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Mid-Year 2018 Newsletter
Windows on the
A publication of Desert Stream Ministries
Water
By Andrew Comiskey
With pleasure, I submit to you the best of my blogs, in the eyes of
the DSM/LW staff. The following may help distill what we are about—what best defines our
‘water’ world. I could not be more pleased that my colleagues made these selections out of
hundreds of choices. I will briefly summarize their import. Enjoy.
The first selection—‘Love’—is a simple meditation on Jesus’ self-giving. Love Himself gave
all to gain us. We have hope because God made Himself known to us in Jesus. Our response
to ‘Love’ is prayer, so the next selection is fittingly: ‘Why Pray?’ Desert Stream is essentially a
prayer ministry. We as a staff start each day in prayer, often end our day together in prayer,
and sponsor two 40-day prayer/fasting times annually. All our pastoral care efforts begin and
end with prayer. Prayer conveys the truth that without Him, we can do nothing (John 15:5).
We pray that we might reflect Jesus in our sexual lives, namely the beauty and strength of
His holiness, or chastity. ‘Beauty Trumps Brokenness’ highlights how beautiful Jesus calls all
persons, regardless of their starting points, onto chastity. That levels the playing field (no-
one greater than another) on which Jesus meets us in an intimate bond of love. United with
Him, we begin to integrate our longing for meaningful human connection with our hunger
for God.
‘Contending for the Bride’ is a prophetic declaration of our mission: we are called to
champion her—the Church—as the purveyor and provider of chastity through helping her
members find godly freedom in their sexual and relational selves. The world is getting more
fractured all the time; we the Church must become radiantly whole in our embrace of the
broken. An example of that ‘embrace’ lies in ‘Letter to a Vulnerable Friend’ in which I advise
Christian friends of the ‘transgendered’ to love with reason and truth those tormented by
popular lies. This is the Church’s hour to shine for the dignity of a generation at-risk.
‘Struck Down, Deployed’ describes how God uses loved ones’ bad choices to convert us:
to render us both candidates and conduits of Living Waters for others. Lastly, ‘The Nations
Return’ describes God’s severe mercy in breaking apart the old world of Living Waters in
order to give us a smaller yet truer one. We as a ministry died and now live to change the
world. DSM
Love God gave
everything for us
I want to rest in the arms of the
One who fought for me. I want to
know that sweetness in full. To do so,
Oswald Chambers quotes St. Paul: ‘I
have been crucified with Christ and I
no longer live, but Christ lives in me’
(Gal. 2:20); “These words mean the
breaking of my independence with
count the ways.
Why
Why pray more? Let me
First, we are continually knifed by
the jagged world and jagged worldly
Pray?
Fourth, prayer primes us to
at Calvary. He poured my own hand and surrendering to people who we love so much we hate intercede for the hard-hearted. ‘I
out His life, which is the the supremacy of the Lord Jesus… them. Instead of dulling ourselves by weep because you don’t’, said St.
best definition of love I know. it means breaking the husk of my any number of drugs, prayer invites Jean Vianney but we can do
We have all (I hope) known individual independence of God, and us into the presence of God who our part. We cry out to the
someone who sacrificed for the emancipating of my personality always asks: ‘Where is your heart?’ Father on behalf of loved
us. But he or she did not give with Himself, not for my own ideas, Frankly, I often don’t want to know. ones, certain that as the good
everything. God did. He died but for absolute loyalty to Jesus.” I want drugs! But more than drugs, I Shepherd left good sheep
for us. Lent then is an opportunity to want peace, real peace that runs like behind to rescue us He
He died for us in order to let go of specific distractions so we a stream underneath my touchy self will do the same for them
gain us: He died to draw near to can know Him more. It is simple: we and wells up as I quiet my heart, feel (Luke 15:3-7). Remembering
us, to be with us, to calm us with give Him more space to love us; in the pain, and begin to allow living His generosity toward us
His Presence, to speak words we gratitude, we love Him back. That water to help me unload any number inspires gratitude which
...God, can hear, to nourish us with His rhythm sets in motion the ordering of conflicts I processed poorly in the fuels our eloquent
body and blood. He ‘who lives in of our other loves, the people He calls hurried hours. petitions: ‘Get him (or
unapproachable light, whom no us to love. Second, prayer heals us. We her) God!’ We must
the blessed and one has seen or can see’ (1 Tim. 6:16) Immersed in His Spirit of love, pray more because the world isn’t persist like one who
pounded on the judge’s
humbled Himself in His Son and we may hurt when we discover that getting any better for us and we are
only Ruler, the came closer to us than a mother or a we have loved others poorly, be it in not getting any better in facing its door til the old crank got up
lover ever could. needing another too much out of demands. The cure? More prayer, and acted rightly (Luke 18: 2-8).
King of kings and Love means God comes near to disordered desire or withholding love which is the way we unite with the
Lord of lords, who
alone is immortal
us in Jesus. We who are little and
rebellious and unable to love Him
back now have access to God through
because one threatened us or did not
give us what we wanted.
Our pain is good. Weep and
One who loves us more than we
love Him and who through Jesus
surrounds and confirms us as beloved
But if I say, The logic is sure—if a divided man
this Jesus. We are not alone anymore. rejoice in His mercy that renews sons and daughters who need help. “I will not mention arose for her, how much more will
and who lives in Because of Him, we need not be our efforts to love others better. The I pray because I need help. Always.
his word or speak
Almighty God?
destabilized by other lovers. All He Lord is faithful. He will not leave us I cannot say ‘yes’ to His will today Fifth, prayer prepares us to answer
unapproachable asks is that we give everything to Him. alone in our human loves. He loves without Him. I am His and I want
anymore in his
our prayers or someone else’s. As we
That seems like a lot. But it’s the us and them too much! He converts His will to be mine. In prayer I re-up welcome His generous love afresh
light, whom no one only way we can live happy lives. To us continuously with His self-giving by fixing the eyes of my heart straight
name,” his word is in and pray for that generosity to lance
know Him but to serve other gods is until we love as He does. By the time on Him who gave all to gain me. our beloved’s heart, we are primed to
has seen or can see. torture, hell before hell. Discovering we see Him face-to-face, we may well Third, prayer softens our hearts. my heart like a fire, a make Jesus known however and to
To him be honor the secret of surrender opens to us the
music of the spheres, the peace that
love others better than we do now.
DSM
Only Jesus makes me cry. It’s a good
cry, born of gratitude for His self- fire shut up in my
whomever He wills. I love being an
answer to another’s prayer! How can
and might forever. surpasses understanding, unbounded giving, which frees me to release the
bones. I am weary of
we not spill onto another if we have
joy. We die to worldly distractions in everyday grief over the truth that I been before His altar where living
Amen. 1 Timothy 6:15-16 order to rest in holy love, to enjoy the have little or no control over things
holding it in; indeed,
waters are ever-rising (Ezek. 47)?
fruit of His suffering—the Creator’s in my life. My certainty is Him. I Declare Him or burst (Jer. 20:9)!
desire for intimate union with His
human creation.
am being weaned off the world and
secured in Him.
I cannot. Jeremiah 20:9 Why pray more? Prayer changes
everything. DSM
2 816.767.1730 www.desertstream.org Thirty-eight Years of Healing, Equipping and Proclaiming 3
Love God gave
everything for us
I want to rest in the arms of the
One who fought for me. I want to
know that sweetness in full. To do so,
Oswald Chambers quotes St. Paul: ‘I
have been crucified with Christ and I
no longer live, but Christ lives in me’
(Gal. 2:20); “These words mean the
breaking of my independence with
count the ways.
Why
Why pray more? Let me
First, we are continually knifed by
the jagged world and jagged worldly
Pray?
Fourth, prayer primes us to
at Calvary. He poured my own hand and surrendering to people who we love so much we hate intercede for the hard-hearted. ‘I
out His life, which is the the supremacy of the Lord Jesus… them. Instead of dulling ourselves by weep because you don’t’, said St.
best definition of love I know. it means breaking the husk of my any number of drugs, prayer invites Jean Vianney but we can do
We have all (I hope) known individual independence of God, and us into the presence of God who our part. We cry out to the
someone who sacrificed for the emancipating of my personality always asks: ‘Where is your heart?’ Father on behalf of loved
us. But he or she did not give with Himself, not for my own ideas, Frankly, I often don’t want to know. ones, certain that as the good
everything. God did. He died but for absolute loyalty to Jesus.” I want drugs! But more than drugs, I Shepherd left good sheep
for us. Lent then is an opportunity to want peace, real peace that runs like behind to rescue us He
He died for us in order to let go of specific distractions so we a stream underneath my touchy self will do the same for them
gain us: He died to draw near to can know Him more. It is simple: we and wells up as I quiet my heart, feel (Luke 15:3-7). Remembering
us, to be with us, to calm us with give Him more space to love us; in the pain, and begin to allow living His generosity toward us
His Presence, to speak words we gratitude, we love Him back. That water to help me unload any number inspires gratitude which
...God, can hear, to nourish us with His rhythm sets in motion the ordering of conflicts I processed poorly in the fuels our eloquent
body and blood. He ‘who lives in of our other loves, the people He calls hurried hours. petitions: ‘Get him (or
unapproachable light, whom no us to love. Second, prayer heals us. We her) God!’ We must
the blessed and one has seen or can see’ (1 Tim. 6:16) Immersed in His Spirit of love, pray more because the world isn’t persist like one who
pounded on the judge’s
humbled Himself in His Son and we may hurt when we discover that getting any better for us and we are
only Ruler, the came closer to us than a mother or a we have loved others poorly, be it in not getting any better in facing its door til the old crank got up
lover ever could. needing another too much out of demands. The cure? More prayer, and acted rightly (Luke 18: 2-8).
King of kings and Love means God comes near to disordered desire or withholding love which is the way we unite with the
Lord of lords, who
alone is immortal
us in Jesus. We who are little and
rebellious and unable to love Him
back now have access to God through
because one threatened us or did not
give us what we wanted.
Our pain is good. Weep and
One who loves us more than we
love Him and who through Jesus
surrounds and confirms us as beloved
But if I say, The logic is sure—if a divided man
this Jesus. We are not alone anymore. rejoice in His mercy that renews sons and daughters who need help. “I will not mention arose for her, how much more will
and who lives in Because of Him, we need not be our efforts to love others better. The I pray because I need help. Always.
his word or speak
Almighty God?
destabilized by other lovers. All He Lord is faithful. He will not leave us I cannot say ‘yes’ to His will today Fifth, prayer prepares us to answer
unapproachable asks is that we give everything to Him. alone in our human loves. He loves without Him. I am His and I want
anymore in his
our prayers or someone else’s. As we
That seems like a lot. But it’s the us and them too much! He converts His will to be mine. In prayer I re-up welcome His generous love afresh
light, whom no one only way we can live happy lives. To us continuously with His self-giving by fixing the eyes of my heart straight
name,” his word is in and pray for that generosity to lance
know Him but to serve other gods is until we love as He does. By the time on Him who gave all to gain me. our beloved’s heart, we are primed to
has seen or can see. torture, hell before hell. Discovering we see Him face-to-face, we may well Third, prayer softens our hearts. my heart like a fire, a make Jesus known however and to
To him be honor the secret of surrender opens to us the
music of the spheres, the peace that
love others better than we do now.
DSM
Only Jesus makes me cry. It’s a good
cry, born of gratitude for His self- fire shut up in my
whomever He wills. I love being an
answer to another’s prayer! How can
and might forever. surpasses understanding, unbounded giving, which frees me to release the
bones. I am weary of
we not spill onto another if we have
joy. We die to worldly distractions in everyday grief over the truth that I been before His altar where living
Amen. 1 Timothy 6:15-16 order to rest in holy love, to enjoy the have little or no control over things
holding it in; indeed,
waters are ever-rising (Ezek. 47)?
fruit of His suffering—the Creator’s in my life. My certainty is Him. I Declare Him or burst (Jer. 20:9)!
desire for intimate union with His
human creation.
am being weaned off the world and
secured in Him.
I cannot. Jeremiah 20:9 Why pray more? Prayer changes
everything. DSM
2 816.767.1730 www.desertstream.org Thirty-eight Years of Healing, Equipping and Proclaiming 3
Contending for the Bride
A tough woman careful
to avoid the gaze of others hears a
Chastity:
man asking for her help. She turns
toward Him. Jesus needs water, yes,
but more than that He wants to give
her what she needs—mercy that will
well up from her depths and satisfy ‘Zeal for His House has LGBTQ+ community can stand. seriously and are doing the hard
Consumed Me.’ John 2:17 We unite under one gracious work to get free.’
her forever. We discover her morally
In order ‘to contend for the faith hope—Christ Crucified—and one
broken state later in John 4; all that 3. We provide real outlets where
matters now is that Love has come
to her and that Love alone can make
her whole.
Beauty Trumps Brokenness entrusted to all the saints’ (Jude 3),
we must follow Jesus into the House
of His Father and purge ourselves
goal, the encounter between the
blood and water, and our gendered
selves. Only Almighty Mercy can
people can get free. I am troubled
by communities which preach
the truth beautifully but provide
of what divides us. Yes, we must dissolve the catastrophic impact
Chastity is all about wholeness. little if any in-depth pastoral care
come into the light of fellowship and of sin upon what it means to
Far from the pale and passive face and fear and exaggerated desire ‘wells’ behind and journey with Him for sinners who need it. We must
enlist the help of others, and yes, be male and female, created in
we ascribe to it, chastity gives as we are generous self-giving. No toward chastity, the art of generous recognize the healing army that is
no-one can cast out our personal His image. We must keep the
generously, purposefully. ‘The matter. Though God’s image in us self-giving? there (and refer!) while adding to
temple robbers but us. Our decision message simple and clear—the
successful integration of sexuality may be broken, it is not destroyed. ‘Father of mercy, You made me its ranks by getting free ourselves.
to refuse every altar but Christ Cross invites every person to enter
within the person’ (CCC#2337) Something deeper in us longs to and now You seek to redeem me. Then, as our gift to the Church,
Crucified is nothing short of a that healing flood, and we in
means that we can be liberated from become potent in love and lovely You know me better than I know we accompany real sinners who
miracle of God’s mercy—His fiery the Church must be constant in
lust and rigorous self-concern and in response to it. While we have myself. I ask for the mercy to linger desire freedom: real repentance
kindness (mirrored in His members) extending that invitation.
free to offer ourselves to others for breath, we represent Him on earth in Your presence and wait for You. I unto the real Jesus who shows us
. . . for zeal
their good. as either male or female, of which am confident that Your eyes of Love persuading us that holy Presence the Father and His all-surpassing
Jesus embodied that self-giving the Catechism sings: ‘Each of the will reveal what is truest and best beats the unstable presence of other power to restore what is broken.
as a man—as God yes, but most two sexes is an image of the power about my humanity. I marvel at how lovers any day.
4. Under the one Cross, we fight
definitely as a man. He is tender and tenderness of God, with equal I am made to be like You. I welcome Then we are ready to give all for
the saving of many lives—contending
for your house for the truth of every person’s
and strong. Jesus is appealing, and dignity though in a different way’… You as my Source, the Love I need to
probably as puzzling to the Samaritan their union grants them a share live and to give as a sexual, gendered for the Gospel and its power to consumes me, and gendered dignity, regardless of
their confusing starting points.
transform broken lives through
woman as He was desirable to her.
No matter: Jesus was clear in love;
‘in the Creator’s generosity and
fecundity.’ (CCC#2335)
being. Spring up, O Well.’’ DSM
the Church. We fight against the insults of those We summon it, we contend for
every stronghold of thought that it as part of what it means to be
. . . but whoever who insult you fall
clear in what was best for her. Bearing His image means that an ambassador of the Gospel. In
In that way, Jesus the merciful is we can know this truth—you are a dulls and blurs the goal of purity
the same way that we lovingly
also Jesus the chaste. Chastity means good gender gift. Marriage is but and wholeness (aka chastity). We
contend against the sick mercy of
on me. Psalm 69:9 silence the Pharisee, so we refuse
His gendered, sexual self is united—
in no conflict—with His worship
one expression of such gift-giving.
Your masculinity is potent, capable
drinks the water I ‘gay Christianity’ and against the sick the false ethnos of the LGBTQ+
community. Under the one Cross,
of the One. Seamless integrity: of engendering life in others; give them will never truth of pounding vulnerable ones
with Scripture and Church teaching
2. We preach the full range of sins
against chastity, beginning with we recognize two natures—male
the chaste Son’s need for ‘water’ in your womanhood is creative in and female—, and one goal,
whatever form was sourced in the its exquisite response to such life. thirst. Indeed, the without lending a hand to help them common ‘heterosexual’ ones
we often wink at—misogyny, that estranged children of God
River of His Father’s love for Him. Whether single or married, chastity overcome real conflicts. (Spoiler
Committed to the Father’s will alone, is the virtue that frees us to grow water I give them alert: this takes time, sometimes misandry, porn and romantic encounter the Father and become
beloved sons and daughters,
a lifetime…) Troubling too are addictions, divorce, abuse, weird
His very human encounters with
women and men alike resulted in
into the gift we are and to learn to
offer that gift.
will become in them evangelical churches so intent on sexual legalism (everything but empowered to resume the journey
reaching the LGBTQ+ community intercourse), etc. After that, it’s to wholeness. DSM
greater wholeness in their lives, as we
shall see throughout these six weeks.
Scary yes. The Samaritan woman
may have averted Jesus’ gaze
a spring of water that they naively adopt non-biblical water off a duck’s back to
We are not Jesus, nor are we altogether had He not met her with welling up to eternal language and ethics and become
converted by good ‘gay’ people.
preach repentance to the
more obviously confused—
exact replicas of the pre-fallen such kindness. Similarly, He meets
pair who celebrated their loss of us with Almighty mercy, longing life. John 4:14 We roll up our sleeves and fight for:
‘Come into the water
with us; we won’t throw
loneliness in bold, shame-free sexual only to unite us with Himself. He is
1. The lifting up of the One Cross in stones but we will take
love (Gen. 2:18-25)! Today we live the source of ‘living water’ who seeks
order to redeem the two natures— your sins seriously, even
East of Eden, as inclined to shame to well up in us. Might we leave old
male and female. Under Christ, no as we have taken ours
4 816.767.1730 www.desertstream.org Thirty-eight Years of Healing, Equipping and Proclaiming 5
Contending for the Bride
A tough woman careful
to avoid the gaze of others hears a
Chastity:
man asking for her help. She turns
toward Him. Jesus needs water, yes,
but more than that He wants to give
her what she needs—mercy that will
well up from her depths and satisfy ‘Zeal for His House has LGBTQ+ community can stand. seriously and are doing the hard
Consumed Me.’ John 2:17 We unite under one gracious work to get free.’
her forever. We discover her morally
In order ‘to contend for the faith hope—Christ Crucified—and one
broken state later in John 4; all that 3. We provide real outlets where
matters now is that Love has come
to her and that Love alone can make
her whole.
Beauty Trumps Brokenness entrusted to all the saints’ (Jude 3),
we must follow Jesus into the House
of His Father and purge ourselves
goal, the encounter between the
blood and water, and our gendered
selves. Only Almighty Mercy can
people can get free. I am troubled
by communities which preach
the truth beautifully but provide
of what divides us. Yes, we must dissolve the catastrophic impact
Chastity is all about wholeness. little if any in-depth pastoral care
come into the light of fellowship and of sin upon what it means to
Far from the pale and passive face and fear and exaggerated desire ‘wells’ behind and journey with Him for sinners who need it. We must
enlist the help of others, and yes, be male and female, created in
we ascribe to it, chastity gives as we are generous self-giving. No toward chastity, the art of generous recognize the healing army that is
no-one can cast out our personal His image. We must keep the
generously, purposefully. ‘The matter. Though God’s image in us self-giving? there (and refer!) while adding to
temple robbers but us. Our decision message simple and clear—the
successful integration of sexuality may be broken, it is not destroyed. ‘Father of mercy, You made me its ranks by getting free ourselves.
to refuse every altar but Christ Cross invites every person to enter
within the person’ (CCC#2337) Something deeper in us longs to and now You seek to redeem me. Then, as our gift to the Church,
Crucified is nothing short of a that healing flood, and we in
means that we can be liberated from become potent in love and lovely You know me better than I know we accompany real sinners who
miracle of God’s mercy—His fiery the Church must be constant in
lust and rigorous self-concern and in response to it. While we have myself. I ask for the mercy to linger desire freedom: real repentance
kindness (mirrored in His members) extending that invitation.
free to offer ourselves to others for breath, we represent Him on earth in Your presence and wait for You. I unto the real Jesus who shows us
. . . for zeal
their good. as either male or female, of which am confident that Your eyes of Love persuading us that holy Presence the Father and His all-surpassing
Jesus embodied that self-giving the Catechism sings: ‘Each of the will reveal what is truest and best beats the unstable presence of other power to restore what is broken.
as a man—as God yes, but most two sexes is an image of the power about my humanity. I marvel at how lovers any day.
4. Under the one Cross, we fight
definitely as a man. He is tender and tenderness of God, with equal I am made to be like You. I welcome Then we are ready to give all for
the saving of many lives—contending
for your house for the truth of every person’s
and strong. Jesus is appealing, and dignity though in a different way’… You as my Source, the Love I need to
probably as puzzling to the Samaritan their union grants them a share live and to give as a sexual, gendered for the Gospel and its power to consumes me, and gendered dignity, regardless of
their confusing starting points.
transform broken lives through
woman as He was desirable to her.
No matter: Jesus was clear in love;
‘in the Creator’s generosity and
fecundity.’ (CCC#2335)
being. Spring up, O Well.’’ DSM
the Church. We fight against the insults of those We summon it, we contend for
every stronghold of thought that it as part of what it means to be
. . . but whoever who insult you fall
clear in what was best for her. Bearing His image means that an ambassador of the Gospel. In
In that way, Jesus the merciful is we can know this truth—you are a dulls and blurs the goal of purity
the same way that we lovingly
also Jesus the chaste. Chastity means good gender gift. Marriage is but and wholeness (aka chastity). We
contend against the sick mercy of
on me. Psalm 69:9 silence the Pharisee, so we refuse
His gendered, sexual self is united—
in no conflict—with His worship
one expression of such gift-giving.
Your masculinity is potent, capable
drinks the water I ‘gay Christianity’ and against the sick the false ethnos of the LGBTQ+
community. Under the one Cross,
of the One. Seamless integrity: of engendering life in others; give them will never truth of pounding vulnerable ones
with Scripture and Church teaching
2. We preach the full range of sins
against chastity, beginning with we recognize two natures—male
the chaste Son’s need for ‘water’ in your womanhood is creative in and female—, and one goal,
whatever form was sourced in the its exquisite response to such life. thirst. Indeed, the without lending a hand to help them common ‘heterosexual’ ones
we often wink at—misogyny, that estranged children of God
River of His Father’s love for Him. Whether single or married, chastity overcome real conflicts. (Spoiler
Committed to the Father’s will alone, is the virtue that frees us to grow water I give them alert: this takes time, sometimes misandry, porn and romantic encounter the Father and become
beloved sons and daughters,
a lifetime…) Troubling too are addictions, divorce, abuse, weird
His very human encounters with
women and men alike resulted in
into the gift we are and to learn to
offer that gift.
will become in them evangelical churches so intent on sexual legalism (everything but empowered to resume the journey
reaching the LGBTQ+ community intercourse), etc. After that, it’s to wholeness. DSM
greater wholeness in their lives, as we
shall see throughout these six weeks.
Scary yes. The Samaritan woman
may have averted Jesus’ gaze
a spring of water that they naively adopt non-biblical water off a duck’s back to
We are not Jesus, nor are we altogether had He not met her with welling up to eternal language and ethics and become
converted by good ‘gay’ people.
preach repentance to the
more obviously confused—
exact replicas of the pre-fallen such kindness. Similarly, He meets
pair who celebrated their loss of us with Almighty mercy, longing life. John 4:14 We roll up our sleeves and fight for:
‘Come into the water
with us; we won’t throw
loneliness in bold, shame-free sexual only to unite us with Himself. He is
1. The lifting up of the One Cross in stones but we will take
love (Gen. 2:18-25)! Today we live the source of ‘living water’ who seeks
order to redeem the two natures— your sins seriously, even
East of Eden, as inclined to shame to well up in us. Might we leave old
male and female. Under Christ, no as we have taken ours
4 816.767.1730 www.desertstream.org Thirty-eight Years of Healing, Equipping and Proclaiming 5
Letter to a
Vulnerable Res ponding Struck Down, Deployed
to the ‘We are struck down she is happy to learn more, she knows
Friend:
‘Transgendered’
but not destroyed, always carrying what God wants. ‘He wants me. This
around in the body the death of Jesus is more about my conversion than
that the life of Jesus may also be anything else. I am learning how to
First, thank you for revealed in our body.’ trust Him as never before.’
your commitment to your friend. (2 Cor. 4: 9b, 10) Teri followed up that seminar
Sometimes devout, energized I believe that the mightiest with a small Lenten prayer group we
persons like you can help prevent
an already vulnerable soul from
doing further injury. I realize your
Rather, living the truth in love, we are members of God’s healing army
today are mothers and fathers whose
children have ‘come out’ as LGBT+.
hosted about chastity, what it means
to become whole in our gender and
sexuality. Several persons attended
friend is on the verge of doing to grow up in every way into him who is Struck down by unintentional with apparent gender identity
just that by pursuing gender acts of domestic violence, these
reassignment surgery.
the head, into Christ. . . . 2 Cor 4:15 parents—facedown—discover Jesus
problems. Teri’s divides are not
apparent; she looks like the well-
Gender is not a product of the Your friend is vulnerable to one’s body type combined with a for themselves. heeled and adjusted head of women’s
mind; it is a fact of our birth. To be robbers, and needs understanding persistent desire to have different Another’s wound and rebellion ministry. Yet she was the first to lead
sure, your friend has and inspired care. This is a person body traits. wakes them up. At last. The God of out with confession about her issues
a deep conflict with who looks in the mirror and hates The gender-afflicted need inspired their childhood becomes Savior and as a woman and why those issues
his or her true gender the reflection. He or she believes therapy, not surgery. It is cruel to Lord for them now. He gives them a probably had made life harder for her
self, for which one must that self-acceptance lies in becoming subject a vulnerable soul to knives share in His heart for the broken in daughter. What a woman. She goes
only be compassionate. Such the other gender. Wrong. I have and implants and alien hormones. need of His body. They will change to the Cross for her own brokenness
compassion flows from the truth. worked with several persons whose We do not ‘cure’ an anorexic by the face of the Church. first. She prays for her daughter out
Your friend has a gender self and ‘fantasy gender selves’ arose in excising fat from her body because I met Teri at an Encourage meeting. of the mercy she receives from Jesus.
to be at odds with that truth is a response to profound distress. Their she feels fat any more than we She was distraught and nearly Now I have the privilege of
serious affliction. Your advocacy fantasy selves became the prison. It ‘cure’ a man who feels like a woman hopeless about her daughter who walking with Teri through a Living
may help him or her to begin to is a joyful labor of love to accompany by cutting off his penis. We help claimed to be transitioning into a ‘son.’ Waters group. I arrived at my parish
resolve this identity confusion in the gender afflicted out of unreality him make peace with his intrinsic At that point, her goal was to amass early to set up one night and noticed
the right way. and into their real selves. manhood, just as we help the info about ‘transgender’ realities. She a woman kneeling at the altar
Your friend is not hearing the Spiritual and emotional anorexic adjust to a true body image. learned in the next few months that beneath the Cross. She was radiant,
truth today, only pretty lies. To intervention makes sense. Why? Your friend is imprisoned by the gaining knowledge was her way of fragrant with holiness and looked a
paraphrase Dr. Paul McHugh, We cannot change our genders. lie that ‘feelings’ can and should controlling the chaos at hand. bit like Mary Mother of God as she
the idea that gender is a matter Guess what? Bruce Jenner is still determine biological gender. When I saw her next at our ‘Open united her heart with Jesus. I failed
of choice is without scientific a man! The only real choice we Wrong. God determines our gender to Life’ seminar, she was remarkably to realize it was Teri until later. No
foundation. Studies reveal that in have is to make peace with the and we must work that out in fear composed. She told me that though matter; even from a distance, I could
spite of terrific costs to all family gender of our birth. Nevertheless, and trembling. Yes Jesus is the door discern that this intercessor was in
members, gender reassignment we must recognize that our gender that swings out from the prison sync with her Savior and destined to
surgery does not result in happiness
but the same or worse mental
health conditions than existed
identities (the psychological
adjustment we make to our gender)
are subject to profound frustration.
and yes we must open it. Praise
Him—we can do so in the light of
Divine Mercy and merciful friends
. . . so that the thoughts of many move mountains. A sword may have
pierced her heart (Luke 2:35), but
with that same sword, surrendered
before the surgery, including drug We may feel chronically inadequate like you. DSM hearts will be revealed. And a sword will to Jesus, she will thwart the enemy’s
addictions, psychotic disorders and to master certain ‘gender’ tasks, schemes. Thank God for His
the risk of suicide. or experience repulsion over pierce your own soul too. Luke 2:35 marvelous plan! DSM
6 816.767.1730 www.desertstream.org Thirty-eight Years of Healing, Equipping and Proclaiming 7
Letter to a
Vulnerable Res ponding Struck Down, Deployed
to the ‘We are struck down she is happy to learn more, she knows
Friend:
‘Transgendered’
but not destroyed, always carrying what God wants. ‘He wants me. This
around in the body the death of Jesus is more about my conversion than
that the life of Jesus may also be anything else. I am learning how to
First, thank you for revealed in our body.’ trust Him as never before.’
your commitment to your friend. (2 Cor. 4: 9b, 10) Teri followed up that seminar
Sometimes devout, energized I believe that the mightiest with a small Lenten prayer group we
persons like you can help prevent
an already vulnerable soul from
doing further injury. I realize your
Rather, living the truth in love, we are members of God’s healing army
today are mothers and fathers whose
children have ‘come out’ as LGBT+.
hosted about chastity, what it means
to become whole in our gender and
sexuality. Several persons attended
friend is on the verge of doing to grow up in every way into him who is Struck down by unintentional with apparent gender identity
just that by pursuing gender acts of domestic violence, these
reassignment surgery.
the head, into Christ. . . . 2 Cor 4:15 parents—facedown—discover Jesus
problems. Teri’s divides are not
apparent; she looks like the well-
Gender is not a product of the Your friend is vulnerable to one’s body type combined with a for themselves. heeled and adjusted head of women’s
mind; it is a fact of our birth. To be robbers, and needs understanding persistent desire to have different Another’s wound and rebellion ministry. Yet she was the first to lead
sure, your friend has and inspired care. This is a person body traits. wakes them up. At last. The God of out with confession about her issues
a deep conflict with who looks in the mirror and hates The gender-afflicted need inspired their childhood becomes Savior and as a woman and why those issues
his or her true gender the reflection. He or she believes therapy, not surgery. It is cruel to Lord for them now. He gives them a probably had made life harder for her
self, for which one must that self-acceptance lies in becoming subject a vulnerable soul to knives share in His heart for the broken in daughter. What a woman. She goes
only be compassionate. Such the other gender. Wrong. I have and implants and alien hormones. need of His body. They will change to the Cross for her own brokenness
compassion flows from the truth. worked with several persons whose We do not ‘cure’ an anorexic by the face of the Church. first. She prays for her daughter out
Your friend has a gender self and ‘fantasy gender selves’ arose in excising fat from her body because I met Teri at an Encourage meeting. of the mercy she receives from Jesus.
to be at odds with that truth is a response to profound distress. Their she feels fat any more than we She was distraught and nearly Now I have the privilege of
serious affliction. Your advocacy fantasy selves became the prison. It ‘cure’ a man who feels like a woman hopeless about her daughter who walking with Teri through a Living
may help him or her to begin to is a joyful labor of love to accompany by cutting off his penis. We help claimed to be transitioning into a ‘son.’ Waters group. I arrived at my parish
resolve this identity confusion in the gender afflicted out of unreality him make peace with his intrinsic At that point, her goal was to amass early to set up one night and noticed
the right way. and into their real selves. manhood, just as we help the info about ‘transgender’ realities. She a woman kneeling at the altar
Your friend is not hearing the Spiritual and emotional anorexic adjust to a true body image. learned in the next few months that beneath the Cross. She was radiant,
truth today, only pretty lies. To intervention makes sense. Why? Your friend is imprisoned by the gaining knowledge was her way of fragrant with holiness and looked a
paraphrase Dr. Paul McHugh, We cannot change our genders. lie that ‘feelings’ can and should controlling the chaos at hand. bit like Mary Mother of God as she
the idea that gender is a matter Guess what? Bruce Jenner is still determine biological gender. When I saw her next at our ‘Open united her heart with Jesus. I failed
of choice is without scientific a man! The only real choice we Wrong. God determines our gender to Life’ seminar, she was remarkably to realize it was Teri until later. No
foundation. Studies reveal that in have is to make peace with the and we must work that out in fear composed. She told me that though matter; even from a distance, I could
spite of terrific costs to all family gender of our birth. Nevertheless, and trembling. Yes Jesus is the door discern that this intercessor was in
members, gender reassignment we must recognize that our gender that swings out from the prison sync with her Savior and destined to
surgery does not result in happiness
but the same or worse mental
health conditions than existed
identities (the psychological
adjustment we make to our gender)
are subject to profound frustration.
and yes we must open it. Praise
Him—we can do so in the light of
Divine Mercy and merciful friends
. . . so that the thoughts of many move mountains. A sword may have
pierced her heart (Luke 2:35), but
with that same sword, surrendered
before the surgery, including drug We may feel chronically inadequate like you. DSM hearts will be revealed. And a sword will to Jesus, she will thwart the enemy’s
addictions, psychotic disorders and to master certain ‘gender’ tasks, schemes. Thank God for His
the risk of suicide. or experience repulsion over pierce your own soul too. Luke 2:35 marvelous plan! DSM
6 816.767.1730 www.desertstream.org Thirty-eight Years of Healing, Equipping and Proclaiming 7The Nations Return
Last year, some Living
Waters friends from
Living Waters. To my surprise,
some of the nations where we had
2018 Mid Year Report
PUBLISHER /EDITOR
Andrew Comiskey
Thailand and China urged us at released Living Waters re-initiated ART DIRECTION
relationship with us. Provoked by Kevin Williamson Design
DSM/LW to gather international
DESERT STREAM MINISTRIES
leaders again in Kansas City. conscience and now seasoned in
PUBLISHES THE FOLLOWING:
I balked and winced as I recalled ministry and decision-making, they Newsletter (Spring and Fall)
the vision a dear friend had given me wanted to return to the source. I was Mid-Year Report (Summer)
grateful yet tentative as I was and Year-End Report (Winter)
five years ago—it was nothing but
a burnt field, still smoking. So was am still unwilling to return to the
‘good old days.’ They weren’t that
Mission Statement
I. After 30 years of building Living
Based on the biblical foundations of
Waters around the globe, I was asked good and they are over.
compassion, integrity, and dependence on
by a council of Living Waters leaders So I wondered; might we build God, Desert Stream Ministries proclaims
to step off the team so that they relationship based on mutual respect to the world the transforming power of
and a desire to grow together into Jesus Christ. We equip the body of Christ
could pursue other goals. to minister healing to the sexually and
Overnight, friends with a shared a new season? I had tolerated ‘cloak relationally broken, through healing groups
language became strangers whose and dagger’ stuff in the old system. and leadership training for the local church.
perspective I could no longer No more. Either we trust each other
discern, let alone contend. The joy of or we choose other partnerships. Staff
gathering with the nations became a The DSM/LW staff agreed to EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
host our international friends who Andrew Comiskey
landmine, which had blown up in my
wanted to come. Most of our friends ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
face. A burnt field indeed. Abbey Foard
In the years that followed, I spent did (which floored me) and honestly,
DESERT STREAM PRESS
time daily before the Crucified and it was heaven-on-earth. We started Annette Comiskey
died to what had been. I alternated at the Restored Hope Conference LIVING WATERS USA
between hope that leapt at God’s lead in Chicago (amazing) then met COORDINATOR
at my home and at our offices for Dean Greer
and despair that slouched toward
DIRECTOR OF INTERCESSION
early retirement (bleech!). I wondered 3-days in which we dined, prayed,
Ann Armstrong
if seeds that die always release more and centered on the Kingdom of
RESOURCES & AGUAS VIVAS
life (John 12: 24-26). God, embracing the whole Church, Daniel Delgado
God invited me into new and identifying weaknesses in TECH SUPPORT
our married and single lives. No Eric Spady
friendships. Anne Paulk and Stephen
pressure, just the real Presence of SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR
Black asked me to join them in
Amanda Smith
starting—Restored Hope Network— God meeting us and helping us to
SUPPORT STAFF
for persons impacted by SS; of equal love Jesus and each other more. Becky Turner, Lori Harry, Nate
blessing was Father Paul Check, the Fragrant. God kissed us.
No part of this Newsletter/Report may be
leader of Courage, who mentored Poured out, the DSM/LW staff reproduced or reprinted without permission.
this new Catholic and gave me a inhaled the truth that the nations
had returned to us. But differently Please address all inquiries to:
chance to share my witness in his
now, like adults with a shared bond. DESERT STREAM
world (which is becoming mine as
We like each other; we want to 706 Main Street
well). I love these networks; I hope
be together. Beautiful—new life Grandview, MO 64030
you do too, as they are beautiful
springing forth from scorched, rich (816) 767-1730 Fax: (816) 767-7221
expressions of God’s heart for
persons with SSA. soil. DSM
My primary call, however, is
8 816.767.1730 www.desertstream.orgYou can also read
