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.