The men of the sex industry—the gatekeepers. Strip club owners, managers, bouncers.
Before we can get through the doors to talk to the women, there is always a man standing in our path that we must first get through.
This weekend we returned to the San Fernando Valley, the porn capital of the nation, to bring gifts, hugs, and Jesus’ love to the women working in the strip clubs there. In one night, we encountered so many different gatekeepers as we try to reach the women inside.
Some are friendly, expecting us, glad to see us.
Some are suspicious, taking the gift bags hesitantly.
And some seem ashamed of working in the sex industry. Their eyes plead with us for understanding.
We always bring gifts for the men too, so they will be assured that we haven’t come to judge or to attack. We’ve come to give and to love.
We are women reaching out to women. And yet before God created Eve, He created Adam. And to this day, men still hold the keys to the hearts of so many lives of women.
Over the past several years, one club owner has been unrelenting in his “no”—unwilling to allow us access to the women in his club. At one point he showed us the Darwin fish on the back of his car, to prove that he is an evolutionist. He have always respectfully thanked him for his time and each year we return, praying that God would soften his heart.
This time he asked us if there was anything “religious” in our gift bags. We gave him a bag that he could look through to see the make-up, the jewelry, and the card that reads, “Precious woman, you are loved!” He then clarified, “No… I want to know, if I go to your website, is there anything religious there.” One volunteer, without hesitation, replied, “Yes, you will see the name Jesus.”
Jesus, there is power in the name. We were escorted off the property of that club. But not before the owner heard the name that is above all names. Not before the name was spoken that can bring down all strongholds, that can open prison doors, that can bring the dead to life. Jesus.
As we drove away from that club, we knew that a battle had been won. Jesus came to that man’s doorstep.
Nothing will stop God’s love from getting through to the women inside that club. But Jesus also wants the gatekeeper, He wants that one man. He will not give up on him, just as He doesn’t give up on us.
Written by Larissa for Treasures
www.iamatreasure.com
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Be the 1st to read my memoir!
Be the FIRST to read my memoir, Scars & Stilettos!!! See below!
Before you run to the mall & buy your mom another scented candle for Christmas…
Why not give a gift that keeps on giving?
When you purchase our devotional, “Reflections on God Life & Woman”, the darling Treasures T-shirt, or The Diamond Collection, our soulful compilation cd, ALL of the proceeds go to reaching women in the sex industry with the message that they are loved, valued and purposed!
AND! You can be the FIRST to read Harmony’s memoir, Scars & Stilettos! The Treasures store is the ONLY PLACE you can purchase this book before January, 2010! Stock is limited so order your signed copy today! When you buy copies for your friends, you can save from 10-30% off your purchase!
Visit our store for details…. www.iamatreasure.com/store
PS. To request that your signed copy of Scars & Stilettos be personalized, please notate in comment section during check out.
Before you run to the mall & buy your mom another scented candle for Christmas…
Why not give a gift that keeps on giving?
When you purchase our devotional, “Reflections on God Life & Woman”, the darling Treasures T-shirt, or The Diamond Collection, our soulful compilation cd, ALL of the proceeds go to reaching women in the sex industry with the message that they are loved, valued and purposed!
AND! You can be the FIRST to read Harmony’s memoir, Scars & Stilettos! The Treasures store is the ONLY PLACE you can purchase this book before January, 2010! Stock is limited so order your signed copy today! When you buy copies for your friends, you can save from 10-30% off your purchase!
Visit our store for details…. www.iamatreasure.com/store
PS. To request that your signed copy of Scars & Stilettos be personalized, please notate in comment section during check out.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Jesus and the Magic Wand
A Treasure for You: The Treasures E-Devotional
Jesus and the Magic Wand
By Harmony Dust
In the popular story of Cinderella, our heroine goes from handmaid to princess with the wave of a wand. Most of us would say that this sort of transformation belongs in fairytales but, truth be told, many of us are hoping that someone with a magic wand will come along and fix everything that’s wrong with our circumstances.
I have had the opportunity to share my story for a number of media outlets, and time and time again have seen well-meaning producers look for the magic wand in my story. Some have even tried to peg Jesus himself as my own personal fairy godmother…granting my every wish and desire. And while the transformation that has taken place in my heart and life is pretty miraculous (just ask the people who knew me when I had taken up knocking men in the head with my stilettos when they crossed me). I always tell them the same thing, “Healing is most often a process.”
We like the “healing and transformation” part. It’s the “process” part that isn’t always enjoyable. So often we say we want to change, but we end up getting knocked off course by the first wave of difficulty that hits us.
The Gospel of Luke gives an account of the sermon on the mount during which Jesus gives keys on how to live. He addresses everything from giving, fasting, and prayer, to loving people, marriage, and dealing with anger and emotions.
After he finished giving all of this insight and wisdom he says…
I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. Luke 6:47-49
Much of the healing journey consists of the “digging down deep” part this passage refers to. This is where the work comes in. In order to heal and to develop the kind of faith that will withstand the storms of life, we’ve got to do some digging.
I am reminded of a time when the front yard of my childhood home in Venice was filled with crab grass. My mom took my brother and I out there one day with shovels and said it was time for us to uproot it all. She called the crab grass conquering grass, explaining that its roots would choke out any other seed we planted. As long as we let the conquering grass rule our yard, nothing else would be able to grow there.
The same is true with our lives. Some of us are working hard at planting new healthy seeds, but we haven’t uprooted the old stuff. And we wonder why those same old hurts and issues keep rearing their ugly heads in the garden of our lives. Those old, conquering issues are choking out all of our efforts to plant something new.
In order to lay a proper foundation for healing to take place, we have to allow God to dig down deep and uproot the things that are choking our efforts to get well. Abuse, shame from our past, unforgiveness, roots of rejection and abandonment—all need to be removed from the soil of our lives for healing to take place.
Incredible healing and transformation is possible. It’s available. If you have been waiting on Jesus to wave a magic wand over your life and nothing seems to be changing, chances are, He’s handing you a shovel.
Let’s get digging! Let’s get healed!
Love, Harmony
www.iamatreasure.com
Jesus and the Magic Wand
By Harmony Dust
In the popular story of Cinderella, our heroine goes from handmaid to princess with the wave of a wand. Most of us would say that this sort of transformation belongs in fairytales but, truth be told, many of us are hoping that someone with a magic wand will come along and fix everything that’s wrong with our circumstances.
I have had the opportunity to share my story for a number of media outlets, and time and time again have seen well-meaning producers look for the magic wand in my story. Some have even tried to peg Jesus himself as my own personal fairy godmother…granting my every wish and desire. And while the transformation that has taken place in my heart and life is pretty miraculous (just ask the people who knew me when I had taken up knocking men in the head with my stilettos when they crossed me). I always tell them the same thing, “Healing is most often a process.”
We like the “healing and transformation” part. It’s the “process” part that isn’t always enjoyable. So often we say we want to change, but we end up getting knocked off course by the first wave of difficulty that hits us.
The Gospel of Luke gives an account of the sermon on the mount during which Jesus gives keys on how to live. He addresses everything from giving, fasting, and prayer, to loving people, marriage, and dealing with anger and emotions.
After he finished giving all of this insight and wisdom he says…
I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. Luke 6:47-49
Much of the healing journey consists of the “digging down deep” part this passage refers to. This is where the work comes in. In order to heal and to develop the kind of faith that will withstand the storms of life, we’ve got to do some digging.
I am reminded of a time when the front yard of my childhood home in Venice was filled with crab grass. My mom took my brother and I out there one day with shovels and said it was time for us to uproot it all. She called the crab grass conquering grass, explaining that its roots would choke out any other seed we planted. As long as we let the conquering grass rule our yard, nothing else would be able to grow there.
The same is true with our lives. Some of us are working hard at planting new healthy seeds, but we haven’t uprooted the old stuff. And we wonder why those same old hurts and issues keep rearing their ugly heads in the garden of our lives. Those old, conquering issues are choking out all of our efforts to plant something new.
In order to lay a proper foundation for healing to take place, we have to allow God to dig down deep and uproot the things that are choking our efforts to get well. Abuse, shame from our past, unforgiveness, roots of rejection and abandonment—all need to be removed from the soil of our lives for healing to take place.
Incredible healing and transformation is possible. It’s available. If you have been waiting on Jesus to wave a magic wand over your life and nothing seems to be changing, chances are, He’s handing you a shovel.
Let’s get digging! Let’s get healed!
Love, Harmony
www.iamatreasure.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)