Tag Archives: God’s Perfect Plan

5 Ways I’m Dealing with Anxiety

 

Lately, with the preparations for school, decisions about my health care, family crises and ever more disturbing news headlines, I have found myself really struggling with anxiety. The anxiety worsens my pain, keeps me from sleeping well and makes it harder to make good, clear-headed decisions! So, I get more anxious! I’ve heard I’m not the only one who feels this way, so I thought I’d share with you some of the ways I’m dealing with anxiety. I’d love to know what works for you! Give me your advice in the comments.

  1. Breathe deeply. When I’m feeling anxious, I tend to hold my breath and tense up my whole body. I find, I need to stop what I’m doing, take deep, full breaths from my diaphragm and release my uptight shoulders.

  2. Give yourself permission to rest. Work hard, but make time to rest – and then let yourself enjoy it.

  3. Sleep well. I’m using doTERRA’s Lavender, Cedarwood and Frankincense essential oils to help me relax and sleep. They actually work! If you’re interested, you can now buy doTERRA essential oils through our website to support our ministry! Just click HERE to get started.

  4. Walk it off. Especially now that we’re enjoying such gorgeous weather here in the Midwest, I love walking with my husband and our dog. Breathe in the fresh air. Revel in the beauty of God’s creation. Walk off the stress. Enjoy life.

  5. Take it to the Lord. Every. Little. Thing. He cares about all of it and He’s got it all under control. So I’m trying to learn to take it to Him and then leave it there (Read: STOP worrying)! The last bit is the hard part.

 

“Be careful (WORRY) for NOTHING; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on THESE things.”

>> Philippians 4:6-8 <<

“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”

>> Romans 8:18 <<

 

“Thou wilt keep Him in Perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.”

>> Isaiah 26:3 <<

 

Judaism Q & A

 

Shalom! I have a homework assignment for you. Yes, I know, I’m the one starting school in a few weeks. But we’re in this together, right? 😉 Actually, this is your chance to put me to work! I have put together a list of some of the words, questions and topics that I want to learn more about in school. Sort of like my “to-do” list of things to learn. If you’d like, you can send me your questions and I’ll add them to my list. As I study through the list, I’ll report back here with a post about my findings. Because it is part of my heritage, and central to God’s Word, Jewish culture has always fascinated and intrigued me. Sadly, I have spent very little time really studying or experiencing Judaism – until now! I’m so excited to get started! So, without further ado, here’s my list. Send me yours via email or leave them in the comments below!

 

 

  • What is the “Mishna?”
  • What is “Succot” all about? And how do you even pronounce that?
  • What is the “Tenach?”
  • Who is the “remnant” referred to in Romans 11?
  • Why do the rabbis say that Jewish lineage is passed down through the mother?
  • What does Scripture say about the Church’s responsibility concerning Israel?
  • Why do Jews & Messianic Jews write “G-d” without the ‘o?’
  • Who assigns the weekly Parsha? How did this tradition start?
  • How can I ask Jewish friends about their beliefs in a non-offensive way?
  • Is there still a Biblical basis for Christians or Messianic Jews to keep kosher?
  • What does God’s Word say about the Palestinians currently living in the land of Israel?
  • Why does the woman of the house pray and “welcome the light” each Shabbat (Sabbath)?
  • Is it traditional or Biblical to light the candles and share bread and share wine at the beginning of Shabbat (Sabbath)?

Check back here if you’d like answers to these questions or some of your own. I’m looking forward to learning together!

Love,

 

Carissa Kerstetter

 

 

Lyme (in the) Light

 

I thank God for Lyme’s Disease. Honestly, it’s miserable. Pain is my way of life. Everyday tasks, that most people don’t think about, are hard for me. Exhaustion is normal. And that’s not the half of it. BUT GOD is teaching me so much, and He has put it on my heart to share some of those things with you. Maybe you can learn something by witnessing my struggles, and be encouraged by God’s faithfulness to me. Even if nobody ever reads these testimonies, I feel compelled to write them – if only to reflect His glory into the silence.

One of the most life-altering, world-upside-down lessons I am still learning, is thankfulness in suffering. I must thank God for Lyme’s Disease. I wouldn’t have chosen it. I still pray for healing. But, although it’s sometimes through tears and always with a heavy heart, often only in a whisper, I thank Him. Now, I’m sure I may sound like I’m trying to be a martyr or a super-spiritual Christian or perhaps I just sound crazy. But I don’t mean to be a martyr, and I certainly don’t think I’m super-spiritual. I may be on the crazy side, but before you decide, let me explain what I mean.

I believe that it is our purpose and incredible privilege to know the Lord personally and deeply, and to testify to His glory. Because God designed us for this specific purpose, we need and crave relationship with Him. In fellowship with Him we can know incomparable joy and peace. In a real and growing relationship with Him we will find identity and purpose, and in living out His plan for us we will find fulfillment and satisfaction. These things can be found nowhere else, but in Jesus. WOW – don’t miss this – take a minute just to think about the mind-blowing words that you just read. We have an all-expense paid, never expires, full access pass to fellowship with the Creator of the Universe. Yeah, go ahead and read it again. It’s ah-mazing.

I don’t think there are many things that cause us to go to the Lord more than suffering. It’s sad but it’s true – in our human foolishness, we often need hardship to remind us just how much we always need God’s strength. I know I have personally learned so very much about His sufficiency in my struggles with illness.

So, think about this with me – if it takes temporary sickness and pain – no matter how miserable it may be – to make us understand more of our need for Jesus… If because of pain we could begin to learn to stop flailing helplessly through life, let go of our failing strength and the facade of any self-sufficiency, and let Him wrap us each in His arms and show us what it means to rest in His strength then isn’t suffering a blessing? Wouldn’t it be better to endure physical pain, and get even a glimpse of the joy and peace that defy comprehension, than to be the picture of health and never get that same chance to experience the loving comfort of our heavenly Father in a way that it can only be experienced through suffering? I believe it’s more than worth the pain. So, I thank God for Lyme’s Disease. And I mean it.

Because of His faithfulness,

Carissa Kerstetter

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Lie Behind My Smile

     When I got out of bed on the day this picture was taken, it felt as though I was walking on shards of glass. On autopilot, I got dressed and splashed water on my face before I followed my husband, BJ, to the car to take him to work. Every muscle ached in the cold, and my heart sank in the dark morning as I kissed him goodbye and headed back to my quiet apartment. A hot shower eased my tense muscles, but just enough to get myself to work and through the bus route I drive each morning. By the time I got home, the pain had increased, and I had started to shake. I sat down to eat a healthy breakfast and wrapped myself in warm blankets, hoping to level my blood sugar and calm my body. But as the pain coursed through my bones, my body seemed to succumb to the shock of its intensity.

     To my delight, BJ got off work early that day. As it happened, our good friend, Kip, was visiting and drove me to pick up my husband, who would otherwise have had to wait for a coworker or one of my sweet parents, to give him a ride home. You see, pain can sometimes be so intense that it demands all of the body’s energy and attention. That was the case this day, and I had begun to feel dizzy and a bit out of touch with reality. 

     When we got back home, I decided that it was time to take some of the new pain meds I had just gotten from my doctor. One pill barely took the edge off, so I took a second. As the medication slowly kicked in, the pain began to dissipate, and I got dizzier, woozier and sleepier. But I had decided to function that day. My husband was off work early, our friend was in town, and we had planned to have Kip take some pictures of us for an upcoming newsletter. So, I pulled jeans over the screaming nerves in my legs, forced my shaking hands to fix my hair and makeup, and left my cozy bed behind.

     We walked outside to find an idyllic photo spot and I grasped my husband’s arm to help me walk straight without stumbling. I could not make my eyes focus on Kip or his camera, but I faced my head in his direction and forced a smile. Snap! Snap! Snap! And there we are. Picture perfect.

     “A picture’s worth a thousand words.” And I hope this picture says that I am happy, because I really am. I’m glad you can’t see my hands shaking, or the pain that my smiles hide. I love and I am loved. I know God’s Love, and He has a purpose for my life and for my pain. In everything, I will choose to praise His name, and let Him do His will in my life. But my smile is a choice. It is not meant to deceive, but to redirect. I smile through my pain because I know my God loves me and He is in control. So tomorrow, when it’s hard to get out of bed, give your day to GOD and smile, because He’ll use it well. 

Next Stop: Chicago

Dear friends,

     I am so excited to tell you that God has seen fit to move BJ and me on to our next step in His plan for our lives. Over the past many months, we have seen His hand clearly directing us into full time Jewish evangelism. To become better equipped for this work, we have now officially enrolled for the 2014 Fall Semester in the Jewish Studies program at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, Illinois.

     The past couple years have been a time of great learning and growing for us, filled with many challenges and many truths revealed about God’s perfect plan and enduring faithfulness. As most of you know, both of us have had some health issues. So we had put off school until now to seek treatment in Waukesha, WI, where we’ve been since we graduated New Tribes Bible Institute in May 2011. BJ is almost back to full health, but still lacking some of the vigor and energy of a healthy 22 year old. My health is also still a cause for prayer, as I am still battling Lyme’s Disease, and dealing with considerable pain and sickness as a result. At this point it would still be too much for me to take on a full class load at Moody, so I plan to enroll as a part time student, and we expect even this much will be difficult. But we leave this as it ever was, in the hands of our faithful Father, and would so appreciate your prayers for healing, if it be His will.

     Despite these continued challenges, we are ready and so excited to move forward. Now begins the planning and packing and figuring out of all the fun, technical details of getting ready for school. We will both be done working by June 15th, when I am done driving kiddos around in my bright yellow school bus! After that we plan to spend most of our summer with BJ’s family in Missouri, where BJ will be studying and working to further his budding career in web design. It is his goal to use this work to pay our way through these next couple years of school. Because he will only work part time, and I cannot work at all due to my health, we won’t make enough to cover our expenses. Please pray with us as we apply for scholarships and wait on the LORD to provide. We are confident that He is guiding us in this direction, so we are eager to see how He will work it all out!

     We invite you to partner with us in prayer, for “the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much,” (James 5:16). and stay connected with us as God moves us forward into His work. We ask for your encouragement, input and accountability to accompany us as we “press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus,” (Philippians 3:14) and endeavor to walk with Him and make Him known. To see specific prayer requests visit our “Prayers” page (click here). To make plans to spend time with us before our move visit our “Connect” page (click here). If you would like to keep in touch and get continued updates from us, go back to our home page (click here) and “subscribe” to get weekly or monthly emails. We’d always love to hear from you!

Because of His Love
BJ and Carissa