Doctor's Blog

January 2009

THREEFOLD CORD MINISTRIES IS TEAMING UP TO OFFER CRITICAL INCIDENT STRESS MANAGEMENT TRAINING TO CHURCHES AND SCHOOLS

Threefold Cord Ministries joins with staff of Secure Church to speak at Colorado Chapter of National Association of Church and School Safety - March 5-7 at the Mountain Springs Church in Colorado Springs.

Threefold Cord Ministries is moving into a new arena to better minister to families in the church and school setting who have been impacted by a critical incident.

John and Deborah are both trained Critical Incident Stress Management Debriefers through the International Critical Incident Stress Management Foundation. John has advanced training in dealing with critical incidents in the school setting. He is an Ordained Minister and has held several Pastorates and been involved in hospital chaplainacy. He is currently on sabbatical from the Colorado Springs Police Department as a volunteer chaplain. Deborah is a licensed mental health professional with over twenty years of professional experience in working with traumatized individuals, including active duty personnel and dependants. She uses cognitive and behavioral interventions.

Both John and Deborah have hosted numerous seminars and trainings at local and regional levels. They are gifted public speakers.

John and Deborah have personally been onsite during two church shootings and have been strategically involved in mobilizing church staff and trained counselors to minister in the wake of both traumatic incidents.

They are teaming up with John Casey of Secure Church to offer a three-stage program to help churches prepare to mobilize in case of a critical incident.

The entire conference will also include training in preparedness from security specialists, first responders, and medical personnel. John and Deborah's presentation which will take place on Saturday, March 7 from 9:00 to ll:00 a.m. To register or request additional information just visit the weblink below.

For more information visit www.churchandschoolsecurity.org.

Spring/Summer 2008

The Biblical Foundation for

Marriage

Part IV - The Intimacy Factor

    Sondra had been looking for someone to ride into her life and, like a white knight in a fairy tale, carry her away from a father who was both physically and sexually abusive. Phil Garner entered her world and swept her off of her feet with his winsome ways and his polished manners. Sondra told herself that Phil was too good of a catch to let get away. Six months into their relationship, Phil began to pressure Sondra to have sex with him. Sondra was so desperate for love that she reluctantly agreed, telling herself that Phil would eventually ask her to marry him and that they would start a new life together. More importantly, Sondra believed that Phil really loved her. A year later, on their wedding night, Sondra pulled away when Phil tried to make love to her. She became uncomfortable as she recalled the sexual intimacies that she had shared with her new husband prior to their marriage. Where love seemed to have been growing, the seeds of shame sprouted and in the weeks ahead Sondra grew resentful of her new husband as she compared Phil to her own father. Sex was one thing, but linked with intimacy, it became a threatening and uncomfortable side of marriage that Sondra knew nothing about.

    Phil grew confused and then angry when his new bride seemed almost repulsed by him. He didn't get Sondra's new uptight attitude. She was his wife now and he deserved what every husband had the right to expect, didn't he? His frustration and resentment deepened as Sondra pushed him away night after night, or pretended to be asleep.

    Over the next few months Sondra privately cried bitter tears and deeply regretted her marriage to Phil. Her husband buried himself in his work during the day, and often stayed out late at night with friends. Over time the couple exchanged only cool pleasantries, until nothing remained even of their companionship. Theirs was a marriage that would soon end in divorce.

    Sadly, Sondra and Phil both longed for authentic intimacy but never achieved it. Sondra's wounded past, together with the couple's premarital sexual activity, set the stage for a robber to steal from them both the thing they each desired the most; sexual fulfillment in marriage. Neither spouse was able to reach out and share the emotional pain that the other was feeling. Without a faith in God and the three-fold cord spoken of in Ecclesiastes 4:12, the young husband and wife had nowhere to turn for hope and healing. If only someone had been there to reach out to them and help them sort through the myriad of emotions they were feeling; disappointment, distrust, anger, hopelessness, shame.

     Achieving real intimacy in a marriage relationship does not automatically come on the wedding night when bride and groom hungrily seek the elusive fulfillment of shared passion.  Many newly married couples have sadly misread God's recipe for achieving the satisfaction of true intimacy by placing the ingredients of unbridle sexual passion ahead of true friendship, emotional sharing, and spiritual connection.

     Imagine the pent-up anticipation in the heart of a child on the morning of his sixth birthday party. He anxiously awaits the fluffy mounds of colored frosting that shimmer in the candle light from six little birthday candles. The moment arrives but to his deep disappointment, he is given one slice of unfrosted dry cake. Where is the yummy frosting and the promising glow from the birthday candles? Why is the cake bare? This is an illustration of what the newly married bride too often feels when the couple has already engaged in premarital sex and has missed out on the opportunity to build emotional, mental, and spiritual intimacy prior to marriage.

     Real intimacy is a God-given connection that husband and wife are meant to experience and enjoy as they share dreams, goals, the Heavenly Father's love, and the giving of themselves to each other. But when God's order is violated and a man and woman don't build a foundation of mental, emotional, and spiritual intimacy prior to marriage, each spouse is robbed of the joy of shared physical intimacy that rightly belongs in the marriage bed. Old fashioned? Maybe... Truth? Absolutely! If you think about it...the truth of God's plan for marriage is timeless and never outdated! So, guys and gals, men and women, save your selves and your bodies for that one that will be the fulfillment of your dreams.

This concludes our four-part series entitled, The Biblical Foundation for Marriage. For more information on how to have a Christ-centered marriage that is brimming with the joy that God intended, order a copy of Dr. Bauers' book, Three Questions to Heal a Marriage. If you enjoyed this series please take a moment to sign the guest book provided on this site. If you would like Dr. Bauers' to write about other aspects of marriage and/or family relationships, please feel free to leave a request along with your comments.

Winter 2007

The Biblicaly Foundation for

Marriage

Part III - Be All You Can Be

           Empowering Your Spouse

Previously, we defined Grace as having the opportunity to tear down and choosing, instead, to lift up. Just as grace provides the opportunity to build another up, empowerment is the process of doing so. Both the Old and New Testament are full of examples of how God chose and called specific men and women for a particular ministry, and then empowered them to perform the ministry through His Holy Spirit. Empowerment is the Biblical model for encouraging another believer to grow as an individual. It involves supporting and then enabling another to acquire power through the process of developing desirable qualities and characteristics. When we apply this model to marriage, we begin to see that through grace, both husband and wife have the opportunity to learn, grow, and become all that each can be.

In Ephesians 5:25 husbands are called to love their wives as Christ has loved His church. Further light is shed on what this means in Colossians 3:19 where husbands are instructed to love without harshness. In Ephesians 5:28 an admonition is given to husbands to love and nurture their wives, just as they would take care of their own bodies, further defining this love as self-sacrificing. So how does empowering begin in the marriage relationship? The answer may be found in the example of Christ's sacrificial love for the church and the church's response to that love. The Bible teaches that Christ came so that believers might experience the abundance of life that comes from living in an authentic relationship with God (John 10:10). John 1:12-13 teaches that those who place their faith in Christ receive His power to live as a son or daughter of God. The example that has been set for us is--love first--then empower.

The Godly husband is asked to initiate the sacrificial kind of love that Christ has for the church, toward his own wife. If he does so, he will offer to her an unconditional commitment, coupled with grace for those times that she falls short of the mark. As he encourages and supports her, acknowledges her gifts and strengths, and invests in her future, he will empower her to become the woman that God has called her to be.

How does empowering continue in the marriage relationship? In response to her husband's sacrificial love, the wife is instructed to submit to his headship and to be accountable to him, as he is accountable to Christ. Scripture reveals that her response is not one that is commanded or given grudgingly, but given willingly, out of a full heart. What wife would not want to be on the receiving end of such a love that is demonstrated through acts of grace and empowerment? By responding with a submissive heart, she shows her husband that she trusts in him. The circle of empowerment is complete as he now feels empowered by her.

When we consider the whole counsel of God and the full attributes of Christ, we cannot ignore the reality that Christ modeled empowerment through servant hood. In Philippians 2:6-7 we read these words:

Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.

Finally, where do we go to find the grace that is needed to unconditionally love one another and to empower each other, rather than selfishly try to control each other? The answer takes us, once again, back to the heart of who God is. As we live out God's character (Galatians 5:22-23). in our lives by yielding to His Holy Spirit, then we are empowered as we daily ask for, and receive, fresh infillings of God's Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:13).

In our next installment we will teach on The Intimacy Factor in a marriage and how it is developed. Until then,

May God give you His grace and empower you to empower those you love.

The Threefold Cord Ministry Team

Fall 2007

The Biblical Foundation for Marriage
Part II - Grace in the Time of Need

Ted and Margie are struggling with how to parent their teen age son. Ted grew up abused by a father who could not control his anger. He determined a long time ago that he would never lay a hand on his child. Instead, he verbally abuses his wife. Margie came from a well-adjusted, loving home. She simply cannot understand why Ted can't control his anger. Ted has voluntarily become involved in an anger management group and is learning about the destructiveness of his anger. For Margie, Ted's actions are too late and too little. She has already determined that she has had enough and is leaving the marriage.

Sandra and Jeff lost a ten month old baby girl five weeks ago. Like many couples, they have grieved privately, withdrawing from each other. Jeff returned to the office on the day after his daughter's funeral, determined to bury himself in his work. Sandra turned to alcohol to medicate her pain and is well on her way to becoming an alcoholic. Sandra believes that her husband no longer loves her and feels abandoned by him when she has needed him the most. Jeff privately feels a significant amount of guilt over his inability to be there to support his wife, but can scarcely deal with his own pain. Sandra and Jeff are building a wall of emotional distance that will ultimately lead to the death of their feelings for one another and a mutual decision to divorce.

Jeanie and Andrew are joint partners in an interior decorating business. Andrew is the business head and Jeanie's decorating acumen has reached legendary proportions in the industry. Jeanie wants to expand the business to include a third partner, who also happens to be a close friend. Andrew has enjoyed the exclusiveness of the partnership with his wife and doesn't want to see things change. He confides that the partnership has slowly consumed the couple's lives and that his security in the marital relationship has become wrapped up in the partnership. He feels threatened by the potential of adding a third partner, seeing it as the end of any meaningful time spent with his wife. Jeanie sees Andrew's resistance as selfishness on his part, and a deliberate attempt to hold her back from her dreams. She believes that Andrew is threatened by her reputation as a successful interior decorator. This couple's marriage is unraveling due to lack of intimacy, lack of honesty, and wrong assumptions.

In each of these three marriages the bottom line has been reached. Credits and debits have been added and subtracted and the profit margin has been found wanting. One, if not both spouses, in each case has decided that the liabilities in each marriage outweigh the assets and that it is now time for the marriage contract to end. Although all three couples identify themselves as Christians, they will ultimately justify the decision to divorce against the backdrop and subtlety of a post-modern situation ethic that replaces Biblical truth with subjective experience.

What can change the outcomes in these three marriages? The missing ingredient is a gift of grace that can only be extended when the institution of marriage is seen as a covenant between husband and wife. Only then will forgiveness replace indictment and empowerment replace selfishness. A contractual marriages views failure as an opportunity to meat out retribution or dissolve the marriage. The marital covenant frees each spouse to look at the same failure and see it as an opportunity to extend forgiveness, offer undeserved favor, and empower the offending spouse to rise above the sin and become more than he or she has been. In Ecclesiastes Chapter 4: 9-10 we read these words:

Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor.
For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up.

What is grace? Grace is having the opportunity to tear down and choosing, instead, to lift up.

Summer 2007

Happy July 4th everyone! We are pleased to announce to you that Faithwriters Come Away With Me has been released and you can read, within its pages, Deborah's delightfully original take on the crucifixion entitled, The Legend of the Weeping Sycamore. You may order your copy through Amazon.com or through your local bookstore.

Over the next few months, the Dr's. will be sharing one segment each month in a series on the subject of The Covenant of Marriage. Join Deborah as she begins this series with a look at The Biblical Foundation for The Marital Covenant.

The Biblical Foundation for Marriage
Part I - The Covenant

The recorded history of the Hebrew people is redolent with metaphors and stories that reflect the importance of marriage and family. In Genesis 2:23-24 we find God's blueprint for marriage; the joining of a man and a woman in the sight of God. Rabbinical teachings emphasize the importance of procreation as a primary function of the family unit. Even God's richest blessings to his children are passed down from father to child, within the context of the family.

The New Testament scriptures speak to the importance of interpersonal relationships within the family. In the fifth and sixth chapters of Ephesians, The Apostle Paul instructs husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the church; wives to submit themselves unto the care of their husbands; and children to honor their parents. The marriage between man and woman is presented as a picture of Christ's relationship to the church.

The answer to the origin of covenant and its proper place in the Biblical Foundation of Marriage may be found in God's covenantal relationship to His chosen people, the Jews. In Genesis, Chapter 12, we begin to recognize the importance of the role of family as we read about the covenant extended by God to Abraham. God promises that Abraham will be the Father of many nations and that, through him; all the nations of the world will be blessed. So, God reaches down to mankind and extends to him an unconditional promise, a unilateral (one-way) covenant. Almost two thousand years later, God again reaches down and fulfils the Davidic prophecy, as Messiah, The Son of God, comes to redeem His people.

As we examine the way in which God forms a relationship with his creation, we begin to see that God's unconditional love for his mankind forms the basis for his covenant with us. In their book, On Being Family, Anderson and Dennis Guernsey suggest that:

It is covenant love that provides the basis for family. . .Family is where you are loved unconditionally, and where you can count on that love even when you least deserve it" (p. 40, 1985).

When we begin to look at the marital relationship as covenantal commitment, a new theology for how God sees marriage begins to replace our old contractual view of marriage. Unlike a contract, a covenant is not broken. God highlights this truth in Mark 10:9 where we read these words:

Whatever, therefore, God has joined together, let no man put asunder.

A marital contract defines marriage as a potentially term-based relationship which may be dissolved, much like a corporation whose profit margins have slipped. In contrast, a covenantal marriage emphasizes a relationship which is built upon the bedrock of unconditional love and unconditional commitment.

Next month, we will look at the characteristics of a covenantal relationship that create the authentic, living organism-called marriage and family.

February

Spring is on the way, folks! We wanted to let you know that Dr. Bauers' short story, Inside Out, has just been released in FaithWriters Journey of Faith. This book is a wonderfully inspirational anthology of short stories that are sure to captivate your imagination and strengthen your reliance in the promise's of God. You can order your copy through amazon.com or your local Christian bookstore.

John and Deborah are involved in several life-changing events this month. Join them at New Life Church on March 16-18 for the NLC First Life Giving Small Group Conference, featuring guest speaker and author, Henry Cloud.

On March 25th, their daughter Promise Rose will join hands and hearts with Jeremy Garcia, in marriage. John will not only be giving the bride away, but performing the ceremony, as well.

Both of the good Doctors continue to be involved in the development of New Life Church's Critical Incident Response Team, under the auspices of the Life Safety Ministries. The vision is global and includes future plans to train two-member teams that will become available to travel internationally to provide immediate crisis care to hurting families in the aftermath of a traumatic event.

As always, we thank you for your prayers for our ministry. Several of you have sent private e-mails. Drs. John and Deborah try to respond to each of those. Please take the time to sign the guestbook as a record of your having visited this site and joined with us, however briefly, in the ministry of Threefold Cord.

Don't miss checking out our Materials Page to order Dr. Bauers' handbook on Christian marriage that was released in its second edition just a few short months ago. Three Questions to Heal a Marriage is an easy-read model that is jam-packed with tools for strengthening and healing your relationship with your spouse.

Until next time,
The Threefold Cord Ministry Team

January 2006

A belated Happy New Year to all of you who log on from time to time to find out what is happening in our lives and in our ministry.

The year 2005 was filled with significant sadness and loss for our family, but we look forward to the new year with the joy and anticipation that God has prepared new tasks ahead. We are presently involved in several ministry pursuits and would covet your prayers for them.

Deborah is teaching a class this quarter at Kings College and Seminary entitled Emotional Healing. This is an important class for those who are interested in the field of Christian Counseling, as it deals with a responsible approach to the integration of psychology and Biblical Truth.

John continues to be involved as a volunteer Chaplain for the Colorado Springs Police Department. He has recently taken on a new challenge as a regular platelet doner for the local blood bank.

John and Deborah are currently developing a critical incident stress management team for New Life Church and are becoming a part of a larger group of folks who minister as the Life Safety Team. New Life Church is a growing nucleus of over 12,000 believers and has a tremendous outreach not only within the local community, but globally. Pastor Ted Haggard is the Senior Pastor at New Life, as well as the President of the National Evangelical Association. As such, New Life is often in the public eye. Please pray for the Bauers' new ministry at New Life and for the safety of this large body of believers who sheds its light and sprinkles its salt, all over the world.

Drs. John and Deborah believe that God uses their own home as a tool for effective ministry into the lives of others, as their ministry begins within their own family. On March 25, 2006 their daughter will leave their home and begin a new life, wed to the man that she believes God has chosen for her. Deborah takes this opportunity to reach out to her readers who are about to embark on a new season of life called the "empty nest." Letting go is not an easy thing to do, but letting God, is very do-able. John and Deborah are trusting God to be the "third cord" in their daughter's upcoming marriage. Deborah has chosen to share this time of transition with all of you in a poem entitled, Letting Go.

Letting Go

She nestles him close, and for the moment, there is only him.
Two dark pools of liquid reflection, and he's gazing back into her face.
There was another time, long ago, when she looked up at me with those same eyes.
I held her then and cuddled her close, and there was only us.
Now she holds her little son, murmuring softly, a language that only he can understand.
Across the room our eyes meet, and an unspoken apology punctuates the si
She knows I'm hurting; knows, but does not understand.
But then... neither do I.

The pain of separation catches me unaware; I watch her go to him. Blond hair and a winsome smile, and she's raptly drinking in his face. I hungrily watch, hoping to catch a fleeting glimpse of my little girl, To greedily hold her close and for one brief moment, fill up her world -with me.
Now she holds the hands of a man, murmuring softly in words that only he can hear.
Across the room my eyes cloud with tears as memories fill up the space between us.
Be happy for me - Her eyes plead; she does not understand.
But then... neither do I.
I nestle him close, and for the moment, he is the best part of her.
Two dark pools of liquid reflection and I'm gazing into his tiny face. He looks at me with those same eyes; he has his mother's eyes.
I hold him now and for one brief moment, he fills up my world.
And then, Goodbye, she says, as they gather up their lives, whispering of home.
She crosses softly to the door and turning, offers a smile; and then she's gone.
She lightly dismisses me; she does not understand.
But then... how could she? I'm only starting to let go...

Copyright 2006

Until next time, remember to let go...and let God!

The Three-fold Cord Ministry Team

December 2005

It's almost Christmas! We often hear the words, " Christmas is about sharing a season of love with family and friends." While that is partly true, Christmas is really about sharing the Love of Jesus Christ with family and friends. As you gather together to celebrate this season of our Savior's birth, remember that the baby is no longer in the manger. He is risen, He is risen indeed!

Deborah has written a little poem for the season that expresses some of the sentiment that we often feel as we pause during the holiday season to reflect upon the truly important things in life. She dedicates this to all of those who have lost loved ones over the past year; and to the memory of the ones who will be celebrating this Christmas, in heaven.

Old Friend

Old friend, tired friend, you bear your
branches well.
Ah! The weight of all you carry, could so
many stories tell.
Old friend, precious friend, each season spent
it seems,
We add one more momento, branches bending with
our dreams.

As each year passes and our lives are shaped by
all that's been,
We lay aside and pause in time, to gather once
again.
Remembering those who once we loved and
treasuring all that's dear,
For one brief moment in our lives; past
and present both, are near.

For all the joys that we have known and
heartaches, braved through tears,
We've guaranteed that time will not diminish,
through the years;
The memories of what once was so, in our hearts
will always be.
As we hang each memory, one by one, on our old
friend, our tree.

As you host the season's gatherings and parties in your homes,
Remember to invite the most honored guest; the One who's birthday you are celebrating...

And so, from our offices and homes to yours,

A very merry Christmas

November 2005

Blessings, everyone! Just a quick note from me, personally to thank all of you who have lifted my dad and our family up in prayer the past few weeks. Dad went home to be with Jesus on October 29, 2005 and was interred at Ft. Logan National Cemetery in Denver Colorado, on November 4. How fitting, at this season of the year, when we remember with gratitude, the men and women of our country who have worn the uniform to protect our countries' freedoms, that I pause to pay tribute to mydad. Bill Coates was a career Navy man and patriot par excellence. He was also a Godly husband and father and loved the Lord Jesus. Our loss is heaven's gain!

Thanks again,
Deborah

Please pray for John and Deborah as they head out of state for some advanced training to help better prepare them to serve families in the aftermath of a critical incident. Pray for Deborah's family in the recent loss both father and husband. Please remember her mother, Mary, in your prayers as she struggles with the enormous adjustment to being a widow after 59 years of marriage.

Have a wonderful season of Thanksgiving with your families this year and treasure every moment that you have together. The best antidote to regret is never putting off until tomorrow the investment in the lives of those we so easily take forgranted today.

The Threefold Cord Ministry Team

October 2005

Hello, everyone!

We have had a break from the blogging boards this month due to family illness. Deborah's dad is critically ill with kidney failure and severe septsis in the wake of major surgery for gall bladder removal. There is so much that could be shared, but suffice it to say, at this time, we are experiencing the peace and grace of God in the midst of crisis and feel His Divine Presence in our lives. Please pray for William Coates as he fights for his life. Pray that the enemy will not gain a foothold through his illness and that God will be his Great Physician. Thanks so much! We will be back in touch.

September 2005

I awoke this morning to the soft moaning of the wind through the trees outside my window. The aroma of woodsmoke drifted past my nostrils, along with the fragrance of spice, released by the warmth from a nearby kitchen oven. As I lay nestled beneath the folds of my down comforter, I heard the urgent call of a flock of geese migrating overhead. I imagined them chattering amongst themselves, "Hurry, don't stop! Stay in formation; stay together. Winter is coming. Off we go now!
It's time for all of us to take a break from the business of the "stuff" of life and drive up into the hills and mountains to see the Master Painter at work on His latest canvas. Hurry, though, the golds, reds, and orange hues will soon flutter from the trees and blanket the soft earth as God tucks his creation into her long winter sleep. In the heart of the Rockies, this time of the year heralds the gathering of the harvest and preparation for the first frost, followed closely by the freshness of new fallen snow.
Before we know it, the festive holidays of Thanksgiving and Christmas will be upon us. Let me encourage each of you as you ponder your celebration of these special occasions to please consider the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Prayerfully ask how you can share out of your abundance with those who have little or nothing. Remember these spoken words of Christ:

This time of year tends to go quickly around our household. This year will no different. What's on the Bauers' fall agenda?

• Dr. Bauers will be teaching a three-day module class at Kings College and Seminary this fall. If you are in the Colorado Springs area, consider registering to take Crisis Counseling, October 20-22. For more info please contact Kings College and Seminary at 719-590-9507.
• Join Dr. Bauers and Mothers of Preschoolers at New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Co. on October 6th, and hear her speak on the subject of "Speaking Your Child's Language." If you are mother of a preschool child, check out this New Life Church small group ministry. For more information, please contact Renee Strickland at 710-638-0425.

We'll keep you posted as new opportunities arise. Don't forget to check out Three Questions to Heal a Marriage on the Available Materials and Links page.

Until next time,

Blessings to you and yours!

The Threefold Cord Ministry Team

August 2005

Where has the summertime gone, folks? It's that time of the year when school supplies show up in the stores and the evenings begin to grow a bit cooler. Since so many places across the United States have experienced unseasonably warm temperatures, the prelude is, no doubt, a welcome change to many.

Some of you are looking forward to sending the kiddies off to classrooms and resuming the routines that are a part of the regular school year. Others may be facing the onset of the empty nest as you prepare to let go of your teenage son or daughter to the call of the college campus. Just this week, I heard the heartbreaking story of a family who lost their eldest son, only 22 years old, through an accidental death. No one is ever prepared for such a sudden, devastating, change. Perhaps there is a wedding being planned in your household. Soon the bittersweet, shared, goodbye between a father and a daughter will open a new chapter of life for a bride and her groom.

All over the world, changes are occuring; some of them are welcomed and some are unavoidably thrust upon people's lives. As I think about the many faces of change, I am keenfully aware that all of them must share a common ingredient, hope. At the same time, I sadly realize that not everyone faces the changes in life with the kind of hope that sustains. Nor do they look to the future, in faith, believing that all changes are overseen through God's providence.

So, whether you are embracing the changes that are headed your way with joy and anticipation, or, sadly, bowed down with the unconsolable pain of loss, allow these words to inspire and comfort...

CHANGE Every second something changes. Someone's life rearranges. A dad goes off to fight a war. Someone knocks at your front door. A small child enters foster care. A cancer patient loses her hair. A mother stitches pearls and lace. A teenage daughter faces disgrace. A husband starts a brand new job. An innocent bystander gets pummeled by a mob. Every second something changes. Someone's life rearranges. Change is a chance to be used, like a potter Who can take a little clay and just a little water; And casting down the old pot, make a new bowl. Just so, God, the Potter, can make a man whole, Rearranging life's changes, and making a new end to the story, So that in all life's changes, He gets all the glory. Changes big and changes small. Some form of change comes to us all. When change is viewed as merely chance, We fail to see God's providence. For change, like a potter molding the clay, Can be shaped and molded as we pray. And even those changes that break the heart, Are transformed by God as he uses each part Of the pain that we feel to refine and renew us, Into all the good works that He will do through us. So change, when seen through eternal eyes, Brings us one step closer to Paradise.                                                 copyright 2004

Until next time then...soak up those last few summer rays with those that you love.

Change is in the air,

Threefold Cord Ministry Team

July 2005

Hello, everyone!  It has taken some time to get this website all set up and ready to blog, but here we are!  Thanks for your patience!  Although this site is primarily dedicated to keeping our prayer partners and ministry supporters up to date on what is happening in the ministry, Dr. Bauers will be sharing highlights of her writing accomplishments, as well.  Watch for up-to-date news on publishing projects, ministry endeavors, and just about anything that comes from the hearts of John and Deborah-to you. If you would like to comment or request information, please e-mail the good Drs. at talkndoc@hotmail.com. 

• Go the "Available Materials and Links Page" and check out the newly revised edition of Three Questions to Heal a Marriage.  This awesome little 6 x 9 edition of the traditional workbook will tuck into the front of your Bible or a hand carry.  Dr. Bauers has packed this book with "cut-to-the-chase" principles and a purposeful, tried and true model of what a Christ-centered marriage looks like.  Three Questions to Heal a Marriage is an easy read, designed for self-help, but with an appendix for the helping professional included. The content of this book is a culmination of 20+ years of combined experience based upon John and Deborah's Pastoral and Professional counseling experience.

• Deborah is a recent winner in the Fire by Nite short story fiction context.  Fire by Nite features the best in Christian fiction through their quarterly publications.  Visit this Christian writing ministry website at http://www.firebynite.com.  Watch for publication of Dr. Bauers' story, The Choosin' of Sara Farnsworth, and experience a myriad of emotions as Sara learns how to accept the pain of loss and ends up making the most important choice of all.

• Keep a look out for the upcoming publication of Dr. Bauers' short story, Inside Out, in a future Faithwriter's publication.  Deborah was recently honored to learn that Inside Out has been chosen as an "Editor's Choice" piece.  We'll let you know when this publication becomes available.  Join the estimable Dr. Thatcher,  a man who struggles with his own mental health issues.  The conclusion to this story will leave you chuckling and cheering for a man who dares to look inside, and rediscovers a part of himself that he left behind many years ago.

 

Upcoming...

Dr. Bauers is currently working on a sequel to Three Questions to Heal a Marriage entitled, The Questions to Strengthen a Family.  She has two children's stories that are under consideration for future publication. Down the road, Deborah will be sharing some of her devotional material for your enrichment and enjoyment. 

Until next time...

 

Blessings,

 

The Threefold Cord Ministry Team