4. Testimonials

I started attending LNO/CAH about 7 years ago. It was a time in my life when the Lord had led me to be very intentional about discipling my children. I learned so much from Rhonda about having a peaceful home, nurturing relationships between siblings and parenting the heart of each child. She not only teaches wonderful truth from God’s Word but continually lives it out in the way she ministers to others. She is so gifted at allowing God to use her and listening to His still small voice to minister to those He puts in her path. She is always about the other person. She has so beautifully modeled this to me and my children. Every time I hear her speak I walk away with a nugget of godly wisdom. She has a real passion for leading women to love Christ supremely and model that to their children. Every mom would benefit greatly from her teaching on the home. It has been invaluable to me throughout the years and I am eternally grateful for the way her teaching as impacted my home.

I have had the privilege of sitting under Mrs. Rhonda’s teaching for several years. Now.  Each time I attend a “Cultivate” event I leave encouraged and empowered to raise my kids to know and love God.  Every parenting tip or advice Mrs. Rhonda gives is rooted and grounded in God’s word.

Cultivate was my first experience in using scripture to build character in my children.  Mrs. Rhonda makes scripture come alive.  She helps me to see everything I do with my kids must be centered around the Bible.  She teaches how to apply scripture to build character, to discipline and to know the Lord.  She gives great real life, personal examples of how she has done this with her own kids.  This always gives a clear picture of how to do this at home.

God’s word isn’t just used to admonish our children.  Mrs. Rhonda constantly challenges that “mama” needs to go before the Lord first and examine their own heart.  She instructs that prayer and the moving of the Holy Spirit are vital to walking with the Lord and raising godly children.

Training ahead is a term often used by Mrs. Rhonda.  This is a lesson I have never stopped appreciating.  At almost any age, Mrs. Rhonda teaches how important it is to prepare your child for any situation.  She role plays training ahead to demonstrate the concept.  One example of training ahead I used personally was preparing my daughter to be around adults.  Per Mrs. Rhonda’s leading, I instructed my daughter on how to talk with an adult making eye contact, speaking to be heard, being engaged in conversation and offering respect.

There is rich wisdom in Mrs. Rhonda’s teaching.  She has such a big heart for helping women at all stages of life to grow deeper in their walk with the Lord.  I have learned more than I could ever put into words.  My life and my family’s life is better by knowing Mrs. Rhonda.

As a new parent, I quickly found out that the parenting world was full of many different opinions, psychological theories and principles.  Having a degree in Family and Child Sciences I had studied what all the books of the world had to say about the development of children.  But once I became a parent myself I knew the most important and foundational book I needed was the Word of God.  I also knew I wanted to find a role model or “example” family that had been successful in raising godly children.  I wanted a mentor type figure who relied on God’s Word for training and instruction in all things.

I was invited by a friend to go hear Rhonda speak.  Her topic that night was parenting to the heart of your child.  After leaving I knew I had found a godly woman that was full of wisdom on how to use scripture as guidance for all things parenting.  I remember sending Rhonda an e-mail that night thanking her for sharing her wisdom and biblical truths with us young moms.  I was so encouraged and motivated to begin searching the scriptures for direction in my parenting and also making biblical teaching a foundational part of the parenting process.

Since then I have continued to listen to and build a relationship

with Rhonda Ellis.  It has been 6 years since we have first met.

Every time I have the opportunity to hear her speak I feel renewed as a mom to cling to the scriptures to train the hearts of my children.

She always reminds me to be transparent as a mother, put the needs of others before my own and to “stop the world” when there is a heart issue that needs to be dealt with (a heart issue of a child or my

own).  It is the parents’ job to fight for our children’s hearts!

Because if we don’t have their hearts, if we don’t fight and put in the effort to biblically correct and purge their sinful ways, they will be left to deal with the world, the flesh and the devil all on their own – what a scary and uncertain place to leave your child!  As a parent we must know what we are up against and fight for our children’s hearts on a daily basis.  So, thank you Rhonda for showing me how to fight for my child’s heart and for being an example of biblical parenting in action!

I am so blessed that God brought CAH and Rhonda into my Life. She has a heart to mentor women and a gift to teach with real life application. I won’t forget the first time I heard her speak about people skills. Many of us have made excuses for our children”s “shyness” ,maybe even our own. Her teaching made me almost jump out of my seat! “Shyness is making life about yourself, you must think of others!” Simple quotes like this and many others has impacted my life, this cultivated a friendship that I treasure. Rhonda lives out her faith and is truly a servant driven leader.  Her influence is encouraging so many women and making a difference in changing homes for Christ!