Dr. Johnson Obamehinti|Dr. Feyi Obamehinti |Oasis Focus Inc.|Founders|Equip

Fire For Freedom

2/19/2020

Howdy Friends!

This is a short post :).

I hope your February is cruising along very well. My husband and I just returned from a week long conference in San Antonio, TX. The Riverwalk was the perfect spot to spend our Valentine’s Day. And while in San Antonio, I did something that I could not do before - what you ask? Instead of taking the elevator from the 21st floor at the hotel where we were staying, I decided to take the stairs all the way to the first floor! And then walked 1000 steps to my morning destination. Talk about increase in body heat in a 40 degrees temperature. I share this to say; you build your muscle strength, inner strength and capacity over time. Gradually getting ready for that 26 mile full marathon in 2020 😊.

The use of technology for helping people around the world is getting better with each passing day. Twice a week for the past three weeks I have had the distinct honor to work with some amazing women in Kenya, Africa virtually. These brave women are pastors’ wives from seven different tribes who made a decision to begin their restoration journey using a translated version of my book Crushed to Restored: Principles of Restoration From the Book of Nehemiah (in Bantu Swahili). This is why my calendar has been unavailable this month for virtual one on one sessions. Thank you to my English Learning community translation friends for the invitation and undertaking the huge task of making the freedom sessions possible for these precious women in their native language. Keep up the great work of making God's Word practical in indigenous languages of the world.

More than anything else, these amazing women have blessed me more than they will ever know. Their courage, bravery in the face of unimaginable anguish have sharpened my fire for freedom. I applaud their transparency and vulnerability to confront the trauma they have buried for so long. The oldest in the group of 32 women is 81 years old. It goes to show that it is always the right time to begin restoration. There is no age limit. I am grateful to God for the power of His Word. It is living. It is life. It is liberating. It is healing. What a privilege to be Christ’s ambassador! Until next time friends, keep following the Master Teacher. Love & Blessings!!!

"Christ has set us free to live a free life" (Galatians 5:1).

Masterpiece

1/17/2020

Howdy Friends!

How can it be that we are already halfway through January? The New Year has taken off! I hope your seat belts are on for a terrific ride. As customary, we have technicians come in and do routine inspections on all things like plumbing, electrical, and hvac the first few weeks of a new year in our home. This helps us plan if we have anything that needs quick attention or something for later time. This approach has been helpful to spot things we typically would not have caught. We do not rely on last’s year inspection reports to plan for the new year. Each year, presents different areas to take care of.

The new year-2020 arrived with the Holy Spirit speaking along the lines of a technician. You see a technician has spent countless of hours learning the trade as an apprentice under the tutelage of a master technician. Nowadays we have vocational schools for technicians to attend. Back in the days of Claude Monet, Leonardo da Vinci, Charles Dickens, Vincent van Gogh and such more, they supervised apprentices producing various masterpieces. A masterpiece is known as a creation of outstanding creativity, skill or workmanship. As part of our Christmas festivities, our family (with exception of one daughter) had the fun of painting one of Vincent van Gogh’s masterpieces- The Starry Night, depicting the village of Saint Remy. Pictured below (with permission to share from instructor), are Vincent van Gogh’s original masterpiece and our painting group’s pictures showcasing each of our paintings. All we had to do was listen to the master teacher’s instructions and follow each step as given. Daydreaming or attending to distractions meant one missed a step of instruction that eventually affected the masterpiece-painting. The best part was that some of us (some of the younger members) had no idea we could make such masterpieces; but we came into the painting studio with eager anticipation to follow the master.

This is what year 2020 requires- following the Master Teacher -Jesus Christ as He leads, guides, corrects, feeds, cleans, and the list goes on and on. The beauty of following the Master Teacher is that you- His creature is already a masterpiece. You are not living to be a masterpiece. In fact, you are the Master’s piece of beautiful creation. Look at what Ephesians 2: 10, says about you who have been created anew in Christ Jesus; you precious follower of Christ. It says, “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.” He has done all the planning ahead of time. He has made you a masterpiece, so you can go and do those inspections and take care of His business on His behalf. So, if there is any repair work needed, He has factored all that into His already completed masterpiece. No wonder, the Bible says, God is an Awesome God! He is! He already thought about every single thing before making you a masterpiece. This is a good place to praise and thank the Lord!

So dear friends, there you have it- your 2020 simple goal: “Follow the Master Teacher” with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30). I assure you; He has the best custom designed instructions just for you His masterpiece! This is to a wonderful 2020 under the tutelage of the Master Teacher! Love & Blessings!!!

“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.” - Ephesians 2: 10

Propeller Dynamics

12/27/2019

Howdy Friends!

I hope you had a relaxing and fun Christmas celebration with family and friends! To kick off our Christmas family time, my good long-time friend, Joyce cooked our family gumbo, rice and cornbread. What a treasure she, her husband and family are! We are so grateful! My darling husband and I have been enjoying much needed relaxation with our beautiful adult daughters from Europe and California. They both have spoiled us in many ways. We have been blessed in giving the gift of time to each other. With two Christmas candle-light services (one on Sunday at our local church and the other at a nearby church on Tuesday evening), late night chats, movies, bowling, painting, smores by the fireplace, exercising and sampling different dishes they have cooked, my husband and I can now say we are fully rejuvenated from our ministry time in Nigeria, Africa. No more jet lags :) So much thanks and love for all the cherished moments they created. We missed one beautiful daughter in all the festivities. By the way, the Nigeria conference pictures are in (107 new pictures), so check them out on the Resources Tab of this website. Click on the play icon of the photo slideshow to see all the pictures from the 2019 Nigeria Conference. Send us a note and let us know which Nigeria conference picture is your favorite one (info@oasisfocus.org).

With a few days left in 2019, the Holy Spirit has been speaking to me about “propeller dynamics” as we move into the new year 2020. For better understanding for my non-science friends, a propeller is a tool with a rotating hub and radiating blades that form a helical spiral. When rotated, a propeller is typically used to push forward or thrust something. Not to go too much into scientific details, a propeller changes rotational energy into linear thrust. Though uncomfortable and yet needful, God uses propeller dynamics to fulfill His purpose. So, it is not a matter of if we like or want propeller dynamics; but a matter of surrender and obedience to God's purposes. We are always better because of it. Thank You, Lord!

The year 2019 had many God ordained propeller dynamics, without which the upcoming new year would not be all God intends for it to be. This year could have been filled with many propeller dynamics for you too. The good news is you made it! Those areas or times in your life that it felt you were riding one of those fast thrill rides at Six Flags. Those times have the greatest potential for deepening our relationship with God and others. I am grateful for all the propeller dynamics this year. What a ride! From the release of my book: Crushed to Restored: Principles of Restoration From The Book of Nehemiah, to all the amazing people and friends I met at conferences, speaking engagements, community events, professional events, radio interviews, podcasts, TV interviews and guest blog posts, I am better and richer for each propeller dynamics. Grateful for each one and each propeller dynamics.

I am closing out 2019 with a song and shout of praise from Psalm 31:19 as our family prepare our hearts for the new year and new decade. Traditionally, we pray into the new year. We will be praying over all the prayer requests that have been sent to us for 2020. We will be standing in agreement with you for all God has in store for your 2020. This is to a wonderful Happy New Year! Love & Blessings!!!

“Oh how great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you have worked for those who take refuge in you, before the sons of men.”
- Psalm 31:19

Gifted Hands

12/6/2019

Howdy Friends!

It is Christmas season! The bells. The lights. The festiveness. All pointing to the celebration of the birth of Jesus our Savior! And we are back from a fruitful ministry time in Nigeria, Africa. One testimony that has been ministering to my heart on the power and simplicity of obedience is from our conference host herself-Pastor Nike Akerele. She indicated that the giant in each one was awakened through what God did! That is prophetic in many ways. Thank You, Lord! And thank you to all our Nigerian ministry friends and partners. Grateful for your obedience that has proven to be better than sacrifice. Be sure and check out my husband’s blog page for a brief recap of our time in Nigeria, Africa.

Back at work, we are enjoying all the season brings here at Oasis Focus Inc. One of the books in our home library is Gifted Hands by Dr. Ben Carson. He is one of the most distinguished neurosurgeons in the world. The book chronicles his life living in inner-city Detroit to his medical practice as director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital at the age of 33. Best of all, he shares how his faith in God grounded him from a young age to who he is today. For the past four Christmas, here at Oasis Focus Inc. we have made it a point to put a little spark in the lives of children in hospitals. Each year, we have distributed new story books to local county hospitals. This year we get to put more than a spark; but also, a warmth of love that sick children and their families will cherish for a long time.

Mr. & Mrs. Wolgamott are dear friends and supporters of Oasis Focus Inc. They love the Lord and help with different ministry assignments. This year, Mrs. Wolgamott has used her God given gift of knitting to make 50 blankets that will benefit sick children at our local hospital. To appreciate this amazing woman of God and her gift, is to know the kind of woman she is and the details of what it cost her to make the blankets. You see, it takes her 6.5 hours to knit one blanket. Let’s do the math on 50 blankets. That’s an estimated 325 hours to make the blankets. And Mrs. Wolgamott is 72 years old! She is a modern-day Dorcas (Acts 9:36-43) who is making a difference in our world through her gifted hands. She started knitting the Christmas blankets months ago. She promised to have them completed by the time we came back from Africa. And she is already planning for next year Christmas donation. Through her knitting service, 50 children and their families will experience the love of God in a special way this Christmas. Thank you, Mrs. Wolgamott! You are a treasure in God’s kingdom! My husband and I are very grateful for the Wolgamotts and every person God have called to co-labor together for His kingdom here at Oasis Focus Inc. That's it for now, friends. This is to a wonderful Christmas season and a blessed New Year! Love & Blessings!!!

"A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed" (Proverbs 11:25).

Anchor Your Faith

11/13/2019

Howdy Friends!

How can it be possible it’s already November! With Thanksgiving just two weeks away! We are gradually moving into the holiday season. Lots of cooking, shopping and party coming up. Before any of that, my husband, myself, our daughters and team have been and still preparing for ministry in Africa. Excited for all God is saying and doing. This post is short, and it balances my last long post 😊

Since my last post, I have been inundated with virtual meetings with Christians and non-Christians literally from every continent ready to begin their restoration journeys. What has been the coolest thing is the openness of the non-Christians I have worked with. They have an openness to know what faith in Jesus is all about and how to process trauma through the Bible. Their openness bears witness to the fact that pain is no respecter of person. And pain has a way of seeking for medicine whether good or bad.

On the other hand, what has stirred me to a deeper place of intercession is for my fellow Christians at the verge of giving up on God. Sometimes, pain does that. It erodes trust in God, His Word, His power, His Spirit and His people. However, it does not have to be the case. I love that God allows questions in our walk and relationship with Him. These questions have a way of leading us to a ray of light that God uses to illuminate our hearts and understanding of who He is. Our faith then comes out soaring just like what Isaiah 40:31 describes: “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”

One key thing that helps to propel our faith is anchoring our trust in God’s truth. Nothing else will nurture our faith as God’s truth, because being able to anchor our faith in truth is paramount to having a vibrant relationship with God, no matter the season we may be in. God’s truth is His Word- all of it, from Genesis to Revelation. This might be where you are at this moment- about to give up on God. Please do not do it. Your life is incomplete without God. You were created with a need that can only be satisfied with God. This is why we need Jesus to give us the God kind of life that satisfies. Want to chat more on this type of faith? Send me an email or schedule a virtual session through the Crushed to Restored website. I can’t wait to engage heart to heart with you! Until next time, stay connected and anchor your faith in God’s truth. Love & Blessings.

"He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge;
the fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure" (Isaiah 33:6).

Fixing Systems

9/6/2019

Howdy Friends!

Brace yourselves.....this is a long post☺.It is September and I have missed posting. Schools are back in session and that means a lot for everyone. Parents are excited kids are back in school. Students are excited to learn and make new friends. Educators are excited to get back in the saddle and do what they are called to do in preparing our next generation. And for us at Oasis Focus Inc. it means disciplining and equipping people for the Lord.

Talking about school back in session, takes me to our educational system in this post. How it is everyone’s responsibility to fix our system and not just for our elected officials. I heard that a lot from well-meaning people, that it is the sole responsibility of elected officials to fix our systems. Our government and systems were not meant to be fixed by elected officials alone. It was meant for “we the people” working together to fix our systems and make it what it is supposed to be for the good of all. This is where my fellow believer friends come in.

Despite the polarity that our systems have, working together means we seek out the common good for everyone. Take for example health, it is one thing everyone needs no matter who they are. Good health is a gift we receive from God; yet with great responsibility in maintaining it. Healthy habits become a lifestyle that determines more than one’s physical health.

Last month, I had the privilege of serving our students enrolled in our Texas Public School system (July 2019 data enrollment data released by Texas Education Agency states we currently have 5 million students in our public schools) with fellow colleagues as content advisors for the Health Education Standards which is up for review. Because it is possible from diverse perspectives, we worked on recommendations that will help guide the State Board of Education in the review process. The process set by our Texas Education Agency and the State Board of Education is thorough and rigorous to ensure the highest standards of curriculum for all students. Each subject area undergoes a review of the standards taught to our students. What people are not aware of is that the entire process relies on the participation of everyone to make the system work the way it should. There are opportunities for everyone in Texas to participate in fixing our system in terms of curriculum standards.

The first opportunity is being part of a work group that will review the current Health Education TEKS. The State Board of Education is accepting applications to help them achieve their goal of bringing our Health Education TEKS up to date. And again, you don’t need to be a certified teacher or administrator to do this. Spiritual leaders, community leaders, parents, business owners are all welcome to participate. Click this hyperlink to go to the workgroup application and participate.

The second opportunity is being part of a work group that will review the current Physical Education TEKS. The State Board of Education is accepting applications to help them achieve their goal of bringing our Physical Education TEKS up to date. And again, you don’t need to be a certified teacher or administrator to do this. Spiritual leaders, community leaders, parents, business owners are all welcome to participate. Click this hyperlink to go to the workgroup application and participate.

Participating is essential to fixing our systems and every participation counts. Let’s get to working together to fix our systems and not just sit on the side lines and watch. Let’s be proactive and productive at the same time. Please feel free to send any questions my way, I will be glad to answer or point you in the right direction if I don’t have your answer. To learn more about the Health Education TEKS Review click on this hyperlink. Likewise, to learn more about the Physical Education TEKS Review click on this hyperlink.

Dear friends, I know many of you wrote me asking for me to write something spiritual in my next post, this is it friends. Practical spirituality, shining Jesus light to our world. Until next time, stay connected and engaged in fixing our systems. Love & Blessings. (Updated 9/6/19 broken links removal)

“Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid” (Matthew 5:14).

Health Education TEKS Review Content Advisors Work Session in Austin, TX (August 2019).
Names From 1st Left Picture: TEA Staff (Ms. Synder), Dr. Obamehinti, Mr. Flippen, Ms. Riley, Dr. Taylor, TEA Staff (Ms. Ramos), Dr. Kanaan & Dr. Lesch.

Week #18 Book Updates

7/19/2019

Howdy Friends!

It has been a while since my last update back in May. So much to update you on this post! I will do my best to give you the highlights so this post will not take you more than 5 minutes to read. Summer has been full, full, full! We had Father’s Day celebrating our amazing dads. On our end, we had fun spoiling my husband. We have to slow him down for this special day, because he loves serving all of us. Grateful for his daily example to us all.

This year has been a birthing year and bringing forth of heaven to earth. Ecstatic for each birthing. Drum roll!! Audiobook of Crushed to Restored has been completed and under review before it is released. I will keep you posted when that happens. Drum roll number two!! Oasis Focus Inc. family book was published last week! The Educator’s Compass- a weekly Bible Study curriculum for public school educators! Yes, you read that correctly 😊. In just few days of release, the response has been great. If you have any teacher in your life, be sure and get them this Bible Study that they can relate to as educators. We believe that the community teachers will develop through the Bible and prayer with each other will be an energizer for their overall well-being. To order, click on this Amazon hyperlink.

For those of you that have asked for an official review of Crushed to Restored, that is now available. You may catch up on the official review here: Official Review of Crushed to Restored. Thank you to all the wonderful hosts and their teams that have had me on their broadcasts sharing about Crushed to Restored. Grateful for how God has connected us to spread the message of hope and restoration together. Be sure to visit Crushed to Restored site to also catch up on the various broadcasts. That's it for now friends! Until next post, enjoy the rest of your summer! Love & Blessings!!

"The Lord has done what He planned; He has fulfilled His word, which He decreed
long ago." Lamentations 2:17a

Repost: Five Loaves And Fishes

6/28/2019

"Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10)

We began this year with excitement to partner with the Maker of heaven and earth to see what He will do this year. He has been faithful and we are grateful! It is the end of June and we give great thanks for all God has done this first half of the year. From our analytics data since January 1, 2019, we have had 65,588 visits to our ministry website, out of this number, we had 19,491 first time visitors to the site, 86 salvations reports received from the Oasis Connection TV and prayed over 618 prayer requests sent. As we prepare for the second half of the year, we are placing Oasis Focus Inc.’s “five loaves and fishes” in God’s hand to do as He sees fit for the glory of His name.

In John 6: 1-14, we read about Jesus interaction with His disciples. He had just crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee. Many followed Him because of the miracles He did by healing the sick. As Jesus sat down with His disciples at the mountainside, from there, He looked and saw the hunger of the people coming towards Him. Jesus only did what He saw the Father doing (John 5:19). What Jesus saw moved Him into action to feed the people. We know the story of the five loaves and fishes. Jesus had His disciples sit people down. He then took the boy’s lunch that Andrew one of His disciples pointed out. With the loaves and fishes in Jesus hands, He gave thanks and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. After everyone had finished eating, Jesus asked His disciples to gather the leftover food so that nothing will be wasted. The Bible records that twelve baskets were gathered of the five loaves. This is nothing but a miracle. A supernatural occurrence.

We are excited to continue this partnership with the Maker of heaven and earth. As we embark on the second half of this year, we do so with two Kingdom partners God has connected Oasis Focus Inc. with. Oasis Connection TV will now be reaching souls weekly in the central and west coasts through Total Living Network (TLN), a Christian broadcasting network that is focused on directing people to Jesus Christ and addressing life’s issues through it’s television ministry. TLN has a heart to reach families; of which we are grateful to serve alongside as co-laborers for God’s glory! Information on how to connect to TLN, it’s channels and where to watch will be posted on our TV Broadcast page.

Next, Oasis Connection TV will make its debut to the continent of Africa through weekly broadcasts on Africa Christian Broadcasting Network (ACBN TV), Africa’s official Christian Cable TV station. ACBN is headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria and has a heart for salvation, redemption and restoration of souls in addition to bringing the Body of Christ together through its distinct work with Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN). Again, we are grateful to serve alongside ACBN as co-laborers for the glory of our King! Information on how to connect to ACBN and where to watch will be posted on our TV Broadcast page.

Our first broadcasts on TLN will be Saturday, July 6, 2019 at 8:30AM CST covering the central coast and Wednesday, July 10, 2019 at 8:30AM CST covering the west coast. Our first broadcast on ACBN will be Saturday, July 6, 2019 at 11:00PM GMT +1 (5:00PM CST,USA). Though you may not have cable or the specific channels based on your location, the great news is both TV networks, stream worldwide. Check our broadcast page for information on connecting and watching 24/7. We began praying for the souls in each of these territories back in March. We know as Jesus Christ is lifted up through Oasis Connection, God will draw souls to Himself. On behalf of our board, my wife, and I thank each of you for your prayers and support. Through God’s help, your connection and commitment we are able to launch deeper with the message of hope, equipping and restoration.

For The Cause of Christ,

Dr. Johnson Obamehinti

Repost From 2015: Happy Father's Day

6/7/2019

When my husband and I had our first daughter, he was captivated by the awesomeness of God in Lola. She was a pre-mature baby and needed lots of tender care. My husband would carry her on his shoulders for hours; rock her to sleep and even gaze at her while she was sleeping in her crib.  The captivation increased with the birth of Layo and Lade.  Through the years of parenting, I have watched in amazement, his love and extreme patience with our daughters. For example, he taught them how to drive and they all obtained their drivers license. My attempt to teach the first two how to drive was futile.  I heard things like, “That’s not how Dad showed me how to make a left turn.”  Hence, I did not venture to teach our last daughter how to drive. I love the father-daughter bond each of our daughters has with their Dad. It is a blessing that has enabled each one of them to blossom and thrive into young women of God today.

This weekend as our family tradition is, we will express our love, honor, appreciation and gratitude to Dad. Each daughter finds one of her favorite picture of a special time with Dad to celebrate him. We are a family that loves to celebrate every occasion God blesses us with.  We felt it would be good to share this family tradition through this post to encourage more families in a lifestyle of celebration and honor.  Happy Father’s Day to my incredible husband! You are amazing! I love you! Happy Father’s Day to my Dad, blood brothers, brothers in Christ, our community fathers, pastors, colleagues and mentors.  We salute you and pray continual blessings upon you!

Lola: “ A Dad is someone who listens with his heart and teaches not by words but by example.”  Dad, you have taught me so much simply by the way you live your life. You have encouraged, influenced and inspired me all just by being the man of God and the dad you are. It is such a blessing to have you as my father. Thank you, for always listening to me and providing godly sound advice.  Thank you for loving our family well. I pray that God blesses me with a man just like you as a husband. Here is one of my fondest precious moments with you. I love you Daddy! Happy Father’s Day!

Layo:  Happy Father’s Day Dad! I love all the traits we share; our calmness, sense of humor, and passion for encouraging people. I also love the areas we are different. One of these areas is your leadership and interactions with people. I have never met anyone who can become friends with a roomful of strangers so quickly, and who just as quickly can garner their respect because of your sincerity of heart as you engage them in conversation. You care for people to the point of sacrifice. I think that is why God’s anointing flows so freely through your life. I can always count on your sound advice that comes through prayer. I don't think I'll ever be able to thank you enough Dad, for all you are in my life. You are truly priceless, and I thank God for the wonderful man of God you are. Here is one of my most precious moments with you, taking me to Europe. I couldn't be more grateful to be your daughter, and I love you!!

Lade: Dad! Happy Father’s Day! Today, we celebrate you, your life, and your example. You are exceptionally great at leading a life that is an example of agape. You are patient, kind, selfless, gracious and strong.  I love your passion for sharing the transformative power of the cross. Many times, in my prayer, I ask God for a man of faith, character, and God’s heart just like you. I am absolutely enamored by your passion and natural will to live out a spirit-led life and your praying spirit and anointing for prayer inspire me. Your empowerment to minister to others through timely words of knowledge for the weary, edification of fellow believers and powerful witness will be strengthened and magnified to even greater proportions in Jesus name, Amen! Here is one of my favorite times with you. I love you and appreciate you :)

Note: To see the accompanying pictures with this post, click on hyperlink for the original post.

Week # 10 Book Updates

5/22/2019

Howdy Friends!

Thank you for all the birthday greetings, wishes, prayers and gifts. I am blessed by each of you! My life tank is overflowing with so much love, joy and gratitude. Thank you to my incredible husband and daughters who went all out again to make this year's celebration a memorable one. We found out we have a new taste for painting; which was one of my celebration activities for my birthday. Our paintings now adorn our kitchen for a daily reminder. Then Mother's Day was filled with sweet family moments. Grateful to have three amazing daughters who make this honor of being a mother unforgettable in every way. They tell me how blessed they are that God made me their Momma. It's the other way round; I am the blessed one for sure! Thank you Honey! You are the BEST! I love you! Thank you Daughters! I love each of you and so proud to be your Momma!

Summer is around the corner! This means school is almost out for many students. Well done on completing another school year. Congratulations to all graduates! And congratulations in order for all my former students who have sent me wedding invitations. It's a busy summer and I am stoked about each moment ahead.

The past six weeks I have been blessed to be part of two colleges special topics class as a visiting lecturer. Guess what the topic was? Trauma! So glad this is now at the fore front of colleges too. My professor friend in California invited me back in late March as a visiting author since her class is using my book (Crushed to Restored) as a class resource. Trauma is no longer a covered up thing that is forbidden. For healing to take place, there must be demonstrated care in a welcoming environment that allows people who have been abused to talk about those hard places in their lives, so they can heal and move forward in their lives. Honored to have shared my life story and guide many students in similar situations. Hope is spreading like a healing balm and it gives me so much joy!!

I promised the students I would post our central discussion points on trauma (I have no permission to post our pictures and licensed counselors understand why). I hope and pray these discussion points are helpful to those of you on your restoration journeys as well. I am praying for you passionately; because I understand and know what it is to be where you are. My prayer remains the same: that you will each find hope in Jesus Christ, freedom and healing that will make you look back in deep gratitude for your life and journeys. It is only possible through Jesus Christ, Savior of the world.

Trauma Discussion Points: Firstly, to be a giver in every sense is a blessing and this trait must be stewarded well. However what happens when you become more like an ATM machine with no limits. Any relationship will suffer if cultivated and built this way. Secondly, how do you navigate life withdrawals from your life that leave you in the red emotionally and physically? If not appropriately handled, these red withdrawals can lead to trauma. Thirdly, some cultures around the world have social contracts that are developed and must be followed. How do you break free from such co-dependent relationships to live a life of freedom in Christ? This requires the help of both a spiritual leader and professional licensed counselor. Next, how do you break free from triangulation? This is a tactic in abuse situations to deflect from addressing key issues or responsibilities. It is important to recognize what it looks like. Lastly, how do you recognize toxicity? Toxicity has a pattern. Toxic is toxic no matter the enhancements. One of the best Bible based guidelines I shared with the class as a follow up is an article by Focus on the Family. Click on the Focus on the Family hyperlink to read the article. You were created with loving intentions by God in His own likeness. You have divine nature in you! Because of this divine nature, you can overcome and be a victor who honors God even in the most difficult of situations. You are so loved and I believe in you! “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’ So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth." Genesis 1:26-28

Excited about summer: audiobook will be released (just three chapters left to complete the recording), family book will be released, three college appearances and I am looking forward to Summer Community Bible Study on the Book of Malachi. Find more information on the Summer Bible Study by visiting: https://bit.ly/2IRlrBC. That's it for now friends! This is to a terrific summer!

Again, if you are yet to get a copy of the book, visit Advantage Books, Amazon or Barnes & Noble. And please, don't forget to write to let me know you started your restoration journey. I would love to keep you in prayer. I believe in you! Love and Blessings!!

"Stand firm therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage." Galatians 5:1

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