Resilience in the Face of Life's Hurricanes

When Janet Perez was twelve years old, she and her family left La Paz, Bolivia, to come to the United States. She now lives in Florida with her husband Gene Eckles. Two sons live nearby, and one son "lives in the glory of heaven," as she phrases it. In her thirties Janet lost her vision due to retinitis pigmentosa. "I've found that life is not about what you cannot do because of circumstances out of your control," she says. "Success comes when you recognize what you can do with what God has given you. The deepest desire of my heart is to serve Christ and to be an inspiration to others. I apply this principle as I begin each day. Some might think that because I'm blind, I wake up each morning and sink my feet into a cold bucket of self-pity. It's quite the opposite. Being aware of all the blessings around me warms my heart with gratitude."
Janet shares with us her perspective on facing "hurricanes that shake the foundations of our world."

Gems of Wisdom from the Hurricanes of Life
by Janet Perez Eckles

Life's events can take us through rough waters, sudden storms, or periods of calm seas. I've experienced them all. And when rating the intensity of storms, my blindness wasn't the worst. But really, do emotional storms have ratings? They all hurt, they all jolt us, and they all cause us to rethink our lives. In my case, these storms propelled me to a higher place. Actually, it's a good place--where the view is clear enough to see God, the Captain in control.

When hurricanes shook the foundation of my world, I threw my arms around the pillar of God's Word. And while fierce winds blasted my face and thunder roared above, nothing could pry me away from holding on to His promises. Then when dark clouds parted and winds died down, I dusted off emotional debris. To my delight, gems of wisdom shone through--gems that had fallen in the midst of the pouring rain. Here are some I collected in the pocket of my heart:

Trust in feelings and emotions, and your path will not be sound; trust in God and God alone, and you'll walk on solid ground.

We know defeat when our feet refuse to step out of the puddle of discouragement.

Pain is like a bucket of water. The longer we hold onto it, the heavier it gets.

More effective than sleeping pills is slipping gratitude into our thoughts.

Forgiveness opens the door to freedom.

Turmoil can boil only when fueled by worry.

Focus not on the real estate you hold but on the One who holds the real state of your destiny.

The green of envy highlights our worst features.

Life tastes better when seasoned with kind words.

Constant work may bring results; but work blended with commitment to God's Word results in sweet peace.

Patience is the muscle that strengthens the soul.

We know compassion only when love is our passion.

Anger visits places where fear dwells.

We miss the beauty ahead when gazing into the rearview mirror of life.

Broken plans are often God's divine detours.

Resentment clogs the pipeline of peace.

A positive attitude is the passport to places where others don't get to travel.

No matter what conditions, circumstances, or cares blow your way; no matter how vehemently you may deny it, God, the Captain of your destiny, has each moment planned, each day designed, and each moment orchestrated by His skillful hand.

Prayer: Gracious Lord, help me trust in You at all times, even during life's storms. And when I'm discouraged, remind me of the many blessings You have already given me. Amen.

© 2008 by Janet Perez Eckles, “Faith and Love with Latin Flair.” Reprinted with permission.

Below is a quick review of the above author's book.

Trials of Today, Treasures for Tomorrow
By Janet Perez Eckles

Without being "preachy," Jan Eckles shares how faith and focus can overcome tremendous sorrow and adversity. She has obviously learned to turn handicap to advantage and has a bright way of expressing herself through quiet humor. She shared her journey from the culturally shocked naiveté of a young immigrant girl, through the torment of total blindness, to devastating loss, to ultimate triumph. It isn't a long read, but one that is worth revisiting whenever a heart-lift is in order.

Christianity Like It Was Meant To Be

Once upon a time, deep in the heart of the Treasure Valley, lived a family of squirrels. Sheltered in the strong branches of a giant oak tree, they enjoyed the “good life”, gladly sharing a plentiful supply of acorns and a fresh- water spring. Although gathering food took a great deal of work and enduring the winters was difficult, these happy critters had a sense that this was how things ought to be.

One spring morning these country squirrels were awakened by the screaming of chain saws and the rumblings of a bulldozer. It seems a visionary developer had devised a plan that would bring "improvements" to the area. Architects had designed a huge mall that would surround the great oak, incorporating it into a beautiful courtyard which would be covered with enormous skylights.

The building process was unsettling at first, but soon they became accustomed to commotion and, eventually, adjusted to the many changes. Now the climate was milder, the food was different, and they had much less interaction with nature. Their beloved acorns were regularly swept up and disposed of, but now there was caramel corn, salted peanuts and milkshakes a-plenty. And, the trash bins were gold mines!

Years passed. Now, younger squirrels rolled their eyes as grandma and grandpa squirrel chattered about the good old days. They talked about acorns, fresh water, and warm sunlight, but everyone knew they had over-active memories. Two generations lived and died in this new man-made environment. Due to the mild climate and unhealthy food many of squirrels were sickly. Because of their confinement, they were always on each other's nerves. They often wondered about the meaning of life; what was the purpose of waking up, eating garbage, and watching frenzied shoppers rush by?

Then, one glorious day a daring squirrel escaped. Curious about the bright skylights, he jumped from an upper branch of the tree to a pole. Climbing the pole he came to a ceiling beam which took him to an air vent. Slipping through the vent he plopped out onto the roof. What sensations accosted him! Dazzling sunlight, warm, fresh air and new vistas overwhelmed his senses. Scurrying down a rain gutter to a parking lot, he dodged traffic and darted into the undeveloped woods nearby. For hours he roamed, discovering nuts, acorns, fresh water and healthy squirrels.

Thrilled with his new life, he retraced his steps and breathlessly told his peers of the wonderful “real” world outside. They laughed, declaring, “That kind of world doesn’t exist any more!” Disappointed that they would not believe, the squirrel quietly slipped back out into life - as it was meant to be.

Once upon a time not long after the Day of Pentecost, some Christians were having church like it was meant to be. But then developers came along. “Progress” was made. Creeds were written, rituals were developed, and soon the climate seemed to be a little more controlled. Eventually services were planned to the smallest detail, politically incorrect doctrines were carefully altered, action was taken to make the church more culturally sensitive, and institutions and procedures were established to insure that all interaction with the real spiritual world was carefully buffered by "the church". No longer were people challenged to pick up their crosses. Money or good works became the means to forgiveness rather than godly sorrow and repentance. Baptism was redefined and being Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, and Spirit-controlled was considered a thing of the past. Now, coming to church was simply entertainment or a social event. Soon, nothing more than obscure references to real Christianity survived. Christians became emaciated and sickly.

But occasionally some brave soul will escape back to the original. (see the book of Acts) Upon doing so, their spiritual senses are overwhelmed with God’s love and power. Their lives are drastically changed. Of course, others often laugh or persecute them. Nevertheless, Christianity - like it was meant to be - can still be a reality. Maybe you should slip out and take a peek.

(many thanks to Pastor John Hanson for the content of this blog.)

Do You Have Courage to Drive at Night?

"Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." Psalm 119:105

Imagine the last time you drove down a road in the darkest of dark nights. What allowed you to get behind the wheel when you couldn't see in front of you? Ah, headlights, right? But headlights only shine up to about 350 feet in front of you. If you are on a 500 mile road trip, you wouldn't go very far if you only advanced 350 feet on your trip, would you? Absolutely not.

What really happens when you drive at night? Don't you take action in faith, knowing that when you move forward, the lights will continue to lead the way? The lights will always be shining ahead so you can move quickly in the direction of your destination? Right?

The same is true in your very own life. Sometimes we can't see the whole entire picture/road/dream, but when we take courageous action in the direction of our destination, the light will shine in the direction we need to take. I guarantee, you will be much further ahead by taking one step at a time vs. standing still in a fear-based paralysis.

Take a step in faith this week!

Music Videos

Just a quick hint to those of you my age and above: After the video loads, click the pause button and let it buffer for a few seconds. This will allow the video to play continuously. Now ...

Take a few minutes to sit back and enjoy the following music videos. I've chosen a couple of my favorites. Most christians turn to the Psalms when they are hurting because they provide healing words for the wounded. Sometimes, when you're hurting, it's good to sit back and just listen to soothing music with meaningful lyrics. This first music video gives us hope and comfort in knowing that God knows exactly what we're feeling!



You may be aware of the controversy with the next video. Michael Guglielmucci apparently wrote and sang this song with Hillsong after being diagnosed with cancer. It proved to be a lie on his part. He confessed that he was addicted to pornography for years and after being misdiagnosed with cancer, he pulled off this hoax, gaining noteriety and money in the process. I chose to post this song anyway for two reasons: 1. Michael evidently wrote this song thinking he had cancer. What God brought out of this scandal is an incredible song of hope! 2. This blog is about the wounded, the suffering. Michael was bound by an addiction of lust. I absolutely believe that God is a Healer and Deliverer! He can not only heal cancer but He is able to deliver from the clutches of addiction! For those of you hurting physically or bound by sin, let this song minister to you and allow God to heal and deliver you!

SERVANT WARFARE: MEDIC!

The following is an article from SERVE! magazine, a publication about servant evangelism and it was written by Ken Glassmeyer. It ties into my belief that the greatest healing takes place when we serve others. It also fits perfectly into my vision of a mission-based ministry that we are preparing to launch here in the Treasure Valley of Idaho. You'll hear more about IHOP, Idaho House Of Prayer in the near future. Until then, enjoy the article:

"My nephew is a medic with an elite Special Forces unit somewhere in Iraq right now. That is all we really know. He can't tell us much about his missions or even where he is stationed.

Justin, is an incredible kid. Very smart and quite athletic. It shocked most of his family when he announced, at the height of the conflict in Middle East, that he was enlisting. He had no political reasons. He just wanted to help people. He qualified as a marksmen during training and was quite skilled at various forms of hand-to-hand combat, but he never wavered from his initial passion: he became a medic because he wanted to help people.

He has already won several medals, but he can't tell us the specifics about those missions yet--they are still classified. He doesn't spend much time talking about that in the few email updates we do get from him. Instead, he talks about the people he helps. In his last email to me, this crazy kid actually apologized to me that he couldn't write more often because they were spending much more time "in the sand than back at the hooch."

Think about that for a moment.

For all the time we spend talking about "spiritual warfare" in church, how much time are we in the field? Even the most outward focused of us, spend a great deal of time "in the hooch." That is the idea behind servant warfare instead of the traditional spiritual warfare. Don't get me wrong, there is a time and place for prayer meetings and seminars on healing and even the battles of intercession and tearing down strongholds and such, but are we doing it out in the sand, or from the comfort of our bunks?

We are in a season of perhaps the worst economic turmoil that our country has ever faced. That should be a call of action to us. We need to be more like Army medics. We need to resist the temptation to duck and cover and run out into the fire and shrapnel and look for hurt people."