OCTOBER 2014
QUICK HAIRSTYLES IMAGINATIONS SLEEPING WITH JACOB THE BEAUTY, AND PRIDE OF BIG, NATURAL HAIR
THE SEED OF DIVISION
ROMANCING
STONE
The
CONTENTS 1-2
The Beauty And Pride Of Big Natural Hair
3-5
Romancing The Stone
6-7
Imagination
8-9
Art
The of Contouring and Highlighting with
MAKE-UP
10-11 Clean Face Dirty Make-up brushes, Not A Match Made In Heaven! 12-13 If You Are Using You Are Abusing 14-15 Seed Of Division 16-17 Tattoos
Greetings Everyone! I don’t know how you are feeling today but I hope you know you are one of the best and sweetest designs God ever made. So much so that He has pulled out all of the stops to gain your attention and win your heart. This is the greatest love that has ever existed, the love between God and you. In fact, I was just telling my friend the other day that God has been more of a Father to us than a God. Although He is God and He created everything and He is sovereign, which means He reigns over everything, He has taken care of everyone and loved us just like a Father. If we are honest, even when we didn’t reach out to Him, there He is waking us every morning, putting us to sleep at night. Giving us family, opening doors for us, and bringing resources into our lives. Making sure that the sun shines or it rains on us so that we can have everything we need. He provides the care that we need on a daily basis. When our bodies get sick, He makes sure it is restored and healed. And that no matter what, we can laugh again. Isn’t that wonderful? Also, I have some great news. The magazine is now free. So please read and enjoy and share your thoughts with me. Share RED WINE with friends and family. Put it on your Facebook and Pinterest. We’re so thankful that you visit RED WINE Magazine. And remember this deep love that God has for you is not going anywhere. So get to know Him.
With Much Love, Dr. Diana
THEBEAUTY, ANDPRIDE, OFBIG, NATURAL
HAIR
Nothing gives a woman more confidence then feeling comfortable in her own skin and beautiful with her natural features. Perhaps that is why a natural hair movement is gaining momentum with black women. It’s growing stronger and attracting new followers every day. The natural hair movement is rooted in a proud African heritage. It comes from a time when women let loose their God given hair and avoided the use of chemicals or artificial hair. It is certainly a bold movement and it goes against every commercial beauty image that we see for black women today – that of the black woman with straight, shiny, well-maintained hair. That image is what makes a lot of women feel apprehensive about walking around with their natural hair. They have worked hard and spent a lot of money to straighten their curls or build a collection of faux hair. They may feel that people will not accept their natural curls and that it will prevent them from conveying the right image. However, natural hair is beautiful and the movement is meant to encourage women to show it off- big, lovely, natural hair. After all, no matter how expensive or luxurious it is, faux hair is still faux and chemicals are still chemicals. Neither can replace your natural hair. Don’t let anxiety and uncertainty take the place of letting your natural hair grow out. You will be surprised just how liberated and beautiful you will feel.
1
BY YARITZA LUCIANO Several high profile women are leading the movement, whether they know it or not. They are using their natural hair to embolden their look. Michelle Obama has let her curls loose. Oprah has let her hair go big. Such powerful women, constantly featured in the media, can inspire women to not be afraid, and to let their hair go natural. If Michelle Obama and Oprah can do it, so can you! If your hair does not have natural curl or if you are comfortable with your natural hair, then encourage others to embrace theirs. Whether you believe that your hair represents an important part of your heritage, or that it shows your confidence in your God-given beauty, your hair is an important part of who you are as a woman. Toss aside the uncertainty of releasing your natural curls. Reclaim your identity. No longer does it have to hide behind the false certainty of good weaves and perms. Express your individuality with your beautiful natural hair. After all, the movement is about much more than hair. It’s about self-confidence in who we are as women. It’s about our pride in our ancestry.
2
Let’s face it.
Sinners are in high demand today. There are opportunities for them everywhere. Whether it’s a corporate job, a social outpost, or a haunting presence lurking in the background of social media sites, there are always opportunities for sinners to prosper. However, there are also just as many opportunities for sinners to become holy, and that is what this article is all about.
ROMANCI 3
Let’s start by saying nobody’s perfect. We all know that. In fact, some of you may feel so imperfect that you have reached the point of no return. Well, hear this; there is always a point of return for everyone, God has promised us that. If you feel that you have crossed the invisible line of the Point of No Return, just draw another line. Really! It’s that simple! Draw a new line right in front of you. The minute you do that, you move from a sinner in demand to a holy person in the making. Let me tell you about a man who made the transition from sinner to holy person, and accomplished more than he ever thought he would along the way. (He’s the one on the cover, laying with his head on a stone). His name is Jacob. The name Jacob means “trickster”, and that is exactly what he was. The Bible tells us his story of despair that becomes one of hope and salvation. Stick with me because if you grab onto the tale told in this story, you will experience a transformation beyond words. Work the steps related in this story, trust them, and believe that it can happen to you too. God and you will come together just as God and Jacob came together. Now let’s get back to the story. Jacob tricked his brother in order to steal his brother’s rightful inheritance. His brother was very angry and said so to a close friend of the family. “I’m going to kill Jacob.” Sure enough, this declaration made its way back to his mother Rebekah. Rebekah was afraid and told Jacob that his brother was going to kill him. She told him to leave and go to her brother’s house in Beersheba. Jacob left, and when he was on the run, he ran right into God. One night while on the run he was so exhausted that he laid his head on a stone and fell asleep. (Imagine how hard that stone was,
but Jacob was tired and needed to rest just as many of us have needed to rest in our life.) As he slept he dreamt of a ladder of angels descending to earth. The angels were traveling up and down the ladder and at the top of the stairs he saw God, and God started talking to him. The dream was an awesome experience for him. It changed him. He woke up and said, “Surely this must be the house of God and I didn’t know it.” Jacob then changed the name of the place he was in from Luz to Bethel to reflect what he just experienced; the presence of God. That moment was the beginning of Jacob’s romancing of God. Not that Jacob didn’t pay for cheating his brother; he did. Jacob ended up at his Uncle Laban’s house, who was also a trickster. (Obviously it ran in the family!) Jacob began working for his uncle who tricked him constantly changing his wages at will. However, Jacob just dealt with it and worked through it. There is a lesson for us in that one point. Whatever you sow, you reap and that is exactly what was happening to Jacob. He had already sowed the sin of cheating his brother, and now he was reaping the sin of being cheated by his uncle. However, Jacob did not run. He stayed and went through the trials and tribulations of working for his cheating uncle and was all the better for it. You see, Jacob had entered into a powerful romance with God from the night he laid on that stone. Now he was walking with God, and that relationship changed him from a trickster named Jacob to a man named Israel. God changed Jacob’s name as he traveled home after being gone for 14 years. Now he was meeting God face-to-face each day. What are the lessons and the teachings of this story that can transform us? Let’s start by asking a question; have
INGthe
Let me tell you about a man who made the transition from sinner to holy person, and accomplished more than he ever thought he would along the way. (He’s the one on the cover, laying with his head on a stone). His name is Jacob. The name Jacob means “trickster”, and that is exactly what he was. The Bible tells us his story of despair that becomes one of hope and salvation.
STONE 4
you ever woken up and realized that someone important to you had betrayed you? Did you hold it against them for many years, not talking to them, rejecting and isolating them? Did you lose all trust in the person? Did you feel so hurt by them that you spoke to them only when absolutely necessary for family harmony? Or, have you left home, your marriage or your job because you are the one who committed the betrayal and you knew the problems it would cause? If you can say yes to any of these questions, you probably feel displaced now. You have had to go to a place where you did not plan to go. You have forced yourself to be with people you do not want to be with. You are trapped in a life of spite and resentment and you have no idea how you got there.
You are a temple for God. He lives inside of you. God’s church is not made of brick and mortar, it is made up of all the believers all over the world. Remember that invisible line I suggested that you draw in front of you? Now is the time. Go ahead- draw it. Then take the one or two steps necessary to step over that line to a new life. Say out loud, “Jesus I don’t know about you but I want to step over the line and start a new me. I am tired of the things I am saddled with right now, tired of running from things in my past. I don’t know where I am running any more. So when I step over this line, I step over it with you. I accept you in my life to be my Lord and Savior.”
I have to be frank, whatever act you committed, you are going to reap what you sowed. There is no way around it. That is a spiritual principle, whether you are Christian or non-Christian. Whatever you put out there is going to return to your life. However, there is a way to lessen the hardship. The moment you decide to accept God into your life as your Savior, He will save you from yourself, from the things you did in the past and from sin. God has an amazing way of making the sinful seeds you sowed lead to a positive harvest. He will deliver you from your sins.
This is the lesson we have learned from Jacob when he jumped up from his dream and made this very same vow. He made promises to God to live a holy life. He promised to tithe 10% of his income to the Lord, as the Lord asks in Malachi 3:7. “Give and it shall be given to you.” Jacob vowed to God that he would always tithe to the church saying, “If you will bring me back to my Father’s house, if you will provide me with food and clothing and shelter I will give you ten percent of everything that I get.”
Perhaps you are an overeater or drug abuser. Perhaps you have been violated in some way or you are a repeat offender, in and out of jail. You don’t want to do these things, but you don’t know how to stop. You don’t know how to break your harmful, self-loathing lifestyle. There is an easy way out of that downward spiral. I have discovered it just like so many others have since the time of Jacob. It is this - God will help you. He knows your heart. He knows how you think and feel. He will lead you down the right road for you and for your life in God. All you have to do is ask for help.
Now you may think that Jacob was crafting a deal with God. Quite the opposite. God considers it a blessing when we ask Him for what we need, (not what we want). He gets upset if we don’t. God wants us to ask Him to deliver us from evil - as it says in the Lord’s Prayer. He has the power and love to set you free. All you have to do is make the decision to change. Learn to take the love and romance that you have been giving to others and give it to God. This way of “romancing” God will bring Him very close to you, so close that it’s like He is right there touching you. I know, I have experienced God that close to me.
Just like Jacob, ask yourself, “You mean God is here right now and I don’t know it?” Yes. God is with you and you may not even know it. You may believe that God cannot possibly be near you because you are living a dishonest life. Quite the opposite. God the Father, Nurturer and Seer always checks on you. He wants to know if you are ready to be honest, to realize what you have done to wrong others, and to repent and move to a better life. If you are, God will show up in a moment’s notice. In fact, He could be with you right now.
One last thing. Have you ever wondered why one of the names for God is “The Rock”? That comes from Jacob’s story as well. He was so amazed by the fact that he had just had a visitation from God that he took anointing oil and poured it on the stone where he had laid his head. Thuscalling the Lord, the Rock.
Don’t short-change yourself. Don’t think “God can’t be here with me because right now I just did two lines of cocaine.” It doesn’t matter. God is looking for you. We make the mistake of believing that God is present only in His house called the church. That’s incorrect. YOU are the church.
Read the story of Jacob, it will bless you. Remember the transformation of Jacob. You can be transformed in God as well. Success, Dr. Diana
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HOW By Dr. Diana Hardy
I Beat Cancer will teach you the steps that you must take to be
HEALED
of any kind of
DISEASE
Imagin
ations
HOWEVER, AS LIFE SHOWS US, THINGS ALWAYS HAPPEN FOR A REASON. When the wrong men showed up in my life, God showed up too. Those “wrong men” are the reasons why God and I are so close today. I am deeply rooted in love with Him and I thank Him every day that He was the last man in line.
6
AS I lay here in my bed, trying to recover fully from being
sick, I look around my personal, private space. Everywhere I see the tangible images of the imaginations of my heart. Being confined to bed means I have a lot of time on my hands, and I’m trying to make the best use of it, even though I would rather be up and about. Being sick is not fun, but I don’t believe that it does any good to whine about it. It can be a positive time when giving your body the right care, the right nutrients, and the right amount of rest, will allow it to heal into a stronger, healthier version of itself. But I digress. Back to my room. Lying in bed, I look around my bedroom and I see a gorgeous palate of colors; a beautiful dark red the color of a rich burgundy wine, a beautiful chocolate brown and tan, and red, voluptuous flowers lining the bedroom ceiling
and my bed. This design of rich colors and textures creates a subtle light and relaxing atmosphere that helps me to wind down. I have one of those minds where all the burners are on all the time. In order to calm down and rest I have to do mental exercises. Today those exercises brought me to a reflection on intimacy and love. As I look back into my past, I see how I focused on the need to love a man and have a husband. It was the wrong focus, and as a result I imagined the wrong things for my life. Men showed up and they were the wrong men for me, because my “imaginations” for myself were wrong. That is what I want to convey to you.
the Imaginations of you heart will MANIFEST in your life, so be very careful with them.
HOWEVER, as life shows us, things always happen
for a reason. When the wrong men showed up in my life, God showed up too. Those “wrong men” are the reasons why God and I are so close today. I am deeply rooted in love with Him and I thank Him every day that He was the last man in line. You see, when He found me and got involved in my life, I discovered Him in return. My life took a change for the better then, and it has continued to get better every day since. If you need intimacy but keep finding it in all the wrong places, it’s time you realized that you need God. You can be intimate with God and you will discover that He is exactly what you need. That is because He will offer you a complete, all consuming, healing love that makes you feel good and puts a smile on your face. God’s love can give you creative ideas, empower you to build a career, strengthen your family and even heal your body. God is the Love of your life. He is the one person you can count on every second and every minute of every day. The Bible gives us a good example of this:
Exodus 17:5-6 relates a story in which the Lord provided water for people from a rock. Verse 5 says: “The LORD answered Moses, ‘Bring some of the leaders of Israel with you, and go to where the people can see you. Take the staff you used to strike the Nile River. I’ll be standing in front of you there by a rock at Mount Horeb. . . . . . ’” In other words, God is telling Moses, “I know you can’t see Me, but I’m right here. I am telling you where I stand.” That is great symbolism for all of us. We can know without any doubt, where God stands. He will never lie to us. We can always trust His word. Therefore it follows that if He is the one person we can trust, then we should undoubtedly make Him the core of our lives. God should be the very center of our heart, mind, body and soul. Pursue Him with everything inside of you. He is the perfect “Imagining” for your life.
7
What exactly is contouring?
Art
According to Beau Nelson, Kristen Stewart's longtime makeup artist contouring is “giving shape to an area of the face and enhancing the facial structure through makeup. It's not supposed to be noticeable—just a subtle definition.” Subtle is the key word. You don’t want to look like a clown or a little girl who got into her mother’s makeup for the first time. The goal of contouring is to accentuate your best features, not create new ones. When you’re contouring you are enhancing your face.
The of Contouring and Highlighting with By Stephanie White
MAKE-UP Do you remember art class in elementary school? Do you remember the first time you had to shade areas of a picture in order to give the illustration more dimension? If you’re anything like me, you failed art because the instruction didn’t make much sense. However, this type of shading is different and if I can contour so can you. I promise! It just takes a little time and patience to learn how to perfect the technique what looks best for you. Once you have the hang of it and developed your very own style, you will be able to very quickly contour and highlight while applying your make-up.
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A FEW THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN SHOPPING FOR CONTOURING MAKEUP AND BRUSHES:
You are going to build and buff- and remember - less is more.
1. Stick with matte products. Contouring products are matte; highlighting products have shimmer.
Contouring: uses what brush? 1.Cover your face and neck with foundation. This creates a blank canvas.
SPECIFIC STEPS:
2. Find the right colors for your skin tone. Don’t hesitate to ask for help from the sales person in any beauty department. Even if you’re not going to buy your products there, you can still ask for advice on what shades will work best for your skin tone.
2.Next you will shade and highlight specific areas.
3. If you are a beginner who is just learning to contour and highlight - use creamy products. These products are easier to blend and create a fresh, dewy result.
5.Start at the middle of the top of your hairline and begin making the letter E on your face by tracing along the edge of your hairline down to your temple.
4. Brushes are the most important tool for perfecting contouring and highlighting. It’s recommended that you use two brushes, one for contouring and a second for highlighting. a. You Tube make-up artist Beau Nelson says to use a smaller, fluffy eye shadow brush for greater precision.
PRODUCTS AND TOOLS: • Cream Foundation or Cream Bronzer — select a cream foundation that is four or so shades darker than your foundation • Cream Highlighter • Powder Bronzer + Highlighter • Flathead Brush- this really presses the cream into the skin and does all the work for you. • Blush Brush- the best brush to blend cream foundation or bronzer is a natural-bristled round-headed blush brush • Angled Brush • Eye shadow brush
TECHNIQUE: 1.Tap a regular foundation brush or a damp egg sponge into the contour to make sure there's no demarcation on the applicator. This is a necessity. 2.You also will need to learn to blend the application of products before you can begin to contour. 3.Start with soft, circular movements as you apply contouring layers under the jawlines, the sides of the temples, and under the cheekbones. You will see sharp looking lines while doing this, but don’t worry. 4.Next, you are going to soften the lines with a clean cotton pad, or blend them with a damp sponge or foundation brush.
3.Dip your brush into the cream bronzer/darker foundation and load it up. 4.Swirl the brush on the back of your hand to take away some of the intensity of color.
6.Suck in your cheeks to see exactly where your cheekbones are then continue the middle prong of the letter E by sweeping the brush from your temple to just underneath the cheekbone. 7.Go back along the underside of your cheekbone to the ear then down to your jawline. 8. Finish the E by sweeping the brush on and underneath the jawline. You can fill in your entire neck to really shade it. 9. Repeat on the other side.
HIGHLIGHTING: 1. Now swirl off any excess product on the brush onto a tissue or the back of your hand. 2. Fill the same brush with the cream highlighter. 3. Now you are going to draw the letter C on your face. 4. Take the dry blush brush and go back over the E’s and C’s in swirling motions to really blend it into the skin. You could also use a blending sponge instead of a brush to do this. 5. To highlight your eyes: a. Hold the brush in the middle of your forehead just above your brow. b. Outline the eye all the way to your temple then down under your eye just above your cheekbone. 6. Repeat on the other side. 7. Finish by grabbing the angled contour brush and going over the E with the bronzing powder and the C with the highlighting powder. Congratulations! You have just contoured and highlighted your face like a pro! http://www.teenvogue.com/beauty/2014-01/how-to-contour-ma keup?currentPage=all http://thebeautydepartment.com/2013/04/how-to-contour-highli ght/
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HOPEFULLY YOU WASH YOUR FACE EVERY DAY.
If you don’t it’s important that you start. Your face will thank you because you are removing bacteria and oils and reducing the size of your pores. If you do wash your face, great! However, do you ever wash your make-up brushes?
Clean face, dirty make-up brushes,
T O N
A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN! Stephanie White
10
It’s not pretty, but let’s think about your make-up brushes for a moment. Inside the bristles live dead skin, bacteria, dust and oils. I know, buying new make-up brushes can be expensive. (Besides, doesn’t the old adage “If it isn’t broken don’t fix it” apply here?) Not really. Waiting until the bristles fall out of a make-up brush to buy a new one is not a good idea. That is far too long to wait. You say you would rather run the brush under water and call it clean? That’s not good either. Let me tell you how to properly clean your brushes and why you should.
1
Dirty brushes can lead to skin break outs. Even if you have a beauty regimen of washing your face twice a day, you can still get acne. Before you suspect it’s your foundation and throw away that little expensive bottle, try cleaning your brushes.
these at a local or online beauty store). • Starting with your foundation and cream blush brushes (these have the most product residue and need the most attention), spray the cleaner directly on the brush heads to completely soak the bristles.
2.Old, brittle brushes can lead to skin irritation. Cleaning your brushes keeps them soft.
• Rub the brush head back and forth over a paper towel or tissue repeatedly until there is no more product being released from the brush.
3.If you have sensitive skin or have recently developed a mysterious skin allergy, you may not be allergic to your make-up. Your skin may be aggravated by the old make-up residue caught in the bristles of the brush. Clean all of your make-up brushes, and then you will know whether or not you are actually allergic to your make-up or the brush.
• Spray cleaner on the rest of your brushes one at a time (i.e. eyeliner, lip, eyebrow brushes).
4.Dirty brushes are a lush germ habitat. Where there are wet environments there are growing bacteria. Your face may be clean, but when your brushes are mixed in gels and creams they are an open invitation to germs and bacteria. 5.It gets worse. Wet or damp brushes can lead to pink eye and Herpes. The Herpes virus loves moist environments. It loves lipstick and lip gloss. Be aware that if you share yours with a friend who has a cold sore, you’re more than likely to get a cold sore as well. When it comes to my make-up I rarely share it. That might sound stingy, but let’s face it, if bacteria are inhabiting your brushes, and you share it with someone else’s bacteria, you are prone to get an infection. Friends share Netflix passwords, not makeup! Hopefully, I have now convinced you to start cleaning your brushes. No one likes acne or germs, not to mention viruses! Cleaning your make-up brushes is quick and easy. I recommend the following schedule: • Clean brushes after you have applied your makeup for the day. They take a while to dry. • If you can, invest in a daily brush cleaner. It’s good to use between brush washes. • Thoroughly wash brushes twice a week. Never go no longer than a month between washes. Bacteria grow fast. • Discard mascara every 3-6 months. What you will need to begin cleaning your brushes: • A bowl • Gentle clarifying shampoo or baby shampoo • Towel/cloth • Your sink INSTRUCTIONS: Heavy Duty Cleaning (optional): • Use a professional brush cleaning spray (you can find
• Rub these brushes back and forth as well. • This solution dries within minutes so it’s great to use when you are on the go. GENTLE CLEANING: • Run the make-up brushes under lukewarm water, rinsing out all of the residual makeup. Focus on the actual bristles and try to avoid where the brush meets the handle. This can loosen the glue over time. • Fill a bowl with lukewarm water and add a teaspoon of shampoo. One at a time, dip your brushes into the solution, gently swirling them across the bottom of the bowl to release the product. Keep the brushes in the water as you add the other brushes. • After washing, let the brushes have a quick soak for 5-10 seconds. Try not to keep them in there no longer than 10 seconds. • One by one, hold each brush under cold water to rinse any remaining product and seal the hairs. • Remold the bristles back to their original shape by pressing the hairs between your fingers. DRYING: • When drying brushes do not set them in an upright position. This causes the water to settle into the glue that’s holding the bristles to the base of the brush head. It starts breaking down the glue over time, causing the hairs to come off when you swipe the brush against your face. Instead lay brushes flat to dry. • Grab a hand towel, a paper towel or a dinner napkin. Fold it in half three times, to make it smaller and to create a “crease,” then unfold it once. Place this crease on top of anything that is cylinder shaped, such as a vase, or glass. This will create a see-saw for your brush, where it can balance on top while still being open to the air to dry. • Balance each brush across the crease so that the brush head is pointing down, but not touching the napkin. Let the brushes dry completely for a few hours, or overnight, and then they are ready to be used again.
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DRU UG ABUSING
UG ABUSING
IFYOUAREUSING,
DRUG A YOUAREABUSING
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Drugs are easily accessible today, as easy as going into your Mother’s medicine cabinet to grab her prescribed Vicodin or Percocet. Addiction is not new. It’s been around for a long, long time. When we look at an addict, we see a “druggie”. What we overlook drug abusers are self-abusers as well. Let me explain.
UG ABUSING G
G ABUSING
If you NEED DRUGS TO FEEL BETTER ABOUT YOURSELF, to alleviate worry or doubt, then you aren’t freeing yourself from anything. YOU ARE ALREADY ABUSING YOURSELF. Buying a Percocet out on the street and taking it so you can feel better about yourself is not the answer. It’s the problem. Prescription drugs were developed to alleviate physical pain, not mental or emotional pain. That kind of peace requires something else; it takes honesty and self-reflection. Take a hard look at what is really going on in your life. Be honest with yourself and ask, “What is the problem at the root of my behavior?”
DON’T MAKE EXCUSES. That won’t help. If you are hanging with people who think it’s cute to take drugs they will only MAKE MATTERS WORSE. Don’t
negotiate with yourself saying, “It’s not like I’m taking heroin or cocaine. I’m just taking a pill.” It’s the same difference. Becoming addicted to drugs is becoming addicted to drugs no matter what the drug is. Pills aren’t “nothing”, they are the gateway to harder drugs. As we speak there are millions of people fighting horrible addictions, people who wish they could turn back the hands of time and not take that first pill. Tragically, there are many people in the grave right now who, if they could, would tell you that the road to destruction from drugs begins with a pill.
The thing about GOD IS THAT HE CAN BE ANY GOOD THING you want Him to be. He
can step into any role. He won’t abuse you. Instead, He will love you and help to alleviate that emotional pain you are trying to obliterate with drugs. Do I hear you saying “Diana I hear you but it ain’t gonna work”? Well I am here to tell you it will work. God has worked His wonders for thousands of others for thousands of year and He certainly can work for you. What’s your next excuse? You are too weak to seek God’s
GO TO GOD and present your problems to Him, WEAKNESS will have no power over you. Instead of being
help?
I am here to tell you that if you
trapped by drugs, free yourself by giving yourself to God. Tell Him that you will work for Him and in exchange, you ask Him to deliver you from addiction, whatever it maybe; drugs, food, sex, pornography, fear, or lack of money. Tell God that for delivering you from addiction, you will serve Him. But you must mean it.
It’s time for you to take a look in the mirror. You can look into a physical mirror while God helps you look into the mirror of your soul. You’re probably not going to like what you see there, I’ll tell you that upfront. However, the same person that gave you life the first time can give you life
ABUSING DON’T GO DOWN THAT ROAD.
If no one is talking to you from the dark captivity of drug addiction, then listen to me. I have had the opportunity to meet with these people and counsel them for the past 20 years. Drug addicts all say the same thing - that it is best not to start because “you start one way and end up another”. Please don’t make the mistake of saying it won’t happen to you. There are thousands of people who said that and now find themselves destroyed by drugs. If you are in mental or emotional pain, (as I suspect you are since you are taking these drugs), there is something else that is going to work for you every time. And it’s free. You won’t end up selling your home or losing your children and your family because of it. Instead, you will feel really good about yourself. And the great thing is, it’s not a drug, it’s a person and His Name is God.
RUN TO GOD instead of the drug dealer. again. You just need to
If you do end up with a hit, or a drink, or a needle in your arm, ask God to destroy your craving and desire for the
Ask Him to help you live a FREE LIFE. Then promise Him that you will tell
drug.
everyone you know about how He gave you a new life and set you free. Tell the world how God removed your emotional pain and returned your home and your children to you. And promise me you will write your story and let me publish it in RED WINE Magazine. God alleviated me from my addictions. They weren’t drugs, they were other things but God alleviated them for me and He’ll do the same for you. Be encouraged. Lots of love. Dr. Diana
13
When you hear the word divide, you don’t think of something good. When I think of the word divide, I think of divide and conquer, or, “a house divided against itself shall not stand”. Division seems to be a key element of the story of Jacob, told to us by God in the book of Genesis, Chapters 28-31. In fact, it relates to us in some detail, the Seed of Division. It is an interesting story of love, desire, family division and drama. I found that God was calling my attention to various elements of the story in order to teach me His lessons.
the
Seed
It all started with a wedding. If you have ever been cheated out of something that was rightfully yours, then you will understand what Jacob experienced with his Uncle Laban. You see, when Jacob agreed to work for his uncle the two of them agreed on the wages. However, his uncle tricked him. In fact, he tricked him many times, repeatedly changing his wages, but he saved the big trick for Jacob’s wedding day. When Jacob started working for Laban, he asked for his youngest daughter Rachel’s hand in marriage. Laban agreed to the marriage, in exchange for 7 years of work by Jacob. Because Jacob was deeply in love with Rachel he readily agreed to the contract. Jacob faithfully worked the 7 years and then the wedding day arrived. He was to be married to Rachel. The wedding took place, there was a feast and a celebration and Jacob got drunk. The next morning, he woke up to find not Rachel, but Laban’s oldest daughter Leah in bed beside him. Laban had tricked Jacob and given him his first daughter instead of Rachel. The trickster Laban slid his way out of the situation by saying “It is our custom to give the oldest daughter in marriage first.” Not one to be discouraged, Jacob asked for, and received, Rachel as his second wife, but only after agreeing to work for Laban for another 7 years.
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Eventually Jacob became a wealthy man. At this point in his life God told Jacob to leave his current country. God gave Jacob land in another country and told him to go there. Obviously Jacob didn’t trust Laban so he chose not to share this news with him. Jacob gathered up his wives, children, slaves, cattle and all the other belongings God had given him and hurried out of the country. Let me stop here for a minute. I have read this story before and I always wondered why God took away all of Laban’s possessions and gave them to Jacob. Laban could have been asking the same questions you and I have probably asked- “Why does one person lose possessions and another is lavished in luxury?” “Why does a child lose their rightful inheritance to family scoundrels?” Then it dawned on me. It’s all comes from the Seed of Division. Let me explain. Jacob’s God was the one true God. On the other hand, Laban heard the voice of God, heard His instructions, understood it was God who was speaking, and yet worshipped an Idol. That one point brought me to a screeching halt. I finally understood why God took everything from Laban and gave it to Jacob; Laban was an idolater. He had created his own idol god - some statue that
of
you put yourself first, instead of God? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, it is not too late to turn your life around. Believe me, it is very easy to form idols and worship them falsely. Sometimes we don’t even know we are doing it. That very quiet place in our inner lives where we make vows and promises is the very same place where you will find the Seed of Division. It will separate you from what is rightfully yours, just as we saw in the story of Jacob and Laban. Be very careful who you make promises and vows to if you are not making them to God. You may be putting yourself at great risk. The Seed of Division for Jacob and Laban was the fact that both of them had a God in their life – but only Jacob had the one true God in his life- the one who made the universe and you and me. Laban, had a statue, an idol that was made by somebody else’s hand. It was not God, plain and simple. That is the truth and the truth can set you free. The truth can put you back on track, facilitate the healing you need, change your life, turn it around and bring you the prosperity and money you need.
division
Read the story of Jacob and Laban; drink it in and digest it. See where Laban made his mistakes and ignored them.
he worshipped and put his faith in instead of the real God in Heaven. That was his big mistake and that is why God took everything from him. On the other hand, Jacob was blessed made a vow to God and then kept it.
See where Jacob made his mistakes, recognized them and then turned his life around. If you follow Jacob’s example and turn your life around, you’ll be surprised how God will help you and lift you up.
I am relating this story to you because I want you to take an account of your life and your lifestyle. What do you put a great deal of faith and trust in that is not God the Father? In other words, what have you purchased, inherited or earned that you have made a de facto God in your life? Did you buy a statue or some other object and put faith and trust in it, and pray to it, asking it to take care of your problems? Have you put your child before everything else, even God? Have
Bless you. Dr. Diana
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TATTOOS
Tattoos are a topic of discussion whether you are a man or woman, young or old - and from our point of view - whether you are a believer or non-believer in God. It seems that everyone has an opinion about whether or not tattoos are respectable. Let’s jump into the fray and see what is going on.
By Sarah Bell For believers, the first place to look for answers to any of life’s quixotic issues is the Bible. There you will find scripture to support many different opinions. It’s no different with tattoos. A case in point: those who believe that tattoos are wrong will point out Leviticus 19:28, “Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD” (NIV). Because believers subscribe to the belief that God is the same today as He was yesterday, it stands to reason that if He was against tattoos in Biblical times, He is against them today. However, the problem with this argument is that the previous verse, Leviticus 19:27 says, “Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard.” We know that this is not a declaration that a haircut and a shave are wrong in God’s eyes. There are plenty of men who trim and shave their beards. If verse 27 does not apply today, then why would verse 28 apply?
What do I think? Rather than focusing on the prevalence of ugly tattoos, I want to focus on fashionable tattoos. For example, my aunt has tattooed eyeliner. That comes in very handy when she is running out of the house in a rush. It’s a tattoo that will never go out of style!
That leaves us with the difficult-to-answer question of “How do we determine which Biblical rules apply today and which do not?” I think the best way to figure that out is to understand why God made the rules in the first place. For example, in Leviticus, God admonishes His children in order to keep them safe. He did not want the Jews to be led astray by following the practices of the heathens who were cutting their hair, trimming their beards, tattooing their bodies and practicing sorcery. God did not want His children affiliated with the heathens in any way. God wants His children to be set apart. He wants them to be in this world but not of this world. When we consider tattoos today as opposed to Biblical times, we can see that they no longer represent sorcery or hedonism. Today tattoos are a form of self-expression in art, philosophy and fashion, (despite the fact that some of them are downright tacky or insulting). So if we accept the premise that tattoos are probably ok with God, how do we determine whether the specific tattoo we desire is respectable or not? The answer is simple; a tattoo is fine if it is honorable to God. This doesn’t mean that you have to get tattoos of crosses and bible verses. It does mean that the tattoo you select should showcase the world made by God.
HOW TO SELECT A TATTOO:
Before getting a tattoo, think very carefully about whether the design you like now is one that you will like for a lifetime. Even though tattoo removal is available, for most people tattoos are permanent “til’ death do you part”. For example, a teenager may love the idea of a dolphin tattoo as a reminder of a vacation in Florida. But will s/he love the dolphin at age 60 or 70? It is important to think about these things carefully before selecting a tattoo. Once you have a design in mind, don’t act impulsively. Mull it over for a year, maybe even two. If you still want the tattoo after a significant amount of time, then it is probably the right design for you.
I also believe that tattoos can be beautiful and artistic. They give us the ability to express on the outside, what we think or feel on the inside. Tattoos can be a great conversation starter. Personally, I don’t have any tattoos- yet! There are several I want but I can’t afford them just yet. If you are wondering what tattoos I consider as honorable to God and would want on my body for a lifetime - I would be happy to share. THE FIRST tattoo I want is one of the Bible verse Psalm 139:14. It says, “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full and well.” Why do I want that specific verse? When I was a teenager I battled depression. I suffered from a twisted, self-made reality that I was not beautiful or worthy of love. Then God revealed to me that my impression of myself was not true. The scripture from Psalms is one of the ways in which He revealed this to me. A tattoo of the Psalms verse on my arm would remind me that I am loved and I am beautiful. It will also be a great conversation starter. Maybe someone who needs to hear that God loves them and that they are beautiful will read my tattoo and be healed. SECONDLY, I want to get a silhouette of a tree on my ribs. Why? My brother started a non-profit organization for people battling depression and suicidal thoughts. The tree is the symbol for the organization. It’s the tree of life. It symbolizes that no matter how bad things can be, life is worth living. THIRD, (yes there is a third!), I would like to have a tattoo of black birds flying behind my ear and down the back of my neck. Why? In Isaiah 40:31 the scripture says, “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” The black birds will be a constant reminder that I can run and not grow weary, that I can walk and not be faint- all with God’s love. So I guess the point is this- tattoos are a life-long commitment. Use them well to express yourself, the beauty around you, and God’s love. Leave the snakes and the belly dancers to someone else’s arm!
CAN
GOD BE MY
friend? Holy therapy and divine glimpses of their blueprints are there for those who dare to walk up into God’s Chamber
By Dr. Diana Hardy