To do all of that and maintain a nonprofit ministry, a lot goes on behind the scenes. This video is a glimpse of some of what Ed and Donna do behind the scenes at Living Well.
Showing posts with label Ed Edwards. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ed Edwards. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 04, 2011
Behind the Scenes at Living Well
We teach .... we give guidance .... we lead .... we train ..... we go on mission trips.
To do all of that and maintain a nonprofit ministry, a lot goes on behind the scenes. This video is a glimpse of some of what Ed and Donna do behind the scenes at Living Well.
To do all of that and maintain a nonprofit ministry, a lot goes on behind the scenes. This video is a glimpse of some of what Ed and Donna do behind the scenes at Living Well.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
AUGUST 2011 LETTER - LIVING WELL
We are back into our routine, meeting with couples, planning for the fall. We have seen a notable difference in appointments this summer. We usually see a slow down in new appointments over the summer, but we have had lots of calls for new appointments since we returned from Africa. Once again, our marriage counseling appointment times are almost full. We still have openings for people who need financial counseling.
We are starting several classes during the next month or two. We are starting a new financial class, Spending Money: The Go(o)d Way. Everyone likes to spend money but we don’t always know the good way (God’s way) to spend it. The class will meet on Thursday evenings, August 25-September 29 (six weeks), from 7-8:30, at our office. [details]
For our fall Preparing for Marriage class this year, we are going to teach it a little differently. We will still cover 8 lessons but we will do two lessons each evening and meet for two hours at a time. This will enable couples to finish the class in a shorter time but still get all of the information to help them begin their lifetime journey together. The class will meet Mondays, September 12th & 19th, October 3rd & 10th, from 7-9 pm at our office. [details]
We will also be leading a marriage class at our church on Sunday nights starting August 21st.
We are looking forward to sharing more about what God is doing through our ministry at our annual dinner on Tuesday, September 27th, this year. Save that date!
Our ministry in Africa continues to multiply. We recently received this email from Malawi. The pastor who is writing had met with our translator in Tanzania, Nickson Kalinga.
My name is Shikunzi Mgaya, a Tanzanian by nationality, serving in God in Malawi….
I got married last of last year to Peggy, she is a wonderful wife and a partner that I am proud of…. I knew about your Ministry through Pastor Nickson Kalinga, who happened to be a very close friend of mine and mentor too. I had a small challenge with my wife, basically I was too busy with Ministry and had very little time with my wife.
We decided to travel to Dar and meet Kalinga. Sincerely, I was helped by him and discovered how far I was from my family roles duties. Kalinga introduced me to your materials on marriage and family life as a Christian. Indeed I have been empowered so much, and revived. Those materials are so precious and full of life. He went with me step by step.
I intend to have a leadership meeting in Malawi the first week of September. Pastor Kalinga will be ministering with me, and the best part of this is that we will be using your material.
For more pictures and testimonies from our last mission trip, see our mission page. A new area on our website is about men’s ministry. Ed has had the opportunity to speak on several occasions to men’s groups; more details are provided on the web.
Summers are hard for most nonprofit ministries and churches - costs stay the same but donations drop. We are experiencing the summer slump as well. Please pray that the Lord will raise up the donors to continue this ministry. Donations make it possible for people to see help with their marriages or money management problems, regardless of their income and ability to give. They also sustain our work with developing marriage ministries in churches.
You are an valuable part of our ministry here and in Africa. We love and appreciate you and your support of the work God is doing through Living Well!
Our love in Christ,
Donna and Ed Edwards
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Anniversary Celebration
We had a wonderful day! June 2nd was our 38th anniversary and they had quite a celebration for us. At lunch, they had a beautiful flower arrangement. Then they had a procession of women as they all sang "Come and See."
They presented us with a cake, a bouquet of red roses, cards, and gifts. Then they had us stand and let everyone come by in a receiving line to shake our hands and give their greetings. They certainly know how to celebrate! They are very gracious.
At this hotel, they have their own band that plays, usually in the evening. When they heard about the size of our group at lunch, they started playing at lunch, for tips. On Wednesday, they sang and played John Denver's "Country Road." Very interesting to hear it sung with an African accent! But we really enjoyed it. Our hosts saw our delight and made sure they sang it again for our anniversary celebration.
We had a pastor and his wife sit with us at lunch on our anniversary. They had both been married before but have been married to each other for 41 years. He confessed how he and his wife had argued and would say bad things to each other - even saying, "I know now why your first husband left you." They talked about how much our teaching had helped them.
For dinner, our hosts took us to an Indian restaurant, owned by one of their church members. We have not eaten Indian food very often. The owner made suggestions for us; they had too many options for us to choose. We enjoyed all of the dishes they served.
At dinner, we learned about our host, Rev. Charles Mwila - his time of study in the U.S. and his participation in writing a new constitution for Zambia. Very sharp guy! And a real man of God and gracious host.
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For more on the Zambian mission, see:
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Ndola, Zambia, Pastoral Family Enirchment Conference
Pastoral Family Enrichment Conference
Living Well partnered with ALARM Zambia
May 30-June 3, 2011
The sun is soooo bright there on a clear day! We had a great group, about 120 altogether. I am not sure they are all visible in this picture.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Conference in Ndola, Zambia
We had the best attendance and most attentive group that we have ever had on any of our trips. They received the message with great interest. Many things that we teach are against their cultural values, but they are very committed to the Lord. They receive the teaching because they recognize that everything we teach is Biblical.
In their culture, men dominate women. Men make the decisions and don’t consult their wives. A husband doesn’t tell his wife how much money he has; he just gives her money when he wants her to have some. She doesn’t know where it came from or how much he might have. One pastor who had been at our 2006 seminar there admitted that he practiced that with his money. He said he was going to change in that regard.
We give them a chance to write questions anonymously. We just ask that the men use blue cards and the women use pink cards. One wife asked what a wife was to do when her husband went away for 40 day fast and prayer. He didn’t leave her any money to feed the family and said that the Lord would supply what she needed. Also, one wife asked about whether it is okay for her husband to beat her.
Their culture allows a man, even a pastor, to beat his wife and children. Many wives know that is not right. But some believe that her husband doesn’t love her if he doesn’t beat her. This belief is not held by everyone but it is very common.
They also believe that a wife should bear a son and if she doesn’t then she may be rejected. Or sometimes the parents of the husband encourage him to find another wife. One wife at our conference had 4 daughters. Her husband was very understanding; he told her that they didn’t need a son. She said to him that she thought that she had a boy inside of her. So, they had one more child and it was a son!
At the end we had them write something about how God had changed their lives during the conference. Two people admitted that they were planning on leaving their spouses before they began our conference, but now they had changed their minds and were going to work on their marriages. One pastor admitted that he was very irritable at home but now he was being nice to his wife and they had a new marriage already.
We will share more testimonies soon. Thank you for your prayers, rejoice in the Lord with us over what He has done in Ndola, Zambia.
In their culture, men dominate women. Men make the decisions and don’t consult their wives. A husband doesn’t tell his wife how much money he has; he just gives her money when he wants her to have some. She doesn’t know where it came from or how much he might have. One pastor who had been at our 2006 seminar there admitted that he practiced that with his money. He said he was going to change in that regard.
We give them a chance to write questions anonymously. We just ask that the men use blue cards and the women use pink cards. One wife asked what a wife was to do when her husband went away for 40 day fast and prayer. He didn’t leave her any money to feed the family and said that the Lord would supply what she needed. Also, one wife asked about whether it is okay for her husband to beat her.Their culture allows a man, even a pastor, to beat his wife and children. Many wives know that is not right. But some believe that her husband doesn’t love her if he doesn’t beat her. This belief is not held by everyone but it is very common.
They also believe that a wife should bear a son and if she doesn’t then she may be rejected. Or sometimes the parents of the husband encourage him to find another wife. One wife at our conference had 4 daughters. Her husband was very understanding; he told her that they didn’t need a son. She said to him that she thought that she had a boy inside of her. So, they had one more child and it was a son!
We will share more testimonies soon. Thank you for your prayers, rejoice in the Lord with us over what He has done in Ndola, Zambia.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
In Ndola, Zambia
We had good flights to Africa. We arrived late on Friday night in Nairobi. We slept a few hours and got up to go to Ndola.
After arriving in Ndola, our hosts brought us to our hotel. All of the ALARM staff was here to meet us. Charles, the director, also had his 4 children here here. Two of the girls had bouquets of flowers for us.
Charles knows on the asst managers here, a Christian man. They upgraded our room to a suite (we use that term loosely). The best part of that is that we have two bathrooms. The rooms are adequate. I would describe our hotel room as an old, unmaintained Motel 6. We have internet here but I think the signal is too weak to pick up in our room. We have to go to the lobby to pick it up and even then, it doesn't always work. We tried earlier to get on but couldn't.
We were very tired when we got here. After everyone left, we were able to rest for a good while. We are still adjusting to the time change. We both woke up about 3:00 am this morning and not able to go back to sleep.
They filled all the spots for the conference a week ago, with more wanting to come. We gave them the okay to add 10 more couples. They were very encouraged because of the people who remembered us from 2006 and thought we had such good teaching. We are anxious to meet some of them again and see what God has done.
Ed preached today at Charles' church, The House of Prayer. It's an international church with a lot of Asian Indians. It was very interesting. The pastor is from India and many of the congregation, but they also have Africans and some ex-pats from different countries.
Ed had a very good response to his message. He taught on giving Jesus our gift of worship. They do their services in English, so he didn't have to have an interpreter. So, his message was shorter than he had planned and was able to add some good illustrations. When we use interpreters, the message doubles in length.
We are always encouraged by their praise time, they are very heartfelt in their worship. Because of the international membership, their worship was not as demonstrative as most African worship experiences. But we really enjoyed it.
We are looking forward to beginning the conference tomorrow!
Will write more when we can connect again to the internet.
Thanks for your prayers. Love, Donna and Ed
After arriving in Ndola, our hosts brought us to our hotel. All of the ALARM staff was here to meet us. Charles, the director, also had his 4 children here here. Two of the girls had bouquets of flowers for us.
Charles knows on the asst managers here, a Christian man. They upgraded our room to a suite (we use that term loosely). The best part of that is that we have two bathrooms. The rooms are adequate. I would describe our hotel room as an old, unmaintained Motel 6. We have internet here but I think the signal is too weak to pick up in our room. We have to go to the lobby to pick it up and even then, it doesn't always work. We tried earlier to get on but couldn't.
We were very tired when we got here. After everyone left, we were able to rest for a good while. We are still adjusting to the time change. We both woke up about 3:00 am this morning and not able to go back to sleep.
They filled all the spots for the conference a week ago, with more wanting to come. We gave them the okay to add 10 more couples. They were very encouraged because of the people who remembered us from 2006 and thought we had such good teaching. We are anxious to meet some of them again and see what God has done.
Ed preached today at Charles' church, The House of Prayer. It's an international church with a lot of Asian Indians. It was very interesting. The pastor is from India and many of the congregation, but they also have Africans and some ex-pats from different countries.
Ed had a very good response to his message. He taught on giving Jesus our gift of worship. They do their services in English, so he didn't have to have an interpreter. So, his message was shorter than he had planned and was able to add some good illustrations. When we use interpreters, the message doubles in length.
We are always encouraged by their praise time, they are very heartfelt in their worship. Because of the international membership, their worship was not as demonstrative as most African worship experiences. But we really enjoyed it.
We are looking forward to beginning the conference tomorrow!
Will write more when we can connect again to the internet.
Thanks for your prayers. Love, Donna and Ed
Wednesday, April 06, 2011
April 2011 LIVING WELL Letter
And I will make you my promised bride forever. I will be good and fair; I will show you my love and mercy. (Hosea 2:19).
The Bible has a simple story. God made man. Man rejected God. God won’t give up until He wins him back. God will whisper. He will shout. He will touch and tug. He will take away our burdens; He’ll even take away our blessings. If there are a thousand steps between us and Him, He will take all but one. But He will leave the final one for us. The choice is ours. Please understand. His goal is not to make you happy. His goal is to make you His. His goal is not to get you what you want; it is to get you what you need. (emphasis mine, excerpt from A Gentle Thunder by Max Lucado)
The walk down the aisle of a wedding—the father brings the bride to the bridegroom. He is anxiously waiting for her. The groom sought her out, courted her, and proposed. The bride made the choice to receive his love and to receive him. We see the picture as we attend weddings. The picture isn’t just one of a wedding here, but of the ultimate wedding, when we receive Christ as our bridegroom. He promises to be there forever, make us His, dwell among us, and provide what we need.
Americans celebrate Easter this month as a national holiday. But as Christians, we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ everyday. As we celebrate His Resurrection, we look forward to our own. We look forward to the wedding feast with our bridegroom.
I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” …. “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. (Revelation 21:2-4,9b-10)
As you think about your own wedding or of the weddings that you have seen, remember the wedding that awaits us when the Bridegroom call us to Him. He promises that we will be His people, He will live among us, and all pain will be gone. Weddings on earth and in heaven are no small matter to God.
On our mission trip to Zambia, we will convey this sacred view of marriage to the pastors there. Most of them have never heard this kind of teaching and have never considered the weight of the picture in marriage of Christ and the Church.
We have already printed the notebooks and shipped them to Zambia. Our thanks to Walter Mullican and Portland Avenue Baptist Church for providing the binders, printing the material, and putting together the notebooks. We have also shipped the study Bibles. Please pray for their safe arrival there!
As we write this letter, we have received 53% of the funds for our mission trip and have 50 days left! We praise God for what we have received. Please pray with us for the remaining amount ($10,500). And please continue to pray for the preparations in Zambia, that God will bring men and women committed to strengthen marriages according to God’s Word. We know that He wants to do a great work to change the hearts and minds of the people in Ndola, Zambia.
We love and appreciate you and your support of the work God is doing through Living Well!
May the Lord bless you in your relationship to Him.
Our love in Christ,
Donna and Ed Edwards
The water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life. John 4:14b
The Bible has a simple story. God made man. Man rejected God. God won’t give up until He wins him back. God will whisper. He will shout. He will touch and tug. He will take away our burdens; He’ll even take away our blessings. If there are a thousand steps between us and Him, He will take all but one. But He will leave the final one for us. The choice is ours. Please understand. His goal is not to make you happy. His goal is to make you His. His goal is not to get you what you want; it is to get you what you need. (emphasis mine, excerpt from A Gentle Thunder by Max Lucado)
The walk down the aisle of a wedding—the father brings the bride to the bridegroom. He is anxiously waiting for her. The groom sought her out, courted her, and proposed. The bride made the choice to receive his love and to receive him. We see the picture as we attend weddings. The picture isn’t just one of a wedding here, but of the ultimate wedding, when we receive Christ as our bridegroom. He promises to be there forever, make us His, dwell among us, and provide what we need.
Americans celebrate Easter this month as a national holiday. But as Christians, we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ everyday. As we celebrate His Resurrection, we look forward to our own. We look forward to the wedding feast with our bridegroom.
I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” …. “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. (Revelation 21:2-4,9b-10)
As you think about your own wedding or of the weddings that you have seen, remember the wedding that awaits us when the Bridegroom call us to Him. He promises that we will be His people, He will live among us, and all pain will be gone. Weddings on earth and in heaven are no small matter to God.
On our mission trip to Zambia, we will convey this sacred view of marriage to the pastors there. Most of them have never heard this kind of teaching and have never considered the weight of the picture in marriage of Christ and the Church.
We have already printed the notebooks and shipped them to Zambia. Our thanks to Walter Mullican and Portland Avenue Baptist Church for providing the binders, printing the material, and putting together the notebooks. We have also shipped the study Bibles. Please pray for their safe arrival there!
As we write this letter, we have received 53% of the funds for our mission trip and have 50 days left! We praise God for what we have received. Please pray with us for the remaining amount ($10,500). And please continue to pray for the preparations in Zambia, that God will bring men and women committed to strengthen marriages according to God’s Word. We know that He wants to do a great work to change the hearts and minds of the people in Ndola, Zambia.
We love and appreciate you and your support of the work God is doing through Living Well!
May the Lord bless you in your relationship to Him.
Our love in Christ,
Donna and Ed Edwards
The water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life. John 4:14b
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Friday, March 25, 2011
Zambia Mission 2011
OUR MISSION:
- To partner with Africa Leadership and Reconciliation Ministry (ALARM) to teach and train pastors and their wives in Biblical principles of marriage and family, so that they can strengthen their own marriage, model a godly marriage, and train others in marriage and family. Five day conference, May 30-June 3.
- To teach several hundred men a seminar on moral purity, family leadership, and faithfulness in marriage. Ed will teach the one-day seminar on June 4.
- To bring resources to strengthen and encourage pastors and their wives in their ministry and their marriage.
- The pastors and wives in Zambia, which is in south-central Africa. Zambia is a country the size of Texas. Zambia has a population of 13 million people. We will be in Ndola, the 2nd largest city in the country, where we ministered in 2006. The average life expectancy is about 40 years old (men and women).
- The religious beliefs are estimated to be Christians (50-75%), Muslims (24-49%), and indigenous beliefs (animism, 1%).
- Unemployment is 50%, with a 70% poverty rate.
- The averange annual income is $ 395; the cost of the conference per couple would be more than 50% of their annual income.
Because of their low income, we have to provide for the expenses of the conference, as well as our own expenses.
- Prayer
- Team Funds: $3958 each ($7916 total) for Ed & Donna Edwards (includes transportation, food, and lodging)
- Funds for pastors/wives: 50 couples @ $281/couple = $14,050 (includes Study Bibles & conference notebooks/shipping, food, transportation, translators, and fee for conference venue)
TO DONATE
- Zambia has been heavily evangelized but the pastors have little or no training in any area, but especially the area of marriage and family.
- The rate of HIV/AIDS infection is very high, but the shame and misinformation related to infection is also high. The epidemic is spreading primarily through heterosexual contact. The need for pastors, church leaders, and their wives (some are HIVpositive) to talk to someone who will not condemn them is also great.
- Zambia is a Christian nation by constitution but has a growing Muslim population. Among Christians leaders, they have difficulty integrating their faith with long-held cultural beliefs. The need for teaching and training in living out the life of a devoted follower of Christ is acute!
- Through Ed's personal ministry to a church leader in 2006 (HIV positive, addicted to pornography, in debt,and travelled away from family for work), that man got out of debt and broke free from immorality. As Ed continued to minister to him from the U.S., first, the man helped a group of six other men break free from pornography. Then, he began speaking to men's groups in churches on moral purity. He is now studying for vocational ministry.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Power of ONE
The believer does not use God's power; God's power uses him. Kenneth Wuest
He promises to give me everything I need to live this life in a way that honors and glorifies Him.
When I receive:
Therefore encourage one another. (1 Thessalonians 5:11)
When you make the sacrifice in marriage, you're sacrificing not to each other but to unity in a relationship. Joseph Campbell
The unity in marriage is what we call “oneness.” God describes it as “one flesh” in Genesis 2:24. The unity of marriage is not uniformity. In fact it might better be described as diversity. We are two different genders, two personalities, two backgrounds, and two sets of giftedness and experience. Two drastically different people come together to become one.
Power of ONE Financially .....
ONE DOLLAR
Do you ever think about how many times a day you throw away or waste ONE dollar?
While doing financial guidance, we usually have people keep track of all of the money they spend. They are usually amazed at where their money is going. Most people have some kind of “black hole.”
A Sonic drink during happy hour is one of our favorite treats and it is about a dollar. If we have one every day, that’s $30/month or $365/year.
Could you use $30 more a month or $365 more a year in your budget?
If that soda costs more than a dollar, the amounts multiply dramatically.
Maybe Sonic isn’t your black hole. What about the amount of food you throw out that is uneaten, either at home or a restaurant? Do you waste a dollar a day on food?
What about the Itunes music or ring tones for your phone? They are a dollar or maybe a little more. Are they a wise investment?
Maybe you don’t waste money on food or drink or splurge on music. But how many coats or shoes are in your closet? Most of us have more than we need.
Any DOLLAR spent today wastefully cannot be spent tomorrow on something you really need.
What would happen if you saved a dollar a day instead? If you start at age 22 and save a dollar a day until 65 (assuming a 6% interest rate over the long term), you would have $72,688.54 ($56,993.54 of the total is the interest). You would gain almost $57,000 without having to work for it …. for just a dollar a day.
Does a dollar really make a difference? Looks like it does. To reap the dividends we may have to give up a momentary pleasure. Or we may have to find a way to put that dollar into something that isn’t disposable (paper plates vs. real plates, handkerchief vs. tissues).
What would a dollar a day reap for eternity?
In our ministry, if everyone who received our letter, gave a dollar more a day, we would be fully funded and be able to expand our training and teaching.
In east Africa, where we minister, you could pay the salary of a pastor for a dollar a day.
And your church would love for you to increase giving by a dollar a day!
Power of ONE Word ....
Think twice before you speak, because your words and influence will plant the seed of either success or failure in the mind of another. Napoleon Hill
Marriage is the most intimate of all relationships. I can encourage or destroy my spouse with my words. Somehow I think I am “helping” him when I criticize or correct him.
But my spouse is looking to me to affirm the good in his life, not shoot down the things with which we don’t agree. If I don’t see and encourage the positive parts of his character and his behavior, who will? Isn’t that what each of us want to receive from our spouse?
A man finds joy in giving an apt reply— and how good is a timely word! Proverbs 15:23
The Power of ONE begins with our relationship with the Lord. The power to have successful relationships comes from Him into me and through me.
He promises to give me everything I need to live this life in a way that honors and glorifies Him.
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. (2 Peter 1:3)
To allow His Power to live through me, I give up my agenda, my thoughts on how best to live life. I seek Him and His way. I have confidence that what He wants for me is the very best of life.
- God’s love, I can love as He does (John 13:33).
- God’s forgiveness, I can forgive as He does (Ephesians 4:32).
- God’s acceptance, I can accept the way He does (Romans 15:7).
At our dinner, one young couple, who went through our premarital class last spring and married shortly after that, shared how they both came from families with divorced parents. But that they made a commitment to make their marriage be one that honors Christ and provides a legacy of a strong marriage instead of a legacy of divorce.
Never underestimate the power of one relationship or one class to set the course for a lifetime. If God can work through us in this couple’s life, He can work through and in you!
Power of ONE in Marriage .....
When you make the sacrifice in marriage, you're sacrificing not to each other but to unity in a relationship. Joseph Campbell
The unity in marriage is what we call “oneness.” God describes it as “one flesh” in Genesis 2:24. The unity of marriage is not uniformity. In fact it might better be described as diversity. We are two different genders, two personalities, two backgrounds, and two sets of giftedness and experience. Two drastically different people come together to become one.
Attitudes, words, behaviors, or actions can cause a husband and wife to be divided, instead of one. But we have seen in case after case that ONE person can change the atmosphere of a marriage. ONE person who focuses on the Lord and loves unconditionally in a marriage can bring about change. That person gives up their wants/desires for what God wants, for the sake of unity and oneness.
ONE husband or wife who will love even when feeling unloved or disrespected can bring healing and unity.
How? See the first section of this blog!
Power of ONE Financially .....
Do you ever think about how many times a day you throw away or waste ONE dollar?
While doing financial guidance, we usually have people keep track of all of the money they spend. They are usually amazed at where their money is going. Most people have some kind of “black hole.”
A Sonic drink during happy hour is one of our favorite treats and it is about a dollar. If we have one every day, that’s $30/month or $365/year.
Could you use $30 more a month or $365 more a year in your budget?
If that soda costs more than a dollar, the amounts multiply dramatically.
Maybe Sonic isn’t your black hole. What about the amount of food you throw out that is uneaten, either at home or a restaurant? Do you waste a dollar a day on food?
What about the Itunes music or ring tones for your phone? They are a dollar or maybe a little more. Are they a wise investment?
Maybe you don’t waste money on food or drink or splurge on music. But how many coats or shoes are in your closet? Most of us have more than we need.
Any DOLLAR spent today wastefully cannot be spent tomorrow on something you really need.
What would happen if you saved a dollar a day instead? If you start at age 22 and save a dollar a day until 65 (assuming a 6% interest rate over the long term), you would have $72,688.54 ($56,993.54 of the total is the interest). You would gain almost $57,000 without having to work for it …. for just a dollar a day.
Does a dollar really make a difference? Looks like it does. To reap the dividends we may have to give up a momentary pleasure. Or we may have to find a way to put that dollar into something that isn’t disposable (paper plates vs. real plates, handkerchief vs. tissues).
What would a dollar a day reap for eternity?
In our ministry, if everyone who received our letter, gave a dollar more a day, we would be fully funded and be able to expand our training and teaching.
In east Africa, where we minister, you could pay the salary of a pastor for a dollar a day.
And your church would love for you to increase giving by a dollar a day!
Power of ONE Word ....
Think twice before you speak, because your words and influence will plant the seed of either success or failure in the mind of another. Napoleon Hill
Marriage is the most intimate of all relationships. I can encourage or destroy my spouse with my words. Somehow I think I am “helping” him when I criticize or correct him.
But my spouse is looking to me to affirm the good in his life, not shoot down the things with which we don’t agree. If I don’t see and encourage the positive parts of his character and his behavior, who will? Isn’t that what each of us want to receive from our spouse?
A man finds joy in giving an apt reply— and how good is a timely word! Proverbs 15:23
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Morogoro, Tanzania
Justin Kiwovele, country director of ALARM, Tanzania, introduces this video by sharing the impact of the Living Well ministry in Morogoro, Tanzania, June, 2010.
The pictures give a glimpse of the attentiveness and involvement of the pastors and wives attending the conference. For the first time, we had Masaai pastors attending our conferences.
A special thanks to all of those who support Living Well, so that we can continue ministering in east Africa and to Rhett and Megan O'Briant for completing our team. Their teaching, their heart, and their serving spirit came through at every moment.
The pictures give a glimpse of the attentiveness and involvement of the pastors and wives attending the conference. For the first time, we had Masaai pastors attending our conferences.
A special thanks to all of those who support Living Well, so that we can continue ministering in east Africa and to Rhett and Megan O'Briant for completing our team. Their teaching, their heart, and their serving spirit came through at every moment.
Living Well in Tanzania
The power of one conference to change lives is shown through the testimonies of pastors who attended our conference in June, 20009, in Bagamayo, Tanzania.
Included are stories of how one pastor taught the material at his church and was called to teach at other churches, one pastor counseled many others and saw three couples reconcile after being separated for as much as 10 years, and how one pastors is teaching on oneness - addressing culture issues that divide the couples.
Because of the people who support our ministry, we are able to continue to go to east Africa and train many churches.
Included are stories of how one pastor taught the material at his church and was called to teach at other churches, one pastor counseled many others and saw three couples reconcile after being separated for as much as 10 years, and how one pastors is teaching on oneness - addressing culture issues that divide the couples.
Because of the people who support our ministry, we are able to continue to go to east Africa and train many churches.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
LIVING WELL ANNUAL DINNER - The Power of ONE
LIVING WELL ANNUAL DINNER
October 14, 2010
6:15-7:15 Silent Auction and Dinner
7:15 Ministry Presentation
RSVP by October 7
Call (405)792-2586
email: info@livingwellokc.org
Dinner Venue: Putnam City Baptist Church
11401 N Rockwell Ave
Oklahoma City
Thursday, August 26, 2010
September Letter
When was the last time you changed the oil in your car?
When was the last time you did something to maintain your marriage?
How long would your car last without any maintenance?
Why do we expect our marriages to last without maintenance?
Great marriages don’t just happen! Great marriages are developed by couples who are proactive at the beginning of their marriages and every year throughout their marriage.
When a couple in a crisis comes to us, we ask them what kind of premarital preparation they had and what they have done since the wedding to strengthen their marriage. Our hearts break when couples who have only been married two or three years are already considering divorce.
Rarely, has a couple in crisis done anything to prepare for marriage or anything to ensure the longevity of their marriage after the wedding. Don’t wait for a crisis, do something now to assure an increasing joy in your marriage - we have a class starting September 21st !
In Oklahoma, 75% of couples get married in a church, but only 25% take advantage of the $45 discount for having premarital preparation. What a great opportunity we have to get a couple started in the right direction! One out of five of these couples will divorce in the first five years of marriage. Wow! In five years, we have barely started learning about the weaving together of our two lives. We begin a Preparing for Marriage class on September 13th to help couples get a strong, healthy start to their marriages.
If you could go back and change one thing in the past about your marriage, what would it be? We have testified many times that we would have started using a spending plan (budget) much earlier in our marriage. Living according to a spending plan is the one choice that would have made a world of difference in our marriage at a much earlier age. The spending plan brought about a contentment in knowing where we were financially, a security in knowing how to plan for the future, a peace in agreeing on how to spend our income, and a freedom in knowing how to get out of debt and stay out.
The issue is not how much money I have, but what am I doing with it? And where is God in my spending and planning? Change your sense of contentment and peace, whether you are single or married! God gives an abundance of direction on the subject. Take our class on Managing Money, beginning September 15th, and find out how to live in that peace and contentment. Also, read our enclosed teaching on the benefits of a budget.
You are our strongest supporters and best advertising media! If you have never taken one of our marriage or money classes, we invite you to participate. Please pass the enclosed card along to someone who may benefit if you are unable to attend.
Thank you for your prayer support. We have received enough designated donations to cover the costs of the chairs for our classroom. We are so thankful for a nice, fully-furnished room for our classes. And God also supplied our need for a new computer - it is on the way to us!
We encourage to look at the archives in our blog to see a myriad of pictures and details about our mission trip. If you type Morogoro into the search box on this page, a list of all the entries will come up.
Thank you for your love, support, and prayers. Our love in Christ.
Donna and Ed Edwards
P.S. Please pray that the people who would benefit from our classes will find out about them and attend.
When was the last time you did something to maintain your marriage?
How long would your car last without any maintenance?
Why do we expect our marriages to last without maintenance?
Great marriages don’t just happen! Great marriages are developed by couples who are proactive at the beginning of their marriages and every year throughout their marriage.
When a couple in a crisis comes to us, we ask them what kind of premarital preparation they had and what they have done since the wedding to strengthen their marriage. Our hearts break when couples who have only been married two or three years are already considering divorce.
Rarely, has a couple in crisis done anything to prepare for marriage or anything to ensure the longevity of their marriage after the wedding. Don’t wait for a crisis, do something now to assure an increasing joy in your marriage - we have a class starting September 21st !
In Oklahoma, 75% of couples get married in a church, but only 25% take advantage of the $45 discount for having premarital preparation. What a great opportunity we have to get a couple started in the right direction! One out of five of these couples will divorce in the first five years of marriage. Wow! In five years, we have barely started learning about the weaving together of our two lives. We begin a Preparing for Marriage class on September 13th to help couples get a strong, healthy start to their marriages.
If you could go back and change one thing in the past about your marriage, what would it be? We have testified many times that we would have started using a spending plan (budget) much earlier in our marriage. Living according to a spending plan is the one choice that would have made a world of difference in our marriage at a much earlier age. The spending plan brought about a contentment in knowing where we were financially, a security in knowing how to plan for the future, a peace in agreeing on how to spend our income, and a freedom in knowing how to get out of debt and stay out.
The issue is not how much money I have, but what am I doing with it? And where is God in my spending and planning? Change your sense of contentment and peace, whether you are single or married! God gives an abundance of direction on the subject. Take our class on Managing Money, beginning September 15th, and find out how to live in that peace and contentment. Also, read our enclosed teaching on the benefits of a budget.
You are our strongest supporters and best advertising media! If you have never taken one of our marriage or money classes, we invite you to participate. Please pass the enclosed card along to someone who may benefit if you are unable to attend.
Thank you for your prayer support. We have received enough designated donations to cover the costs of the chairs for our classroom. We are so thankful for a nice, fully-furnished room for our classes. And God also supplied our need for a new computer - it is on the way to us!
We encourage to look at the archives in our blog to see a myriad of pictures and details about our mission trip. If you type Morogoro into the search box on this page, a list of all the entries will come up.
Thank you for your love, support, and prayers. Our love in Christ.
Donna and Ed Edwards
P.S. Please pray that the people who would benefit from our classes will find out about them and attend.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Benefits of Budgeting
We believe a budget is the single most powerful tool for successful money management.
Most of us have no problem with budgets when it comes to the government, business, church, or our employer; we find ourselves skeptical of any entity that is not accountable to a financial budget. However, our thinking often changes when it comes to our personal finances.
What are the benefits to having a written spending plan, a budget?
A budget:
1. Gives us more knowledge of where are money is going, so we can spend more effectively. Properly prepared, with a steward’s attitude, a budget is designed to help us maintain “self-imposed” boundaries. A budget is a simple device to keep us from stumbling over the boundaries that guard us from financial dangers, which can threaten our families - a tool that allows us to spend with wisdom.
2. Gives us peace. Not knowing where your money goes each month can create great fear and anxiety. The budgeting process is really quite simple and takes very little time to maintain. The goal is this: to establish a level of spending for each expense category you have, allocating spendable income to those categories, and knowing where you stand at all times.
3. Reduces marital strife. Creating and utilizing a spending plan provides confidence that funds are available to pay bills on time, that funds are available for those inevitable emergencies, and that you will know how much you can spend for the things you need and want. Agreeing on and spending according to a predetermined plan eliminates much of the emotion associated with finances in marriages.
4. Brings a sense of security. Contingency funds built into your budget gives you the security of knowing you can meet your financial obligations without going into debt.
5. Gives us freedom. Financial bondage can result from a lack of money and overspending, but it can also be caused by the misuse of an abundance of money. True financial freedom requires that we all, regardless of income level, be good managers. Budgeting brings our finances under God’s control and avoids debt that result from uncontrolled spending.
Our Managing Money class will prepare you to navigate the financial roadway – finding God’s plan for Living Well. (Info on the class)
More articles on Money and forms for creating a budget.
What God says .....
God owns all that we have and wants us to be good managers of His possessions. He wants us to seek Him about how to spend all that He has given us, then to follow His plan. He wants us to see Him in every area of our life, even the way we use money.
The Bible contains lots of examples of the importance of good planning. Here are two:
The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage, but everyone who is hasty comes surely to poverty. Proverbs 21:5
For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him, saying ‘this man began to build and was not able to finish.’ Luke 14:28-30
Most of us have no problem with budgets when it comes to the government, business, church, or our employer; we find ourselves skeptical of any entity that is not accountable to a financial budget. However, our thinking often changes when it comes to our personal finances.
What are the benefits to having a written spending plan, a budget?
A budget:
1. Gives us more knowledge of where are money is going, so we can spend more effectively. Properly prepared, with a steward’s attitude, a budget is designed to help us maintain “self-imposed” boundaries. A budget is a simple device to keep us from stumbling over the boundaries that guard us from financial dangers, which can threaten our families - a tool that allows us to spend with wisdom.
2. Gives us peace. Not knowing where your money goes each month can create great fear and anxiety. The budgeting process is really quite simple and takes very little time to maintain. The goal is this: to establish a level of spending for each expense category you have, allocating spendable income to those categories, and knowing where you stand at all times.
3. Reduces marital strife. Creating and utilizing a spending plan provides confidence that funds are available to pay bills on time, that funds are available for those inevitable emergencies, and that you will know how much you can spend for the things you need and want. Agreeing on and spending according to a predetermined plan eliminates much of the emotion associated with finances in marriages.
4. Brings a sense of security. Contingency funds built into your budget gives you the security of knowing you can meet your financial obligations without going into debt.
5. Gives us freedom. Financial bondage can result from a lack of money and overspending, but it can also be caused by the misuse of an abundance of money. True financial freedom requires that we all, regardless of income level, be good managers. Budgeting brings our finances under God’s control and avoids debt that result from uncontrolled spending.
Our Managing Money class will prepare you to navigate the financial roadway – finding God’s plan for Living Well. (Info on the class)
More articles on Money and forms for creating a budget.
What God says .....
God owns all that we have and wants us to be good managers of His possessions. He wants us to seek Him about how to spend all that He has given us, then to follow His plan. He wants us to see Him in every area of our life, even the way we use money.
The Bible contains lots of examples of the importance of good planning. Here are two:
The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage, but everyone who is hasty comes surely to poverty. Proverbs 21:5
For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him, saying ‘this man began to build and was not able to finish.’ Luke 14:28-30
Monday, August 23, 2010
Pastor Fabian, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
At that time, Pastor Fabian was already planning a marriage conference after receiving our training. He is a very sharp guy and very creative.
After his conference, he was asked by other churches to teach there. A bishop asked him to meet with his son and his fiance to counsel them before marriage. The bishop expressed that he wish he could have the same teaching, even after years of marriage.
Pastor Fabian's wife testified, “I thank God so much for the last seminar in Bagamoyo. I thought that these teachings have come specifically for me and my husband, to fulfill our passion and desire for marriage ministry!
Traditionally pastors and their wives do not teach or minister together, but separately. But now we have crossed that barrier very freely. We are ministering together and are getting good feedback from people saying that we are ministering together well.”
At our follow-up session this year, Pastor Fabian came with his wife and brought a special gift which he made for us.
He made this himself, a man who doesn't even have electricity. He cut the letters from leaves and varnished them to the wood.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Obstacles in Marriage, Tanzania
When asked to detail the obstacles in marriage in Tanzania, they said:
- Male dominance (this issue rose to the top time after time)
- Customs, culture, and traditions: the people don’t know biblical principles, leaders have marital problems and don’t model godly marriage
- Traditions don’t encourage closeness with wife, don’t eat together, etc.
- Lack of biblical teaching about marriage in churches, not enough emphasis on marriage, more focused on evangelism.
- Poverty, Unemployment: husbands and wives transfer from region to region to find work and they are divided by their jobs.
 |
| Donna Edwards, Nickson Kalinga, and Ed Edwards teaching at Pastoral Enrichment Conference Morogoro, Tanzania |
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Maasai Pastors, MOROGORO
Maasai tribes live in rural areas around Morogoro. The Maasai are known for owning herds of cattle (they think that they own all the cattle in the world) and for their colorful, red garments.
Some of the Maasai men, still wearing their red garments, have moved to towns and cities to do security work, with the goal of going back to their rural home and cattle.
Some of these traditional tribesmen have come to Christ and become pastors.
We did not address their attire but a more significant issue - the marriage. Their major shift in thinking is what they confessed to be a mistreatment and neglect of their wives. Their sincerity showed through the intensity of their listening and speaking.
This conference was the first conference arranged by ALARM that the Maasai pastors had attended, opening the door for them to attend many more. The Maasai pastors were so enthusiastic about the conference that they asked ALARM to come to their villages to teach.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Daniel and his daughter, MOROGORO
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