A Blog by Marlene Allen
She drove up on what Thais call a motorcycle, but it was a moped. Quite impressive that a woman would drive one in the crazy traffic of Chiang Mai, Thailand, but it was good to see my friend, Dr. Esther Wakeman. I had so much to share with her. By the time coffee arrived, I had spilled out my life’s woes when she said, “It appears as though you have not read the books I gave you.”
Ouch! But Esther’s words were valid. She was referring to Living From the Heart Jesus Gave You, the green book, and the 15th anniversary edition with study questions. But years passed by before I heard of this book again. When I joined a church staff in Denver, Colorado, one of the pastors mentioned Life Model Works (LMW). I proudly boasted about having their books. Upon retrieving them from the one box of books surviving the move back to America, I could tell by the highlights that I had at least skimmed it. I vividly remember sitting there on the floor, finally reading this time. Wholeness? Recovery? Maturity? Living from the heart Jesus gave me? I was mesmerized. These concepts were answering questions I didn’t even know I had.
My hobby quickly became Life Model Works and all things relational. I was captivated by any book, video, seminar, conference, or conversation about relational skills. This good news had to be shared. I created Doodles (illustrated stories), a children’s curriculum, an onboarding document for new staff and leaders, and a course introducing basic concepts to our church members. Then, three years later, the unbelievable invitation came to join the LMW Board of Directors.
All the while, God was orchestrating a change in me. As I practiced the simple relational tools, I felt the onion layers peel off, and I truly felt myself step into another level of maturity. I have been transformed more in the last five years than in the previous forty years of walking with the Lord because of Life Model Works. I came out of hiding to experience the abundant life Jesus came to bring.
There is no way to describe Life Model Works other than a treasure to bring wholeness to a wounded world. This relational fire has been slowly spreading but will soon explode as more people realize, “This is what my heart has been yearning for.”
As executive director, I have the privilege of managing systems and resources to fuel that explosion and help others navigate their joyful journey to wholeness and transformation.
Here is a link to one of the Doddles, a Relational Prayer. This is our prayer for you.
