hindrance to your God-given<br />
destiny.<br />
Someone may be waiting in a doctor’s office thinking<br />
a similar thing: “This boundary of sickness can’t be<br />
conquered.” Again, nothing is too hard for God. He can<br />
bring beautiful dreams out of our darkest nightmares.<br />
In my life, I’ve encountered boundaries that people<br />
said would be too hard to overcome. I’ve had dreams<br />
and desires that were far past my abilities, my finances,<br />
and my experience. I’ve heard the “you can’ts” and “it<br />
will never happen.” But amidst all of these things, I am<br />
more than a conqueror in Christ Jesus! (Romans 8:37)<br />
This magazine you are holding in your hand is a<br />
boundary breaker. When my heart began to stir with a<br />
dream for this magazine, there was no money to back it<br />
up, no articles stacked up on my desk, and no experience<br />
in magazine publication. But hey… God wasn’t looking<br />
for me to have the money, the articles, or the experience.<br />
He was just looking for a willing heart to dream big with<br />
Him. And as I focused on Him, instead of the boundaries,<br />
victory came… or should I say, Victorious Living came!<br />
Two of my children are also living examples of<br />
our victory over boundaries. As we waited for our<br />
international adoption to go through, we faced political<br />
boundaries that, in the natural, erected a wall between<br />
us and our children. But through our faith in God’s ability<br />
to do anything, the walls came down.<br />
These are just two examples. Since my commitment to<br />
trust the Lord and lean not on my understanding, I have<br />
seen the miracle working power of Christ in every area<br />
of my life. I know, without a doubt, that there is nothing<br />
too hard for Him.<br />
When you read these stories, I pray that you will begin<br />
to see past your boundaries. All things are possible in<br />
Christ Jesus. He is a redeemer and a restorer of life.<br />
He can take what the world would say is nothing and<br />
transform it into something beautiful.<br />
As my friend prayed, I now pray: “Lord, may we see<br />
past boundaries and look towards You. Help us to block<br />
out the voices that tell us our dreams are impossible; and<br />
help us to step out in faith. Help us to dream big and to<br />
stay close so You can bring all the desires of our heart<br />
to fruition.”<br />
Dream, my friend. Dream big, God-sized dreams.<br />
Then, with God’s help, step out and step over whatever<br />
boundary sets itself against you. With God’s help, you<br />
can advance against any troop: with our God, you can<br />
scale any wall. (Psalms 18:29)<br />
Publisher/Editor<br />
Kristi Overton Johnson<br />
Assistant Editor<br />
Charlene Hannah Jung<br />
Contributors<br />
George Beasley<br />
Sandy Burdick<br />
Linda Cubbedge<br />
Amanda Cumbass<br />
Bonnie Hagemann<br />
Donna Hannah<br />
Kristi Overton Johnson<br />
Maureen Lendzion<br />
Paul McKean<br />
Nate Miller<br />
Carey Morford<br />
Rob Morford<br />
Robert Odom<br />
Al and Sharon Paquette<br />
Spencer Shultz<br />
Creative Director/Graphic Design<br />
Whispering Dog Design, Inc.<br />
Amy Zackowski<br />
amy@whisperingdog.com<br />
Partnership Support<br />
victoriousliving@kojministries.org<br />
Photography<br />
Cover: Dave Dillman<br />
Champion’s Heart Award photo:<br />
Christy Prowant Photography<br />
Victorious Living<br />
PO Box 120951<br />
Clermont, FL 34712-0951<br />
352.478.2098 • fax 888.837.9153<br />
Victorious Living is a free quarterly publication distributed<br />
to KOJ Ministries partners, at various distribution locations,<br />
and within the Florida Prison System. ©20<strong>14</strong>, all rights<br />
reserved by Victorious Living. Contents may not be<br />
reproduced in any form without the written consent of<br />
the publisher. The publisher reserves the right to refuse any<br />
submission and accepts no responsibility for submitted<br />
materials. All submitted materials subject to editing.<br />
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations<br />
are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation,<br />
copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House<br />
Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House<br />
Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights<br />
reserved.<br />
Victorious Living<br />
MISSION<br />
The purpose of Victorious Living is to declare<br />
freedom for the captive through true testimonials<br />
of God’s grace, love, and power in the lives of<br />
everyday people. A captive is anyone enslaved<br />
to their circumstances, relationships, thought<br />
patterns, habits, or emotions. A captive can be<br />
incarcerated or living in a free society. They can<br />
be of any age, gender, race, and socio-economic<br />
background.<br />
www.kojministries.org 5
An Invitation<br />
To Be A Part!<br />
With your support, many<br />
of these dreams can<br />
become a reality in 2015!<br />
Have you ever found yourself in a place you never<br />
dreamed you’d be? That would pretty much describe<br />
what I am experiencing. You’ll soon see what I’m<br />
talking about…<br />
For thirty years my life basically consisted of one<br />
thing –– water skiing. It was my life. Everything I did<br />
revolved around my career as a professional athlete.<br />
But in 2003, after decades of playing tug-of-war<br />
with powerful ski boats, my body began to wave<br />
a white flag of surrender. With my physical pain<br />
increasing, it was obvious my time on the water<br />
competing had come to an end.<br />
During this same time, I felt the Lord leading<br />
me to step out on the water with Him and use the<br />
platform He had given me to touch the lives of<br />
others. With His help, I launched In His Wakes, a<br />
non-profit water sports outreach.<br />
For over a decade, I have faithfully served the<br />
Lord through this ministry. Five years ago, however,<br />
my heart began to stir with a new vision as I sensed<br />
God leading me to begin another non-profit ministry<br />
called, Kristi Overton Johnson Ministries. KOJM<br />
evangelizes, equips, and encourages hearts through<br />
my passions of writing, singing, and teaching the<br />
Word of God. Out of KOJM came this magazine,<br />
Victorious Living.<br />
With no vision for the magazine other than to<br />
inspire people with the truth that God is alive and<br />
powerfully active in the lives of His people today,<br />
I began to write. As I wrote, God began working<br />
behind the scenes, opening doors for Victorious Living<br />
to reach an audience I would have never considered<br />
–– prisoners. Not long after, He sent me to prison!<br />
Here’s how it happened…<br />
In the spring of 2013, a lady who lived in Missouri<br />
received a copy of Victorious Living. After reading it,<br />
she forwarded it to her friend, Bill Doyle, who was<br />
in prison. Bill, a professional wakeboard driver, had<br />
been very involved in the water sports industry<br />
prior to his arrest. She thought he would enjoy this<br />
publication published by a water skier.<br />
Upon receiving the magazine, Bill was moved to<br />
write me a letter. I wrote him back and in August<br />
of that same year, I found myself walking through<br />
security at the Miami Federal Prison to visit him.<br />
Never in my wildest dreams could I, or Bill, have<br />
imagined how that visit would redirect my life’s<br />
course. God was setting me up!<br />
After I left the Federal Prison and navigated my<br />
way north on the Florida Turnpike, tears began<br />
to stream down my face. Although I had left Bill<br />
physically at the facility, he had in many ways come<br />
home with me, as had the faces of dozens of other<br />
men and their families who I had encountered. It<br />
was overwhelming. I literally wept in the car for over<br />
an hour.<br />
What was happening? I now know that the Spirit<br />
of God was breaking my heart with the very things<br />
that break His. He was showing me the incredible<br />
need of people to be encouraged; as well as to<br />
know His love, forgiveness, and grace.<br />
At that point, I had no plan to enter into prison<br />
ministry. I just kept writing the magazine and<br />
praying: “Lord, I want to bring hope to the hopeless.<br />
Use me however and wherever.”<br />
Over the course of the next several months,<br />
God began to answer that cry of my heart as He<br />
supernaturally placed Victorious Living in the hands<br />
of people who have great influence in the prison<br />
system. One by one, various people within the<br />
Correctional Department as well as national prison<br />
ministries began to reach out to me, offering their<br />
hand of fellowship and partnership, inviting me<br />
to be a part of what God was doing in the prison<br />
system.<br />
Next thing I knew, Victorious Living was in 40<br />
Florida Prisons, a KOJM Prison Correspondence<br />
Team was launched, and I found myself standing in<br />
front of hundreds of inmates sharing the hope and<br />
love of Christ. It was not a place I sought<br />
to be, or had ever imagined I would<br />
be, but the very moment I heard<br />
those gates lock behind me, it was a<br />
place I knew I was supposed to be.<br />
This may sound strange, but I felt at<br />
home.<br />
Since my first visit with Bill, God has continually<br />
opened one door after another making it ever so<br />
clear that prison ministry is part of His will for my<br />
life. He’s placed incredible people in my path, many<br />
former prisoners themselves, who have decades of<br />
knowledge in the area of prison ministry and who<br />
have experienced life behind prison walls. I sense<br />
the Lord saying, “Learn from them.”<br />
My new friends are living witnesses of the<br />
redemptive and transformative power of Christ.<br />
People often ask me, do you really think people can<br />
change? Yes, I know they can! In Christ and through<br />
Christ, people can live a victorious life!<br />
Since visiting Bill, God has filled my heart with<br />
a love for inmates that can only be of Him. He’s<br />
opening doors; and He’s giving me dreams and<br />
desires to proclaim freedom to the captives in<br />
unique and powerful ways. Without a doubt, God<br />
is in this; and He’s invited me to join Him on this<br />
amazing journey.<br />
This former pro water skier, now mother of three,<br />
and always a southern girl can only say one thing<br />
about all this, “Who would have ever thunk it?”<br />
Certainly not Bill or me. We are both excited to<br />
know that a legacy is being created far beyond the<br />
legacies we have left in our sports.<br />
6 www.kojministries.org
Here are the dreams that are stirring in my heart:<br />
• Victorious Living in every prison in America.<br />
• A large Prison Correspondence Team faithfully writing to men and women,<br />
renewing their minds with the Word of God.<br />
• Incarcerated men and women discipled in the Word through live webcasts and<br />
written devotionals.<br />
• Inmates drawn to the prison yard, lured by the roar of the sound of the<br />
Ski Nautique’s engine. I see myself standing in the boat with a 360 degree<br />
viewpoint, using the boat’s sound system to proclaim freedom to the captives.<br />
• I see one million souls coming to Christ!<br />
As you can tell, I don’t dream small. Why should I? My God is a big God. Nothing<br />
is too hard for Him. With all my heart, I believe the Lord has put these dreams inside<br />
of me; and I believe He will give birth to them.<br />
How? Through the willing hearts of people like you and me. If there is one thing<br />
I’ve learned it is that God isn’t looking for great people to do great things… He<br />
is simply looking for willing people. And through willing people, God does great<br />
things. To Him be all the praise and glory, forever.<br />
It is going to be amazing to watch God unfold His plans as He brings together<br />
people across the nation and world to accomplish His will. Perhaps you are one of<br />
these people God has in mind. Would you pray about the possibility?<br />
Be a part of what God is doing through Victorious Living.<br />
I’m inviting you to join me on this journey.<br />
Matthew 25:36 says, “When I was in prison, you visited me.” For inmates around<br />
the world, this is the cry of their heart… for you and me to visit them.<br />
You may not have had the opportunity to physically go into a prison; but you<br />
know what? Right now, you can visit incarcerated men and women through your<br />
gift of Victorious Living.<br />
Your financial support of this magazine will expand its territory into every prison<br />
in the United States. The product is ready. You are holding it right now. We just<br />
need your help to get it into the hands and hearts of inmates. With your help, these<br />
dreams will become a reality.<br />
Sincerely,<br />
Table of Contents<br />
<strong>Issue</strong> 4 20<strong>14</strong><br />
6 Be A Part! Kristi Overton Johnson<br />
8 Where My Brother Once Stood George Beasley<br />
9 Attached Carey Morford<br />
10 Be a Light Spencer Shultz<br />
11 Welcome Home! Sandy Burdick<br />
12 Restless for More Amanda Cumbass<br />
13 God 1.0 - The One Thing<br />
That Will Never Change Maureen Lendzion<br />
<strong>14</strong> Come Away With Me Kristi Overton Johnson<br />
15 From Death to Life Paul McKean<br />
16 Doin’ Time for Jesus Al and Sharon Paquette<br />
18 KOJ Ministry News<br />
19 From Our Readers<br />
20 In His Wakes Update Nate Miller<br />
21 Why We Care Testimony DIM<br />
22 Rescue Me! Linda Cubbedge<br />
23 A Lesson To Be Learned Kristi Overton Johnson<br />
24 Champion’s Heart Award - Rob Morford<br />
25 Love…Respect…Unity…Power Rob Morford<br />
26 Can You Follow the Leader? Bonnie Hagemann<br />
28 Singing a New Song! Donna Hannah<br />
30 One Big Mess! Kristi Overton Johnson<br />
A New Legacy for Bill by Bill Doyle<br />
Kristi Overton Johnson<br />
So much has taken place since your first visit to see me a little over a year ago.<br />
Wow! I just cannot comprehend how many people in need have been helped<br />
through your prison ministry in such a short time. God is so good!<br />
Every time I read anything that pertains to the KOJM prison outreach, I just sit<br />
in amazement and say to myself, “I was a part of that!”<br />
That said, I want to share something with you. One of the biggest impacts<br />
to my mental health as a result of my arrest is the fact that I will basically have<br />
no legacy in the sport of wakeboarding. No legacy as it pertains to the sport I<br />
loved and was such a big part of until the day I was arrested. Having every bit<br />
of good I ever did be immediately forgotten and tainted… well, that has been<br />
painful to say the least.<br />
But guess what? Let me tell you!!! God has brought me peace. Just knowing<br />
that God is using my mistakes to set your life’s course on this path of prison<br />
ministry means that I now have a bigger, more meaningful legacy that will<br />
continue long after I have departed from this world. That in itself makes ALL<br />
of this pain worthwhile! Seeing how God took my situation and used it for<br />
something so good takes away my anxieties and disappointments and gives me<br />
joy! Isn’t God great?<br />
Thank you again, Kristi, for your recent visit. I look forward to the next time<br />
where we can celebrate again all that God has done.<br />
Share Your Story!<br />
Do you have a story of victory?<br />
Share it with our readers!<br />
Your story has the power to transform lives and bring<br />
much needed hope. Here are the guidelines:<br />
Please note:<br />
• Submissions are not guaranteed to be included in magazine.<br />
• Submission is acknowledgement of your granting KOJM and<br />
Victorious Living Publications rights to produce submission in<br />
magazine and other ministry publications.<br />
• Photos submitted must have photographer’s and each photographed<br />
subjects’ consent of reproduction.<br />
• Photographer’s name must be included. Hard copies of<br />
photographs will not be returned.<br />
• Victorious Living does not pay for submissions.<br />
• Submissions should be a maximum of 800 words and are<br />
subject to editing.<br />
• Mail submissions to: Victorious Living, PO Box 120951 Clermont, FL<br />
34712-0951; or submit online at kojministries.org.<br />
• Victorious Living is a free quarterly publication distributed to KOJ<br />
Ministries partners, at various distribution locations, and within the<br />
prison system.<br />
www.kojministries.org 7
Where My<br />
Brother<br />
Once STOOD<br />
by George Beasley<br />
And the king said, “Turn aside and stand<br />
here.” So he turned aside and stood still. 2<br />
Samuel 18:30 (ESV)<br />
My brother, Chris, died at the young age of 37.<br />
It’s been twelve years since he passed away. He<br />
ran as far as he could and as long as he could but<br />
his pain and suffering always followed. It never<br />
left him. Finally, it took his life.<br />
As children, Chris and I loved to hang out<br />
together at the pier on Lake Waccamaw, a<br />
natural fresh water lake outside of Wilmington,<br />
NC. We had many memories on this pier, sitting<br />
there in the night hours with a dim light in the<br />
back ground, just enough to light up our faces.<br />
The sound of the water was so calming. Our<br />
conversations were always light, never too deep.<br />
Although our home life would come up every<br />
now and then, we mostly just talked about the<br />
future. Chris talked about his hopes and dreams,<br />
and I talked about mine.<br />
Recently, my wife, Lisa, and I visited the pier.<br />
As I stood there, I couldn’t help but think of Chris<br />
and recall the dreams that were born on that<br />
pier. I stood right where he stood and looked out<br />
over the water and listened as if to hear his voice.<br />
There was nothing but silence. I miss Chris. But<br />
the memories we shared together live on.<br />
As Lisa and I sat on the pier reminiscing,<br />
I carved our initials in the wood to leave a<br />
permanent reminder of our time there. There<br />
are hundreds of names carved on this pier. It’s a<br />
testament to all who have once stood there also.<br />
They include the names of children, like Chris and<br />
I, who had formerly lived at the Boys and Girls<br />
Home of NC located at Lake Waccamaw, as well<br />
as residents of the community and vacationers<br />
who had come to the lake. Many dreams were<br />
born on this pier; the carvings tell me so.<br />
As I walked to the end of that pier that day,<br />
and stood where my brother once stood, I was<br />
reminded of the brevity of life as well as the<br />
unexpected journeys our lives can take. My<br />
journey, although rough and tough at times,<br />
became so ever full of hope and adventure.<br />
Chris’s journey, however, ended in pain and<br />
despair and death.<br />
Why the difference? How could two brothers<br />
with the same painful beginning in life have such<br />
different endings? My only answer is this: Christ.<br />
Through my relationship with Jesus Christ, I was<br />
able to unload my past and pain, and in its place<br />
gain a hope and a future. My brother, on the<br />
other hand, held ever so tightly to his pain, and<br />
in the end, it destroyed him. I loved Chris; I still<br />
do. I know God loved Chris, too. Without a doubt,<br />
I know He longed for Chris to achieve his dreams<br />
and most importantly, receive and experience<br />
the love, grace, and hope of God. It is His desire<br />
for us all.<br />
Jeremiah 29:11 promises that God has a plan<br />
for our lives –– a plan of a hope and a future.<br />
God places dreams and desires in our hearts for<br />
our future. But sometimes along life’s way, these<br />
hopes and dreams get lost –– we get lost. They<br />
get buried in our circumstances and eventually<br />
forgotten.<br />
My friend, it’s time to rediscover those hopes<br />
and dreams. Close your eyes and walk out here<br />
on this ‘pier’ for a moment where my brother<br />
and I once stood. Tell me, what were the dreams<br />
and desires that once filled your heart and mind?<br />
Where are they now? Are they fulfilled? Or, have<br />
the circumstances of life caused them to drift<br />
away? It’s not too late, you know. No, there may<br />
not be a way to go back and change the tides<br />
of the past, but there is always a way to move<br />
forward, no matter where you are. God, the<br />
Dream Giver and Dream Fulfiller can make a way.<br />
He just asks you to stand still and allow Him<br />
access to your heart. One by one, give God your<br />
disappointments, failures, and pain. As you let<br />
Him in, He can then go to work resurrecting your<br />
life, your hopes, and your dreams.<br />
As we stand together on this pier where my<br />
brother once stood, realize there is hope. There<br />
is a way. So go ahead, carve your initials in deep;<br />
make a permanent marker of all that stirs within<br />
your soul. And then, with God, move forward one<br />
step at a time. V<br />
George and his wife, Lisa, are Certified Marriage Mentors in<br />
NC. They work with couples to prepare, repair, and maintain<br />
marriages according to God’s Word. George is the author of<br />
“The Invisible Soul.”<br />
8 www.kojministries.org
ATTACHED<br />
by Carey Morford<br />
Recently, my husband, Isaac, and I fostered and<br />
then adopted our two sons. As we’ve read about<br />
adoption and attachment, I’m struck by the many<br />
parallels between adoption and salvation.<br />
When an adoption takes place, both parties (the<br />
parents and the child) are agreeing to be joined<br />
together as a family. There is a legal proceeding that<br />
makes it official, but there must also be a relational<br />
change. The two parties must bond together.<br />
This is called attachment. It takes a great deal of<br />
consistent, difficult work; but the attachment, not<br />
the legal agreement, is where the miracle happens.<br />
I’ve been a part of a few conversations lately that<br />
bounced around a question like this: “If God loves<br />
everyone no matter what, then why do we have to<br />
do something like pray a prayer or even believe to<br />
receive that love?” Here’s my explanation.<br />
In adoption, two things are required for an<br />
attachment to take place… love and acceptance.<br />
The parent’s responsibility is to offer genuine love<br />
in a safe environment, but sometimes even when<br />
a parent does everything they know to do, a strong<br />
attachment may never form because the child is<br />
unwilling and/or unable to accept that love.<br />
It is the same in our relationship with God. He’s<br />
the parent, always offering love, always offering<br />
a safe environment; but for us to really attach to<br />
Him, we have to actually trust Him. That’s easier for<br />
some than others. It also looks differently. Maybe<br />
it’s a prayer, maybe we would call it believing, or<br />
maybe, it’s just this moment when we almost<br />
subconsciously say, “Okay, You win, I’ll let You love<br />
me.” We’ve made a legal agreement.<br />
Some pastors and theologians would tell you<br />
that nothing can change that legal agreement,<br />
others would tell you that we can choose, by our<br />
actions or words, to get out of that agreement. I’m<br />
not sure that discussion even matters; because the<br />
real miracle doesn’t happen in the legal agreement,<br />
but in the relationship that begins in that moment.<br />
Not all adoptions go smoothly. Children who<br />
have been through trauma, whether because of<br />
abuse or neglect or just horrible circumstances that<br />
make a parent unavailable, have a difficult time<br />
learning to trust and form relationships even once<br />
they are provided with a safe, healthy environment.<br />
Sometimes they have temper tantrums and fight<br />
and resist every loving attempt of a parent, or<br />
sometimes they latch on to any person who walks<br />
through the door, giving hugs and kisses to perfect<br />
strangers. Sometimes they act out as an attempt<br />
to get a parent to send them away like every other<br />
adult in their life, or sometimes they work with every<br />
bit of energy to earn approval.<br />
Not all salvations go smoothly either. People<br />
who have been through trauma, and that’s all of<br />
us, have a difficult time learning to trust and form<br />
relationships even once they are provided with the<br />
knowledge that a loving God wants to rescue them<br />
and provide a healthy, joyful life. Sometimes we<br />
throw temper tantrums and fight and resist every<br />
loving attempt of our Savior, or sometimes we latch<br />
on to anything that feels like happiness. Sometimes<br />
people act out because they assume God is going<br />
to condemn and hate them like everyone else, and<br />
sometimes people strive with all they have to earn<br />
God’s love and approval. None of this is necessary.<br />
We’ve made the legal agreement, and all that is left<br />
is that we bond.<br />
The key to being able to trust and bond is letting<br />
go of our fears. When we’ve been hurt, we’ve often<br />
put up walls to protect our broken heart; but to have<br />
a healthy, trusting relationship we must let those<br />
walls come down. We tend to think of taking those<br />
walls down as hard work, and maybe in some ways<br />
it is. But, mostly, it’s just brave work.<br />
It’s not that the work is going to be exhausting;<br />
it’s that it exhausts us to think about doing the work.<br />
So, the key is, to quit thinking, to quit worrying, to<br />
quit wishing for an easier way, and to just let go<br />
and trust.<br />
Jesus says, “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out<br />
on religion? Come to Me. Get away with Me and<br />
you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a<br />
real rest. Walk with Me and work with Me—watch<br />
how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I<br />
won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep<br />
company with Me and you’ll learn to live freely and<br />
lightly.”<br />
Maybe today, you need to make the legal<br />
agreement: that incredible moment where you<br />
legally become a child of God through faith in<br />
Christ. That moment should be cherished forever.<br />
If you’ve already entered that “legal agreement,”<br />
I challenge you to think about how attached you<br />
really are to Jesus. How strong is your relationship<br />
or bond? Do you know, without question, no matter<br />
what happens, that you are loved? When people<br />
look at your life, do they know who you belong to?<br />
No matter where you are on this journey, I<br />
challenge you to trust God a little bit more; because<br />
it’s in the trusting that the miracle happens. V<br />
FRESH PERSPECTIVE<br />
Carey Morford is a Media<br />
Specialist and President of Seeds<br />
of Grace, Inc. Visit their site at<br />
Seedsofgrace-highridge.blogspot.<br />
com. She is married to her very<br />
best friend Isaac Morford, and<br />
they have two daughters, Layla<br />
and Rigby, and two sons, Zaiden<br />
and Gavin.<br />
www.kojministries.org 9
Be a<br />
Light<br />
by Spencer Shultz<br />
As my first semester of college edged<br />
closer, I had a lot on my mind. Was I going<br />
to enjoy living on my own? Would it be weird<br />
waking up on Saturday morning and not be<br />
able to enjoy breakfast with my family? How<br />
hard were my classes going to be? Would I<br />
have time to do anything fun?<br />
One question I never considered, however,<br />
was whether or not I was going to join a<br />
fraternity. I had heard all about fraternity<br />
life; and as a Christian, I was pretty certain<br />
that being involved with something where<br />
men lusted after women and abused alcohol<br />
to the point where one couldn’t even stand<br />
probably wasn’t something I should be<br />
involved with. Furthermore, that lifestyle<br />
just wasn’t for me. Sure the intramural<br />
sports, homecoming activities, and<br />
meeting tons of new people would<br />
be awesome, but I wasn’t interested<br />
in the other stuff that went along<br />
with Greek life.<br />
As He often does, God had other<br />
plans. He started by introducing me<br />
to several older guys on campus<br />
who were using the Greek system<br />
to reach out to people and show<br />
them God’s love. I began to notice<br />
that these guys were a lot like<br />
me. They played sports, were<br />
active, and hung out with their<br />
friends on the weekend. So, in<br />
the spring of 2010, after praying<br />
long and hard during the fall<br />
semester, I rushed the fraternity<br />
I felt God wanted me to join.<br />
Sure enough, I received a bid<br />
and signed it. I was in.<br />
Over the course of the next<br />
five years, I developed strong<br />
relationships with many of my<br />
frat brothers, relationships that<br />
continue today. While at times I<br />
certainly took some heat for not<br />
participating in the ‘normal’ fraternity<br />
activities and going along with the crowd, I<br />
was nonetheless respected by the guys. Many<br />
“And how will anyone<br />
go and tell them<br />
without being sent?<br />
…“How beautiful are<br />
the feet of messengers<br />
who bring good news!”<br />
Romans 10:15<br />
even came to the Bible study God had led me<br />
to hold at the frat house. At first, the idea of<br />
leading this study terrified me! But God gave<br />
me the strength to stand up in front of the guys<br />
and share the message of God’s love.<br />
To me, wherever you are, being a Christian<br />
is about being a light. It’s about showing<br />
the love of God and the grace of God in all<br />
places… even a fraternity. The world is a dark<br />
place and you and I are called to be God’s<br />
light, to show people His love. As we do, God<br />
can flip on a switch and completely transform<br />
someone’s life. He is just looking for a vessel<br />
to make himself or herself available so God<br />
can shine through.<br />
Maybe for you, your fraternity house is<br />
your workplace. Maybe it’s your neighbor’s<br />
or even your relative’s home. Or perhaps,<br />
it’s a local restaurant or hangout. While it’s<br />
certainly easy to just overlook these places<br />
and turn a blind eye, God calls us to go and<br />
serve. He calls us to go and tell. He calls us to<br />
go and love. If we don’t, who will?<br />
As Christians, our goal shouldn’t be to<br />
just stay in our pews or surround ourselves<br />
with people who believe and act just like we<br />
do. We must move out of our comfort zones.<br />
Staying there does nothing to reach the lost.<br />
So, how about it? Where would God have<br />
you go? I challenge you to ask Him. Spend<br />
time in prayer and ask Him to open your eyes<br />
to the dark places in your world. Then, follow<br />
His direction, go where He leads, and shine! V<br />
Spencer Schultz is a 23 year-old recent college graduate from Kansas City,<br />
Missouri. In his free time, he enjoys water-skiing and spending time with<br />
his friends and family.<br />
10 www.kojministries.org
Welcome<br />
Home!<br />
by Sandy Burdick<br />
Have you ever taken some turns in life that you wish you could straighten out?<br />
Ones that have taken you so far away from where you dreamed of being? Ones<br />
that seem impossible to return from? Well, I’ve got good news. There is no road<br />
you’ve traveled that has taken you too far from God. As a good, loving Father, He<br />
is always waiting with open arms to welcome you home. In fact, God dedicated a<br />
whole story in the Bible to this exact thing!<br />
It’s called the Parable of the Prodigal Son (or Parable of the Lost Son). It is found<br />
in Luke 15:11-32. In this story, a rebellious, impulsive younger son of a rich man<br />
believes that his life would be better if he could just do whatever he wanted. He<br />
demands his inheritance before his father dies so he can live his life the way he<br />
wants. He does not want to be under his father’s rules and feels he can make his<br />
way better, and enjoy life more, on his own.<br />
Although it broke his heart, the father reluctantly gave his son the freedom<br />
to choose the life he wanted. Predictably, the younger son enjoyed his life for<br />
awhile but squandered his entire fortune on wild living. About the same time his<br />
money ran out, a great famine hit the land. The young man found himself not only<br />
destitute, but starving to death in a pig-sty.<br />
He wasn’t in this state long before he came to his senses and realized the<br />
foolishness of his actions. He concluded he would be better off as a servant in his<br />
father’s home than living the life he was living. Humbly, he devised a plan to go<br />
back home. He set out walking home, starving, in his tattered clothes, rehearsing<br />
his repentant story in his head, hoping for even a small measure of forgiveness<br />
from his father.<br />
Do you hear<br />
the words,<br />
“Welcome<br />
home, My<br />
child?” It’s<br />
time to see it,<br />
and believe it!<br />
This can be<br />
YOUR story!<br />
While he was still a long way from home, the father spotted him on the road.<br />
(Many feel the father had been watching for him for a long time.) He was filled with<br />
compassion for his son and ran down the road to embrace him.<br />
Did you catch that? The father ran!<br />
The son could not believe what was happening. He apologized to his father<br />
for his sins and declared his unworthiness to even be called his son. Rather than<br />
criticize the son, the father showed compassion and love. He embraced and kissed<br />
his son, and called out to his servants to bring the best robe, a ring for his finger, and<br />
sandals for his feet. Then, he instructed them to prepare a great feast to celebrate<br />
the return of the son who had been lost but who was now home.<br />
The true beauty of this story, as told by Jesus, is the unconditional love of<br />
God the Father, and His incredible willingness to forgive His children of all their<br />
transgressions. Close your eyes. Can you see this beautiful picture unfold? Now,<br />
put yourself in the son’s position.<br />
Can you envision yourself running towards your Heavenly Father? Do you see<br />
His arms opening wide? Can you feel His embrace and His warm welcoming kiss<br />
after being away for so long, doing who knows what? Now, extend your hand. Do<br />
you see Him putting His ring on your finger and His robe of righteousness on your<br />
back? Do you hear the words, “Welcome home, My child?” It’s time to see it, and<br />
believe it! This can be YOUR story! This can be YOUR homecoming.<br />
Like in this story, God is waiting for His strayed ones to come back home. More<br />
than anything, He wants His children to take that first step back to Him. It isn’t hard.<br />
Just do what the Lost Son did –– say you are genuinely sorry and that you want to<br />
be his Son or Daughter again. He will welcome you home. And as Your Father, He<br />
will show you the path to take to recreate your life in the way He intended all along,<br />
no matter what your circumstances.<br />
A quick side note to this story. Notice that when the rebellious son returned<br />
home, the father never once asked where his son had been or what he had done.<br />
The father’s only concern was the true repentant heart of his child. That was enough<br />
for him. This son of his, who had been dead, was now alive. It was time to party!<br />
Through this parable, Jesus is reminding us that God isn’t One to dwell on our<br />
past mistakes. Once we have repented of our sins, they are forever forgiven and<br />
forever forgotten. God doesn’t see our heart from days past, He sees our heart as<br />
it is TODAY.<br />
Not everyone in life, however, will share God’s unconditional love and forgiveness.<br />
Take the son’s brother for example. Unlike his father, the older, righteous son wasn’t<br />
too keen on his brother’s return. In fact, he was downright angry and began to<br />
sulk saying to his father, “You never gave me even one young goat for a feast with<br />
my friends! Yet you give him, a son who squandered your money on prostitutes, a<br />
celebration with a fattened calf?”<br />
This young man couldn’t get past the idea that his sinful brother should receive<br />
anything from his father, much less more than him. If believers aren’t careful, this<br />
same attitude can emerge. We can become self-righteous in our good deeds, church<br />
attendance, and good moral record and judge those who have come from far away.<br />
This is not the Father’s way. Jesus told us there is rejoicing in heaven when one soul<br />
is saved. (Luke 15:10). May we as believers never forget to rejoice with the Lord.<br />
Regardless of whether people around you share the grace of the Father, extend<br />
forgiveness, and welcome you home, don’t let that keep you from running home<br />
and staying there. Receive with joy God’s precious words, “Welcome home!” V<br />
Sandy Burdick has had a lengthy career in marketing, advertising,<br />
and public speaking. She has worked with a variety of Fortune<br />
100 companies, international ministries, and as a consultant to<br />
businesses of all sizes. Along with Maureen Lendzion, Sandy<br />
has created a lifestyle blog from a Christian perspective. www.<br />
cloud9inspired.com<br />
www.kojministries.org 11
Restless for More<br />
by Amanda Cumbass<br />
Amanda is originally from<br />
Keystone Heights, FL. She is<br />
currently residing in Arizona<br />
while serving in the Air Force.<br />
You can follow Amanda at<br />
chosenbytheone.wordpress.com<br />
Five years ago I boarded a plane bound for<br />
San Antonio, Texas, leaving my small Florida town<br />
behind to begin life in the military. It was then that<br />
I began an adventure that I will never regret, one<br />
in which I have learned more about myself, others,<br />
and Jesus.<br />
During this adventure, one that has taken me<br />
to Texas, California, Washington, and Arizona, I’ve<br />
learned to become comfortable in my own skin. I’ve<br />
learned how to bounce back from failure and how<br />
to be resilient despite trying circumstances. I’ve also<br />
learned that there is more to life than achieving<br />
success. I love my job and have enjoyed the last<br />
few years learning and growing and also figuring<br />
out how faith looks in my daily life. And yet, I am<br />
restless, restless for something more.<br />
Have you ever felt like you are missing something?<br />
Felt that there is something more in life that you are<br />
being prepared for? Have you ever felt a stirring in<br />
your soul? A stirring that often makes absolutely no<br />
sense, but that just will not go away? That is the<br />
restlessness I feel. It is an emotion that has set me<br />
on a quest to discover the reason behind this feeling.<br />
“What if you could get past<br />
your fears and insecurities<br />
and spend the rest of your life<br />
running your guts out after<br />
His purposes for you?”<br />
from Jeannie Allen’s book, Restless<br />
As I have been struggling and wrestling and<br />
crying out to Jesus for answers, I came across an<br />
article in Relevant magazine that identified with my<br />
emotions. I was so intrigued that I quickly ordered<br />
the author’s book entitled Restless hoping to<br />
connect with someone who had experienced what<br />
I was feeling.<br />
As I started reading, I quickly realized the main<br />
reason I’ve been restless is that I have gotten really<br />
caught up in work life. I’ve become so focused on<br />
climbing the ladder as well as doing and striving<br />
to be the best I can be. That’s not necessarily a<br />
bad thing, but somewhere in the process I had lost<br />
intimacy with Jesus and had quit being intentional<br />
in my actions and relationships. That’s where<br />
restlessness had been birthed. In the midst of my<br />
strivings I had ignored what I needed most…<br />
intimacy with Christ. What I am feeling is a desire for<br />
more of Jesus, and more of His will and direction in<br />
my life. I am restless to take all that He has given me<br />
and use it for His kingdom, rather than this earthly<br />
one. I am restless for freedom. To be able to just step<br />
out and use what He’s blessed me with without fear<br />
of failure or fear of disappointing people!<br />
In this book, author Jennie Allen says, “What if<br />
you could get past your fears and insecurities and<br />
spend the rest of your life running your guts out after<br />
His purposes for you?” That is what I am restless<br />
for. Restless to know Him deeper than just a casual<br />
relationship. Restless to trust Him to hold my fears,<br />
doubts, anger, concerns, and frustrations. Restless to<br />
trust that He loves me endlessly. Restless to be able<br />
to love and see others as He does. Restless to carry<br />
out His kingdom. Restless to go deeper. Restless for<br />
more. V<br />
12 www.kojministries.org
God 1.0…<br />
The One Thing That<br />
Will Never Change<br />
by Maureen Lendzion<br />
Ugh! My frustration level has neared an all-time<br />
high. I am weeks into trying to set up a blog site and<br />
get it running. If I hear one more thirty-something<br />
say, “Oh, it’s soooo easy — it only takes just a few<br />
minutes. You just (blah, blah, blah)...,” I’m going to<br />
glare into their non-cataract-clouded eyes with all the<br />
venom I can muster. But at that point they’ll probably<br />
be in full-blown techno-talk mode and, unfortunately,<br />
I don’t know how to techno-glare.<br />
I’ve found the one thing you can count on when it<br />
comes to technology is that there is nothing you can<br />
count on when it comes to technology. It’s a moving<br />
target — changing constantly.<br />
Think you know what you’re doing? Wait until<br />
tomorrow. That 1.0 version of software you just spent<br />
months learning will soon be pleading with you to<br />
download its latest 2.0 update. And while it may be<br />
asking you nicely now, it’ll soon grow more firm.<br />
“Ignore my update requests, you fool,” it will seem<br />
to say, “and I’ll make sure your favorite program never<br />
again works on your device!”<br />
With all that said, the blog is finally up and running.<br />
My writing partner, Sandy Burdick, and I have it loaded<br />
and configured. It’s not quite yet ready for prime time,<br />
but soon will be. Thank goodness those same thirtysomethings<br />
who sometimes drive me crazy are more<br />
than willing to share their expertise.<br />
This recent annoyance led me to realize something:<br />
Unlike technology, God is never changing. There will<br />
never be a newer and better version — a God 2.0,<br />
if you will. He has always been and will eternally be<br />
a 1.0. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.<br />
He is solidly God and we can count on His love, His<br />
character, His provision, and His promises forever. His<br />
Word is also absolute and unchanging. But, you may<br />
ask, what about the variety of biblical translations<br />
available? Aren’t they updates from God’s original 1.0<br />
message?<br />
Here’s my answer: the many biblical versions found<br />
today simply allow us to understand God’s Word in<br />
the language that works best for us as individuals. The<br />
facts contained within them are rock-solidly consistent.<br />
They don’t change God’s core message. New biblical<br />
translations do not revise God’s marching orders for<br />
living a life on earth that leads to an everlasting life<br />
in heaven.<br />
God’s and His Word’s unchanging nature is<br />
critically important. In our change-in-a-heartbeat<br />
world managed by imperfect, impatient, distractible<br />
people it is vital to know God is the constant we can<br />
rely on. He won’t change His mind and He won’t<br />
make a mistake — ever! His Word is true — always!<br />
Isn’t that an amazingly refreshing relief? God is a<br />
sure refuge from our fast-moving, ever-changing,<br />
technology-overloaded, communication-heavy world.<br />
He is the one thing we can trust and build our lives<br />
firmly upon.<br />
The prophet Isaiah says: Do you not know? Have<br />
you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the<br />
Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired<br />
or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom.<br />
Isaiah 40:28 (NIV)<br />
Just think — you and I have an everlasting God<br />
with an unchangeable nature Who promises to always<br />
be there for us. So, when frustrations arise and I can’t<br />
figure out how to use all the techno-gadgets in my<br />
car, I’ll remember that God is always a 1.0 God. When<br />
I can’t get my new computer up and running as<br />
quickly as I’d like, I’ll rest assured that God’s Word is<br />
up, running, and timeless. When the latest release of a<br />
smart phone throws me into techno-irritation, I’ll take<br />
comfort in knowing that God’s original smart release<br />
— His Word — remains soothingly unchanged.<br />
All the updates humanity throws my way may<br />
ruffle my feathers from time to time, but they can’t<br />
sway God, His Word, or my trust in Him. After all, I<br />
have God’s concrete promise that He’s a 1.0 — the<br />
one thing in this life (and the next) that will never<br />
change!V<br />
Maureen Lendzion is enjoying selfemployment<br />
as a writer. Her career has<br />
included journalism, public relations, and<br />
public speaking along with special project<br />
and grant writing. With Sandy Burdick,<br />
Maureen has recently created<br />
a blog with a Christian perspective.<br />
www.cloud9inspired.com.<br />
www.kojministries.org 13
REFRESH YOUR SOUL<br />
Come Away<br />
With Me<br />
by Kristi Overton Johnson<br />
With our move to Central Florida, one of my top<br />
priorities has been to assemble a ministry team to<br />
love people to Christ through our publication and<br />
prison outreaches. It’s a legitimate concern as the<br />
vision on my heart is huge and there is no way it can<br />
be carried out alone. But the more I have plotted<br />
and planned, and sought and searched, the more<br />
uneasy I have become in my spirit. I don’t have<br />
peace to move forward with my plans. Instead, I<br />
sense the Lord saying, “Just wait on Me; and in the<br />
meantime, come away with Me.”<br />
“Come away with Me.” These are the words I<br />
hear in my heart and mind as I go about my day.<br />
It is an invitation from God to cease my worry and<br />
activity, to lay aside my to-do list, and simply come<br />
into His presence. As I’ve struggled with actually<br />
accepting His invitation, the Lord has patiently and<br />
gently reminded me of the importance of finding<br />
this place of intimacy with Him. Recently, He used<br />
the testimony of a minister to get this message<br />
through my thick skull.<br />
This minister shared about a time when<br />
he traveled to Africa to join a large ministry in<br />
Mozambique. Although eager to go deep into the<br />
bush with the gospel, and qualified to minister,<br />
the head of the ministry wouldn’t let this man go<br />
out with the team. Instead, he was given orders<br />
to spend time with the Lord walking on a nearby<br />
beach. As instructed, he took a walk, praying with<br />
each step, and then returned the next day eager to<br />
minister.<br />
Once again, however, he was given the task<br />
of walking the beach with God, but this time for<br />
a whole month! In his testimony, he shared how<br />
difficult this exercise was for him as a person who<br />
is always ready to “giddy-up-and-go!” for the Lord.<br />
He had flown all the way to Africa to help people<br />
and experience the Lord working through Him in<br />
amazing ways. Yet, here he was, walking the beach?<br />
As I listened to his story, I felt the Lord saying<br />
to me that I was entering a season of walking the<br />
beach with Him. For days I thought about walking<br />
the beach. To be quite honest, I wasn’t too excited<br />
about it. I’m a “giddy-up-and-go” person myself.<br />
There’s too much to do! The thought of a season<br />
of walking the beach didn’t interest me at all. What<br />
was the Lord asking of me? Did I literally walk a<br />
beach and do nothing? Surely not.<br />
Since I had no idea what walking the beach<br />
looked like to God, I began to pray about it. As I<br />
prayed, this question rose up in my heart, “How do<br />
you feel when you are on the beach.”<br />
That was an easy question. I began to answer<br />
it in my journal: “Lord, when I am on the beach,<br />
I am in total awe of Your majesty and the beauty<br />
of Your creation. I feel so free, so totally free on<br />
the beach! I’m so alive. And, so in touch with You.<br />
With each step, I find myself deeper and deeper in<br />
Your presence. On the beach, it’s only You and me,<br />
God. I have no worries, no fears, nothing… just<br />
pure peace. On the beach, I am captivated by Your<br />
love, speechless by all that I see. I am energized and<br />
become like a child splashing in the waves, digging<br />
in the sand, and floating weightless in the water. On<br />
the beach, I never doubt Your love, power, majesty,<br />
goodness, or Your love for me.”<br />
As I became transparent with God, it became<br />
clear what He is asking me to do. Walking the beach<br />
and coming away with Him wasn’t about dropping<br />
everything and doing nothing. It wasn’t even<br />
about going to an actual<br />
beach. Rather,<br />
it was an open<br />
invitation to enter<br />
into a place of<br />
rest and freedom;<br />
an invitation to<br />
become child-like…<br />
totally excited about<br />
Him and totally free<br />
in Him; an invitation<br />
to become completely<br />
enthralled by His beauty<br />
and overwhelmed by His<br />
love. Finally, and most<br />
refreshing to me, it was<br />
an invitation to come to<br />
a place where I’m not<br />
focused on doing anything but only being who God<br />
has made me to be.<br />
In that place, God will hit me like a tsunami with<br />
His wave of glory and sweep me away to exactly<br />
where He wants me to be. In that place, God will<br />
place answers on my heart and give me the wisdom<br />
and discernment to move forward. In that place, He<br />
will assemble the team He desires to carry out the<br />
visions He has placed on my heart. In that place, He<br />
will shower me with His love, fill me with His peace,<br />
and energize me with His strength.<br />
On the beach, that’s where it’s at! Everything I<br />
need, everything I could desire, everything I could<br />
ever hope for is waiting for me on the beach. And,<br />
it’s waiting for you, too.<br />
Let’s accept God’s invitation to come away<br />
with Him. V<br />
Kristi Overton Johnson is the founder<br />
of KOJ Ministries and In His Wakes.<br />
Kristi currently resides in Florida with<br />
her husband, Tim, and their three<br />
children.<br />
<strong>14</strong> www.kojministries.org
FROM DEATH<br />
TO LIFE by<br />
This time of the year is so beautiful in Tennessee.<br />
The leaves are falling and turning brilliant colors, and<br />
the mornings are refreshingly crisp. Fall has arrived.<br />
For me, witnessing these changes is exhilarating; they<br />
remind me of the seasons of life.<br />
The early seasons of life begin with hope and<br />
excitement. As kids, we run and play. Life is fun!<br />
There isn’t a care in the world. We get our education,<br />
set out on our own, and chase after our dreams. We<br />
find our forever soul mate and form a family. Then,<br />
new arrivals come on the scene –– children and pets.<br />
Careers are launched. It’s an exciting time of getting<br />
your act together and hitting your stride.<br />
Then, you enter another season and life gets<br />
hard. The constant cycle of working, raising children<br />
and providing for their needs, paying bills, fixing<br />
things, and focusing on your relationship with<br />
your spouse can become exhausting. But you keep<br />
working hard and it pays off. You get promoted, and<br />
life settles down. After awhile, however, the cycle<br />
catches back up to you and the smooth road once<br />
again gets rough. Parts of our life begin to break<br />
down on your job and in relationships. You may<br />
wonder: is it worth it?<br />
The next season approaches faster than you would<br />
have ever imagined. Your AARP greeting comes in the<br />
mail announcing that you have officially entered the<br />
final season of life: old age. You don’t feel old, in fact,<br />
you still feel like the kid from a half a century ago.<br />
But you pass by the mirror, and find an older version<br />
of yourself staring back. This is a season of reflection<br />
and a realization that you are not able to do some<br />
of the things you once did. Marathons and triathlons<br />
give way to 5K walks and strolls. You enjoy your life<br />
successes, but most of those are now in the musings<br />
and rear-view mirrors of life.<br />
Your body changes. Your blood pressure and<br />
heart scans point to the obvious –– lifestyle<br />
changes are in order. It’s time to adjust your diet<br />
and exercise more. You keep pressing on, making<br />
changes, refusing to cave into those aching knees<br />
or broken down hips and shoulders. You’re aiming<br />
for 85, or better yet, 100!<br />
Paul S. McKean<br />
These portrayals may not completely reflect<br />
your life seasons, but I’m sure you can find some<br />
similarities. Right now, I’m in this final season and<br />
lately, I’ve had plenty of reminders! I recently went<br />
to the 50th Class Reunion of my college graduating<br />
class. Wow! Talk about an eye opener! Although I<br />
recognized some of my classmates, I really had no<br />
idea who many of them were. I’m sure they didn’t<br />
recognize me either.<br />
It became quite obvious as I looked at my<br />
classmates that I’m in the last season of life. And if<br />
seeing all those people wasn’t enough to remind<br />
me of my impending departure from this life, I then<br />
learned of the passing of a dear friend who was my<br />
age. All of this really made me really think about my<br />
next season –– eternity.<br />
In the book of Psalms, David provides a picture<br />
of life and God’s involvement in it. “Every day of my<br />
life was recorded in Your book. Every moment was<br />
laid out before a single day had passed.” Psalm<br />
139:16 (NIV) From this passage, we see that God has<br />
numbered every day of our lives. No matter who you<br />
are: there is a time to live and a time to die.<br />
With that realization in mind, I ask myself: How will<br />
I live out my days? What type of legacy will I leave?<br />
What will the next season of eternity be like? Here’s<br />
my answer: I want to live whatever days I have left on<br />
this earth in the presence and power of God, loving<br />
Him, and loving His people. I want to use my gifts<br />
and talents for His purposes so that I leave a legacy<br />
that lasts beyond me. Leaving a legacy of money and<br />
material items isn’t my primary goal; rather, I want to<br />
leave Christ in the hearts of many.<br />
And in regards to eternity? For me and other<br />
believers, that final season will be awesome!<br />
There wil be no more tears, confusion, pain, failure,<br />
struggles, sickness, disappointment, or heartache.<br />
I welcome it!<br />
Does all this talk about eternity seem too dark and<br />
grim? Does the thought of death scare you? It doesn’t<br />
have to. The reality is that no matter who we are,<br />
our season of life will end. Therefore, it is important<br />
that we secure the answers to these questions now,<br />
regardless of what season we may be in.<br />
Take a moment and reflect<br />
on the following:<br />
How will you live out your days? Will they be for<br />
your glory and man’s applause, or will they be for<br />
God’s purposes?<br />
What type of legacy will you leave? Will the things<br />
you do remain, or will they simply rot with time?<br />
Finally, where will you spend eternity? Where<br />
will you go from here? Will you pass from death to<br />
death? Or, will you pass from death to life? Our final<br />
breath on earth isn’t the end; it is the beginning –– of<br />
something. What will it be: Eternal separation from<br />
God or eternal life with Him?<br />
Those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their<br />
Lord and Savior and His offer of new life have the<br />
assurance of eternal life. “He who has the Son (Jesus)<br />
has the life; he who does not have the Son of God<br />
does not have the life. These things I have written<br />
to you who believe in the name of the Son of God<br />
(Jesus) in order that you may know that you have<br />
eternal life.” 1 John 5:12 -13 (NASB)<br />
Do you have eternal life? If so, rejoice! There is<br />
nothing to fear. As you wait to enter that final season,<br />
live purposefully and passionately for Christ.<br />
If you are not sure about where you’ll spend your<br />
eternal season, make sure today! The Bible says, “If<br />
you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and<br />
believe in your heart that God raised Him from the<br />
dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9<br />
If this is your desire, with a sincere heart pray:<br />
“Father God, I know that I am a sinner. I know I need<br />
a Savior. In faith, I come to You through Jesus’ sacrifice<br />
for my sin on the cross and receive forgiveness. His<br />
death paid the price for my sin and His resurrection<br />
conquered death. Because of my faith in Your Son,<br />
I now have the assurance of eternal life with You. In<br />
Jesus’ mighty Name, Amen” V<br />
Born in 1941, Paul S. McKean made a early commitment to a life-long ministry of<br />
Christian service. Paul and his wife, Jeannie, served with Campus Crusade for Christ<br />
for 43 years. The last 30+ years, they served in international ministry, in particular<br />
Asia. Retired (yet still serving), Paul resides with his wife of 52 years in Unicoi, TN.<br />
His education includes a BA and MA in Philosophy. He is a consultant to KOJM.<br />
www.kojministries.org 15
Doin’ Time<br />
For Jesus<br />
by Al and Sharon Paquette<br />
Sharon: Twenty-nine years ago, my life drastically changed when my husband, Al, had a true<br />
Damascus Road experience. Literally overnight, the biker I had married 11 years prior was no longer<br />
the man I knew. I was used to the guy who was stoned 24 hours-a-day and who drank until he<br />
passed out every night. Not this straight man who wept and actually started to care about me<br />
and our two young ones.<br />
For years I had witnessed Al struggling to quit excessive partying. Yet, in the end, he would<br />
always break his promises to me. It was a constant burden to me. I really don't know why I<br />
stayed with him; we were crazy in love from the beginning is my only answer.<br />
I prayed in desperation countless times, and I was on the verge of giving up when this<br />
transformation occurred. We had started going to church, but Al didn’t seem to be hearing the<br />
message. As soon as he would come home, he would head straight to the garage to do his<br />
normal activities –– get drunk and get high. One Sunday evening while in the garage, however,<br />
Al had an encounter that changed our lives forever.<br />
photos<br />
courtesy of<br />
Dave Dillman<br />
Al: Our neighbor, Jerry, had come over to the garage to talk to me. It was the first<br />
time someone had actually described hell. Outwardly, there didn’t seem to be<br />
an immediate change. I did not get down on my knees. In fact, I just smoked<br />
another joint. I’m sure Jerry went back home thinking I hadn’t heard a thing.<br />
But something had happened that night. God had used Jerry’s words to pierce<br />
my hard heart in ways I could have never imagined.<br />
I woke up the next morning with a real physical pain in my chest. I<br />
actually thought I was having a heart attack. As I look back, I am certain<br />
it was God ripping Satan right out of my chest. At that moment, my<br />
desire to get high and drunk was forever gone. Completely.<br />
Sharon: That night Al woke up with a horrible pain in his chest. He<br />
left for work and came home a new man. He told me he was never<br />
getting high again. I could see in his eyes that this was a promise he<br />
was going to keep. It was the miracle that I had longed for.<br />
Al: It took me two days to figure out what had happened. I was<br />
raised in a Catholic family, I had gone to nine years of Catholic school,<br />
and I had known about God and Jesus. But those were just somewhat<br />
warm, fuzzy stories. They had never really applied to my life. At that point, I was<br />
31 years old. I had been a criminal most of my life, totally addicted to drugs,<br />
alcohol, and pornography. Overnight, however, something had happened. No<br />
longer was I angry, nor did I have a desire to get high, drink, or hurt people.<br />
Even cuss words had disappeared from my vocabulary. The strangest<br />
things were happening to me. Not only were my normal desires gone,<br />
but I even found myself smiling on the way home from work. This<br />
was my first authentic smile in years. It actually made my jaws<br />
hurt!<br />
To say those around me were a bit taken aback by<br />
my behavior would be an understatement. When I refused my<br />
coworker’s invitation to join him in the rafters to smoke a joint,<br />
(something we had done daily at work for ten years), he just kept<br />
asking, “What is wrong with you?” I didn’t know.<br />
16 www.kojministries.org
photos<br />
courtesy of<br />
R.O.O.T. Prison<br />
Ministry<br />
Sharon was just as shocked. That evening<br />
she had gone bowling. As usual, I had taken the<br />
kids to McDonald’s to get some food. When we got<br />
home, however, something incredible happened. I<br />
found myself actually playing with my kids, and,<br />
enjoying it!<br />
Once I put them to bed, I went out into the<br />
garage for some pot. But when I looked at all the<br />
marijuana, I just didn’t feel like rolling a joint. I went<br />
to the refrigerator to grab a beer, but I didn’t feel<br />
like drinking either. I had no idea what was wrong<br />
with me. For sixteen years, every minute I existed,<br />
every minute I breathed, I was smoking, drinking,<br />
and doing drugs. There must be a reason. Could it<br />
have to do with God?<br />
Sharon and I had been attending a Ray Stedman<br />
Authentic Christian Bible class. I took out the class<br />
book. I had never read it before. I never read any<br />
books that didn’t have pictures in them. I quickly<br />
noticed Bible references, so I began to look them up.<br />
Sharon: When I came home from bowling,<br />
I knew something was up. The house didn’t smell<br />
like pot, and Al wasn’t drunk. When I saw him<br />
reading the Bible, I thought for sure he was tripping<br />
on drugs! He assured me he wasn’t. (I made him<br />
follow my finger with his eyes just to make sure.)<br />
When I saw him reading the Bible, all I could ask<br />
was, “What is wrong with you?” With a smile he<br />
answered, “I don’t know.”<br />
AL: That night was so<br />
beautiful. I had a peace<br />
about me that I could have<br />
never achieved with any<br />
drug. The next morning as I<br />
was riding my bike to work,<br />
I heard the audible voice of<br />
God saying, “I’m going to<br />
carry your burden of needing<br />
to get high.” At that moment<br />
I knew I had had an encounter<br />
with the Lord. He had changed<br />
my life, miraculously taking<br />
away my desires so I could be<br />
used by Him in a powerful way.<br />
Sharon: We never looked back from that day<br />
on. We started fervently seeking God’s will in our<br />
lives. Al met with our pastor, John Christiansen,<br />
every Wednesday morning. He listened and grew.<br />
1 Peter 4:10 became our passion: “God has given<br />
each of you a gift from His great variety of spiritual<br />
gifts. Use them well to serve one another.”<br />
AL: When I read 1 Peter 4:10 and understood<br />
that I am to use whatever gifts I have to help<br />
others so I can faithfully administer God’s grace in<br />
various forms, I knew this verse was for me. At first,<br />
however, I had to accept that God could love me<br />
–– a screw-up who had destroyed everything in his<br />
path. I had to be one of the worst husbands in the<br />
world, and most definitely, the worst role model of<br />
a father. Yet as I read the Word, I realized that He<br />
indeed did love me, forgave me of all my sins, and<br />
desired to use me for His glory.<br />
Many tears were shed by this grown man. God<br />
had changed my life. I knew He was real, and I knew<br />
He loved me right where I was. I told God that night<br />
that I would go anywhere He wanted me to go, and<br />
talk to anyone that He wanted me to talk to.<br />
www.HD4JC.com<br />
Sharon: Al worked full-time and we devoted<br />
every spare moment and any extra money we had to<br />
go into prisons and use our gifts to serve others. My<br />
mother who lived next door to us was a great help<br />
with our children. One night during Al’s quiet time<br />
the Lord spoke to him and told him to go to school.<br />
After much discussion, Al stepped out in faith. He<br />
started by getting his GED and then his Bachelor<br />
of Arts. Then he went to seminary and graduated<br />
with a BA in religion. He was ordained in 1997. This<br />
process took 15 years!<br />
In 2000, the Lord led Al to quit his job as a frontend<br />
mechanic and go full-time into ministering<br />
to inmates and bikers. He obeyed and formed Al<br />
Paquette Ministries. Ever since answering his call<br />
to serve others, we’ve been riding our motorcycles<br />
across the country sharing the love and power of<br />
Christ. We’ve also joined other national prison<br />
ministries such as Kairos, R.O.O.T. Motorcycle and<br />
Prison Ministry, Inmate Encounter, and Bill Glass<br />
Champions for Life.<br />
One day while in prison, we watched as the<br />
inmates drooled over our bikes. They looked over<br />
every detail, really appreciating seeing a bike upclose.<br />
For many inmates, it had been years since they<br />
had seen one. Al went home and started building a<br />
prison-themed motorcycle called, Doin’ Time. Eight<br />
months later, Al was riding this motorcycle into<br />
prisons across the country. To date, he has ridden it<br />
into over 120 prisons.<br />
AL: I built Doin’ Time for the inmates. As I built<br />
that bike, I prayed earnestly for the Lord to use it<br />
to touch many lives for His Kingdom. When I speak<br />
to the inmates, I tell them that I prayed over that<br />
bike just like God prayed for them when they were<br />
being created. The correction officers also enjoy<br />
Doin’ Time. That bike has given much joy to many<br />
and is an incredible tool for connecting with people<br />
in order to share the Gospel.<br />
Sharon: God is so good. He answered my<br />
prayers, and more! Through our life story, I pray that<br />
you will realize that no matter what your current<br />
situation may be, no matter what you are going<br />
through, or have gone through, Jesus is the answer.<br />
Grasp the truth that He sees your heart, knows your<br />
desires, hears your cries, and loves you more than<br />
anything. Then, keep believing for your miracle. The<br />
transformation may not happen as fast as Al’s, but<br />
it will come. And God’s miracle, just like Doin’ Time,<br />
will be specially designed, just for you. V<br />
Sharon & Al have been together since 1973. In 1985, Al was called out of the fast paced biker lifestyle. Al was freed from his addictions over night. They<br />
both went through a healing process that brought them to the start of an exciting journey. Since 1986 they have served in many different ministries and<br />
have helped coordinate motorcycles to go into prisons all over Florida. They know the healing power of Jesus Christ first hand and they want to share this<br />
information with everyone they meet.<br />
www.kojministries.org 17
MINISTRY NEWS<br />
As I look back over 20<strong>14</strong>, I am truly amazed.<br />
In many ways, it would seem to some that I have<br />
taken steps backwards. I have moved from an<br />
incredible facility to a new location in Central<br />
Florida where I am working out of my home as<br />
I did a decade ago. Over the past 4 months, I’ve<br />
once again become responsible for the majority<br />
of administrative activities for both KOJM and In<br />
His Wakes including paying bills, answering the<br />
phone, database entry, picking up the mail, and<br />
making bank deposits.<br />
Yet, as I’ve been faithful to do what needs to be<br />
done, an amazing thing has happened. God has<br />
been at work opening doors and bringing about<br />
supernatural connections that have made 20<strong>14</strong><br />
the most fruitful year ever since KOJM’s inception<br />
five years ago.<br />
For years as a ministry leader, I tried desperately<br />
to bring about the visions in my heart. Even upon<br />
my recent move to Central Florida, I immediately<br />
thought, “I’ve got to go do something … build<br />
a team, get the magazine out to this new<br />
community, meet pastors, etc...”<br />
Those thoughts came to an abrupt end during<br />
my prayer walk a couple of months back as I heard<br />
these words: “Kristi, I have freed you from the<br />
yokes of your past. If you aren’t careful, you are<br />
going to run right back out and hitch yourself up<br />
again.”<br />
One thought of that yoke from years past and I<br />
knew without a doubt –– I did not want to go back<br />
there again. I like my newfound health, sanity, and<br />
relationships. My family likes it, too! With those<br />
words ringing in my mind, I made a commitment<br />
to wait on the Lord, to draw close to Him, and to<br />
be faithful to whatever and whoever He placed<br />
in my path.<br />
As you’ll see from the following praise reports,<br />
it’s been a good combo. I praise the Lord and I<br />
thank our supporters who have made all of the<br />
following possible in 20<strong>14</strong>!<br />
UPDATE FROM KOJ MINISTRIES FOUNDER,<br />
KRISTI OVERTON JOHNSON<br />
KOJM: 20<strong>14</strong> Year In Review<br />
• <strong>VL</strong> is currently funded by individuals like YOU<br />
who desire to see men and women experience<br />
a victorious life.<br />
Prison Ministry<br />
• Upon joining KOJM in 20<strong>14</strong> as Prison<br />
Correspondence Director, Linda Cubbedge<br />
formed a team that meets weekly to write to<br />
and pray for inmates. Policies and procedures<br />
have been developed for this correspondence<br />
outreach.<br />
• In 20<strong>14</strong>, KOJM corresponded with 200<br />
inmates on a consistent basis. Each inmate<br />
received personal letters from our Prison<br />
Correspondence Team, monthly devotionals<br />
from Kristi Overton Johnson, and personal<br />
copies of <strong>VL</strong>. The number of inmates on our<br />
correspondence list is growing daily.<br />
• In 20<strong>14</strong>, Kristi Overton Johnson spoke to<br />
inmates in 11 Florida facilities.<br />
• In December, Kristi will once again join Bill<br />
Glass’ Behind the Walls Ministry as a platform<br />
speaker in Jacksonville, FL prison facilities. She<br />
will also join Murf the Surf in Orlando facilities.<br />
International Orphanage Outreach<br />
• In 20<strong>14</strong>, KOJM donated $6,000 to Favour the<br />
Helpless. This money was used to buy essential<br />
supplies for orphaned children in India.<br />
• Kristi visited Glazov, Russia where she<br />
presented toys, gifts, medical supplies, and a<br />
medical transport van to the local orphanage.<br />
Champion’s Heart Life Center<br />
Located in Keystone Heights, CHLC served<br />
hundreds of local residents in 20<strong>14</strong> through its<br />
resource center before closing in May. Currently, the<br />
center provides space to various local organizations<br />
who offer physical, spiritual, and mental health<br />
services.<br />
“We Care” Sponsor Page<br />
Beginning next issue, we will launch a We Care<br />
Partner Page that will recognize businesses<br />
and individuals who are supporting the Victorious<br />
Living prison outreach. In the course of the next year,<br />
you will notice <strong>VL</strong> moving away from individual<br />
business listings with a few sponsor exceptions.<br />
There is room for your name on this list! To become<br />
a partner, email victoriousliving@kojministries.org.<br />
Address Correction<br />
In the last issue (<strong>Issue</strong> 3, 20<strong>14</strong>), there was<br />
an address error. Below is the correct address<br />
information:<br />
All Inmate Correspondence:<br />
Victorious Living Prison Outreach<br />
PO Box 968<br />
Keystone Heights, Fl 32656<br />
Donations or General Correspondence:<br />
KOJM/Victorious Living<br />
PO Box 120951<br />
Clermont, Fl 34712-0951<br />
Victorious Living Magazine<br />
• 64,000 total copies were distributed in 20<strong>14</strong>.<br />
• Of this amount, 36,000 copies were mailed<br />
directly to 40 Florida prisons. Additional copies<br />
entered the prison system through partnering<br />
prison ministries who are using <strong>VL</strong> as a<br />
resource to reach inmates for Christ.<br />
• Unlike the general public, copies of <strong>VL</strong><br />
within the prison system have a continuous<br />
readership. Magazines are shared and read<br />
multiple times among the prison population;<br />
thereby increasing the potential impact of<br />
each magazine.<br />
Orphans from India send a warm thank you to KOJM’s supporters for helping provide their basic needs.<br />
18 www.kojministries.org
FROM OUR READERS<br />
Words From Heaven<br />
Dear Faithful Sister, (member of Prison<br />
Correspondence Team)<br />
I received your letter on September 23. I was in<br />
my room reading the most recent publication of<br />
Victorious Living when the mail was given out. I<br />
was grateful and thankful to God when I saw who<br />
the letter was from.<br />
After reading your letter, I was touched and<br />
brought to tears of spiritual joy. My roommate and<br />
another prisoner were sitting on his bed playing<br />
chess. They saw me wiping the tears from my face<br />
and got concerned as they thought something was<br />
wrong.<br />
When I shared your letter with them, they<br />
too started nearly the same. My roommate said:<br />
“Man, it’s been more times than I can count! Only<br />
God knows how many times they have spoken<br />
the right Scriptures to me and many more of us<br />
prisoners right when we needed it, comforting<br />
us in Christ. You need to sit and write this Godsent<br />
sister back and thank God for speaking to her<br />
heart about you.”<br />
He just kept going on and on about how right<br />
and true your words were. I just let the tears of<br />
joy flow freely. The three of us joined hands and<br />
prayed. Sister, the power of the Holy Spirit was<br />
so strong: not only in our room, but in the entire<br />
dorm.<br />
I didn’t know it at first, but the majority of<br />
the prisoners were looking at this television<br />
show called, “The Voice.” I was told that when<br />
we started praying, another prisoner got up and<br />
turned the volume down. Some prisoners outside<br />
my room door and other prisoners fell silent. I<br />
didn’t know what to make of it. But, I gave thanks<br />
and praises to God.<br />
Once again, thank you for your spiritual<br />
uplifting and encouraging letter. Only the Holy<br />
Spirit could have led you to write so truthfully and<br />
beautifully for His sake. You and your family are<br />
lifted daily in my prayers. I will write more as God<br />
opens the door for me in my next letter. God loves<br />
you, and so do I, in Christ Jesus’ name.<br />
God is an on-time God. He may not come when<br />
we want Him to; but He will always be there right<br />
on time. We just need to wait on Him. Amen<br />
A Prayer For Our Team!<br />
Dear Friends at Victorious Living,<br />
I picked up a Victorious Living magazine at the<br />
Union Correctional Institution Chaplains’ library a<br />
few days ago. Although not the first time, it was<br />
the first time I have read it with enthusiasm.<br />
Like George Beasley, the author of The Old<br />
Rope Swing (<strong>Issue</strong> 3 20<strong>14</strong>), I also have a memory<br />
of failure from 58 years ago. This failure began<br />
haunting me many months back. It consumed<br />
many hours. Satan was pulling me away from the<br />
Jesus that had saved me many years ago. But like<br />
George said, “There’s no fixing the wrong.”<br />
The Holy Spirit hauled me out of the dump and<br />
drug me to Isaiah 43:18-19 and said, “But forget<br />
all that Ken — it is nothing compared to what I am<br />
going to do. For I am about to do something new.<br />
See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?”<br />
He began by leading me to the chapel library<br />
and to the magazine rack. Then, he made my eyes<br />
focus on the fork in the road on your cover. Next,<br />
He gave me the desire to bring Victorious Living<br />
back to my room.<br />
The rest is history, a lesson learned.<br />
Thank you, Jesus, for the friends at Victorious<br />
Living. Lord, continue to fill their hearts with the<br />
unconditional love of God. I pray that you grow<br />
the prison correspondence team and allow their<br />
families to understand and support them for this<br />
great mission.<br />
Redeemed from the past at the cross,<br />
Inmate Kenny<br />
PO Box 120951<br />
Clermont, FL 34712-0951<br />
352-478-2098<br />
www.kojministries.org<br />
THE HEART<br />
OF KOJM:<br />
Kristi Overton Johnson Ministries<br />
seeks to love people to the<br />
Life-Giver, Jesus Christ, through<br />
its various publications,<br />
speaking, teaching, singing<br />
ministry, prison and orphan<br />
outreaches. KOJM equips minds<br />
and encourage hearts with the<br />
Living Water of God’s Word.<br />
Scan the QR code to Like<br />
Kristi Overton Johnson<br />
Ministries FaceBook<br />
page and receive<br />
inspirational devotions.<br />
YOU CAN HELP BY:<br />
• Becoming a monthly<br />
financial supporter of<br />
KOJM so we can evangelize<br />
the Gospel, encourage<br />
hearts, and equip minds<br />
with God’s Word.<br />
• Sponsoring a prison or<br />
inmate to receive<br />
Victorious Living.<br />
• Distributing Victorious<br />
Living in your area.<br />
• Sharing your story of<br />
God’s faithfulness in<br />
Victorious Living.<br />
• Inviting Kristi or Linda<br />
to speak at your church<br />
or group.<br />
• Praying for us!<br />
Inmate Daniel<br />
A very special THANK YOU to the ladies who faithfully serve on our Prison<br />
Correspondence Team. Please continually lift these ladies up in prayer as they<br />
encourage the hearts of many with the Love and Truth of God.<br />
www.kojministries.org 19
MINISTRY NEWS<br />
Just Be Willing<br />
UPDATE FROM IN HIS WAKES<br />
DIRECTOR, NATE MILLER<br />
I heard a message on Gideon recently that<br />
reminded me of exactly how I felt as I was<br />
planning for the In His Wakes 20<strong>14</strong> Tour. In<br />
Judges 6:11-16, the Lord instructs Gideon to<br />
go and deliver Israel from their oppressors, a<br />
calling way over his ability by human standards.<br />
Gideon basically responded, “God, I am too<br />
small and too young. How can I possible pull<br />
this off?”<br />
To which the Lord responded, ”I have sent<br />
you, go in My power and strength.”<br />
Facing a season of over 50 “A Day to<br />
Remember” events, organizing other unique<br />
outreach events, coordinating a second<br />
traveling team’s schedule, and all the logistics<br />
involved with a multi-faceted ministry caused<br />
me to feel a bit unqualified to pull off what the<br />
Lord had set before me to accomplish.<br />
“Are you sure you got the right guy, Lord?”<br />
I wondered.<br />
Although my situation was very minor in<br />
comparison to what Gideon was facing, I still<br />
felt inadequate. I knew that only through God’s<br />
power and strength could I lead In His Wakes.<br />
Now, many months later, I look back and<br />
celebrate the victory of completing all that the<br />
Lord had put on our hearts to do. Amazingly,<br />
everything I had envisioned during the preseason<br />
happened… and more! With God’s<br />
help, and the help of hundreds of volunteers<br />
and faithful partners, lives were forever<br />
changed.<br />
Even though our on-water ministry season<br />
has ended for 20<strong>14</strong>, our ministry team hasn’t<br />
gone into hibernation. There isn’t an off-season<br />
anymore.<br />
Since our last “A Day to Remember” event<br />
at USA Water Ski Headquarters on September<br />
26, we have been busy holding follow-up<br />
events with some of our participants, as well as<br />
partnering with other ministries to hold youth<br />
outreach events. Two of these events took place<br />
the first weekend of <strong>November</strong> in Bend, OR and<br />
Sacramento, CA.<br />
I’ve been the director of In His Wakes for 8<br />
years now. I’ve seen a lot of amazing things,<br />
but the Sacramento event topped them all.<br />
For over a year, I’ve dreamed of a large<br />
outreach event. During the planning process,<br />
however, circumstances would always arise<br />
preventing the event from occurring as I’d<br />
envisioned. Several months ago, however, an<br />
opportunity arose to try again. After prayer,<br />
I stepped out in faith and joined like-minded<br />
ministries who had a similar vision to reach<br />
youth with the Gospel through sports.<br />
As the event approached, multiple last<br />
minute obstacles arose that threatened the<br />
outcome of the event. We stayed the course,<br />
however, and continued to pray. The Lord<br />
heard our prayers and showed us once again<br />
that He has everything under control. I should<br />
know by now that God is not surprised by the<br />
unexpected; after all, these are His events. We<br />
are simply the hands and feet He uses to carry<br />
out what He has already put into place.<br />
Prior to the event, we had absolutely no<br />
idea how many people would attend. We<br />
prepared the best we knew how in regards<br />
to planning our schedule as well as providing<br />
adequate seating. What I wasn’t prepared for<br />
was the response that occurred at the end<br />
of the event.<br />
We opened the event with praise and<br />
worship and then showed exciting videos<br />
from our 20<strong>14</strong> “A Day to Remember” events,<br />
as well as The Purpose Film. Pro wakeboarder,<br />
Kirby Liesmann, brought the event to a<br />
powerful close with his personal faith<br />
testimony.<br />
In His Wakes is a separate non-profit. If you<br />
desire to make a donation to IHW, please<br />
go online at inhiswakes.com or send<br />
donations to the address below.<br />
PO Box 120987 • Clermont, FL 34712-0987<br />
Nate Miller • 352-745-0283<br />
www.inhiswakes.com<br />
MISSION:<br />
In His Wakes introduces people to the<br />
life-changing power of Jesus Christ<br />
through water sports.<br />
YOU CAN HELP BY:<br />
• Purchasing Bibles, dog tags, medals,<br />
and other resources to be used in our<br />
2015 “A Day to Remember” program.<br />
• Becoming a monthly supporter. We need<br />
100 people to commit to $50 a month.<br />
• Sponsoring a child to attend an event.<br />
($100 per child)<br />
• Helping us purchase a replacement<br />
motorhome for our second travel team.<br />
• Helping us sell our boat! We have a<br />
Malibu ’06 I Ride for sale.<br />
IHW 20<strong>14</strong> YEAR<br />
IN REVIEW:<br />
• IHW held 51 “A Day to Remember”<br />
on-water events in 20 states, plus<br />
unique outreach events .<br />
• Over 1000 at-risk youth and adults<br />
heard the gospel and experienced a day<br />
of victory on the water.<br />
• Hundreds gave their life to Christ,<br />
making the commitment to “Get off the<br />
Dock” and follow Him!<br />
• IHW launched a second team to help<br />
conduct our D2R Tour!<br />
Children from Edgewood Ranch<br />
visit USA Water Ski Hall of<br />
Fame prior to learning to ski<br />
themselves!<br />
photos by Lynn Novakofski<br />
20 www.kojministries.org
A Day to Remember’ participant from<br />
Teen Challenge shares how the program<br />
changed his life at a recent outreach<br />
event in Oregon.<br />
As we began to sing the closing<br />
song, “Break Every Chain,” we offered<br />
an opportunity for those who would<br />
like prayer to come forward. You could<br />
sense the overwhelming presence of the<br />
Holy Spirit moving through the room.<br />
It quickly became evident that a seven<br />
member prayer team was a drastic<br />
underestimation on my part. The Lord had bigger<br />
things in mind!<br />
Soon, each prayer team member had a line of<br />
individuals seeking prayer for salvation, physical<br />
and emotional healing, as well as healing of<br />
broken relationships. For 30 minutes we prayed for<br />
one hurting person after another. It was such an<br />
incredible way to finish out the 20<strong>14</strong> season!<br />
Although we spent a lot of time driving, and spent<br />
little time sleeping, we left the event energized by<br />
what the Lord had done and excited about what<br />
He is going to do in the near future. I’m telling you,<br />
we could have started the 2015 season right then!<br />
www.inhiswakes.com<br />
As I begin prayerfully scheduling the 2015 Tour, I<br />
am humbled. Like Gideon, I don’t feel equipped to<br />
do this job, yet the Lord has invited me to partner<br />
with Him in such a powerful way. I encourage you,<br />
whatever you sense the Lord asking you to do,<br />
accept His invitation. Lay aside your fear and doubt<br />
and just be willing. Trust me, you’ll be amazed at<br />
what the Lord will do in your midst! V<br />
Why We Support<br />
Victorious Living…<br />
by Discount Inboard Marine, LLC<br />
Faith is stored in our hearts, in our mouths,<br />
and in our hands as we obediently give The<br />
Word of Life to a lost and dying generation.<br />
At Discount Inboard Marine, LLC, we<br />
support Victorious Living because we know<br />
that it is here that The Word of Life and Love is<br />
being given! And hearts are being made new.<br />
This magazine is making endless ripples<br />
of impact; we are blessed to be a part of<br />
what God is doing! Nothing compares to the<br />
promises of God!<br />
May you be blessed as you read the words<br />
of testimony which prove beyond a shadow<br />
of a doubt that God is at work in lives and<br />
hearts and mouths everywhere, every day, for<br />
His Glory!<br />
Thank you KOJ Ministries for the light you<br />
shine and the wake you make!<br />
It is our pride and joy to assist you in adding<br />
power to lives, through the glorious Gospel of<br />
Jesus Christ.<br />
~Karen Dougherty<br />
Discount Inboard Marine, LLC<br />
www.kojministries.org 21
MINISTRY NEWS<br />
Rescue Me!<br />
UPDATE FROM PRISON COORESPONDENCE<br />
DIRECTOR, LINDA CUBBEDGE<br />
Sometimes life can be downright overwhelming.<br />
It often feels like you are running your race with the<br />
Lord, seeking His face, praying, reading His awesome<br />
Word, and yet still, it is as if you are all alone. No one<br />
seems near to really feel your pain. This is how I felt<br />
a few months ago.<br />
In February, my precious 86-year-old mother came<br />
down with pneumonia. Her little 99 pound body put<br />
up quite a fight, but just couldn’t win the battle.<br />
On Monday, March 3rd, 20<strong>14</strong>, Mother entered her<br />
Heavenly Home –– another precious Saint finishing<br />
her race –– receiving that glorious body Paul<br />
describes in 2 Corinthians 5. I am so happy for my<br />
mother, but at that same time, I’m heartbroken.<br />
My mom was my hero. She was so strong in her<br />
faith, such a prayer warrior. Just like my husband,<br />
Steve. As I thought back to the grief I experienced<br />
when I lost Steve a few years ago, I began to think,<br />
“Okay, I’ve been here before and I made it through.<br />
This shouldn’t be so hard.” Goodness, was I wrong!<br />
I began to have feelings towards God that I had<br />
never experienced. My mind began to entertain<br />
thoughts like, “God has abandoned me. He has my<br />
husband, and now, my mother, too. The two strongest<br />
people in my life are no longer here with me. I’m all<br />
alone.”<br />
I knew better than to believe that God would<br />
ever forsake or abandon me; yet, thoughts like these<br />
continued to surface. I began to pray: “Why, God?<br />
Why am I feeling like this? I know there is no truth in<br />
what I am thinking. It is indeed a lie. But the pain and<br />
the realness of my loss is overwhelming. My heart is<br />
breaking. Please dear Lord, help me overcome these<br />
feelings of being alone… of being abandoned.”<br />
One evening while watching a Christian Network,<br />
a lady named Wendy Alec began reading from her<br />
book, Visions From Heaven. As I listened to her words,<br />
I knew I had to read this book. Thank goodness for<br />
smart phones. I placed my order right there from my<br />
couch! When the book arrived a few days later, I felt<br />
an urgency to begin reading. Only my Heavenly Father<br />
knew the anguish of my soul. Only He understood<br />
what I was going through. Only He knew what would<br />
‘rescue me’ from this attack of the enemy.<br />
I wasn’t even through the introduction before<br />
my heart was touched. She wrote, “…if you have<br />
recently been through a season of severe adversity<br />
and testing and found yourself at the sheer rock face,<br />
facing some of the fiercest trials and testing of your<br />
life head on, I believe with all my heart that it is no<br />
coincidence you are reading these pages, but that<br />
the Father Himself loves you so intensely, that He has<br />
done everything He can to put this book into your<br />
hands.” Now for me, this was a God moment. You<br />
know, those moments when the Creator of Heaven<br />
and Earth takes the time to orchestrate a divine<br />
rescue for one of His children. In this case, that child<br />
was me!<br />
I kept reading: “Maybe you or those you love have<br />
experienced a crippling bereavement… (She lists<br />
several devastating experiences.) And yet you have<br />
loved the Father, the Lord Jesus, and His Holy Spirit<br />
with all your heart and soul. You have served Him<br />
these past years to the very best of your ability. (Here<br />
comes the powerful statement of my own mindset)…<br />
And so, secretly, your heart has been breaking with<br />
bewilderment and abandonment.”<br />
Her words were filled with powerful truth and fresh<br />
revelation. I wasn’t even through the introduction<br />
and already I felt an inward release of deep assurance<br />
that this fierce trial would soon be over.<br />
Wendy Alec went on to say: “In our greatest<br />
seasons of adversity, Satan tries to imprint his own<br />
character onto our Father’s faultless, flawless one.<br />
And in the searing heat of our battle, this sometimes<br />
outworks itself in his accusations to our souls to<br />
accuse our own omniscient Father in our minds and<br />
our hearts.”<br />
That was me! I had accused my Heavenly Father<br />
of being something He wasn’t –– an abandoner.<br />
I had attributed character to my Lord that was the<br />
character of another –– Satan.<br />
“Our Heavenly Father is The Faithful One, The<br />
Kindest and most tender One of all. The very Balm of<br />
Gilead Himself, who reaches out His arms toward you<br />
today. Tenderly entreating you out of abandonment.<br />
And bids you…Come…” Her anointed words<br />
penetrated my heart and rescued me from this<br />
anguish of my soul. After reading it, I was not only<br />
totally free from every feeling of abandonment;<br />
but my love for the Lord was greater than ever. He<br />
became more real to me than anyone or anything in<br />
this life.<br />
As the director of the KOJM Prison Correspondence<br />
Outreach, I can’t help but praise God for how He is<br />
similarly using Victorious Living magazine to rescue<br />
others. Just as He used Wendy Alec’s book to touch<br />
my anguished soul, He is using the stories within this<br />
magazine to bring freedom to the hearts of men and<br />
women who are not only incarcerated physically, but<br />
who are overwhelmed by loneliness and despair.<br />
Every day our ministry team receives powerful<br />
testimonies from inmates who share how the<br />
anointed words of Victorious Living pierced their<br />
hearts. Here’s an example:<br />
I just read a story from your magazine called, “Get<br />
Real! Fear Not!” (<strong>Issue</strong> 3, 20<strong>14</strong>). It touched my heart.<br />
I instantly prayed to God. This story changed my life!<br />
I had many fears, but I gave them to God and I was<br />
filled with peace and love. I want you to know that your<br />
words are touching the hearts of prisoners and they are<br />
accepting Jesus. Your brother in Christ, Floyd (inmate).<br />
We also receive testimonies of how Kristi’s monthly<br />
devotional letter and the individual letters from our<br />
Prison Correspondence Team release the soothing<br />
balm of God’s Spirit to minister hope and healing to<br />
discouraged souls. Over and over again we hear, “It is<br />
as if the Lord Himself is speaking to us.” He is –– right<br />
through the heart and words of our precious writers.<br />
Thank you to those of you who support KOJM’s Prison<br />
Ministry Outreach. Because of YOU, thousands upon<br />
thousands are being touched with the precious love<br />
and Truth of God.<br />
Before I close, I want to encourage you –– whoever<br />
you are. I do not know the grieves of your heart, I do<br />
not know the pain of your situation, but God does.<br />
And He has led me to tell somebody –– perhaps you<br />
–– that you are NOT abandoned. You are not alone.<br />
You are not forgotten.<br />
God sees you. He hears you. He loves you.<br />
Psalm 34:17-19 says, “The LORD hears His<br />
people when they call to Him for help. He rescues<br />
them from all their troubles. The LORD is close to the<br />
brokenhearted; He rescues those whose spirits are<br />
crushed. The righteous person faces many troubles,<br />
but the LORD comes to the rescue each time.”<br />
Is your heart broken? Call to Him. Is your spirit<br />
crushed? Tell Him how you feel. Be honest, totally<br />
honest. He will never scold you or shun you. No! The<br />
One and Only Victorious Redeemer longs to deliver<br />
you, to heal you, and to set you free from all the lies<br />
and powers of the enemy.<br />
So go ahead. Call out, and give God permission to<br />
rescue you today. V<br />
Three generations of precious ladies: Linda (right)<br />
and her mother and daughter.<br />
22 www.kojministries.org
A_Lesson_To_Be_Learned<br />
by Kristi Overton Johnson<br />
Homework. For years, I’ve had nightmares where<br />
I am back in college desperately searching for a<br />
missing project that I somehow overlooked. I’ve even<br />
dreamed that I have missed entire classes that were<br />
needed to graduate, classes I should have had in<br />
high school. I’m telling you, those dreams freak me<br />
out! What a relief it always is to wake up and realize<br />
school is really over.<br />
Or is it? As a mom of three kids, I’m here to tell<br />
you school isn’t over. Especially with two 7th graders<br />
who experience learning challenges and don’t<br />
absolutely love school work. Don’t get me wrong, I<br />
love teaching, and I love helping my kids understand<br />
what they are studying. But, I don’t love the constant<br />
nagging that flows from my mouth, the begging<br />
of them to pay attention, the frantic searching for<br />
missing homework, and the attitude I sometimes<br />
receive from the ones I’m trying to help. It can make<br />
me feel like I am losing my mind, not to mention my<br />
Christian testimony!<br />
Recently as we studied for an upcoming Bible<br />
test, I found a perfect teaching moment to talk about<br />
godly attitudes and the art of honoring one’s parents.<br />
How convenient for me that the lesson was on the<br />
qualities of the wise and foolish child. Man, I was<br />
into it! With targeting eyes and a lifted voice, I taught<br />
about the actions of a foolish child; highlighting, of<br />
course, disobedience, talking back, procrastination,<br />
poor friend choices, laziness, among other things. I<br />
shared the rewards of obedience pointing out the<br />
promises of a long life where things will go well for<br />
them.<br />
Then, I taught, according to Proverbs, the effect<br />
disobedient actions have on parents. Things like<br />
shame, broken hearts, frustration, death, and grief.<br />
Did you know that in the Old Testament children<br />
could actually be killed for disobeying their parents?<br />
Boy, that added some fuel to my fiery message!<br />
Finally, I reminded them, as the lesson taught, that<br />
parents are human and make mistakes and need to<br />
be shown grace.<br />
I really thought it was a great lesson until I woke<br />
up the next morning and got a little spankin’ from<br />
God. As I lay in bed, He showed me how I took His<br />
precious Word and had pridefully used it like a sword<br />
to tear my children apart, to judge them, and hurl<br />
insults and condemnation towards them. It was a<br />
disgusting and shameful sight. Then, He gave me a<br />
snapshot of myself praying out loud, in the presence<br />
of my kids, for the Lord to help them be obedient,<br />
to love one another, and to become the men and<br />
women of God they are destined to become. UGH!!<br />
That, too, was an ugly picture. What’s a Christian<br />
mom to do but repent? I asked the Lord to forgive<br />
me and then I asked for the forgiveness from each<br />
of my children.<br />
Without a doubt, God showed me that my<br />
‘preaching’ at home is an area where I really need to<br />
work, as are my correction techniques. To quote one<br />
of the verses from their homework lesson (the one I<br />
should have been focused on): Fathers (and I assume<br />
mothers) do not provoke your children to anger by<br />
the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with<br />
the discipline and instruction that comes from the<br />
Lord. Ephesians 6:4<br />
Are my children right in the way they act at times?<br />
No. They need correction. But I’m not always right<br />
either. My discipline and correction aren’t always<br />
from the Lord. Not even close. More times than<br />
not, they flow out of frustration and irritation. Oh, I<br />
start out good, but with every roll of the eye, slam<br />
of the door, and disrespectful word, my inners begin<br />
to boil and then, I explode. And, as we might say in<br />
the south, “It ain’t no explosion of I Corinthians’ 13<br />
love!” Love that is patient, kind, and gentle. Love<br />
that is never proud or rude, never irritable, and never<br />
keeps a record of wrong.<br />
Parenting the right way is the hardest thing in the<br />
world. Becoming a world champion water skier was<br />
way easier than the daily rearing of three kids. But<br />
with a humble heart and the Lord’s help, it can be<br />
done. And, it can be done right.<br />
As parents, let’s determine not to discipline out<br />
of anger and frustration, but out of the instruction<br />
that comes from the Lord, instruction that flows from<br />
the spirit of God within us. Let’s refuse to cause our<br />
children to feel condemned or less than and instead,<br />
build them up with the Word. The Word has the<br />
power to change even the most rebellious of hearts.<br />
And when it comes to prayer? Let’s pray over our<br />
children, not at them. It’s time to get on our knees in<br />
our prayer closets and pray, pray, pray until we see the<br />
change we desire.<br />
If we are not careful, our well meaning intentions<br />
can take the powerful, treasured Word of God and<br />
the beautiful act of prayer… two things that are<br />
meant to bring life, encouragement, and freedom…<br />
and turn them into something to be hated, rejected,<br />
and detested. Now, that’s a lesson to be learned. V<br />
Find Weekly Encouragement HERE!<br />
www.facebook.com/KOJMinistries<br />
www.kojministries.com<br />
www.kojministries.org 23
CHAMPION’S HEART AWARD<br />
The Champion’s Heart Award Presented to Rob Morford<br />
Oftentimes when we envision a champion, our<br />
mind brings forth the image of an athlete. Of course,<br />
an athlete can easily fit the dictionary definition of<br />
being the victor, the prize winner, or the title holder.<br />
To me, however, a champion is much more than<br />
someone who brings home wa trophy. A champion<br />
is one who leaves a legacy in this world… a legacy<br />
of integrity, perseverance, humility, generosity,<br />
excellence, and love. Champions are heroes who we<br />
can aspire to be like for all the right reasons.<br />
In each issue of Victorious Living, it is my privilege<br />
to honor individuals who exhibit the heart of a<br />
champion. Why? To let people know that their<br />
heart, passion, and efforts haven’t gone unnoticed.<br />
This small, written acknowledgement and the<br />
Champion’s Heart coin serve as permanent reminders<br />
that that person’s life is making a difference in this<br />
world, and that they are appreciated.<br />
In this issue, the Champion’s Heart Award is<br />
presented to Rob Morford. Rob, or Pastor Rob, as<br />
many call him, is a true champion for God. For<br />
nearly a decade, our family was under the<br />
leadership of Pastor Rob when we attended<br />
Community Church in Keystone Heights,<br />
Florida. During that time, our family grew in<br />
our knowledge of the Lord, and we grew in our<br />
love for God and His people.<br />
Ever since I was a young child, I have had the<br />
privilege of being taught by wonderful pastors.<br />
But never before meeting Pastor Rob have I met<br />
a man with such passion to know God and to<br />
make Him known in such applicable ways. From<br />
the first time Tim and I heard him speak, it was as<br />
if we had known him all of our lives. His openness<br />
to share his struggles and live out his walk with<br />
God in front of his congregation made us love him,<br />
and the Lord, even more. Only a true champion can<br />
be so transparent in hopes of helping others find<br />
victory in Christ.<br />
Pastor Rob brought the Word of God to life in<br />
our lives. It was so obvious how much he treasured<br />
the Word and also how much he respected the<br />
Holy Spirit. Time and time again, we’d watch Pastor<br />
Rob lay aside his plans to follow the leading of<br />
the Holy Spirit –– whether that meant turning the<br />
microphone over to someone else he felt God was<br />
going to use, changing the order of the service, or<br />
stopping in the middle of his sermon to pray about<br />
something God was putting on his heart. More than<br />
words, we received a lesson on humility and servant<br />
hood.<br />
From the moment Tim and I stepped into<br />
Community Church, Pastor Rob embraced our family<br />
and our ministries. He supported each outreach in<br />
every way possible from personally supporting the<br />
ministries financially to volunteering at our events.<br />
He served on our board and faithfully shared our<br />
ministries with his congregation. In a world where<br />
even ministries can<br />
become protective of their turf, Pastor Rob simply<br />
opened his heart and his resources, and he gave.<br />
Thank you, Pastor Rob, for your friendship and<br />
partnership. Thank you for your life: a true example<br />
of faith, hope, and love. Well done, good and faithful<br />
servant. You are a true champion for God! V<br />
We Have Moved!<br />
Send All Inmate Correspondence To:<br />
Victorious Living Prison Outreach<br />
PO Box 968 • Keystone Heights, FL 32656<br />
Donations or General Correspondence Should Be Mailed To:<br />
KOJM / Victorious Living<br />
PO Box 120951 • Clermont, FL 34712-0951<br />
24 www.kojministries.org
Love… Respect…<br />
Unity… Power by Rob Morford<br />
The basic building block of society is the family<br />
unit. Before the church or work or governments,<br />
God created the family. It was to be a teaching tool<br />
of how we are to interact with one another and<br />
ultimately, interact with God. God wanted children<br />
to get their first glimpse of Him through their moms<br />
and dads. He wanted kids to see how the law (dad),<br />
and grace (mom), could work together as equals<br />
to build a home (which is a picture of heaven on<br />
earth).<br />
With every generation, however, this picture<br />
has become more and more distorted as it has<br />
moved away from God’s original design. What has<br />
happened? The family structure has been attacked.<br />
The simple truth is that Satan hates God, and he<br />
hates all that God has created –– especially the<br />
family. From the very beginning he has presented<br />
opportunities for division by tempting various<br />
members of the family unit to resist authority.<br />
Think about it –– neither Adam or Eve submitted<br />
to the authority of God. Both partook of the fruit.<br />
Their son, Cain, didn’t submit, either. Rather than<br />
obeying the Lord and letting go of his hatred<br />
towards his brother, Cain followed his flesh; a<br />
foolish act which led to death, destruction, and<br />
division.<br />
Satan used man’s freewill to cause him to disobey<br />
God. This ultimately brought the sin nature upon all<br />
mankind. The sin nature is birthed in disobedience<br />
or rebellion to authority. The flesh hates authority.<br />
It hates being told what to do or being told it can’t<br />
have something. Have you ever noticed one of the<br />
first words a baby learns is “no”? From an early age,<br />
a battle emerges within the family unit as various<br />
members resist submission and fight for authority.<br />
God ordained authority to bring order, success,<br />
and believe it or not, freedom to the home and to<br />
the hearts of each member of the family. God is the<br />
author of authority and all authority comes from<br />
Him. (Romans 13:1) Satan has perverted authority<br />
and caused it to become something that is rebelled<br />
against.<br />
As a pastor, if I told you how many women ask<br />
me to omit the words “wives obey your husbands”<br />
in their marriage vows, you would be shocked.<br />
Although I agree not to use the word obey, I do<br />
explain that I will use the word submit.<br />
Contrary to popular belief, submission isn’t a bad<br />
word. It’s a good word. In the Greek, it means to<br />
“put oneself under.” It is the woman’s choice to<br />
come under the leadership of her husband for the<br />
betterment of her family. Submission isn’t about<br />
the wife becoming a doormat for the husband to<br />
walk over. It isn’t a license for Him to rule over<br />
her and his home however he chooses. God tells<br />
the man he is to lead his wife from a foundation<br />
of love. “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ<br />
also loved the church, and gave Himself for it.”<br />
Ephesians 5:25 (KJV) A man’s leadership is based<br />
upon his love for his wife, not a prideful desire to<br />
be in charge.<br />
So how did Christ love the church? He laid his<br />
life down for it! He was patient, kind, gentle, and<br />
He gave His all for the ones He loved. I’ve learned<br />
that as I give to my wife the love that she needs<br />
(not necessarily deserves), she begins to follow my<br />
leadership.<br />
When love is absent and obedience is demanded,<br />
slavery is formed. Slaves can be made to obey, but<br />
they cannot be made to submit. Submission is a<br />
choice and it is an attitude. Slavery is not a choice<br />
and the attitude is hidden until it rebels.<br />
On the other hand, God tells wives to submit to<br />
and respect their husbands. See Ephesians 5:22-25.<br />
He won’t always deserve it, but nonetheless, he<br />
needs it. And in a healthy relationship,<br />
the more respect he gets, the<br />
more love he will pour<br />
out upon his wife<br />
and children.<br />
So how does this interchange of authority and<br />
unity play out in the home? Submission is based<br />
upon respect. Respect flows from a sense of being<br />
loved. And when love and respect work together,<br />
unity is formed. And where there is unity, there<br />
is power! A unified family becomes a force to be<br />
reckoned with and no weapon forged against it<br />
can prosper. Authority and submission within the<br />
home opens the floodgates of God’s blessings to<br />
the family.<br />
Homes are destroyed over misconceptions of<br />
authority and submission. Furthermore, salvations<br />
of souls are impacted. Think about it. A child’s first<br />
glimpse of God is their parents. If a child does not<br />
see authority and submission working together in<br />
their home, how will they ever get Born Again? If<br />
they’ve never witnessed or experienced the blessing<br />
of authority and submission, how will they ever<br />
submit to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords? The<br />
home is the training ground for the children of God.<br />
It’s where they witness the order and power of God<br />
that they will then take with them into their own<br />
home, work place, and church.<br />
Right now you may be saying, “Easier said than<br />
done! You don’t know who I live with or what<br />
they’ve done to me!”<br />
You’re right, I don’t. And it is true that God puts<br />
authority in the hands of imperfect people who<br />
don’t always handle it properly. That is why God<br />
asks us to pray for all of those in authority. See I<br />
Timothy 2:1-4. It takes faith to submit. And it takes<br />
love to lead. But with God’s help<br />
— love, respect, unity, and<br />
power can flow and<br />
overtake your home!<br />
V<br />
Rob Morford is pastor of Community<br />
Church of Keystone Heights. He and<br />
his wife, Dotty have three children<br />
and four grandchildren.<br />
www.kojministries.org 25
INSPIRING LEADERSHIP<br />
Can You<br />
Follow the<br />
Leader?<br />
By Bonnie Hagemann<br />
Bonnie Hagemann is a member<br />
of the Board of Directors for<br />
KOJ Ministries. Bonnie is the<br />
CEO of Executive Development<br />
Associates, a 29-year-old<br />
internationally known boutique<br />
consulting firm that specializes<br />
in executive development,<br />
executive coaching, and high<br />
potential development. To date,<br />
Bonnie has 11 published works.<br />
In my experience as an executive coach, I’ve<br />
discovered there are many people who want to be<br />
in positions of authority; few, however, understand<br />
that leading people isn’t about ruling over others,<br />
nor is it about getting your way. Regardless of one’s<br />
position in life, every person has to be willing, at<br />
some point, to lay down their own plans and follow<br />
the plans of others. If not, they will not be successful.<br />
Every position in life has a higher authority, and an<br />
unwillingness to yield to it will cause a multitude of<br />
problems whether in a political, religious, or social<br />
organization.<br />
Consider a large publicly-traded company. The<br />
high potential employee dreams of being a vice<br />
president. The vice president dreams of making it<br />
to the ‘Suite Seats.’ The C-Suite dreams of being the<br />
CEO. But once there, the CEO quickly learns that<br />
instead of one boss, he now has 12 – the board of<br />
directors. And the BOD? Well, they have shareholders<br />
–– thousands of everyday people who have a vote in<br />
what the company does and who runs it.<br />
In a small business, not even the owner has the<br />
last say. They have to answer to investors and/or<br />
the bank. They should listen to their employees who<br />
witness firsthand every level of the daily operations.<br />
Regardless of whether this happens or not, if the<br />
owner doesn’t listen to their customers, there<br />
won’t be a business for very long. Think about the<br />
government. No one has sole authority. Even the<br />
president has to answer to ‘the people,’ the United<br />
Nations, the allied countries, and the press.<br />
Whether in government, large organizations, or<br />
small businesses, as well as in the military or prison<br />
system, and even within the church, if you follow the<br />
chain of command you will always find that every<br />
person has to answer to someone. With this in mind,<br />
learning to follow is just as much of a part of leading<br />
as leading itself. There is no real king of the mountain,<br />
except God. We are all interconnected. Many will<br />
lead, but all will follow. Do you follow well?<br />
There are many barriers to being a good leader.<br />
These barriers usually fall into one of three categories:<br />
fear, pride, or a lack of listening skills. Leaders are<br />
often afraid the person with another strategy will<br />
lead the team down the wrong path. Or, they fear<br />
yielding to another person’s idea will cause that<br />
person to appear more powerful or credible.<br />
A good leader realizes they are<br />
never above learning. A good<br />
leader is coachable and ready<br />
to gain both knowledge and<br />
skill from others, regardless of<br />
who that person is.<br />
Leaders, who act out of fear, rarely realize it. Fear<br />
is at the root, but who sees the root? We usually see<br />
more surface-level behaviors such as political gameplaying,<br />
triangulation, and blatant positioning. These<br />
are ‘fight’ behaviors. In the extreme, fear can trigger<br />
‘flight’ behaviors. In these instances, the leader<br />
threatens to leave, quit, or sue rather than rationally<br />
working through a decision-making process.<br />
Behaviors driven by fear are destructive. Even worse,<br />
the behavior is bound to be repeated throughout a<br />
bumpy and potentially painful career for the leader<br />
and those in his or her path.<br />
Pride is another barrier to effective leadership.<br />
Pride can cause a person in authority to feel that<br />
he or she is the smartest person in the room. They<br />
reason any direction other than their own lacks<br />
crucial information, thorough analysis, or basic<br />
intelligence. These leaders often come across as<br />
bullies. They berate others and project nonverbal<br />
signals of frustration, anger, and annoyance towards<br />
anyone daring to challenge his or her ideas. While<br />
not all pride leads to bullying, it does always prevent<br />
a person from humbling himself to yield and move in<br />
a different direction.<br />
Finally, a lack of listening skills can cause even<br />
the most influential contribution to a decision to<br />
be overlooked. When people aren’t listening, I<br />
mean truly listening holistically with one’s mind<br />
and understanding; they won’t really hear what is<br />
being said. It’s almost as if people have an internal<br />
conversation going on in their heads, “Do I agree<br />
with what is being said or not? If not, then I’m not<br />
listening.” As soon as they encounter something<br />
contrary to their opinion, they build a wall and the<br />
message falls on deaf ears. Listening to and hearing<br />
another’s opinion is the only way to make effective<br />
leadership decisions.<br />
In my work, I’ve seen fear, pride, and an inability<br />
to listen rip organizations apart, causing extreme<br />
financial and interpersonal damage. It doesn’t have<br />
to be that way. Admittedly, the drives to fight and<br />
win are behaviors that can cause an organization to<br />
be successful; but those same behaviors can become<br />
stumbling blocks. Different behaviors are required for<br />
different times and phases of growth.<br />
For all of those who are impacted by your<br />
leadership, learning to follow is just as important as<br />
learning to lead. How about a little test to see if you<br />
can follow the leader?<br />
26 www.kojministries.org
INSPIRING LEADERSHIP<br />
Here’s a quick self-examination:<br />
Do you continually focus on your position<br />
versus the interests of others? A good<br />
leader allows others to challenge his or<br />
her position without feeling personally<br />
threatened or insulted.<br />
Do you cling to your vision at all costs?<br />
Remember, two visions equals division<br />
and anything divided cannot stand.<br />
(Mark 3:25) A good leader considers<br />
the strategies and visions of others and<br />
accepts the fact that there ultimately has<br />
to be someone or some mechanism (such<br />
as a vote) that makes the final decision.<br />
Then, they yield to it.<br />
Do you listen to others? I mean, do you<br />
truly listen to another person’s point<br />
of view? Have you ever taken the time<br />
to argue for the opposite side in order<br />
to test the idea and see if it is actually<br />
better than the one you have put forth?<br />
A good listener doesn’t listen to agree or<br />
disagree, but to understand.<br />
Do you follow others with a good attitude,<br />
or do you grumble and complain? A<br />
negative attitude is detrimental to the<br />
success of the team or organization. It’s<br />
fine to debate a decision or a direction to<br />
a point, but when the final decision has<br />
been made, it’s time to get on board and<br />
act as if it were your decision all along.<br />
Are you open to learn? A good leader<br />
realizes they are never above learning.<br />
A good leader is coachable and ready<br />
to gain both knowledge and skill from<br />
others, regardless of who that person is.<br />
Are you willing to go above and beyond<br />
the call of duty? Once a decision is made,<br />
even if that decision isn’t yours, it’s time<br />
to go to work. It’s the hard-working, getit-done,<br />
arrive-early, stay-late, can-do<br />
person who leads effectively. They are<br />
the one who will be called on again and<br />
again. A good work ethic causes you to<br />
shine when others become dull from poor<br />
attitude, positioning, and arguing.<br />
Did you score well? Remember, nobody is perfect.<br />
Everyone has areas where he or she can improve.<br />
Being willing to acknowledge your weaknesses<br />
and work on them will bring you to new levels<br />
of success. For a more accurate evaluation,<br />
consider asking a trusted friend or co-worker to<br />
answer these questions with you. Often we view<br />
ourselves differently than we actually are. (And<br />
remember, don’t shoot the messenger!) Taking the<br />
time to improve your following skills is important<br />
because learning to follow others will cause others<br />
to follow you. V<br />
Regardless of one’s position<br />
in life, every person has to be<br />
willing, at some point, to lay<br />
down their own plans and follow<br />
the plans of others.<br />
The Lion of the Tribe of Judah is Roaring!<br />
Every Saturday at 7 p.m.<br />
Champion’s Heart<br />
205 Magnolia Avenue • Keystone Heights, FL 32656<br />
Each week features a unique guest worship and word minister!<br />
Check our website to see a listing of upcoming leaders.<br />
352.361.7652<br />
www.ephesians-4-prayer-fellowship.com<br />
Get a FREE copy of The Joshua Accounts!<br />
www.kojministries.org 27
Singing a New Song! by<br />
Donna Hannah<br />
“Glory in His<br />
holy name; Let<br />
the hearts of<br />
those rejoice who<br />
seek the Lord!”<br />
1 Chronicles 16:10 (NKJV)<br />
Just recently I was talking with a fellow Christian<br />
about church and the parts we like the most. I was<br />
telling her that I wish we didn’t have to sing so long.<br />
When I get to church, I just want to sit down and<br />
hear the sermon; I want to hear what God would<br />
have to say to me. My friend looked at me, and with<br />
love said, “Worship time is how we prepare our<br />
hearts to hear God’s message.” What a good friend!<br />
I spent some time praying about my lack of<br />
enjoying worship time. I really didn’t like feeling this<br />
way. I wanted to be a part of it, and I wanted my<br />
heart to be prepared to hear from God. I asked God<br />
to change my heart. The following Sunday I was in<br />
church singing along in worship. In the past, I would<br />
quietly sing the words on the screen, anxiously<br />
waiting for this time of church to be over. The songs<br />
just didn’t have any meaning to me.<br />
This Sunday, however, was different. As I began<br />
to sing, I actually felt the words as I sang them. They<br />
became a part of me and became a praise offering<br />
to God. Suddenly, I felt this desire to sing as loudly<br />
as I could. More than anything, I wanted to give God<br />
praise for His love and His many blessings to me.<br />
1 Chronicles 16:10, “Glory in His holy<br />
name; Let the hearts of those rejoice who<br />
seek the Lord!”(NKJV) My heart was rejoicing,<br />
giving glory to His Holy name.<br />
You know at the end of a chick-flick where the<br />
guy is singing outside of the girl’s window, and even<br />
though he doesn’t sound all that great, the girl has<br />
a big smile on her face as she realizes how much<br />
she is loved? I imagine that’s how God feels as I<br />
am singing from the depths of my heart, letting Him<br />
know how much I truly love Him and appreciate His<br />
blessings. I bet there’s a big smile on His face, too.<br />
1 Chronicles 16:34, “Oh, give thanks to the<br />
Lord, For He is good! For His mercy endures<br />
forever.” (NKJV)<br />
That Sunday, I began to realize the purpose<br />
behind worship. It isn’t about certain music styles, or<br />
about sounding great, or about the people singing<br />
on stage; it is an act of worship, a time to praise<br />
and give thanks, and a time to prepare our hearts to<br />
receive His truth. I finally got it.<br />
1 Chronicles 16:23-25a, “Sing to the Lord,<br />
all the earth; Proclaim the good news of His<br />
Salvation from day to day. Declare His glory<br />
among the nations, His wonders among all<br />
people. For the Lord is great and greatly to<br />
be praised…”(NKJV)<br />
Now when I am at church, I enjoy praise and<br />
worship time. I understand it; and I‘m singing a new<br />
song! I may not be the one with my hands raised the<br />
whole time, (I am a big girl and my arms get tired),<br />
but I can assure you that my heart is overflowing<br />
with love and joy. V<br />
Donna is the office manager at a<br />
mental health service provider. She is<br />
an advocate for Autism Awareness.<br />
Her husband currently serves in the<br />
military. They have 2 sons.<br />
28 www.kojministries.org
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www.kojministries.org 29
y Kristi Overton Johnson<br />
Ever look at a situation and think: Boy,<br />
this sure didn’t turn out like I’d planned?<br />
Happens to me all the time.<br />
Just recently, I was going about my<br />
morning make-up routine. In preparation of<br />
slapping on some much needed cover-up, I<br />
pumped some face cream in my hand and<br />
began to apply it to my face. The<br />
more I tried to get the<br />
cream to absorb in<br />
my skin, the more<br />
it refused. It was<br />
like I was rubbing<br />
sticky glue over<br />
my dry face.<br />
“What in the<br />
world?” I thought.<br />
As I examined<br />
the bottle, I<br />
quickly realized<br />
that what appeared<br />
to be my face cream<br />
was in fact my face wash<br />
(something meant to<br />
be applied onto a wet<br />
face). Since the bottles<br />
are nearly identical in size<br />
and color, I had inadvertently<br />
picked up the wrong one and<br />
pumped away. No wonder the cream felt so<br />
thick and gross.<br />
As I stared in the mirror shaking my head,<br />
I sensed a life lesson rising up in my spirit.<br />
Here it is: often in life we come face to face<br />
with situations, people, and opportunities<br />
that appear to be something they aren’t.<br />
In some cases, what evolves is better than<br />
you had hoped for. Other times, however, the<br />
ultimate result is just one big sticky mess.<br />
With face wash glued to my skin, I realized<br />
that in situations where things don’t go as<br />
planned, you just have to take a deep breath,<br />
laugh at yourself, wash your face, and start<br />
over. It’s the only choice.<br />
I mean… really… what other choices<br />
are there? Am I going to keep the soap on<br />
my face? Am I going to get mad at myself or<br />
blame the bottle? Am I going to back away<br />
from ever applying cream again, afraid of<br />
making the<br />
same mistake?<br />
No. That would<br />
be ridiculous. I’ll<br />
simply wash<br />
my face and<br />
mark the bottle<br />
so I don’t make<br />
the same mistake<br />
again! Live and learn<br />
as they say.<br />
Right now you are probably wondering<br />
how in the world my brain goes in these<br />
directions. I don’t know; it just does. God<br />
has a way of taking every day things like face<br />
wash and dog poop to teach me lessons. But<br />
if you think about, it is a pretty great lesson<br />
that we can all ‘apply.’ (Sorry, I just couldn’t<br />
resist.)<br />
In life, not everything will go as planned.<br />
Sometimes we make mistakes and make<br />
a mess. When that happens we have one<br />
choice: learn from it! ‘Mark the bottle’ and<br />
move on. Refuse to get angry at yourself or<br />
blame others and just keep going. We are<br />
human, we make mistakes.<br />
In cases where others make the mess in<br />
your life –– well, you just have to be willing<br />
to do the same thing –– learn from the<br />
situation and then, move on. How?<br />
First of all, you have to be willing to<br />
forgive those who have hurt you. More than<br />
anything, Satan wants you staring in a mirror,<br />
focused on the mess, filled to the brim with<br />
blame, fear, bitterness, anger, and offense.<br />
Refuse! All this will do is keep you from<br />
moving forward to your destiny.<br />
Secondly, you have to be willing to move<br />
on. I know it’s hard. Trust me, I’ve been there.<br />
But with God’s grace, you can rise up out<br />
of the stickiest, most painful situations and<br />
emerge wiser and stronger than ever.<br />
Give your hurts to God: He will heal your<br />
heart.<br />
Give your questions to God: He will teach<br />
your heart.<br />
Humble yourself and He will lift you up,<br />
clean you up, and move you forward. V<br />
30 www.kojministries.org
Compassionate, Professional Pet Care<br />
Book your wedding,<br />
shower, event,<br />
or meeting at our<br />
beautiful chapel…<br />
the perfect setting for<br />
your function!<br />
We offer:<br />
• Customized visits for pets of<br />
all shapes and sizes<br />
• Visits scheduled according to<br />
your pet’s individual needs<br />
• Dog walking, personal<br />
attention and play time<br />
• Pet taxi service<br />
• Farm animal care<br />
• Home care tasks<br />
Serving Earleton, Melrose,<br />
Keystone Heights,<br />
Hawthorne, Starke, Waldo<br />
& surrounding areas.<br />
For more information, contact Bill and Deborah Coleman at 352-234-5760,<br />
352-246-6025, or by email at Info@lovinghandspets.com.<br />
Champion’s Heart Chapel<br />
205 SW Magnolia Ave.<br />
Keystone Heights, Florida<br />
For more information, call<br />
352-478-2098<br />
www.kojministries.org 31
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