Soul Care - Look to the Birds!

By Bill Gaultiere, Lead Pastor, Spiritual Formation

One day I was thinking of Jesus' words: "Don't worry. Look at the birds... Your Heavenly Father cares for them. Aren't you much more valuable than them?" (Matthew 6:25-26, paraphrased). That inspired me to sit down and do some bird watching while I prayed one day. As I watched and listened to what was going on above my head, Jesus spoke to my heart.

At first, many things distracted me: lawnmowers and grass blowers, a cold wind blowing, my own concerns and worries. But, I kept looking at the birds in the heavens (the lowest level of the kingdom of the heavens is the air right around us), and I kept listening. I discovered that, indeed, I was alive in the Kingdom of God with the Trinity, the angels, Christ followers - ancient and present - and all of God's creation, including the birds who were God's messengers to me on this day. I wrote down this prayer poem that I heard Jesus whisper to me:

Don't Worry: Live Like the Birds Don't worry:

Look at the birds; Trust my Father as they do, feeding each day from his hand.

Don't worry: Listen to the birds; Rest in my Word as they do, sitting quietly and alone on the branch.

Don't worry: Learn from the birds; Sing with my angels as they do, harmonizing with the choruses of heaven.

Don't worry: Live like the birds; Fly with my Spirit as they do, responding to the currents of my breath.

Don't worry: Love like the birds; Gather with my friends as they do, traveling in formation as my flock.

For more thoughts from Dr. Bill Gaultiere about Spiritual Formation and drawing closer to Jesus, go to http://christiansoulcare.blogspot.com/.

A Hand FULL of Miracles, a Heart FULL of Love

By Sheila Schuller Coleman for the Schuller Family

Merry Christmas to you, dear friends. This Christmas we are celebrating an amazing year of miracles and milestones.

As people everywhere are struggling with overwhelming challenges, you, our faith FULL church members and friends have shown HEROIC FAITH, continuing to support your church even when times were tough. As a result, we experienced miracle after miracle here at Crystal Cathedral!

There were weeks when we didn't know if we would be able to keep our doors open. Then, without fail, extra, unexpected, miracle gifts poured in and we had just enough! How do we begin to thank you? The year 2009 was not only a miraculous year for the ministry, but it was a milestone year for the ministry and me personally. I was totally surprised when my father and the board asked me to accept responsibility for the future of my father's legacy and this ministry. Although reluctant at first (saying yes required HEROIC FAITH, to say the least!), I was further surprised by the absolute joy and delight it has been to serve in this position. How wonder FULL it has been to serve side by side with my father. Having the opportunity to help him share the message of hope has been extremely FULL filling!

In addition to the miracles and milestones at the ministry, my husband Jim and I experienced a joy FULL milestone this year when Jason, our firstborn son of four, married the love of his life, Annie.

We praise God this Christmas for so many, many miracles. Most of all we thank him for the miracle of his Son, Jesus, who is the source of our joy, our love, and our life.

May you and your family experience miraculous milestones this Christmas! We are eternally grateful for you and your HEROIC FAITH in us. God is counting on you and me to make 2010 our 55th year as a congregation - the best year yet.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Together, We Can See, Belong, Grow & Sow!

By Dr. Sheila Schuller Coleman

This last year has been filled with challenges, but even more so, bountiful blessings and fresh, new beginnings. Our ministry not only survived 2009, but I've seen our congregation - and that includes YOU and me - rededicating ourselves to the call of Christ for our church and for our lives.

Here are some of the highlights of what we accomplished together in 2009: As the new Directing Leader of two lead teams (Crystal Cathedral Congregation and Crystal Cathedral Ministries), I am now providing leadership to the rebuilding of Robert Harold Schuller's vision for this ministry through a healthy, high-functioning network of teams. A team of staff and members of our congregation spent many hours in thoughtful discussion and prayer to articulate the Vision Statement for our work here:

"To inspire and motivate people through possibility thinking to grow in a loving relationship with Jesus Christ so that they can become the persons God desires, dreams and designed them to be."

We also identified our Focused Goal, which is to continue to be a ministry, through the saving grace of Jesus Christ, that is:

"Saving lives through a message of hope."

We have begun to accomplish this goal through a newly created Ministry Process that clarifies our priority to bring others to:

1. "Come and See" (invitational Ministries) 2. "Come and Belong" (Relational Ministries) 3. "Come and Grow" (Spiritual Formation Ministries) 4. "Go and Sow" (Transformational Ministries)

Supporting the new vision, goal, and ministry process is the burgeoning network of teams made up of staff and congregation members. We based our new Team Leadership Model (organism chart vs. organizational chart) on recent successes in ministries and businesses that have adopted it.

The next few pages will reflect these exciting changes, and help you to see where you can get involved - growing through possibility thinking, a message of hope, and a loving relationship with Jesus Christ - as we come and see, come and belong, come and grow, and go and sow together!

"You Saved My Life"

By Dr. Robert H. Schuller, Founding Pastor

What is a hero? A hero is someone who personally sacrifices his or her life to save the life of another. My brother Henry, a litter bearer with the Red Cross during WWII, was such a sacrificial hero. Not many of us have the opportunity to be that kind of hero - rushing into a scene of destruction, picking up a bleeding body to save it from dying. However, we do have the opportunity to help resituate and save persons' wounded souls. People from around the world have repeatedly told me, "You saved my life!" Although these words never fail to bring a tear to my eye, I know that I was not the one who did the saving.

First and foremost, the "you" in their statement is Jesus Christ. During church services on Sunday, or through the New Hope help line, or a Sunday morning fellowship group, these people have felt the life-saving power of renewed hope that only Christ can bring.

The "you" is also YOU! YOU are a true, God-ordained hero! The gifts of your tithes, your offerings, your talents and your time make it possible for us to offer our message of hope, love and encouragement, resulting in enthusiasm replacing depression, and hope replacing hopelessness. YOU make this ministry happen. Today, in the midst of a national and international recession, our message has never been needed more. Unfortunately, our church has likewise been affected by this year's economy, with our revenues down over 30% since January 1, 2009. As a result, we trimmed every single line in our budget to weather the current economic storm. Every one of our staff has taken a 10% pay cut this year.

But I know the Lord has a powerfully positive plan for our ministry. Indeed, our best days are yet to come! God still wants to save millions of lives through our message of hope. To do so, we need your heroic faith - personally sacrificing through an ongoing commitment to this congregation and the bright future of this ministry!

Thank you for believing in me. Thank you for believing in our ministry. Thank you for believing in God's life-saving message. YOU are my hero!

An Attitude of Gratitude - Part I: The Blessing of Gratefulness

By Dr. Bill Bennett

GRATITUDE IS TO BE EXPRESSED. Now, that is excellent advice because a grateful person is a happier, healthier, and holier person. But more than just good advice, this is a command from our all-knowing and loving God. Gratitude is not an option; it's an obligation. God knows what happens to the ungrateful, and that's not what he wants for you or me.

"For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks; but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened" (Romans 1:21). "But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy..." (2 Timothy 3:1-2). "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God" (Philippians 4:6). "In everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thessalonians 5:18) .

GRATITUDE IS TO BE EXPANSIVE. We are told to give God thanks in "everything." Not just in "most things." Not just for "good things." But in "everything." Now a caution here is in order. Nowhere in the word of God are we commanded to FEEL grateful. Feelings come and go, and can be affected by the weather, your health, how rested you are, etc. The thanksgiving God commands of us has nothing to do with feelings. Whether things are good or bad, we are to be grateful.

Now lest you think, "Well, that may be easy for Paul to say," let me tell you that it was not easy for Paul, the inspired writer of these words, to say. He had been run out of Thessalonica at the threat of losing his life. He had been beaten, whipped, imprisoned, shipwrecked, stoned, and left for dead. Yet he wrote (in 1 Thessalonians 5:18), "In everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Jesus Christ."

In Acts 16, we are told that Paul and his partner in ministry, Silas, were beaten with rods, whipped and scourged, and thrown into prison in Philippi. But rather than sighing, they began singing. I don't know what they sang, but the lyrics may have been something like this: "Thank you Lord for saving my soul. Thank you Lord for making me whole. Thank you Lord for giving to me thy great salvation so rich and free."

GRATITUDE IS A BLESSING. Because of their thanksgiving, Paul and Silas were enabled by God to rise physically, psychologically, and spiritually above their circumstances. Gratefulness is a priceless gift from a loving God who desires only the best for us all.

Dr. Bill Bennett is an ordained RCA Minister serving the Crystal Cathedral as the Lead Pastor for the Evening Service. This devotion is based on a message Dr. Bennett delivered during the Evening Service on August 15, 2009. (Additional scripture references: Philippians 4:5; 1 Thessalonians 5:18; Luke 17:11-19.) "In everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Jesus Christ."

Donna Sivachenko: Possessing the "Light of Life"

Crystal Cathedral People

By Dr. Jim Kok, Pastor of Care Ministries

"When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'" - John 8:12

Donna is a self-confessed talker. When asked to share her story with me, she warned me that if someone asks her for the time of day, she is likely to tell him or her how to build a clock. This quality adds to her delightful, lively, lovely personality.

Chicago is her birthplace. There, her mother and a terrific stepdad raised her four brothers, (one of whom was her twin, and died very young) and her. Donna's mother was a Ziegfeld Follies performer, and her dad was a genius at taking care of and fixing anything mechanical. When she was 15, the family moved to Texas.

As Donna talks about her early years of education, what stands out are all the grades she skipped, and how she started high school at age twelve. She clearly is intelligent and, to this day, a voracious reader.

She was an athlete, too, loving to play softball and other sports. Beside that, her spirit is dependent on music, and her life nearly turned toward becoming a virtuoso piano player. That was her major, along with English, at Trinity University in San Antonio, where she was a Cum Laude graduate. Donna's dad saw to it that she and her brothers were in Sunday School faithfully and, to this day, she is very close to God. She says, "I was totally immersed in God." She even took classes to become a Christian Science Practitioner, since she grew up in that tradition.

After college, Donna worked as a legal secretary, where she remained for twelve years. During that time, she was fixed up on a blind date with a brilliant accountant, Paul Sivachenko. When she was in dire need of a companion to accompany her to a party, Paul's name popped into her mind, and the rest is history.

They weren't on the same page spiritually at first. Paul was a non-participating Russian Orthodox. Donnawas a fervent and faithful Christian Science believer. It all came together after many years living in Beverly Hills, Lake Tahoe, and eventually Orange County, where they began attending the Crystal Cathedral. However, life was going to hammer them. At age 46, Paul was knocked down with a major stroke that changed their lives forever.

They were living in Lake Tahoe at the time. There, Donna had become a Campaign Manager for a neighbor, a real estate developer, who was running for the U.S. Senate from Nevada. Though he lost the election, she continued as his "right arm" as he continued to work in politics with such notables as Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. Donna and Paul attended both the Reagan and Bush inaugurations. Paul's first blow was a ruptured aneurysm in his brain. It did not kill him, but medical mistakes nearly caused him to lose his life. Then a stroke paralyzed his right side and took his speech. Years of rehabilitation followed with Donna the faithful coach and cheerleader.

In the middle of the crisis, Donna happened upon the hospital chapel, and decided to go inside. She sat down in the back row, took a deep breath, and started to weep. The tears flowed like a flood and would not stop. Gradually she became aware that a man had come in and sat down close beside her. He was lightly touching her with his arm and shoulder, leaning slightly against her. He just stayed there quietly. A warm and comforting presence, he soothed her soul profoundly. Finally, she stopped crying and turned to look at the man. "No one was there," says Donna. "No one was in the room! I know it was Jesus."

With Donna's persistent and loving coaching, Paul regained enough strength to do volunteer work. His mind was clear, but words were few and he remained partially paralyzed. In his long months of rehabilitation, Paul met God deeply and profoundly here at the Crystal Cathedral. In that experience, he and Donna came together in a wonderful and meaningful way - a major blessing within this painful loss. Paul lived 22 years after his stroke, going home to be with the Lord in 2004. Their son Roger is a young tech-genius who lives with his family in Boston. Geographically he is far away, but remains very close to his mother. Donna is a treasured volunteer, serving in a variety of capacities at the Crystal Cathedral. She was recently commissioned as a Minister-of-the-Day, serving Care Ministries. She is also a MAT graduate, and has been a ministering elder for 11 years. Her most recent venture is serving as the lead volunteer on Crystal Cathedral's "Soup Kitchen" team called "Monday Meals." She loves to help, and her life experience highly qualifies her to do so. She is truly a "light of life" in this world!

Renewed & Energized through Prayer Power!

Crystal Cathedral Ministry Staff on Retreat...

Is there anything more powerful than prayer? The Crystal Cathedral Leadership Team doesn't think so, and they made it a priority this fall when they "closed" the ministry for three days and whisked away the entire church and Hour of Power staff to Rancho Capistrano (Crystal Cathedral's retreat center in San Juan Capistrano) for a daytime staff retreat.

Prayer was at the heart of the retreat. Under the thoughtful direction of Dr. Sheila Schuller Coleman and Dr. Bill Gaultiere, staff members were given time and space to be alone with God each day midst the beauty of a sparkling lake, grassy hills, warming sun, and singing birds.

These times of "solitude and silence" were carefully prefaced with an encouraging message designed to help staff members personalize the ministry's new Mission Statement, focusing on what God was saying to them about:

• The possibilities in their lives.

• Their relationship with Jesus Christ.

• Becoming the person God dreams, desires, and designed them to be.

When asked what the highlight of the retreat was, many staff members shared how much closer they felt to fellow ministry team members after sharing what God had revealed during their alone times with him.

Underscoring the entire staff retreat was the belief (prayerfully supported by Robert H. and Arvella Schuller) that a staff that prays and plays together is better prepared to serve the needs of its community members - YOU! We're renewed. We're reenergized. We're here to serve YOU!

Experience the Adventure of Two-Way Prayer

by Robert H. Sculler

I grew up in the Midwest where I had never seen an avocado. Even though I went to college and finished three years of post-graduate work, I had never even heard of an avocado! Then I moved to California and all kinds of people gave our family what I thought were the biggest, most unusual pears I'd ever seen. I tried every way I could think of to eat them, but finally gave up and ended up throwing them away. Fortunately, someone discovered my ignorance and showed me how to eat an avocado - and enjoy it.

Many people tend to discard prayer in the same way I threw away those avocados. They talk to God and it doesn't seem to work. So, they just give up. But prayer is an adventure! And real prayer involves both listening to God as much as it does talking to him. God told the prophet Jeremiah, “Call to me and I will answer you..." (Jeremiah 33:3). That's two-way prayer. Let me describe how you can enjoy the experience of this kind of prayer:

Begin by relaxing, closing your eyes and blocking out the distractions of the eye and the world. Focus your mind on something that calms you. When you are relaxed, quietly wait until you feel the stillness of God's presence with you.

Then ask the Holy Spirit to control your thinking so that God's thoughts and ideas will come into your mind. In a humble, expectant attitude, begin to ask God questions about situations, challenges, and decisions you're facing. As you ask each question, pause and wait patiently for God to answer. When you finish, write down what you heard God say to you in the quiet.

There is mountain-moving power in two-way prayer. If you've never prayed in this way before, why not start the adventure of two-way prayer today?

Go Deeper with Prayer

During Sunday morning services on Oct. 18 and 25, Dr. Robert H. Schuller, and Dr. Sheila Schuller Coleman will help you gain a deeper understanding of the power of prayer. Find out that, though God sometimes says, "no," "slow," or "go" in answer to our prayers, he is always listening.

Come on Oct. 18 and you'll receive a free, hot-off-the-press copy of the Hour of Power's 2010 wall calendar, which focuses on the Lord's Prayer. A special feature of this coming year's calendar is a description of the importance of each section of the Lord's Prayer, plus special stickers you may apply to your calendar that will help you keep track of God's response to your prayers.

Jaw Dropping Surprises

By Jim Penner, Director of Business Operations, Crystal Cathedral Ministries

I went for my daily run a few days ago around sunset. At the crest of a small hill, I rounded a stand of trees to reveal that perfect elevated angle where the valley is below, the sky above, and it seems that you can see for miles. What lay before my eyes was a sky seemingly hand painted by God from light to dark blue with orange and varying shades of purple clouds. This sunset was no ordinary sunset. This was something completely unexpected-a surprise-a surprise for my eyes. The scene was so breathtaking that I began to think about the surprises in our lives. Good surprises and bad surprises. Life is filled with all kinds of surprises, but the ones we really remember are what I call "jaw dropping surprises," those times when what you just saw, or heard, or was done to you came completely out of left field-for good or bad. They are the times when something or someone literally rocks your world.

Maybe it's a doctors report-for good or bad. The cancer has come or the cancer has gone. Maybe you just found out that a baby grandchild is on the way when you daughter had previously been told she could never have children. Or it's tragic news that your grandchild was just killed in a car accident.

Maybe it's family news. Your son or your daughter announces their engagement and your mouth literally opens in a jaw dropping surprise. Excitedly you say, "Did you see who my son is marrying?" Or filled with anxiety you say, "Did you see the head case my daughter is about to marry?"

Maybe your latest jaw dropping surprise was financial. You opened that envelope in the past year and found that your retirement account lost 30 or 40 or 50 percent. Or you found that your health insurance costs were going up or your benefits were dropping.

Take a moment and think back to the last time you had a jaw dropping surprise. If you've lived life on this earth you don't have to be here very long to receive one. They are a part of life – they are inevitable. They can be painful. Tear invoking. Faith challenging. Withdraw from society inducing. They push us toward relief such as alcohol or painkillers. They push us toward cynicism and skepticism. Jaw dropping surprises can literally tear us apart- or-they can make us stronger because of one simple fact. No matter what happens to you in life, no matter how far you are pushed to the breaking point-as sure as I'm sitting here there is one fact I am convinced of- Jesus Christ is still on the throne. Receive that great gift of contentment Paul talks about in Philippians 4 by giving your cares to Jesus!

Ask Sheila: Hiding My Light Under a Bushel

Dear Sheila,

I was not a Christian when I married my husband of 23 years. Ten years ago, I gave my life to Jesus. My life has changed somewhat, but frankly I am afraid to grow too deep in my spiritual walk for fear that it will drive a wedge between my husband and me. Whenever I talk about spiritual matters with him he sneers. So, I pray and read my Bible but keep my spiritual life private. Should I keep going this direction or be more forthright about my relationship with Christ?

- Hiding My Light under a Bushel

Dear Light under a Bushel,

Your signature pretty much says it all! You've answered your own question.

I would suggest that you grow and grow and grow in the Lord. You do that by reading God's word, spending time with fellow Christians, and by praying. As you do this, your light will grow bright and brighter. You don't have to talk to your husband about your deepening relationship with Jesus-you just have to walk it. And pray for him.

Jesus didn't just come to save us for heaven in eternity. He came to save us so we can experience a bit of heaven on earth. He said, "I have come that you might have life, and...have it more abundantly " (John 10:10). As your husband sees you living a truly abundant life, he will become hungry and thirsty for the same. That's good news! In Christ,

Sheila Schuller Coleman

Crystal Cathedral People: Bill Weller "Mr. Hospitality"

By Dr. Jim Kok, Pastor of Care Ministries

Before most of our ushers and greeters arrive for duty on Sunday mornings, Bill Weller is taking care of the early arriving guests from distant places. These are the folks whose eyes fill with tears as they enter the Crystal Cathedral. They have included a 95-year-old long-time Hour of Power viewer, a wheelchair-confined "Make-a-Wish" recipient, and those who have traveled long distances to spend a memorable birthday at this special place. Bill Weller’s aim is to make sure their blessing continues. A serious-looking, welldressed man with an official demeanor, he is there to lead them to the best seats possible every Sunday morning.

His journey to this place began as a child attending Sunday School at a Christian Science church. He says he never met Jesus there. God yes. Jesus no. And after the early death of his young wife Kathryn at age 45, little spiritual activity focused his life as he continued to raise his daughter and two sons.

Bill had an engineering B.S. from UCLA, and an MBA also, but his minimal church experience led him to conclude that churches were unfriendly places. So, that part of his life never developed. He invested his life in a variety of jobs, including many years with North American Aviation and the Apollo Space Program.

Bill started to change when he met a young Crystal Cathedral pastor- in-training, Dunston Sampson, at an event at the Nixon Library. That conversation resulted in Bill stopping in at the early morning Sunday worship service in the Chapel-inthe- Sky. There he started to learn about Jesus. A few weeks later, he slipped into the 9:30 service where Robert H. Schuller was preaching. Growth was deepening, and this new place was becoming his spiritual home.

It was his Amway sideline that led to the next profound spiritual step in his life, which came sometime after he started growing at the Crystal Cathedral. Seeds had been planted and were germinating, and then one day he attended another of many Amway luncheons. They always included devotions, followed by an altar call. Bill said, "Something happened to me and I floated to the front." Bill was spiritually changed from that day forward. Today he is the committed man we see helping on Sundays - mornings and evenings.

Maybe it is that early experience, where he concluded that churches were not welcoming places, added to his deep appreciation for what he has found in Christ that made him the "Mr. Hospitality" that he is today. Whatever it is, Bill deserves that title for the way he connects with and embraces newcomers on Sundays. He is the kind of person who gives a church a positive reputation, attracting people first to the welcoming place and
then to the loving spirit of Jesus Christ.

Social Networks: Connecting You with Your Crystal Cathedral

We continue to expand our communities and social networks to connect with you where you are. Just as Dr. Schuller first reached out to the early Crystal Cathedral congregation in a drive-in theater, today we are where you are - on Facebook,Twitter, MySpace, and YouTube.

Join us on Facebook, one of the most popular social networks today with millions of users and is still growing. In line with our mission to reach the unchurched, we urge you to connect through Facebook to help grow our ministry to reach out to new friends around the world. Leave messages and invite your friends to join in! Become a friend of Sheila Schuller Coleman. Join a group. Choose Hour of Power, Crystal Cathedral, and Mommy Grace with Sheila Schuller Coleman. Leave a message, add a photo, post a link, and invite your friends to join you! Become a “fan” of Hour of Power and Crystal Cathedral. Learn about important events and ministry announcements. Watch videos, read notes, and get widgets you can post on your profile to help spread the word about our ministry.

Follow us on Twitter. On this microblogging platform, we post ministry updates, daily prayers, devotions, and what's happening in our ministries. Sign up to receive tweets from Hour of Power, Crystal Cathedral, Dr. Robert H. Schuller, and Sheila Schuller Coleman. Watch video clips on YouTube. Clips include Hour of Power promo clips, unforgettable messages from great pastors, guest interviews, and incredible music.

Become a MySpace Friend. Read and comment on our blog. Find out about the upcoming Hour of Power, and read articles about the Hour of Power and Crystal Cathedral Ministries.

Let Your Daily Living Become Joyful Giving

By Robert H. Schuller

I want to share something with you that can absolutely transform your life. It will turn it upside down, inside out, and will put a bloom where there was gloom. It’s the simple secret of joy-filled living that I first learned many years ago from my mother who had a very tough life. She was married to a good man who raised crops on an Iowa farm through some terribly difficult years. I saw my mother have some low days and I discovered what she did to change a gloomy mood into a blooming mood.

When apples were in season she would pick them, peel them, slice them, and then roll out a piecrust to bake an apple pie. Everybody was happy in the household as she started whistling and singing hymns while making her apple pies. She made each pie heaping with apples and sprinkled in lots of cinnamon.

My mother never made just one pie; most of the time she made two. She’d always say, “One is for my family. The other one is for someone who needs it.” Then she would send me down the road to deliver that second pie to someone who was sick or had a very meager income. My mother had discovered that the way to put joy into life was to “forget about yourself and do something beautiful in a wonderful way for somebody else.” She understood well the joy that comes through giving.

If you want to be a truly miserable person, just be as selfish as you can. I have never seen a twinkling, happy, enthusiastic person who is also stingy. It just doesn’t work.

Next time you’re having a “down” day, recall an experience where you were really up. I can tell you when it was. It was the time you listened to somebody who needed to be heard or comforted. Or it was the time you prayed a prayer or gave a word of encouragement and positively lifted someone’s spirit. It was the time you packaged a very treasured and gorgeous gift and gave it to someone you deeply love.

Jesus said, “If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it” (Matthew 10:39, NLT). Let your daily living become daily giving and you will have a life filled with JOY!

Nick & Lucy: On the Road Again!

By Nick & Lucy Della Valle

We often think of the Crystal Cathedral as a hospital; a place where people with breaks in their life came to be mended. At least that was the case for us, when we arrived on campus in 1988.

Jesus brought us here to be cared for, educated, loved, and gently put back together. Seeds like "Life is not fair but God is good." "Tough times never last, tough people do." "God's delays are never God's denials" and "If it's going to be, it's up to me" took root deep in our hearts. We drank in Christ at Sunday services, through Bible classes like the Becomers and Homebuilders and in Wednesday morning fellowship. We were blessed to have served on the Hour of Power staff for a number of years but then at the beginning of the new millennium, we heard a whisper.

At first, we fought it. What could Almighty God want with us? No matter how we tried to ignore it or reason against it, the whisper grew persistently stronger. What do You want of us, Lord? How can we be of any use to You? This went on for months and piece by piece, conversation by conversation, God outlined His plan for us. In 2001, we left our positions and the Crystal Cathedral to become missionaries to America; storytellers for Christ as we began our first 3300- mile walk across America for Christ.

Eight years have flown by. We have shared our biblical presentations in over 400 churches; we have walked through 18 states. A second 3300-mile walk, from Philadelphia to Albuquerque, took place in 2005. God has allowed us to use our gifts to bless thousands of people and He has used tens of thousands of Americans to bless us!

Soon we will start our third 3300-mile walk. The life we now lead was birthed at the Crystal Cathedral. As we wander the back roads of America, we seek your prayers for continued protection, provision and good health. God bless you always and if you see Dr. or Mrs. Schuller... give them a hug for us.

Follow Us! You are a part of us and so we invite you to follow us along the journey through our web site: www.christwalk.us

Twins Julie & Janet: Filling Their Lives by Helping Others

By Dr. Jim Kok, Pastor of Care Ministries

Two of our most faithful volunteer helpers for the New Hope phone and online hotline have led a difficult life of which few can identify. They are twins, but that is not the hard part. Few are more happily involved in Crystal Cathedral programs and activities than these two native Southern Californians, born in 1952. Here are two beautiful women, Julie and Janet Abels, with their unique story…

Over the years, Julie held a variety of positions, mostly in the electronics business, doing assembly and related duties. Janet spent many years working for the Bank of America, invested wisely, and lives comfortably with Julie in Orange. Both are unmarried and retired.

Early in life, as young children, they both began exhibiting nervous tics. They were born with an unusual genetic syndrome that became increasingly more exaggerated as they matured. As young teens, their tics and twitches had become so conspicuous they ended up taking a lot of ridicule from their classmates, and rarely fought back. They just took it. They clung to each other through it all, pretty much by themselves outside the close-knit cliques, so common in their school in San Marino.

"We were awfully nervous and scared of everything," Janet said. "We felt very left out," Julie added. It was so bad that their loving parents took them out of the public school for one year, and they were tutored instead. "School was very difficult for us," Janet confides, "We were not very good students." Julie quickly added, "but Janet is an expert speller, anyway."

Treatment of their tics and twitches was futile, and they eventually were diagnosed as having Tourette Syndrome. Because of these difficulties, Janet and Julie's parents held their daughters very close, and even more so after their 19-year-old son, the twins' big brother, drowned in Yellowstone Lake and was never found. They were 15 at the time.

After high school, where they participated in the Pep Club, the Glee Club, and other singing groups, with much less teasing and ridicule, they attended Pasadena City College. The highlight there was singing with the college concert choir. They beamed as they recalled singing the "Missa Solemnis" by Beethoven at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium. They also joined the Adelphia Service Club, which involved them in helping their teachers with all kinds of tasks that would lighten their loads.

They came to the Crystal Cathedral from the Santa Anita Church in Arcadia. Membership there was an early, rare, act of rebellion on their part. They had been born and raised in the Christian Science Church, but said they were always bored there. Nevertheless, they were followers of Jesus, so they found their own church. However, it was their mother's love for Dr. Schuller and the Hour of Power that nudged them in our direction, and into their happy helpfulness here.

Julie and Janet are two happy young women who, though they've experienced how tough life can be, harbor no anger or resentment, and cheerfully fill their lives helping others.

"I thank God for these two beautiful people"
By Barbara Barrientos, Hotline Supervisor at New Hope

In the winter of 2002, I met Janet Abels when she started her New Hope volunteer service. Two years later, after her sister Julie had a devastating accident, they moved in together. Soon Janet encouraged Julie to come and volunteer at New Hope. When I first met Julie, she just looked down at the ground, avoided all eye contact, and walked with assistance.

Gradually Julie began looking up and speaking to me, her self-esteem slowly climbing inch by inch. With a great deal of determination and a "yes I can" attitude, she started walking straight up instead of crunched over.

I also watched Janet blossom and grow. She realized that she could not change her sister but could support her in positive directions. Learning how to live together again was a growing part for both. As time passed, they began to share many stories with me. I felt privileged that they were willing to tell me the personal hurting experiences they'd endured in their childhood, teen years, and even today in their adult years.

The hours of service these two have given at New Hope and throughout the church is an enormous gift. They give from the heart. They know that they are different, and that not all people accept them for who they are. Tourette Syndrome is not an easy dysfunction to live with. Janet and Julie are good examples of learning to overcome the labels and stigma of being different.

They have taught me patience, and understanding as they have included me on their journey of healing and spiritual growth. I thank God for these two beautiful people.

Evelyn Eubanks: A Butterfly Kiss

By Rhea Zakich, Crystal Cathedral Lay Leader

It was my Sunday to be available to pray with people between our two services. As I greeted visitors in the front row, I saw something I'd never seen before inside the Crystal Cathedral.

A large butterfly was flitting above the heads of those who had taken their seats. I tried to stay focused on the woman who asked for prayer but could see the winged creature out of the corner of my eye.

Unlike any I had seen, the butterfly hovered for a moment before landing on the cheek of a woman in the first seat in the front row. Since I stayed in my place for those who were waiting for prayer, I could only glance, but I noticed that it remained on the woman's cheek.

Five minutes before the next service was to begin, I walked up to see it more closely, not really knowing what to say. It seemed silly to say, "Do you know you have a butterfly on your cheek?" Or, acting as if I didn't see it, even, "How are you today?" I knew she could not see it herself as it clung to her cheek under her glasses, but I could tell she was holding her head at an angle and didn't want to move.

I had prayed for Evelyn on two occasions in the last few years, but didn't know much about her. I knew she had performed in the church's huge Christmas pageant, The Glory of Christmas, for 27 years, and that she was very friendly, but that's about all I knew. I decided to ask, "What does it feel like to have a butterfly on your cheek?" She responded in a soft voice but with sparkling eyes, "It is caressing my cheek. I know this is from God because I feel such peace." Her expression was one of delight and bliss. She continued to talk, hardly moving her mouth so as not to disturb this angelic visitor. "My son, who died recently, always sat in this seat and I wonder if it could be a sign that he is with me." Now I remembered praying for her after her son's death and knew how she missed him. Even with her talking, the butterfly did not move. The congregation had filled most of the seats, now, and the choir began singing a stirring prelude called "All Breathing Life." I Knew I could not remain standing up in front of a thousand people, staring at a butterfly that those behind her could not see, so I smiled, squeezed her hand, and went to my aisle seat eight rows behind her. The people sitting around her began tapping each other and pointing. It was too strange! The pastors did not seem to notice since the pulpit is high above the large congregation, but I couldn't take my eyes off the tip of the butterfly's wing that I could still see through the crowd in front of me.

Everyone settled down when the service began but me. I thought, "There MUST be some important significance to a butterfly landing on a cheek and staying so long!" I hoped someone would take a picture of it and then, suddenly, I remembered that I had my camera in my purse. "Oh, but we aren't supposed to take pictures during the worship service," I thought to myself. In that instant, an idea came: "When we start singing a hymn, IF the butterfly is still on her cheek, I'm going to run up there and snap a photo."

The hymn began, everyone stood, except Evelyn. "Now's my chance," I thought, so I scurried up the aisle, asked her permission (knowing that the flash might cause it to fly).

She nodded and whispered, "I want to see this!" I clicked only once and ran back to my seat without knowing until I got home if I was able to capture it or if it would be blurred.

Much to my amazement and to those around her, the butterfly remained there for 40 minutes before moving to her shoulder for a moment, then taking flight. It went up, up, up in the fourstory high Cathedral before flying out the huge windows that had opened during the hymn. Those seated around her watched as it disappeared into the sky.

I know God speaks to us in many ways. He used burning bushes, writing on the wall, and even a donkey, so why could He not use a butterfly? Evelyn and I know it was one of God's messengers.

After church, I talked with Evelyn about what she experienced. She told me that recently she had been sinking deeper and deeper into depression since losing two sons in the last few years. Her grief left little motivation to come to church on this morning, but she came and decided to sit in the seat where her son always sat. Almost immediately, this beautiful winged creature made its way to her and landed. Evelyn said, "The moment it landed, even though I could not see it, I felt an amazing peace come over me. It was as though something was flowing into me. The sadness lifted, peace came, and I felt a new joy. I didn't want it to end! I know it was from God."

God does speak in mysterious ways!

Rhea, What a beautiful touch of God! Praise God for the many signs of His Spirit in the Cathedral-the New Life we have fasted and prayed for-people's lives being renewed! Thank you, dear Rhea, for capturing the moment and for all your prayerful support!

-Dr. Sheila Schuller Coleman,

Executive Director of Ministries and Mission,

Crystal Cathedral

This surely is a messenger from heaven. Throughout the Bible, winged creatures were heavenly beings. God will reveal to you, the true meaning.

-Dr. Juan Carlos Ortiz,

Senior Pastor,

Crystal Cathedral

Oh, wow! That is amazing! I believe in butterflies and birds as message/clues/signs from the Holy Spirit.

-Dr. James Kok,

Pastor of Care Ministries,

Crystal Cathedral

China Connection: A Special Visit from Religious Publications Directors

By Chen Meilin, China Advisor to the Hour of Power

Recently, Crystal Cathedral received two special guests from Beijing, China: Mr. Song Han, the Chief Editor of China Religion Journal; and Mr. Yuanpeng Shi, Deputy Editor of Religious Culture Publishing House. They came to visit and hear about the Hour of Power broadcast ministry. Mr. Han shared that this was his second visit to the Crystal Cathedral, having met Dr. Schuller in 2002 at a special memorial service where Dr. Schuller prayed for world peace and, specifically, for the victims of 9/11. Mr. Han remarked that he keeps a picture taken with Dr. Schuller as a reminder of this memorable meeting.

First-time visitor, Mr. Shi, said he had heard so much about Crystal Cathedral and Hour of Power from Ye Xiaowen, Minister of the State Administration of Religious Affairs, who was a guest speaker at the Crystal Cathedral in October 2005 during China Sunday.

Mr. Han and Mr. Shi both remarked that they had been deeply touched by Dr. Schuller's special relationship with the people in China, which began with Dr. Schuller's uncle Henry Beltman, who built the first Reformed Church in Xiamen, China. Dr. Schuller has continued this love for China, visiting China often and lecturing at universities and other public gatherings, and preaching at a number of churches in China. Dr. Schuller also supported the first China Bible Ministry Exhibition in the U.S., which was held at Crystal Cathedral in 2006. Both Han and Shi graduated from Beijing University where Dr. Schuller has visited and lectured in 2001.

Though the Hour of Power program is not yet shown in China, people in China know Dr. Schuller well, and his possibility thinking has impacted Christians and non-Christians through various websites, books, and other publications. "Possibility thinking not only benefits the churches but also all the people in China," said Mr. Han and Mr. Shi. "Possibility thinking inspires people in China who are suffering from being laid off, facing financial crises, and losing confidence in life. It is an important encouragement! We wish that we could introduce Dr. Schuller's possibility thinking through our magazine and our publication."

Extreme Makeover: "Internal Edition"

By James Penner

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself." -Luke 10:27

Are you happy with who you are? Are you looking at yourself through God's eyes and not the world's? Are you measuring your success through God's meter and not the Financial News Network? Are you happy with who you are? If not - why not? God is! He made you! He loves you! He redeemed you! He has called you by name and you are His! What's it going to take for you to find comfort in these promises of God in your life today?

Dr. Schuller asks that wonderful question, "What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?" So many times we quickly direct this question outward to dream big dreams and reach a fantastic goal. What if we turned that same question inward? What if you strove to be a better mother or father, grandmother or grandfather. To be a better employer or employee, student or teacher. To be a better neighbor.

Martha Washington, the very first First Lady of our nation, was quoted as saying, "I am still determined to be cheerful and happy, in whatever situation I may be; for I have also learned from experience that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our dispositions, and not upon our circumstances."

What if you suddenly decided to become a major source of encouragement in your family, in your neighborhood, or at the office? What kind of a wonderful world would you find yourself living in? Christ asks that you "love your neighbor as yourself." Give yourself an extreme makeover in your attitude and feel the blessings of God pour all over your life.

Good Works Live On to Produce a Miracle

By Ben Hadley

One Saturday afternoon last May, the following experience of God's miraculous grace occurred. A woman walked by the hospitality counter where I was volunteering as a tour guide. After a brief hello, she said that she was not there for a tour but that she was on a personal retreat. She said that she had been an attendee of the Crystal Cathedral many years ago, but due to carbon monoxide poisoning, she had lost about six years of memory. She was back now, trying to become involved more spiritually and attempting to regain the memory of those lost years. I told her that it might be a help to walk through the second and third floor of the Welcoming Center to see the giant photos of this ministry's history.

It was then that she noticed my nametag. "Hadley," she said. "Why does that name sound so familiar to me?" After a bit, she said, "Is there a Lou Hadley here?"

I said, "That was my sister-in-law, married to my brother, Jack. Jack passed away about 10 years ago and Lou followed five years later." She burst into tears and said, "Jack and Lou Hadley. Oh, how much is coming back. I'm all goose bumps. And you know what that means? It means that the Holy Spirit is here with us."

"You are right," I said. "I'm covered with bumps too."

She then continued by telling me how Jack and Lou had helped her during a very hard time in her life raising small children with no father. At that time, Jack and Lou, as volunteers, among the many other things they did at the church, staffed the Tower of Hope lobby on Sunday mornings. This woman, among several others, had young sons who were not really "Sunday school guys." So, Jack took them under his wing and used them as Tower helpers. He showed them how to greet people, how to operate the elevator, where each activity was held, where to run errands, etc. He and Lou took the boys to special events and even took them camping. They came to love Jack and Lou, and Sunday mornings.

So just think! While I was filling in for another tour guide, I wasn't even scheduled to be there, God used my nametag to spark a memory. Now, the memory of the good works of two beautiful saints, now deceased, has been used by God to bring about a wondrous miracle of healing in the life of this future saint. Praise God.

Independence: Where Church and State Come Together

By Dr. Bill Bennett, Crystal Cathedral Pastor

For freedom did Christ set us free; stand fast therefore, and be not entangled again in a yoke of bondage." - Galatians 5:1 (ASV).

The separation of church and state finds its scriptural basis in Mark 12:17 in the declaration of Jesus: "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's". The point where our church and the state come together is our commitment to freedom.

The force that compelled our forefathers to come to America was not only their love for God, but their desire for freedom, as well. Just as freedom was one of the inalienable rights mentioned by Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence, likewise, commitment to freedom is at the heart of biblical faith. In the Old Testament the command given to Pharaoh was to "let My people go," and, in the New Testament, Jesus pronounced freedom as the purpose of His life when He personified the Old Testament scripture, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim freedom to the captives (Luke 4:18). Jesus further proclaimed freedom to be the focus of His ministry when He said, "For you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free"(John 8:32). And, the Apostle Paul stated that, "It was for freedom that Christ set us free." So, we see that the central element of Christian faith and the constitutional mandate of our government is to provide and guarantee freedom. It is at that point, in the support of personal and religious freedom, that church and state come together.

So today we thank God for the freedom that we have: to live in a democratic country, to have freedom of worship wherever and with whomever we wish, to have food on our table and a roof over our head, to have freedom of expression, and to have a government which is established to protect us and our loved ones. We must recognize our duty to support freedom for all people, especially the freedom to worship as they please, and, always remember that, "it was for freedom that Christ set us free."

Dr. Bennett is an ordained RCA minister, who serves as the Lead Pastor for the Crystal Cathedral Sunday Evening Service.

New Hope: Show Up... and Save a Life!

By Dr. Bill Gaultiere, Executive Director of New Hope

Recently Jacqueline, one of our New Hope volunteers, worked an extra shift. A call came in from a woman in the Midwest who was very distressed. She had been fired from her job. Her utilities had just been shut off. And her daughter had been unkind. She had nowhere to go. She said her life was hopeless and that she had a loaded gun and was going to kill herself.

Jacqueline had the woman's cell phone number, but that is difficult to locate. Fortunately, the woman mentioned the name of the street she lived on and Barbie, the counselor assisting Jacqueline, contacted the local police.

Then about twenty minutes into the call, the woman became hysterical and fired her gun. Jacqueline kept talking with her, trying to comfort her, but the woman refused to put down her gun and she refused to calm down. The woman fired her gun again and said that she was writing her suicide note. Jacqueline started crying. The woman was crying. Jacqueline prayed. Finally, the police arrived and they got this woman to a hospital for care.

What if Jacqueline hadn't shown up to volunteer this extra shift? What if Barbie hadn't been there to assist Jacqueline? Together, with God's grace, they saved this woman's life! She will get help now to put her life back together.

You might think that you could never save a life like that. But all it took was...
• Showing up at New Hope to answer the phone.
• Listening, caring, and praying.
• Calling the police so the woman could get to the hospital.

Don't be scared to volunteer to be a hero! Very few New Hope calls are that dramatic. Usually people call because they're lonely or stressed. But when it's a crisis call Jesus and a friend are there to help you. And time after time God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary ministry. He gives you the strength, compassion, and wisdom you need to help others.

Learn how to listen, care, and pray. Led by Dr. Bill Gaultiere, Director of New Hope, and Dr. Jim Kok, Pastor of Care Ministries, a series of New Hope classes will begin soon. For details, call Barbara Barrientos at 714-971-4123.

In Focus: Wayne Champion, The Music Man

Wayne Champion was born into a musical world. His father was the director of choral music at their church. His mother was the organist and pianist. Music and people were their loves and Wayne still majors in both. He plays trumpet and piano and majored in choral composition at Northern Illinois University and Roosevelt University in Chicago. But his strong mellow voice has been his musical gift, along with creating musical productions. That is why you will see during worship services sitting down front near the orchestra, his friends, every Sunday morning. It started in Evanston, Illinois where he was the oldest of six children. Hard work and high standards were values his parents modeled. It is no surprise that a city named him "Businessman of the Year." He knew how to work.

Three sports - baseball, football and track (he was an outstanding hurdler) - occupied his life in high school. Then he was drafted into the U.S. Army where he also started his musical career in earnest.

Wayne's military assignment was police work. He became a prison specialist in the army lockups. But every spare moment, Wayne was onstage singing with The Six Tornadoes of Heidelberg (Germany). He was the one on that fateful night in 1963 who had to share the terrible news that "President Kennedy has been shot."

After his military discharge, Wayne entered the business world. He did well selling for Columbia Ribbon and Carbon. Then he took a big step. When a dealer he knew went out of business, Wayne got a S.B.A. loan and bought in and soon built the small shop into a million dollar a year success. He reflects that, "I was the first black man in that company and I amazed them by my pace-setting ability."

In 1974-1975 his dad died, his wife divorced him, and his business failed. His musical talents kept him going and they continued to grow. He sang on the road with a group called The Playboys and he was a part of The Metropolitan Choraliers of Chicago and several other groups-anyone who called. Meanwhile he kept bread on the table by working as a late night chef at Lutheran General Hospital.

In 1985, Wayne came west, primarily to stretch himself in the musical entertainment world. All its uncertainties meant he also had to have another job. That turned out to be The Toll Road Company, collecting tolls.

Always a man of faith, his job gave him an unusual opportunity to radiate loving-kindness. "I could heal people in three seconds," Wayne says with a beaming smile. "I would make eye contact, smile, and say something like, 'Have a great day-anyway.'" Once an R.N. sent a letter to his bosses telling how Wayne's kindness had consistently brightened her spirits on hard days.

Today Wayne is retired, but consistently producing CDs and singing nightly with "El Mariachi" of Orange. "Each day I ask God to enable me to bless someone with my music or to let my simple human kindness touch a few lives," says Wayne. A wonderful gift of God to our world, Wayne lives his faith every day.