RED WINE Magazine March 2015 (Free Publication)

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why

Do you think

YOU ARE NOT

GOOD enough

“Believing You are Good Enough with the Help of God”

CONTENTS 2-5

What Shades of Grey do you see?

6-7

Games Are Still Just Games

8-10

Subtle Sign of Forgiveness

12-14 Walking Backwards 17-18 Walking Into The Gates of Fear

The CRUST of

GOD 15

Editors Letter Oh, sweet, sweet March brings to mind spring. This is my birthday month on which I had a great time at the coast hearing the sounds of the ocean and experiencing the beauty of it with friends and family was just breathtaking for me. I am 52 years old and excited at what the future brings. This winter has been particularly grueling and there is so much going on in the news.

So many topics for us to discuss. Things that I would love to share with you. We are all growing together, at least I hope we are. I want to invite you to send in your questions and share your comments. Testimonials are real important not only for you to give should you have testimonials about what Christ has done for you but just think about the person who doesn’t have any idea of what awaits them should they completely release themselves to God. I want them to know that that doesn’t mean they have to become religious or pious. I want the ladies to know that doesn’t mean they can’t wear lipstick, eyelashes or cute dresses with heels. But it does mean there is a greater, eternal connection out there that will keep them for all of eternity, not just in this life but for all eternity. Because we do live, we never die. We are eternal beings. So in this month I want to talk to you about a movie that everyone is talking about and the books are just everywhere. Actually, I don’t want to talk to you about the movie as much as I want to share with you my thoughts on the storyline in Fifty Shades of Grey and other topics. So please share this magazine with your friends and family. It is important we know the value of who we are individually. I really do support you in your life endeavors and I celebrate that you like reading Red Wine Magazine. Thank you for turning these pages and coming back month after month.

It is going to grow larger all because of you. If you weren’t there, I wouldn’t be writing to you.

Have an awesome spring. God bless you.

Dr. Diana

December 2014 - January 2015//Special Issue

The Cold Letters 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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Sha

WHAT

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S e ? ad of

GREY do yousee

The greatest power lies with God (Psalm 62:11)

I woke up early this morning thinking about God and as usual, how awesome He is. I felt grateful that I am still in the land of the living and that He still desires to use me on this side of glory here on earth.

I was also thinking about writing this article on the wildly popular book and movie, Fifty Shades of Grey. I was curious as to how many Christians have purchased the book, and researched sales to see if I could find out. The book has a magnetic allure to it. People who are bored in their marriages buy it to escape the drama and intense emotions they cope with every day. Those who are introverted and would never experiment in relationships buy it and live vicariously through it. This book is like a drug for many people who need excitement.

One hundred million copies of Fifty Shades of Grey have been sold worldwide. Every second one copy sells somewhere in the world. Wow, if only the Bible could sell like that; people would live a better life and learn to use their passion and love in a more productive way.

I purchased an e-copy of the book to get a glimpse into what is so alluring about this book. As a pastor, prospective psychologist, and a daughter of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, I have to say something to all of those who respect and believe what is penned in the book. I want to walk you through several parts of this book and tell you why it is depraved and disturbing, rather than entertaining.

I read the characters’ dialogue and heard deep sorrow and pain. I read how the book makes sex a dirty, dominating, destructive tool in the hands of people who have little or no control in their lives. The main character, Christian Grey, seeks to control everything externally because he is out of control internally. Even the years of his youth were destructive and out of control.

What is even bigger than the sales of this book, is the fallacy that its lifestyles are something to attain. Many people are subscribing to destructive lifestyles believing it will bring excitement to their lives. Men and women are trying the sexually perverse behaviors

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December 2014 - January 2015//Special Issue

described in the book, believing that it will lead to money, power and sex. Those three remain on the top of the charts for life’s goals, at least for people who can’t find love, success or control in their lives.

Mr. Christian Grey, the main character in Fifty Shades of Grey, looks like he has everything; billions of dollars, a private jet, an expensive mansion, a sexy apartment, and a staff that jumps at his commands. Then there’s his pseudo-girlfriend Anastasia Steel, who is trapped by his physicality. I would like to note that when you love God, you will not feel disconnected or trapped. God never bring us into captivity. In fact in His word, God said if you were a captive before you came to Him, you would be His free person (Luke 4:18).

Anastasia raves about Christian’s looks and his hair. However, when it comes to her own self-image, she doesn’t rave. In fact, she thinks very poorly about herself. She is in awe that this high profile billionaire wants her.

(How many of you are looking at men or women right now asking yourself if they would want you?)

What Anastasia doesn’t realize is that she holds the greatest gift within her, and it is something that her billionaire boyfriend could never buy for her. I am not talking about the God-given gifts inside her that her outward-looking focus is causing her to

ignore. I am talking about her gift of virginity.

Virginity is one of the few things in this world that cannot be replaced once it is gone. That is why it should only be given once- in marriage. But, she doesn’t understand this, so she gives her virginity to this man and he takes it without commitment or love. In fact, he admits he doesn’t make love. He uses the profane word that starts with “F” to describe sex. Anastasia Steel found herself to be a sexual captive and in the process she lost something very valuable, something that should only be given to someone who loves her passionately, is committed to her and will love, care and provide for her out of respect.

There is no mutual respect between the characters in Fifty Shades of Grey. Be careful of people like that. Don’t give yourself to someone for looks, money or power. The greatest power lies with God (Psalm 62:11).

Everything with Christian Grey is contractual. I know this is a fictional novel.

However, parts of it are not far from the truth.

When you commit adultery with a married person that is exactly what you are doing; you have entered into an unspoken contract with your adulterous partner that you will both keep your actions secret. It is as though you signed a contract with him, knowing full well that you will never have a commitment from him. You know that if you were married to him, chances are he would cheat on you, just as he is cheating with you right now. In truth, when you commit adultery you are telling

yourself that you have no self-worth. You are denying your own beauty and your ability to attract the man who is good and right for you.

Most importantly, you are denying yourself the opportunity to present yourself to God, and ask Him if marriage is part of His plan for your life. You will not have the opportunity for God to bring you the person who will commit to you in marriage.

Recently I read online that a college student re-enacted a sex scene from the Fifty Shades of Grey movie with another college student and as a result found himself in legal hot water. The news photo showed a young man full of sadness and surprise as he was arrested, and charged with Aggravated Sexual Assault and his bail was set at $500,000. The news account said that when he heard the charges and the amount of the bail his mouth dropped open. He didn’t realize that life is not a game and reenacting perverse sexual activities is one of the most dangerous games of all.

Let’s be real. Do you really think that adopting this type of sexual activity will draw good people to you or impress the type of people you want to impress? Do you think it reflects the goodness in you? There is goodness in all of us because God didn’t make any garbage. Everything and everyone He made is good. It is your responsibility to do good things with the life He has given you.

In this book Anastasia is the submissive partner and Christian is the dominant one.

That is not to say they are the relationship roles described in scripture. In the Bible it says a woman should be submissive to her husband. However, at the same time it commands husbands to love their wives as Christ loves the church (Ephesians 5:22).

In no way does it suggest that partners be submissive or dominant in a sexual manner.

It’s very important that we receive this revelation from the Bible so that fiction does not become non-fiction in our minds. No man nor woman should dominate another – period.

In case you don’t understand this or don’t read the Bible, I want you to understand that CHRIST DIED FOR THE CHURCH! That means He died and gave Himself completely to save us all from hell and from the risk of becoming disconnected from God. He died so we can always be close to the One who created us and is passionately, hopelessly, head-over-heels in love with us.

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You may not understand a lot of things about your life but a guide waits for you in the Bible. There, God wrote about how He feels about you, the power He gives you when you accept Him and love Him back. Some people don’t believe that. They don’t trust God. They would rather trust a man or woman who has a glamorous life. Be careful.

If you try to attain a life other than the one that God has planned for you, you will tear apart your soul and damage your spirit. Your flesh may be intact, but if you engage in sexual depravity instead of love, you are just hurting yourself and the person you are with. You will gain little understanding of what love is. If instead you spent time discovering what true love is you would drop everything in your life that did not measure up to it.

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December 2014 - January 2015//Special Issue

Fast Forward to Today

I am standing here in my condo, looking at the gorgeous ocean and gazing at peaceful rippling waves. I am thinking of you and the beauty you hold within. I am also thinking of the beauty, love, support and nourishment you need and deserve in your life. I really want to see you loved. That’s why I spend time writing these articles- I am loved deeply and greatly by a masterful, powerful God and I want you to have that too. He is more powerful, creative and more beautiful than the Christian Greys of the world. Grey may be a fictional billionaire but in reality all the gold and silver belongs to God. He owns everything and He uses it in the way that He wants.

I want to leave you with this; God said that a sinner’s wealth is laid up for the righteous (Proverbs 13:22). That means that those who choose not to give their life to God and walk according to their own will, purpose or plan will end up losing their life. God will take away a sinner’s life and give it to His children who serve at His pleasure and love Him. When you are obedient to God He rewards and blesses you.

In real life God is the man for you. He will not hurt or destroy you, enslave you or tear you down. You will never feel lost with Him and you will always feel His presence wherever you are, whether it’s the bathroom or the board room.

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eJUSTg m are still ga ES Games GAMES - a fun distraction from life. I can still recall the games we played as children. Just the other day I was talking with one of my assistants about them; games like Hot Peas and Butter, Dodge Ball, Scalezies, and Simon Says. I am sure they are still played by kids around the world. Today, kids of all ages head to gaming stores for XBOX and other platforms.

Games are meant to be entertaining and they should play a part in your life so you can have fun with family and friends. Games are a time to let out your inner child. You can have fun and laugh and enjoy life, forgetting life’s stress and frustration for a time.

But those are not the kind of games I want to talk to you about. I used that to lead in to the real subject, which is the games we play that are dangerous, hurtful and harmful; the games you may not choose to play.

I know you have probably heard about the games women play with men. Men play games too, but let’s face it, women are the masters of game playing. (I do believe that is partly because men don’t always give women the attention they would like to have, but that still is no excuse for hurtful games.)

Being a female, I can attest to the fact that we are wired differently from men. We definitely are emotional creatures with great emotional depth. Women want to give, and then give some more from their hearts. Let’s face it ladies, we are complicated in a beautiful way. Unfortunately, complication is not usually what a man wants or requires. Men are more absolute, given to facts and

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finding solutions. They don’t always need all that we have to give, so what happens to all that extra emotion? Great question.

Because men and women are so different, it is important for women to understand that under no circumstances should they be using games to attract, or entrap, men. Games are not the tactic to use in order to gain understanding of your man or solve a relationship problem.

One of the games used frequently by women is the “I won’t return his calls to punish him” game. This game is usually employed when the man does not pay enough attention to his woman. The strategy of the game is to make the man afraid that he will lose the woman.

The role of the woman is to act like she is losing interest in her man. No one wins this game.

Another popular female game is called “Pay attention to another man to make my man jealous”. In this game the female player pays attention to the advances of any man, except the one she really wants. She flirts and feigns interest in any other man, just to make her man jealous. The woman is sly enough to create competition among the men, so the one she wants will quicken his pace to make a

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commitment to her. No one wins this game either.

Imagine for a moment, that instead of playing games you sat down with your man and had a conversation with him. He may be moving too slowly for you. You may want to pick up the pace of the relationship. If you sense that your man is unsure about committing to a long term relationship, talk with him. Instead of taking out the playing board, take out common sense. Leave the drama behind.

Have a candid conversation to make sure that the man you are attracted to is contemplating a long-lasting relationship in the same way that you are.

Men do play games once in a while. A favorite one is called “I’m just out for sex, not commitment.” Guys, I want to say something to you. If you are not interested in a committed relationship with the woman you are dating, just say so. Be honest. Ladies, the same thing goes for you. Don’t play with each other’s emotions and hearts. It takes too long to heal. Time is important for both of you.

Don’t waste time playing games that will intentionally hurt another human being.

It is essential that you understand that whether you are a man or a woman, you are

beautiful and awesome. If God thought enough to cultivate your life, protect you and call your name every morning to wake you up, then you are extremely important.

Emotional, sadistic games have no place in our adult lives. The Bible says, and I paraphrase here, when I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child but when I became a man, I put away childish things (1 Cor 13:11). I know you may have friends who encourage you to play games to get what you want. Do not listen to them. Rather, I want you to take your cues from God. He does not play games. He will tell you exactly what is necessary to build the kind of relationship that He sees your heart desires, whether it is friendship, courtship or marriage. He will give you the tools you need to find a relationship that is nourishing and healthy. How about that!

Remember this- consider it a warning posted on the package of your life; games should be left to children or used for entertainment only.

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SUBTLE

SIGNS of

FORGIVENESS If you forgive others and but not yourself. . .

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DON’T PUNISH YOURSELF

OR HOLD YOURSELF BACK.

It is just as important to forgive oneself as it is to forgive others. If you forgive others and but not yourself you may not see a lot of progress in your LIFE. I had a dream this morning that was a subtle sign of what I need. (The subconscious mind is one of the most powerful tools we have.) The dream was about my daughter. She is a very special person; a composite of her father, her aunt and myself, plus her own unique characteristics. I dreamt she was a little girl again, around 7 years old, wearing a pair of blue overalls. She was standing against a wall and I could see her beautiful, innocent eyes. I just wanted to hold her hand and love her, and protect and shield her from life. I could feel how much love she deserves.

When I woke up I felt sad rather than happy.

My daughter is 25 years old now. She is no longer that little girl. When I woke up, I wanted her to be a little girl again, just for a little while, because she was a beautiful child, just as she is a beautiful adult today. As I thought about my reaction to the dream, I realized that I need to forgive myself for the time that I didn’t spend with her. I was with her every day, I did all the things a mother should do and I took good care of her. But I have the nagging feeling that I should have done more. I should have given her more of myself. Instead, when she was young I was very involved in building my business. Even though I was working from home, I still could have and should have done more for her. She should have had a better life. So in my mind, I

needed to forgive myself for that.

That dream made me realize that I was walking around with a subtle unforgiveness towards myself. These are the things that God knows, even if we don’t. He wants us to forgive ourselves for whatever we did or did not do in the past. Those days are gone and from this day forward we need to forgive ourselves.

If we don’t forgive ourselves, we cannot move forward and do what we need to do to be successful. Think about this for a moment; if you would forgive yourself perhaps some of the obstacles that are in your way, whether weight, fear, trouble, toxic relationships-anything that holds you back, will start to move slowly out of your way.

Perhaps you will see you really are qualified to have your dreams come true!

Forgiving yourself can facilitate a lot of healing. It can free you. Don’t punish yourself or hold yourself back. It is just as important to forgive oneself as it is to forgive others. What will become if you forgive others and but not yourself you may not see a lot of progress in your life. Sometimes you have to forgive yourself many times. I chose to forgive myself for my past actions, but it didn’t take all at once. The memory of the things I did would creep back and come back into my life, even

though I had forgiven myself for them. It’s like the knot in my leg that kept returning. It’s a good analogy for the process of forgiving yourself.

When I was training to be a body builder I saw a massage therapist each week. During one session I pointed out a knot on my leg. It had been there for years under the skin and the massage had brought it to the top. The therapist massaged the knot and dislodged it so it could dissolve. However, it reappeared the next week. The therapist told me that the knot reappeared because it was programmed, like a memory chip. The knot had been in one place on my leg for so long that that is where it wanted to be. We didn’t give up. After the therapist dislodged it a couple of times, it was gone for good.

I want you to relate that story to unforgiveness. Think about things you have done in the past and examine the circumstances around your actions. You may not be able to excuse your actions. You cannot go back in time and change things. However you can forgive yourself today. Just keep in mind that you may 9 I Red Wine

I want you to relate that story to unforgiveness.

Think about things you have done in the past and examine the circumstances around your actions.

You may not be able to excuse your actions. You cannot go back in time and change things. However you can forgive yourself today. Just keep in mind that you may have to forgive yourself a couple of more times until it is firmly ensconced in your subconscious mind.

enough it becomes your new norm and you actually become comfortable with discomfort! Then you begin to compensate in other areas of your life, and it throws those areas off balance! It’s like a big unbalanced snowball wobbling downhill, picking up everything in its way. have to forgive yourself a couple of more times until it is firmly ensconced in your subconscious mind.

Then, it’s time to look for things to change and improve in your life. It’s time for your mind to be clear with renewed energy and vigor. Do you want to do something new? Do you want to pursue a new hobby, travel, make new friends or start a new business? Go ahead. All is forgiven.

Now share this with your friends and family.

Tell them how you forgave yourself. Then tell them about the amazing, positive things that started to happen once forgiveness took hold in your life.

If you find yourself thinking about forgiveness a lot now, then it is a clear sign that forgiveness is needed and that unforgiveness is lurking somewhere in your spiritual atmosphere. It is making you unbalanced. If you are off balance for long 10 I Red Wine

Whether you want to forgive something in your past or in your daily life, someone around you or yourself, know that you can.

Whether you are thinking of the road not taken, things left unsaid or undone, go ahead, you can forgive yourself. It is important to fix these areas of your life. You don’t need a psychiatrist or therapist. You can fix your life and alleviate the pressure of your past by removing that stone inside you that is called unforgiveness.

Unforgiveness is a tool of satan. When satan realized that God wanted you to forgive and be forgiven, he got busy creating unforgiveness. Satan must have thought to himself, “I will make them so busy with life and other distractions that it will shield them from being able to forgive. Then I will use unforgiveness to rob them of time and happiness and success.”

God said if you don’t forgive, I will not forgive you. God doesn’t want to withhold anything

from you, but like a good Father He wants to teach His children what is important- and forgiveness is of the utmost importance. You need to forgive others, and yourself, so that the love you give is a potent love. God made you so that you could share love with others.

He gave you organic love, if you will, because it originates from you.

Do you know that unforgiveness has been dragging you down, pulling you to places you don’t want to go? You want a happy, successful life. We all do. God may have given each of us different fingerprints, but He also gave us something in common - the desire for love and happiness. Forgiveness opens the door for them. Forgiveness is as easy as deciding to be happy rather than miserable. Misery doesn’t accomplish anything positive. It shortchanges you and creates sickness.

Don’t overlook you!

You need to be celebrated. God is celebrating you and they are celebrating you in Heaven.

If you celebrate Him in return, He will bring people into your life so you can experience true love, happiness and friendship.

Forgiveness is the first step. It will open your heart and your mind to celebrating love, life and God.

g

walkin It may seem ludicrous to ask if you are walking backward through life. “Of course I’m walking forward”, you say. “I look ahead, I see where I am going.” Well, literally speaking, that is true. You made it to the corner store this morning to pick up some Cheerios, albeit without washing your face and wearing yesterday’s crumpled clothes.

You certainly walked forward to get into the store, but why were you in there in that condition? Is it because you are running through life so fast that you end up going backward instead of forward?

t’

Stop walking! Especially if you don’t know where you are going.

Some people live their lives this way- always running to the next spot without a plan or map for their life. They go where the wind blows them. If a girlfriend calls saying “Let’s go out in 2 hours,” they drop everything and go. If there is a party in their building and they hear the music, they go upstairs and try to get invited in.

Spontaneity is fun, but not as a guidepost for your life. It prevents any forward progress. In fact, it results in you going in circles at best, and walking backward at worst, most of the time without even knowing it.

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Backwards You know you are walking backwards when you constantly do the same things over and over. You are in a repetitive state. You keep making friends with the same type of people. You meet the same type of man over and over, always with the same results; he abuses you physically or emotionally.

You have to learn to recognize when you are walking backward so that you can change direction. You have to stop walking backwards. Some of you will have to bring your life to a screeching halt in order to change. Some of you may feel as though there is fire all around you, ready to consume you so you have to keep running. Some of you may feel you are always walking backward toward your past. Don’t be afraid. God is with you.

You can stop. Start praying and ask God to take everything out of your life that does not please Him. Tell Him what you want to do with your life. It will be a slow change because God doesn’t always move fast. In fact, most of the time God is slow and deliberate but He will help you find your way.

He will help you to begin walking forward.

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HERE IS A GUIDE that you can use to make POSITIVE CHANGES IN YOUR LIFE. It requires making important decisions. Use this checklist as a guide:

These are examples of the types of people you need to remove from your life.

• First, stop for a long minute.

• Take notice of where you are.

• You may need to disconnect from people for a minute.

I don’t mean telling friends or family members you don’t want them in your life, not just yet anyway. These are strategic decisions.

#1: The first question you need to ask yourself is “Am I happy?” a. Are you laughing and having fun? OR b. Do you feel damaged, melancholy (sad), depressed or victimized?

If the answer is b. then a pause for the cause is necessary. It is time for you to change the road you are on and the first step to accomplishing that is to assess who is in your life.

#2: Write down on a piece of paper the names of all your friends and the role that each of them plays in your life. a. a. b. c.

Make a note of their characteristics and how they live their own lives: Are they positive, motivated people?

Do you know their strengths and do they share them with you?

Are they moving in a good direction and does that influence you positively?

Then you are going to identify the people you are going to consciously exclude from your life! That’s right. You may already know these people are not good for you and you are waiting for them to leave. That’s not going to happen. You are going to have to take the initiative to rid yourself of negative, harmful, hurtful people. Now list them: 1. Friends that are using illicit drugs like cocaine, marijuana, heroin, crystal “meth”.

2. Those who are abusing prescription drugs.

3. Abusers, whether physical or emotional.

Bold their names on your list then get yourself out of that potentially volatile situation. If you are using drugs, ask yourself why and how you got there. When drugs are involved, your life is stuck in one place or seriously moving backward. You are definitely not moving forward.

1. Friends, family members or co-workers who are just “sucking the life out of you”.

2. Haters 3. Family members who create drama 4. “Friends” and family members who are needy and weigh on you too much.

Now it’s time to bring positive people into your life. Who are they? They are the people you can look up to; people who are moving forward in their lives. These are people who are motivated to do things for themselves and others each day. Now is the time to find new friends who are spiritually and/or financially mature. You need to associate with people who can serve as a role model or motivator for you. In order to find people who will help you to move your life forward, you may even have to move. You may have to remove yourself physically from the surroundings that are causing you to walk backward.

I encourage you to take these steps so that you can begin to walk forward and find positive growth in your life. There is healing and restoration waiting for you when you find the beauty in yourself. But first, you have to see where you are going. Start to get healthy my friend. Stop walking backward. Turn around and let me see what you look like!!! Bless you.

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When I woke up this morning,

I looked out my window and saw that it was still dark here in San Antonio, Texas. Then, as I looked at my bedside table I saw the most gorgeous white and pink flowers sitting in stark contrast to the darkness outside. I’ve had them for about a week now and I have watched them open slowly. They are mostly white with deep, beautiful pink edges.

When I see these voluptuous flowers, I am reminded of God and His passion. You may not be able to relate to that idea right now because you cannot see God. (None of us can with the naked eye.) However, if you focus on Him, He will begin to show Himself to you through powerful symbols, like the flowers.

The CRUST of

GOD

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GOD TEACHES US THROUGH SYMBOLS.

God shows his passion and creativity through symbolism. When I look at the beautiful roses before me, I see the work of someone who is extremely creative. When I look at all the different trees around the world, the sky and the stars, I am enamored with God’s creativity. I watch how the day turns to night and the night to day and I see His amazing natural creations like volcanoes and mountain ranges. Everything that has ever been made is a symbol through which God speaks. In His brilliance, He put Himself right in the middle of those things, especially you. You are the most beautiful thing He ever made; the most treasured thing in this world.

THE SYMBOL OF MARRIAGE

God is passionately and possessively in love with us. As a symbol of His love for us, God created marriage so that we could experience that feeling with another human being. Two people come together from different walks of life. They share their knowledge, wisdom, and all the things life has taught them to build a life together. The two are intertwined through love and become one. They have children and love them with everything they brought into the marriage as they watch them grow.

THE SYMBOL OF FAMILY

A family can be composed of blood relatives created by a mother, father, children, cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. A family can also be composed of unrelated people who depend upon one another for support, love, laughter and joy. Every family has issues but ideally all these characteristics are at the core of a good family. The people who love us have the ability to see us from an outside perspective. Family members may share physical similarities, even some of the same behaviors, gifts, talents and blessings. We love one another for the things we share as well as the things that make us unique individuals.

THE SYMBOL OF OUR BODIES God has given us a body that heals and regenerates itself under the right conditions.

The first human being that He created in His own image was Adam, as we learn in the book of Genesis. God created the first family in Heaven. (God was wise and put heaven in a 16 I Red Wine

THE SYMBOL OF

food

Look around you at all the plants and vegetation, the fruits and vegetables that grow on our planet. Look at the prosperity represented in that source of food. That gives you a tiny peak into the depth and breadth of God’s love for His children - that He would provide such a bounty of healthy food. place where no man could find it!) You cannot find it on your own. God wanted to create someone just like Him to start His family on earth, where other human beings could see them and learn from them, and that is when He created Adam.

God gave birth to the first man but not in the way in which humans give birth. He created Adam from the ground. He drew the image of a man and took His own breathe which He knew contained creativity, love, passion, and goodness; everything you can possibly conceive that is good and wonderful, and breathed it into the image of man. And the man became a living soul.

God then created a garden for Adam in Eden.

He created a beautiful world for Adam so that he would see forms of life different from himself. God created animals for Adam in pairs so that they could be “fruitful and multiply”. God then brought the animals to Adam and told him to name them all because they were his inheritance. (As a family man, God wanted to give His son an inheritance.)

While naming the animals, Adam had a revelation that they all had mates but he did not. God agreed that was not good, so He put Adam to sleep, (when God does something, He doesn’t let us know how), took a rib out of his side and created a woman. When Adam woke up, God presented him this woman.

Adam said, “This is bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh. And I will call her woman because out of man she came.”

Now God gave Adam and Eve the ability to procreate in a human way. (Only God has the blueprint on how to make a human being.) For them, they would procreate through direct, physical communication.

This would serve as a symbol to all of God’s children on how to be a committed couple and have children.

Look at Genesis 3 and you will see several items that are very important to know for your daily life.

1. Adam heard God walking in the garden.

Today, the average person cannot hear God. So something happen between Adam’s time and now. If Adam heard God, why can’t you?

There has been a lapse in communication between God and His children. Each one of us can work to restore that lapse because God is our Father and is passionately in love with each one of us.

2. God gave us love because God is love. It is something that has been imparted to you because you come out of the fiber of God. You can choose to take the love that has been injected into your spirit and soul and use it for good or to harm others. That is the challenge; to take the love that God put in you and make a decision as to how to use it.

THE SYMBOL OF GOD

Adam was the crust of God (like bread) and God was the center of his life just as He is the center of our lives. If you want to see the crust of God, take a look in the mirror in the morning. Stare at yourself for five minutes.

Get a chair and your morning cup of java.

Look at yourself and know you are the crust of God. He wants to live in the center of you and essentially He does because it is His breath in your body. When you look at yourself know that you came from a genius who is past understanding and seeing. Now you know that you can see and discover His attributes through His symbolism. And if you want to be like Adam before he created the process of sin in his life, you will be able to hear God through the art of communication. That’s something to put in your pocket and walk with today. I love you. Have a great day! Dr. Diana.

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Some years ago, my son relocated from New York City to San

Antonio. God told me that when he came to San Antonio, where I was living, he would be a changed man; that he would be blessed - and he was. As he traveled to the city where I lived, through what seemed to be an invisible gate in his life, a positive change seemed to take place.

Everyone could see the change in him. I have often thought about his metamorphosis and what it meant. I have often considered that invisible gate that he seemed to walk through. What I have learned is that there are many gates and whether we realize it or not, we each travel through them as we go through life.

walking into the Gates of

Walking into the

FEAR

“The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds,” (2Cor 10:4).

There

exist in each of us, gates to our mind, heart and body. Cities and towns, fences and gardens, churches and cemeteries have gates. Jesus told us that even Hell has gates. He said “Upon this rock I build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it,” (Matthew 16:18). So it shouldn’t seem too far-fetched to say that fear has gates. Fear is very real, yet it is invisible, so it is possible to walk through the gates of fear without realizing it. I believe that every human being, (some more than others) has walked through the gates of fear and when you do, it will change your life.

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to combat that fear you have to decide that any embarrassment you may feel is less important than overcoming your fear.

When the fear is gone, you can use your wonderful gift and make yourself, and others, happy.

You may say, “Diana I don’t fear anything.” Oh, I bet you do.

Either you are hiding it and want to appear fearless, or you have yet to discover where fear lives.

Let me visit with you for a couple of hours; I will find where it is.

Fear is a spirit and its job is to throw you off guard and off balance. Fear exists to displace, confuse and stagnate you. Look at yourself today. If you find that your life has become stagnant and you have lost your direction, I bet there is fear within you.

If you say “I am afraid of going in the wrong direction”, there it isyou just confessed that you feel fear. You are not alone. Every day many people feel fear. It approaches you from the outside and seeps into your heart and your mind where it can do the most damage. Fear stops you from going in the right direction, whether it is getting into healthy relationships or out of unhealthy ones. Fear can prevent you from pursuing the career of your dreams because you are afraid that you will never be successful. It will even prevent you from going on a job interview, because fear has made you believe that you don’t have what it takes to land the job.

I would like to give you an example of what fear can do to limit your career. A friend of mine recently told me that he isn’t comfortable with his knowledge of Microsoft office and working with computers. That has prevented him from going after jobs that require proficiency in Microsoft Word or Excel programs. He is not alone. Fear has crept into many people today, holding them back from pursuing new careers or specialties, preventing them from moving forward. The gates of fear is not a place you want to be.

You can learn how to destroy the gates of fear; how to tear them down and burn them. The Bible says, “Submit unto God and resist the enemy and he shall flee from you,” (James 4:7). It’s important to pay attention to the order of events in that scripture. Notice that

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I am not suggesting that you do crazy, dangerous things to dispel fear. I am not saying you should mimic the things they do on the reality television show “Fear Factor”.

Why? Because that isn’t dispelling fear at all.

Those ridiculous stunts are actually gates of fear. What I am talking about is dispelling fear so that you can have a positive, satisfying life.

the enemy will not flee unless first you submit yourself to God. Fear is the enemy, and if you think you can overcome fear without submitting to God, you are deceiving yourself. It is possible to go to a therapist who will help you address your fears. You may take a few steps forward.

However, you may be taking a few steps forward in the wrong direction because you are addressing your fear without God. You need God. When God helps you tear down something, it is torn down for good. You need a strong individual beside you when fear decides to take another run at you. That strong individual is God. With God by your side you can do exactly what fear does not want you to do. You can do whatever you want, with purpose, because that dispels fear. You have to be forthright in your purpose, adamant in what you want, focused in your thoughts, because that is what keeps fear at bay.

Let’s say, for example, that you are afraid of singing in front of a group of people. In order

Fear likes to capitalize on age as well. The older you get, the more frequently fear is apt to move into your life. You may realize that suddenly you are afraid to go out at night.

You were never afraid when you were in your 20s or 30s but now you are older and you worry it isn’t safe to go out. Depending upon where you live, that may or may not be true. More than likely it is because you have walked through the gates of fear and your mind, heart and imagination have been taken captive.

The best way to evict fear from your life is God. The Bible says, “The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds,” (2Cor 10:4). In other words, you must fight spiritual battles with spiritual weapons. You cannot fight spiritual battles with carnal (worldly) weapons. You cannot take a knife and stab spiritual enemies like fear. You can’t shoot it with a gun. Instead, God offers us his weaponry.

What are strongholds, as the scripture says “...the pulling down of strongholds”? They are mindsets, things

that have asserted themselves or set themselves up in our minds to make us afraid.

If you use God’s weapons to pull them down you will be successful and you will obtain your goals in life. If you are full of fear, you can find God’s weapons in Ephesians 6. Read it for yourself and arm yourself to fight fear once and for all.

Dr. Diana

LET’S

dispense with all the pleasantries and get down to what matters. Some of us don’t live where we would like to live or work where we would like to work. For some of us, even our finances don’t live up to our expectations. Nevertheless, one thing remains true; you are you and I am me.

Now you may say, “Diana, what the heck does that mean?” Well, it means a lot. It means that you are worthy, you have value, that you are good enough for God and good enough for this world. It means that no matter what you think of yourself, God loves you just as you are because He made you, and He made you for excellence!

If you can’t see that; if you can’t see how wonderful you are, you may be looking in the wrong place. Are you judging yourself and your life’s accomplishments by the impossible or the possible?

If I could turn you inside out and have you look inside yourself, you would probably see some things you don’t like; things that you already know are there. I would ask you to see the talents that are lying there untapped. I would ask you to look carefully and see all the beautiful things about you that you have not yet realized.

why

Do you think

YOU ARE NOT

GOOD enough

“Believing You are Good Enough with the Help of God”

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I know why your view of your talents is clouded. It’s because you have taken upon yourself the view that others have of you.

When you think about yourself, it is in terms of what society dictates, what the media says is healthy, attractive and successful. You have let other people’s opinions dictate your opinion of yourself. Ask yourself, how could you take the word of the media, fashion and society at large over the Word of God? Think of it this way. How can you believe what society says when its standards of beauty and success change every five minutes?

Science changes its mind about pharmaceuticals every time you turn around.

They create a drug to treat a certain condition, tell you it is safe and that you should ask your doctor to prescribe it while at the same time warning you that it might cause death, blindness or stroke! That’s the person whose opinion you take over your God’s?

Do you believe physicians when they say that your condition or disease cannot be healed or cured? Make sure you realize that you are putting your faith in a human being, one who did not make you. He does not know where your breath goes when it leaves your body nor does he know how life was breathed into you.

God never falls “out of love” with you. That only happens between flawed human beings.

I was talking to a friend of mine, discussing how people meet, quickly fall in love, get married and move in together. Then they start to see things in their partner that they don’t like and suddenly the love begins to dissipate. My question is, was the love ever really there? I tell you no because marriage is made by God. A piece of paper does not a marriage make.

That’s just two people coming together.

Marriages take hard work. It means taking the love that God deposited in you and putting it to good use with the other person in your marriage. Working to build a good marriage means talking to build understanding and trust, forgiving one another, and asking God to be part of the marriage so it can be successful.

Believing You are Good Enough with the Help of God Whether it is love or life, friendships or careers, the only one who can tell you the

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And what about the people whose opinion you hold higher than God’s? You have allowed them to speak into your life. You have embraced their opinions of you. Are they friends or are they your family members? (I want to tread lightly when I speak about family because many of you believe that family is the most important thing in life. I can understand that. On the other hand I know that the most important thing in life is God and it is He who connects you to your family.)

When it comes to families, whether they are made up of Blood relatives or not, they can be the cause of joy as well as sadness. Blood relatives can be your biggest enemies or the source or great joy, love and support. Your parents may be your strong foundation in life, or they don’t give you the time of day.

God always tells the truth, He is The Truth.

Why don’t you believe Him? Why do you think you are not good enough? Millions of people believe they aren’t good enough for men, women, jobs, clothes or even vacations.

Just look at television and see the shows made of people struggling just like you are. Millions of dollars are being made capitalizing on people in pain, going from one relationship to

truth of the matter every time is God. He has the only genuine voice. You may think you can’t hear His voice. You may believe He is inaccessible to you. Both beliefs are untrue. It will take time and sincere effort from the heart, but you can and will hear Him if you truly seek Him. You have to truly want to know Him. Once you do, you will be able to realize your goals and dreams.

I know that for some of you, the goals and dreams you had years ago seem so out of reach that you have given them up. However, the truth is that you can achieve your dreams once you believe that you hold the potential to do so. If you don’t know how to unlock your own potential, God will help you. You can access it through God and the counsel of the people that He sends to you.

Believing You are Good Enough with the Help of the Bible Everyone needs wise counsel from time-to-time, from the Bible and from people who know how to apply the word of God to everyday life. They are willing to share how

another, looking for I-don’t-know-what. I’m here to tell you that it’s time to dispel all of that and march on in the truth of God. The truth is- You were Excellently Made!

Good Enough for Love Are people unhappy because they are looking for lust, or for love? If the answer is that they are looking for love, they aren’t going to find it while jumping from one lily pad to the next.

Love can be found only through self-discovery; through finding inside you, the One who created you. God is the purest, most perfect example of love.

When you are dealing with human beings you may be getting love that was implanted in them by God, but it won’t always manifest itself as perfect love. After all, that love is traveling through human beings who are flawed. God, on the other hand, is perfect love and you can read about it in the love letter He wrote to us, His children, called the Bible. It shows you how He feels and what He thinks about you and your life. When you love someone, you write them a love letter, and that is what God did. He wrote you a love letter that transcends time, culture, language and even the rotation of the earth.

they realized their goals and dreams by living God’s Word, having a relationship with Him and accessing Him on a daily basis. The Bible is not a cumbersome tool to be left in the drawer of the hotel room. The Bible is the manual of life. It is the voice of support. It is more powerful than voices on television, radio, the Internet and hurtful relatives. You should be reading it and letting the light and love of God flow into you and through you.

Let the Bible’s words wash into your blood and revitalize you. Let it fill your emotions and heal you.

God says His word will wash us. We need to be washed from the filthy voices of people who say unkind, harmful words that are not true. Those words that are false that you believe to be true, so much so that they have become flesh in your life. It is time to destroy that flesh that doesn’t belong to you in the first place. I know this is heavy stuff but it is true. Stop thinking that you are not good enough. You are better than good enough.

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