The Value of a Good Stretch

My eyes had barely opened when I realized I was having a moment with God. My normal morning ritual begins as I roll over to look at the clock. This is an extremely important step for one who has issues with sleep…can I go back to sleep for 17 more minutes? Ok, I can get up now so let’s open the blinds behind my bed and see what kind of day we have. There is snow on the ground, not much, but the sun is shining. I smile, “Good morning Holy Spirit! What a gorgeous day today ~ thank you!”

Even on days when the sun is not visible down here on the ground, looking out of that window and realizing that God’s mercies are new each morning; well, only my gratitude is an appropriate way to start the day. And having greeted our Creator I roll over and give myself a big ole long S-T-R-E-T-C-H! You know how you stretch so, um – completely - that you must let out that grunt or groan or whatever you call that sound at the end of it. I’m not sure why, but it seems like that stretch is not complete without a satisfying sound at the end.

So on this particular day I do all the steps above as I normally do and after letting out that squeal of delight at the end of the stretch, He starts a conversation with me. “Isn’t it interesting that the stretch always seems to give you energy?” And it does, I thought about it, after the 1st morning stretch I bound out of bed – well, sort of. I can’t bound until I put my leg on. But I certainly have a – readiness. He said “Even when you get ready to work out, cardio or weight training, the first thing you do is stretch.” That is so true!

I flashed back to the days spent in the Better Life Fitness Center with Elder Randy Woody and his beautiful, no-nonsense about health, no fat on her body, body building winner at age 35, wife Brenda. The warm up always included stretching. The explanation came too ~ you have to prepare your muscles to support you during your vigorous workout. When you go walking or running, stretch, to avoid getting a Charlie horse or pulling a hamstring. Whether you’re using the weights at the gym or some other type of weight training, stretching the muscles is imperative to maintain a healthy exercise routine. Weight training is the process of tearing down muscle so that once it repairs, it is better than before. If those muscles are all bunched in a knot you’re sure to experience painful muscle spasms or worse yet, torn ligaments. Yes, a good stretch is definitely preparation for success.

Then I remembered the first time I went to Amputee Walking School. It was an amazing experience. I saw an amputee run for the first time, I saw 2 teams of amputees playing basketball – on prosthetic legs. And very importantly I got stretched. The physical therapists were always on hand to learn more about amputees and how they could help them. They were always agreeable to stretch us out. If you think it feels good after you have a good stretch, you really need to have a trainer stretch you out! It feels wonderful – once it’s done. In the middle of it, not so good. But, you learn to breathe through the stretch.

Now, I’m laying there in bed pondering these things when He says “Now that you remember how important stretching is, why is it that when I stretch you, you refuse to participate. Even when I do the work - you try to pull back. It’s not like I want to hurt you – you know that. And you know that after the stretch you feel invigorated, energized; you know that stretching prepares you for the next level. How can we get you to the next level when you don’t want to be stretched? And haven’t you been asking me to help you with some necessary changes? Why won’t you let me stretch you?”

Well, that was an Ephesians 3:20 moment for me because I had to face the fact that changes in my life that make me uncomfortable are the ones that change me for the better. They tend to get me off the bench and out of my comfort zone or slothful routine. In the middle of the stretch I learn to breathe through it and commit to it; submit to it. After it’s over and I let out a euphoric sound; it’s because I’ve learned exactly what I need to know to make it to the next level.

That was a good lesson! The stretch loosens up muscles (often unused); makes you temporarily uncomfortable while teaching you to breathe through those moments; prepares you for the next level on your destiny walk and, somehow encourages you to let out a sound of victory. C’mon, stretch with me and let it out! AARRGGGHHHHHOOOEEEEummmoohhh – ah!

The Calling of "The Call"

11-11-11
If you don’t believe we are experiencing a miraculous move of God, then you obviously have not yet registered for ‘The Call’; a 24 hr. prayer gathering at Ford Field on 11-11-11! The few of the prayer points for this event are racial, denominational, gender and age reconciliation in the city of Detroit. It has been said “As Detroit goes, so goes the nation!” Well, Detroit is going into prayer – take heed nation! Detroit is praying for unity in the body of Christ, and oh, how we need that.

"If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; 14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 15 Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place. 16 For now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there for ever: and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually."
2 Chronicles 7:13-16

One could say that locusts have been devouring Detroit; that pestilence is widespread among us and we’ve been waiting for heaven’s rain. God goes on to promise in this scripture that He will hear our prayers, forgive our sin, heal our land if His people who are called by His name humble themselves, pray, seek his face and turn from their wicked ways! He says, if we do this then His eyes and ears and heart open to us, to our prayers and that He shall be here perpetually. This alone should be a mandate for the body of Christ. How awesome that Lou Engle has, by the Spirit of God, engineered this amazing opportunity for the body of Christ to fast, pray, humble ourselves, seek God’s face – turn from our wicked ways; together in unity!

Racism is a wicked way! The Call disintegrates racial wickedness, joining hands across racial lines to seek the face of God – oh how beautiful! Detroiters are accustomed to knights on white horses coming in to rescue the city, we’ve learned to discount those voices. But this time Lou Engle has said the body of Christ cannot have a call to prayer without the entire body present. Every black church in the city of Detroit should attend The Call or at least send a representative. Every white church in the metropolitan Detroit area should attend or send representatives to The Call. Every Bible-believing body in this area, including Hispanic, Asian – everybody, should make sure they are represented. The last prayer Jesus prayed before going back to the Father was that we learn to be one as He is one with the Father. The prayer was for unity among believers.
(John 17:11, 21-23)

So not only was Jesus’ last prayer for unity in the body, (“those who are mine”) but the Psalms say there is a commanded blessing when brethren dwell together in unity. (Psalms 133) The Call is a WIN!WIN! opportunity. An opportunity for the body of Christ to shed denominational, racial, social and any other type of bias that just does not belong to those who are called. Remember the redeemed of the Lord must say so!

Pre-register for The Call (it’s free to get in but you must register) at thecall.com and join in with thousands of your brothers and sisters in prayer, praise and worship of our Father! Calling all Saints! Watch and see what happens when God hears the unified prayers of His people!

Calling All Readers!

On Sunday October 2, 2011 at 3:00p.m., Khiana Washington – one of my newest friends and client is having a book signing at Barnes and Noble in Royal Oak on Main St.! It is her first published book called Looking Past the Mirror.

Looking Past the Mirror is a fiction piece about a 15 year old girl torn by the dysfunction in her family, moving to a new town and her own secrets. She seeks redemption but doesn’t know how to reach out and love. This is a heady topic for such a young lady – OH – did I mention that Khiana is only 16 years old herself?

Yes, 16 year old Khiana Washington is having her 1st book signing and I’m so excited for her. By the way, she is a student at Royal Oak High school interested in attending Boston University after graduation. There she will study screenwriting.

I invite you out to support Khiana in her 1st book-signing and walk away with a signed copy of Looking Past the Mirror! Can’t attend? Check out her website: Khianawashington.com

Sunday ~ October 2, 2011 @ 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Barnes & Noble ~ 500 S. Main St., Royal Oak

Pop That Kid!

So, I’m in line behind a woman and her four year old and the woman is pleading – I said PLEADING – with the child to behave. She’s promised all kinds of treats, yes the sugary kind, if this cute little girl would only come back in line. Like any four year old, or really, any rebellious child who knows no boundaries, the kid ain’t interested!

Having once been a young mother with two little ones who were fourteen months apart in age, I try to reserve judgment. I can’t know what this woman has been through today. I can’t know why she won’t more decisively handle this kid, perhaps the woman herself has self-esteem issues. And as I realize that I am rationalizing this child’s behavior AND the mother’s lack of behavior, I also realize that this is a major problem with societal behavior today. But before I go there and at the risk of angering all the pleading parents out there who “don’t want to stifle their kid’s natural creativity” let me just say this: Pop That Kid!

Now there is a flip side to this and I must make mention of the young mother we see at the mall with her child(ren). “Mama, mama, mama can i…?” Mama is on her cell phone or talking to someone else, totally ignoring the child. Finally as the child attempts to climb out of the stroller to get what they want, she sees them and whacks, jerks, smacks or otherwise pops the kid. C’mon, do you really expect a kid who is being ignored by their ‘mama’ to give up on striving for attention? And what does mama do – she snatches the kid by the arm “sit your butt down in this stroller and don’t get up!” All I can say is – poor child. His mother has tuned him out so well that she probably doesn’t even hear him calling her until the 5th or 6th time. This raises a whole other conversation – one we’ll tackle in a future blog, but for now let’s just acknowledge that, hitting or spanking is NOT always the answer.

I know popular culture has made it unacceptable to spank but unfortunately that seems to equate with a lack of discipline. Who actually thinks it is reasonable to have an argument with a four year old? Sorry, I just don’t have time! Pop that kid! No, I don’t suffer from anger management problems and I don’t have violent tendencies. I suffer from having to deal with people who possess a lack of civility, decency and yes even a lack of simple courtesy. Has anyone considered that raising a generation of little people who grow up thinking their wants and desires are the only consideration of importance is actually anti-social behavior?

Now, don’t get me wrong, the first course is always to talk to or teach your child – at home so they exhibit the proper behavior in any setting. But these cunning little intelligencia’s have been learning from you and they know you will behave totally different in public places. They don’t understand what embarrassment is but they smell it and know a little tantrum will get them whatever they want irrespective of anyone else but themselves. So, if this is what you’re teaching them at age four; when do you teach them sharing and collaboration and respect for others…simple courtesy?

At age two the little darlings are just finding they are separate entities from their parents and so find power in their autonomy. They are free spirits driven by exercising their newfound powers – wake up parents, start teaching them something. At age three they know a lot of things, especially what they want. This often obnoxious behavior translates into obnoxious adulthood if left unchecked or should I say ‘not retrained’. But honestly, these are extremely important learning times for our youngsters. They are learning about people, about toys, about things and about themselves and unless you’re going to send them off to a deserted island to live alone – teach them discipline too. They’re going to grow up and spend years in therapy because they can’t figure out why no one likes them and why they have no friends. If we do not discipline our kids – while they are kids, they grow up to be adults that can’t “play well with others”. Trust me, tantrums will occur in a two, maybe even a three year old and while the discipline lessons are being taught, several terse moments may occur. However, a child who is now four, five or six should have already learned the discipline lessons.

There is no reason a four year old should be allowed to throw a temper tantrum at home or in public. A four year old can pour their cereal and milk, bathe themselves, get dressed, read, say “Thank you”, “Please”. They’ve learned how to ask for things and they understand that “no” means they will not get what they want. So on top of all the lessons these precious ones have learned; they’ve also learned how to recognize and exploit weakness. And if you let your four year old run things; you’re weak!

So, lest I sound like I’m ranting and raving let me summarize:
• I’d much rather talk to my child and explain things than have to spank them, but trust me, if the need arises I would spank them in a minute if they are disobedient. That need arises when I’ve taught them, I know they understand and they aggressively disobey. Pop that kid!
• A child raised without proper discipline will have more experiences that break their spirit than getting spanked as a child.
• Adults don’t get to have their way all the time
• Adults have to work in teams, be neighbors, be family members – get along with others without having their way
• “Because I said so!” is something I hated hearing while growing up and swore I would not say to my kids but I learned the importance of telling a kid to do something without getting their permission or agreement. Adults have to listen to and obey the voice of God without permission or agreement! Train up your child!
• If begging and pleading with your children actually worked I’d say you should never pop that kid; but so often – nine times out of ten, these children of these weak parents are ill mannered, rude, anti-social, disruptive, and obnoxious

Our society is plagued with a consciousness that seems increasingly devoid of standards, principles and values. This is probably a result of whiney little kids who learned that they could kick and scream and get their way regardless of others. We have enough problems these days. And isn’t it clear that we’re all in the same boat? If you drive from Grosse Point out to the Bloomfields you’ll see the same sheriffs notice posted on foreclosed windows there that you’ll see in Detroit and its surrounding areas. The point; we are the same! We’re parents, teachers, managers, workers, friends, family, doctors, actors, artists – we’re just people with goals and aspirations of a good life and happiness. Please don’t raise obnoxious snotty little kids. Instead raise kids to respect authority, to play with others, to share and if they don’t get it – a little POP goes a long way! And if you don’t pop that kid, remember, their teachers have overcrowded classrooms and won’t have time to deal with kids who have behavior problems. Those are the kids they stick in special ed classes… “lack of age appropriate social skills”.

HIS AIR!

I’ve always been amazed by – His Air!
Summer breezes blowing memories of ice cream cones
and bicycles, of fish frying and warm muggy joy.
The summer storm caressing thickly, foretelling
the rain to come. Air so thick you have to catch your
breath. His breath, His air!

Winter is crisp! Harsh, hard – like Thanksgiving Day. Like standing
outside at the parade to wait for Santa. Like freezing your face, but
being so excited you barely felt it. Like coming home to the smell
of Thanksgiving dinner and fogged up windows – Mom’s been
cooking. Like waking on New Year’s Day to peek outside and see the
untouched snow and the cold winter sky and hear the stillness and
feel the serenity.

His air is warm in the spring! Full of excitement, expectations! Life
reawakening! Smell the newness of His Air – the brightness of
His sun! Is that why people fall in love? Something about
His air! His beauty comes alike – inhale! exhale! – invigorate!

As summer wanes, fall air glides in. Bringing golden retreat of green leaves
and wilted flowers. The magnificent colors, the rustic air. Ending
yet beginning. The smell of new school clothes mixed with the
departure of skinned knees and dusk that began at 9:30 when the
street lights came on. The anticipation of brisk breezes blowing
a new kind of freshness and memories of burning leaves.

His air still amazes me! We breathe it. It is life – it is love – His love.
It is full of memories, the story of our lives, it is history.
This same air, since the world began and He breathed it into man, since
Christ was born giving us all new like! This same air breathed in
Africa and England, frigid at the North Pole, scorching at the
equator. His air blankets the universe – we don’t’ understand it, we
try to predict it, but for sure we breathe it. We breathe His air!

Even from everlasting to everlasting, we breathe His Love!


(c)Darlene Carol Dickson, 1997

Manifold Grace Publishing House

Wow, I can hardly believe it’s been four months (on 4/30/11) since I retired! I’m still working on planning a luxurious vacation (like my sister-in-law wants to go on an Alaskan cruise) or time to sit around for a few days, feet propped up, eating bon-bons. Well, truthfully, truffles have been readily available – and I don’t need them! But, let me assure you I am enjoying my new found time, no, that’s not true. Enjoy, yes; new found time; huh? There is no new found time!

My time has been spent pursuing a dream, a God-given dream. Manifold Grace Publishing House – my dream. I got the idea of starting a publishing company for the first time about 10 years or so ago, I only know that because while cleaning out some old boxes to set up my office, I actually found materials I had researched dated ‘2000’! I didn’t even remember that but that’s why us pack rats keep everything. I did remember about three or four years ago when God gave me the idea about a publishing company. Once again I began the research and quickly concluded that I just didn’t have time to deal with this new venture.

How dare I put God on a shelf? In Old Testament days I probably would’ve gotten ‘smoted’ for such disrespect. Thank You Lord for mercy through Christ Jesus. Anyway, last year while going through chemotherapy, while I had no mental capacity to argue with God or turn off His voice…it came back. Publishing company. Another difference was that this time I had a little more experience; life experience. My faith had been tested over a series of life events, including the cancer battle I was going through. These events improved my hearing and I heard the voice of God saying “Yes, it’s me. It’s not your imagination, I want you to help my people share their testimonies.”

I listened and so Manifold Grace Publishing House was born. We are a full service publishing company specializing in ‘book whisperer’ services designed to ensure your words are crafted to shine brightly on the world stage. How exciting is that?! In addition to the publishing aspect of our company, we conduct writing workshops. The inaugural Writer’s Workshop “So You Want to Write a Book Huh?” was held at the Redford Library on March 5, 2011 and it was so much fun. (see following article) Other such workshops are being planned so stay tuned. But in the meantime, beginning on May 15, 2011 we will be conducting a Writer’s Workshop at Detroit World Outreach. So all you interested DWOites join me in Room 202 after 8:00 a.m. service.

Aspiring authors, just know that I am here to help you. Check out my website www.manifoldgracepublishinghouse.com but even more than sharing the amazing opportunity I have to start a second career, I want to remind you that God has a way of ordering your steps if you only pay attention. What is that thing in you that stirs your passion? What is it that your neighbors, your cousins, even strangers end up talking to you about? Do you ever wonder about that? Ever wonder what it would be like to have a daycare when it seems everyone has tagged you as a babysitter. When was the last time you had an idea that “just came to you”? Did “something” tell you to start doing something that you put on a shelf? Write a book? Learn to play piano? Go back to school? Change your eating patterns? Well, you know what “something” told you!

Think about it. Think about your future, your destiny. Listen to your heart, trust your gut but above all trust your God. His ideas are so much better than ours and He doesn’t make mistakes…He never fails and He loves us above all else. The manifold graces of God are enough to cover you for a lifetime! Get busy, get started - do something...do 'it'. He's waiting for you to move...

So, You Want to Write a Book, Huh?

So, You Want to Write a Book, Huh? Seminar on self-publishing seeks to turn Metro Detroiters into authors

By James David Dickson | For Manifold Grace Publishing House

April 14, 2011

Your story needs to be told, but you can never find the time to write it.

You’ve written your story but soon found that getting a publishing deal and seeing your work on the shelf of your local bookstore can take years. Your creation goes back into a box in the basement, never to be seen again.

Darlene Dickson and Jenine Warren believe that your stories deserve better. On Saturday, March 5, 2011, the two authors/publishers came together to offer a seminar on the “pay-to-publish” world of the 21st Century - the market most authors will have to navigate if they want their words to appear between covers.

More than 40 Metro Detroiters joined Dickson (CEO, Manifold Grace Publishing House) and Warren (CEO, Kingdom Scribes Publishing) at the Redford Public Library for the seminar, which was titled “So You Want to Write a Book, Huh?”

The 3-hour seminar started with an overview of the writing process, led by Dickson. Most attendees were not writers, by trade. Even if they have an idea burning inside, getting it on paper often proves a challenge. The idea of writing a book can be so overwhelming that the author stops before they start. Which is why the first piece of advice was to pray: For inspiration, for revelation, and for direction.

“The book you might think you want to write might not be the book God wants you to write,” Dickson said. "Better to have a firm idea of where you’re headed, who your target audience is, and what you hope to accomplish with the book before committing pen to paper."

Structure is often a challenge for writers who are just starting out, which is why Dickson and Warren recommended that writers use an outline.

At the top of the page is the title of the book. Below it are the chapter titles, and below each chapter title, writers fill in major points that come up - research, anecdotes, revelations, what have you.

Then, Dickson and Warren had students turn their information packets to the back pages and start the outlining process then and there. All that talk about writing created a desire among the class to get started, now, rather than hope the motivation survives the car ride home.

Some attendees said later that they wrote more during the seminar than they had in months. After outlining either the book itself or a specific chapter, Dickson and Warren had class members stand up and talk about their ideas. This helps them practice another skill that might come in handy for the future authors: Public speaking, which almost every successful author engages in to promote their works and keep the bills paid between books.

The second half of the seminar, led mostly by Warren, focused on the due diligence authors need to perform to evaluate publishing opportunities.

Not all publishing houses or vanity (self-paid) presses are created equally. Some publishing houses are glad to take an author’s money but do little more than act as a printing press - with little to no editing involved, without a single conversation about editorial direction or target audience. The author will have paid thousands for copies of an error-filled book he’s now embarrassed to show his friends.

Both Manifold Grace Publishing House and Kingdom Scribes Publishing operate quite a bit differently, Warren explained.

“There are plenty of people who will take your money and print off your book for you, and that’s it” Warren said, “but that’s not what Kingdom Scribes does.”

Manifold Grace, neither.

“We’re going to sit down with you and understand what you’re trying to say, who you’re trying to reach, what you’re trying to accomplish,” Dickson explained. “I’m not going to turn it into my book, and we’re not going to publish it as-is -- we’re going to make the book as good as it could be and ready for the world stage.”

If you missed the March seminar, don’t worry. Dickson and Warren are planning additional seminars this spring and summer alongside Detroit World Outreach.

Darlene Dickson
ManifoldGracePublishingHouse.com Darlene@manifoldgracepublishinghouse.com/248.971.9771

Jenine Warren
Kingdom Scribes Publishing
EMAIL kingdomscribespublishing@yahoo.com