dP. testimonies
Hello to all-
I wrote in about a year ago, right after I had gotten my dP. journal...and I just wanted to write again...saying a big thank you for all the work you have put into making this ministry what it is! This morning I took the time to read back through my journal...all the entries...and I realized how much I had forgotten what God has done for me...let me just say, the at the end, I was completely in tears. It's not only teaching me to draw near to God on a daily basis, but to remember what He has done, all the blessings and mercies He has given to me...it's made me so much more thankful! To see God's amazing love even when I am not worthy, and forget His promises! Thank you so much for the journaling concept...the catalyst to help me in my relationship with God! Now, it's time to start a new dP. journal, and I am more excited this time around then I was last time! Thank you all so much!!! The dP. album just seems to get better everyday! The songs are so filled with the Scriptural basis, it's just astounding. Jealous is an amazing song! Thank you Phil, Heather and Elizabeth (and anybody else!!!) for all you have done to help encourage the people of God in a deliberate relationship with Him...
In Christian Love,
sarah conway
Phil and Heather,
I just want to encourage you to continue in the good work which our Lord has begun through you. Your website, blog, audiocasts and resources are all continuous sources of strength, encouraging and motivating me to persevere and not become slack or lazy, in my pursuit of the Lord. There have been many times over the years, when I have determined to seek the Lord daily, only to give up and become haphazard in devotions. You continuously inspire and strengthen me to be FAITHFUL. You remind me of the great treasure which is mine, through God's Word. I pray our dear heavenly Father will strengthen and encourage you both, every day of your lives. I pray for God's blessings over your children, your marriage, and all that you set your hands to do, as you follow Him. Thank you for reaching out in obedience and love, to us all.
Cindy Triplett
Hi Phil, and Heather,
Greetings in the name of our Strong Tower, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I wanted to thank you for your ministry. It has been a blessing. Phil, you have inspired me to read more in my Bible and spend time with the Lord. I read three chapters a day and the Lord has been changing me. I really enjoy listening to all three of your solo albums. And I also have ALL the Newsboys albums as well. I have a little mini- worship service at work between you, and the Newsboys, and the radio. I am really seeking the Lord and seeking after his heart. Phil ,your website is a blessing as well. I watch your videos and also listen to your audio casts - I really enjoy those.
Phil and Heather, my heart has been blessed. I pray for you both and your dP staff and I thank the Lord for both of you. The Lord is Awesome. And He also provides. I am trusting the Lord and I am changing - there are things I need to work on. I am trying really hard especially my mind. I pray everynight that I will be renewed in my mind. May the Lord bless you both as you continue in your ministry. Be encouraged. His Hand is with you. Thanks again for all you do.
God Bless,
Heather Whetsell
Hey, Phil or Official Person Who Answers the E-Mails:
Just a note to say "Thanks!" for the new dP album - I've spent the last two years loving 'Bring It On' and being inspired/challenged by the call of its songs to fall more passionately into love with God - a message I see even more defined and distilled in 'deliberatePeople.'
The albums have had an encouraging & measurable impact on my daily faithfulness with God & His Word . it's certainly hard to sing "and every day I will return" if I haven't been returning every day, and the music is so great that I have & will be singing that line often - a very clever but sneaky ploy, Mr. Joel!
I'll look forward to seeing how the site grows,
Kevin Traube
Phil and Heather,
Hope all is well your way. We have some exciting news to share. First, we have given the CD to our Pastor to watch & listen to and we are going to lunch with him & his wife this Sunday to discuss it with them. Second, we have another church interested in having the ministry presented to them. Third, we are going to approach another church to see if they would be interested in it. Isn't it great to see the Lord at work getting word of this ministry out there to people! We are very excited about all of this. It has been great to do our daily reading together and then discuss it. We both usually end up getting something
different out of it.
Bobby and Beth Blackburn
Dear Phil and Heather,
I want to thank you for being obedient to God's will for you to do this project, dP. It is amazing how God can give you a vision and by doing it so many lives will be changed, and already are. My husband and I lead a couples Bible study group of 8 couples. Cris and I had really been feeling the Holy Spirit leading us to challenge our group to jump in deeper in their relationship with God, but we didn't know quite how to do this, until I opened the journal. My family of five drove to MN for the Christmas break to see family and on the way God spoke to Cris and I as we went over the journal together and shared with each other what God had been saying to us in regards to leading the group this winter and spring. And we just got our answer to prayer. It was so cool. And what has happened in our lives and the group’s lives since is only God's loving and mighty hand leading us all. We got the journals from you for the group on Tuesday and met with everyone on Friday night. (Thanks for sending them so quickly! and for the note...everyone got a copy in their journal to remind them it’s about a relationship not finishing a reading schedule) Anyways, God was so gracious to give us confirmation of our decision to obey him and take a step of faith to challenge this group of young/brand new believers to grow and read daily instead of doing another study book.
One girl came to me the day before the study and asked me to keep her accountable to read the bible every day because she's just not doing it. Boy did she love the journal when we gave it to her the next night. And at the Bible study itself that night as we were passing out the journals another girl said that she couldn't believe what we were doing for our group, because just a month or two earlier she had been up at 5:30am with her baby listening to KLOVE when Phil came on talking about this exact journal from dP. She didn't get to write down the name of the website but knew she would remember such a name as that. Well mommy brain kicked in and she forgot the name in five minutes. Was it desperate people, or dumb people (because that was what she felt for not remembering). She tried to find it on the Internet but to no avail. She has been praying for God to help her remember or find out the website somehow and we were giving her exactly what she had wanted.
And there is so much more I could share that has happened in just this week! Let me just say believers are reading every day and are excited about it and have a hunger for Gods word! These friends of ours are changing before our very eyes. WOW! Not to mention what it is doing for Cris and my own personal lives! WOW there too!
So thank you so much for doing this, for being so real and caring by sending a personal note, and 2006 will be awesome...
Kelly Nelson
Hey, Phil and Heather!
I've actually been meaning to write for a couple of days and let you
know how awesome it's been to be in the Word every single day now for a
whole month! I've read the Bible through before, probably a couple of
times all the way, but for the last several years it seems like I've
really been lazy about making it a daily thing. So I was thrilled to
find out that y'all were doing the deliberatePeople. thing. Somehow it
just seemed like it would be easier to make a commitment if I knew I was
part of a group, and since it was y'all who were leading it, honestly,
that gave me a little more incentive this time around. (I guess
sometimes it takes a little jump start from outside yourself to get
going.) Plus, the CD that you made, Phil, has just really added to the
whole experience. When I need reminding why I'm doing this, I pop the CD
in and the songs just highlight in such a beautiful and heartfelt way
the whole point of staying in the Word -- not because Phil and Heather
Joel are doing it, but because God loves me so much and He really wants
to hang out with me every day, to show me all kinds of amazing and
wonderful things, and to give me a great foundation for everything
that's going to come up in each day. THANK YOU!!
So ... I have stuck with it every day since January 1! Even on the
really busy days, even on Sundays, when I used to "take the day off"
from reading the Bible because I am SO busy on Sundays with Praise Team
and getting my family ready for church (Heather, you know what a
monumental task that can be!) and then being totally exhausted after
church is over, etc., etc. etc. And I am thrilled to say that it's been
an amazing month! God has been showing me all kinds of things, and each
day has been a little "sunnier" than the days when I used to start out
without that time alone with God. I suffer from clinical depression, and
there are many days when it's just hard to face getting out of bed, but
since I've been spending time daily with my Father, I haven't had that
same dread that I used to. That doesn't mean everything has been exactly
/easy/ this past month -- it seems like when you start obeying God,
Satan really hates that, and he starts attacking you in other areas
(like your marriage). But I've handled the hard stuff differently,
better (for the most part) than when I had slacked on my commitment to
stick with the daily God-time.
I love doing the journaling, too! So many times in the past God would
show me something and I might write it down, or I might not, but it
really helps me to keep track of the things He's revealing to me, the
verses that just jump off the page, or sometimes the way all the day's
readings have common threads, even though they weren't planned that way
specifically. It's just cool to see those "God Things" happen, and then
to go back later and re-read them. I'll probably have to order another
journal from you soon!
So thank y'all for taking the time and making all the effort to get
this ministry up and running for us! I can't imagine with all y'all are
involved in how you fit this in, but I'm so glad it's a priority with
you, because it is definitely making a positive impact in my
relationship with God. I pray every day he will bless y'all and the kids
for being obedient to Him and for your precious, precious hearts for Him.
Grace & peace,
Stacy Aannestad
phil and heather,
hi! thank you both so much for all the work you all have put into the deliberatePeople. ministry! I'm really benefitting from it! Since i've started doing the dP. journal, i've really been devoted to having a quiet time every morning. i'm found a love for God's Word like i've never had before! each morning it's a joy to open my Bible, and read from the selected passages. to have the "daily bread" from the Word of God. it helps me to see the areas in which i fall short of the glory of God (and, believe me, there's a bunch!) the prayer guide is amazing! i've always known you were supposed to pray like Jesus taught, but i'd never had it broken down into what you're really supposed to pray...i feel like i'm starting all over again! falling more, and more in love with Jesus everyday!
thank you both so much! i really feel like "2006 will be a year to remember!" i'm so excited to be doing this with other believers! it's a great ministry...and God will bless you both for loving His truth, and seeking to help others do the same! you both are a true blessing to me! the dP. album is really inspiring...to put it on during the day, it helps me to remember all the things i learned that morning! thank you so much!
love in Christ,
sarah
Phil and Heather-
Yesterday the Holy Spirit showed me something that I wanted to share with you. Just as it is easier for a soldier to be hit if he is not moving, the same is true in spiritual warfare. If we become stationary in our walk/spiritual growth with the Lord, it is easier for the enemy to hit us and eventually we will run out of ammunition, we will run out of food and water, we will get weak, and we can become defeated, injured, or so disabled that we don't produce fruit.
We also don't want to get pinned down in a stationary position because it is there that we get depressed, lonely, and hopeless. That is why being deliberate about pursuing the Lord is so important. The more we move in our spiritual growth/walk with the Lord the, harder it is for the enemy to hit us. And as long as we keep moving the enemy can't pin us down.
Also it's just as important that we keep seeking after the Lord when it seems as though the enemy has retreated and after we have won a battle. For the Christian soldier there is always another battle waiting, for us (the body of Christ) the war will not be over until the Lord returns (or for individually when we are absent from the body). We need to always be prepared for the enemy and the best way to do that is by the way you and Phil already know; by having that deliberate, scheduled, personal time alone with the Lord and walking in the Spirit in all we do. ... So you see, it's like I told you a couple of months ago...thank you and Phil for starting the deliberatePeople. website...it is much needed and much appreciated.
Valeri Hart
Phil and Heather,
Thank you for your obedience. My pastor introduced a "Read the Bible in a year" plan to our church and I started doing that a while back but I didn't stick with it and became very negligent in being in the Word. I began to earnestly seek a closer walk with Him and found that by making myself available for God's plan through His word, a clear message would be revealed. Seek and you shall find! I have been in prayer for the last 2 years about God's direction for me.
I am a Christian Artist( visual fine artist) and for so long I've known that the gift of art was meant to glorify Him; I just wasn't sure how to go about doing that. Through this search and discovering dp, I've been called to spend the time with Him that He so rightly deserves. When I found your site and downloaded the dp reading plan I immediately felt a sense of accountability. When I see the printout it reminds me to keep searching and spending time with him, daily. God has been opening doors and showing me that the gift of art needs to be used in full ministry for Him. Thank you for helping me and others see the need to stay in the word and to be open to God's will in our lives no matter where that may lead.
His Peace,
Rebecca Chamberlain
Gossamer Wings Art Studio
Happy New Year to all at dP!
I hope you had a beautiful Christmas! I am enjoying all I'm learning in starting on my dP. journal - I have a couple of girlfriends online who are already keeping me accountable in my daily reading, and it sure makes a difference. You have entered us into a whole new side of our friendships, with studying God's word together – it’s been a blast already! Amazing how your comprehension doubles when you discuss it with someone, daily!
You guys mean a lot to us, thank you for your inspiration.
In Christ,
Celena Gregg
Hey Phil and Heather,
This is Corey Edmonson, I just want to let you guys know how much The deliberatePeople album has meant to me. A few months ago, around the begining of December, I went through one of the toughest weeks I had ever gone through. It was hard mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and phyisically. I was about 2 weeks away from finishing up my last college quarter of the year. All in one week my car broke down, I had a major project in each class due very soon, (totaling 4 projects), I had a bad situation at work that was bothering me with my manager, I wasn't sure if I was going to get the three weeks off for Christmas that I needed, a roomate situation that I was a little concerned about, all kinds of stuff.
I have gone through difficult stuff before, and God had ALLWAYS been there. But this
particular week, it was so hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I knew God was there, but I was wondering "how long will this go on, Lord?" But every morning as I got on the bus, I listened to the DP album on my head phones, and it was so encouraging to me, because I knew that God WAS there and that he was testing and stretching my faith. The lyrics that really spoke to me were from Drainpipe, Burning Down, and Jealous. And it was just a reminder that God is always near, and He cares and loves us so much, and listening to that cd, really helped me get through that week. And then, a week later it was all over. I finished my projects, I got the time off from work that I needed, I got my car out of the shop, and everything was back to the awesome way that it was, the way that only God can make happen.
So thank you guys for pouring yourselves into this ministry, Bless you guys!-
Corey E.
Hi! My name is Rebekah Ward and I'm not entirely sure that you will ever see this e-mail but I am hoping you will so that you may know what a true encouragement and blessing you and your family are to me and my family. Recently, we have been through a traumatizing experience. While going out to get the mail and also while carrying my then 9 week old son, Jackson, I fell causing him to hit his tiny and fragile head on the concrete. That day, Jesus, through your music, brought me and my husband Matt to the peaceful place that we needed to be in order to pray effectively and make the best decisions regarding our son. Because of prayer and your hope building music, Jackson is ALIVE and growing to be a chubby happy boy. And, ironically, your music is the only thing that get's him to sleep in the carseat on trips. Thank you and Jesus will bless you because of your faithfullness to fufill His calling. Know that you are touching lives...including the tiny ones, like my baby's.
Rebekah and Matt Ward
Dear Phil and Heather,
Grace and Peace to you in the name of our Lord Jesus!
First of all let me say that it has been such a blessing reading your thoughts on your time with the Lord. I really can go into a long letter telling you how God has brought me to this point and what in impact your ministry as well as the newsboys has had on my life these past two years. BUT! I'll save that for a "coffee session" in the future. Just know that it has been awesome finding like-minded people reagarding the word of God and what a privelege it is to be able to read it, let alone share it together. Thank you for your kinship! I am grateful for it!
By the way, I love your dp cd. However, I can't listen to it anymore. It makes me cry because I myself have a prodigal. A mother's heartache never subsides. Still I have complete faith in the Lord for taking care of him... out there.
Well on to why I started this letter to begin with! Just to share with you that the Lord is awesome and shows us how much He cares about everything in our lives and weaves everything together! He recently brought us to a church that is reading the bible in a year. In fact, I believe they are using your daily devotional. Well, we had started dpdd as a family on January 1st and quickly got derailed. But the Lord intervened and now, here we are at this new church and He has put us "back on track"! I'm telling you reading your entires and hearing the Sunday sermons has brought it all together. With the difficult things we are going through (and also close friends around us) I found myself reading less and less. (Why is that? Why don't we RUN to the Lord instead of neglect Him?) Anyway, the Lord is so patient with us and knows our deepest needs. He is so good. Praise Him!
In His Matchless Name!
Blessings,
Sandy Villanueva
Palmdale, CA
Dear Phil and Heather,
My name is Matthew Nixon and I want to thank you for all three of your albums. They have just totally blessed me by drawing me closer to Jesus. I read my bible every night and it gets to where I can't hardly set it down!!! I am 21 years old and graduated from college 1 year ago. I have a full time job at John Deere that God has totally blessed me with. I graduated from automotive and here God gave me a job I did not expect. I could not have picked a job so good for me. I give all the credit to Jesus my savior!!!!! Thank you for your music that encouraged me through two years of college and one year of work. PLEASE keep using your talents and I pray the love of God will fill you both!!!!
God Bless,
Matt