A Childlike Love by Travis Moffitt

Noah, my one and only son, will turn six months old next week. He is amazing. He is healthy and becomes more alert and aware of his ever growing world with each passing day.

Gina and I have a little wake up routine we practice with him each morning. When we hear him begin to move around in his crib, we make our way quietly into his room. We begin by softly saying his name, "Noah. Noah. It's time to wake up."

Just a few steps and suddenly his handsome face appears just over the wall of his bed. Bright-eyed and gazing up at us with such expectation, such hope, such excitement. I will lean over and he will reach up with his little hands to my face as if to say "Good morning daddy. I knew you were coming for me."

That's when I saw it: A Child-like Love. His eyes are full of pure love every morning. A love I'm sure I do not deserve. A love I'm sure I need. He gazes at me, piercing through to the core of my being with such a simple understanding and expectation of goodness from me. It's like he already knows he can count on me. I don't have to even do anything for it. He just gives love with such faith.

Jesus said, "Unless you accept God's Kingdom with the simplicity of a child, you will never get." (Mark 10:15 The Message)

I began to wonder, do I look at God the way that Noah looks at me? Do I gaze up every morning with a child-like love at my Heavenly Father's face the way Noah gazes into his earthly father's face? Do I trust the love of my God to care for me with simple faith or have I become too clouded with worry and want?

I heard it said recently that God wants us to seek His face not just His hands. That He will bless and provide for us because He promised that He would but what He longs for is intimacy. My son knows that I am going to feed him and clothe him and nurture him because that is what I do After all, I am his father. Have I allowed myself to also believe these truths of my Father?

So today I am learning from my son. I am learning that A Child-like Love is simple: Love God for who He is. Take Him at His word. Seek His face daily with the bright-eyed excitement of a child.

WVIW Marriage Seminar Update: Darrington Unit

Worldwide Voice in the Wilderness along with with 16 volunteers from all over the state just finished up a great weekend at the Darrington Unit in Rosharon, Tx. They spent this past weekend ministering, teaching, and getting to know the 20 wives and 20 husbands who signed up for this weekend's WVIW Marriage Seminar.

There were many breakthroughs and several people prayed a prayer for Salvation. The meeting was a huge success and everyone who went came away positively impacted.

"It was exceptional! The work of the Holy Spirit was stronger than ever!" Betty Moffitt

A WVIW Marriage Seminar is one of the best ways we have found to showcase God's Grace and Love in a very meaningful and practical way. Our aim is to create an environment in which our attendees can encounter God through facing their feelings & learning how to communicate them with their spouses. We spend our weekend in prison teaching very simple truths and at the end EVERYONE comes away with something they can use in their lives forever! Here is what some of the attendees had to say from the Darrington Unit…

"[I] realize that I need to make some serious changes within myself" – Marriage Seminar Husband

"You are amazingly insightful. The seminar is more powerful than ever" – Marriage Seminar Volunteer

"Thanks for being there to support me & encourage us in our Marriage" – Marriage Seminar Wife

"My Group leaders were loving and straight forward. They really ministered to our group" – Marriage Seminar Wife

One of our first time WVIW Marriage Seminar Volunteers was Nancy Frampton, a long time office volunteer of WVIW and weekly Prison volunteer, had this to say about the Marriage Seminar…

"It was amazing to watch and listen as about 80% of the couples came forward and spoke to each other publicly.  I can tell you there were many tears from the couples who spoke and from us who watched and listened.  The week-end was all about the inmates and their wives. The Holy Spirit filled the room and our hearts the whole time.  God is an amazing God and His presence was such a joy to feel and see."

Worldwide Voice In the Wilderness would like to Thank all of our volunteers and financial partners; You make this type of weekend possible. Together we have been able to make God available and accessible this weekend. Please continue to pray for our Volunteers and our attendees that as they integrate back into their daily lives this week, and that they will continue to hold on to this experience and will utilize what they learned this past weekend in their everyday walk.

We want to also thank Sante Fe Christian Church for their help and assistance with providing food for the weekend, and Grace United Methodist Church for providing food after each day's session and for hosting our afterglow meetings. You can view more photos from the WVIW Marriage Seminar by clicking here.


If you would be interested in attending one of WVIW's Life Changing seminars or would be interested in volunteering in any other way please fill out our Online Volunteer Signup Form. 

 

Marriage Seminar Darrington Unit

 Over 20 Staff and Volunteers are going to be in Rosharon, TX over the weekend teaching and sharing in the Darrington Unit at this month's Worldwide Voice In the Wilderness Marriage Seminar.   

Johnny & Betty Moffitt, along with 20 Wives and our team of volunteers are entering the prison today and will spend the next several hours tonight in the opening session and will be spending 12 hours tomorrow, and about 9 hours on Sunday getting to know the couples and sharing meals together. 

Thank you for your prayers and support. We believe God will use this weekend to make a great impact on the Prison, the State of Texas, and on the Kingdom. We are grateful for your partnerhsip. 

WVIW is always looking for great volunteers, so if you would be interested in finding out more about volunteering please fill out our Volunteer Registration Form. 

All Access 2010

Every weekend, at least one new ARC church begins.

That's right--in 2009 the Association of Related Churches planted 55 churches around the country, and this year they plan to plant another 75-100. In addition to reaching thousands of people locally with these new congregations, the ARC church plants also give millions of dollars to reach people globally--last year they donated more than $7 million to foreign missions.

One of the big ways ARC supports and recruits its leaders is their annual All-Access conference. This year's event is April 27-29 at Healing Place Church in Baton Rouge. Hillsong United will be there to lead worship and offer a Q&A on production. Speakers include Dino Rizzo, Craig Groeschel, Priscilla Shirer and John Maxwell and a variety of App Sessions provide in-depth discussion of leadership, church life, social justice and more.

ARC is all about relationships--creating them and nurturing them. So their conference is, too. You don't just listen to these guys talk, you have opportunities to talk WITH them and connect with other leaders who share a vision for life-giving, fast-growing church plants.
All Access 2010 Conference Promo from WePlantLife on Vimeo.

Site: http://www.allaccess2010.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/weplantlife

Facebook : http://facebook.com/weplantlife

Born In Prison...Released on Valentines Day

Sie Davis was born in prison while his mother was incarcerated at the Goree Unit in Huntsville. His stepfather, was known as the "Godfather of South Dallas," and attempted to kill Sie for not carrying out a "hit." Sie went on to be incarcerated a number of times, even ending up in the same cell as his father. He was labeled by many to be nothing but a habitual criminal.

God had a different plan for his life.

Sie was released in 2000 on Valentine's Day.

He is now working at Worldwide Voice in the Wilderness as Director of Overcomers program, and has taken this ministry into over 20 different TDCJ units. The reason this story is so inspirational is because Sie was incarcerated in Texas for almost 2 decades before pursuing his ministry, but has now been free and serving God for 10 years, since Valentine's Day of 2000.

In 2007, Sie Davis was presented the Governor's Criminal Justice Volunteer Service Award in recognition of the 17,000 miles he traveled ministering to inmates within Texas. Sie received his second Criminal Justice Volunteer Award from Texas Governor Rick Perry in 2008 for his service to the TDCJ through Overcomers.



"After being born in prison and spending 17 and a half years of my adult life behind bars, God is using my

experience to help men and women to become productive citizens of society," Sie explains.

Sie Davis has turned his experience in to a working model for success as an overseer of WVIW's After Care Programs such as Overcomers, The Transitional Home, and Resident Accountability courses.
Sie uses the lessons he learned since prison to minister in as many prisons as possible in an effort to help those who are still incarcerated. It was these visits that enabled him to reconnect with and begin mentoring and developing WVIW's Director of Transitional Housing, Ed Chambers. Sie also Pastors a church that is full of ex-prisoners; who, like Sie, are allowing God to rewrite their life's story.

8th Annual Golf Tournament

On April 1, 2010, we are hosting our Eighth Annual Worldwide Voice in the Wilderness Charity Golf Tournament.  It will be held at the Indian Creek Golf Club, 1650 W. Frankford Rd., Carrollton, Texas.  Indian Creek Golf Club offers two 18-hole championship golf courses, a fully stocked pro shop and a remodeled 19th Hole Grill.  This is a first class course with beautiful scenery. Everyone will walk away a winner!      The proceeds from the tournament will enable WVIW to continue our many charitable programs.  The $100.00 per person fee will cover green fee, cart, gift bag, range balls, refreshments, and a sandwich buffet lunch.  There will be prizes for the first four teams, longest drive, closest to the pin, hole-in-one, and more.  Also, there will be several door prizes and a raffle.      April is a great time for golf in the Dallas area, especially with the opportunity to enjoy a time of meeting otherbusiness men and women, and many of the WVIW Partners.      You can register ONLINE by clicking here or by visiting http://bit.ly/WVIWGOLF   Please mark your calendar and plan to be there.  If you cannot attend, please consider sponsoring a person or event.  Proceeds go to underwrite the costs of various WVIW ministries, such as; Marriage Seminars, Manhood Seminars, Overcomers-12 Step Drug and Alcohol Program, Transitional Home, Ministry to Prison Officers, and our International Missions Trips. Sincerely, Johnny Moffitt, D. Min. WVIW Staff Worldwide Voice In the Wilderness Please Feel Free to share this email with anyone you know who Loves to Golf!

L.O.V.E by Dominic and Lindsay Russo

Well it’s February, and even amid the fiercely cold Detroit weather, love is still in the air. In a few short days, the flowers and cards will be purchased, the romantic dinners out will transpire, and those of us who have found the love of our lives will pause our remarkably paced schedules and celebrate.

Lindsay and I were married just 2 years ago, so we are certainly not marriage authorities. We do, however, want to pass along a couple of things that have helped us on our marriage journey by using the word “LOVE” as an acronym.

LISTEN

Listen - don’t just hear. Men, in particular, often listen to their wives in order to respond and offer a solution. I think wise husbands have come to understand the greatest form of hearing is listening to understand. Many times our wives will say something but mean something wholly different. It’s important to listen to the “voice within the voice” and recognize the deeper issue. Another massive aspect of listening is paying attention to the “small details.” When your wife mentions something that she likes or would love to eventually do – make a real note of it! I have done this since our dating days, and Lindsay (as well as most women) really appreciate when men pick up on the small details.

OVERCOME

Listen up, ladies. The magical word for all successful relationships comes in under the umbrella of the word "overcome." My parents have been married over 35 years, and when you ask them their secret, they both chime in with, "to have a successful marriage, you have to be the world's best forgiver!" We can all attest to the fact that we've heard 1 Corinthians 13 about a million times, right? "Love is patient, love is kind..." (and, since it's the Month of Love, I'll pretend that none of you have ever elbowed your spouse when hearing this read aloud in church or during a wedding ceremony to give a subtle 'hint' like they need to listen up!) But what about the part that everyone reads, yet no one really wants to listen to-- that's right, verse 5 "keep no record of wrongs". Whether you've been married 2 years or 35 years, there is something so powerfully tangible about this command. It doesn't say that "good people" keep no record of wrongs, and it doesn't say that "calm tempered people" keep no record of wrongs. When you're full of God's unconditional love, it's easy to let go of things because He first forgave us and commanded us to do the same.

VISUALIZE

Men, it’s so important that we paint a picture of the future on the canvas of our wife’s heart. Women are “wired” by God to be our helper, but if they don’t know the vision, they can’t run with it. When we envision our wives with the dreams, goals, and aspirations of our heart, they begin to work consciously and subconsciously towards that vision. Visualizing also helps get you through the tough times and the times of sacrifice. When you have a clear picture of your future, you can so much better endure the challenging moments. This year Lindsay and I put up a “dream board” in the main hallway of our house. Every time we walk past it, we’re inspired to continue to work hard and focus on these goals.

ENCOURAGE

I would guess that about 90% (or more) of men are fueled by encouragement. Whether spiritual or otherwise, it is the invisible force that drives them. When preparing for our marriage, my husband and I read "The Five Languages of Love" to see how seemingly compatible we were in these areas. Boy, were we surprised! The least important things to me were his most important things, and vice versa. I had no idea that words of affirmation could mean that much to a person because I am the exact opposite. Therefore, I wasn't exactly good at giving out compliments and encouraging words. At first I was frustrated, asking God why I had such a difficult task. (I laugh now because it seemed so hard at the time.) When I first started to verbally encourage and compliment my husband, I couldn't believe my eyes. He was a new man! God knew what he was doing when he designed us this way. It says in 1 Thessalonians 5:11 "So speak encouraging words to one another. Build up hope so you'll be together." This verse perfectly encompasses unity. When we build each other up with encouraging words, we come together as God created us to come together, in His perfect love for one another!

- Dominic & Lindsay Russo, for WVIW

A Word about Dominic Russo Ministries

At the young age of 20, Dominic began filling stadiums with capacity crowds across Latin America. Now, at age 25, he has been able to lead nearly one million people in the prayer of salvation. His large-scale outreaches often include humanitarian projects with over $100,000 in practical aid, food, and clothing and have involved influential political leaders and national presidents.
His message challenges, empowers and reaches directly to the heart. Dominic’s story reverberates with inspiration and connects him with people of all ages. He is a true voice of the 21st century with a passionate call to dream and experience what the eye has not seen and the ear has not heard. Dominic’s ministry spans across the U.S. in churches, conferences, and large youth assemblies. He received his formal training at Oral Roberts University and now lives in Michigan with his wife Lindsay.

This is the Russo's first Guest Blog for WVIW and we are blessed to have their partnership. Please be sure to visit http://www.dominicrusso.org/ to learn how you can get connected to their relief efforts in Haiti and become a part of their worldwide ministry.