Hiredby
GOD
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Executive office RED WINE Magazine, Incorporated 17503 La Cantera Parkway, Suite 104-193 San Antonio, Texas 78257
Editor-in Chief Dr. Diana Hardy
Editorial Staff Deborah Chiaravolliti
CONTENTS
Writers 2
DO YOU MAXIMIZE YOUR POTENTIAL?
5
HOW TO LOSE WAIT
6
DID HE HAVE THE LAST WORD?
12 WHY DO YOU SAY YOU ARE NOT BLESSED? 13 GIVE ME A REASON TO LOVE YOU 16 GIFTED GIVING
Dr. Diana Hardy Erica Johnson
Graphic Design Karen Hue Gustavo
Website Design Gagan Masoun
Editors
Note
Hey Beloved! Happy holidays to you and your families. You are probably out shopping right now for friends, family and coworkers. My prayer is that you would have an awesome holiday season. I’d like to give you a gift. It is not from me but it is from God. It is salvation! It’s a gift that will last you throughout eternity. It will never grow old. In salvation, there is so much. It is the gift that keeps giving. So please accept this gift that God is offering. I have and millions of others have it. He is offering it to you. God says in His word, “In all thy getting, get understanding.” (Proverbs 4:7). So while you are out shopping this season for gifts for loved ones, add to your list salvation. Ask God to save all of those you are giving gifts to. And also ask for understanding and while you are at it Wisdom, too. The Bible says, “Wisdom is the principle thing” (Proverbs 4:7). God bless you. Thank you for reading RED WINE Magazine. We love you and pray and ask God to tell us what write for you to help you on your journey and everyday life. You want health, just ask Him for it and watch it manifest in your body. If your children need to be saved, give your child back to God and pray for them daily thanking God for their salvation. Watch Him do these sweet miracles that He does every day. Have a blessed holiday and a happy New Year! With Christ’s Love, Dr. Diana
Dr. Diana
December 2014 - January 2015//Special Issue
How I Beat CANCER C A N C E R - Those cold letters do not reign supreme. So many people are afraid of hearing the words “You have cancer”, that they won’t even go to the doctor. There are others who go to the doctor and are caught completely off guard when they receive a diagnosis of cancer. I originally wrote my book How I Beat Cancer because my secretary asked me to write a small pamphlet that she could give to people when she visited cancer clinics. And so I agreed. What started out as a small pamphlet containing words of encouragement and some “how-to” tips to survive cancer, turned into a 46 page book about my personal life and experience with cancer. I am sharing How I Beat Cancer with the world because I want mothers, fathers, grandmothers and even doctors to know that there is a cure for cancer. It’s just that science doesn’t hold the answer. The one who has the awesome cure is God. Scientists are not completely sure what causes cancer. They conduct vigorous research and have increased understanding about the behavior of cancer cells, but a cure is not yet here. I am not a physician and I don’t pretend to tell physicians or scientists what to do. What I do know is God. I know that God speaks the ultimate truth. And once you know that, you realize that you don’t have to know exactly how things go wrong in the body, because God will show you how to be healed, how to be cured of cancer. God cured me of cancer. And I am still so humbled by it. I have so much gratitude to God because a cousin of mine, who was my age, was diagnosed with colon cancer at the same time I was diagnosed. She died and I didn’t. It takes me places you could never understand when I think about how God chose me. How I Beat Cancer is my personal life story and testimony about my battle with cancer with God by my side. The book tells you how to fight cancer with God. I am not knocking chemotherapy or any other modern day treatments. It was not my choice because I believe chemotherapy kills the good with the bad. God was my choice and I am all the more better for it. So when you are undergoing the medical interventions you choose, take this book along and use the spiritual medication that you find within its pages. You will receive the kind of life-saving results you deserve.
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Do Yo
Maxim
We are on the steps of a new year, just look up and you’ll see 2016 is fast approaching. I had a conversation with someone close to me in my entourage. We were discussing abilities, gifts and talents that we all have inside of us. In particular, I was talking to her about hers. We have had this conversation so many times throughout the years and she would always say, “But I don’t see anything worth developing or growing in me.”
Now the amazing thing about that statement is that it is inaccurate. Many people across this country have been able to see her talents, gifts and abilities. Whenever I have a function, I have my tables designed using gorgeous fabrics, beautiful dishes, lovely candles and flowers. And we have gotten so many compliments. All of this was done by the woman I am talking about now. She has an eye for design and she is creative. I have seen her draw fashion sketches on computer software. But somehow in her vision she doesn’t see all she can do.
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Maximize you! I know you can because God made you and He doesn’t make garbage.
ou
mize your
potential? 3 I Red Wine
She has a vision problem. But God surrounds us with people who will tell us about ourselves. Both the good and the bad, things we need to hear. Without an agenda but just because they love us and support who we are. Good friends, if you will. We aren’t to listen to everybody but ask God to send people into your life that will tell you the truth. Sometimes they are not friends, sometimes just associates that admire your work. So are you a writer, a painter, event planner, or do you have an eye for design and fashion? Is health and fitness your thing? Do you do it well and used it for your life? Whatever you have been successful with in your life, someone needs help with it and you can help so many people. We have the internet now so you can help people all over. Ask God to put an idea in your mind. Take the idea and maximize it. Play with that idea and keep creating until things come out of you that you didn’t know were there. Do you! Find what you like and do it. I don’t care what people say, just do it. You will find as you do things you like, there will be more things revealed that you are capable of and will enjoy.
When God created us, He gave us a plethora of gifts and talents.
Fearfully and wonderfully made is the word I have for you today (Psalm 139:14). There is so much in that. Go and ask God about all the abilities that He made you with. If you are struggling right now with what I am saying because you feel you don’t have anything to offer, then you just can’t see right. You do have something to offer. It is like having rose-colored glasses on, everything is going to be shaded.
So what do you do when you feel like you don’t have anything to offer that is good enough? I suggest you get those people that are
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close to you that you admire and ask them what they think you do well and tell them why you are asking. We always have critics, don’t listen to them. Put them on the chopping block for friendship. But ask people who love you and admire you. People that you can trust to tell you the truth. Pay attention to the things you hear over and over. Maximize your potential. All anyone expects is for you to be yourself, to do you. Do what you can do to add to our world. Bless our world with your abilities. Be our champion in that area. One final word. With New Year’s coming up, everybody’s got a resolution or something they want to do. They profess they’ll be a “new you” which is possible if we start to do things we haven’t done. For me, it is Pilates. I have thought and thought about doing Pilates in groups, by myself but each time I talked myself out of it. I promise you that Pilates will be done by me by the time the New Year comes in. So make a promise to yourself that at least one thing will get done. Maximize you! I know you can because God made you and He doesn’t make garbage. God loves you and I do too. Dr. Diana
December 2014 - January 2015//Special Issue
How to
W A E I S T O L
Erica Johnson
About six months ago I found out a former church member had passed away unexpectedly at a young age. This came on the heels of losing two other close Brothers in Christ quite unexpectedly.
The shock of this news made me really take an assessment of my own life. I realized that I was over-wait. It’s not a typo. I was over-wait. I was waiting for one thing or another thinking that I had time to do the things I wanted and needed to do. I was waiting to travel, waiting to plan the future, just waiting. The reasons varied. I was waiting for the right time, waiting to lose weight, waiting to meet the right person, waiting for more money, waiting for any number of self-created benchmarks. And most of the time the limitations we place on our lives come directly out of some kind of fear whether we can admit it or not. I want to take this opportunity to tell you to stop waiting to live life and fulfill your divine destiny. The Bible tells us to “. . . seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33). We must actively seek God and His purpose for our life and not just let life happen to us. If we seek God first, everything we need will be provided by Him.
there may be some things on your list that are not in the plan of God for you. But at least you will get them off the list and make room for new goals. The Lord God said, “I know the plans that I have for you, declares the LORD. They are plans for peace and not disaster, plans to give you a future filled with hope.” (Jeremiah 9:11). The only person you should wait on is God. When He says go, please go. When He says stop, stop. Commit to losing your wait, all the reasons you created to not live in the now.
Seek is a verb, it means we have to take some kind of action. We should make plans even long term plans, but we should do something every day to move towards our goals. If you have got some things you have been waiting to do, lose the wait and start praying and asking God your next step. Honestly,
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Did He Have the
Last
WORD?
God’s Word is the most effective thing we have in our lives. And whether you believe in God or not, His Word affects and will always affect your life. His Word is always going to be the last Word in any situation.
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Do you remember ever having an argument with someone and they said something that really affected you? I mean so much so that when you hear their name or anything that reminds you of them, you remember what they said. Something that may have made you feel good or bad. Even now you can go to a certain place and be reminded of that person and that memory causes their words to roll across your mind like a marquee. Sometimes, whatever they said may have even ended the relationship because it hurt so much that you couldn’t have a relationship with that person anymore. Or maybe their words were valuable and changed the course of your life. There are so many words we say throughout our lifetime. Words are important and remarkable. In that way, God’s Word is the most effective thing we have in our lives. And whether you believe in God or not, His Word affects and will always affect your life. His Word is always going to be the last Word in any situation. Just look back at when you were born. When your parents came together and conceived you, it was God’s Word that created you in the womb and His Word that got you into this earth realm. Consider all the babies that are miscarried or stillborn and never had an opportunity to live a full life. So what God says about you from conception throughout your life is the final Word.
WHAT IS GOD SAYING ABOUT
YOU?
That’s the big, poignant question. There are only four things that God would be speaking overall about your life: (1) a blessing, (2) a curse, SO (3) a promise, or (4) love. Those are four major things that God speaks over our lives. If you are a person who can recognize the blessings in your life, then you also recognize how important His Word is. It is strategically important that you understand God’s Word is the last Word. No matter what you say, if it doesn’t align with God’s word, it may affect your life but it will not outlast God’s Word.
The Bible says, “The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever." (Isaiah 40:8) Forever started before you were born. It is linked up with eternity so His Word has always been and will always be the final Word. So the blessings will continue as long as you walk in the favor of God. The blessing keeps going unless you do something to change your blessings into curses. My prayer is that if you have curses going on in your life or family, you would recognize them by searching in God’s Word and having a conversation with Him. Not religion but a day-to-day relationship where you talk to Him and discover things about your life and the direction you need to take.
I also mentioned
PROMISES AND
LOVE.
If God has made some promises to you or your family, those promises will be kept. God will keep His promises, He doesn’t break His word. God said in His Word that He changes not! (Malachi 3:6). That is really important to understand.
The Bible also tells us that no weapon formed against us shall prosper (Isaiah 54:17). When it comes to love, even if you don’t understand why certain things happen like babies that die or famine and war, know that there are reasons for all of these things. You can find the answer in the Word of God. But despite these things, love is like a cloak around us. God is love. We all have some idea of what love is because we all love someone be it a parent or a child. You know the depth of feelings you get. God loves us. And He will be committed to you if you give your life over to Him and take your instructions from Him. He created everything so He knows how you can get the blessings and 7 I Red Wine
everything else you need like direction, wisdom, knowledge, and hope. He will have the last Word in your life. Shouldn't you want to know what that word is? Shouldn’t you pursue knowing that word daily? Shouldn’t you just trust God? Trusting man is problematic. Even when we humans mean well we don’t always do well. But God is faithful! He left all the things like faith, love, and blessings just waiting on you. So you should just go get that Word and speak it over your life. Even if you have a curse over you, things are going wrong for you and your family and you don’t know why, it is not bad luck. It is a curse but the good news is whatever was done that created that curse, because God does say our children would pay to the third and fourth generation for the things we did, that can change. God can stop the curse and turn it into a blessing. Only God can do that! Keep these scriptures, print them out and put them on your wall so you can turn around every situation in your life. Start right now by talking to God. Repent for the things you have done and your family members have done, even if you weren’t born yet! You tell God you are sorry so you can stop the curse in your family. For instance, if your family lies a lot, ask God to forgive your family for lying. Break that curse and ask God to deliver you and your family from whatever keeps the lying going. God said, “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11). And know this also, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16). I love y’all and happy holidays! Dr. Diana
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GOD IS
LOVE.
We all have some idea of what love is because we all love someone be it a parent or a child. You know the depth of feelings you get. God loves us. And He will be committed to you if you give your life over to Him and take your instructions from Him. He created everything so He knows how you can get the blessings and everything else you need like direction, wisdom, knowledge, and hope. He will have the
last Word in
YOUR LIFE.
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laughter
friends
Life
strength
FAMILY JOB FOOD Why Do Say You Are Not
BLESSED? ability health/healing to walk
success
career
home/shelter
love
water
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Let’s be honest. It is so exciting to fall in love. Especially when it is unexpected. It is one thing when you meet someone and you slowly start to discover things about them that you like and you start to become sweet on them. That’s fun but do you remember that old adage “love at first sight?” You just meet someone and are swept off your feet and fall head over heels in love. I know there are some cynics out there that don’t believe in love at first sight but it does exist. We just don’t see it as often as we see people falling in love slowly. There are many levels or rather types of love. Little girls will say, “I love little Jonnie.” And it seems very real to them because there are real emotions emanating from that young girl. We call it child’s play or puppy love. There is that kind of love. She wants to kiss him on the cheek. And the very idea of “being in love” with Jonnie is so fascinating. Then we become teenagers. And we become more intense in our desire to spend time with someone. We want to go to the movies or the prom or we worry about somebody stealing them away. This is another intense time emotionally.
Give Me a Reason
Love
to
You
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There are many reasons to love God. He (God) “so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16).
Then we get to adulthood and love takes on another shape or configuration. It takes up a larger portion of our time and we have to be committed to it. Every area of our lives is affected by being in love and being in a relationship with the opposite sex. We all feel we have reasons why people should love us. But there is another level of love that is higher and deeper and life sustaining than the examples I have given. This love I want to talk to you about is a more mature type love. That is the love of God. I didn’t say your love towards God but rather His love towards you. He is the perfect definition of what love really is and He exemplifies that towards us. He showers His love on us from the time you are in your mother’s womb until the day you hopefully go home to be with Him. The love He shares with us, spills on us, is totally awesome. There are no words. It is indescribable. It’s passionate, healing, strengthening. I’m just giving you a few adjectives here. However, I know many of you struggle with feeling like you even deserve to be loved. It doesn’t matter why or how you came into existence. You can be the product of rape or a one-night stand. But it doesn’t matter because there are still multiple reasons why God loves you.
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You are His creation and you are invaluable to Him. I will tell you why. Wear it around your neck like a scarf. When God looks down at you, He sees an imperfect person but still someone He created out of His love. He sees all the greatness in you. The gifts, talents and love that you and others don’t see. That is what He loves. You were fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). Let’s reverse that shoe and ask God to give you a reason to love Him. There are a thousand reasons why God should be loved. He created the perfect utopia or world for us with gorgeous grass, flowers and a sky. There are all kinds of fruits and vegetables. Go to the mountains or the natural carved out areas like the Grand Canyon and you will see the beauty. Just to see the beauty of nature. Then look at what man can do. Look at the buildings in places like Dubai. There is so much unknown about God but He wants to reveal it to you. God has given you His breath that comes from God and you breathe it in and out all day long. He created life and called it blood. That is why He said for us not to eat the blood because the life is in it (Deuteronomy 12:23). If your blood drains out, you die. There are many reasons to love God. He (God) “so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16).
Eternal life means
living forever
with Him.
We live on earth now for a time but we can still be really connected to Him to the point that He is in our house 24/7. Whenever we think something, God will bless us with it because we have included Him in everything: our marriage, time with our children, job, and every area of live. God gave us our children, give them back to Him. If you want God’s protection in every area of your life, invite God in. He is the best Father and there are too many reasons to name why we should love Him. But just think about this fantastic friend that will never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). I know this is a sensitive time for many due to the holidays. People may have left you throughout your life perhaps. A relative or spouse or even a child has passed away. You are sad and depressed but do you know who will and can come to love you and move that depression off of you? God. You don’t have to open the front door and He may not ring a doorbell but if you start calling Him from your heart He will come. Tell God, “Sorry I haven’t paid enough attention to you before but I really want you in my life now.” If you mean that thing, He will come and every time you talk to Him as long as you speak from your heart. Tell Him all the bad things you have done. Tell Him to wash it all away. In fact, ask Him for a new heart for Christmas. You can ask God for a new heart. And then when things start to change for you, share it with us here at Red Wine. We want to hear about the blessings God has waiting for you. We love you. Be blessed. Dr. Diana
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GifGiving ted Erica Johnson
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I know sometimes it is best to give someone a present they need or specifically ask for but I always prefer to give a gift that I want to give them. I have a reason behind it, a thought, a memory or just a strong feeling that this thing would be perfect for them. Sometimes people deserve things they would never ask for or think they would ever have. So you have to be willing to take the risk occasionally. I believe that a gift should reflect how you feel about someone on certain occasions. The money doesn’t matter but the time and thought means a lot. When the wise men came to Jesus on the night of His birth and gave Him gold, frankincense and myrrh, it was not that they thought He needed it but it was to show they knew He was royalty and they respected Him as who He was (Matthew 2). At that time, gold, frankincense and myrrh were gifts traditionally given to royalty with gold symbolizing kingship, frankincense symbolizing deity or priesthood and myrrh death. So these men didn’t give from a list or out of a need expressed by Jesus’ family. They searched their hearts and through wisdom gave these three gifts that summed up in a neat package the powerful life of Jesus at His birth. Sometimes, a gift just has to be a gift. You have to give a six year old what they want or there will be consequences (LOL). But I challenge you to pick one person this season and be led by wisdom and the gratitude of your heart when picking their gift. If funds are an issue, ask God to give you guidance on what to buy, make or do for that person. If fact, I encourage to seek God continually as you shop and make plans this holiday season. So many people put themselves in financial straits this time of year and it simply is not God’s will that they be in that position. Or they exhaust themselves and suffer so much guilt by trying to meet everyone’s expectations. Again, not what God intended for us during this time.
Praise and worship for the ultimate gift we received in JESUS CHRIST.
GOD
Whatever else you cannot do or buy outside of that is actually pretty insignificant to God anyway. Be blessed!
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God is around us all the time. This world wouldn’t flourish the way it does if He wasn’t. He has His finger and hand on everything. In fact the Bible says that the earth is His footstool (Isaiah 66:1). And God has areas in this world that He uses for His own purposes. For instance, not too long ago I was asking God about my final resting place. Now I am not getting ready to die, far from it. I’d love to live up into my 80s or 90s, even 100. But just in my conversation with God and my preparation for my life in the future, I asked God where I should be buried. He told me the state of Washington, His office. He called it His office. Now that to me was prophetically powerful that God would say something like that to me. He was ready to answer the question I asked Him. So now I know where I need to plan for my final resting place, in Washington State. God is very intimate and He will tell you what you ask Him if you develop a close connection with Him. And being close to God requires that you talk to Him on a
Hired by regular basis, be transparent, tell the truth and pray and ask Him to provide things in your life. Pray for wisdom, knowledge and understanding. And at the top of that list, give your life over to Him. Don’t just do lip service but really give your life over to Him.
I was counseling someone recently about their friend who seems to be very needy. The friend is a good person but very clingy. They want more than the other friend was willing to give up. I think they were embarrassed that a friend of theirs would be so needy and jealous and in their word’s “slow.” If you are one of those people that have friends in your life where you can see all of their weaknesses and they turn you off because of it, I want to ask you how did you start out with that person. No one becomes your friend unless you see their finer 18 I Red Wine
GOD
points in the first place. Try to revisit that every day, the things that made you befriend them in the first place. And know that God brings into our lives what we need. And you may feel like you are giving too much of yourself to that person or they want more than you can give. But it is not just about the other person, this is about you. God uses people as mirrors. This is a hard pill to swallow and you may disagree right up front, but be willing to revisit this article and pass it along to friends and relatives. Because God will send into your life people who mirror you. And sometimes you both share the finer qualities but they have not emerged yet in one or both of you. And sometimes He will use you as a strengthening tool. God uses everybody and He doesn’t need our permission to do so. He made us and knows the intimate details of who we are. That is real charity. I know we are used to giving to the St. Jude, March of Dimes and Cancer Society. But think about it. You give them your donation and turn around and walk away from it. But when you connect to a human being that comes into your life, whether they’re friends, family or coworkers, they are there on purpose. It can be for various reasons and many things could develop out of that connection. These two friends, both of them have weaknesses but their weaknesses are in different areas. In fact, they are opposites. Where one is weak, the other is strong. Now I wonder why God would send them into each other’s lives? He is using both of their lives. They are the same in many ways sharing the same needs and struggles. But they don’t see that about each other. One gets really frustrated with the other but she doesn’t know God sent her into her friend’s life so she can see the strengths in her friend need to be built in her. And God is trying to help her in areas where her friend is already strong. He is trying to let her know that those things are also in her. So God can take some of what’s on her friend and share it with her which will strengthen her spiritually.
That is why we have to be patient with people when they have specific areas of their lives we are not comfortable with. We may not like it and want to judge a little but we mustn’t. God is showing us the good things about that person as well. That person may be in school or handles their money well. If we look at our lives, and see we struggle in saving money or going to school, we must see that God strategically placed that person in our lives to help us improve in those areas where they are strong and we are weak. It shows the importance of school to us and the fact that if they can do it, so can we. We can get the strength we need to do it.
We pray for help and
GOD sends people
in our lives like He sent
JESUS.
We ask God please to help us, heal us, cure us and strengthen us. And God provides it in the least likely form. And because you don’t see it, you think it is not there but it is. God has placed or hired rather someone who doesn’t even know your struggles and put them in your life to help you with the problems you asked for help with. And sometimes help with issues you don’t know you have. Let’s be patient with one another and know that the charity is love. That is what the scripture says (1 Corinthian 13:13). God bless you my friends! Dr. Diana
GOD has a
multitude of ways to help you by putting people in
OUR LIVES.
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