My Son's visit at the Youth Detention Center

“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in truth.” 3 John 1:4
Last month, several volunteers from OWLAD were privileged to go to our local youth detention center. We had been the month before and because another group could not go in October, we were offered the chance again.
Since I don’t believe in coincidences, I know God orchestrated this time of sharing with these youth. The reason I say this is that our son, Rob, agreed to go and share with the residents. They ranged in age from 12 to 16 years old. So sad to see them making destructive life changing choices at such an early age. Some were in for murder. Oh how early the enemy grabs the young, once innocent, souls.
We shared from Luke 15 about the prodigal son and how he left home and ended up in the pig pen before heading back home. Rob shared his journey as a prodigal. He urged them not to travel down the same path he did. He shared about having to go to prison and that it is definitely not a party or a party time. He is often able to discern from their attitude and stance whether they are going to make positive changes or be right back on the street. This time he noticed a young man who was very attentive and asking questions. He spent some time talking with him alone, encouraging him to return to his studies and his involvement with football. He also encouraged him to avoid activities with old friends. This young man seemed to engage with what was shared and showed promise of turning his life around.
Next, one of our mothers shared from her heart about both her daughters who had served time. She continues to pray for one daughter who has not come home. Afterwards, we were able to sit down and share with the youth one on one.
After talking more with Rob, two of the guys wanted to pray to re-ceive Christ and others rededicated their life in answer to our prayers. We were so grateful for the chance to share God’s love with those young people. We pray it will make an impact and that they will begin to make wiser choices. Hopefully, they will think about what they heard and it will be a deterrent in the future.
We literally had to drag Rob out as he continued to warn the kids and encourage them to change their direction before it led to prison. Maybe he is beginning to realize God’s call on his life. He displayed a tender caring heart and the kids seemed to respond well to his sharing.
You have that same opportunity to share with those who you live with day in and day out. Your life can speak volumes as you live Christ in front of them. Share your testimony as the opportunity arises or you can share God’s Word, or

Face To Face with the Enemy

Face to Face with the Enemy
Seven years ago God called me into ministry to prodigals and their families with the passage in Isaiah 42: 6-7, “I, the LORD have called you in righteousness, and will hold your hand; I will keep you and give you as a covenant to the people, as a light to the Gen-tiles [Prodigals], to open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from prison, those who sit in darkness from the prison house.”
Because God is setting prison-ers (captives) free our minis-try has faced opposition from the enemy in his attempts to either bring us down or to bring confusion. We pray of-ten for God’s wisdom and dis-cernment as God directs our steps. We have sixty some prayer partners that have covenanted to hold us up with warfare prayers. We covet your prayers also as we also intercede for you and your family. Many of you have said you pray for us and we thank you.
I am such a visual learner so recently as my husband and I turned off the major highway and rounded the curve we came face to face with a coy-ote (wolf), to me they are the same. He was huge and stood in the median staring our way. It was unnerving! I thought, oh man, this is very signifi-cant.
Don’t we wish we could ‘see’ our enemy all the time from a protected viewpoint, like an armored car? Well we can’t always see the enemy so we have to stay in the Word and not be ignorant of the tactics of the enemy. We need to be prepared to face our enemy. We will share more about that in the Application.
The next morning I opened the Word straight to Mat-thew 10:16, “Lo, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; be wary and wise as serpents, and be innocent--harmless and without falsity--as doves.” A wolf here was used to describe false proph-ets who persecute the true sheep and seek to destroy the church or a ministry.
If we are a child of God we are His sheep and He, as our Shepherd, protects us. The Shepherd tends, keeps, guards, and guides us as our Good Shepherd. I know this visual He gave me was meant to make me more aware that the enemy is prowling around seeking who he may devour, but He also provided His pro-tection in the safety of my car.
Just like my surprise at com-ing face to face with the coy-ote we can all come around the bend and find ourselves face to face with the enemy. That is why preparation and intercession keeps us ready for the daily battles that come our way. Are you pre-paring?
Application:
1. Are you daily applying the armor as described in Ephesians 6? The ene-mies fiery darts come before you step your foot on the floor, so apply it before you get out of bed.
2. Are you starting your day in His Word? He will lead you to a passage that pre-pares you for what you may face that day. Don’t neglect meeting with Him.
3. Are you letting the enemy come in and bring you discouragement or are you speaking a word of rebuke in Jesus name?
4. Are you falling to tempta-tions that come your way? Hide His Word in your heart and speak it when temptations come. Sin in your life needs to go. You cannot do battle with the enemy when you are half-way in his camp. Your life must be striving towards holiness.

Dear Child, let Me lead

Several years ago a dear friend gave me a plague with the following statement: "Dear Child It's Not Following Unless You Let Me Go First".  After we moved into our new office the plague sat on the floor for a while.  Today I put it on the wall and have reflected on it all day.
Isn't it a true statement.  Often we want to be in the lead.  That reminds me of another picture I saw at a conference one day with a couple waltzing together.  It so reminded me of our relationship with Christ.  We are either letting Him lead us or we are walking all over His feet and plans for our life and not following His lead in this dance we call life.
Lord forgive me when I try to lead.  I want to surrender to Your plan and purpose for me, so I rest in Your arms and look forward to our dance together. I want to stay in perfect step, letting you go first.

Praising the Lord

I recently had an hour long conversation with our son and was rejoicing when it ended.  He was sharing how he had witnessed to a friend the day before.  The friend was using some language that was offensive to him and he asked him to stop saying it when he was talking to him.  Now that is truly amazing.
What a witness that will be to his friend and what a wonderful bold step for our son.  He is ministering to others that are having anger and relationship problems.  He can certainly do that because he has been there himself in the past.
Who better to share with us than someone who has been there, right?  It reminds me of the passage in 2 Corinthians 1: 3-4, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God."
I am thrilled to see our son reaching out to someone whether a believer or not and making a stand.  I love it when I am in a group and someone hesitates to share a joke or say words that are not pleasing to my Father, aren't you.  I always tell them thank you.
Lets all look for those Divine Appointments we have and be bold enough to speak out.  It's in those moments that we do that I think the Lord and His angels are rejoicing in heaven.

A Visit to the Youth Detention Center

Several of us who are involved in the On Wings Like a Dove ministry were recently privileged to visit our local Youth Detention Center.  Each time we go I am blown away by what these young people have been exposed to in their short life, and therefore the choices they have made.
Some of them are very open to share their stories of drug use and crime.  It saddens me to the core.  For one thing, it is like going back in time with our own son.  I have also asked God to give me a heart for the lost and it grieves me that most of these young people have not learned about Jesus' love for them and His sacrifice on the cross.
We played the son "Redeemed" by Big Daddy Weave.  He sings about not being who he used to be because Christ has redeemed him.
We talked in our small groups about what it means to be redeemed.  Here is the definition"

1. Compensate for the faults or bad aspects of something.  "a disappointing debate redeemed only by an outstanding speech."
2. Gain or regain possession of (something) in exchange for payment.  "his best suit had been redeemed from the pawnbrokers."
3. Synonyms: Retrieve, Regain, Recover, Get back, Reclaim, Repossess.

Redemption is the purchasing back of something that had been lost by the payment of a ransom.  Christ paid our ransom on the cross as He sacrificed Himself by His blood.  The debt we owed as sinners was not only cancelled but was paid in full.

If you have not made that decision for yourself won't you do it today?

If you have drifted away won't you confess that to Jesus today?  His Word says if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us.

If you want more information on how to ask Jesus to rule in your heart and life, write us and we will send you some materials.

Laying your Isaac down

I am praying for you all and especially those of you who are having such struggles today.  I was reading Jesus Calling and had hoped to copy but can't get it done so will type it for you because it is so important.

"Entrust your loved ones to me; release them into My protective care.   They are much safer with Me than in your clinging hands.  If you let a loved one become an idol in your heart, you endanger that one---as well as yourself.  Remember the extreme measures I used with Abraham and Isaac.  I took Isaac to the very point of death to freee Abraham from son-worship.  Both Abraham and Isaac suffered terrible because of the father's undisciplined emotions .  I detest idolatry, even in the form of parental love.

When you release loved ones to Me, you are free to cling to My hand.  As you entrust others into My care, I am free to shower blessings on them.  My Presence will go with them wherever they go, and I will give them rest.  This same Presence stays with you, as you relax and place your trust in Me.  Watch to see what I will do.  

When they reached the place God had told him him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it.  He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood.  Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.  But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven,  "Abraham! Abraham!

"Here I am," he replied.

"Do not lay a hand on the boy," he said.  "Do not do anything to him.  Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son."

Are you holding on to your loved one?  The thing that really struck me this morning is that you can't hold on to God's hands if you are holding on to any thing or anyone else.  You have to let go.  He does give you a choice. 

Is God testing your heart today??  Have you truly let go.  When Abraham drew back to plunge the knife in Isaac God said ok Abraham now I know what choice you have made.  You have given your one and only Son.

If you haven't laid down your Isaac it might be time today.  Then when you release He can work, not only on them but on you.  Oh I am praying for your release this morning.

I love you all

Sandra

Post Retirement Decisions

I retired recently and have been questioning whether I should try to keep my nursing license active so that I could work IF it became necessary. I have also wondered if I should try another part time job like pet sitting, sitting with patients,  painting, selling Shakly, or writing. It is a little disconcerting to quit bringing in any monies upon retirement.  So I have been asking the Lord to show me clearly what He wants me to do.  I want to be obedient to His direction and have the faith not to second guess Him.

The other day I had my quiet time on the screened in porch.  I love to be outside listening to the birds (especially the cooing of the doves). I also enjoy the breeze marching through the trees and watching the flowers as the butterflies come and go.  Often times I can also have a quick visit with a neighbor as they pass by.

I decided to go down into the flower garden the other day and left my Bible open on the porch.  The breeze blew my pages and when I returned my eyes fell on Psalm 45.  As I scrolled down that chapter one verse got my attention:  "My heart overflows with a "godly theme; I address my psalm to a king.  My tongue is as the pen of a ready writer."  I believe God was saying this is what I want you to do; write.  Now I am not the best writer in the world, but I love to journal about how God has worked in my life or shown me direction or spoken from His word.

So I have made a commitment to blog again and I want to submit some articles to some magazines and see if I can get any interest from them.  Pray for me as I pursue this adventure.  

Moving into our New Office

As I sought the Lord, He
took me back to 2 Chronicles and Solomon’s prayer
of dedication for the Temple. In 2006, I had this
same scripture for our
first office. Let me share
it with you. In Chapter 6,
verses 14-15, it proclaims
that there is no God like
Him and that He is a covenant keeping God. Read as
follows: “and he said:
“Lord God of Israel, there
is no God in heaven or on
earth like You, who keep
Your covenant and mercy
with Your servants who
walk before You with all
their hearts. You have
kept what You promised
Your servant David my father; You have both spoken
with Your mouth and fulfilled it with Your hand, as
it is this day.” II Chronicles 6:14-15
Verse 40 is our prayer for
God to hear the prayers
offered up in His house.
“Now my God, I pray, let
Your eyes be open and let
Your ears be attentive to
the prayer made in this
place.” I Chronicles 6:40
In Chapter 7, Verse 12, He
declare that He has heard
our prayers: “Then the
Lord appeared to Solomon
by night, and said to him:
“I have heard your prayer,
and chosen this place for
Myself as a house of sacrifice.” II Chronicles 7:12
In verses 15-16, He says:
“Now My eyes will be open
and My ears attentive to
the prayer made in this
place. “For now I have
chosen and sanctified this
house, that My name may
be there forever; and My
eyes and My heart will be
there perpetually.”
He has chosen to set apart
this house for his Name’s
sake. Don’t you just love it
when He speaks so clearly
to you through His Word?
It was written long ago but
it is so applicable to our
daily lives today. He has
confirmed to us His blessing on our new home and
that His ear will be attentive to our prayers.
We have set aside a prayer
room and we meet together as staff to have our
time of sharing and prayer
before our day begins. It
is very special as we share
the Word and how God has
spoken and worked in our
lives during the week. We
look forward with anticipation to how God will move
in each life that comes to
us.
Sandra

Our New Office Space

It is with great excitement and anticipation that
we announce our new office
location as of June 1, 2013.
Our physical address will
be 455 South Church
Street in Winston-Salem,
N.C., 27101. The house is
located in God’s Acre at
Old Salem. (See picture
above.) Our mailing address will remain as P.O.
Box 557, Clemmons, N.C.
27012 although we will now
be able to receive mail at
either address.
I asked God to show us
something only He could do
in regards to the move.
We looked at several spots
and God closed the door on
all of them. Michael Gwyn,
a Christian realtor, helped
us along the way to view
spaces. One morning as I
had my time with the Lord
He directed me to the passage in Joshua 3:5,
“Sanctify yourselves for
tomorrow the LORD will do
wonders among you.” I
said, “Okay Lord, I am
ready to see great wonders tomorrow. I received
an email from Michael the
next morning, saying that
the owner of the office we
had been looking at had
decided to change the
terms. They were terms
that we could not comply
with.
In the same email he suggested that we consider
another space that he had
listed in Old Salem. They
were asking a price that
was above our range but we
decided to go see it. It
was a house with 3200
square feet. I was thinking that this would be a
wonder the passage has
spoken of if we could come
to terms with the owners
on this property. We made
a proposal and I had this
scripture: “The Lord of
Hosts has sworn saying,
Surely as I have thought
and planned, so shall it
come to pass; and as I have
purposed so shall it stand”
Isaiah 14:24.
To make a long story short,
God answered our prayers
and has done above and
beyond our expectations as
He has brought us to this
property. We are rejoicing
in His provision and looking
forward to His opportunities for expanded ministry
in the future.
He showed me the following scripture in Zephaniah
3:17, “The Lord your God is
in your midst, a victorious
warrior. He will exult over
you with joy. He will be
quiet in His love. He will
rejoice over you with
shouts of joy.” I had a
note in my Bible: Rejoice
means to turn around and
around in a violent emotion.
I can just envision the
Lord rejoicing over what
He has provided for us,
can’t you? I have felt like
standing in the front yard
on Church Street and turning around and around with
rejoicing over what He has
done for us.
We have been in our current space for going on
seven years and God is
moving us out to something
even better and we are
overwhelmed with His
goodness. He has provided
direction through the
whole process and the following is His final word to
us: “Look, the Lord your
God has set the land before you; go up and possess
it, as the Lord God of your
fathers has spoken to you;
do not fear or be discouraged” Deuteronomy 1:21.
So we are going up to possess it. Come see us! We
will have a formal open
house sometime in the fall.
Sandra
On Wings Like a Dove
A newsletter from On Wings Like a Dove Ministries June 2013 Vol. 9 Issue 6
A Ministry for the Loved ones of Prodigals and Prisoners Psalm 55:6

Jewish Roots Retreat

God has been connecting
me with people over the
past few years who were
either Jewish or had a
heart for the Jews. I
began to see Him working as He laid on my
heart a desire to learn
more about my Jewish
Roots. It was my desire
to share Jewish Roots
with our families so they
could also grow in their
walk.
Apple Hill Conference
Center was the final
piece of the puzzle. After Louise, the owner,
explained how God prepared it to be an endtime refuge for the persecuted Jews, I knew
this was God's choice
for our Retreat.
Tammy Priest was gracious enough to make
herself available to
come and teach. God
used her Jewish heritage to weave together
the Old and New Testaments in a way that gave
us deeper understanding
of the scriptures. There
were many WOW moments.
Patti Sheets guided us
in a project to make a
Star of David for framing as a reminder of
what God taught us on
that mountain. She also
painted a picture during
our worship time from
which we will make
prints. If you are interested in one let me know
(see back page of the
newsletter). The prints
are $20.
Randy Bigbie and Helen
Morris led the beautiful
worship times. We worshiped, danced, and sang
praise to the Father.
Patty Chamovitz prepared Jewish foods for
us to sample and Cindy
Miller made Haman Hat
Cookies that are served
during the Feast of Purium.
Here are some comments from the weekend:
"I can't begin to even
put into words this past
weekend. There are no
words....I think I am still
overwhelmed."
"Amazing."
"I had a wonderful time
this weekend and I'm
still trying to process all
that I learned."
"It was the best ever. I
wouldn't have changed a
thing."
Our Fall Retreat will be
October 4-6 at Lake
James. I encourage you
to register as soon as
possible—first come,
first served. Cost will
be $50.00. (Includes
materials for our sessions; scholarships
available).
We will visit The Cove
on Saturday. If you
have never been it is
quite a treat. Email me
or call 336-972-4213.
Sandra