Tag Archives: it’s HIS story

Kerstetter Chronicles: July 2016

You can’t plan for it. There’s no good timing. You pray it will never happen. Maybe you think you know how you’ll react, but you can’t really be sure. Until your worst fear becomes reality. Until you lose a loved one.
 
We slept in that morning, and woke rested and refreshed. We were four weeks into our eight week trip in Israel, and had just finished our first week of Modern Hebrew studies the day before. When we saw the missed calls, my breath caught in my throat. I prayed and wished hard and silently as BJ made the call. And as that worst-fear-truth unfolded, I collapsed, hyperventilating, on the cold bathroom floor. With no warning whatsoever, my nineteen-year-old baby brother, Levi, is gone to be with Jesus.
 
Shock. Horror. Disbelief. Agony. Before that moment, I had never thought about how complex grief is. Stunned, we moved about the room like robots. Too shocked even to keep crying, we wondered what to do next. What do you do when you get that call on the other side of the world? As I opened the shades to let the morning light penetrate the heavy darkness that I felt, I looked over the waking city and to the beautiful Mediterranean, sparkling in the morning light. And God spoke quietly to my aching heart.

“Look, what I have done. I bring life from the dead. I have kept my promises to Israel, and I will keep my promises to you.”

And my heart knew what it was too numb to feel. It knew peace that passes understanding. It knew hope. It knew that comfort – which doesn’t always come as a feeling. And I knew that it wasn’t by accident that we got that call in that corner apartment on the twenty-fifth floor, overlooking the bustling city of Tel Aviv, at the heart of the thriving nation in which God has proven over and over again, that He. Has conquered. Death. For everything that God allows into our lives, He has a purpose – even for this.
 
So, we made the necessary calls and got on a plane back to home. And there we said “See you later,” to one of the best friends we’ve had the blessing of knowing. We’ll know we’ll see you again, Levi. Because our God brings life from the dead.

On the Seder Plate: Charoset

A devotional for Passover by Ryan Karp

 

Most people can’t even say the word.  You have to use the back of your throat and the result is a little bit of spit coming out. And no, there is no English translation for it.

 

The way my Gentile wife described charoset when she first saw it was that it was sort of like the filling for an apple pie.  However you relate to the mixture of apples, honey, nuts, juice, and cinnamon, it is DELICIOUS!  It is one of my favorite parts of Passover.  Every Jewish person knows when it is coming because it follows the awfully bitter horseradish.  But the peculiar part is that it is not one of the three parts of the Passover as mandated by the book of Exodus and reiterated by Rabbi Gamaliel in rabbinic literature.  So why do we have it?

 

You can tell by the ingredients that the mixture, which is described as a reminder of the mortar that the Hebrew slaves used, is incredibly sweet.

 

“The Egyptians compelled the sons of Israel to labor rigorously; and they made their lives bitter with hard labor in mortar and bricks and at all kinds of labor in the field, all their labors which they rigorously imposed on them.”   

Exodus 1:13-14

 

And more than the mortar explanation, I like the concept of what the sweetness brings to the Passover meal.  As a family sits around the Passover dinner table, they partake of parsley and salt water, dry matzah and horseradish.  These are not exactly the most enjoyable treats.  But while all of these elements remind us of the trials that we suffered in Egypt as slaves, there are very few occasions within the order of the service that remind us that God did indeed deliver us from slavery.

 

Yet when we take the matzah with the horseradish and then cover it with the sweet charoset so that the bitterness of the horseradish is masked, I love that picture. Yes we suffered, but let’s not forget that all of those ill feelings or thoughts of our tribulations pale in comparison of the sweetness of God’s deliverance.  That is why we don’t taste the bitterness, only the sweetness.

 

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”  

Romans 8:18

 

“For the Lord is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting. And His faithfulness to all generations.”

Psalm 100:5

 

ryan karp Ryan Karp grew up in suburban Maryland with a Jewish father and Gentile mother. His family celebrated the occasional Jewish holidays but other than that, there was no real connection to the Jewish religion except the occasional synagogue visit. When Ryan was eight, his father accepted Jesus as his Messiah after experiencing a Passover presentation by a Chosen People Ministries missionary. After seeing how the Jewish celebration of Passover foreshadows Jesus’ death and resurrection, his father came to faith and the family changed forever.

Ryan came to faith when he was ten years old. While on a tour to Israel with a group of young Jewish people, he shared that he believed that Jesus is the Messiah; the organization, with whom Ryan had traveled to Israel, made him leave the trip. His heart broke for the people on the tour. It was at this time that the Lord placed in him a desire to learn more about the scriptures and to share his faith with his Jewish people.

Ryan is now serving with Chosen People Ministries as Chicago Branch & Ministries Director and National Director of Young Adult Mobilization & Outreach. He enjoys speaking in churches about the Jewish roots of the Christian faith and has a deep and sincere desire to share the Gospel with the Jewish people and to share with churches how to do the same.

My Passover Identity

My favorite holiday is Passover, and no other holiday has shaped me, or continues to do so, more than this one.

Passover first started molding me like a gefilte fish patty (Google it) while sitting around the dining room table in my grandparents home in Skokie, Illinois. I would arrive with my mother and we would join other family members in what is known as the Seder—an interactive ceremony that leverages our taste buds to engage our minds (and hopefully our hearts) with the incredible story of the Israelite exodus 3500 years ago from the bondage and suffering of slavery in Mitzrayim (Egypt). To help us reflect upon our ancestor’s story of deliverance at the hand of a Mighty God, my grandfather led us in reading through a story guide called the hagaddah (we used a free one published by Maxwell House until we eventually graduated to a more sophisticated one with pictures in it).

It was an epic story of bondage and redemption orchestrated by God that was accompanied by an epic meal with beef brisket and matzah ball soup that was orchestrated by my grandmother.

The Passover holiday took on a whole different level of epic in my life when I came to know Jesus as my Messiah and discovered that he also looked forward to Passover. Jesus said to his disciples, I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer (Luke 22:15). Although I doubt it was because of the dinner menu.

In the New Testament, most bible translations take the liberty to subtitle the passage that Jesus and disciples shared the Passover together as The Last Supper. While it was certainly the last meal they would share together before his crucifixion, it was far more than that.  It was an appointment with God, and this particular evening His Son was about to leverage the table to point to the suffering that he would go through to deliver depraved sinners like you and me.

The most important elements on the table were the unleavened bread and the cup of wine. The bread was known by the name God had given it, the Bread of Affliction, and it is this bread that Jesus took, recited the HaMotzi blessing, broke, and said—This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me. The name of the cup that followed the meal is believed to have been known as the Cup of Redemption, which Jesus took, recited the Kiddush blessing, and said—This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you (Luke20:20).

Jesus…afflicted and poured out for me. Why? Because I was a slave to sin and that sin separated me from living the life God had intended for me.

If we’re honest with ourselves, we all have our Mitzrayims that we’re enslaved to.  We all have our “Egypts.” What’s yours? Greed?  Anger? Jealousy? Bitterness? The inability to control yourself?  God sent his Son—The Lamb of God—to pay the ransom to set us free from the penalty and the enslavement that our “Egypt’s” bring.

That is the story of Jesus’ Passover table that his followers are commanded to remember.

But there is more.

The other message Jesus taught at the table that evening is that he is equally as interested in enslaving and molding us into his way of life. He asked a very good question of his disciples—Who is more important, the one who sits at the table or the one who serves? (Luke 22:27).

If your server at a restaurant ever asks you this question, be careful how you answer.

Jesus’ table is not just about remembering the freedom from the eternal consequences that our sin unleashes in our world, but it is an invitation to enter into the life of suffering that Jesus lived through service and sacrifice for others.

This is the story of the Passover table that we must graduate to. Jesus did not just provide a ticket to ride to the other side of Glory, but he invites us into suffering daily with him in his ongoing work of delivering our world from the bondage of sin that entangles and destroys.

Jesus said at the Passover table…You are those who have stood by me in my trials. And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom (Luke 22:29-30).

Every time we choose to serve and love others, we eat and drink at that table with him. When we choose to be generous, and kind, and forgiving, and gracious, we dine at his table.  When we admit that we were wrong, or choose not to blast someone’s character in a social media post, or give someone a second chance, or sit at a table with other sinners like us, we feast at his table.

This is the Passover table that I’m learning to feast at.

Justin Kron

Justin Kron, National Ministries Representative and eXperience Israel Program Director with Chosen People Ministries, became a follower of Jesus at a young age and grew up with one foot in the Jewish world and one foot in the Christian world, and has subsequently developed a passion to acquaint Christians with the Jewish roots and heritage of the Christian faith, and to become better equipped and engaged in living an authentic faith among their Jewish friends and neighbors.

 

 

Kerstetter Chronicles: November

“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.”

Hebrews 12:1-3

     Praise the Lord! – November has been a slower month for us. For really the first time since we’ve been in Chicago, our schedule was a little looser and we have been able to get some rest and do some refocusing. It’s so easy in the middle of the all the things that need to be done and everything going on around us to lose focus of what we’re working towards! So, when Thanksgiving break came, we truly relished the chance to step out of the fast-paced, busy city and into the slooow easy Ozark-land of Missouri, where we enjoyed a cozy Thanksgiving with the Kerstetter family and friends.

     Besides our Thanksgiving trip, there really isn’t much to tell you about November, but we do want to share with you the latest news in our journey with Lyme’s Disease. God has provided in really cool ways for us to go to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, January 4 – 9, for a natural Lyme treatment. We first heard about it this summer from some friends who have been through the treatment and seen really encouraging results. Because it is in Idaho and we had been seeing progress with the course of treatment I was already on, we did not seriously consider this treatment as an option right away. But we began to pray about it and asked God to provide all the funds necessary if He would have us go. We talked with only a few people about this prayer, because we really wanted God to make His will completely clear. And He blew us away with His answer! Within a very short time God provided all of the $3,000 needed for the treatment, a place for us to stay, a car for us to use and airfare to get us out there!

     We had also prayed that God would provide a Lyme-literate primary care doctor for me to consult with closer to home. And God has blessed us with a caring, listening and genuinely helpful Lyme-literate doctor who is covered by our insurance plan! We have no doubts that God is directing us to this treatment in Idaho, but we still covet your prayers! The treatment itself is 6 sessions in 3 days, but the recovery process is much longer. After treatment, I can expect at least 6 weeks of intense detox (read: quite possibly the sickest I have ever been; completely miserable; debilitating pain, weakness, etc.) I am supposed to begin seeing significant improvement at about 3 months out (beginning of May), and ideally reach complete remission in a year. Of course, each case is unique and some people respond better than others. We personally know 2 people who have been declared Lyme-free because of this treatment, but there are others who never fully recover even with this treatment. We are praying for the best and always prepared for the reality that God may allow us to walk this road a while longer.

     In preparation for this intense treatment and try to see the full picture of things, I got tested for a couple other issues. So far, test results have showed that I have heavy metal toxicity and a genetic mutation that messes up my body’s ability to detox on its own. Doc has prescribed chelation treatments to flush out the metals and a couple of vitamins to help me detox. These, unfortunately, are not covered by insurance, so we’re waiting expectantly to see God graciously provide for all our needs, trusting that He knows exactly what we need – and when we need it!

We would SO appreciate your prayers for us

  • As we step out in faith with this treatment, (It is definitely a bit scary, I’ll admit!),
  • Continued prayer for funds for school – we still owe $1,250 on our school bill for this semester, and need to begin making payments for the spring
  • Most of all for wisdom, discernment, grace and perseverance as we seek to follow God’s leading in every area of our lives.

     We love you and pray for all of you as well, and would love to know how we can pray more specifically for each of you! Please keep in touch with us and send us your prayer requests at [email protected]. Keep looking unto Jesus!

Love,

BJ and Carissa Kerstetter

CALLED TO BE WATCHMEN

 

     Last month, Moody Bible Institute had the great privilege of a visit from Joel C. Rosenberg, (www.joelrosenberg.com), New York Times best-selling author of novels and non-fiction books which address current events, Israel and the Middle East, and the threats that our world faces today.

     While I have yet to delve into any of his best-selling non-fiction books, I have read and thoroughly enjoyed a number of his fiction works. Rosenberg’s novels are not only a thrilling read; they are also incredibly informative and educational looks at real life current events. Sean Hannity said of Rosenberg’s novel The Last Jihad that it “Feels ripped from tomorrow’s headlines.” And I couldn’t agree more. But Rosenberg also offers something that you won’t find in the headlines: a solid biblical perspective on the very bleak picture of our world.

     So, it was with eager anticipation that BJ and I listened to Joel C. Rosenberg address our student body, and warn us of three threats to America, Israel & the Church in the Mideast. Citing Ezekiel 33, Joel pointed “some 1,600 future Christian leaders,” to the example of the prophet Ezekiel, whom God raised up to be a watchman over His people Israel, to warn them of impending threats and call them to repent of their sin. With this sobering text as his platform, Joel urged us to take seriously the responsibility we have been given by the privilege of our training here at Moody, and called us to action as watchmen for God’s people – Israel and the Church.

According to his assessment, there are three grave threats of which we, as watchmen, should be aware. They are as follows.

  1. “America is not simply in decline. We are heading for collapse, for implosion.”

     This is a bold statement, and it may startle you. But it is not the unfounded claim of a doomsday radical or crazed date-setting cult leader. It it is the well considered assessment of a Biblical scholar and well informed former aide to Israel’s current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Natan Sharansky.

     I doubt, however, many would disagree that our nation is in trouble. As Joel pointed out, (and discusses in depth in his book Implosion: Can America Recover From Its Economic & Spiritual Challenges In Time? – purchase here) our nation has committed many grievous sins from which we may never recover. The gravity of the situation is clear, if we consider our ever growing national debt, brokenness of the American family, divorce rates, children born to single parents, increasing violent crime, drug and pornography use, etc. But according to Rosenberg, the greater tragedy is the death of more than 55 million children whom our nation has legally murdered since 1973. In his own words, Joel said, “America faces the implosion because we face divine judgment for murdering so many unborn children.”

     Perhaps it is not too late, but there is little time left. There must be national repentance – a third Great Awakening – Joel urged us. Perhaps God will have mercy on our nation, but we must turn back now.

  1. “What happens if — on top of all our nation’s challenges and sins — America abandons or turns against Israel?”

     Before Israel had even been birthed as a nation, God made a promise to Abraham to bless his descendants and those who bless them. Furthermore, He states clearly that those who curse Israel will be cursed, (Genesis 12:3). God’s blessing of Israel is affirmed in Psalm 122:6-9, in the psalmist’s entreaty,

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: ‘May they prosper who love you. May peace be within your walls, and prosperity within your palaces.’ For the sake of my brothers and my friends, I will now say, ‘May peace be within you.’ For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your good.”

     Our responsibility could not be more clear. We must pray for, love, serve, and advocate for the nation that God has chosen and treasured – His People, Israel. To do so will mean blessing. By failing to do so, we bring a curse upon our nation. Rosenberg laid it out simply,

“Clearly, people all over the world, including in America, need to:

  • pray for peace in Jerusalem, Israel and the broader Middle East

  • pray for Jews and Arabs in the epicenter

  • love Jews and Arabs in the epicenter

  • seek the good of Jews and Arabs in the epicenter”

On that persuasive note, I urge you to consider the following.

  1. “Followers of Jesus Christ who love Israel and understand God’s Biblical plan for Israel must not be blind to the suffering in the Arab, Iranian, and Muslim world, nor deaf to their cries for help, nor dull to the terror and tyranny they face.”

     We cannot pray for the peace of Israel without interceding on behalf of her neighbors. And we cannot pray for the Middle East – the Epicenter, as Rosenberg calls it – without being brokenhearted for the suffering our fellow Christians are facing there. The world may be slow to act, or even turn blind eyes to the suffering our Arab brothers and sisters face, but we, the Church, are called to actively love one another, so that all the world can see our love (John 13:35). We cannot stand by and watch as the Body of Christ suffers. Joel said it so well,

“We need to PRAY for peace and healing and stability and calm in the region, and for open doors for the Gospel.

We need to GIVE to ministries that are doing effective work in the region, ministries like The Joshua Fund.

We also need to be willing to GO to the region if God sends us there to serve Him and serve the people in the name of Jesus.

Is this hard? Yes.

Is this dangerous? Sometimes.

But Jesus laid down His life in love to save us. Will you and I lay down our lives in love to serve Him?

When people and nations are in danger, will you and I blow the trumpet and sound the warning?

May the Lord use you as a faithful watchmen on the wall.”

 

     How will you respond to Rosenberg’s challenges? As believers in Jesus, we have been given light – through God’s Word and through the Holy Spirit who illumines it to us. As light-bearers, all believers are called to be watchmen. And we will be held accountable for what we do with the Light we have been given.

 

Will you sound the alarm?

 

Let us be your representatives to the nation of Israel by partnering with us through prayer and financial donations to our training and ministry. Check out our website for more information. 

 

*Video of Joel C. Rosenberg’s message at Moody is available here and you can read his notes on his blog here.

 

**You can learn more about Joel C. Rosenberg and order his books here on his website.(His upcoming novel about ISIS, “The Third Target,” is now available for pre-order.)

 

Kerstetter Chronicles: September

     Crisp autumn air has come again to Chicago, and with it has come more change and opportunity for growth in our lives. Since our letter at the end of August,

  • We have begun weekly Jewish evangelism outreach at a Starbucks in Skokie (a suburb of Chicago with a large Jewish population). Please be praying for our new friends, Carol (Starbucks barista), Elon, Danny and Freddie, (Starbucks regulars), with whom we have been building friendships as we discuss Judaism, Israeli & American politics, and most excitingly – the identity of Yeshua and faith in Him as the Jewish Messiah.

  • We had the honor of meeting Joel C. Rosenberg and hearing him speak about three imminent threats to America, Israel and the Church in the Middle East, as well as address the Arab-Israeli conflict. You can read about his visit to Moody in an upcoming Coffee Talk blog post here.

  • We have been attending Devar Emet Messianic Synagogue. The family of believers at Devar Emet, and in the greater Messianic community of Chicago, have already been a wonderful blessing to us and we are thankful to have a “home away from home” among them.

  • L’shana tovah! We just celebrated Rosh Hashanah – the Feast of Trumpets. According to the Jewish calendar, this Rosh Hashanah marks the beginning of the year 5775. It also begins the Jewish High Holiday season, and we have been learning about each Jewish holiday in weekly studies at Devar Emet. What a blessing it is to look into God’s Word and read about the holidays that He ordained for Israel, to see what truths and blessings He has given in them. Our studies into these holidays have begun to open to us the rich depths of the history and culture that Jesus himself embraced and celebrated. Watch for new blog posts about the holidays at kerstetterconnection.com/category/coffee-talk, and take a look at our calendar to see what’s coming up next!

  • God has led us to decide that I (Carissa) will not be taking classes for credit at this time. This was a difficult decision in many ways, but we have peace that it is the right one. I am excited to continue learning alongside BJ in our class, History and Thought of Modern Israel, with Dr. Michael Rydelnik. We have already found this to be an incredibly valuable course!

  • We have received 80% of the funds necessary to pursue a new treatment for my (Carissa) Lyme’s Disease. At this time, we only lack the money to fly to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho for the treatments scheduled January 5 – 8, during our winter break from school.

  • Praise the Lord! We have received donations totaling 67% of the school payment due October 1. We still need $551 to make this month’s payment, and our total remaining school bill for this semester is $3,551.

We are so thankful for your continued prayers and encouragement for us. God is truly teaching and stretching us here in Chicago, and we are excited to see what this next month will bring. L’shana Tovah – to a good new year!

 

Kerstetter Chronicles: August

Shalom from Chicago!

family photo

Family photo in our new place!

Thanks to all of the friends and family who helped us, we have made the move, and we’re now settled in at Moody Bible Institute.

MK Orientation

MK and International Students gathered for Orientation (Picture taken by Pavel Adamek)

Things started out light and easy for us with a special MK (Missionary Kid) & International Student Orientation.

 In addition to completing some required Orientation sessions early, we got to meet other students from all over the world and enjoy some events hosted by the MuKappa group here at Moody. Now the rest of the student body has joined us and Monday was our first day of classes! We’re so excited as we get started learning more about the ministry and the People to whom God has called us.

Jewish Studies fellowship

A few Jewish Studies students gathered at our place for fellowship

Already in our first Jewish Studies class, History and Thought of Modern Israel, our passion has been rekindled for the great need of the Jewish people for the truth of Messiah. It is such a privilege to be here and our hearts are overwhelmed with excitement for all that God has for us here! It is our excitement that motivates us to come to you even more eagerly for your prayer and support. I must confess that we are just beginning to learn what it means to be transparent with you, our family in the Lord, and understand what things are important for you to know about our lives, needs and ministry. Recently, we have been convicted and challenged in this area. So it is out of our sincere desire to be open with you and to better allow you the opportunity to partner with us in ministry, that we are writing this letter.

As you know, BJ and I both come from missionary homes, and have been blessed by the testimony of our amazing parents who have made countless sacrifices through the years for the sake of the Gospel. As a result of their sacrifices, and the high financial costs of my (Carissa) healthcare over the past three years, we have very little savings set aside for school. While most students in such a position may consider student loans, such a choice would prohibit us from continuing into ministry after graduation. Instead, we would need to postpone missions work and work instead to pay off our school bills. For these reasons, Moody strongly discourages students from taking out student loans and only permits this option as a last resort in certain approved circumstances.

As of September 1, we will have already paid to Moody all of our savings for school. BJ will continue to work and be able to pay a portion of our school bills, but this will not be enough. If we have not paid our first semester bills in full before the Spring semester, we will not be able to return to classes, and will need to move off campus. I imagine, as you read this, you may begin to wonder what I have frequently wondered myself – what sort of crazy thinking made them decide it was a good idea to move to Chicago and start school with no money and no idea how they are going to pay for it? So, I will explain.

afghani lunch

Lunch with friends, Vlad and Rachel from Devar Emet Messianic Synagogue, and our new friend, Isabel, who runs a guest house ministry for the Israeli backpacking community

We firmly believe that God has called us into Jewish Ministry. We know of no better way to thoroughly equip ourselves for this work than the Jewish Studies program here at MBI. Furthermore, we have seen the Lord clearly direct our steps to bring us here. We are trusting that the Lord will provide all of the funds necessary for us to continue our studies here, and we ask that you would prayerfully consider whether God may have a plan for you to partner with us in His work. Please also consider bringing this opportunity before your friends, church, elders or pastor who may be burdened for the Jewish people. Above all, please pray for us as we seek to follow the Lord, wherever He leads us, and learn to trust Him more deeply in these uncharted waters.

Here is a summary of our financial needs, so that you can pray specifically for us, and consider how you may be a part of God’s plan of restoration for the Jewish people.

  • Our total remaining school bill for Fall 2014 is $6,000
  • This is broken down to a payment plan of $1,500/month
  • Our estimated budget for living expenses (excluding medical bills) is $1000/month
  • Total expenses for Carissa’s Lyme treatment $4300 – Praise the Lord, He has provided 80% already!

To make a contribution directly to our school bill, call Moody’s Student Accounts at (312) 329-4223. Donations can also be made online  at https://portal.moody.edu/prt_mainpage.aspx?id=134337. (For online payments you will need to enter BJ’s student ID # 4132121.)

To donate directly to us, mail checks to BJ and Carissa Kerstetter CPO 2163 820 N. LaSalle Blvd. Chicago, IL 60610. Donations may also be made through our website at kerstetterconnection.com/donate.

THANKS again for all of your prayers & support. We appreciate you so very much. If you’d like to receive more detailed updates about what we’re doing in Chicago and what we’re learning in Jewish Studies, please let us know and we’ll sign you up to get all of our blog posts sent to your inbox! To read Carissa’s latest blog post, “Strategic Relocation,” visit our website at kerstetterconnection.com.

In His Love & Peace,

BJ and Carissa Kerstetter

Strategic Relocation

 

Big new city. Here we are at last. After a couple years of dreaming, months of planning and a few detours along the way, we’re here and we’re settling in to Chicago. Most of our boxes are unpacked, and order has begun to be restored after our go-with-the-flow nomadic summer. The last boxes left to unpack are the books. From where I sit, I can see my disorganized bookshelf and a couple still unopened boxes in front of it, next to more books scattered on the floor. But among the books already gracing our disheveled shelves, is a book whose title not only gave us a good chuckle recently, but also prompted a thought-provoking question, whose answer could change your life.

 

The title? “Strategic Relocation.”

 

This book, which we happened across a couple years ago, was written, by a Joel M. Skousen, with the purpose of providing the reader with a summary of all the primary factors which make a place strategic for safety and quality of life. He also provides a very informative “North American Guide to Safe Places.” In case you were wondering, Chicago – while it’s not the worst – is not very high on the list. And to be frank – it’s never been high on my list either. While the big city may have its charms, I’d take a cabin on a lake in the north woods over city bustle any day.

 

Besides personal preference, though, factors considered in determining Skousen’s overall rating of a place include – geography, climate, freedoms, politics, crime, standard of living, prospects of war, invasion and terrorism… you get the idea. While his analysis of the world at large leaves the United States at the top of the list of strategic countries, the state of Illinois rates only 1 ½ stars on Skousen’s five-star system. With Chicago – still ranked as one of the organized crime capitols of the nation and #9 of our nation’s worst traffic cities; a state-wide personal liberty rating of 1 out of 5; with corrupt politicians, judges and police, highly restrictive gun laws, several prime military targets and more than a couple nuclear power plants, Illinois is not exactly ideal for anyone seeking a strategic safe place. But I cannot think of a safer or more strategic place for us to be than right in the heart of Chicago… because God has moved us here. With such limited time here on earth, existing for the sole purpose of knowing God and making Him known to the world, what other factors matter?

 

Abraham. Moses. Jonah. Esther. Elijah. David. Daniel. Our Lord Yeshua. These are just a few examples from God’s Word of people who seemed to the world to be in terrible job positions, making utterly foolish life choices, or facing terrifying danger, but were actually strategically placed to be overwhelmingly blessed by God’s specific plan to use their lives for His purpose and glory.

 

So the question I have to ask is this – How will you determine your strategic location – for your home, your work, your direction as an individual or as a family? Maybe you haven’t really considered much of Joel Skousen’s lengthy criteria in your decision of where to make your home, but we all live by some kind of strategy – whether consciously or not. What is yours?

 

I believe that, while the world around us points to countless other factors to consider in the big and small decisions of our lives, the most strategic path is the one which God has clearly marked out just for us, even if that path is one of wandering through a dry Middle Eastern wilderness; leads us into the flames of an ancient Babylonian furnace, brings us face to face with the rage of a power-crazed, anti-Semitic world leader, or perhaps even takes us to the streets of downtown Chicago.

 

BJ has a t-shirt that reads: “Obey… or Get Swallowed.” I think the message of Jonah’s story is clear. God can accomplish His purpose with or without us, but He wants to give us the incredible opportunity to be a part of the process. And I don’t know about you, but I think in the end, whatever the “strategic” ratings say, Nineveh looks better than the belly of a fish.

 

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 <<