Wind,Rain,Winding Roads & Sunshine, The By-Ways of Life

Insurance Policy

Recently, I decided to take God up on one of His insurance policy procedures that He has given us in his word. It was not a big thing, nothing life threatening, or so hazardous that I would have had to yell for help immediately. To be quite honest, it had to do with work. Being self-employed offers you a wide spectrum of chances to have your faith tested. Most days you have a lot to do but there are those days or weeks when things begin to dry up and you began to wonder when the next client is going to come.

I sometimes tend to mope along when that starts happening and without  noticing it, my peace is gone and I am grumbling within myself. Just like the children of Israel, who were traveling through the wilderness, I forget the provisions of God in my past.  So, within myself, I knew that something had to change and that it had to change in me. For if God is unchangeable, if He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow, then something was wrong with my perception and I knew that if I wanted my peace back,  my thinking needed revising. 

It is comforting to know that I am not the only one that has to revise their thinking. In John 16, we see  the disciples  in the same boat. Jesus was informing them of the future and what would happen and they were totally lost. 'They were so use to him being among them that they thought it was going to go on forever. In fact, they got down right depressed as he started talking about persecution and his going away. They had lost their peace. They were bickering at one another again, asking each other questions, not understanding,  but not approaching Jesus.

Finally, Jesus intervened and  gave them an insurance that is an assurance that they would never be alone.  He says "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." As I read those words, I started recalling all of the things that I could remember God doing for me in the last two weeks, two days, two hours and rejoicing over what had happened in the past. I knew I had the best employment insurance in the world. And my peace came back. It surfaced as I began to rejoice in who God is and what he has done for me. It surfaced as I realized that I am not alone. Yes, we will have trouble. The rain falls and the sun shines on us all, but those who trust in God have a special clause written in their insurance policy that causes us to take heart because Jesus has overcome the world.

May God grant you peace,

Shalom!

Pat Garcia Schaack 

(Bible Verse is from John 16:33 New International Version)

Weekend

Have you ever awaken and felt like it is going to be a wonderful day only to be hit by something that you did not expect and wow, the rest of the weekend was a fight for your life?  If you have never experienced such a day as a christian, don't worry, it will come, and for those of you who know what I am talking about, hold on and keep looking up to the Author and Finisher of our faith.  It is in the holding on phase that we must keep our eyes on JESUS and not look at the circumstances surrounding us, not give in to hurt feelings, not turn around and react to events that you cannot control and not forget the dream that is being birth at that very moment, even when we do not see it.  People may accuse you wrongly, a love one may say the wrong thing at an inaqppropiate time or some disaster may be threatening the fulfillment of your dream but don't go there, don't give in to negativity and all his friends. It is okay to sink in the water, Peter did, just don't forget to yell or scream save me JESUS while you are going down.  As Peter stepped out on the water, he must have thought "how great, this is not bad, I can do this all day" until the wind roared and the waves ranted and not keeping his eyes on JESUS, he looked at what was coming his way and began to sink. However, Peter had no problem crying out, "LORD save me".  And JESUS immediately stretched forth His hand and said "Oh, you of little faith, why did you doubt"? It is moments like these that the tender loving care of our FATHER is revealed. When we call out to Him, HE is there, in fact HE is always there even unto the end of the age.

Shalom,

Pat Garcia Schaack

Purpose

Reaching out to find God's purpose demands leaving the comfort zone and setting out on an exploration with Him. There are no guarantees. The inner urge to find that purpose challenges us to say either yes or no. The choice is ours. Excuses are not accepted and no one is exempted regardless of age. For many of us this lack of control and the demand to trust leaves  us standing out in the rain, waiting for the purpose to reveal itself, only to find out much later, that  revelation doesn't come to the one who  only sits and  waits. God gives His  revelation to those who begin to move on the journey, as they seek to find and  knock to see if the door  will open. It is a life time journey of exploration and trust. One actually becomes an explorer, walking on the eternal path that leads to eternal life with Him.

First steps creating my own blog and also connecting it with facebook and twitter.

Back into writing again. Taking first steps at this moment. Nervous in my stomach but I am excited about the future and what lies ahead.