Power of ONE

The believer does not use God's power; God's power uses him.    Kenneth Wuest

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.

When I receive:

• 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).
  

Many in the body of Christ have no idea what the power of God can do in them and through them to touch the lives of others. That touch can bring change for generations. God is not waiting for me or you to achieve some super-spiritual level. He is just waiting for me to open my hand and my heart to Him. His power is not exclusive to certain people. He says that He is one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4:6)

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!

Therefore encourage one another. (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

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 .....

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

LIVING WELL, November, 2010

Giving Thanks - Thanksgiving

Sounds the same, looks the same. Are they the same?

Thanksgiving is one of our most loved holidays in America. But is Thanksgiving still about “giving thanks?” And if we are giving thanks, to whom are we giving it?

As I (Donna) look back on the last year, it has been one of the hardest years of my life.

• A year ago, I had emergency surgery for a ruptured colon, in the hospital for a week and home for six more weeks recuperating.
• Because of the shortfall in donations, we have not been able to take full salaries, even while paying for hospital costs.
• My mother has faced many severe health issues; she is in ICU right now.
• One of our young couples, to whom we are close, have a son who came down with leukemia a year ago, has been in the hospital many weeks, and has had many complications.
• Ed had significant hearing loss in one ear.
• Our pastor died.
• Two months later our associate pastor of 43 years died; he was a friend and a mentor.
• While in Africa, I came down with an intestinal bug and was ill for several days before and after we got home.
• As we arrived home from Africa, we learned that another one of our young couples had their baby, but he had problems and died two days later.
• My niece had her first child 14 weeks prematurely and he is still in the hospital…
• .. And last week, we learned that Ed’s sister has stage 4 lung cancer (a nonsmoker).
• All of that does not include the challenges of parenting adult children who have stressful situations of their own.

And then we listen to the people’s problems all day. How do we do that? We have learned the Power of ONE.

There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called—one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
                                                                                    (Ephesians 4:4-6)

We can have personal tragedy in our own life and in the lives of those we love but still encourage others in the ways of the Lord because we know The ONE who is “over all and through all and in all.” He has given us His Power, His Strength, and His Presence.

How does this idea relate to Thanksgiving?

We can focus on the bad experiences of the last year or we can see God’s hand in the good.

We can give thanks because ….

• I survived the emergency surgery, the African bug and am back to normal now.
• we are able to pay our bills at home and at the ministry.
• mother is still with us and has hopes of recovery.
• our two young couples each experienced their tragedy with God’s grace, ministered to each other, and are beacons of faith and hope to our other young couples.
• Ed can still hear without hearing aids.
• after serving five months on the pastor search team, we have a pastor coming “in view of a call” next Sunday.
• my niece’s son is still making progress, hopes to go home soon.
• Ed’s sister still feels well and is at MD Anderson for further diagnosis this week.
• and both our kids still love us, love the Lord, and are working towards solutions in their lives.

We choose to give thanks to The ONE!

At our dinner, we were able to share the Power of ONE through many different areas of ministry.

One young couple, Zach and Jennifer, shared the Power of ONE to change their legacy of divorce, which they inherited, to a legacy of a strong marriage for their future, starting with a premarital class. Zach's parents were divorced and he travelled from one home to the other, often across the country, even across the ocean. Jennifer's parents divorced when she was 18, when her dad left her mom unexpectedly. They are commited to each other for a lifetime, seeking to strengthen their marriage before the vows and continuing throughout their marriage.

We shared one couple’s experience of coming to Living Well for the first time. [see the video]

We shared the results one year later of the Power of ONE conference in Bagamoyo, Tanzania. Hear the testimonies of pastors about how God has used what they learned last year to bring reconciliation in marriages, even after 10 years of separation, and to teach other pastors and lay people. [see the video]

We shared the Power of ONE conference in Morogoro, Tanzania, to convict pastors of sins against their wives, to bring the truth of God's design for marriage to pastors for the first time, and to encourage pastors/wives in their ministry. [see the video]

One person can make a difference!

Think of the power of one dollar to change lives, consider this …. one dollar a day.

If all the people who read this letter would donate for the first time or increase their donations by a dollar a day, we would make our budget, which means training and guiding more people.

Our love in Christ,

Donna and Ed Edwards

P.S. Please thank our Lord with us for what He has done this year!

Living Well, October 2010

One person can make a difference and every person should try. John F. Kennedy

Think about who the person is that has made a positive difference in your life personally or in our world. Can you be that person to someone else or to our world?

The theme of our upcoming dinner is the Power of One (more details). Our desire is that many of those receiving our invitations will attend—to be inspired, to see what God has done through one ministry, and to be challenged for the future. Many have faithfully attended our previous six dinners. We are praying that many who have never attended will come for the first time and that all who are familiar with our ministry will invite someone new to attend with them.

Besides being inspired, we have some great food and a fun silent auction. This year’s auction includes many of our favorites from the past—restaurants, gift cards, African artisan pieces—but also some new that align with our ministry’s emphasis on marriage strengthening—marriage conference gift certificate (FamilyLife’s Weekend to Remember), marriage materials, date night fun.

The event is on October 14 at our church. The silent auction and dinner are from 6:15-7:15; the ministry presentation begins at 7:15. RSVP by calling 792-2586 or email inof@livingwellokc.org by October 7. You are welcome (and encouraged) to bring a guest - just give us their names.

As we explain our ministry to someone, they often ask how people know about us—our answer is always the same—through a personal recommendation. Even though we have a listing in the yellow pages and an internet presence, most people who utilize our services and who support us have been connected to us through someone to whom we have ministered or have joined together for ministry. Their personal recommendations affirmed their confidence in us. We are extremely grateful for that affirmation and seek to honor that confidence. We consistently review what we are teaching and saying about marriage and money to make sure we stay true to God’s Word and His heart.


We are asking you to consider who you can invite to come with you to our dinner. Consider how our ministry might make a difference in their lives.

Have you heard that the recession ended in June of 2009? Does the American public believe that statistic? Anxiety abounds in our land about the future of our economy and the direction of our government leaders. The new trend of the American people saving money (instead of spending more than they make) disturbs the “experts.”

Some reports say that young adults are abandoning marriage and the church because of economic stress. Money continues to be a huge player on the field of marriage and faith. On our blog, Living Well in Marriage (http://www.livingwellinmarriage.blogspot.com/) we have two new articles. Money to Marry describes how young people are delaying marriage until they are financially secure (even though they may live together and/or having children together). Women, Money, and Fear uncovers some of women's fears in relation to money and finances, especially the "bag lady" syndrome. Both issues greatly influence marriages today.
Thank you for your continued prayers and support. For some reason, the beginning of a school year seems to motivate people to seek help for their marriages. So, most of our appointment times for marriage guidance are full, although couples can still join our class. We do have some openings for financial guidance. Donna does some appointments alone with women on marriage issues, which gives Ed some openings to do financial guidance at those times. We do couple marriage guidance together.

Donna and Ed Edwards

A truly great person is the one who gives you a chance."

"To the world you may be just one person, but to one person you may be the world."

"We must remember that one determined person can make a significant difference, and that a small group of determined people can change the course of history."

“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” Ephesians 4:2