you are extra special

You are Extra Special

“You are special to Me and I love you...” Isaiah 43:4

Each year on Valentine’s Day, my husband Pat shares a special tradition with our daughter,

Christal. It started out when she was just two years’ old. He purchases the cutest stuff animal

and selects the most adorable daughter Valentine’s card. Some years, instead of a stuff animal,

he might change things up and take her to the movies or go shopping at the mall.

One tradition though has remained the same, even 32 years later, even now that she is married

and has children of her own. It is the tradition of giving her a special daughter Valentine’s Card.

He has a knack for finding just the right card. This bond between a father and daughter is

something very special.

This year is no different. He picked out the cutest Valentine’s Card for Christal. That bond is

amazing to watch. When those two get together it is like she is a little toddler all over again

tugging at his heartstrings and she knows it, too! He calls her by her nickname that only he uses

and she allows, and only indoors. He says her favorite “Three Little Words” (TLW) that only she

knows. It is all about her and she loves it.

He has also gained the trust to treat his daughter-in-law in a similar manner. He asked her a few

years ago, if he could call her daughter, and she beamed with heart felt joy, knowing she was

fully loved and accepted into our family.

Our Heavenly Father desires to share a special bond with each one of us (see Isaiah 43:4). He

wants to remind us that we are a unique creation and He made each one of us special (see

Psalm 139:14). His love for us is not based upon our performance (1 John 4:9-10). He loves us

because He loves us. He loves us even more than we love ourselves. He knows each of our

names (see Isaiah 41:1) and has chosen us (see 1 Peter 2:9). He is with us always (see

Hebrews 13:5) and is there in our troubles and our happiness.

As a good Father, He wants to give us good gifts (see Matthew 7:11). He wants us to accept His

free gift of salvation and open our heart to Jesus Christ so we can experience total love,

freedom and acceptance.

Like any daddy, He has a unique kind of love for each of us. A love that is unconditional and

unfailing (see Jeremiah 31:3), and it is not based upon meeting certain conditions. He desires to

lavish each of us with His great love (see 1 John 3:1) and nothing is able to separate us from

this love (Romans 8:38-39).

There are at least two reasons why God loves you so much: First, it is His nature to love. The

Bible says that God is love; Second, you are His creation. God loves you just as good earthly

parents love their children.

God have given you special abilities and a unique purpose. He desires you to see that potential

and wants you to discover who you can become. He has faith in you and He has plans to give

you a hope and a future (see Jeremiah 29:11). Most of us spend our entire lives trying to earn

acceptance. May this Valentine’s Day help you remember that you are accepted by God. He

has chosen you and lavishes you with His love.

Happy Valentine’s Day from Cindy Dennis and the CDM Leadership Team

“The blessing of the Lord be upon you.”  Psalm 129:8 KJV

Controlling Your Thoughts

These past few weeks gave me lots of opportunities to exercise controlling my thoughts. My

husband Pat was furloughed with the partial government shutdown and even though I had

peace in my spirit that God would take care of us, my thoughts tried to convince me otherwise.

I felt like I was in a tug a war of emotions the first few weeks that sometimes left me completely

exhausted by the end of the day. I would start the morning peaceful and full of hope in God that

He would see us through, but as the day continued, I allowed the news or conversations with

co-workers, even friends to get me thinking about the circumstances rather than on God’s

promise to see us through.

It wasn’t long before the “What if” kind of thoughts started coming

my way and it was fueled every time I would check the news on my phone.

Keeping my thoughts in check was a process and the good news was that by the fourth week

into this, I began to finally get a handle on controlling what thoughts I would allow myself to

dwell on. I found that when I kept my mind on Him, I had peace (see Isaiah 26:3) and was able

to enjoy the journey regardless of the circumstances (see Proverbs 15:15).

I discovered some other valuable lessons as it relates to controlling my thoughts:

 I need to take responsibility for my thoughts. What I put into my mind does effect

what I think about. 2 Corinthians 10:5 reminds me to take captive every thought and

Philippians 4:9 shows me what to fix my thoughts on.

 I need to transform my thoughts. I need to allow God to transform how I think about

my circumstances. Romans 12:2 reminds me there is value in reading, studying,

discussing and obeying God’s Word. His Word will reshape my thinking and redirect my

choices. It will strengthen my resolve and fortify me to keep pressing on.

 I need to take control of my thoughts. When I experience difficult challenges, I am

capable of not having to react to them by thinking thoughts of despair and hopelessness.

Philippians 4:8 reminds me to fix my thoughts on the best, not the worst.

It is not easy to retrain your thoughts. The good news is with God’s help, it will become over

time easier to focus your mind on the right things. It is possible to be mindful of what you are

thinking about and to take control of those thoughts that don’t line up with God’s Word. The

good news is God has given us a spirit of power, of love and of a calm and well-balanced mind

and disciplined and self-control (see 2 Timothy 1:7). We have the Holy Spirit helping and

equipping us.

So let’s decide together to control what we are thinking about. Let’s fix our thoughts on the best,

not the worst!

Blessings,

Cindy

Freedom From Bondage

Experiencing Freedom from Bondage

This past weekend we had our first snowfall for 2019. It started out with these teeny tiny little

snowflakes that started falling late Saturday afternoon.

At first, it didn’t see it coming down a little at a time.

My husband and I spent an hour and a half with our shovels clearing the

sidewalks and parking lot around our cars that morning and had to hit it again the next day.

Who would have dreamed such little tiny snowflakes could mount up to being so much snow?

Life has a way on bringing on little situations that start out as not a big deal, but over time, bad habit patterns are formed. Pretty soon we become pressed in under the weight of compulsive behaviors that leaves us feeling unhappy, guilty, and ashamed.

These common compulsions might not seem like much of anything at first, but if we are not mindful, our flesh tends to lure us into more and more of a good thing to something that has become an addiction, obsession, and stronghold if we are not careful. For example, screen time could lead to screen obsession, shopping could lead to becoming a compulsive shopper, food could lead to binge eating, prescription meds could lead to substance abuse, work could lead to workaholism…well you get the picture.

Some of us may have experienced seasons of victory, hoping that these addictions are a thing of the past, but if we let our guard down, these familiar temptations come sneaking back in. It all seems harmless at first.

That is why it important to stay in God’s Word. It is filled with promises that build faith, fuel hope, stir perseverance, and brings about breakthrough so we don’t have to remain prisoners to our habits and addictions. In Deuteronomy 7:22 we are reminded that victory comes “little by little.”

Day by day, moment by moment we can trust that “God is at work within you, helping you want to obey Him, and then helping you do what He wants” (see Philippians 2:13 NLT). We can take “prisoner of every thought, every emotion, and subdue them” into the obedience of Christ (see 2 Corinthians 10:5 VOICE).

This 2019, let’s decide we are going to experience freedom from the bondages of life by choosing to put God first and allowing His Word to renewing our mind and reshape our conversation. Let’s see things from His perspective, because that is where the action is, the breakthrough and the victory. So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that’s where the action is. See things from

His perspective.—Colossians 3:1-2 MSG