Photographs by Charlie

Arise from the Wreckage

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose” Romans 8:28 (KJV)

I’d read the book of Acts before and honestly, it fell dull and familiar as I read again. But when I came to chapter nine, something new jumped out at me. I began to see the word “rejection,” although it was not in written form. Perhaps I saw what I was feeling that day—rejected.

I was reading at the part of the story where Saul, a murderer, had just been transformed into Paul, a disciple of Christ. Even though Paul was a changed person, many rejected him because of his past reputation and lifestyle.

Not only that, but as Paul became fully devoted to serving Christ—sacrificing his education, his life, and remaining single so he could better serve the Lord—he was falsely accused, thrown into prison more than once and shipwrecked on several occasions. Doesn’t that seem odd for a man called of God? Wouldn’t God’s favor protect him from such adversity?

I thought about an illness that had lingered with me for months. It was so severe I was all but bed-ridden week after week, unable to do life and ministry. I had felt rejected by God. It didn’t make sense. I was serving Him in more ways than I could count. Then, without warning, strong winds came and ushered what felt like a storm into my life. Clouds hung overhead and before I knew it, I felt “shipwrecked.”

Perhaps, you’ve been there, too. Maybe you’ve been rejected by family, friends, and co-workers. Or you’ve been falsely accused. Maybe you’re imprisoned by finances, or being blown around by the consequences of someone else’s sin?

It seems so unfair. You’ve tried to live right. You walk in obedience the best you can. You take God at His Word and trust in His promises. Shouldn’t faith like this call for smooth sailing, instead of stormy, shipwrecking seas?

If we follow Paul’s journey, we find God working through the rejection, the trials, the prison time, and the shipwrecks. Paul shared the gospel with the Pharisees through his rejection and imprisonment. People saw God’s power at work when Paul survived the storms, when the snake bite didn’t kill him, and when the jail shook—opening doors and loosing chains.

Paul didn’t let his circumstances wreck him with a sense of rejection. He didn’t allow self-pity and doubt to overtake him. Instead, we see in Acts 16:22-31 that after being stripped, beaten, severely flogged, thrown in the inner cell of a prison and his feet in stocks, Paul prayed and sang hymns to God. And others around him were listening. The power of God came in such a way that the prison guard begged Paul to tell him, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” He replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus” (vs. 30b-31, NIV).

God kept His promise to work all things together for the good of this man who loved Him and was called according to His purposes. As Paul depended on God and trusted His faithfulness in the midst of his adversity, many witnessed God’s power and believed.

And the same is true for us. God doesn’t waste our pain, our rejection or our “shipwrecks.” He uses them to bring about His plan—to position us so that others can see His transforming power at work in our lives and believe in the living God.

If that’s true, and it is, then our challenge is to rise from the wreckage, like Paul, so that our lives will give testimony that draws others to the Jesus. Today I will no longer sit on the sidelines of life full of self-pity. I choose to rise, pray and praise, so that God can position me to shine for His glory, and so that others will believe.

Dear Lord, forgive me for wallowing in self-pity and rejection. I trust that You see the bigger picture. I believe there is a purpose for my pain. Strengthen me to rise from my ashes so that others will see You are my help and my salvation. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

by Micca Campbell

I Fully Intended To…

“However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.” Ephesians 5:33

When I married my husband over twenty years ago, I fully intended to unconditionally love, respect and admire him. I had great intentions of being the perfect wife, offering kind words, a romantic kiss and dinner on the table every evening.

But then careers took off, bills increased, children were born, laundry piles grew, and life became chaotic. Along the way I subconsciously created a measuring stick of expectations for whether my husband actually deserved my love and respect.

When marriage doesn’t meet those unrealistic expectations we had before the wedding, and real life kicks in, it’s easy to fall into the habit of tearing down our husbands and our marriages as well.

In fact, the longer couples are together, the easier it is to not only see each other’s flaws, but to mercilessly criticize them. This eventually leads to short tempers, less tolerance, minimal patience, and a lack of marital bliss.

As a result, those gifts of unconditional love, respect and admiration that we fully intended to offer become gifts we are not so willing to give.

A few years ago I picked up a book for wives written by my friend and author Rick Johnson. I was hoping to rekindle some passion in my marriage. Little did I know, God would use truths shared in that book to get my attention and help me make some inward changes.

As I read, God convicted my heart about things I had said to my husband just days earlier. I recalled critical comments that rolled off my tongue so easily, which I now regretted deeply. Although I had fully intended to be my husband’s biggest encourager, I had become one of his worst critics.

Over time, God helped me see the powerful influence I have on my husband and my marriage when I choose words that build up. Words that encourage instead of discourage.

As women, we have the power to build up or tear down our husbands every day, merely by the respect we give and the amount of faith we let him know we have in him.

Respect and admiration are two of the most powerful tools a wife has to influence her husband.
When I realized I had fallen short in giving those two precious gifts to my man, I asked God to help me control my tongue. I asked Him to fill my heart and mouth with words that would make my husband feel admired, respected and loved, regardless of whether I felt he deserved it.

I wanted His help following through on what I intended to do from the beginning, so I asked Him to convict my heart when critical thoughts crept into my mind, and help me avoid the temptation to say them out loud.

Within just a few weeks, I saw a change — in me, in my husband’s demeanor, and in our relationship. A change that rekindled unconditional love, respect and admiration. A change that reflected what I set out to give him all along.

Through our words of respect, and admiration, we can help our husbands become the great men God created them to be, and in turn, have the marriages we fully intended to build.

by Trace Miles

My Triple-Braided Cord

“A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:12

I’ve been embattled in a knock-down, drag-out fight for over a quarter-century now. Sometimes, I feel the little daily battles that are part of this clash completely defeat me, leaving me helpless and hopeless. And I feel alone in my battle.

What is this battle that consumes me? It is one that many women face. My constant, decades-long skirmish is with food. Or rather with my desire for food. Bad foods. Wrong foods. Or just vast quantities of food.

A few years back, I felt I’d come to the end of my rope. Severely overweight and reeling from seven different medical conditions, I finally determined to do something decisive for fear I might wind up like my aunt. She died unexpectedly of a heart attack when she was only in her early forties. I had just celebrated my 40th birthday, was the same size my aunt had been, and shared many of her medical issues.

So one day with desperate determination, a pair of hand-me-down walking shoes, and my trusty calorie counter in hand, I set off to religiously follow a weight-loss and exercise regimen. And follow it I did — to the T! Eleven months later, I’d dropped over 100 pounds. All my health conditions disappeared without any medication and I felt better than I had in my twenties. I boldly determined that never, EVER again would I let that weight creep back on.

Fast forward three years. One snowy Christmas eve, my husband’s company gave him notice of a layoff. It lasted for nearly 9 months. Money was tight. The future looked bleak. I was worried and teetering on the brink of depression. I hate to admit that, sadly, I again turned to food instead of to God. I made it my comfort; my distraction; my friend.

However, this familiar “friend” quickly became my archenemy. Over the course of those 9 months, I gained back over a third of the weight I’d lost! Now entrenched in the thick of the battle again, I was weary and weak; embarrassed and embittered. However, one day God sent me today’s key verse. He whispered in my soul’s ear that I needed to stop fighting the battle alone. Time to call in the troops!

I phoned my friend Lysa and asked her if she would not only pray for me, but allow me to “weigh-in” with her once a month to let her know if I’d lost or gained. She too has fought the same battle and was gracious and willing to be my second strand, watching my back and enabling me to conquer.

Another friend, who also has fought weight issues, sensed how much my regain was bothering me. On one of my darkest days, she took my chin in her hand, looked me squarely in the eye, and told me I was beautiful and that I needed to stop allowing Satan to beat me up. Shari became my third strand. She committed to pray for me, and I started emailing her each month with a report from the front lines of my battlefield.

Knowing these “I’ve-been-there” sisters were both rooting, as well as praying, for me has made an immense difference.

Whether it is extra weight on our thighs or excess baggage in our souls, we women all face heated, hard battles. Our key verse today teaches us to decide not to wage war all alone.

God wants us to enlist another strand or two to strengthen one another in the fight to overcome strongholds and worship Him alone. Satan shudders when God’s gals band together, with Jesus at the forefront, to courageously face the battle before us.

by Karen Ehman

Is God Enough?

“And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19 (NIV 1984)

Is God enough? It’s a question that my circumstances bring me back to quite often. Over a lifetime I’ve concluded not only is God enough, but He has to be enough.

It takes effort on my part to make sure my heart is staying in this truth.

As a young child, I didn’t realize my need for God, but I did realize I had a need that was not fulfilled. I was sexually abused when I was seven years old. My dad left our family when I was eleven. Both circumstances left me devastated, and I didn’t understand how God could bring healing at that time. I spent many years trying to heal myself and make myself feel better.

Nothing was enough to meet my needs. Nothing worked.

As I grew older, I moved from being a Christian who simply believed to becoming a Christian actively seeking and following Jesus. And my life began to change.

Because I was having direct conversations with God and consistently reading His Word, I was challenged. I learned that when the hard knocks came, and they would, I needed to ask one question in order to move on: “Is God enough?”

When a friend betrays me, is God enough?

When I need to forgive what seems unforgivable, is God enough?

When my child has issues out of my control, is God enough?

When my marriage is on the brink of destruction, is God enough?

When I am not forgiven by another, is God enough?

When my mom is dying of cancer, is God enough?

When others don’t recognize my value, is God enough?

When I struggle professionally, is God enough?

When someone I love uses words to hurt me, is God enough?

When I am in debt and don’t know how I’ll pay my bills, is God enough?

When my past haunts me, is God enough?

When my health declines, is God enough?

When I am let down and disappointed in my life, is God enough?

The last time I asked “Is God enough?” I opened a box of personalized Bible verses someone very special had given me. Reading verse by verse out loud silenced the thoughts paralyzing me with self-doubt.

I discovered the answer I always came to when I asked “Is God enough?” Yes He is.

Nothing here on earth is guaranteed. If I lost everything, I’d be okay because no one can take away my Jesus. Whether I live in a mansion on a hill or a shack in the swamp, I have my Jesus. Whether the world is for me or against me, I have my Jesus. When I am knocked down, I get on my knees and find my Jesus.

When life becomes more than you think you can handle, don’t quit. And certainly don’t believe the lie God is not enough. Instead, ask yourself, “Is God enough for me? Then plant His Word deep in your heart so you’ll always have the ready answer, that yes He is. He is enough for me, for you: “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:19)

by Melissa Taylor

Why You Should Hang Up Your Robe

“However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me…” Acts 20:24

My first instinct was to leave the clean, folded clothes on top of the dresser. Granted, my arms were filled with freshly laundered items, so it would have been difficult to open the drawer while balancing the stack. I had an excuse for leaving them on top. Didn’t I? Instead, I pushed past my instinct, took 30 more seconds, and placed the clothes neatly in the drawer.

This tendency to not complete a task happens with surprising regularity. I toss my bathrobe on the bed, drape jeans on the tub, and set the television remote on the nearest counter top. However, sometimes, when I’m a bit more self-aware, I take the few extra steps needed to actually finish the task.

Years ago, I realized my practice of stopping short of finishing what I started led to a cluttered home and office. Back then, I had a multitude of unfinished tasks that I just lived with. It wasn’t all simple things like putting away clothes, but included larger tasks like leaving a wall half painted.

Starting a project is fun, and usually involves a burst of energy. Then, that energy wanes as I approach the finish line. Instead of pushing to complete the task, assignment or project with excellence, I lean towards settling for good enough. Unfortunately, when I settle for “good enough” consistently, I learn to live with mediocrity. And accepting mediocrity is far from where God wants me to be. You see, finishing what we start is more than a good organizational or home management skill. It’s also a spiritual discipline.

As I identified the tendency to settle, I realized it affected me in a variety of ways throughout my life. In the past I accepted a distant relationship with God rather than one of intimacy. I’ve limited my understanding of Scripture to a surface level. My relationships with others have gone no deeper than, “Hi, how are you doing?” Instead of pushing to explore the fullness of what God offers in all areas, it is easier to stop short. Perhaps it’s safer. Simpler. And with less personal discomfort or inconvenience.

Interestingly, it’s actually been somewhat easy to address this issue. I admit the tendency within myself to settle, and I get firm with myself about it. Now, when I would prefer to leave the dryer full of clothes, or emails half typed, I say to myself, “Finish what you start.” I make a conscientious decision to finish the task at hand before I move on to something new. Obviously, there are some projects that require more effort, but this works on many of my issues.

I’m not sure of all the reasons for stopping short of finishing with excellence, but I do know the results. I end up with unfulfilled commitments, open loops and shallow relationships. That’s a far cry from the life Jesus came to bring, which is full and abundant. Not a partial life, but one lived with pushing to the limits and exploring the outer reaches.

Maybe that seems a deep principle to pull from putting clothes in a drawer or a dirty bowl in the dishwasher. However, the discipline of finishing well is one that is woven through my life…or it’s not.

So I guess I’ll take the extra step and actually hang up my robe. It’s one more stitch in this tapestry of finishing well that God is trying to create in my life.

Dear Lord, thank You for demonstrating finishing well through the life of Jesus. I know Jesus could have stopped short of paying the price for my salvation. But He didn’t. For that I will be eternally grateful. Please help me push through mediocrity in my life and explore the fullness You long to bring. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Glynnis Whitwer