Activated May 2011

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Vol 12 • Is sue

change your l i fe . change your world

THE KINGFISHEREFFECTGood news for nerves

Wings from WeightsHow to rise above problems

Peace Plan10 keys to inner calm



Vol 12, Issue 5

P ERSON ALLY SP EAKIN G

Te woman’s lie turned on our words, spoken

by a stranger. “I you only knew.” She was a

mess by anyone’s standards—married fve times

and now living with another man—but in onerespect she was like anyone else. Maybe that’s

what had driven her to go rom man to man like some people change jobs

or locations or cars. She wanted more. Love, security, acceptance, ulfll-

ment, peace o mind. She wanted to be happy. She wanted to be whole.

I she only knew what ?

I you recognize that as a rough retelling o Jesus’ encounter with the

woman at the well,1 you already know what the woman was about to fnd

out. She was talking to the Son o God, and He was about to put her in

direct contact with the source o everything she longed or, God Himsel.

Te woman liked what she heard, and it changed her. Others noticed.Once again she was the talk o the town, but this time it wasn’t because o

what she had done; it was because o what Jesus had done or her.

Don’t we all want the same things that woman wanted? I we only knew.

I we knew—really knew—how much God loves us, we would never

eel unloved. I we knew how unconditional His love is, we would never

eel insecure. I we knew how accepting He is o us—blemishes, blow-its,

and all—we wouldn’t worry so much about what anyone else might think.

I we knew how much He appreciates our love or Him and others, we

would fnd ulfllment in that, frst and oremost. I we knew what He has

planned or us, we wouldn’t ear the uture. I we only knew how much Heloves us or who we are, we wouldn’t want to be anyone else.

Keith Phillips

For Activated

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E Keith Phillips

D Gentian Suçi

P Jessie Richards

www.auroraproduction.com

© 2011 Aurora Production AG. All Rights R

served. Printed in Taiwan by Ji Yi Co., Ltd.

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise

cated, are taken from the New King James

sion®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson

Used by permission. All rights reserved. O

Bible references are from the following so

King James Version (KJV). The Contempor

English Version (CEV). Copyright © 1995 b

American Bible Society. Used by permissio

The New Century Version (NCV). Copyrigh

1991 by Word Publishing. Used by permiss1. John, chapter 4

2



I remember, as a very little

girl, looking out across

the field behind our home

at what appeared to be

the perfect tree. I could

hardly contain my excitement as I

ran to inspect it up close. But as I

reached out to gather some perect

leaves rom the perect tree, I hadone o my frst big disappointments.

On closer inspection, each lea was

marred somehow—a scrape, a brown

splotch, an insect bite. Tere wasn’t

one that I could take home and

hang in my room as a symbol o

perection.

Images may appear perect rom

a distance, but as we look closer we

see the imperections. We watchstrangers drive by in their shiny

new cars and assume that they have

perect lives, not realizing that they

may have problems worse than

our own. We watch television and

movies and see images o perection,

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

“Because [God] delights in me, he saved me.”—Psalm 18:19 NC

If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it. If he had

a wallet, your photo would be in it. He sends you owers every

spring and a sunrise every morning. Whenever you want to tal

he’ll listen. He can live anywhere in the universe, and he chose

your heart. Face it, friend. He’s crazy about you.—Max Lucado

illusions that ade as the fnal credits roll. A scenic view may look perect ro

a distance, but up close we see the mud and the litter. Te world looks bette

without binoculars or microscopes.

We look or perection—perect people, perect situations, perect relatio

ships, perect happiness—but because none o us are perect, we wind up

discouraged or disillusioned. But God isn’t looking or perection—at least

our idea o perection. Sure, we can all do better, but oten what we perceiv

aws and oibles are actually His doing, part o our unique makeup, blessin

in disguise. And are all problems all bad? Aren’t they sometimes God’s way steering us to better things?

God doesn’t expect us to be perect. All He asks is that we try our best to

love Him and others.1 When we do that, we can eel secure in His love, and

that changes our whole outlook. We eel better about ourselves, and that he

us to see the best in others and to make the most o our circumstances. Lie

isn’t perect, but that’s okay. God knew better.

J S F I U.S.

1. Matthew 22:37–39

By Joyce Suttin

Finding

perfection



There is a beautiful stained glass window

in the historic Wesley’s Chapel in London,

inscribed with these words: “I I take the wings o the

morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts o the sea; even there

shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.”1

People have always wanted wings—a way to be lited above

their earthbound lives and troubles. It seems to be human nature

to eel confned and discontented with “here.” Tings surely must

be easier, brighter, better, reer “there,” just over the next hill.

Tere’s another verse where the Psalmist echoes the get-me-

away-rom-it-all sentiment. He says, “Oh, that I had wings like

a dove! I would y away and be at rest.”2 But he also knew the

secret to fnding that wonderul place away rom it all, and heshared that secret with us: “Te Lord sustained me.”3

God sustained David through all his diculties and tests, and

He transormed his weights into wings. “But those who wait on

the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with

wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall

walk and not aint.”4 When we turn to God’s Word and wait in

God can solve your problems in

one little glimpse. He can refres

your spirit with one deep breathHe can clarify your thoughts wit

just one sweet strain of heavenl

music. He can wipe away your

fears and tears with just one litt

restful moment in that perfect

peace He gives when your mind

xed on Him and Him alone.6

—David Brandt Berg

1. Psalm 139:9–10 KJV

2. Psalm 55:6

3. Psalm 3:5

4. Isaiah 40:31

5. Psalm 27:14

6. See Isaiah 26:3.

WINGS fm

WEIGHTSBy Virginia Brandt Berg

prayer until God touches our soul, we mo

up to realms o peace and rest and are trul

“sustained by the Lord.”

Tis old world daily strives to pull us

down, but there is an upward pull that wil

lit us to the very heart o God. I you read

God’s Word, share your heart with Him, a

wait or Him to speak to you, you will fn

all the strength you need. But many peopl

try to run on their own strength, hoping t

they will somehow surmount their dicul

that way. Tey put the eet beore the win

But read that verse again. Te running and walking come ater the renewing. What

chance does your soul have i you never ta

those moments to connect with God and

draw strength rom Him? “Wait on the Lo

be o good courage, and He shall strength

your heart.”5

E V B

B (886–968)

D B B, F I .

4



By David Bolick

When Japan’s Sanyo Shinkansen “bullet train” was

first put in service, residents along the train line

complained about the noise level. About hal the line

was made up o tunnel sections, and the train would produce a tun-nel boom on exiting due to the sudden change in air resistance.

Te engineers pondered the problem until one o them remem-

bered having read about a bird with a unique design eature, the

kingfsher. o catch its prey, the kingfsher dives rom the air, which

has low resistance, into high-resistance water—and it only creates

the smallest splash upon entry. Te engineer surmised that this was

due to the shape o the kingfsher’s beak being perectly suited to deal

with such changes in resistance.

He and his colleagues conducted simulations by shooting various

shapes into a pipe and measuring the pressure waves on exit. Tedata showed that the ideal shape or the nose o the bullet train was

almost identical to a kingfsher’s beak—problem solved! Te engi-

neers probably would have had a much more dicult time fnding

the solution i they had relied solely on their training and experience

as mechanical engineers. Te solution was ound only when one o

them looked elsewhere.

One o the problems with problems is that we tend to rely too

much on our own abilities and experience to solve them, when God

HOW TO HANDLE ANYTHING

There are well-meaning people who believe that life is too harsh. They would like to plan and arrange

the world so that no one need suer. But without struggle, how could the end result of personality be

developed? How could a person become rounded and mature and strong?

As tough and unpleasant as diculty may be, it is the source of potential development. Surround

every diculty with prayer, with faith, and with straight thinking. Then let enthusiasm build power

under it. On this basis, you can handle any situation that can ever develop.—Norman Vincent Peale

THE

KINGFISHEREFFECT

oten has a better idea. It takes aith to stop

trying so hard on our own and turn to God

or help, but that’s usually what it takes or

Him to get through to us. Faith is to prob-

lems what the kingfsher’s beak is to water.

When obstacles present themselves, the sudden added resistance to our plans or routin

can give us quite a jolt, but aith helps us f

solutions quicker and with less wear and te

on our nerves. Faith doesn’t eliminate all ou

problems, but it lessens their impact.

D B F

I M.



One of the greatest healing factors is faith, knowin

that God loves us and is going to take care of us no

matter what happens. Faith eliminates ear and tension, which

two o the greatest causes o disease and ill health. Tose and other ne

tive mental states such as worry, hatred, and bitterness can contribute

to various psychological and nervous disorders, as well as physiologica

conditions such as heart trouble, arthritis, and stomach ulcers. A negative state o mind can have a negative eect on the body, bu

i we can counter that negativity, we will fnd peace o mind, which w

reduce stress on vital organs and promote health. Tis is why peaceul

meditation, positive attitudes, and concentrating on good thoughts

have a good eect on both mind and body. “Whatever things are true

whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things a

pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are o good report, i

there is any virtue and i there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on

these things.”1

Te Bible also tells us repeatedly not to worry or be earul, but ratto ask God to work things out and to trust that He will. “Be strong an

o good courage; do not be araid, nor be dismayed, or the Lord you

God is with you wherever you go.”2 “God is our reuge and strength,

very present help in trouble. Tereore we will not ear, even though t

earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the mid

o the sea.”3 “In God I have put my trust; I will not be araid.”4 “Peac

leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I giv

to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be araid.”5 “Do

be araid; only believe.”

Faith in God gives you peace o mind, contentment o heart, and asense o spiritual well-being—all o which tend to greatly improve yo

physical well-being.

D B B (99–99) F

I.

We can never be com-

pletely happy or whole

until we establish a loving

relationship with God

through His Son, Jesus.

You can do that right nowby praying this simple

prayer:

Jesus, I believe in You and

want to get to know You

better. Please be with me

always. Amen. 1. Philippians 4:8

2. Joshua 1:9

3. Psalm 46:1–2

4. Psalm 56:11

5. John 14:27

6. Mark 5:36

THE FAITH

FACTORAdapted from David Brandt Berg

6



One morning when I was at wits’ end, I checked my

email and saw that a friend had sent me a video

clip. It turned out to be a collection o relaxing beach scenes,

with sot instrumental music playing in the background. Te waves

washing on the shore reminded me o the peaceul beauty o God’s

creation, and the gentle, repetitive sight and sound o the sur rolling

onto the sand soothed my spirit.

When I had calmed down enough to think more clearly, it dawned

on me that most waves are the result o winds out at sea, turbulence.

Tere is continual movement as each wave builds over time anddistance. It picks up speed and breaks when it reaches the shallows. It

stretches along the warm sand until it is just a thin sheet. Ten, slowly

and silently, it retreats back into the sea. On and on it goes—build-

ing, breaking, spreading, and returning in an endless cycle.

LIFE

By Mother Teresa

Life is an opportunity, benet from

Life is a beauty, admire it.

Life is bliss, taste it.

Life is a dream, realize it.

Life is a challenge, meet it.

Life is a duty, complete it.

Life is a game, play it.

Life is costly, care for it.

Life is wealth, keep it.

Life is love, enjoy it.

Life is mystery, know it.

Life is a promise, fulll it.

Life is sorrow, overcome it.

Life is a song, sing it.

Life is a struggle, accept it.

Life is tragedy, confront it.

Life is an adventure, dare it.

Life is luck, make it.

Life is too precious, do not destroy

Life is life, ght for it!

DAY-BY-DAY FAITH

It’s today that you have to have fait

for. It’s today that God has provided

the strength for. “As your days, so

shall your strength be.”1 God gives

you power for the hour, grace for th

trial, at the hour and when it comesnot before. You don’t have to have

faith for tomorrow today. Trust your

heavenly Father. He loves you and i

going to take care of you tomorrow

just like He’s taking care of you toda

—David Brandt Berg

1. Deuteronomy 33:25

By Janet Barnes

The Wave

Te winds o adversity can create some pretty big waves, like the

ones that had enguled me that morning. I elt bueted and agitated,

but it helped to remember that they were only or a time. Each

trouble would run its course, retreat, and ade away. Peace and order

would return. And they did.

J B F I

R.



we learn to trust our parents because we eel their love and beneft rom

their care and mature understanding

o lie. We trust riends who have

stuck with us through thick and thin.

We trust businesspeople whom we

fnd to be honest and reliable. We

trust people, in short, because o our

experience with them.

It’s the same with God. Te more

we open our hearts to Him, themore we eel His love and concern.

Te more we study the Bible and

Bible-based materials, the better

we understand lie and the more

we appreciate God’s wisdom and

goodness. Te more we put God’s

promises to the test, the more aith

we have in them. Te more we take

our problems to Him, the more w

learn to depend on Him to work

them out. Te better we get to kn

Him, the more we trust Him; and

the more we trust Him, the more

inner peace we have.

Go God’s way

When we think in terms o what will please God and do our best to

act accordingly, we can expect His

blessing. “You [God] treat us with

kindness and with honor, never

denying any good thing to those

who live right.”3 Tat doesn’t mea

everything will come easily or go

smoothly, because hard work and

troubles are part o lie. It does me

though, that we can have peace omind even in dicult times, becau

God has promised us good things

in the end. Inner turmoil is oten

the result o stubbornly or selfshly

pushing our own plans when deep

down we know that God wants

something else or us or others. T

never works.

PEACEPLAN

Peace is a “fruit of theSpirit,”1 one o the special bless-

ings the Bible promises to those

who strive to live close to God. Te

Hebrew word translated “peace” in

most English versions o the Old

estament denoted completeness,

soundness, and overall well-being.

Te New estament connotation is

inner tranquility—a combination o

hope, trust, and quiet o mind andsoul.2 In this day and age, such peace

can be elusive.

Tere’s no magic ormula or

attaining inner peace, but there are

certain things we can do to nurture it.

Trust God

rust doesn’t just happen. As children

10

By Keith Phillips

keys toinner calm

8



Take problems to God in

prayer

urning our problems over to God in

prayer benefts us in two ways. First,

we get His help, which makes all the

dierence in the world. But it also has

the extra beneft o taking the pressure

o o us to work things out. “Don’t

worry about anything, but pray abouteverything. With thankul hearts oer

up your prayers and requests to God.

Ten …God will bless you with peace

that no one can completely under-

stand. And this peace will control the

way you think and eel.”4

Give troubles time

Whatever may beall us and or

whatever reason, we can rest assuredthat God can and wants to bring

about some greater good through it.

Eventually, “all things work together

or good to those who love God.”5 In

the meantime, our aith is strength-

ened and we learn patience. Without

either o those—aith and patience—

it’s hard to be at peace. Tat’s why

the Bible tells us to stay positive and

hang in there. “Count it all joy when

you all into various trials, knowing

that the testing o your aith producespatience. But let patience have its

perect work, that you may be perect

and complete, lacking nothing.”

Let go of the past

It’s impossible to eel at peace with

ourselves or God as long as we’re still

carrying the burden o past mistakes.

We can repent a thousand times and

do penance until hell reezes over,but we won’t experience genuine

peace until we ully accept the act

that God orgave us or every wrong

Jesus didn’t promise

to change the

circumstances

around us, but He did

promise great peace

and pure joy to those

who would learn

to believe that God

actually controls all

things.

— Merlin Carothers

the instant we asked Him to. We s

“I’m too bad.” God says, “I, even

am He who blots out your transgr

sions or My own sake; and I will

not remember your sins.”7 “We ha

peace with God through our Lord

Jesus Christ.”

View adversity asopportunity

In one o his rare hopeul momen

Friedrich Nietzsche hit on a happy

truth: “What does not kill me, ma

me stronger.” In her book Gratitu

A Way of Life , Louise L. Hay was

more specifc. “No matter what is

happening around us, we can choo

to respond in a way that will help

us learn and grow. When we look at our diculties as opportunities

or growth, then we can be grateu

or the lessons we are learning rom

these dicult experiences. Tere i

always a git in every experience.

Expressing gratitude allows us to f

it.” When we adopt that mindset,

we put problems in perspective, r

1. Galatians 5:22–23

2. Nelson’s Bible Dictionary,

Copyright © 1986, Thomas

Nelson Publishers

3. Psalm 84:11 CEV

4. Philippians 4:6–7 CEV

5. Romans 8:28

6. James 1:2–4

7. Isaiah 43:25

8. Romans 5:1



trusting Him to make things better.

It’s “being confdent o this very

thing, that He who has begun a good

work in you will complete it until the

day o Jesus Christ.”10

Take time for quiet

reflection

“Give God time to reveal Himsel toyou. Give yoursel time to be silent

and quiet beore Him, waiting to

receive, through the Spirit, the assur-

ance o His presence with you, His

power working in you. Let [Him]

create within you a holy atmosphere,

a holy, heavenly light‚ in which your

soul will be rereshed and strength-

ened or the work o daily lie.”11 In

those quiet moments, God is able torenew your spirit and also make you

more like Himsel.12

Be grateful

Counting our blessings puts us on

a positive channel. It doesn’t solve

all our problems, but it takes our

ocus o o the things that upset

and unsettle us. “Whatever things

are true, whatever things are noble

whatever things are just, whatever

things are pure, whatever things a

lovely, whatever things are o good

report, i there is any virtue and i

there is anything praiseworthy—

meditate on these things.”13

Deepen your personal

relationship with Jesus

In Jesus’ arewell to His disciples,

knowing that He was about to be

arrested and crucifed, He told the

“Tese things have I spoken to yo

that in Me you may have peace.

In the world you will have tribula

tion; but be o good cheer, I have

overcome the world.”14 Te betteryou get to know Jesus by reading H

Word, especially the Gospels, and

interacting with Him through pra

and reection, the more you will b

convinced that He and His Father

have everything under control, no

matter how things may appear on

surace.

Anything wonderful

can happen in that

little margin of time

when you don’t give up

but keep on believing.

—Virginia Brandt Berg

ourselves rom the negativity they

conjure up, and fnd peace.

Cultivate contentment

“Godliness with contentment is great

gain.” Who doesn’t like the sound

o “great gain”? It’s “godliness” and

“contentment” that people tend to

misinterpret and get hung up on.“Godliness” is not a matter o piety or

perection. It isn’t a sinless state, but a

lielong process; it’s recognizing that

we’re not nearly as much like Him

as we should be and asking Him to

make us better. And “contentment”

isn’t a matter o eigning happiness or

resigning ourselves to the way things

are when they aren’t as they should

be; it’s a matter o loving God and

9. 1 Timothy 6:6

10. Philippians 1:6

11. Andrew Murray, South African writer

and pastor (1828–1917)

12. Ephesians 4:23; 2 Corinthians 3:18

13. Philippians 4:8

14. John 16:33

10



When my husband went on

an extended business trip

for nearly three months, I

found out what challenges

single parents face. It was a big

adjustment to have to keep up with

the house and care or the children on

my own, in addition to my job. Other

circumstances also took a toll on my

emotions, and I ound it increasingly dicult to cope. Each day’s outlook

seemed bleaker than the last. Te

struggle exhausted me physically and

mentally. Ten came the last straw.

Dinner was almost ready, and it

would be ten minutes beore the

children fnished their homework

and came to eat. I had been using

my laptop to listen to music while

I cooked, and decided to use thoseten minutes to check my email.

I scooped the laptop rom the

kitchen counter and headed

or the living room, but in

my razzled state I orgot to

unplug the power cord. When

I had gone only a ew steps, sud-

den resistance tore the laptop rom my

grip. I can still see the scene unold-

ing, as though in slow motion—my computer alling, ipping, bouncing,

the screen going blank.

I was in shock the rest o the

evening, and couldn’t all asleep that

night. When my mind fnally stopped

racing, I began to consider how

stressed I had been and consequently

how unhappy I was. I believed that

SHATTERED!By Natalia Nazarova

God wanted to help me get out o t

mess I was in, and He did.

In my desperate, “shattered” stat

He was able to get through to me

about areas where I had been alling

short—my relationships with my

older children and my attitude

toward some o my coworkers,

example. In that time o quie

reection, I sought and ouGod’s orgiveness, and a

and hope were restored

Ten I remembere

my shattered laptop

But instead o the

despair I had elt

all evening, I had the

distinct eeling that all wa

not lost. I God could put me bac

together, I reasoned, surely there wahope or my laptop.

Te next morning I switched on

the laptop, and it rebooted. Only

a small portion o the screen lit

up, but the computer was still

unctioning. Only the screen had

been damaged, and that was relativ

inexpensive to replace.

Now each time I open my

laptop and the screen lights up, I amreminded o God’s unailing love an

orgiveness, the peace He has to o

and the inner change He brings wh

we take our problems to Him.

N N

F I

A.



A 113-year-old man, when

asked the secret of his

longevity, replied, “When

it rains, I let it.”

Stress is the trash o modern lie— we all generate it but i you don’tdispose o it properly, it will pile upand overtake your lie.

—Terri Guillemets

Our anxiety does not empty tomorrow o its sorrow, but only empties today o its strength.—Charles Haddon Spurgeon

For ast-acting relie, try slowingdown.—Lily Tomlin

ake rest; a feld that has restedgives a bountiul crop.—Ovid

Believing that you must do some-thing perectly is a recipe or stress,and you’ll associate that stress with the task and thus conditionyoursel to avoid it.—Steve Pavlina

PRAYER FOR T HE DAYJesus, when I feel weak, tired, or out of sorts, You’re right there to put Your arms around m

to comfort me, and tell me that everything is going to be okay. You reach down and sooth

my rued nerves, melt away my worries and fears, and lift the confusion that surrounds m

Thank You that I can nd relief from the pressure of a busy schedule by turning to You.

When I stop what I’m doing and take a few minutes to think about You and Your love, my

spirit is refreshed and I nd the strength to continue on with my busy day.

Thank You for the peace You pour into me when I’m stressed or down. And thank You, t

that when I feel good, You make me feel even better.

Stress is not what happens to us.It’s our response to what happen And response is something we cachoose.—Maureen Killoran

Stress believes that everything is emergency.—Natalie Goldberg

Te greatest weapon against stre

is our ability to choose one thouover another.—William James

I you ocus on the negative inany situation, you can expect higstress levels. However, i you try and see the good in the situationyour stress levels will greatly dimish.—Catherine Pulsifer

Keep your sense o humor. Tereenough stress in the rest o your to let bad shots ruin a game you’supposed to enjoy.—Amy Alcott

I will cast all my cares on God.Tey cannot burden Him.—Joseph Hall

POINTS TO PONDER

Beat stress

12



God promises peace to those

who turn to Him.

Te Lord will give strength to Hispeople; the Lord will bless Hispeople with peace.—Psalm 29:11

Come to Me, all you who laborand are heavy laden, and I will give

you rest.—Matthew 11:28

Peace I leave with you, My peace Igive to you.—John 14:27

Counter worry with prayer.

Be anxious or nothing, but letyour requests be made known toGod; and the peace o God, which

surpasses all understanding, willguard your hearts and minds.—Philippians 4:6–7

Cast your burden on the Lord, andHe shall sustain you.—Psalm 55:22

Casting all your care upon Him,or He cares or you.—1 Peter 5:7

Stay close to God.

Now acquaint yoursel with Him,and be at peace.—Job 22:21

My Presence will go with you, andI will give you rest.—Exodus 33:14

You will keep him in perectpeace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.—Isaiah 26:3

I have set the Lord always beoreme; because He is at my right hand

I shall not be moved.—Psalm 16:8

Stress is no fun. Whether as a student cramming beore an importantexam, a parent juggling the demands o work and amily, a relative or closeriend o someone acing a serious health problem, a proessional struggling tostay current, or one o millions trying to stay on their eet in a shaky economy,everyone has experienced the debilitating eects o stress.

Some o the primary causes o stress may have changed since the Bible was written, but the Bible’s instruction and promises on the subject are as validnow as they were thousands o years ago.

rest assured

Trust in God’s unfailing

love and care.

Are not two sparrows sold or acopper coin? And not one o the

alls to the ground apart rom yoFather’s will. Do not ear thereoyou are o more value than manysparrows.—Matthew 10:29,31

He who did not spare His ownSon, but delivered Him up or uall, how shall He not with Himalso reely give us all things?—Romans 8:32

I am persuaded that neither deatnor lie, nor angels nor principalties nor powers, nor things presenor things to come, nor height ndepth, nor any other created thinshall be able to separate us rom love o God which is in Christ Jeour Lord.—Romans 8:38–39

By Samuel Keating



Some of my ear liest memories are of ridingon the back of a motorcycle, behind my

mom. And it wasn’t just or a spin around the block. We

were a missionary amily and lived in countries where

motorcycles were oten the most practical or aordable

means o transportation. (I grew up in Hong Kong,

Tailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Macau,

and Singapore.)

But that wasn’t the only unusual or outstanding thing

about Mom. She always made a point to learn and ft into

the local culture as much as she could, and she loved tocommunicate with people in their own language. She was

also an expert at organizing un, educational outings or

us kids, and encouraged us to try local oods, sports, and

ways o doing things.

I moved to Uganda as a young adult, and ater a while

Mom joined me. It was wonderul to see how quickly and

well she adapted to Arica ater having lived in Japan or

many years. As always, she was eager to learn new things,

studying various local dialects and learning all she couldabout the Ugandan culture. It wasn’t long beore she wa

greeting sellers at the street market in their own vernacu

lars. She got to know all o our Ugandan neighbors, righ

down to details o their children’s education and interes

and she never hesitated to help a riend or stranger in ne

She also hadn’t lost her un-loving, slightly reckless side.

On one o her days o, she could be ound riding her d

bike to Lake Victoria, renting motorbikes or others o u

to learn to ride, or her avorite—kayaking down the Nil

Te best moms, I’ve ound, aren’t necessarily perectcooks or housekeepers, but they love their children

completely and in their own way. Tey also set an exam

by living what they teach, and aren’t araid to let their

children try new things and be themselves. And while

they’re at it, they enjoy lie to the ull.

K F I

S A.

I love you, Mom. I love your aliveness,

your joy in living, your understanding,

your giving.

And what I love best of all

is that you love me.

God of all Mothers,

thank you for my mom!

—Gaynell Bordes Cronin

His little arms crept ’round my neck,

and then I heard him say

Four simple words I can’t forget,

four words that made me pray.

They turned a mirror on my soul,

on secrets no one knew,

They startled me, I hear them yet,

he said, “I’ll be like you!”

—Herbert Parker

motorcyclemomBy Tina Kapp

14



We know who to turn

to in trying times—“God

is a very present help in

trouble”1—but oten we can’t

fnd words to express what we’re

going through or what we want

Him to do about it. Some people are

gited at that, but those o us who

aren’t have another option: we can

use a prayer rom the Bible or othersource. Jesus gave us an example in

what probably has become the most

amous prayer o all time, the Lord’s

Prayer.2 When His disciples asked

Him to teach them to pray, He didn’t

give them theory, mechanics, or

generalities; He gave them a prayer

they could memorize and repeat.

Here are two prayers or try-

ing times. Jot a list o the dicultsituations you encountered today or

anticipate, and then turn them over

to God using one o these prayers.

Te frst is great or starting the day;

the second or when the diculties

o the day have taken a toll.

1. Psalm 46:1

2. Matthew 6:9–13

A spiritual exercise

O Lord, grant me the blessing of greeting the coming day in peace

Bless my dealings with all who surround me.

Teach me to treat all that comes to me throughout the day with

peace of soul, and with rm conviction that Thy will governs us all.

In all my deeds and words guide my thoughts and feelings.

In unforeseen events let me not forget that all are sent by Thee.

Teach me to act rmly and wisely, without embittering and embar

rassing others.

Give me strength to bear the fatigue of this coming day with all

that it shall bring.

Direct my will, teach me to pray, pray Thou Thyself in me.

—Filaret Drozdov (1782–1867)

God of our life, there are days when the burdens we carry chafe ou

shoulders and weigh us down; when the road seems dreary and en

less, the skies gray and threatening; when our lives have no music

them, and our hearts are lonely, and our souls have lost their coura

Flood the path with light; run our eyes to where the skies are

full of promise; tune our hearts to brave music; give us the sense o

comradeship with heroes and saints of every age; and so quicken o

spirits that we may be able to encourage the souls of all who journ

with us on the road of life, to Your honor and glory.

— Attributed to Saint Augustine (354–430)

Your PraYer,

Their Words



Lie wasn’t designed to coast through withoutany troubles or hardships. Tere will always besetbacks, diculties, and pressures, but i you

learn to see those as challenges that I can helpyou overcome, I will do just that.

I want to lit the weight o uncertainty romyour shoulders. I want you to hold on to theknowledge that no matter how great the need,how dark the night, or how seemingly impos-sible the situation, I am in control and neverail those who turn to Me or help. No matter

what you are up against, you and I can over-come it. Allow Me to work on your behal.

When you fnd yoursel in a stressulsituation and decide to trust Me to bringyou through it, your aith releases My power,

which is vastly greater than your own. You may be able to sort things out eventually, but I canhelp you do it much quicker. You may be able

to withstand a lot o pressure, but I can relievethe pressure. You may be able to do something

well, but you and I can do it better.I will never leave your side. I will make

good on My promises to move mountains,1 give you sustaining grace,2 rest o spirit,3 and peace that surpasses understanding.4 Nomatter what is going on around you, you canbe at peace when you are anchored deeply inMe. Beneath the churning waves, your anchor

will hold.Come to Me, lay your burdens on My

shoulders, and fnd that I have all you need.

1. Matthew 17:20

2. 2 Corinthians 12:9

3. Matthew 11:28

4. Philippians 4:7

FROM JESUS WITH LOVE

Let Me heLp

Activated May 2011

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