November and December Messages

Please notice that the Christmas message is the Rainbow Story in the previous post.


These are the much anticipated messages from our distinguished guests. You may also notice that we are moving all the talks to a new audio hosting site. Enjoy!!!


November: Candice Smithyman
http://www.buzzsprout.com/admin/episodes/37192-november-message-by-candice-smithyman


December: Rashidah Senior
http://www.buzzsprout.com/admin/episodes/37730-december-breaking-strongholds-by-rashidah-senior

The Rainbow Story, a True Christmas Story

In these uncertain times, there is comfort in remembering and celebrating the traditions of Christmas.  This special season gives us an opportunity to reflect and be grateful for simple things, such as family, faith and home.


It seems more important than ever for us to know that God “speaks” to us today. So I feel compelled to share with you a new chapter in the strange and wonderful Rainbow Story that began in April of ‘07. Many of you may remember the beginning of this story from last year:


My cute, tender-hearted and glamorous 83 year old mother, Eileen, went ”home” to heaven on Friday 4-27-07 after a very brief illness. Mom was known as the “go-to” person for prayer in our family. At the funeral, many people came to the front of the chapel and shared stories of answered prayer, some quite remarkable.


Mom’s favorite passage in the Bible is Psalm 91. She recited this prayer of protection for her family every day. Her favorite verse was Psalm 91:11. “He will give His angels charge over you to guard you in all your ways.”  That same verse was on a picture right outside the ICU door at Florida Hospital. Psalm 91 was the preselected reading in Mom’s church at the regular Sunday service 4-29-07, two days before the funeral. The number 91 has appeared in various places throughout the year. Coincidence? I think not!


On Friday afternoon, the day of her passing, as many friends and family were telling wonderful “Eileen” stories in my sister Mary Ann’s kitchen, I looked up toward heaven and said, “Mom, are you hearing this? Isn’t this amazing?” At that exact moment, a family friend who lives across the lake called and told us all to run out side. There, before our eyes, was the most glorious rainbow. As long as I can remember, a rainbow has been Mom’s sign from God that “Everything is gonna be alright.” We all had goosebumps and grins as we stood there in the brief sun shower.


Since then, rainbows have been turning up everywhere.


*There was a rainbow on the TV as we turned it off the night before the funeral. 


*Mary Ann’s personal assistant’s daily inspirational message on her computer for May 1st, the day of the funeral, included a large picture of a rainbow.


*My 6 year-old grandson, who knew nothing about the story (and usually draws rockets and robots), drew a picture for me of, you guessed it—a rainbow.


*The following Friday, May 4th, my husband Chips ran inside as he arrived home from work and asked me to quickly turn on the radio. We listened to the most delightful rendition of “Somewhere over the Rainbow,” by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole. We went out and bought the CD and played it non-stop for days.  


*A few days later, I was looking for a Mother’s Day card to send to my Dad, sisters and brother. To my surprise, Hallmark offered a musical card with a rainbow picture on the front. When I opened it, the song inside the card was none other than the one that we had been listening to non-stop. I had a goosebump experience in the store. Coincidence? I think not! 


* On Mom’s Birthday, May 25th, some of the family was at the beach for Memorial week-end. A beautiful rainbow appeared in the morning over the ocean.


* June 1st, at a concert, rainbow flags waved over us right above where we were seated in a packed auditorium.


Many more rainbows have appeared over the course of time, usually on or around our birthdays. For instance, in January of ‘08, while we were in St. Augustine to celebrate Janice’s birthday, we walked out of a store, and there it was, her rainbow peeking out from behind a cloud. We had just been talking about the rainbow story.


The best chapter, so far, of this wonderful story happened to Mary Ann last December ‘07. At that time in her life, everything that meant “home” to her had been somewhat disrupted: Her law firm was going through a difficult and emotional transition and she was facing the teardown and remodel of her beautiful waterfront home that held so many memories. Many other things were unsettled and most of all, this would be her first Christmas without Mom.


In the midst of all the chaos, Mary and Pat decided to celebrate their 15th wedding anniversary, which was 10 days before Christmas, with a getaway trip to California wine country. They had some Marriott vacation points that were about to expire.


I need to back up a bit and tell you that when Mary was a little girl, Mom would occasionally give her an early Christmas present if she was upset about something. She was the youngest of the girls. So, in the beginning of December, we told her to expect an early Christmas present from Mom. Of course, we didn’t have any idea what that might be.

Back to Napa Valley— On the last day of the trip, the actual Anniversary, after visiting the last winery, Pat decided to take a different route back to the hotel. After turning the car around and heading up the hill, there in all its glory, was a magnificent rainbow in the blue sky. There was no rain anywhere that they could see. Pat said, “I’ve got goosebumps.” They snapped a picture before the rainbow faded. (see picture at the top of page) Mary was crying when she called from her cell phone to say that her present from Mom had arrived. She was beginning to feel that “everything was gonna be alright,” which is the rainbow message. But that is not the end of the story.

They decided to make one additional stop before leaving the area and chose the winery where the rainbow had appeared. The first thing they saw as they entered the building’s lobby/gift area was a limited edition print of a gorgeous rainbow over Napa Valley. Major goosebumps this time. Needless to say, they bought the picture. Coincidence? Certainly not! But that is STILL not the end of the story.


The day after Christmas, we were all standing around in Mary’s kitchen talking about the 2 California rainbows, so she brought in the picture for us to see. I looked at the limited edition number at the bottom of the picture (which no one else had noticed) and I was momentarily speechless. It was number 91 (out of 100 prints). Psalm 91, remember, was Mom’s favorite scripture passage. Tears and more goosebumps. We felt like we had been sprinkled all over with pixie dust.

Think about it—God had to line things up perfectly. In California, if Pat had not turned around, they would have missed the first rainbow. If they had not stopped one more time, they would have missed the second rainbow, the picture in the winery. If just one more or one less person had purchased a picture before they got there, the limited edition number would not be significant. Out of 100 pictures that were printed, what are the chances that they would get number 91? One in 100!  What are the chances that the 91st rainbow picture would be on display in this particular winery moments after a rainless rainbow appeared in the sky directly above. One in a million, maybe. I can almost hear Mom talking to God now—”And can you make all this happen on their anniversary?”  


I can’t explain how all of this has made the loss of Mom less painful and the reality of God more tangible—but it has. I can’t explain why God chose to reach down from the top of the universe, wrap His arms around us and give us a present wrapped in a rainbow—but He did.  


My wish for you this Christmas is that your heart is filled with hope and childlike faith to believe in a God who speaks to us, who takes care of us and gives us rainbows and pixie dust. 


Merry Christmas,


Becky


Mom, I hope you don’t mind that I shared the Rainbow Story with our friends and loved ones. Now, it’s their Christmas present also, in a way. So now, whenever they see a rainbow, they will know it’s a gift God and a sign from Him that “everything is gonna be alright.”

This entry was posted on December 15, 2008 at 1:50 pm and is filed under Newsletters. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.

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December Meeting News

Hello and Happy December,

Are you slammed with appointments and activity? I am too! Nevertheless, I took an hour and a half last night to drop into Anita Hyde's soaking session. I needed that refreshing more than I knew. It was awesome!

Speaking of Awesome... we have a fabulous guest lined up for this Tuesday night, Dec. 13th. Rashidah Senior, from Atlanta, Georgia is a pastor's wife, speaker and author. She was married to a well-known pro football player and Superbowl champ and has been featured on TLC. She won both Mrs. Maryland and Mrs. Florida Galaxy titles. http://www.myspace.com/rashidahsenior

She is teaching on the Breaker Annointing and soul ties. We will pray for release from that one nagging thing that just keeps holding you back. It will be a power-packed meeting. Bring a friend.

7:00PM Tuesday, Dec. 13th, in the Fellowship Hall at New Life. Enter on the left side of the building at the portico.

 Blessings To You All,

Becky Harmon and Lynn Vaccarro

October 25th Meeting - The Maker's Diet

Hello Beautiful Daughters of Destiny,

We have a great guest speaker for our next meeting. This Tuesday night, October 25th at 7:00PM, Denise Yakel will share how the Maker's Diet changed the direction of her health. She also lost a lot of weight and has kept it off.

She also leads a FaceBook support group on this topic. This may just be the key to vibrant health that you and I need right now. Join us for another step in "writing the vision."

Our meeting place is the New Life Fellowship Hall on the left side of the building. We will also do a prophetic activation so come with listening ears. You will love it!


The last meeting title was the Voice of God in Everyday Life. The link will lead you to the message and the notes.
http://www.youpublish.com/files/57667/Hearing-the-Voice-of-God-in-Everyday-Life


Happy Fall, You All

October 11th Meeting

There is a story behind this picture. 

Greetings Ladies,
Our meeting is Tuesday, October 11th at 7:00PM in the Fellowship Hall. Clear your mind and lay aside your emotional clutter. Join us as we stretch our imaginations to crystalize our vision. Bring your journal. We still have some left for those of you who did not get one.


We will lay out the steps of our journey together.

"A dream is just a dream. A goal is a dream, a plan and a deadline."


We have some exciting stories to share so join us. Bring a friend and come expecting to hear the voice of God. Together we will write the next chapter of our lifestory.

Guest Speaker Playback

http://www.youpublish.com/files/53762/Worshipping-God-Through-Movement

Our session with speaker Renee Handke proved to be energizing and exhilarating. The message, her testimony and live demo combined to provide an informative and fun evening for the attendees. We all want an encore before the season is over. 


You can be a "fly on the wall" and listen to this  powerful message. The link is at the top of the page. Renee's website is www.tkcministry.com. She is the president and founder of the King's Court Ministry. You can contact her at thekingscourt@comcast.com.

September 27th Meeting

Beautiful Women of Destiny,

Whatever you do, don't miss this Tuesday's meeting! Our guest speaker is Renee Handke and she has a relevant message just for you. She is a Rock Star in the world of Christian dance. I can't wait!

As always, the location is the Fellowship Hall and the time is 7:00PM till 9:00PM. Our beautiful new cards are here. Join us as we let God change us... body*soul*spirit.

This link has the last message. http://www.youpublish.com/files/52479/Redesign-Your-Life

Like us on Face Book. http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Redesign-Your-Life/163426570402967

September Report: Color Your Day

Your life is a canvas. You are the artist and creator of your destiny. Add color and shadows, depth and dimension.


Our September 13th meeting was all about starting to reorder our life and value each new day. It is a blank canvas. We are stewards of our time so goal setting and self-examination lead to God honoring productivity. When we are faithful to plan, God comes in as the "wind beneath our wings" with an annointing to accomplish things.


You know what I mean... somedays we have a supernatural strength to go beyond our natural abilities to do more and be more. It's kind of like the endorphins that kick in about 10 minutes after we start exercising.


The task becomes effortless and joyful... but we must start. Are you with us?

Here is the audio message which you can listen to or download. The notes are above the large box.
http://www.youpublish.com/files/52479/Redesign-Your-Life


Please "LIKE" us on FaceBook. Watch for the hand/sun logo.


I will announce the speaker for our next meeting soon. Let God stretch you.


COLOR YOUR DAY!!!

September Meeting

Hello Beautiful Women of Destiny,
We have our first meeting Tuesday night, September 13th at 7:00PM in the New Life Fellowship Hall.


Don't miss any of our life-changing, redesigning and goal oriented get togethers. I will be sharing about our purpose and theme and, as always, we will open our hearts to allow the Holy Spirit to demonstrate how wonderful and powerful it is to hear God speak to us and through us.


Bring a friend and "like" us on FaceBook.

SEPTEMBER MEANS NEW BEGINNINGS...

Beautiful Designers of Destiny,
September and the start of a new school year is a great time to turn over a new leaf. Fall is a perfect opportunity to reevaluate some things and "redesign" where necessary.
We will be starting a new chapter with Susan Dyer's Women's Connection class. It has been a 10 year phenomenon. The key to it's longevity, I believe, has been the central theme: hearing the Voice of God.


We will continue that theme with a new twist: hearing AND IMPLEMENTING the voice of God. The new - REDESIGN YOUR LIFE - name speaks of our desire to see God's will worked out on a daily basis.


We are inviting speakers from many areas: health, fitness, beauty, emotional well-being, finances, time management. We will make visionboards and journal each day. We are so excited!


Most of us routinely follow after God in a general way... going to church, reading the Bible, praying, etc. God wants us to be specific in our walk. To do this we need to dig into an understanding of how God communicates with us. We are desperate to hear Him speak. It's life transforming when it happens. And it happens in EVERY class session.


Then we can flesh out a blueprint for daily, weekly, monthly and yearly goals. Yes, we have grace when we stumble along, outside of God's exact pathway. But, oh the thrill that awaits us when we WAKE UP and tap into this treasure... with our name on it. Our theme scripture is Eph. 5:14 - 17.


AWAKE AWAKE, OH SLEEPER!!!! Live TODAY like it was a beautiful gift to you. What you do and say is the raw material for the life you create, one day at a time. TODAY is important because you exchange one day of your life for it. Make it count.