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On the island of Kaua’i, there is this gigantic, abandoned old hotel right on the coast. The Coco Palms was the oldest hotel on the island and the world’s most famous Polynesian resort in the 50’s and 60’s. Elvis himself stayed there and scenes from his famous movie “Blue Hawaii” were filmed there. When Hurricane Iniki struck in September of ’92, the hotel was badly damaged and was closed down indefinitely. Repairs were deemed too expensive. Today, the windows are broken, the roof is rotting, and the lagoons in the coconut groves are now swamps of algae and moss. Left to rot, the building is totally uninhabitable but for tours. What fascinates me most about the Coco Palms, is that all the support beams are still intact. The building is still standing. The exterior is falling apart, but the skeleton of the building, without maintenance, has held it up stalwartly for the past 18 years. There’s a point coming, I promise. Bear with me….
We returned from vacation this week and have set in motion all the plans to travel to Africa and re-organize our lives to transition into a family of 5. I’m not gonna lie, I’ve had a few meltdowns. I’m emotionally overwhelmed. I have also never felt so supported. My handy thesaurus gives these synonyms for “support”: hold up, bear up, prop up, keep up, brace, shore up, underpin, reinforce, buttress. This week, I’ve felt like the Coco Palms. My exterior is cracking and everything inside feels chaotic and unkempt. But, there are these incredible support beams holding me up, making sure I don’t collapse.
Support Beam #1: This week, one of my best friends went rogue on me and organized a fundraiser for our air travel to Africa. I say “rogue” because I would have said no if she asked me for permission. I have this character flaw of super-independence that prevents me from accepting help. Neely, being one of my best friends, knew this about me. So, she didn’t ask. She raised enough money to cover one whole plane ticket. People came out of the woodwork to purchase raffle tickets to support us.
Support Beam #2: I literally can’t keep up with all the e-mails from people offering us air miles. People have also offered to paint, clean, make food…You people are incredible!
Support Beam #3: I can FEEL people’s prayers. In the midst of my little breakdowns, I have this amazing sense of peace, that everything is going to work out, that we are under the amazing umbrella of God’s grace. My breakdowns are just a normal part of the process…. I think. J
Support Beam #4: My friend, Daniele Ott, who is also a professional organizer, is going to help me get the house organized and ready for another kiddo. She came over last night, took a look at things, and reassured me that we could get everything done in 2 days. She’s going to hold my hand through the whole thing and whip my house into the most organized state it’s ever been in. You really should hire her. She’s a freaking genius. When she left, I felt a huge weight fall from my shoulders.
I am so humbled by these support beams that are shoring us up, keeping us stable and strong. So, thank you everybody. Thank you so, so much.
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Comments
Hello Jodie,
I'm not sure if you remember me, but I recently left Overlake in December 2009. The purpose of this email is to share a concern I have with the upcoming Awake Event, specifically with Ronna Detrick. I'm not sure if you are aware of her beliefs. Given what those beliefs are, what could she possibly say to The LORD's Children, specifically HIS daughters.
Having Ronna in GOD's house will dishonor HIM because clearly, she does not believe in The GOD of Scripture. You may think she does, but I assure you, her rhetoric espouses hate towards GOD. GOD, is not a woman, and no amount of her wishing that to happen will make it so. She supports every kind of evil that we are warned about in The Bible: New Age, Gnosticism, Idolatry, universalism, Catholicism (Spiritual Formation), and feminism.
I am puzzled. Clearly this person denies Our LORD. She contradicts HIS teaching, HIS commands. That is what the word deny means:
Deny G720
ἀρνέομαι
arneomai
ar-neh'-om-ahee
Perhaps from G1 (as a negative particle) and the middle of G4483; to contradict, that is, disavow, reject, abnegate: - deny, refuse.
But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven. Matthew 10:33 NKJV
Someone who contradicts the Word of GOD, denies HIM because they deny JESUS HIS LORDSHIP over them and whoever listens to them. Maybe you don't know about Ronna or her beliefs.
There is nothing GOD honoring in what she speaks, and she speaks blasphemies.
"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
Matthew 7:15-20 NKJV
Below, I have given you links to her website. It is my prayer for you that you will take a look @ what she speaks to, and decide if this is someone who you want coming into HIS Hours to speak to HIS Children.
I research online about the keynote speaker Ronna Detrick. This person is most disturbing. What she speak is blasphemy. Here she talks about wanting GOD Our FATHER, Our LORD JESUS, who is GOD Incarnate to be a woman:
"How I want to bring new metaphors and language to life. How I want to re-interpret my own story of faith through the lens of a female God. How I want my daughters to understand their own God-given beauty, strength, and divinity without a male template being the predominant or exclusive definer. How I want to live in a world without patriarchy, misogyny, and endless misunderstanding. I do not remember. But I want to.
Admittedly, this topic gets me extremely fired up. And I don’t necessarily want to be understood/experienced as an angry woman. But sometimes anger is justified, righteous, necessary. The loss of our memory of God (my own loss of such) as a woman does make me angry. I want her back. I do not remember. But I want to. Do you?" http://www.ronnadetrick.com/do-you-remember-when-god-was-a-woman/
This person doesn't appear to be a Christian, especially if she talks about one having faith in other religions, a beautiful thing:
"Faith, whether it be in ourselves, God, Goddess, Buddha, Mohammad, or the powers of the Universe, is a potent and beautiful thing. It enables hope. It invites desire. It softens and strengthens and sings." the online source for the above quote: http://whitehottruth.com/inspiration-spirituality-articles/burning-quest...
And what if we reinterpreted the snake? In many religious traditions, it holds an honored status as a symbol of wisdom. Instead of being the embodiment of evil and temptation (which then somehow transmuted itself to Eve), what if it was understood as a wise messenger that invites us to listen to our own voice, our own heart, our own intuition – and then to act? http://desireeadaway.com/guest-post-writing-a-new-story-for-women-by-ron...
This is what she espouses about herself on her site: http://www.ronnadetrick.com/about-me/
She is a self-styled spiritual director which means she's into contemplative prayer and spiritual formation (rooted in Catholicism. She charges for her services:
http://www.ronnadetrick.com/spiritual-direction/
Meister Eckhart was a mystic who Eckhart Tolle (Oprah's New age guru got his name from) Here Ronna speaks of Meister Eckhart: "This one, based on the words of Meister Eckhart (1260-1328), one of history’s greatest mystics, rivals my real and oft’ imagined oasis: http://www.ronnadetrick.com/truth-an-oasis-in-the-desert/
She has affiliations with this group with these beliefs: http://www.eewc.com/About.htm
It is my prayer you will receive this, know what to do about it, and respond accordingly. Clearly this person doesn't believe, does not know, and does not honor The One True GOD of The Universe. She's into universalism, New Age, Contemplative Prayer, and Blasphemous. She mocks Our FATHER. Maybe Jody doesn't really know these things about her. I trust this is someone who you would not let in 'your' house, what about Our FATHERS's
All Love To You In CHRIST JESUS,
Zelda
The LORD of hosts has sworn, saying,
"Surely, as I have thought,
so it shall come to pass,
And as I have purposed,
so it shall stand: Isaiah 14:24 NKJV