Dawn Armstrong

Dawn is a precious Japanese flower that was transplanted from Hawaii to Mexico! Her dazzling soul touches many! She is also known for those hurricane force hugs that squeeze the joy right out of you!  She is another Preacher's wife at Lakeside. Dawn was born in Honolulu in 1959.  She has one older brother who lives in Utah, and a younger sister that lives in Hawaii. With a wide smile Dawn shared "God blessed me with awesome parents!  Growing up in Hawaii was more magical than the popular show 'Leave it to Beaver!'  My mother came from Okinawa at the age of 4 to Hawaii. I am so proud of my mom, she studied hard and worked as a nurse for many years. My grandparents on mom's side were exposed to Christianity by a neighbor who took the family to a Salvation Army church. It was astonishing for me to learn that my grandparents deviated from the common Buddhist practices of their culture to a faith in Jesus."  Dawn accepted Jesus as her Savior when she was just 15. "The Truth showed me that my thoughts were not His. Right after I got saved I foolishly dreamed 'I am a Christian now and life will be so easy!' Life took a few hard turns before I obtained my degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of Hawaii." For 20 years Dawn blessed many children with her teaching and example of God's mercy and love!  After college Dawn chose to get married.  In 1989 she gave birth to her daughter Kelli , then in 1992 her son Todd was born. Soon after her son was born, Dawn chose to re-dedicate her life to Christ. After seven years of marriage, Dawn and her first husband divorced. For the next four years, this single mom continued to work as the Director of a church Preschool. God had His plans for Dawn and while still living in Hawaii, Dawn met Ken, her current husband.

"Ken was the CEO of Habitat for Humanity and his office space was provided by the church I was working in. In December of 1998 I took my kids around the offices to sing Christmas carols.  I knocked on Ken's office door and when he opened it... I thought 'who was this man?'.  My kids and I sang a few songs and that very night is when our romance began." Ken and Dawn got married in April 2000.  While the family took their time to adjust, in 2001 this newlywed couple moved to Grants Pass, Oregon. Blending her kids with Ken's daughter was difficult as Amanda lived in California. "I had lost my passion for teaching kids and agreed to look after our pastor's mother-in-law.  Well I loved it! For the next 14 years, while living in Oregon, I was fulfilled by a career in Elder Care. Ken became the Associate Pastor in two Oregon congregations and we also conducted a "home church".  In 2005 Ken and Dawn were led to open a coffee house which they named the 'Wildfire Christian Fellowship'. God provided all that was needed, but He was not done with His greater plans for this obedient couple. In 2009 Dawn's dad lost his battle with cancer, but before he went home to Jesus, it was his wish that the family reconcile their differences. "My dad's personal relationship and trust in Jesus gave him peace. John 14: 1-4 "Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in Me. My Father's house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am." In March of 2016 Ken interviewed to fill a pulpit position in Oregon.  Ken put the word out that he was available for a few months before his new position began. A dear friend from Mexico suggested that Ken fly to Lakeside and preach for 5 weeks.  Ken accepted the invite and flew to Guadalajara by himself.

On the phone with Dawn in Oregon, Ken shared that he felt the call to move and serve in Mexico. "Ken and I had colorful phone discussions and I was absolutely opposed at first! Then against my will, God gave me His peace over the move.  I flew to Mexico for Ken's 5th week of preaching at Little Chapel.  We visited a few small fishing villages and I fell in love with the people and the culture! I found myself saying 'Let's do this!' Ken and Dawn packed 6 giant tubs and their wonder dog Duke into their car and on October 1, 2016 they drove to Mexico.' We make our plans, and the Lord changes them!  What we thought we would be doing has changed many times since we moved to Lakeside." On Mother's Day 2018 Pastor Ken and his beautiful bride Dawn established a nondenominational Christian congregation, "The Lord's Church" which is located in San Antonio, across the street from Panino's.  Dawn has held tightly to the Truth of Jeremiah 29:11. Ever positive, she encourages everyone to "Trust in God, and in His plans.  He never changes, but His plans for us may take us in surprising directions. Our Father shows us a few steps ahead, never all the bumps, twists and turns.  That is where our 'FAITH' comes in.  Today I can honestly say that I have no regrets. My life has been filled with delightful surprises! Two grandchildren and a wonderful, faithful husband who encourages me to be all that God has designed me to be!" Living in Mexico is a new exciting chapter for Ken and Dawn, and while they still maintain a strong connection to their Oregon church "family", they praise God for their new family at Lakeside. The above cutie picture is of Dawn's grand kiddos taken in Sept 2018. A happy Pickles is holding her new baby brother Kolten. "Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wing. Psalm 17:8" For certain, with good reason, Dawn is the apple of Ken's eye!  Lord thank You for giving us Dawn to cherish, we see Your reflection of love in her eyes! Dawn and her husband Ken moved back to the USA in May of 2019. We pray for Ken Armstrong as he was called to run for the President of the USA on the Libertarian ticket.

Barbara Hoyle Yada Yada

I am Barbara,  that shameless woman who is always fascinated to listen and marvel about what God has done in the lives of others.  My passion for non-fiction books is second to writing and listening to a good story.  The truth remains, I have yet to hear a life story which did not involve a few unforseen tragedies. In 1951 my mother (an immigrant from Germany) gave birth to her final child. Little Barbie was almost born in the back of a police car in Modesto, California.  My sister Mary and I are only 10 months apart an our older brother Ben was our childhood hero. For my first three years we lived on a chicken ranch, then we moved briefly to San Francisco, and ended up in Stockton where I graduated from Amos Alonzo Stagg Senior High School in 1969.  I have been a gypsy when it comes to moving about the planet.  I married my high school sweetheart in 1970 and our only son Jason was born in 1971. After three years of a rocky marriage, a divorce was filed and my son and I moved to Sacramento.  Looking back,  I lived on the run...in Santa Cruz, Diamond Bar, Manteca, Humble and Corpus Christi, Tx,  New Iberia, Louisiana, Galt and I retired in Mexico.   My lifelong personal quest to get to know Jesus more deeply, more closely, more intimately, is now possible, as I can "be still" at Lakeside.

Praise God, for all things! As I reflect back I recognize the steady holy presence of God. Ever present, always guiding, loving, protecting while teaching me His great ways. In 2019 my understanding blossomed more fully! In January of 2019 a group of 20 wildly diverse women began meeting up for the first ever BSF at a local church in Riberas! It was time to read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation and what the Holy Spirit revealed was captured in a book entitled  Behind the Curtain. Born and raised Catholic, church was in Latin. At seven years of age, the Spirit led me to sit in the back of a few area churches, alone, to see if God loved the Methodists, Protestants, or Pentecostals. My full testimony is on a link below, but the short version is that God confirmed that He loves all seekers of the Truth. Since moving to Lakeside in 2014, I found it somewhat difficult to connect with people at a soul level, even in the various churches I have attended. We have all boldly moved to a foreign land and we have all left behind close relations. ❤ As women of the living Word, we fully trust that God will replenish all we need to grow "in Him".  Through this Women of Value blog, my prayers have been answered. A fresh bouquet of passionate, adventurous women have transparently and boldly opened up their hearts.. My short life has been an amazing search and rescue mission for Jesus, AMEN! Ask me about the time the FBI was called upon to keep me safe from Jimmy Hoffa and his dangerous thugs!  Or the time I flat lined during surgery and God raised me back to life.  As a young girl I was trained to keep family secrets. I worked hard to present myself as normal and acceptable. One very painful secret was that at the age of 15 my mother ushered me into a private hospital to give birth to a daughter I have named Andrea Marie. The entire outside-of-marriage-pregnancy-and-birth was covered up with trips to a convent for counseling. The nurse put a blanket over my eyes and my first born child was removed from my body never to be seen by me. My mother admonished "we will never speak of this again."  Hushed into secrecy, guilt consumed my soul. Tearful torments filled my nights as I longed to know what family adopted Andrea. As a group leader for a Christian based recovery program, I have learned that very few have escaped childhood without a scar. My mother

concocted the lie that I was to tell. "I had enough credits so I opted to skip the first half of my senior year so I would not miss out on all the fun senior activities." Truth is I was tutored at home during my shame filled pregnancy. With my secret secure, right out of high school I worked for JC Penny, then I served the public as a teller for a bank. I married the father of my first born when I was 19. Our second child was named Jason.  There are too many short stints and twists in my journey to itemize, but looking back, I SEE Jesus ever with me and  I would not change a thing!  My college education was obtained through a series of life and work related hard lessons.  2006 was a hard year while I recovered from a brain anyuresm, my father and ex husband died.  After fallung to the floor at work temporarily paralyzed, I bled internally from a VAD and was rushed to UC Davis Hospital. The medical community reported I should be dead or paralyzed. My heavenly Father had other plans for me. There are more marvelous blessings than tragedies!  I participated in the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, Korea as an Ambassador of Goodwill for the USA. By the grace of God  I thrived as a divorced woman for over 30 years until I met Mike, a retired pastor. After six months of dating,  we bravely tied the knot! Obediently, I surrendered my plans to move to Mexico alone and volunteer to  marry Michael Hoyle on November 17, 2012.

Then, as it happens, in March of 2016 my mom died, and in April 2016 my only son Jason died. Hope for other mom's Grieving a child   God has His plan for all of us and He never gives us more than we can handle ALONE.  God knows our past, present and future. I praise God for His ways, and His perfect timing! My heavenly Father knows best and I  needed a man of faith to lean on after I retired in December 2014. My job working for the police department was extremely stressful.  I love living in Mexico and through this blog I hope to connect deeply with Women of Faith.  Words cannot contain my gratitude for all that God has done in me and for me. My full disclosure testimony is on this post written right after retiring.   Denial and Surrender to Jesus.  My hard learned life lesson is that when I face hard situations, that I seek my Father's counsel and trust Him. Historically I can see countless times that I would have been way better off had I sought the counsel of God first before jumping out on a whim!  My prayer: “Lord, help me with how to respond to the person you lead me to talk to this day. Help me to observe You in every situation and give me words to speak, or just poke me in my spirit when I am to just listen and say nothing. Holy Spirit, I proclaim You as my most reliable and loving counselor.  Help me hear Your voice, and embrace Your comfort whenever in need.  I trust You as the Driver and it is my privilege to allow You to lead me.  My miserable failures and goofy choices continue to humble me as experience reminds me to trust God and seek His counsel first. God has placed a few awesome friends in my life who are bold enough to speak the truth in love.  No advice will ever compare, however, to the Spirit of God speaking directly to me. This is why Jesus told His disciples that it was better that He go away to make way for the one coming after Him (John 16:7). In our moments of desperation, He is with us, but He will only come when He is called upon.  He will speak when we are willing to listen and obey His direction." To God be ALL the GLORY for the massive amount of unwasted grace He poured into me. God bless all who have contributed by their brave willingness to be interviewed. YOU ARE APPRECIATED!!!! and VALUED!!!!

Sharlene Rederburg

What an energetic, savvy, witty and fun woman! Sharlene was born in 1955 in the small town of Tisdale, Saskatchewan, Canada.  She says "I was fortunate to live an absolutely charmed life, on a farm with one sister and four brothers." Her father gave her a colt to care for when she was only 9 years old. Her beloved dad taught her many things but the one Sharlene values the most is "If you want something, you must work for it!" This incredible Woman of Value plays hard and works hard. When she was 13, she begged her dad to get her out of the kitchen. She ran the tractor across the field and into her grandma's granary, her punishment? Back to the kitchen! "I am not domestic, and I still will not cook a dish for a potluck!" While in high school Sharlene admits she was highly competitive because she always hoped to make her parents proud. She rode horses and did barrel racing in the 4H club. She competed in figure skating, Curling, softball, swam, played ice hockey and broom ball. Sharlene appreciates the value of TEAM and all the life lessons that being on teams taught her. She sang in every variety nite at school and in her community. Around the kitchen table her parents shared stories from the bible and Sharlene attended Vacation Bible School and was baptized. As a public speaker she riveted the audience with dramatic readings of stories. As a quick learner, Sharlene skipped a grade and graduated early at the

age of 17. As a graduation gift, her brother took her to Calgary to get a job. "It was like a country bumpkin falling off a turnip truck!" While she was working as a telephone operator, she met her first husband. His constant verbal and physical abuse caused this vivacious woman to loose any positive sense of who she was. "You are fat, ugly, stupid and have no friends!" These lies destroyed her confidence. Sharlene recounts "I was not accustomed to failure! Giving up on my marriage was a huge challenge for me and I needed some wise counsel." The green light she got was contained in this truth "It takes greater courage to leave a bad situation than to stay. By staying, you know what you can expect." Sharlene heard that she would be BRAVE to LEAVE. For the next 15 years Sharlene dated a lot while working as a Financial Analyst for the Canada Post. She established and implemented systems to collect data, and did the budgeting. Sharlene loved her job, a place where she knew she was valued and respected. In 1993 a three year relationship ended and

even though she felt "he was not the one", she was devastated by the breakup. "I was dressed in my business suit and heels, walking down the street, at noon... sobbing. Not knowing exactly how, I ended up at the doors of a local church.  I had only been to this church once before to attend a Medieval Feast.  I was desperate for help and the door was locked. That is when I really began hysterically crying. There was a man kneeling in the garden looking at me. I had not passed him, seen him or stepped over him on my walk.  He just seemed to appear and asked "Do you need to get inside?" Yes I sobbed!"  Sharlene entered the church and prayed to God. After a year of church shopping she landed at Meewasian Valley United Church in Saskatoon. Sharlene got involved in women's ministries which included several canoe trips. Sharlene began specifically praying for certain character traits for a life mate. A friend gave her a CREDO for Relationships with Others. "You and I are in a relationship which is important to me, and I want it to be important to you, too. Each of us is a unique person with seperate needs. You have a right to meet your needs, and I have a right to meet mine.

Also, we have the right to our own beliefs and values. I'll respect your rights, and I want you to respect mine. When your actions interfere with my needs, I'll let you know so that you can listen and possibly change. When my actions interfere with your needs, I want you to tell me. Then I'll listen and change if I can. When either of us can't change to meet the other's needs, let's face our conflict and solve it together. I don't want to lose by letting you win, and I don't want to win by making you lose. I want us to find solutions that are acceptable to both of us, so that we both win. By following this Credo, we will like ourselves and each other better, and our relationship will grow stronger."  After reciting specific affirmations for a life mate, in 1995 she met Rob Rederburg. Sharlene shared that she had prayed that God would give her a sign if Rob was the "one" he chose for her.  Well, during a 4 hour telephone conversation Sharlene read her important CREDO to Rob and he shocked her when he told her that he had that same credo framed at home! They got married at their church in Saskatoon on Feb11, 2000.

Sharlene was single from age 25-40 and she had never had children. She put herself on an adoption list to give herself options, knowing it would take years. In the meantime she joined Big Sisters to see if she would like hanging out with kids.  On her own, she decided having kids alone was not for her. Her affirmation/prayer included that the man for her would be a man if he had kids, they would be welcome by me, but that he would not desire anymore kids. Well God answered my prayer and as a result of my marriage to Rob I have been blessed with three stepchildren and a granddaughter. Between them, Rob and Sharlene held 5 jobs which provided little more than an hour a day for one another.  In addition to their crazy busy work schedules they purchased fixer uppers to flip and bank the profits.  Feeling blessed Sharlene boldly questioned God. "Lord can You show me how I can serve You using whatever talents you gave me?" She tells "God responded with a question 'What do you have?" Sharlene thought about her talents and thought 'humor and singing' what can I do with that?"  On the same day she was reading the paper and saw an ad for a Clown School.  Sharlene attended 9 weeks of Clown College and served as a Raggedy Ann Clown at the local hospital for six years.  After 30 years working at the Canada Post, Sharlene retired in February 2011. In May 2012 this hard working couple moved into their custom- built-dream-lakefront-home in Meota. In 2018 God helped them sell all properties and in August 2018 they moved to "Paradise" in Ajijic.  Sharlene loves to sing karaoke, dance and have a good time!  Rob chose to take dance lessons to keep his wife happy and together they won a dance contest in Cuba!    They enjoy meeting new people and contributing in their community at Lakeside. They attend "The Lord's Church" in San Antonio. Sharlene brings lots of love, hope and FUN to Lakeside!

Joy Poteet

Women of Faith are entirely blessed at Lakeside whenever we get to welcome the wisdom of Joy Poteet. For all those who are just aching to know her better, hopefully this brief summary will satisfy that longing.  Joy was born in Birmingham, Alabama in 1950.  Her daddy Sherman was enlisted in the Army and worked for years as a truck driver. Her momma Maggie stayed at home where she worked gleefully in the kitchen.  Joy has two sisters and one brother.  In 1953 the family moved to the sprawling, plowed down cornfields just outside of Chicago. The family comfortably settled into a little suburban town called Markham, Illinois. Joy remembers her momma with great respect for the bold drives she took into the city of Chicago to shop. ‘We also took the elevated train which we called the “L”.  It would eventually tunnel underground and we would emerge from the Chicago Subway and be in the midst of the busy Loop. Alongside my momma, I absolutely marveled at all the sky scrapers.’  With extra sweetness Joy shared ‘ I loved my Momma so very much.  I felt very close to her. Mom would always lock eyes with me as she listened attentively to all I had to say’.   Joy remembers having fun making mud pies and toasting them up on the surrounding cement slabs of her neighborhood. She also enjoyed hunting with her dad.  With a big grin Joy remembered  ‘all of us had rifles.’  Joy’s beloved momma died when she was nearly 10 years old. ‘After Momma died, because my Dad had promised his mom that he would ‘church’ his kids (just as dad was raised in church) Daddy sent me to a non-denominational community church, but he did not attend. Dad dealt with his grief in a private way, and as a 10 year old, Joy cried herself to sleep for over a year. Joy felt

as though she was invisible as she hid in a corner to read a Bible.  When Joy was just barely 18 she met a man and with high hopes, she got married.  In 1969 while she was worked for a Construction Company in Chicago, she gave birth to her one and only son Maurice.  Her husband was verbally and physically abusive and by 1973 they were divorced.  ‘As a divorced, single working mom, I was totally operating on empty. Without knowing who I was, or why I was alive, my hunger for God intensified.’  Without a mentor, Joy would read her bible and welcomed the Holy Spirit as her guide. She attended a group in Chicago called “Women A Glow” and she became a member of Homewood Full Gospel Church.  As Joy commuted to work and church she always had her ear tuned into the radio. She learned so much from Charles Stanley and Andrew Womack.  Working and attending school part-time Joy graduated in 1983 with a BA in Psychology and Liberal Arts.   In 1989 when Joy’s son was 19 years old, she elected to transfer to Florida with her job while Maurice opted to stay in Chicago.  While living in Florida, Joy began attending “Carpenter’s Home Church”.  Eventually she took a position at Pinellas School District as a teacher/counselor.  By 1991 Joy became licensed and ordained by “Feed My Sheep Ministries” and she founded “Regional Ministries International” a helps ministry for

women.  In 2001 Joy became a member of “Abundant Life Church” in Florida.  ‘God completely filled me as I went onto receive a BA in Ministry, a Masters in Theology, and a Doctorate in Divinity,  M.DN.’   In 2003 Joy met Joseph Poteet while working at the school district and they got married.  As of January 2009, Joy and her husband attend “New Life Assembly of God.”.  To summarize Joy’s testimony she says “I was once was empty, broken and living without a purpose, and NOW I am full of the substance of the Holy Spirit." Joy further explained "My Lord Jesus came in and re-parented me in Him." Joy’s hunger for God has been richly satisfied as she continues to grow ‘in Him’.  She has identified with various Women in the Bible over the years.  ‘During periods of my life I identified with Hagar,  the woman at the well, and today the Bible character of Deborah resonates. As I studied, I would curl up on the floor around an easy chair and imagine I was sitting at the feet of Jesus.’ When I asked Joy what would be her life Scripture she replied ‘there are so many, but Romans 5:1-9 comes to mind.’ “Therefore, since we have been justified through

faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,  through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we^[b]boast in the hope of the glory of God.  Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.  You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!”  Today Joy Poteet works as the Chaplain at the Fontaine Gills Family YMCA in Lakeland, Florida. After our interview, the lyrics of a song by Lauren Daigle seemed to harmonize with Joy's repeated testimony. "I once was empty...and now I am filled up." Fighting voices in my mind that say I’m not enough
Every single lie that tells me I will never measure up
Am I more than just the sum of every high and every low?
Remind me once again just who I am, because I need to know 
You say I am loved when I can’t feel a thing
You say I am strong when I think I am weak
You say I am held when I am falling short
When I don’t belong, You say that I am Yours
And I believe, oh I believe 
What You say of me 
I believe
The only thing that matters now is everything You think of me
In You I find my worth, in You I find my identity."  joy.poteet@ymcawef.org

Frances Evans Bolanos

Frances and her happy husband Luis

Frances grew up as the middle child in a small coalmine village of Windsor Heights located in the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia. Frances was inspired to record her memoirs by the people she shared life with.  Frances reminicised "I was my Father's sidekick and right-hand man. Dad was a steel mill worker who gave me a lot of attention which made me, the middle child, feel like I fit in." Her memoirs indicate that her mother Evelyn enjoyed life as a stay-at-home mom.  Frances had an older sister named Sharon Ann, and a younger brother named Ralph. Frances remembers planting, hoeing, harvesting and canning vegetables. "Then there was butchering which included cows, pigs and chickens. I could successfully work on a vehicle, skin wild game, build a dog house, cut grass, catch night crawlers, fish and hang shingles on the side of the house." Growing up Frances is quick to confess that she was shy. "When I was 12 years old I responded to an alter call and accepted Jesus as my Savior, however, I elected not to get baptized at that time because I did not fully understand what it would mean."  In her self-description "I remember having issues with being stubborn. Announcing that I would rather be killed than give in to the demands of others!" Drawn to nature and animals, Frances spent a lot of time playing outdoors with a plethora of friends. "I guess I could be considered a Tomboy, but one that embraced her natural beauty!" Frances did not particularly like school, except for when she got to make holiday crafts. "During my Jr High days I

attempted to come out of my shell by trying out for the cheerleading squad and track team." Without experience Frances gave it her best shot! "I knew that in the future, challenging myself and living up to the expectations I placed on myself was more important than what others thought of me.  I started to work on becoming a better person and gained the knowledge of what it means to be true to ones' self."   Fast forward to high school graduation. "Graduation for me was a feeling of freedom.  I detested dealing with the structure of the academic world." Wisely Frances chose to attend The School of Technology in Pittsburg. "Pittsburg held many first time experiences." Frances made the decision to begin attending the 'Church of God' while she lived in Pittsburg. At the age of 19, Frances returned home to West Virginia and took a job as a keypunch operator.  "My father had me under a microscope and I attributed this to my mother's absence from our home. The stress of my father's scrutiny was hard to bear." Frances met her first husband, Joe Langford at a dance club. Joe had been married and divorced and he had three daughters named Michelle, Cynthia and Sherry. After a time of dating, on Christmas Eve 1971, Frances married Joe and moved to Bellaire, Ohio.  Their son Joseph Jr was born in 1972.  At the age of 22 Frances had become a wife and mother of four. "Bonding with the girls was a bit of a challenge. Battling with personalities, fear and insecurities did not stop us from becoming a family." After one particularly hard cold winter, the family moved back to West Virginia. Frances was able to stay home with the kids while Joe worked. "Hindsight is 20 20, yet the vision I used to navigate through my marriage to Joe was blurred at best." Frances

searched her heart and decided she cared about Joe, but she did not love him.  Joe had a drug addiction with fits of anger.  Various drug rehab options were tried, and in the end Joe became less dependent on drugs and it was time for a new baby. Clinton Abraham was born on May 8, 1980. "Living with Joe was one bad ride after another." Frances filed for a divorce. Finally free from Joe, Frances sampled all the world had to offer. Through the bar scene she met a man named Larry. He seemed to have a good heart along with some bad habits. Frances got married to her 2nd husband Larry in April 1983.   "While married to Larry their daughter Ashley was born. "Larry was not happy as a family man.  He started to complain and his verbal and physical abuse towards my son Clint worsened.  I was emotionally drained and my family was in ruin. Larry had gotten me to believe that I was a worthless human being." Frances went back to church and her faith was reignited. On October 22, 2002 Frances surrendered her ways and was baptized.  God was preparing Frances for what He knew was coming. In January 2003 Frances had filed for a divorce after 20  tumultuous years of marriage to Larry. "As I was sitting in church with my mother and my daughter Ashley, it became essential that I keep my daughter safe. After a brush with the law, one afternoon I called my daughter and asked her to come home. I did not know that this phone conversation would be the last I would ever have.  The last words Ashley said to me were "I love you momma!" Within an hour, on January 21, 2003 Frances got the call that no mother is prepared for. "You daughter was killed in a car accident."  Her dad attended the funeral and Larry said "Well there is nothing more between us so we may as well finalize our divorce." Shortly after the funeral God sent three timely messages of comfort from a few of Ashley's friends.

"God always sends us what we need, when we need it. One hard day I went outside and directly over my house was a double rainbow with a glowing gold ball at one end. It was a sign from God for me and I felt a comfort in my spirit that my daughter was now in heaven."  Frances took time to grieve and in 2005 she purchased a timeshare with her cousin Velma in Puerto Vallarta. "I was not interested in dating or having a relationship and I had turned off my ability to recognize subtle flirtation."  It was while touring PV that Frances met her current husband Luis.  After a few adventures Frances and Luis got married in West Virginia at the West Liberty Christian Church on July 18, 2012.  Frances got busy unloading 40 years of accumulations  to move to Guadalajara.  The newlyweds moved a few times within Jalisco before they landed at Lakeside. In  April of 2016 the eldest step-daughter of Frances, Michele.... called to inform that she had cancer. Michele insisted that she was fine and that she did not want visitors while she was taking chemo. On June 29, 2016 Michele died with her two sons Zachery and Shane nearby. "We all need to be ready to spend eternity in heaven or hell. God has given me 'words of knowledge' or a premonition about 'being ready' on several different occasions.  We are all here for a limited time, so prepare your children and your loved ones by talking to them about Jesus, now." Matthew 24:4 "So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect Him." Today Frances lives without regret as a Woman of Faith who trusts in God, in His ways, and in His timing.

A Single Mom Soars

A link contained in this post is of a familiar story of a young mother. She confesses that her old way of depending on earthly relationships kept her empty and forever wanting more. God knows our hearts cry and He responded to the desire of this broken woman's soul. Her story is one that you may wish to share with a friend, a relative, a young woman you know. Therefore, for all the tremendous Women of Value that I have come to know and admire at Lakeside, feel free to copy and paste the link in your browser and email it to someone that God brings to your mind. Her story reflects my story in many ways. As families come together for Thanksgiving and Christmas, it is my hope that any woman who came from a similar broken, dysfunctional home, that her testimony will resonate in such a way that a burst of renewed THANKSGIVING will well up in you for all that Jesus has done personally for you. This young woman's restored JOY will touch any heart.  Click here for a Christmas Testimony    Consider how our Father touched your heart in 2018? How has your relationship with Jesus grown in this past year? Have you counted your blessings recently? Feast on His living Word and join me in reading the Bible in this upcoming New Year.  Daily Bible Reading 2019

A Unified Force

Norma and Billie blessed us with Spirit filled words of knowledge and encouragement during the high holy days of Rosh Hashanah October 1, 2019. All the pictured Women of Value within this post seek God and earnestly pray as they listen to what the Spirit of God is saying. As Spirit filled intercessors we are steadfast as we walk and talk in obedience to what God reveals to us. We pray for protection, wisdom and divine understanding for all those in leadership in the state of Jalisco and for the entire government of Mexico. Rosh Hashanah is the "head of the year". The WORD for this ERA is "MOUTH". We are called to declare truth and withhold any word that does not agree with God. “He will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if He were your mouth and as if you were God to him.” Exodus 4:16  Over the next 10 days of Rosh Hashanah, we examine our hearts, our feelings and confess how we have missed the mark.  "God is Spirit and His worshippers must worship in Spirit and in truth." John 4:24 Billie Boatright and Norma Johnson attended our intercessory prayer session in order to encourage us. We were asked to give VOICE to our individual strengths and weaknesses. Admitting where we struggle allows us to cover one another with specific words of encouragement. Our impact for the Lord in this territory gets stronger as we rely on the whole body to come together as a mighty reservoir of His anointing which is His release of God's power in us to accomplish what we cannot do in our own strength. Norma reminded us that we do not need to war against darkness; we are simply to walk in the Spirit, in our full authority. Billie stood up with her hands on her hips to demonstrate what it looks like to stand in God’s authority. Collectively as a group we declared that we are unified and ready to receive all that God has for us as we welcomed His Presence.  As we employ our combined gifts, our eternal impact on Mexico is strengthened.  Our intercessory prayer group is a huge reservoir of many unique gifting's and abilities that we are using to grow the kingdom of God.   Billie reminded us to rise up in confidence and ask God for a Word to share with the group before we meet weekly.  “Lord, what part of Your heart am I to express today?” We learned that risk is an element of faith and that we are to remember our root “in Him” and record our victories. Billie reminded us that whatever is affecting the ground we stand on, affects us first.  We walk on the ground of the people of Mexico and as we remain sensitive to the Spirit, we know that the people of Mexico feel weak as they falsely believe that they have no power to change things --- As Spirit filled women and men, we boldly proclaim the victory that Jesus won over the Liar's schemes. Filled with authority, we worship God by reciting scripture, by singing and dancing in the victory He provided. Our worship whips God's army of angels into a hyper state of activity and they destroy strongholds. The minds of Mexico's inhabitants shift from defeat to hope within the tangible Presence of God!  Billie listened and summarized the groups spoken weaknesses. Her spirit perceived we were each feeling a similar weakness of the people of Mexico. “I am not good enough, I am not capable, I am not worthy to be used by God, I do not have anything worth saying, or a contribution that can make a difference.”  Billie reminded us all of our identity in Christ, and that intercessory prayer is not about us.  We are to listen with our hearts and pray against what is going on within our personal feelings and in the atmosphere.

Billie demonstrated the Spirit ruling over the soul. She placed a hand of God over our clinched fisted Soul.  We were challenged to ween ourselves from our feelings, our mind, our will, our soul as we recognize our inability to be effective in our own strength. We are to call on the Spirit of God to rule over our soul so that He can direct our time of intercession. Ask God to increase His JOY JUICE as we pray. We learned from Carol that the Rose of Sharon is the Hibiscus flower. A radiant flower that only opens “in the sun”, and it closes in the darkness.  Norma shared a scripture that calls us to arise and pierce the atmosphere with His power, with His Light, and His authority. In this New Year there is a new outpouring, a new explosion of God in us individually. As a connected force for the glory of God, when we walk in to a place, we make declarations with great expectation for what God is doing in the unseen realm. As we worship God in awe of what He has already done, breakthroughs occur.  Our assignment for the following years is to know with confidence that the anointing of God remains in us, regardless of the way we feel. (1 John 2:27)  “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me

to proclaim good news to the poor.  He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives  and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness,  a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor.” Isaiah 61 – This year is a time of JOY as we are careful to only speak good words that agree with all of God’s promises. It is a year to worship God for the battle He has already won! Before we departed Carol shared this word with us. “I may have to stay and wait outside the door and be prepared by God to walk through the door He opens.”  Expanding that word:  We cannot demand that God do anything according to our timing. We must lay it all out before Him, while trusting that His timing is always perfect. It is important to pray, to intercede for each other, and to speak honest words of encouragement to one another “as if it already were”.  God’s Word says that loving one another is more important than speaking in tongues, or sharing words of knowledge, or having a faith that shakes mountains, or our generous giving to the poor. PROCLAIMING 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 

We  are not self-seeking, we are not easily angered, and we keep no record of wrongs. We do not delight in evil but we rejoice together in the truth. We always protect, always trust, always hope, and always persevere. We are made in the image of God, and God is LOVE, and His Love never fails. We walk and speak in His authority, we wear His righteousness, we are unified by His Spirit, we trust in His anointing, as we live totally Love soaked, wrapped in His wisdom. "What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up." 1 Corin 14:26 We stand in authority and declare the Lord’s healing on the land of Mexico and for justice in this land.  We called on our Father to cover all people in positions of authority with His love, as He fills their ears with wisdom and understanding. "As for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as His anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in Him. And now, dear children, continue in Him, so that when He appears we may be confident and unashamed before Him at His coming." 1 John 2:26-28    Wise words from Smith Wigglesworth "All success is in a broken spirit , and being a person of one book, and that book is the Holy Bible. Consume it and your spirit will grow. All things are possible when you know how to die. The Spirit of God cannot live in you, work through you or use you if you are still living according to your feelings, or your personal preferences.“ God calls you by name, you are His and He is yours. Your value to God is immeasurable. Your true identity is only found in Him, the King of kings, Jesus Christ who waits upon your call to Him. Instead of the phone, pick up the Bible and see what God says about who you are. Be thrilled, be amazed, be transformed by His grace. Be ignited with a purpose that will outlast any endeavor or accomplishment. His plans for you are marvelous. Praise His holy name, Jesus!