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The Book I Wish I’d Had: Why It Took Me Ten Years to Write Raising Truth Seekers 

by Barbara Rolen, Program Director, Serenity Retreat Ten years ago, God gave me a dream.  He wanted me to help parents weave Transformation Prayer Ministry, this beautiful process we use at Se…

Part Two: When Breakthrough Rings in Bellville 

By Cynthia Wenz Part One: Read Here Flash forward to today. I sit in the seat of CEO for the very ministry that once held space for my healing. It’s not lost on me how full-circle God’s fa…

The Book I Wish I’d Had: Why It Took Me Ten Years to Write Raising Truth Seekers 

by Barbara Rolen, Program Director, Serenity Retreat

Ten years ago, God gave me a dream. 

He wanted me to help parents weave Transformation Prayer Ministry, this beautiful process we use at Serenity Retreat, into their everyday parenting and family rhythms. To show them how running to Jesus with struggles could become as natural as breathing in their homes. 

But here’s the thing: I wasn’t ready yet. 

I was still holding onto way too many lies. 

The Lies I Didn’t Know I Believed 

For decades, anxiety and fear plagued me. They colored everything: my relationships, my parenting, my view of God Himself. What I didn’t realize was that I’d picked up lies as a child. Lies like “I’m worthless.” “I’m unlovable.” “I’m defective.” 

The really insidious part? I had no idea these lies were running my life. I didn’t even know I believed I couldn’t trust God. 

But when I finally got to the end of myself—when I cried out to Him that I was just done with this way of living—He met me there. And He brought Transformation Prayer Ministry (TPM) into my life. 

One by one, He’s been replacing those lies with His truth—His perspective. 

That’s what TPM is, really. It’s a process where we meet God in our pain, and He brings truth that sets us free as it says in John 8:32, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” TPM is simply a very effective way to cooperate with God and receive His truth—the kind that reaches down into the hidden places where we’ve been believing things that aren’t true, but we’ve been living life as if they were true.  

Imagine growing up believing you’re unlovable. You might spend your life jumping through hoops so others will love you and not reject you. Maybe you can see how it would be extremely hard to believe that God loves you, if in the core of your being, you believe the totally opposite?  

Even my husband’s death became part of this transformation journey. God used everything in my TPM sessions—the grief, the questions, the wrestling—to help me see things through His eyes instead of through the filter of my lies or limited perspective.  

All of that has led to the birth of Raising Truth Seekers

The Moments I Couldn’t Help My Kids 

You know what I remember most about parenting young children? The helplessness. 

When my kids were fighting or melting down, I didn’t know how to help them process what they were really feeling. I’d try to fix it, manage it, redirect it, but I couldn’t actually help them get to the root of what was happening inside. 

And the reason was painfully simple: I didn’t know how to do it myself. 

I didn’t know how to name my own emotions, trace them back to the beliefs driving them, or run to Jesus for His perspective in those moments. So how could I possibly teach my children to do it? 

This is the book I wish I’d had as a young mom. 

Not another book telling me what I should be doing, but one that showed me how transformation actually works—in me first, and then in my family. Because here’s what I’ve learned: we can’t give our children what we don’t have ourselves. 

What We’re Really After 

What we’re really after as parents is raising kids with deeply rooted faith—the kind that holds when life gets hard. The kind that doesn’t crumble when they face disappointment, rejection, or suffering. The kind of faith that is actually strengthened in the hard times each time the Lord persuades a family member’s heart of His truth.  

And that can happen when we create a family culture where running to Jesus with struggles is just part of how we do life. 

Not someday. Not when they’re older. Not when we finally get our act together. 

Right now, in the carpool line, in the meltdowns and the middle-of-the-night worries. 

TPM can happen anywhere: in traffic, before a hard conversation, in the moment your teenager slams the door. It’s like getting in the express lane with God. It takes you straight to the root of what’s really going on, instead of just managing the surface symptoms. 

When Kids See It Work 

I love what a dad in West Virginia shared with me. His teenage daughter was skeptical at first about this whole TPM thing. (Teenagers, right?) But after receiving truth from God in a TPM session with her dad, she yelled through the house: “Hey sis, Dad’s not crazy! This thing really works!” 

That’s the dream, isn’t it? Raising kids who actually want to bring their struggles to God; who know how to meet Him in their pain instead of numbing it, fixing it, or running from it. 

Esa and Conor George are a young Canadian couple I interviewed for my book. I recall Esa as a student in our training course asking questions about how to use TPM with children. I was delighted to discover that they are figuring it out in real time. Esa told me that they don’t typically sit down for a formal prayer session in their home. It happens right in the middle of the kitchen with the family all around. What a way to model running to Jesus when your emotions reveal you are not seeing things the way God sees them.  

Conor said that TPM has made him more curious in the moment. Now he asks himself, “Why am I so upset right now? What’s really behind this feeling?” He’s even learned to name what’s happening inside, saying to his family, “I’m feeling this right now. It’s not anyone’s fault—I just want to be honest.” That awareness helps him pause before reacting. He recognizes that his emotions might not reflect the full truth. Instead of rushing to fix things, he makes space for God to bring His perspective. What a beautiful way Conor is learning to shepherd his family so that his children grow up knowing there is only one thing to do when life gets hard: run to Jesus. 

This is generational transformation. 

It Starts With Us 

Here’s what I know after years of doing this work: the fruit of TPM is real, lasting transformation. 

As prayer ministers at Serenity, we get a front-row seat to these stories. We watch someone walk into a prayer session carrying years of anxiety or depression—and then watch them leave with a different countenance. One hour with the Lord brings more breakthrough than years of trying to fix themselves. 

But it starts with us experiencing it first. 

Our kids won’t learn to run to God with their struggles if they never see us do it. They won’t know how to receive truth from Him if we’re not modeling what that looks like. They won’t develop the habit of bringing their emotions to Jesus if home isn’t a safe place to name what they’re really feeling. 

Raising Truth Seekers is not a how-to book of Transformation Prayer Ministry but rather my invitation for you to prayerfully consider creating a family culture where meeting Jesus in the hard moments, for the purpose of gaining His perspective, becomes just part of how you do life together. You’ll read testimonies of parents and grandparents who have learned to incorporate TPM as a lifestyle in their families.  

Your Turn 

What lies might you be believing right now—about yourself, about God? What would it look like to run to Him with those struggles instead of trying to manage them on your own? 

At Serenity Retreat we’d love to walk with you on that journey. Because the truth really does set us free and that freedom is the greatest inheritance we can pass on to our children. 

Want to be the first to hear when Barbara’s new book Raising Truth Seekers releases? Grab your free Family Faith Talk at PursueAbundantLife.com, you’ll be added to her list for early updates, sneak peeks, and more!

At SerenityRetreat.com you can schedule a prayer session, request information about a retreat in Bellville, TX, or register for TPM 101, the first step in our TPM training.  

Raising Truth Seekers will be released this fall in its entirety. For anyone who commits to a monthly pledge in October 2025, you can request a copy of the 25th Anniversary Special Release (limited quantity).  

From Doing an Assignment to Being on Assignment: A Tribute to Emma Alvarez

By: Angela Miller

This Fall, we celebrate a beautiful transition in the life of one of our beloved team members, Emma Alvarez, who has stepped into a new season from the Lord as a teacher in the public school system. Emma leaves Serenity Retreat not only renewed, but transformed, a living testimony to God’s faithfulness, healing, and commissioning power.

As one of the administrators who had a small hand in Emma’s hiring, I look back now and simply say: Praise You, Jesus. He showed up for Emma in powerful, undeniable ways during her time at Serenity. There were hard days and months of transition that stirred old wounds and brought deep places of the heart into the light. And yet, God used every moment of discomfort, every challenge, to do what He does best: refine, restore, and use ALL things for His good (Rom. 8:28).

Transition often jostles things in our hearts. For Emma, those seasons became sacred spaces where God met her in profound ways. She leaves with blessing and joy from our team and with an eager anticipation for what God is about to do in and through her in this next assignment.

Emma once carried anger, anxiety, and rejection, wounds deeply rooted in childhood trauma. Those burdens shaped how she saw herself, how she related to others, and how she approached God. But in 2022, everything began to shift.

“Through Transformation Prayer Ministry at Serenity Retreat, I encountered a new level of healing. One by one, the lies I had believed for so long began to unravel as God gently replaced them with His truth. He didn’t just touch the surface—He went to the root. And He didn’t just heal me—He transformed me.”

That transformation didn’t stop with her. It began to impact every part of her life, her marriage, her family, her view of the world, and most importantly, her understanding of who she is in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 1, and Romans 8).

“For the first time, I believe God can use me in ministry—not because I have it all together, but because He said, ‘You are mine, and I will use you for My glory.’”

For the past two years, Emma has served faithfully and joyfully as our Ministry Coordinator, then Office Manager and Prayer Minister and recently Bilingual Prayer Minister with Serenity (plus all the other duties as assigned). Her life and leadership have left a mark on many. She walks away from this season not with regret, but with freedom, joy, and a passion to share what God has done and continues to do.

“Serenity Retreat has been a vital part of my journey, and I’m forever grateful. I feel fully alive again and passionate about sharing what God has done.”

And so, with hearts full of gratitude, we bless Emma as she steps into this next chapter. She goes from doing an assignment to being on assignment! No longer striving, but walking in the Spirit’s leading. May every student, coworker, and classroom be touched by the light of Christ in her.

To God be all the glory.

– Angela Miller, Follower of Christ, Wife to Eric, Momma to Samuel, Program Manager & Prayer Minister

Mt. Werner in Steamboat Springs

When God Had Other Plans for My Mountain Getaway 

By Barbara Rolen

Have you ever planned a peaceful getaway only to discover God had something deeper in mind—your transformation. 

This summer, I ventured to the Colorado mountains for my first solo vacation since my husband’s death five years ago. As someone who practices Transformation Prayer Ministry (TPM) as a lifestyle, I went expectant. When difficult emotions surface, I’ve learned they’re invitations to encounter God’s truth about whatever I’m believing. 

At Steamboat Springs, I was thrilled to ride the gondola up Mt. Werner until those doors closed. 

Within seconds, my excitement turned to tears. Alone, suspended by a cable high above the earth, my emotions were exposing a lie I was believing. 

Deuteronomy 31:6 promises God will never leave or forsake us, yet here I sat feeling utterly abandoned. Rather than suppress these feelings or push through them, I leaned in. Using TPM right there in that swaying gondola, I uncovered the belief driving my distress: I am totally and completely alone. 

God’s gentle correction came swiftly. Yes, I was the only human in that gondola, but I was never truly alone. As His truth penetrated my heart, tears of fear became tears of joy. 

This is TPM as a lifestyle; cooperating with God whether on mountaintops or in mundane moments. 

What would it mean for you to have this kind of intimate, experiential walk with God available in any situation? 

That journey starts with experiencing TPM for yourself. Book a prayer session today. Our upcoming free TPM 101 introductory class is also a perfect entry point—and the prerequisite for TPM 201, where you’ll learn to begin using this life-changing prayer process on your own. 

Whatever you’re walking through right now, this structured prayer process is available to you. Your transformation might be just a prayer away. 

When Life Throws You a Curveball (Like Getting Moved to a New School the Day Before Classes Start!)

By: Barbara Rolen, Program Director, Serenity Retreat

What does the beginning of a new school year mean for you? Maybe you’re in the thick of buying school supplies and new shoes, or perhaps you’re watching your own kids navigate those exciting and sometimes overwhelming first days. 

As a former elementary school teacher for 18 years, I lived for those countdown moments. The planning, the meetings, the perfectly arranged bulletin boards, all building toward that magical first day when everything would finally come together. (You know that feeling, right? The excitement so intense you can barely sleep?) 

But I’ll never forget the year I spent an entire week creating my dream classroom setup, only to get a phone call just hours before the first day: “We’re moving you to a different school.” 

My poor husband was on the receiving end of that frantic, tearful call. I was devastated. All that work, all those plans—gone in an instant. 

Here’s what I wish I had known then: those overwhelming emotions didn’t have to derail me. What if, instead of spiraling into panic and frustration, I could have used those very feelings as a pathway to encounter Jesus right in the middle of my crisis? 

That’s exactly what Transformation Prayer Ministry (TPM) offers, a way to cooperate with God each time life throws you a curveball. 

Think about it: How would life be different for you and your family if you had a reliable way to meet with Jesus in your moments of greatest need? What if, instead of just gritting your teeth and pushing through trials, you could actually be transformed by them? 

(I bet you’re thinking of a recent situation right now where this would have made all the difference.) 

Your Turn to Experience Transformation 

Here’s your invitation to discover what it’s like to walk through a simple prayer process and potentially walk away transformed—all because you gained God’s perspective where you once held faulty or limiting beliefs. 

With the new school year beginning, we’re forming new classes at Serenity Retreat. If you’re ready to learn how to come through trials transformed instead of just weathering the storm, now is your perfect time to start. 

Ready to dip your toes in the water? Join us for TPM 101, a free 2-hour introductory class that gives you a welcoming overview of Serenity Retreat and Transformation Prayer Ministry, along with a gentle walk-through of what a prayer session actually looks like.” 

When: Tuesday, September 23 @ 6:30 pm 
Cost: Absolutely free 
What to expect: A safe space to discover how connecting with God in this new way could change everything 

After TPM 101, you’ll be ready to dive deeper into our 6-week interactive class, where you’ll learn the principles, purpose, and process of TPM and begin your own journey of meeting Jesus in completely new ways. 

Because here’s the truth: God doesn’t want you to just survive your trials. He wants to use them to transform you. 

Ready to say yes to transformation? Register today.