Denise's Blog

Welcome to my blog. Please check back regularly for new entries!

July 6, 2011

This past weekend was a blast! My parents (87 and 85), my three sisters and their families, and our three girls, their husbands, and our nine grandchildren spent a 4 day holiday for July 4th long weekend at Lazy Hills Retreat Ranch here in Texas. It was SO MUCH FUN! We had a family bake-off, a DJ and talent show ("American Idol" style), ping pong tournament, kayak races, fishing, rope swing antics, giant-trampoline-in the-lake fun, swimming relays, fajitas, Texas barbeque, pizza, and ice cream. We're stuffed, we're tired, our sunburned faces are sore from laughing, and we're all missing each other terribly since we parted 24 hours ago! Sweet to be home!

June 15, 2011

Today was a big day at Kardo/MotherWise. Our beloved Roxanne, the Executive Director for the ministry, was celebrated with a Farewell luncheon marking the end of an incredible era. We had a wonderful time of sharing over lunch, as many of our friends from all over Houston came to say their goodbyes. Each person had beautiful things to say to Roxanne about how she touched their lives. What a legacy she's left!

The ministry went to "a whole new level" as someone said today under Roxanne's most capable leadership. Wow, Rox, is all we can say. As Roxanne has been training David and I at the office in all the things she's been doing, all the files she's made, all the systems and processes she's created to make Kardo run smoothly and efficiently getting books into hands all over the world, we've just been awed at God's provision and her willingness to use her talents for the Lord over these past several years. So God bless you, Roxanne, as you go to Florida with your family to start a new life. Our love, our prayers, and our thanks go with you. May the Lord bless you and keep you, John, and the children!!

May 16, 2011

There has been no time to blog in the past 2 whirlwind months of our international move from Australia to Houston, Texas. But today, I have to share our "God-story" of obtaining a house in Houston. We've prayed over the past several years that God would give us a "strategic retreat" in Houston when we moved back. We learned so much about hospitality from our Aussie friends and we want to bring that with us to America. We needed a house that was just right for two people most of the time, but could accomodate the 17 in our immediate family (3 daughters, 3 sons-in-law, 9 grandchildren) for family holidays, birthdays, etc. We also want to host prayer meetings and gatherings for ministry purposes. So...we prayed and searched the internet from Perth in preparation for the move.

When we arrived, we felt overwhelmed with choices. Houston's a big place, in numbers of people (I think over 5 million) but also geographically. Our kids are scattered across the city and our ministry office is in a different place from their homes. Finding just the right location to be central to all that plus one that could accomodate our "check list"...master bedroom down, plenty of study/quiet time space, entertaining flow, place for 9 young grandchildren to play...turned out to be harder than we thought. After 2 1/2 weeks of searching, we kept coming back to one property. It seemed to fit the bill. Negotiations began to obtain the property but what should have been a fairly simple, straightforward process became a technological and logistical quagmire. Many key players were away from computers and had pressing family obligations and computers that should have worked perfectly wouldn't cooperate and all that prevented the deal from being "signed." Finally, after 2 long days, we got word that the owners had accepted our offer. What we learned later is that God had showed us great favor through the process....our specific prayer request.

Here is the scripture Roxanne Young, our Executive Director at MotherWise/Kardo gave us about this house:

"Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young--a place near your altar, O Lord Almighty, my King and my God...for the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withold..." Psalm 84:3,11

This is exactly how I feel today...that God has given us a nest for our young...They have sacrificed a lot having mom and dad living out of the country for so long. I have longed for a nest for my children...a place for them to come "home" even though they now have homes of their own and children at their feet. Even as adults, we are all still children and want to go home to put our feet under "mom's table" where we are nurtured and loved and fed. I am so happy with the propect of having that place to gather my "babies."

We'll probably move in mid-June when our shipment of furniture is due to arrive from Australia. God is so good to us. As David often says, "Why does He love us SO much?!"

March 21, 2011

IT IS FINISHED!!! Today at 3:15pm, I put the last Hallelujah in place on the last page of Fan the Flame. I know we still have editing to complete and there will be more work to do on bibliographies, title page, cover, intro, etc etc etc....BUT, my main work is done.

I had only the last "day" of the last chapter to finish today. Half of it was already written, and God had given me the outline of the 4 Hallelujah's from Rev 19 as the finale and crescendo of worship for the book. But I still had to do the work of writing it. I awoke this morning at 4 am with horrible vertigo, and I stumbled as I got out of bed. Feeling nauseous and disoriented, I just kept saying NO to the enemy and Halleluljah to the Lamb as I climbed the stairs to my study. As long as I was completely focused on the Word at my desk, the room got still and I was able to write. The minute I moved, the room started spinning wildly.

I made it through the day working like that, staying down in the "zone" with Jesus as along as possible before taking a break. I spent the strangest, most glorious day on the mountaintop with God while being bashed and battered by the enemy at the same time. And by 3:15 this afternoon, the baby was born. I am exhausted, and I'm still nauseated, still have vertigo and dizziness, but I had to write to all of you who have prayed for me to say THANK YOU for praying this book into existence. I don't know if the reader will have the same experiences that I have as I have written it, but this book on worship has changed me, again.

--Denise

March 19, 2011

To continue the Making of Fan the Flame saga....

* Floral Designer and Make Up Artist- When we realized we had such a short time to organize the "set" for the conference and filming, we began thinking about the people we knew who could help. We discovered the talent we needed in two women in our Bread Class (bible study, prayer, discussion...much like a MotherWise Class, only not for "mums/moms". We've been doing Fan the Flame together as a group and now we're on to Keeping the Secrets of Jesus). Our floral designer not only does a beautiful job with flowers, she teaches at the Community College level here (in Australia called TAFE). And our make up artist was actually in Paris at the time we emailed her, working on runway models at Fashion Week! When we gave her our dates, she said, "No worries. I arrive from Paris at 5 a.m. the morning of your conference. I'll be happy to go directly from the airport (after she flew all night) and do your make up! You should see the flowers and make up they created! The huge floral arrangement was created from native Australian flowers and greenery you won't see on any other continent. One particular "gum blossom" matched my dress EXACTLY! It only blooms once a year for a few weeks...It just "happened to bloom" the week of our conference!! And the make up was natural and "me." Our God is a God of details and He is a genius! (His people are pretty great, too!!)

March 14, 2011

I have a few minutes tonight to share a few of the miraculous events of the Making of Fan the Flame.

* Date of Filming- I had been praying about the filming of Fan the Flame sessions, but couldn't see how it was going to happen before we moved away from Australia. I had one last conference before our move and I would be speaking on Fan the Flame. One morning in my quiet time, God just dropped the idea into my mind to film the conference. After checking on a few leads for film crews in Perth, and coming up short, I decided to email a mission-minded church who has partnered with us on several occaisions to see if they might help us edit the videos if I found a way to film the conference. They answered my email with an astounding offer. They asked if I wanted them to come film the series! With only 3 1/2 weeks to prepare to come 11,000 miles, they sent a video crew on mission to Australia to capture the conference on film. We found out later it was the only week of the year they could have come, since the schools in their area were on a special winter break.

* My dress: Now I had 3 1/2 weeks to prepare. Since we were filming a one-day conference where I would teach all six lessons of Fan the Flame at a "live" conference, I had decided to keep it simple and wear only one dress for the series. Of course, I would only wear one dress for a one day conference, so I settled on this simple approach rather than worrying about six different outfits. I had only one day to shop (since I'd planned out my study days and could only give one day to shopping...There are serious sacrifices required of Bible study teachers!). I had lots of people praying for "the" dress....It had to be simple but smart, classic but in style, the right color (the film crew said no white, no black, no bright red, no patterns), the right size....well, it just had to be right! I went to the local mall and almost bumped into a lady who is a prayer warrior in our church here in Perth. When I told her about my shopping mission, she stopped and raised her hand in the middle of Garden City Mall and began to ask Jesus for the right dress at the right price in the right color, size and design to enhance and not distract from His Word. As you might guess, I walked into the first store and quickly found "the dress." It is coral-watermelon colored...a fiery color that is just right for Fan the Flame. You'll have to watch the DVD's and see if you think we found the right dress.

March 9, 2011

I have promised several of you I will blog the "making of Fan the Flame" soon. I will do that in a few days. Right now, however, I am close to finishing the book, and I ask for your prayers as I finish the last chapter and continue working with our team of editors to clean up the manuscript. Our move back to the US from Australia is 43 days away and already things are happening in that department. I want to complete the mission in Australia, and I know for certain, Fan the Flame project is a major part of that mission.

David has his mission to accomplish as well. He is speaking all weekend in 8 days time to about 85 men. They plan to film the conference, and if that turns out well, we may be able to use it for his ministry. Besides that, he has several important meetings and pieces of work to complete for his office. He is a faithful man and wants to finish well at work.

Our hearts are already in two places at once. I find myself teary about leaving and teary with longing to see family and friends in Texas. But I must wipe my tears and get on with writing, then prepare for the packing. Would you pray for usω

Love,

Denise

January 11, 2011

We are back in Perth after a wonderful Christmas trip home to Houston. Strangely, I feel at "home" in both places. During this trip, we got to spend time with family and friends and loved every minute. We didn't attempt too much and felt so much more relaxed. In years past, we've tried to see everyone possible and "make up for lost time" by trying to live 6 months in 14 days. This time, we slowed the pace, enjoyed who we were with, and didn't worry about what we weren't doing or getting to do. Novel idea, huhω It has only taken us 7 years to figure that out! Can you believe we've been living this strange Ex Pat lifestyle for 7 yearsω

I'll blog a bit more in days to come, but right now, I'm really jetlagged. It's 7:15 p.m. and I'm ready to hit the sack. I'm forcing myself to stay awake, so if this blog doesn't make sense, give me a little grace. :)

I do want to wish you a very Happy, Blessed New Year! God gave David a verse for our family's theme for the year: "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might." (I'll find the reference for you next time I blog. Right now, my feet won't move to go find my Bible.) We are looking forward to David's retirement from his marketplace job and our new life as he steps into the role of President and Chairman of the Board for our ministry. All this coincides with our move back to Houston, Texas in May. It's going to be an exciting year for us. More later...

November 30, 2010

Whew! I am finally over the flu I caught in Indonesia during the whirlwind speaking tour of 10 events in 16 days. Three events from the end of the tour, I caught a terrible bug but continued the speaking engagements with the prayers of many and the help of the local teams. It was an incredible 2 weeks in one of our favorite countries, but when I returned to Perth, it took 6 weeks to recover! That recovery time was productive...not from a "get it done standpoint" since I either sat in my favorite chair, laid on the sofa, or crawled into bed...but it was incredibly productive spiritually. God spoke to me so clearly about learning to rest...not only physically, but spiritually and emotionally. He also spoke to me about learning to "be" not "do." Now I feel truly refreshed and rejuvenated and excited about what God will be doing next in our ministry. We're at a wonderful juncture as we prepare to come "home"...where is that exactlyωω...to Houston, Texas. Our kids and grandkids are awaiting our return May 1 and can't be more excited than we are. David has decided to retire from his 40 year career in the oil industry and that decision means our lives are entering a lovely new chapter. I think perhaps we'll be busier than ever! Our dream is to invest in our children and grandchildren, to invest in the kingdom in the U.S., and to be available to travel to the places in the world where we already have ministry representatives for Kardo/MotherWise/FatherWise.

But before all that happens, I need to finish my Christmas shopping! We leave in a couple of weeks for Houston to gather with the family for Christmas and New Year's. We haven't been home since May and I'm itching to hug and squeeze a few little kids!!! Nine to be exact!!!

October 2, 2010 Photos

It's been a whirlwind for the past two days but very productive. On Friday morning, I spoke for about 100 moms at the PTA of Judy's Christian school in Jakarta. We had two sessions, one on marriage and one on parenting. The power went out half way thru the first session on marriage. It forced us to continue unplugged from microphones as they were sitting in semi-darkness. I stepped closer to them, and we had an intimate heart to heart talk about our marriages. There were many tears. Our team found another room with power for our next session. During the session on relationships with children, the moms expressed more emotions on their faces than I usually see in Asian crowds. It was so obvious much prayer had covered the meeting. They got so many of our resources. I pray they'll really dig into God's Word. I think perhaps we were part of a movement of God on the women of that area of Jakarta to get into the Word. A new Bible Study Fellowship class is starting soon in their area. Our friends are very involved. We were somehow part of something powerful God is doing.

Friday night, our team met. We had a wonderful, productive meeting. God has so blessed our ministry in Indonesia with wise, godly, and really sharp leadership. One exciting development is our Indonesian team's participation and involvement in developing the new Kardo/MW/FW website. One of our team is the IT person for his company, and has volunteered his expertise to work with us on this project. This is a huge answer to prayer.

Saturday morning, we spoke together in a Wisdom conference for couples. We had another wonderful conference, this time with a room full of lovely young couples. They were really "with us" and had a great response.

The host church had hired a videographer with two cameras for the conference, so before we left the venue, we went outside and filmed a short welcome and intro for the new website!!

We then packed up our things and went directly to a party in the home of some lovely American Expats. They had invited some of our close friends in Jakarta. It was so much fun to see our friends again and to make some new ones over some yummy American food.

We returned home about 10 pm to repack suitcases. David left for his flight back to Perth this morning at 4:30 am. I will leave this morning with our team to fly to Yogyakarta. I will speak for a Restore conf there tomorrow morning. We'll drive tomorrow evening to Semarang about 5-6 hrs away for a visit with our Compassion child....

Thank you all for praying for us. This trip has really excited us to see what our "retirement life" will be like when we are on the road. It's strange, but God has called the two of us to be Global Itinerant Missionaries...and we love it!

Hugs and blessings,
Denise

September 29, 2010

I only have a moment to say that our trip to Papua was AWESOME! God really blessed our time with the precious believers we met there. The people shared testimonies with us before we left and it stunned us what God was able to do in a one day conference. After hearing us talk about loving their children, pastors committed to call their children and express their love. This is far outside the norm for that culture. God is so good!

September 26, 2010 Photos

We had a great conference all day Saturday with GBI Kenisah church in Bali. We had good questions at the Q and A time with them that got to the heart of their concerns, mostly about marriage situations. We are always amazed at how similar people are around the world with relationship issues. Cultures vary widely, but hearts are much the same. God granted us favor with these precious people who responded openly to the messages we gave.

On Saturday night, we went to a reunion evening meeting for MotherWise and FatherWise classes at the Rock Church. There were around 250 people there who have taken the classes here in Bali and came to share testimonies with us of how God has worked in their lives. It was humbling and awe-inspiring to hear how God has healed marriages and changed moms and dads attittudies toward their children. We were able to speak into the lives of some who were open enough to share with us. The most amazing thing is that most Westerners come to Bali for a holiday to "get away from it all" and come to a tropical paradise, "Bali Hai" (from South Pacific movie...rememberω), but God brought us to see how He is working to bring these beautiful, humble people to Himself.

This morning (Sunday), David spoke at the Rock church where several thousand attend morning services. He shared our vision for 1 million families to be touched and transformed by God's truth and how God has transformed our marriage. He did a beautiful job of giving glory to God and inspiring them to seek the Lord for their families.

We had dinner tonight with a precious couple who are spreading MotherWise and FatherWise as fast and far as they can in Indonesia. They share our vision to reach families around the world. We are so blessed to meet such friends and sit and share and strategize together.

We get to sleep in tomorrow morning, and then late tomorrow night, board an all night flight to Jayapura, Papua. None of our Indonesian friends have even been there. It is far and remote,but we just received word tonight that 400 people await us there. 200 men and 200 women will be at the all day conference on Wednesday where we'll be speaking. Please cover us in prayer.

Blessings,

Denise & David

September 16, 2010

"Bread" is the name of the new ladies' bible study group I am team-teaching with our Children's and Families' pastor at our church in Perth. I am writing a new study, Fan the Flame, for this class all about the fire of God and how He longs to see our hearts fanned into a firey flame for His kingdom. Today blew our socks off. He led us to study what it means when Jesus plunges us into His life. The results in King David, Zacharias, Peter, Paul, Stephen and others of being baptized and filled with the Spirit was that they became truth-tellers. I could go on and on about what Jesus is teaching us here in Perth. I promise I am documenting all this for a new book/bible study. Please pray for me and for all of us to "get it!"

September 7th, 2010

Thanks for your prayers for David and I...we have had a great weekend here in northwest AU! We spoke Fri evening and Sat afternoon to a small but responsive group from several different churches here. David spoke as well this morning in their Sun morning worship time...God was there!

They don't get many guests like us to come here, so they were so thankful and encouraging to us. Kununurra has about 6000 people...in a very remote part of WA!

We plan on doing some siteseeing the rest of this week, but also have several evening appointments with local church members who wanted to spend more time with us....we are so blessed.

Our friends have been so hospitable here in their care for us...God is Good!

Praise Him for allowing us to be apart of His kingdom work here in WA!

August 28, 2010

Yesterday's conference in Rockingham, Australia was one of those times God does what you don't expect (Is 64:3). There were 120 beautiful ladies gathered and ready to learn. They represented churches from all over our area and were from 20 nations (there is large-scale immigration here.) The team had really prayed Is 64:1-4 and had beautifully decorated in a firey theme of reds and oranges and gold. Quilters had even made a spectacular backdrop for the stage. As we dove into the new Fan the Flame messages, I was teaching with a body that just didn't seem to cooperate. My nose was pouring, I was sneezing, had a sore throat, and the worst was, I couldn't think straight with the meds I took to stop the drip. While I was onstage it abated and I just kept going, praying "God, DO this for them!"

During the teaching time, a holy hush fell on the room several times and we really sensed the Holy Spirit. Several of us talked about it later. During breaks, ladies shared with me what God was saying to them, and each one was different and very profound. Some were challenged about idolatry and counterfeit worship, others to let go of their children, and many convicted of other control issues. I believe God did indeed fan into flames hearts to worship Him in spirit and truth. I know He did mine.

Although we had taken more than we thought we needed, we hadn't taken enough books. By the first break, they were almost gone. Sue called David, and bless him, he was on his way home from his speaking engagement in another part of the city, but he stopped by the house and brought us more books. Fortunately, he could then pray for me at lunch as I shared with him that I was completely out of energy. You all know me, and that it is a rarity for me to be completely out of energy.

On the strength of David's prayers, during the afternoon, my energy began to return while I was teaching. It should have gone down, but it continued to rise and rise. Not only that, my throat started the day weak and hoarse, but the longer I taught the Word, the stronger and clearer it became. My nose and head cleared, and by the last session, I was on a high. I had full energy and a full strength voice to teach on the Baptism in the Fire.

Wow, God, how do You do thatω Our God is truly an awesome God. Sue and I believe the effects of what God did in all our lives will continue for a long time. We're praying that all those materials, now scattered all over Western Australia, will bring forth much spiritual fruit in years to come as women study the Word.

Bless you all for praying us through this incredible weekend!

Love,

Denise

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Where did the past month goω The year is whizzing past! Since my last post, we've been to New Zealand to speak for a Parenting Conference and I've spoken for a women's conference here in Perth on the new messages God has given me about the fire of His presence. Both of these events have been a great time of watching God answer prayer. New Zealand is only 2% Christian and it is wonderful to spend time with the earnest believers who are kingdom minded folk. We love joining them to see the kingdom advance in that beautiful place. If you ever get to visit Wanaka, New Zealand, you'll see what I'm talking about. It is a bit of paradise one earth. The conference in Perth was a Gosnell's Baptist and the ladies and I just had a great day exploring God's Word. It is the springboard for a new book that is coming together....pray for me about that!

It's winter here, so as I write on this June day, I have on my Ugg boots and a fleece jacket, and I'm inside my house!! Sorry to those of you burning up in the US!

Our Australian visa expires in January 2011, so we should be moving back to America in December. We are praying over all that and are really curious about what God has planned next for us...

Monday, May 17, 2010

I've just returned from a quick trip to Houston. David had a meeting with his company, so I got to go with him to see family, friends, and speak on Mother's Day at a wonderful Houston church. I haven't figured out how to get 6 months of living into 10 days, but I tried. I did get to spend time with each of our 9 grandchildren, our three girls, their three husbands, attended a birthday party for our 5 yr old grandson, gave a birthday party for my mom, attended a birthday party for David that our girls gave for him, attended a friend's daughter's wedding, attended a Sandra McCracken/Caedmon's Call concert hearing Danielle sing some of the new music she's written for their new CD that will come out this Fall, went to dinner with our three girls for a fabulous Mother's Day celebration without kids which is a rare gift my three son in law's gave to me...watched our 5 yr old grandson play t-ball while I held our 4 month old grandson in the stands, took 7 of the kids to the zoo (with two of our girls), drove kids to school, picked kids up from school, called out spelling words...I'm probably leaving something out, but my brain is scrambled. Wonder whyω My heart hurt when I left Houston, but I was so glad to see David in Perth, as he had travelled on ahead of me. Ex-patriot living is like that: your heart tried to be in two places at once.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

It's been too long since I've blogged, but I've literally been around the world since I last wrote. After our "baby" visit to the States, David and I trained new leaders for MotherWise and FatherWise in Ukraine. After a great time back at home in Perth, we left for Europe for some R and R followed by 2 conferences. One in Stuttgart, Germany for couples and I spoke for women in Madrid. Those events were followed by a Volcation! The volcano in Iceland erupted the day before our Madrid conference. I barely made it. I was on one of the last planes out of London before the airport closed down. We had a great conference--God's spirit was felt by all. But when it was over, we had to find a way home, since the Madrid airport was still closed. The local team found a bus company that would take us to Germany, so 25 of us travelled via bus through Spain, southern France, northern Italy, all the way through Switzerland and into Germany. We had a ball. We slept only a little in our 32 hour journey, but we laughed a lot, sang a lot, prayed, counseled, talked, and gawked out the windows at the amazing scenery passing before us. After arriving in Germany, it still took me a week to get on a plane to Perth. But that week was a wonderful experience as I was able to stay at the International Baptist Convention ministry house with several others who were "stuck." We were hosted by the Executive Secretary of IBC and his lovely wife. We learned more about each other's ministries and just had a great time. We are all sure God brought us together by divine appointment.

I'm back in Perth for a few days before heading to the US. David has work there, so I'll join him to see our babies and to speak at a Mother's Day service at University Baptist in Clearlake (Houston, Tx area.)

Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2010

Today we are celebrating our second daughter's birthday! I am so happy to be in the US to do it! I've been here for 3 weeks helping our youngest daughter with her brand new baby boy and her 21 month old daughter. It has been great to be with our family but as you see from my lapse in blogging, it's been a "full on" job with no time to spare. I LOVE little kids...newborns especially. So I am eating this up!! Please pray for our upcoming Feb 16 board meeting. We have lots of important decisions to make.

Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2010

If you read yesterday's blog, you probably caught that I had written the date "2009." Give me a break...we're only 6 days into the new year. I corrected it below... :) It is sooo hot here in Perth right now. I know those of you covered in snow don't want to hear it, but I made some mint iced tea today (from mint in our garden!), put on a sundress and tried to think cool thoughts...

Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2010

Today, I did something a bit crazy, but I'm determined to exercise more. So I took myself to the beach and spent a couple of hours swimming, walking and reading at Leighton Beach about 15 minutes from our house here in Perth. I don't remember when I've been to the beach "alone," but it was great. Lots of families with kids were around me, so I wasn't swimming in the ocean alone, but it was a great start to the day. Yesterday, I bought a swim cap, ear plugs, nose clip (lovely!) so I'd be ready and today swam in my "rashie"...heavy swim shirt to protect from sunburn. Let's see if we can get this grandmother's bones moving!

Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2009

We've just returned back to Perth from our Thanksgiving trip to the US. It was the best trip yet. We had heart to heart talks with many family members and when you live overseas that is the thing that is the most difficult thing to do. While you talk on the phone lots, email and text continually, there is just nothing like face to face time where you can actually hug and hold each other after sharing your hearts.

Grandchildren time was awesome. This time, I tried planning lots of activities to engage the kids and it really made it more fun...we flew kites, made candles (well sort of...we stuck playdough around the new little battery tea lights that have come out and then pushed a few rhinestones in for good measure), made a candy house, chased each other with foam noodles, went to the beach and made sand castles. With children 9, 7, 4, 3, 2, 1, it is a bit tricky to involve everyone, but we managed fairly well with not too many tears. Sweet!

Hey, I want to recommend my new favorite Christmas album. I actually bought it last year but I'm sure its still available on iTunes or Walmart. It's Josh Groban's "Noel." He and Faith Hill sing a duet of The First Noel that will knock your socks off. I listen over and over. The whole album is a great addition to your Christmas listening cafeteria. On my iPod, I have a Christmas Worship playlist, a Christmas instrumental playlist, a Christmas ALL playlist and today I'm going to work on my Christmas Dinner Music playlist. Do you think that's excessiveω hmmmmm.

Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009

It's been 20 days since I've blogged...for good reason. We've just completed the biggest ministry opportunity to date in Australia. We had an all day-all age group Freedom Conference at our church in Perth. We included men, women, and children. A team of 5 ladies from Atlanta, Georgia came with the encouragement and support of their Baptist church. They did children's ministry while David and I taught the adults. We all had a fantastic day! Many break-throughs that were obvious in the response at the conference among both children and adults, but we sense there were many morepersonal responses as well that were made in private.

I had a tremendous break-through myself. We had 3 of the ladies in our home (2 from Atlanta and my sister Judy from Indonesia) and I truly enjoyed every moment being speaker, chauffer, cook, hostess and prayer-walking tour guide. I am typically a little uptight when guests come, battling my perfectionistic flesh. For some reason in the past, I've struggled with feeling inadequate as a hostess.

And when I'm speaking, I usually want to just be left alone to go into my little "hole" with Jesus to prepare. But this time, Jesus really set me free to enjoy my guests, chilling out when everything wasn't perfect (sorry, Karen, I burned the top of the beautiful lasagne you brought. Jane, your's looked better. :) David and I felt really prepared even with company in the house (he MADE me study and get ready weeks in advance...I usually study hard but not that far in advance)....and we totally enjoyed speaking together. We've just started doing that more and more this year and it rocks. I love taking turns with him to share our message. It just seems to make sense for us to present together.

Anyway, this conference was a FREEING experience for moi! Praise God! That's what our prayer team prayed for 6 months in advance of the conference so I shouldn't be surprised God answered. It's just that He answered my prayer to personally be set free in an area I had given up on...but He didn't...praise Him!

The Atlanta team and Judy are all home. David and I are spending this Saturday night catching up on emails...actually we started at 2:30 this afternoon and it's 7:45 and we're still going...I'd better stop and get us something to eat.

Sunday, Oct. 4, 2009

This morning I awoke early looking forward to spending time with the Lord on my own before church. Soon after I sat down to pray, the Lord said, "Would you take a walk with meω" "Now, Lordω" "Yes, right now." I slipped into my jeans and a turtleneck sweater (it's still very cool in Perth in the early mornings) and headed toward the beautiful Swan River only 6 blocks from our house. I kept wondering what great revelation God would give me. I stopped several times to observe the parrots in the trees (yes, we have bright green and red parrots in the wild here) and the ducks grooming themselves on the river. I kept waiting for the "word" I was going to get. After walking for more than 30 minutes, it began to dawn on me that Jesus just wanted to walk with me. That was all. Only last night in a special prayer time with David, I had told the Lord I wanted to exchange my wrong thinking about my body and to receive healthy attitudes and patterns of thinking about managing my body. I'm a little slow, but I finally realized on our walk that Jesus was "taking me for a walk" for my body's sake and for communion with Him. No big "word" or "revelation," just a loving walking partnership to be near each other as He transforms my attitudes about my physical body. How cool is thatω

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

We have had a mission trip team here from Johnson Ferry Baptist Church this past weekend. Kyle Collins and his daughter, Susan, stayed with us and we had a great time prayer-walking Perth and having a meeting with our church staff from Mount Pleasant Baptist Church. We are praying that God will connect the dots in every place we are so that partnerships form for His glory and His kingdom to expand. We love getting people together who are all kingdom-minded as all these people are. We love our church here in Perth and are excited to connect them with any and all resources we can from around the world.

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

We are home safe and sound from our time in Botswana. The trip had many surprises, but God's sovereignty over all was apparent. About 3 hours after we arrived I became intimately acquainted with the toilet in our hotel room. I had a violent attack of stomach ailments and vomited every half hour all night long. David had a sinus infection and sore throat that just got worse by the hour. We looked at each other and thought, "How are we going to teach Friday night and all day Saturday for four sessionsω What's going on hereω" So many of you were praying and we felt it. Those on the ground at Open Baptist were praying, the team who met us from Johnson Ferry Baptist were praying, and many of you around the world responded to Roxanne's urgent plea for intercession. You know how God does in those circumstances. He exchanges your weakness for His strength and the weaker you are, the stronger He is. I don't go around saying (nor do I believe) that God makes you sick so He can show up strong, but I will say that in that particular moment we could both understand the scriptures "His strength is made perfect in weakness" at a whole new level. We actually gained strength as the meetings went on and by the end, I was very weak, but felt ok.

We heard story after story of couples and individuals who had breakthroughs during the weekend. We are sure the Lord did the work, not only because we just couldn't, but because of the things they said. They didn't say, "Great job," but said things like, "God convicted me of something I need to get right," or "I am tired of living like this and want to be free." Only God can bring hearts to the point of giving over control to Him.

So once again, we've had a wild ride with Jesus and once again, we wouldn't be anywhere else but dead center in His will. Thanks again for praying. Hugs to all of you.

Monday, August 24, 2009

David and I leave for Botswana on Wednesday night to speak for a conference for men and women to understand relationships in light of John 15. We've been working on our talks for weeks . I'm excited to be able to give this Freedom Conference with my husband. I've taught this material many times for women only, but this time to give it with David and include the men/couples, will be great. Pray for us if you are reminded...

My foot/leg by the way are much, much better. Thanks to all who prayed!

Monday, August 17, 2009

The past two Restore My Heart conference weekends have been very fruitful. The first conference, outside of Brisbane, was for Baptist women of the area and around 270 ladies attended. There were many opportunities for our team to have personal contact with individual women. We watched God soften hearts and several were very responsive. Many got materials and in taking them back home, will have scattered seeds of our ministry all over Queensland.

This past weekend was the women's retreat of an individual Baptist church in Perth. Approx. 70 ladies came to the conference center that was only 10 minutes from our house. We had a glorious time. The ladies warmly embraced the teaching and our team. Several ladies had broken hearts for one reason or another, so the message of Christ's love went in deep. By the end of the weekend, many of them seemed more free and at peace. This group asked me to take time in the last session to tell them all about how to start MotherWise classes at their church, so we are praying for long lasting fruit. Praise God for His grace and faithfulness. It is on weekends like these that I remember why God brought us to the end of the earth.

Tuesday afternoon, August 4, 2009

I got a great report from the ultrasound doctor! He saw no tears in the tendon. I started feeling better on Sunday and by Monday felt much better. When I got this news (after being told by both the Dr. and Physical Therapist they thought there were tears) I was overjoyed. I am so thankful the Lord has/is healing my leg. All glory to Him! I will take it easy this weekend at the women's conference where I'll be speaking 2 hrs north of Brisbane (a 4 hr flight from Perth), but I am so glad to be up walking around the house again!! Praise the Lord!

Thanks to many who have been praying for me. I have felt it and believe God answered.

We are really busy here in Perth preparing for our Freedom Conference 2009 to be held Oct. 17. David and I will be teaching through the Freedom materials and a partnership team of Children's workers from our church here and from Johnson Ferry Baptist in Marietta, Georgia will lead the children's sessions. Anybody want to hop on a plane and comeωω

Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Just returned from the Dr about my tendon. He suspects a tear and says it is considerably inflammed, etc. I'll have an ultrasound on Monday to find out for sure what the damage is. So no more Physical Therapy for the moment, more REST (eek!), more ice (eek!), no walking! Please pray for Sue McArthur and I to be very wise and creative in getting me to my speaking engagement August 7 in Queensland on the other side of Australia.... I just started a special fast with a friend who is also ill right now...we are doing a fast from self-pity and anxiety!! It's not a secret fast, so you can join if you wish. We're going on it for the next 72 hrs. I'll let you know how it goes.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

The cutest thing happened the other day. I was talking to our 4 yr old grandson on the phone. He chatted away, "showing" me things (he usually says "see thisω" and holds something up to the phone) and after a few minutes of this conversation he said, "Ok, now you talk to the table" (he is male and was finished with our short one-sided conversation) and laid the phone down on the table so I could talk to it while he ran off to play ...mind you this conversation is happening between Texas and Australia! Thankfully, his mother saw the incident and rescued me from my phone conversation with their kitchen table!

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

I have eaten my first bite of kangaroo meat! It is not as wild tasting as deer but would remind you of that or of some kind of beef. It's actually pretty good. We took the left overs and made a pizza later...ok, kangaroo pizza....who would have thoughtωωω

My leg (achilles tendon) still hurts. Tomorrow I will see a Dr. to see if we can get to the bottom of this and why it is still so painful. I've been in physical therapy with a "Physio" as they call them in Australia for 4 weeks....trying hard still to be patient. If you are reading this, would you stop and say a prayer for meω

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

I am trying not to complain, but my left foot hurts. I tore my achilles tendon 2 1/2 weeks ago (don't ask how...it's just too dumb) and it is taking a long time to heal. My physical therapist tells me it is a 6 week healing process for this injury, but eek! That's a long time to sit...so what is God teaching me...well, for one thing...REST! Not sleep, but rest. Not idleness, but REST. I don't even know how to begin this....I'm almost 57 and still learning such elementary things!

Monday, July 6, 2009

Okay, it's Monday morning after the 4th weekend and we did pretty well to "show the flag" and sing the Star Spangled Banner a couple of times with our Aussie friends over the weekend. Saturday afternoon our home group from church took a bush walk ("hike" for my American readers) in the hills around Perth about 45 min from home. When we had our picnic lunch, I whipped out my blue and white checked tablecloth, red bandana napkins and plopped an iPod and a little speaker in the middle and cranked up Dolly Parton's version of the Star Spangled Banner. David and I had our group (including Aussies, Englishmen, and a Scot) stand with us while we sang along with Dolly. I don't think they'll forget the experience of celebrating the 4th with crazy Americans. Then, that night, some American neighbors came over for homemade pumpkin pie (my last can of Libby's brought over in my suitcase) and another go at Dolly's rendition of the national anthem. We also had Lee Greenwood's version, as well as his God Bless the USA, of course. Afterwards, we stood out on our driveway and lit sparklers (you can buy them all year long here in the grocery stores!) and popped some little poppers we don't have in the States...but they make a great pop and have streamers that came out with the pop. A good time was had by all. I had to just not dwell on the fact that our girls and their families had gone to my parent's house to join the big family reunion with my sisters and all their families. David and I were the only ones not there this year. This is the unglamourous part of living overseas away from family. I can't wait until Thanksgiving when we'll be there!!

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

We got back Sunday from our church's Family Camp. We loved it! All ages activities were planned all weekend...from making lanterns for our "midnight walk" (that was at 7 pm so the little kids could stay up for it!) to an all age worship service that was very different from a Children's Sermon or Kid's church. We really worshipped together at all levels and all ages. Our Children's and Family Director, Kathy S., did a fabulous job! Very anointed and precious time. We were surrogate grandparents for several families and loved our role. I would encourage all of you to go online and find a good Christian Family Camp experience to join!!

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Today is our last day here. We snorkeled at Oyster Shacks, a coral formation where the coral sticks out of the water looking like oysters. There were schools of beautiful fish that look like the ones in Susannah's aquarium. We moved back to Turquois Bay for our picnic lunch, set up our sun tent, and David snorkeled until he was exhausted from swimming all afternoon. I went out and had a fantastic time until I heard from a couple of reports there were two reef sharks nearby. I made for shore and stayed there hoping my husband would come back with both arms and legs. He, of course, was so mad he didn't ever get to see the sharks! We stayed until dusk, so driving out of the national park was perilous. We saw 23 kangaroos, 2 emus, and one echidna on our 30 min trip back to the hotel. The kangaroos and emus are dangerous since they are so large and unpredictable and can cause a wreck if you hit them. Several kangaroos jumped across the road in front of us but David steered clear of them. What an experience in this land.

We'll drive all day Fri and Sat to get home. It is 1200 kilometers to Perth.

Love,
Denise

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Today we snorkeled in Turquois Bay where a sea turtle allowed us to swim with him. He was small, about 18 inches long, but so graceful as we swam over beautiful coral beds full of all kinds of fish. This is one of our best days of snorkeling anywhere. The coral is close to the beach, not deep, and the water is pure and clear with great visibility. It really is like swimming in an aquarium. In Australia, unlike the States, every hotel room has a mini kitchen and the grounds always have big nice bbq grills, so tonight we grilled steaks and veggies and ate outside at tables provided. It is assumed here you will bbq and eat some meals "in."
Love to all,
Denise

Tuesday June 2, 2009

Today we swam with the Whalesharks, the largest fish in the ocean. There were 3 different ones. The largest was 7 meters long, about 24 ft. They don't bite humans, but eat plankton. Anyway, it was an incredible experience and yes I got in the water with them, too. We were very close to them. What an awesome experience! We also saw 2 humpback whales gliding along beside our boat and some on our boat spotted a manta ray. We also snorkeled over some beautiful coral with lots of pretty fish. God's beautiful world....I am exhausted from swimming in open ocean and hoisting myself back in the boat over and over with a full wetsuit, fins, mask and goggles. We'll sleep well tonight!!! Love all,
Denise

Monday June 1, 2009

We are driving this morning to Exmouth, a 9 hour drive from Kalbarri where we spent last night. (Kalbarri is a 7 hour drive from Perth). The land is rugged and beautiful bushland. We dodged two kangaroos on the road today. There is kangaroo road kill all along the roadside. This drive is sort of like Hwy 1 in US. Not total coastline drive but some. The Indian Ocean is beautiful and the shoreline often rough sandstone cliffs. We'll be taking a tour boat tomorrow to see Whale Sharks, where I will observe from the boat but David will get in water and swim with them! We'll be snorkeling among coral reefs in the area, Western Australia's smaller version of the Great Barrier Reef.

Last night in Kalbarri, we ate at a classic Aussie bush spot, Finlay's Fish Barbeque. The plastic picnic tables are outside, and orders are placed for bbq fish (we would just say grilled fish...no sauce is on them) with sides of great fried rice, amazing "chips" (french fries coated with something crunchy), and salads. They give you a roll of toilet paper for each table as your napkins and some old mismatched cutlery. The food, cooked by a wild character, was incredible. He kept up a running dialogue from a microphone as he cooked and played trivia with the audience. If you got the right answer you could win a free dinner. A group of bikers rode up on Harleys and he started raffling off one of their bikes. They had an open campfire in the middle of the tables so we sat around it after dinner. Very fun and needed break for us as we have pushed hard since Christmas.

Love to all,
David and Denise

Monday, March 9th, 2009

I am having a ball. I have 3 of my 8 Houston grandchildren visiting us in Perth. We just had teatime in a beautiful park on the Swan River...Stephanie and I had tea with milk and the children had hot chocolate with gingerbread. The 2 year old and 3 year old rescued me from a "bad monster" on the playground. These happy days are flying by....I am trying to absorb each one!

Wednesday, March 4th, 2009

Hi All,

I have had 3 of our grandchildren here for the past 2 days and they'll be here for several weeks. They are 3, 2, and 9 months old and we are having a ball. If you can believe this, our daughter Stephanie and I travelled for 30 hours straight on 3 flights from Houston to Perth this week with three babies and we did great! The children couldn't have been better. So many were praying for us and God truly answered those prayers. I carried the baby in a sling while Stephanie pushed the double stroller and we each had at least 3 bags to pull or carry as well. And that was just our carry ons! We looked a bit like a circus but airport authorities in customs and baggage waved us on through express lines and helped us all the way. It was definitely a trip we'll remember, but it was actually fun in a crazy sort of way.

Sunday, February 8, 2009

It's Sunday noon after a busy week for the Glenn's. We rushed back to Texas for the funeral of David's father. While sad, it was a time to honor, Clark, David's dad and see our family. We are so grateful we could come back in time for the service. We had terrific times with 91 year old Clark in Oct. and Dec., so we have no regrets nor complaints. God is good.

Love to all,

Denise

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Ok, I just have to blog again to tell you about today. All the US employees from David's office got together today and created a Thanksgiving dinner. We all brought the traditional items for the spread. What was not traditional was the location. We met at the Nedlands Yacht Club (there are 7 yacht clubs in Perth alone located all around the Swan River that divides the city) where we watched sail boats go by as we munched on turkey, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin pie. The weather here is late Spring and absolutely perfect. Even with a few showers today, it was still lovely. We say to each other that living in Perth is like living in Camelot. The climate is nearly perfect. While we all missed family and the discussion was mostly about when and how we are all returning home for Christmas, we have a comraderie that binds strangers who live in a foreign land.

After our Thanksgiving feast, David and I went home and jumped on our bikes for a bike ride around the river on the trail near our house. We stopped and counted 101 sail boats crisscrossing the river in front of us. Breathtaking! So one of our thanksgiving prayers this year is to thank God for allowing us to come to this beautiful place of peace, rest, recovery and relaxation between international trips. This is an oasis of calm in our busy lives. We have come to fit in a bit more into this lovely culture and today, instead of commenting on someone's beautiful "yard," I said they had a beautiful "gah-den" and did it without thinking! Oh my! What is this West Texas backwoods girl coming toω

Must run. We're going to David's cousin Mike's house (can you believe David has a cousin in Perthωω) in a few minutes to eat pizza and listen to an outdoor concert being held in the football field behind his house. Ok, its cheap entertainment, but right up our alley.

Love,

Denise

Friday, November 21, 2008

I am home in Perth grogging and jetlagging...but enjoying memories of the last 4 weeks. I did 5 weekends in a row...first the Perth "Keeping the Secrets of Jesus" weekend that was amazing with 340 beautiful ladies from across our area, then 2 family reunions in a row, first with my family and then David's....the next weekend I went to Brunswick,Georgia for that wonderful Wisdom conference with 220 ladies who were ready to do spiritual warfare for their families...what a time we had, then finally I boarded a plane for Moscow, on my way home to Perth, and led a Restore My Heart conference for 101 wonderful women's leaders and pastor's wives. Of course, I played with grandchildren every moment in between each event. I stayed with our girls and got to awake to have breakfast with my "littlies" or "grandies" as we call them in Australia. Kids are just so much fun. They keep me sane and humble. They don't know or care what I do when I'm not with them. They just want someone to color or jump on the trampoline or swing in the park. They need someone to push the stroller through the zoo. And I'm available!!

What an intense and powerful 4 weeks. I am drained spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and physically and have come home to my Sweetheart and to lovely Perth to recover. But as I have my morning tea, I have been just sitting and vegging and thinking over the good times in each place with each group of people. I have much to celebrate this Thanksgiving...

love all,

Denise

Sunday, November 2, 2008

I have just come from a powerful weekend. No, I didn't speak any where, I was with David and some of our children and grandchildren visiting David's 91 year old father for his birthday that falls on Halloween. He has been very ill and is fragile. I wasn't sure how the weekend would go, but it couldn't have gone better. We got to love on Clark (David's dad) and David got to say and do the things he needed to if this is a final time together. Clark told David good-bye and told him to be a "good boy." David's reply was that he can be a good boy because his father taught him to be that way. It was a tender time and precious. Clark is so ready to see Jesus and David's mother, who is in heaven. David boarded his plane for Perth satisfied but sad. I am spending today resting and recovering from a little cold I picked up, and processing all this. I also am getting ready for next weekend in Georgia.

Love to all,

Denise

Sunday, October 26, 2008

I am in the car on the way to Houston after a wonderful weekend away with 4 grandchildren (aged 3 and under), my parents, and two daughters and their husbands. I have been playing tea party, Doctor, and feeding ducks. Life just doesn't get any better....It's different from a speaking engagement but just as good!
Love to all,
Denise

Friday, October 10, 2008

I have just returned from Hong Kong and I'm still basking in the memories we made. A team of 8 women from Johnson Ferry Baptist in Marietta, Georgia joined me for a Wisdom for Mothers Conference hosted by MomsUnite in Hong Kong. The one day conference was attended by Christian moms who also brought non-Christian friends. One friend prayed to accept Christ at the end of the conference. That was awesome!!

What amazes me is that mothers in Hong Kong, moms from Georgia and Australia all share much the same struggles. There are key differences (Asian moms often have live-in nannies and cooks!!) but marriage and parenting issues are basic to all cultures...everyone I meet around the world is on a big learning curve!

You could feel the Holy Spirit in our meeting and that's when it gets so exciting. Many of you prayed for us...we thank you!!

I've been catching up on emails, finishing details of the latest book, Wisdom for Single Mothers, and I need to go downstairs to iron before David comes home!!

Love all,

Denise

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Hi! This is my first blog entry and I'm trying it on for size. I'm sitting in my pj's and robe at my computer in Perth, Australia where I will soon be going for my Morning Tea. Yes, we drink tea and lots of it here and break in mid-morning to enjoy it. It is a lovely custom and one I'll probably keep as part of my life. "Tea" here means English Breakfast hot tea with a little bit of milk in it. Try it! It really is nice.

We're gearing up for two conferences coming in October. Oct. 1 I leave for Hong Kong where I'll meet a team of ladies from Johnson Ferry Baptist Church. On the weekend of 4-5 October (that's the way we write dates here in Australia), I'll be speaking and the team will be leading a Wisdom for Women Friday conference at the Hong Kong Country Club. Fun!! Then the next day, we'll lead Leadership Training for MotherWise. After I get home to Perth, our MotherWise team here will be getting ready for the Keeping the Secrets of Jesus Conference we'll hold on 18 October. It will be a one-day conference with worship led by our local worship team and Betsy Brown. We're bringing Betsy in from Syria where she's ministering with a mission team. So good stuff is happening all around.

Our Perth MotherWise team have been praying and fasting in preparation for our conference and I can't wait to see what God is going to do. Many believe Perth, the most isolated city on the face of the earth, will be instrumental in bringing about revival for this unchurched nation. Only 8% of Aussies attend a church of any kind. We are really praying hard that God will move in a powerful way here.

Our family survived Hurricane Ike in Houston. Our kids and grandkids were all displaced for a while, but now everyone is home and has electricity....those things no one takes for granted any more! While it looked like a disaster, God has been and is working in it all.

Must run get my tea!

Love to all,

Denise
Perth, Australia