by Eric Rank

Living at the latitude and altitude that I do in Colorado, the months of winter guarantee a healthy dose of cold temperatures and snow. This is most significant to me because I commute to my job by bicycle every day. Unless the weather is unreasonably nasty, this daily trek is something I look forward to. However, with winter darkness, ice and snow, this wintery commute can be quite dangerous.

If I was the only person on the road, the danger I face would be irrelevant. Snowy and icy roads are nothing compared to the treacherous cars traveling on those roads with me. I have planned my route to work very carefully in order to avoid traffic as much as possible, but I still come into contact with several vehicles.

When I do come into contact with other cars, I often have to make decisions about exactly what to do. Should I speed up and take a dominant position in the road to avoid a dangerous shoulder? Should I slow down and wait patiently for cars to pass or turn? Sometimes it can be quite difficult to determine what the safest choice is. But certainly, making the wrong choice, whether in haste or hesitation, can put lives at risk.

My spiritual life is not much different. An action I choose to take might affect myself and others in a completely different way depending on the timing. An offer to help someone might come too late to truly be helpful. I may make a decision on a quick impulse, finding myself committed to something I later regret. As a Christian, I know that what I do and how I do it is very important. However, the time I take in performing those actions is also important to consider, whether speed or patience is required.

by Manuela Mitchell

We have heard the saying, “Life is what you make of it”; but what if life has the means of introducing misery and trials which can change our desires and motivations? When I am sick, or battling through a never-ending trial, is it possible to enjoy life even then? I have experienced on numerous occasions that it is… it must!  Something positive always results from the negative, in every single case; because as I battle through hard times, God is on my side and He will allow me to overcome, if I let Him.

I have survived Type 1 Diabetes for 22 years and have grown to live with controlling the disease, most of the time. There is no known cure, but daily treatment requires glucose monitoring through blood sample, injections of insulin, a healthy diet and exercise. Every day is not the same as blood sugars fluctuate with normal activity, illnesses, stresses, time changes, hormonal imbalances, and foods that I eat. Recently, being pregnant, Diabetes has taken a new routine. Treating it before was simple compared to the daily task of today and the next few months. Where there is great need for correcting high blood sugars while pregnant, for risk of harming the baby, having low blood sugars is worse since that of course could result in the loss of both. 

I have recently been dangerously low several times, to the point where I was non-coherent. My husband has been able to reverse the affect with glucose tablets, orange juice and anything else that he could get into me. It took about an hour before I “came to,” but the entire day was shot since I felt horrible for the rest of it.

I consider these trials as opportunities for learning, because they just don’t happen from nowhere. With God’s hand (and those who help me) I have been able to withstand pressures of life. I know that the outcome is greater, even in the physical realm, for in approximately four months I will be able to see the little person who has been creating all this trouble. :). I am to be happy in every state of life, even if I can’t yet see the reward.

by Simon Akl

Recently, during my fall break, I turned twenty-one and was able to spend Thanksgiving with family and long-time friends, whom I consider as part of the family. The week’s activities were absolutely amazing and thrilling. As I reflect on them, it seems that the best memories are not those when I was blessed to enjoy physical materials such as food and games; but instead, the instances when we all sat together talking, laughing, and sharing stories.

In a week that can easily turn into a materialistic-driven focus because of the many delicious meals and activities; I found myself being thankful for more than just the temporary thrills like food. I was able to take a step back and be thankful for the things which I can sometimes take for granted, such as relationships with family and friends, health, and even each opportunity to laugh and smile, among many others.

My mom is always telling me to be thankful and exclaiming to me that her cup is overflowing. I have found that when I am not as focused spiritually as I should be, I stumble into thoughts of helplessness, despair and self-centeredness. The example of my fall break served as a great reminder to me that when I take the time to thank God for all blessings in my life, small or big, I start to change my outlook and perspective; focusing on how my cup is constantly overflowing. Therefore, I work to strive consistently on being thankful for each and every single blessing that God gives me! 

by Kalon Mitchell

As I come away from the Feast, I am struck by the fact that I am not the only one that struggles with the troubles and the tests of living in Satan’s world. During the Feast I had the chance to share my stories and hear from others their life experiences. I felt rejuvenated and comforted when again realizing that we all struggle in our Christian life.

If I can look past the fact that I am not the only one fighting on, I can find encouragement and strength. Now as I go about my days, I keep in mind that I can do this, with God’s help, just as others sharing my faith have to, and just as others before me have done.

I need to remind myself that we are all in this together, and that I can help others, and receive help from others, when going through rough times. I can and should draw strength from others–and I should be willing and able to give strength to others–to be encouraged by them and to encourage them to persevere, to never give up!

God has called me and wants to see me make it into His Kingdom. Knowing this, I also know that all my struggles are worth fighting, and that God will give me the help that I need to persevere. And at times, God may want me to provide help and encouragement to others. In the end, it will have been more than worth it.

by Cali Harris

A “baseline” is defined as a base for measurements, or a point of reference. The word is a common term, used in sports, marketing, real estate, law, design, and medicine.

I see baselines at work in most parts of my life: in work requirements and performance, earning grades at school, progressing to more advanced levels of dance, and even in expectations of friendships. There is a starting point or basis for measurement in nearly everything I do, and these baselines affect my thoughts, words and actions.

Lately, I’ve been thinking about the baselines that exist in my spiritual life. As I consider the Bible to be my fundamental point of reference, my knowledge can expand based on my spiritual growth. Whenever I’m blessed with increased understanding, I have a “new” baseline; my point of reference gets bumped up to a higher level.

I recently typed in “decision” to the church website to search for sermons that dealt with decision-making, because I have been faced with making important choices about school and work. I listened to several sermons, and was reminded that I should place my hard decisions in God’s hands, while using the opportunity to grow… and increase my baseline.

I’ve thought about my spiritual baseline in regard to the responsibility to help others—as a light in this world today and in an eternal role in the future. I am excited that every bit of growth makes me a better example; it raises the bar. I’m trying to regularly ask myself, “What is my baseline today?” The point of reference to measure myself—my baseline—should grow continuously.

by Shelly Bruno

As my son is fully enmeshed in a somewhat stubborn toddler phase, he’s started telling me he wants to “do it myself.” This could be in regard to climbing into the car, cutting with scissors, walking in a parking lot, or crossing the street. Some of these tasks (it is easy to see) would be much better carried out with the help of an authority figure, whether because of safety, experience, timeliness, or just plain common sense.

There is a saying: “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” Well, you only have to look to my son’s mother to see a fine example of wanting to do it myself. Tasks (it is easy to see) that would be much better carried out with the help of an authority figure.

I certainly like to be self-sufficient and do things for myself. Sometimes that has a positive result and other times, a negative outcome. Recently, after years of struggling with a problem, I finally handed the problem over to God. Not because I had great faith, or trust, or just knew that God would take care of it, but simply because I had run out of my own options: I just didn’t know what else I could do.

A strange thing happened–within a few hours of asking God for help, I saw a positive result. I was dumbfounded. A problem I had been trying to fix on my own, and had been so unsuccessful with for years, was immediately being addressed by God. After the sheer exhilaration of seeing results, I then became frustrated. Why had I struggled so long, not taking advantage of the ultimate power and authority of the universe? Was my problem so tremendous that God couldn’t handle it? Quite the contrary. The only thing that was tremendous was my stubbornness in not asking for help.

Since this experience I have been asking God for help with many different issues—even things I had previously thought too mundane or trivial for His attention. It’s very encouraging to see how God can and does assist in so many aspects of my life.

As I continue to work with my son during this toddler phase, I will teach him to ask for and accept help. It is reassuring to know that the phase will eventually pass. More importantly though, I hope my phase will pass, and I will learn to do what I should have all along—ask God for help.

by Michael Link  

Lately, work has been tough at times and oddly enough, despite the economic troubles we are currently facing, it has been rather busy.  Now I’m not complaining that I’m still employed and that the company I work for is presently in good standing, but I sometimes feel that I’m being taken advantage of with certain expectations that may seem a bit unreasonable. Every time when my job performance is pushed yet to another level and I address it, I hear the same statement from my immediate supervisors: “Just be glad you have a job.”

My managers and I get along very well, and we communicate often, but there are certain things that could be done to make the job flow more easily when it comes to performance and operation. My company just recently went through a huge merger, and this week there were many new unfamiliar tasks that had to be done. All of this required a lot of patience, teamwork, learning, and a “just do it” attitude.  

Yes, my patience and attitude have been tested, getting myself frustrated at work with some of my co-workers; especially, when new things were thrown at us that we were expected to learn almost immediately.  I got myself caught up in the negative when those around me also complained about what was going on. It shouldn’t be like that, however, since I know that I need to be an example and look to the positive.

Sometimes I get sidetracked easily, but it doesn’t take long for me to realize that I need to snap out of it. I tell myself that what is happening right now at work is hopefully only temporary, and I have to believe that things will get better. But even if they don’t get better, I have to think beyond that and know that God will take care of me. With that in mind, I need to perform to the best of my abilities, maintain a positive attitude, and be thankful that I do (still) have a job.

by Aaron Hooper

It’s easy to be alive. To just be. But my time here is short, and there’s no way for me to know just how much time I have. The greatest deception, that I personally have fallen under, is to think that there’s always tomorrow. There’s always tomorrow to take care of the important things. There’s always tomorrow to give an encouraging word to someone who needs it. There’s always tomorrow to start becoming the person that I need to be–that kind of person who obeys and follows God in everything. But when tomorrow comes, that means that today is gone. And today is the only real tangible thing that I have.

We’ve all heard “live today as if it’s your last,” and that is great advice, but every day that comes after today only furthers the deception. So it’s easy to simply think of that as just a nice statement. Every day that comes seems to prove that wrong. Procrastination. Neglect. These are my two biggest shortcomings. Before I know it, important things — bills, family, friends, future plans — can easily get away from me, if I’m not disciplined on a daily basis. I only deceive myself by thinking that tomorrow is any different than today. Tomorrow will come, but today will be lost.

Part of investing in my future is investing in today. The most important things are the little things that I can do in the moment. They add up. If they’re not done, then the moment is gone, and — well — that can really add up too. And not in a pleasant way. In an alarming, turn-your-stomach, self-destructing kind of way. I need to love every moment, please God and my fellow man every moment. I need to use what is given me. All I have is time, but it is in very short supply.

by Laura Hannity Harris

I recently listened to an audio book, entitled “Outliers: The Story of Success,” by New York Times best-selling author Malcolm Gladwell. The word “Outliers” in the title refers to a statistical term for a phenomenon that lies outside of everyday experience, something that cannot be explained through the normal rules. “Outliers” can further be defined as something or someone that is situated away from the main body.

Although the author’s primary focus is on the career achievements of successful individuals, the concept of being an “Outlier” resonated with me because of its parallels to my Christian life. As a Christian, I often make choices that go against the “normal rules” of human reasoning in order to abide by God’s biblical principles. To an uncalled individual, my actions may seem strange and unorthodox. As a result, I sometimes feel ostracized from others because of my decisions. 

I’ve had many “Outlier” experiences since being called to God’s Way of Life–losing a dream job because of my unwillingness to work on the weekends, excluded by friends for not socializing on Friday nights or holidays, or ending a romantic relationship because of my unwillingness to convert to another religion. The initial sting of rejection often hurts me, but God has always provided me with better jobs, better friends and a better mate.  

It has been so encouraging for me to understand that God has set me apart from others by calling me out of this world now, setting me up for success to reach the Kingdom of God. Knowing this, it motivates me to embrace my “Inner-Outlier.” 

by Louise Amorelli

A few years ago, I was diagnosed with an illness that severely limits my activities, including working outside the home. This illness causes extreme mental and physical fatigue along with muscle pain and sleepless nights. What is even more frustrating is that there is no known cure and the doctors do not seem to know what causes it. It has been one of the hardest and debilitating challenges I have ever experienced in my entire life. I often ask myself… why?? Why does God allow me to experience this? What am I to learn from this overwhelming health trial?? 

For a while, I was feeling sorry for myself… and at times I still do. But I have learned so many important lessons, including drawing closer to God.  Not only to continually ask for His healing power, guidance and more of His faith, but drawing closer to Him to know Him better and accept whatever His Will is for me. I know that I have God’s promise that all things work together for the good of those who love Him. Instead of asking why, I now seek to have more spiritual understanding. I have learned and am still learning patience, empathy, longsuffering, never to give up and to put all things into God’s Hands, not my own. I am learning to completely give myself over to Him.

I have also pondered on how am I to help God’s work… to help my brethren in need, if I am in this condition? What can I do to help?? I have realized that accepting the illness, instead of constantly battling with it, has given me great insight. I realized that I might not be physically able to do things as I would like to, but I can be a light to those around me by striving to live God’s Way. Through the sufferings I can show God’s joy and peace. This enables me to comfort others and to be uplifting to those in need, by writing cards, emails and phone calls. It enables me most of all… to pray for others!! Although it can be very difficult at times, I strive to live by the understanding that spiritual gifts can be more valuable than the physical ones!