Jan/Feb 2018
Experience a Power-Ful l Lifein a Probl em-Fil l ed Worl d
How t o Fin ish Well
Chasing Famous Em br ace You r Unique Role
STOP FIND YOUR SILVER LINING & CHOOSE PRAISE
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features Turn Your Dreams 6
Into
Action STOP FIND YOUR SILVER LINING & CHOOSE PRAISE
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An int erview wit h Micah Maddox, Aut hor of Anchored In: ExperienceaPower-Ful l Life in aProbl em-Fil l ed Worl d Jan./ Feb 2018
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Welcome! You are so cherished! I asked God this year to give me a "word" for 2018. I wanted to be able to march around with it when I had situations come up. I have friends who have words such as BOLD, STRENGTH, and BALANCE. They trust that God gave them their "word" and they use it to filter many of their decisions. I struggled with hearing what God wanted me to have but then it struck me. My word this year will be
Trusting God is such a simple concept but one that I seem to struggle with year after year. Enough is enough. So here I put out this issue of Cherished Magazine and simply TRUST -- God is up to something good. I can feel it. Enjoy the issue! 4 | Jan/ Feb 2018
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By Grow Bloom Inspire Co Editor in Chief Sheryl Siler Advertising Adam Siler Contributing Writers Lisa Lloyd Katie Hornor Nicki Koziarz
Views expressed in CherishedMagazine do not necessarily represent those of the publisher. Every effort has been made by the staff to ensure accuracy of the publication content. We do not guarantee the absence of errors or omissions. No responsibility can be assumed. Š CherishedMagazine.
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Turn Your Dreams Into
Action By Sheryl Lynn Sil er
I saw this quote Victoria Olsteen.
from
"God doesn't want us to merel y sit around dreaming about things we can do and be. That's a good pl ace to start, but a poor pl ace to stop. God wants us to turn our dreams into action." I never intended my pause with Cherished Magazine to be so long. The idea was to
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strategize a little while and then move forward. [See my blog post about the pause.] A personal family issue caused that "little while" to be a "long while" followed by a negative spiral which made me question everything and I decided to quit. Then I was given the gift of this book - "The Five Habits of a Woman Who Doesn't Quit" by Nicki Koziarz. It helped me to see things
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from a different perspective. I took time to journal my thoughts. Through the journaling I realized that the dream was still there.
I gained cl arity. I realized what was really stopping me was the big fears of what people would think of such a long pause. My triggers of "Feeling like a Disappointment" and "I'm not good enough" were ringing loudly. Through this time of reflection, I realized that the very reason I felt the pull to start Cherished Magazine (See the blog for the quick story.) was the very reason I was ignoring the pull---"I'm not good enough" and "Can't I get anything right?" Jan./ Feb 2018
So I'm being strong and courages! (Joshua 1:9) Instead to waiting for the ideal anything or the feeling of complete confidence to unpause the "pause button", I am turning my dream into action. I am hitting the "play button". I'm going to trust God. I wanted to encourage others to Live Life Cherished Everyday--to love God, love themselves and love others. So I will. I encourage you to take action on the dreams that God has given you. I encourage you to take action by reading this magazine and if you find it uplifting and encouraging to you, I ask you to take action and share it with others. CherishedMagazine.com | 7
I also encourage you to grab a journal or notebook and journal about the dreams that you have--and don't hold back--dream the dreams that you are afraid
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to admit to anyone because they seem too big. Trust God in the process. That is a good place to start.
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What w ere you born to d o? Who w ere you created to be? What 's t he yearning d eep w it hin your soul? What if you could live into that very purpose? This kind of living requires us to see ourselves as instruments designed to be used for the glory of God. But most of us don't see ourselves this way. Instead, we resign ourselves to be spectators in the audience, still waiting for our names to be called-to be cast in that next big role. Of course, we all hope to be selected. However, sometimes in our desire to be chosen, we turn our focus to others-hoping they will select us. We end up auditioning for life, alw ays striving to m ake the cut and gain approval.
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An excerpt from
Chasing Famous Š 2017 New Hope Publishers. Applaud m e.
Most days, I struggle to replace myself with God in the center-stage spotlight of my life. Too often I care more for the esteem of man than the fame of God. Stepping off stage and allowing God to stand in my place can be a daily, sometimes hourly, battle. Maybe for you, too. The desire to be affirmed spills into just about any part of my life where my performance is on the line. After speaking at events, I used to want to linger in front of the stage, pretending to check email on my phone so I could hear the audience's thoughts on my message. I wanted to know if they were challenged, if they would apply the truth I tried to speak into their lives. At least that's what I told myself. But if I really examined the intentions of my heart, I was more concerned with whether they liked me. And only if the answer was yes, did I feel as if I'd achieved success.
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Everything about the talk could have been perfect. But their opinion about my performance dictated how I felt about my job. I masked people pleasing, which was at my core, with wanting to know if they were closer to Jesus. My audience was not an audience of One, but an audience of everyone.
When I desire to have others affirmmy work more than I desire the affirmation of God, it keeps me center-stage of my l ife and God backstage. And I 'myoked to the approval of man instead of the fame of God. Love m e, need m e, w ant m e. Maybe, like me, you need affirmation to feel valued-at work, at school, as a friend, as a wife, as a mom, with your body, or in your relationships. Perhaps you get a burst of happiness when you get an "atta-girl" from your boss or "you're so giving" from the place you volunteer, or "your house is beautiful" from a neighbor.
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But if we make the esteem of man our true north, we'll find ourselves lost at sea when the, "Wow, look at you!" wears off.
Logical l y we know if peopl e don't approve of us, it's their faul t not ours. I've impressed this upon my boys when they tell me some kid said something mean and made them feel "less than." "If they don't like you, that's their fault," I say. "They're just missing out on how awesome you are." But somehow I don't apply my own advice to myself. If I'm not accepted by whomever I'm trying to collect acceptance from, I too feel "less than." When we perform for an audience of "everyone", they always want something. We can't simply walk onstage and assume we have their acceptance. Just like a musician at a concert can't step onstage and simply stand there. She has fans who purchased tickets and so she is expected to perform. It seems many of our relationships on earth-friendships, our relationship with our boss, maybe but hopefully not, even our marital relationships-are the same way. In most of our relationships we give to get.
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Unless you're a good friend of mine or a family member, you probably picked up this book not because you wanted to show me love but because you wanted something for yourself. I will only get your applause if you like what I have to say. Otherwise, you'll drop this book at Half Price Books or re-gift it. On the other hand, if this book impacts you you'll tell people about it. In other words, you'll applaud me.
There's no shame l iving in an "if you, then I " worl d, right? It's the way we are wired. Why would I buy something that's not going to benefit me in some way? But unlike people in my life, were I to walk onstage, God's heart would burst with affection for me before I broke the curtain line. Not because of what I've said or done, but because I'm His. He's not waiting for any great performance. I don't have to do anything to receive His love and acceptance. So why do I pursue the applause of someone who wants me to give them something instead of the applause of Someone who's given everything to me?
Why do I crave man's appl ause over God's? The Lord's desire for us is to be confident in Him. To be confident in His unconditional love. So much so that we don't need anyone else's applause.
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Written by a professional actress, Lisa Ll oyd, who spent years chasing after her own fame, Chasing Famous, empowers readers to be brave and step into the role God has for us-no longer seeking after our own fame, but joyfully making God's name famous-knowing we have been selected to stand center stage and proclaim His renown to all who will listen.
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STOP FIND YOUR SILVER LINING & CHOOSE PRAISE By KATIE HORNo R I woke up wit h a mild headache. Hadn't slept well t he night before. The baby was t eet hing again. She'd been awake in t he night fussing, which had awakened t he t oddler, whose complaint s were anyt hing but quiet , waking t he ot her children t oo.
t oddler whiny and t he baby, st ill t eet hing, only want ed t o be held - by Mommy.
In t hat moment , I had a choice.
Get t ing everyone set t led again had t aken a while. Finally I laid my head back down, only t o have it happen again as soon as I drift ed off t o sleep. This morning did not seem t o be shaping up any bet t er. The "biggers" were grumpy, t he
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Give in, give up, and join t he grumpies for t he day, ensuring we'd all be miserable t oget her.
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Or stop, and try to find the silver lining.
I will praise you, praise you. For you are wort hy of praise. I will sing t o you in worship. all t hrough t he day. I remembered a verse memorized in childhood:
Grumpy was easier, t hat 's for sure. But I also realized it wouldn't be very profit able, and I didn't want t o be a grumpy mom.
Choosing Praise
"This was t he day my Lord had made...", and he does all t hings well. M y babies wouldn't be babies forever. One day t hey'd want anyt hing but cuddles and holding. M y hum t urned int o a soft song as t he baby set t led. Soon t he t oddler climbed up beside us, blanket in t ow and st art ed singing t oo.
Silent ly breat hing a prayer for st rengt h, I sat down wit h t he baby and st art ed humming a calm soot hing t une.
I would choose praise. 18 | Jan/ Feb 2018
I'd
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Sound like a Fairy Tale? It doesn't have t o be. In each and every life (and parent ing) moment , you and I have a choice.
I will praise you, praise you. For you are wort hy of praise. Jesus, you are Lord of all, and wort hy t o be praised. The song brought t he biggers in t o see what was happening, and soon we were all sharing a song and enjoying reading some books t oget her. Grumpies averted.
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W e can choose t o see t he negat ive, or choose t o focus on t he posit ive.
Yes, t he kids were grumpy. Yes, I had a a headache, but I could st ill choose t o praise t he Lord, in spit e of how I was feeling, and t hank him for t he cuddles and CherishedMagazine.com | 19
precious t ime wit h t hem; t urning t he pot ent ial crisis int o a memory making moment . W hat ever your circumst ance t oday, Friend, I hope you will choose t o cherish t hose lit t le blessings in your home, and t hat you will also
choose praise!
Katie Hornor is in demand as an expert, speaking internationally at both blogging and educational events. She has a large social following, is the author of more than 40 self-published books with over 3,500 downloads of her devotional book ?Putting On the Spirit: 10-Minute Devotions for Busy Moms?, bringing in a much needed income for her family of 7 living as expat/ missionaries in Campeche, Mexico. Katie is the founder of BloggingSUCCESSfully.com, ParadisePraises.com and Lemonhass.com where she helps homeschool parents get the encouragement, materials and support they need to successfully educate their children. Katie and her husband are on a mission to transform home education for the Spanish Speaking world with their trademarked LemonhassÂŽ homeschool curriculum written specifically for Spanish speakers. Katie?s past speaking audiences include the Florida Parent Educator?s Association, and Teach Them Diligently Homeschool Convention, as well as smaller church and women?s events. Katie?s goal in each of her ministries is to empower others use their God-given talent to get the message He has given to them to those He has placed within their sphere of influence. She firmly believes that each of us has a message someone needs to hear and she is here to inspire you to action.
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A qu ick m essage f r om Kat ie
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An int erview wit h Micah Maddox, Aut hor of Anchored In: Experiencea Power-Ful l Lifein a Probl em-Fil l ed Worl d The world is rife wit h global and personal crises. News out let s report one t roubling development aft er anot her. W it hin t he home, st udies reveal half of Americans feel financially insecure, more t han half are unhappy in t heir jobs and divorce rat es escalat e wit h each subsequent marriage.
When probl ems abound, it can feel as if God is far away. However, as M icah M addox explains in Anchored In: Experience a Powerfull Life in a Problem-Filled W orld (Abingdon Press), t hese same t rials can bring us closer t o God if we change our way of t hinking and focus on Him. Anchored In isn?t a book of Christ ian clichĂŠs or sweet st ories t o warm t he heart but rat her an aut hent ic look at t he
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hard part s of life. M addox explores God?s power t hroughout our past s and our present , while challenging us t o look t oward t he pot ent ial power t hat await s us.
applicat ion t o offer real-life glimpses of God at work. She offers inspirat ion t o live a life full of God?s power rat her t han one t hat causes us t o be paralyzed by problems.
She shares personal st ories and couples t hem wit h biblical
What does it mean t o l iveAnchored In? Every day, we all anchor our lives in somet hing. Somet imes we anchor our lives in our work, mot hering, goals, desires and somet imes even our problems. I?ve learned I oft en allow my problems t o t ake t he cent er st age of my t hinking and my life. Anyt ime we allow anyt hing ot her t han God t o t ake t he focus of our heart s and minds, we are not living in t he power God has provided for us t o live in. God is t eaching me t hat living anchored in His presence is t he only way t o experience His power. Living anchored in means we willingly set aside every circumst ance and problem of our lives and fully focus our heart s, minds and souls on t he Savior, t he Anchor.
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Why is it beneficial t o refl ect on t hedifficul t t imes in our l ives rat her t han simpl y put t ing t hepast in t hepast ? Our past defines us. It makes us who we are. If we never dig int o t he t hings we have been t hrough, never deal wit h t hem and never use t hem t o become st ronger, we wast e a valuable piece of our lives. Put t ing t hings in t he past is good but only aft er we?ve dealt wit h t hem. If we pret end away t he problems of our past , we are t ruly only compounding t he pain in our heart s, and at some point we will be forced t o deal wit h it .
What experiencefromyour past pl ayed a maj or rol ein l eading you t o writ eAnchored In? Anchored In was a journey of healing for me. Aft er being abandoned by my dad (who was a past or) when I was six, I spent my life wondering why bad t hings happen. As an adult , I finally faced t he biggest fear of my life and t ried t o reconnect wit h my dad, but when I did, he did not pursue a relat ionship wit h me. At t hat point , I was forced eit her t o t urn t o God and find my anchor in Him or choose t o cont inue running from my heart ache. I chose God. I found Him t o be t he most firm, secure, comfort ing healer and cornerst one. He is my Anchor, and He proved Jan./ Feb 2018
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His love t o me. I learned it doesn?t mat t er what we face on t his eart h. God?s power and presence is great er and st ronger t han anyt hing t his world t hrows at us. I began writ ing before I realized I was act ually writ ing a book. I began wit h a blog, and every t ime God would put somet hing on my heart , I would writ e it down. Aft er a few mont hs, I realized everyt hing God was speaking t o my heart had a common t heme. I began organizing my t hought s and st ories and event ually had a solid out line for a book. I wrot e Anchored In t o let ot hers know t hat God?s power is available and freely accessible even when life seems like it is falling apart .
What does it mean t o l iveapower-ful l l ifein a probl em-fil l ed worl d? There are a lot of people in t he world who seek power in t he human form. This book is about spirit ual power. It ?s about learning t o live in t une t o God?s voice, direct ion and desire for our lives. I believe God has a purpose for every single one of His children, and we can know t hat purpose and live confident ly in t he power He freely offers us. The problem is many people st ruggle t o experience God?s power when life is crazy or t ragedy st rikes, so t hey begin t o believe God?s power is reserved for someone bigger and bet t er t han t hem or someone who has an easier life.
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However, I know God?s power is available and accessible t o each of us. W hen we experience it for ourselves, we learn what it means t o live a power-full life. It ?s a life where we choose t o be empt ied of our selfish ambit ions and desires, and we learn t o be filled wit h God?s promises, prot ect ion, providence, peace and ult imat ely His power. I want t o encourage women t hat God?s power is not reserved for t eachers, leaders or past ors. God?s power is reserved for every person who is willing t o receive it . Be encouraged t hat God is wait ing for you t o experience His power! It ?s available and accessible t o every single person. M y prayer is t his book will help many people learn how t o experience God?s power like t hey never have before.
You writ e, ?Thepower of God is not about avoiding t hedeep wat ers of l ife. It ?s about diving int o t hem.? How do wedo t hat wit hout feel ing l ikewe?redrowning in our circumst ances? W hen I say dive int o t he deep wat ers of life, I don?t mean we sat urat e ourselves in a sea of our problems. I mean we face t he fact s. It ?s not so much about becoming absorbed wit h t he problems; it ?s more about having t he courage t o look eye-t o-eye wit h t he realit y of life rat her t han t urning a blind eye and pret ending it away. Jan./ Feb 2018
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What advicedo you offer for t hosewho are l iving in a?season of darkness,? or at ime when it does not feel as t hough God is present ? Was t hereat imeyou found yoursel f in at imeof deep darkness and doubt ? I t hink we all go t hrough t hese seasons. I can even find myself t here t oday. W hen we go t hrough hard circumst ances, it ?s nat ural t o feel discouraged and t hat dark cloud comes rolling in. Here is what I have learned about t he dark seasons, t hough: ?Darkness is only a dist ract ion. It does not mean God has depart ed.? W hen I remember t his t rut h, I cling t o t he fact God is st ill wit h me even in t he dark moment s and seasons of life.
Tel l us about t he?Praying God?s Power? prayers you incl udeat t heend of each chapt er. What part does prayer pl ay in experiencing God?s power? Prayer is huge, and so oft en we don?t pray because somet imes it ?s just t oo hard t o verbalize what we are feeling or what we are really t hinking? it ?s t oo painful t o say out loud. However, I?m learning t o focus my prayer on Jesus rat her t han on myself. W hen I pray wit h Him as t he cent er, t he focus, I find Him so very near. Praying God?s power is praying wit h fait h, t rust , and assurance God is going t o carry me t o t he ot her side of t he st orm. 30 | Jan/ Feb 2018
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What aret hest eps required t o anchor our t hought s in God?s power rat her l et t ing our probl ems consumeour minds? In t he book I include five simple st eps t o follow t o change t he old t hought pat t erns we t end t o revert t o. 1. Pray over it . Too oft en we wait t o pray unt il prayer seems t o be t he only opt ion. W e are going t o look at it as t he foundat ion of making real life change. 2. Ident ify it . W e must ident ify t he t hought pat t erns t hat consist ent ly cause us t o focus on our problems. Once we ident ify it , we must t ake act ion. 3. Obey. Obedience means we do what Paul reminds us t o do wit h our t hought s in II Corint hians and t ake every t hought capt ive. 4. St op it . This is cont inual obedience. It ?s making t he choice t o change every t ime you are t empt ed wit h a new t hought t hat t hreat ens t o derail you. 5. Replace it . This is my favorit e st ep and t he one t hat holds t he most value. However, wit hout t he ot her st eps we may never get t o t his point . W hen we pray over it , ident ify t he t hought , obey God and st op t he t hought in it s t racks, we are ready t o replace t hose old must y t hought s wit h God?s t rut h. I like t o claim specific verses for specific t hought s. If I?m st ruggling wit h fear, I will claim Psalm 56:3, which says,
?What time I am afraid, I will trust in you.? Jan./ Feb 2018
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If I have felt left out or alone and keep dwelling on t he people who put me in t hat posit ion, I will claim Hebrews 13:5, which says,
?I will never leave you nor forsake you.? W hen we can name our t hought s by ident ifying t hem and calling t hem out and t hen make t he act ive choice t o obey God in t hat moment , we seek Him. In our seeking, we find t he t rut h of His word. It ?s power-full. It gives us power over t he t hought s t hat t ypically cause us t o end up in a downhill spiral. Problems are going t o come, but we have what we need t o move beyond t hem wit hout let t ing t hem consume our minds. W e have t he power of God available t o us t hrough t he t rut h of His W ord. Transformat ional t hinking comes when we begin t o see t rut h inst ead of t rauma. I?ll be honest ; I have t o work on t his const ant ly
What wisewords did your son t el l you one night as you weret ucking himin t o sl eep t hat resonat ed wit h you as you wrot et he chapt er on l ist ening t o God?s voice? W hen I pulled his covers up and leaned in t o give him a goodnight kiss, he act ed like he was having a dialogue wit h God. As he and God had a conversat ion back and fort h. I asked him what God was saying t o him. His answer was, ?God speaks quiet t o us. He loves us.? That moment for me was an a-ha moment , one I hope I never
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forget . The st ill, small voice of God is powerful, and t he simple t rut h t hat He loves us is somet hing we can always cling t o.
How do weal l ow God t o defineour dreams? This is a loaded quest ion. There is so much I could say, but I?ll t ry t o sum it up. W e all have dreams. Some we go for and act on, and some we just imagine? some we never speak of because we are afraid of failure. However, I?m learning God has dreams for us we never can even imagine.
Allowing God to define our dreams means we completely surrender every single thing in our lives to His control. W hat I mean is we st rip away everyt hing in our lives and pare it down t o just us. W e get rid of t he fluff and t he American dream of cars, kids and a nice home, and t hen we expose ourselves wit hout all of our st uff. W hen we begin t o st rip away t he sparkle and shine of life and get down t o t he realit y of who we are and whose we are, we begin t o find a new dream. W e get it so mixed up and can never really experience God?s power when we are const ant ly seeking a pict ure-perfect family, home, job or success. God?s dreams don?t require success. They require surrender. W e surrender everyt hing.
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Tel l us about your j ourney int o minist ry, especial l y aft er being hurt t hrough your fat her?s decision t o l eavet heminist ry hewas invol ved in. W hen I was a t eenager I at t ended a small Christ ian school, and we had chapel services every week. One week a past or was speaking on living a life of full-t ime minist ry, and I knelt down at t he end of t hat chapel service and felt God speak t o me. He said, ?You are going t o finish t he minist ry your dad st art ed.? At t hat point I knew God would use me t o share t he t rut h of His love wit h t he world. I began t eaching t he Bible right out of college, and for eight years I st ood up in front of t eenage girls and women and gave t hem what ever lessons God was giving me. W hen my husband and I made a major move and t ransit ioned from one minist ry t o anot her, I went t hrough a season of silence. I wasn?t t eaching or speaking. I knew God had placed a call on my life t o share His W ord, but in t his season I couldn?t underst and why t he opport unit ies were not available. As I sought t he Lord and asked for direct ion, God clearly led me t o st art a blog and share my heart in t hat way. This was never on my radar, nor was it a desire I had ever had before, but I grew t o love writ ing and found God had a place for me in t he writ ing world.
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Micah Maddox is a women?s conference speaker, Bible teacher, writer, blogger, and author of ?Anchored In: Experience a Power-Full Life in a Problem-Filled World.? She is passionate about helping women find purpose, peace, and calm in our chaotic world. As a pastor?s wife and mother of three, she contributes her time to MOPs and her local church?including serving as a women?s ministry leader. Find out more about Micah at http:/ / www.micahmaddox.com.
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How t o Fin ish Well by
Nic ki Koz ia r z
originally featured on Proverbs31.org
"And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you." Do y ou f in is h t hin gs w ell? Me? Well, I start things off really strong but when things get hard, don't go according to plan or become seemingly impossible, I tend to want to give up! A few years ago my husband trained for months for his second marathon. His goal was to qualify for the Boston Marathon - an elite goal for runners. But in order to qualify, he needed to maintain a very specific pace during the entire racecourse.
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On race morning, my three girls and I headed to the finish line to show our support. We had posters, cowbells and pom-poms ready to cheer! Throughout the morning I was anxiously looking at my watch, knowing his needed pace time and hoping he would make his goal.
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But the qualifying pace time for Boston appeared on the clock and there was no sign of him. I was so worried about his feelings of disappointment; he had trained so hard. About five minutes later we saw him turn the corner, wearing his bright orange shirt and an exhausted smile. My girls and I became the loudest cheering squad at the marathon finish line. The last few yards of the race, we all got behind him and cheered him on as he crossed under the finish line banner. Even though my husband didn't win or even meet his goal, he had accomplished something great. It was a powerful moment in his life.
He finished well. In everything we do, whether we choose it or not, there is a finish point: The day the last baby leaves the nest. The moment we pack up our desk from a job. The time we put a completed check mark next to a goal or a to-do. But how we finish our seasons is important. If we quit before it's finished or run defeated to the finish line, we might miss the strength that awaits us. Beneath the layers of fear when a season is ending, or not going according to our plans, is this t hread of courage from our God. God sees our efforts and hard work in each season as He prepares us to move to the next.
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Bu t how w e f in is h t his a s s ign men t might det er min e ou r n ex t a s s ign men t . Our key verse offers each of us a little hope, a little determination, a little strength to keep going:
"And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you" (1 Peter 5:10).
While it's tempting to quit before it's finished, today I want to encourage you to lean into the faithfulness of God and finish well. Is there a hard conversation you need to have? God's s t r en gt h is w it h y ou .
You can overcome those temporary temptations to give in by the strength of God. Are you near a season of life that's left you feeling discouraged? Do you want to just give up and move on? If so, I totally understand what that's like.
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Is there a physical weakness convincing you it's over? God's s t r en gt h is w it h y ou . Is there a financial limitation numbing your belief to press on? God's s t r en gt h is w it h y ou .
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Every assignment or season God calls us to offers an eternal perspective. And sometimes I have a hard time remembering this through my temporary thoughts. But as I'm holding onto our verse, I'm reminding my soul there is restoration, confirmation and strength coming my way - if I don't give up. About a year later my husband gave the marathon another go.
And guess what? He did it. He qualified for and eventually ran his dream race, the Boston Marathon. M a y be t her e's n ot a ma r a t hon a hea d of u s , bu t t her e is s omet hin g gr ea t . Lord, thank You for providing Your strength when I feel weak. Help me finish this assignment well, as You prepare me for the next. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Nicki Koziarz is a speaker, writer, and leader in today's generation. She lives just outside of Charlotte, NC with her husband and their three girls. As a leader and speaker, Nicki is willing to tackle the hard issues this generation is facing to encourage the pursuit of God's Truth in their lives. She is on staff at Proverbs 31 Ministries as the coordinator for their onlineBiblestudies. Nicki speaks nationally for retreats, conferences, events and MOPS groups. For more information on having Nicki for your next event you can email her at:nicki@nickikoziarz.comVisit Nicki's site at: www.nickikoziarz.com
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Mama's Surprise Pudding by Andrea Jones Sweets weren't a regular part of our family diet in my childhood. They were a treat, a special occasion. I was not, however, in any way deprived. In the summertime Mama tossed chunks of chilled honeydew melon with fresh lime juice and served them with fancy toothpicks. And in the winter she made me this pudding, still a very special treat to me. But as a child, it was pure heaven. My four- or five- year old self marveled at the patience it took to stand there and stir and stir and wait and wait for the
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pudding to thicken. And then, oh, the agony of more waiting until Mama said it was cool enough to eat. Then the fight to eat slowly, to savor every creamy chocolateenriched spoonful like a lady, as she did to make it last as long as possible! I wish I still had the thick curved mugs (white, with blue butterflies) she served this in. I felt so grown up helping mama cook and then sitting at the kitchen table with her having our treat out of those beautiful mugs. She would pretend not to notice
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as I pretended I had not burned my tongue sneaking a taste before she assured it was cool enough, a gesture of her respect for a child's dignity. On my part, I always dropped a few extra chocolate chips into her mug, a gesture of my adoration for the
mother that always made me feel truly cherished.
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Mama's SurprisePudding 2 cups milk 1/ 2 cup sugar 1/ 4 tsp salt 3 tbsp cornstarch 1 tbsp real butter 1 tbsp vanilla Semisweet chocolate chips Mix up the sugar, salt and cornstarch in a bowl. In a heavy saucepan, scald the milk over medium heat. Stir gently until the little bubbles just start to rise around the edges. Then slowly whisk in the dry mix. Cook, constantly stirring to make sure the bottom doesn't scorch, while the pudding thickens, 15-20 minutes. When it coats the back of a metal spoon, take it off the heat and stir in the vanilla and butter until the butter is melted and mixed through. Drop 5-10 (or 50!) chocolate chips in the bottom of each of 4 serving dishes and pour 1/ 2 cup of pudding over them. Let it chill, (but not too long!) just until cool enough not to burn your tongue. Dip your spoon into the melted chocolate at the bottom so it flavors every bite of the still-warm pudding. Thank you Angela for this great heartwarming story and recipe!
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H ave a cher ished r ecip e of y ou ow n? W e need y ou!
YOU COULD BE PART OF CHERISHED M AGAZINE?S M ONTHLY COLUM N DESIGNED TO CELEBRATE THE STORIES AND THE M EM ORIES OF YOUR FAVORITE RECIPES M ADE BY THE PEOPLE YOU CHERISH IN YOUR LIFE.
Many of us have a few recipes that take us down memory lane. Along with these cherished recipes there are also many heartwarming stories that go beyond the recipes ? please be part of Cherished Magazine. Do you have a cherished family recipe passed down through Mom, Grandma, a Great Aunt or a friend that you?d like to share? If yes, we would love to hear from you. Click her e t o shar e y our st or y ! 48 | Jan/ Feb 2018
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Cl ic k o e t r e H r e d r O
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3 Great Reasons to
Keep aJournal Keeping a journal is a great idea for everyone, regardless of age. There are so many benefits gained from taking a few minutes each day to record your thoughts in a journal. The costs are minimal and the payback is huge.
Journal s aregreat for processing feel ings. Things are always a little clearer when we get them out of our heads and down on paper. ¡Everything is a little more objective and realistic. ¡You might be surprised at what you figure out about yourself if you take the time to keep a journal.
Work t owards your goal s wit h aj ournal A significant part of reaching goals is recording progress and prioritization. By writing about your goals each day, you can continually reaffirm your goals are worth achieving.
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How often have you set a goal and then forgotten all about it after a few days or a couple of weeks? If you write it down in a journal, there?s less chance that will happen. Record the progress you are making towards your goals. Make notes about new ideas to move closer to your goals. When you achieve a goal, you?ll be able to look back and remember how great it felt to accomplish it. The next goal will be even easier.
Aj ournal wil l reducet he amount of st ress in your l ife Journaling forces you to unplug and focus your mind. Sometimes the best thing for a stressed mind is to turn off the computer and sit quietly with your thoughts. When you record your challenges, your brain starts looking for solutions. Having a solution to a challenge relieves stress. If you don?t already do so, consider keeping a journal for yourself.The benefits are considerable, and it doesn?t have to take more than a few minutes per day. Journaling is a great tool that doesn?t cost much at all. A pen and notebook are the only items required.
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INSPIRED FROM THIS ISSUE
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Let 's have a quick chat about . . . 5 Habit s of a Woman Who Doesn't Quit Aut hor -
Nicki Koziarz
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Have you ever gotten to the place where you just couldn?t take it anymore? Dreams. Programs. Jobs. Relationships. There are so many different areas where we feel like calling it quits. It?s time for an honest conversation on how not to give in to the temptation to give up. Nicki Koziarz is a woman who has thrown in the towel a time or two. In fact, she?s quit just about everything in her life. But with God?s help, she?s discovered a few habits that have helped her and others conquer the choice to quit.
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3 p o T Our 1. Taking our personal agenda t o God and asking Him t o bless it is always dangerous and det riment al. 2. Somet imes discouragement is brought on by our own decisions of disobedience. 3.. For ef f ort s "For My are not 55:8)
t he t ime you want t o quit because your and f ormulas are not t urning out as hoped: t hought s are not your t hought s, and your ways My ways. This is t he Lord's declarat ion. (Isa.
From 5 Habit s of a Woman Who Doesn't Quit by Nicki Koziarz, B & H Publishing Group (2016)
The Bible rest ing on my chair showed wear--how could it not ? My f riend, my best f riend t his hour, was t he aut hor.
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