When Life Changes

Back in January, I had predicted that this year was going to be one of survival. I didn’t realize how true that statement was. Life was moving at a fast clip headed in a certain direction until one weekend almost two months ago, life took an abrupt detour.

Our faith has been put to the test in a way I never expected. Trials like this are often bitter-sweet. Bitter in the way that it causes physical and emotional trauma, but sweet to realize that you are a stronger person for it. I’ve gone through my questioning and my doubts as to where God was in all of it. I’ve gone through that lonely point thinking that He abandoned us just to realize that He was there every step of the way. I’ve had to accept that He orchestrated events not for evil towards us but for our good.

It has been so difficult to write. My mind has been trapped in a maze of fear, doubts, pain, and fog. Even now I can’t seem to find the correct words or organize my thoughts for we are still picking up the pieces. I know that all of us go through these dark shadowed valleys at one time or another. If you are at that point, too, I just want to encourage you to remain faithful! Even though you may feel separated from God, just believe that God is right there working on your behalf and for your protection. Don’t give up no matter how long the trial is. God does still love you very very much!

“Footprints”
by Mary Stevenson

One night I had a dream–
I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord
and across the sky flashed scenes from my life.
For each scene I noticed two sets of footprints,
one belonged to me and the other to the Lord.
When the last scene of my life flashed before me,
I looked back at the footprints in the sand.
I noticed that many times along the path of my life,
there was only one set of footprints.
I also noticed that it happened at the very lowest
and saddest times in my life.
This really bothered me and I questioned the Lord about it.
“Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you,
you would walk with me all the way,
but I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life
there is only one set of footprints.
“I don’t understand why in times when I needed you most,
you should leave me.”
The Lord replied, “My precious, precious child,
I love you and I would never, never leave you
during your times of trial and suffering.
“When you saw only one set of footprints,
it was then that I carried you.”

Isa 43:1 But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.

Isa 43:2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

Isa 43:4 Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life.

All For Me

My daughter, Anna, wrote this poem for a homework assignment. I thought is was fitting for Resurrection Sunday. Enjoy!

All For Me
by Anna Zuray

He was beaten,
He was whipped,
He was spat upon,
All for me.

He was mocked,
He was put on trial,
He was betrayed,
All for me.

He was crucified,
He wore a crown of thorns,
He had nails driven through His hands and feet,
All for me.

He died a horrible death,
He was looked down upon by His Father,
He was considered a disgrace,
All for me.

He forgave those who hung Him on the cross,
He bore the punishment for the world’s sins,
He gave the world an eternal gift,
All for me.

He was buried in a tomb guarded by soldiers,
He rose from the grave after three days,
He went back to Heaven after 40 more days,
All for me.

He has forgiven my sins,
He has come into my heart,
He has saved me from eternal death in Hell.

He has made me a mansion in Heaven,
He has given me
Joy
Peace
Love
and He took away all fear of death.

My Jesus died for me, the world, and…
YOU.

He loves and will forever love, me, the world, and…
YOU.

He has and will forgive the sins of me, the world, and…
YOU.

He has and will give a home in Heaven to me, the world, and…
YOU.

He has and will save me, the world, and…
You
from eternal death and separation from God in Hell.

If you let Him, God will forgive you of your sins and come into your heart
AND
He will give you a home in Heaven,
AND
He will love you forever.

If you have never put your faith in Jesus Christ and you wish to do so, please feel free to contact me. I would love to talk with you.

Kristen

Fly Away

“Today’s the day you’ve been waiting for!” the doctor softly crooned to her patient. Stepping away from the cage, the veterinarian carefully examined the flower speckled meadow. With the sun casting glitter all over the tinkling brook and enhancing the multitude of colors in the field, it made for a perfect day to set her patient free. Satisfied, that all was safe, she stooped to peer into the cage. Beady black eyes stared back at her. The deep gashes had healed into scars, the eyes were clear, and the bandages had been removed from the wings. It was a month ago when the limp frightened eagle had been brought into the animal hospital.

“I bet this has been very confusing to you. One moment you were sweeping down low to capture your dinner and the next moment you were struck by a car, landing you here, caged.” the doctor paused as a thought struck her. Sounds like my life. I was once flying on hopes and dreams until politics and traditions left me wounded, lifeless, caged. Her slender shoulders slumped as a tired sigh escaped from the woman’s lips.

“I guess you and me have a lot in common,” she mumbled, “with the exception of your cage. Your cage was meant for good. It was a place of healing, an opportunity for your eyesight to fully return, and a place for your wings to gain their strength. My cage is different.” The doctor paused in her ramblings. Or is it? God promised that “all things work together for good…”. My adversaries meant it for evil, but God meant it for good. I am a stronger person than before, and I can see and understand God even better than before! Just as I have been tending to this eagle, nursing it back to life, so God has been tending to me! Excitement welled up within the doctor as the revelation brought forth a flicker of hope.

Quickly, the doctor opened the door to the cage and gently lifted the bird out. “It’s time. Go soar with wings as eagles. Be the bird that God created you to be!” Sensing the thrill of freedom, the eagle spread his wings flying higher and higher into the air. As the woman watched the bird fly above the tree tops, she whispered, “God, is it time for me to fly? Are you releasing me, too?”

At that moment, an explosion of joy burst through her heart. As the bandages of burdens were lifted from off her shoulders, her soul sprang forth from the cage. With a burst of laughter, the doctor ran into the meadow, twirling and spinning. She reached up towards heaven in praise. It was her time, too! God released her from the fear! She, too, was free to fly away on eagle’s wings!

God did not intend for us to live in fear of others. God did not intend for us to live in bondage to the traditions set by others. Instead, God wants us to be free in Him! God has given us the freedom to be who He wants us to be! So, GO, and fly away from your fear, from your pain, from ungodly fences, and anything else that is keeping you caged. Fly away and soar on eagles’ wings!

Isa 40:29-31 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary,  and the young men shall utterly fall:  But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run,  and not be weary;  and they shall walk,  and not faint.

2Ti 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Today’s Word – Perseverance

The Black Belt Word for the Week is – Perseverance

CRACK! With heart pounding, I jumped back falling into the chair behind me. I wasn’t sure that I wanted to look up. Surely something must be broken or maybe it was me that was broken? Then I heard the giggles and the snickers.

“Are you okay, Mom?” the girls laughed.

With exasperation I exclaimed, “Warn me next time will you, Anna?”

“Mom, that’s the point of looking away! You’re not supposed to look at me kick the board because you’ll flinch and move!” Anna snickered.

I had taken her advice of not looking at her, but I went too far and closed my eyes. We were practicing her board breaks. I had solidly planted my feet, locked my elbows, and turned my head side ways, AND closed my eyes. I was completely unprepared for the impact or the explosive CRACK of the plastic board breaking.

This is one of the many privileges a parent experiences in the black belt journey. It’s such great fun having your arms feel like their ripping from your body as hands, elbows, and feet come crashing towards you. At this point, the question changes from “Will the girls survive this?” to “Will I survive this?” I am convinced that one of these days I will walk into church with at least a black eye if not a broken arm. This is where the word PERSEVERANCE comes into play.

We’ve reached the half way point to black belt. Usually in life, the half way point for anything is the most difficult. It is at this point when discouragement sets in. It feels as if you’re going nowhere, like a hamster running his little heart out and still remaining in his wheel. Not only does discouragement set in, but also confusion because the future appears questionable. This is where we are at in the journey, the discouraging, confusing half way point where the questions flow, do the instructors understand how hard we’re working? Is this really even possible?

The only motherly encouragement that I can give my daughters at this point is this – trust the instructors. They have a plan. They may not always tell you everything, but they are seeing the whole picture and they are noticing your effort. Your job is to just remain faithful in practicing. This is perseverance!

Christians, I can share the same advice. There will be times when God puts you through a long trial in which you will rarely understand the meaning of it. You may even begin to wonder if God notices your pain. You just need to trust that God has a plan for the trial and that He is seeing the whole picture. Your job is to remain faithful in what God has called you to do. This is perseverance for the Christian race!

Run the Race with Perseverance!

“Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that lay before Him endured a cross and despised the shame and has sat down at the right hand of God’s throne.” ~ Hebrews 12:1

Today’s Word – Teamwork

The Black Belt Word for the Week : TEAMWORK

“Go, Abbi!” my husband shouted as he ran beside her, “Sprint to the finish line! GO! GO! GO! Faster!”

With a burst of adrenaline, Abbi gave all she had to run the last block to where her instructor stood timing her. “16 minutes!” the instructor hollered. I felt encouraged and anxious at the same time. Abbi was now able to run 1 1/2 miles without stopping, but she still has to shave off three minutes and 30 seconds to qualify for black belt.

Ever since Anna and Abbi declared their candidacy for black belt in November, life has been one of ever growing frustration, fear, and stress. We were once comfortable and competent care takers of diabetes, but since November, my husband and I have been thrown into a whole new dimension of the disease.

For the first three months after declaring their candidacy and the intense training began, Abbi’s sugars went wild especially on Saturdays. Their Saturday class regime goes something like this: 1 1/2 mile run, push ups, sit ups, and other aerobic exercise immediately following the run and then forms. Exercise is non stop for an hour and half to two hours. At first, I was prepared for her blood sugars to drop low, but instead they climbed higher and higher causing her to feel nauseated and sluggish. The rest of the weekend she would remain sick and deathly looking. I fretted, “I thought exercise was supposed to be good for diabetes! Should she drop out?”

We decided to continue on, there was a deeper lesson for her to learn. We wanted her to develop the attitude of “I CAN!” even with diabetes. We wanted her to learn that “When the going gets tough, don’t quit!” Diabetes doesn’t have to control her life, she can by God’s grace control it. In spite of our rah, rah, ree attitude, the question remained, “How do we get this under control? How can she safely exercise?”

After several weeks of researching, we finally understood what was needed – a team. This was a foreign concept to us. We have always tried to deal with diabetes by ourselves, with the exception of our endocrinologist. The only way, we were going to succeed was to have a plan of action. We needed to know ahead of time what kind of exercise would be required. Low, Moderate, and High impact forms of exercise requires different amounts of insulin and food. The timing of the exercise also plays upon the performance. This was way beyond us, we needed a team. In order to prepare Abbi’s body for the 4-6 hour pre-trest in April and the black belt test in May, we need her instructors’ guidance on the category of exercise and in which order these exercises would be performed. We also need the endocrinologist’s advice on preparing a 3 case scenario insulin plan, and we need input from the nutritionist as to what foods to give at what time and in accordance with her blood sugar number. There can be no deviating from the plan. Everyone involved must do their part in order for Abbi to be successful.

This reminds me so much of the purpose of the church, the body of Christ. The church isn’t just to worship Christ, it is also there to encourage and to edify one another to run the race! God also left you a plan of action so you could be successful in your Christian walk, but if you deviate from that plan, it doesn’t just hurt you but it hurts others as well. The church is a team. As you encourage others to not grow weary, you will also be strengthened in the process. But if you neglect your church attendance and assume that you can be successful on your own, you are sadly mistaken. We were losing hope about diabetes, but now that we are building a team, we feel encouraged that Abbi’s dream of black belt can be a reality someday.

All this to say, don’t diminish the role of the church in your life. If you want to finish the race that is set before you, you have to: 1) belong to the team: repent of your sins and place your faith and belief in Jesus Christ alone to save you.
2) join the team: find a doctrinally sound local church and join them. Don’t sit on the side lines.
3) be an active teammate: as you encourage those in the pew next to you, you will be encouraged as well.

Run the Race through Teamwork!

“Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses a surrounding us, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, 2 keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that lay before Him endured a cross and despised tand shame and has sat down at the right hand of God’s throne.” ~ Hebrews 12:1

“So that there would be no division in the body, but that the members would have the same concern for each other. So if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and individual members of it.” ~ I Corinthians 12:25-27

The Black Belt Race

New Year’s Resolution? Ha! I gave that up last year. This year has already presented itself a theme instead of a resolution – SURVIVAL! The verse that has been replaying itself over and over in my mind is “And let us run with patience the race that is set before us.” I’ve been thinking about plastering that verse all over my walls to remind me that the year 2012 is not a sprint but a marathon. Is it really just turning February?

My three daughters are in intense training to receive their black belt this coming May or November. We started off in September with a bang totally determined to be faithful in the exercise, but no matter how good our good intentions were obstacles began forming causing us to one by one drop to a death crawl. With hurricane force winds, colds and flus and diabetic problems blew through our home. Then the holidays were upon us, more sickness, and of course the storm of the decade with snow and ice trapping us in our homes. Through it all, the stress of getting forms checked off, weapons forms written, board breaks formulated, meeting with mentors, school concerts, keeping up with missed homework was mounting in all of us.

I wanted to quit. I wanted my kids to quit. As deadlines came and went and more and more obstacles presented itself, we were dismayed. Was a black belt worth all this trouble?

Then it hit me. The black belt journey was not a sprint but a marathon just like life. This journey was more than just a physical sport it was about character. As I sit here tonight in the girls’ class feeling stressed and frazzled, I am reminded by the words written on the walls of the classroom describing the deeper journey. Teamwork. Discipline. Focus. Respect. Perseverance. PATIENCE. Control. Honesty. Integrity. Isn’t this what we need in our Christian walk? If we quit or take a short cut in the journey, we will miss out on the lessons that God is teaching us.

Trials are not enjoyable for anyone to go through. We often want to find ways to cut the trial short or to quit all together and just go our own way, but what would we have learned? Nothing, except how to be first rate quitters. I am so thankful that Jesus Christ did not quit when the cross became difficult to bear. Through pain and agony, He finished His course so that we may live.

God is teaching us valuable lessons in this black belt journey. We need to persevere and endure until the end learning all that we can. The night of the black belt ceremony will be a joyous celebration, a sweet reminder of what it will be like when we meet Jesus face to face and He says, “Well, done thou good and faithful servant!”

RUN the RACE!

“Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses a surrounding us, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, 2 keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that lay before Him endured a cross and despised tand shame and has sat down at the right hand of God’s throne.” ~ Hebrews 12:1

“His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” ~ Matthew 25:23

Christians That Hate God

Yesterday, my oldest daughter Anna, inspired me. For several months she was having difficulty with a teacher whose focus was to be a friend to the students and not a teacher. The result was chaos and very little learning. Anna found out that if she received permission from the teacher, she could opt out for another class. Surprisingly, she pursued this and met with the teacher. The conversation that followed was a mouth dropper. You have to know Anna to understand why. Anna is very polite, soft spoken, reserved, shy. Neither my husband or I thought she would follow through on this, but she did.

In her soft spoken way, she explained that the teacher needed to be consistent in his discipline in order to gain the respect of the students. She advised him not to be their friend but to be their teacher. Graciously the teacher accepted this and actually asked for more advice. Anna’s plain and simple honesty was an inspiration.

With that story in mind, I want to just write plainly and simply. There may be grammatical errors, run on sentences, and no descriptive adjectives, but it will be filled with lots of love and truth.

I’ve had a sad wake up call. There are many born again believers that live as if they hate God. What??? That’s a harsh statement! Read I John. God makes it clear that individuals are either walking in light or in darkness. They either love Him or they don’t. There is no gray area here. Christ said, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” Let’s reverse that thought. If a person does not obey God’s commandments then they are not loving Him. What is the antonym for love? Hate. The book of I John leaves no room for a different kind of antonym! How do believers hate God? By not keeping His command to love the brethren. Once they have their “fire insurance” (as some call it), they return to their old ways completely forgetting what Jesus Christ did for them. What did Jesus do for them? He FORGAVE and sacrificed Himself for them.  ”God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent His One and Only Son into the world so that we might live through Him. Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” ~ I John 4:9-10.

All throughout I John, God spells it out quite clearly what the sign is for a true believer – love for the brethren. Unfortunately, this is the area in which so many Christians fail, yet this is the area in which Christians ought to be best at because they have accepted the greatest love of all and the greatest forgiveness of all! How can they expect to be forgiven if they don’t forgive? Many live as if Christ’s forgiveness and sacrifice meant nothing at all to them. They might as well just spit in the face of God.
I John 4:20 says, “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen,  how can he love God whom he hath not seen?” 

Because those who live in pride and arrogance have forgotten about Christ’s forgiveness in their own lives, they have deluded themselves into being judge, jury, and executioner to their brothers and sisters in Christ. Leaving behind wounded faithful brethren, many will walk out the doors of the church in search of self-gratification and doing it in the name of Christ! Here’s a news flash! God never gave any of His children permission to judge, to seek revenge, or to seek a place where they will be served. God told His children to be opposite of the world, “Do not love the world or the things that belong to the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him.  For everything that belongs to the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride in one’s lifestyle—is not from the Father, but is from the world.” ~ I John 2:15-16. God COMMANDED His children to LOVE, FORGIVE, RESTORE, SERVE! Why? Because that is what HE did FOR us!

Another form of hating God is ignoring His voice. Do some Christians like hearing from God? NO! They no longer want to feel or heed the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Instead they become like the Israelites and stone the one who is sharing truth. Oh, believers can roll their eyes and look down at the Old Testament Israelites for being so thick headed and proud, but they don’t seem to see that they are reacting the same way when truth is presented before them. There’s a lot of church hopping going on today. There’s a lot of broken relationships today. Why? Pride. Judgment. Self. Condemnation. Everything that God says NOT to do. There’s not enough humbling and repentance going on!

I wonder what our world would be like if believers returned to the One who forgave them and lifted them out of their sin. I wonder what churches would be like if more pastors and congregations humbled themselves and sought to serve and restore one another rather than seeking to be served and criticizing those who do faithfully serve them. Jesus’ sacrifice was more than just “fire insurance”, it was of forgiveness and love. We are to be challenged by His example to extend the same love and forgiveness to others, especially to those who are apart of the family of God.

I have written plainly today not as a reaction to an event in my life, but from years of observing the destructive power of unforgiveness from those who declare they love God. On the other hand, I have also had the joy of watching the healing and restoration of relationships as believers humbled themselves and once again extended the hand of forgiveness and love. How sweet it is!

Let’s make it a little more personal. I challenge you to examine your life. Are you quick to forgive and slow to take offense? Do you seek to restore or do you seek to punish? Can you accept helpful advice or are you quick to turn it back on the friend? If you really love God, don’t just say it but live it. Forgive. Restore. Be obedient to God. I John 3:18, ”Little children, we must not love with word or speech, but with truth and action.” Take time to read I John and once again be reminded of God’s love for you and how important it is to love the family of God!