Things in Life that Bring Lasting Fulfillment

 

I write this with a cup of hot chocolate (+ a hint of Bailey’s) by my side, the girls at school, my notebook resting on my lap and the challenge of sharing this last year before me. As I look out my living room window, heavily faded grays, browns, and whites, reflect back. Only the boldness of red from ribbons on Christmas wreathes and on the coats of Nutcracker soldiers’ stands out. It looks arctic outside. The white that covers the ground is both ice and snow and the high today will be 10°.

If I believe what I see, there is little life. There is hardly a movement. There is no warmth. The trees are bare, the lake frozen, and the wind still. It is quiet in my home and I am reminded of the barrenness of this season. Winter has come and I am in the middle of it. In these moments, my heart stirs. Sadness wants to come in. Quiet begins to engulf me. Worry tries to trickle into my thoughts. My eyes tell me coldness is all there is. It has conquered towering trees and froze expansive waters and land. My eyes tell me this is life or rather, this is how life is defeated.

So I close my eyes. My heart longs for more. My heart has always longed for more. “God, show me what I cannot see.” With a richer desire, I open my eyes. Some of the same images appear but my stirred heart now notices the sled trail on the lawn where just the night before I pulled Shaelah and Sofia up a small self-made hill. I can see the run over snow angels and places where Sofie picked icicles off and enjoyed nature’s popsicles. I see Shaelah’s boot prints and become aware that they are closer to my size than they are to a child’s.

As I look further out, the frozen lake and shoreline remind me of this year’s road trips and our mini vacations in search of the perfect pool or beach. Spring break took us to Arizona where the girls discovered the small flags attached to pool lounge chairs, poolside service, and Shirley Temple drinks. Memories of our days at Lake Holiday or North Avenue beach this summer return. These girls are fish in water and connoisseurs of sandcastle tools. I can clearly see in my mind the mounds of shells they have collected over time and realize they have saved a piece of every beach we have ever been to together.

It now begins to snow. I kid you not. God’s timing is perfect. As snow begins to cover the ground more, I remember our road trip to Sparta, Missouri. Gratitude overwhelms me when I think of profound friendships that would take the girls and I so far. I smile at the memory of standing in untouched nature, watching a mare and her colt galloping through open acreages and feeling the earth move beneath us. Seeing a beautiful strong mare leading her own, captures the heart of a mother. It took my breath away.

Tears are welling up in my eyes now as my heart feels like the luckiest woman in the world. I realize that the life the girls and I live is a good one. We are healthy, happy, and loved. When the girls crawl into bed with me, I know that I have everything I need right beside me. God has always taken care of us. Always.

My takeaway this year? “Do not believe solely in what the eyes see.” There is great abundance in life and we are blessed beyond what the economy, our businesses, and our trials try to tell us. If we still ourselves long enough to close our eyes, our hearts tell us that there are only a few things in life that have meaning for eternity and bring lasting fulfillment. Look for those things and life becomes alive again and again and again!

by Tania Kinzinger

Meditation: While we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. – 2 Corinthians 4:18

You will succeed because Jesus loves You!

How to Prevail in the Battles of Life

Today we will meditate on how to prevail in the battles of life while still drawing insights from the passage below. Specifically, we shall dwell on the value of self-motivation in achieving success.

So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from there the ark of the covenant of the LORD…And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. And when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel shouted so loudly that the earth shook. Now when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, “What does the sound of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews mean?” Then they understood that the ark of the LORD had come into the camp. So the Philistines were afraid, for they said, “God has come into the camp!” And they said, “Woe to us! For such a thing has never happened before…Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness. Be strong and conduct yourselves like men, you Philistines, that you do not become servants of the Hebrews…Conduct yourselves like men, and fight!” So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and every man fled to his tent. There was a very great slaughter, and there fell of Israel thirty thousand foot soldiers. – 1 Samuel 4:1-11

The third lesson derived from the passage above, which will form the basis of our meditation today, is that self-motivation is required to prevail in the battles of life.

If the Philistines had given up and withdrawn from the battle after hearing that the Ark was brought into the Israelites’ camp – especially considering the terrible things they had heard that God did to the Egyptians and those who dared to cross the Israelites’ path – then they wouldn’t have known that they could, in fact, win that war. They would have fled and never got to savour the victory that was awaiting them.

But they encouraged themselves to go ahead and fight, despite the odds; and they won the battle.

Therefore, it is usually not what is happening on the other side that determines the outcome of a matter. Oftentimes, it is what is happening at your side that does. What are you telling yourself? Are you psyching yourself up for the challenge or talking yourself out of contention? What are you doing? How are you preparing? These are what really matter and determine the result you get in most cases.

The Philistines decided to damn the consequences and braced themselves to fight anyway rather than bail out. And, much to their own surprise as well, they routed and defeated the Israelites who seemingly looked favoured to carry the day. You never can tell what you can do or how far you can go until you try. And to try at all, you need to motivate yourself in the face of many discouragements.

You will succeed in Jesus' Name!

The King’s Highway

 

Once upon a time, a king had a great highway built for the people who lived in his kingdom. After it was completed, but before it was opened to the public, the king decided to have a contest. He invited as many of his subjects as desired to participate. The challenge was to see who could travel the highway the best, and the winner was to receive a box of gold.

On the day of the contest, all the people came. Some of them had fine chariots, some had fine clothing and fancy food to make the trip a luxurious journey. Some wore their sturdiest shoes and ran along the highway on their feet to show their skill. All day they travelled the highway, and each one, when he arrived at the end, complained to the king about a large pile of rocks and debris that had been left almost blocking the road at one point, and that got in their way and hindered their travel.

At the end of the day, a lone traveller crossed the finish line warily and walked over to the king. He was tired and dirty, but he addressed the king with great respect and handed him a small chest of gold. He said, “I stopped along the way to clear a pile of rocks and debris that was blocking the road. This chest of gold was under it all. Please have it returned to its rightful owner.”

The king replied, “You are the rightful owner.”

“Oh no,” said the traveller, “This is not mine. I’ve never known such money.”

“Oh yes,” said the king, “you’ve earned this gold, for you won my contest. He who travels the road best is he who makes the road better for those who will follow.”

Remember those words of wisdom as you travel the road of life!

Meditation: “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” – John 9:5

You will succeed in Jesus' Name!

Lemon Sqeeze

 

This past Sunday my family and I went on our annual hiking trip to the Mohonk Mountain Preserve. For those of you who are not familiar with this hike, it is an extremely difficult climb on a treacherous terrain of sharp rocks, small caves, and the ever-so-famous “Lemon Squeeze,” where you must contort your body in order to squeeze through narrow openings towards the daylight.

Once we arrived at the beginning of the trail, we began to determine who was going to take on this “beast of a climb” and who was going to relax by the lake. There were five risk-takers who decided that they would conquer the “Lemon Squeeze,” one of which is my cousin, Danny. Danny was inflicted with a stroke upon birth and has a deficit of strength and coordination of one side of his body. Many of the family members, who have experienced the wrath of the Lemon Squeeze on prior occasions, tried their best to coax Danny not to partake in the festivities in fear that he would either get severely injured or simply fail, but Danny would not stand for these recommendations and was determined to participate.

As we began, I made sure to situate myself behind Danny, just in case he had any problems, but I have to admit that I was petrified. This is a difficult climb for someone who is in incredible physical shape, let alone someone who has deficits with half of their body. From the onset of this voyage, Danny was struggling, he fell, he was in pain, but he did not give up. I looked into his eyes and I saw FEAR, but even more importantly, I saw COURAGE. There was a point when he literally fell off a rock and knocked me down with him, but he refused to quit and was determined to finish the climb.

To make a long story short, Danny made it. He finished the Lemon Squeeze, and for the first time in his life did not allow his disability from preventing him to partake in an activity. Was he afraid? Of course, he was. He was probably terrified, but his drive for success, his determination to prevail, and his desire for accomplishment allowed him to reach the pinnacle of the mountain.

Now Danny’s conquest may have inspired some, or potentially brought a tear to your eye, or may seem to have nothing to do with your current situation, but regardless of the way that you interpreted this story, the message is timely, especially with what we are experiencing as a nation.

I am sick and tired of hearing the line, “It is a bad economy out there, I am so afraid.” What is this supposed to mean? I wish that I were as powerful as all of these news stations because they have accomplished their goal by utilizing the power of words to escalate people’s fears. What they have done is brainwashed America to be “more careful,” when in actuality they have taught us to be more AFRAID. We are scared that we will have to foreclose on our homes; scared that our financial portfolios will go to zero; scared to lose our jobs in fear that we will not have health benefits and a consistent paycheck, and scared of a recession or maybe even a depression.

We are living every single moment SCARED about the next step, which has not even taken place and even more FRIGHTENED of the one that will follow. This approach has the capacity to lead our nation into complacency, where people are willing to simply weather the storm and try to “survive.” But if Danny were to simply try to “survive” when climbing the Lemon Squeeze, he might have gotten hurt because he would not have had the right attitude to actually succeed.

This goes for all of you as well, if you are living a life where you can not go to sleep at night or wake up in the morning because of the “economy” then you are going to miss out on the opportunity that I call LIFE. Was Danny careful on this journey? Of course, as should all of you because this is a precarious time in American history, but Danny did not allow this “careful mentality” to prevent him from doing what he intended to do at Mohonk.

I would like to challenge each and every one of you to control your fears. The current situation is unfortunate, but it is NOT LIFE-THREATENING unless you allow it to be. If there is something critical or pertinent to deal with in your life, whether it is a business opportunity, or change in your job, relationships, or living situation, then stop being complacent and do something about it. For Danny, he was sick and tired of being “left out,” and instead of allowing his disability and fear to prevent him from achieving his goal, he CONTROLLED his emotions and climbed Mount Mohonk. This past weekend was a pivotal moment in Danny’s life, and I encourage all of us to learn from his determination and use our current “circumstances,” as a stepping-stone to take action rather than be defeated by our fears.

The famous author Erica Jong says it best, “I have not ceased being fearful, but I have ceased to let fear control me.” So the time is here and the time is now to STOP BEING AFRAID, stop being immobilized by your fears, and join Danny on his quest through the Lemon Squeeze of life. I believe in all of you.

By Jared Yellin

Meditation: The wicked flee when no one pursues, But the righteous are bold as a lion. – Proverbs 28:1

You will succeed because Jesus loves You!

Struggles of Life

 

A man found a cocoon of an emperor moth. He took it home so that he could watch the moth come out of the cocoon. On the day a small opening appeared, he sat and watched the moth for several hours as the moth struggled to force the body through that little hole.

The moth seemed to be stuck and appeared to have stopped making progress. It seemed as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could go no farther. The man, in his kindness, decided to help the moth; so he took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The moth then emerged easily. But its body was swollen and small, its wings wrinkled and shrivelled.

The man continued to watch the moth because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time. Neither happened! In fact, the little moth spent the rest of its life crawling around with a small, swollen body and shrivelled wings. It never was able to fly.

The man in his kindness and haste did not understand that the struggle required for the moth to get through the tiny opening was necessary to force fluid from the body of the moth into its wings so that it would be ready for flight upon achieving its freedom from the cocoon. Freedom and flight would only come after the struggle. By depriving the moth of a struggle, he deprived the moth of health.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life. If we were to go through our life without any obstacles, we would be crippled. We would not be as strong as we could have been. Give every opportunity a chance, leave no room for regrets, and don’t forget the positives in the struggle.

— Author Unknown

Meditation: My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience… – James 1:2-3

You will succeed in Jesus' Name!

Why Jesus Is Better Than Santa Claus

 

Why Jesus Is Better Than Santa Claus

Santa lives at the North Pole…

JESUS is everywhere.

Santa rides in a sleigh…

JESUS rides on the wind and walks on the water.

Santa comes but once a year…

JESUS is an ever present help.

Santa fills your stockings with goodies…

JESUS supplies all your needs.

Santa comes down your chimney uninvited…

JESUS stands at your door and knocks, and then enters your heart when invited.

You have to wait in line to see Santa…

JESUS is as close as the mention of His name.

Santa lets you sit on his lap…

JESUS lets you rest in His arms.

Santa doesn’t know your name, all he can say is “Hi little boy or girl,

what’s your name?”

JESUS knew our name before we did. Not only does He know our name, He knows

our address too. He knows our history and future and He even knows how many

hairs are on our heads.

Santa has a belly like a bowl full of jelly…

JESUS has a heart full of love.

All Santa can offer is HO HO HO…

JESUS offers health, help and hope.

Santa says “You better not cry”

JESUS says “Cast all your cares on me for I care for you.”

ALSO READ  The Weathered Old Barn

Santa’s little helpers make toys…

JESUS makes new life, mends wounded hearts, repairs broken homes and builds

mansions.

Santa may make you chuckle but…

JESUS gives you joy that is your strength.

While Santa puts gifts under your tree…

JESUS became our gift and died on a tree.

It’s obvious there is really no comparison.

We need to remember WHO Christmas is all about.

We need to put Christ back in CHRISTmas,

Jesus is still the reason for the season.

Yes, Jesus is better, he is even better than Santa Claus.

– Author Unknown

Meditation: Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. – Acts 4:12

You will succeed in Jesus' Name!

Developing The Right Attitude

 

Developing The Right Attitude

Here are 10 suggestions to help you develop and maintain a healthy self-image. Read them slowly. Meditate on them regularly.

1. Hate your sin, but never hate yourself.

2. Be quick to repent.

3. When God gives you light, walk in it.

4. Stop saying negative things about yourself. God loves you and it’s wrong to hate what He loves. He has great plans for you, so you’re in conflict with Him when you speak negatively concerning your future.

5. Never be afraid to admit that you’ve made a mistake and don’t always assume that when things go wrong, it must be ‘my fault’.

6. Don’t meditate excessively on what you’ve done, right or wrong; both of these activities keep your mind on you! Center your thoughts on Christ.

7. Take good care of yourself physically. Make the best of what God gave you to work with, but don’t be obsessed with your appearance.

8. Never stop learning but don’t allow your education to become a point of pride. God doesn’t use you because of what’s in your head: He uses you because of what’s in your heart.

9. Realize that your talents are a gift, not something you have manufactured yourself; never look down on people who can’t do what you do.

10. Don’t despise your weaknesses they keep you dependent on God.

– Author Unknown

Meditation: “Comfort, yes, comfort My people!” Says your God. “Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her, that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned; for she has received from the Lord’s hand Double for all her sins.” – Isaiah 40:1-2

You will succeed in Jesus' Name!

Angels in the Alley

 

Angels in the Alley

Diane, a young Christian university student, was home for the summer. She had gone to visit some friends one evening and time passed quickly as each shared their various experiences of the past year.

She ended up staying longer than planned and had to walk home alone. She wasn’t afraid, because it was a small town and she lived only a few blocks away.

As she walked along under the tall elm trees, Diane asked God to keep her safe from harm and danger. When she reached the alley, which was a shortcut to her house, she decided to take it. However, halfway down the alley she noticed a man standing at the end as though he was waiting for her. She became uneasy and began to pray, asking for God’s protection. Instantly a comforting feeling of quietness and security wrapped around her, she felt as though someone was walking with her.

When she reached the end of the alley, she walked right past the man and arrived home safely.
The following day, she read in the newspaper that a young girl had been raped in the same alley, just twenty minutes after she had been there. Feeling overwhelmed by this tragedy and the fact that it could have been her, she began to weep.

Thanking the Lord for her safety and to help this young woman, she decided to go to the police station. She felt she could recognize the man, so she told them her story. The police asked her if she would be willing to look at a lineup to see if she could identify him. She agreed and immediately pointed out the man she had seen in the alley the night before. When the man was told he had been identified, he immediately broke down and confessed.

The officer thanked Diane for her bravery and asked if there was anything they could do for her. She asked if they would ask the man one question. Diane was curious as to why he had not attacked her. When the policeman asked him, he answered, “Because she wasn’t alone. She had two tall men walking on either side of her.”

Never underestimate the power of prayer.

Author Unknown

Meditation: Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me. – Psalm 50:15

You will succeed in Jesus' Name!