God's Amazing Goodness

My dear friend Lisa Foto recently suffered a devastating brain aneurysm. Her journey has been an amazing testimony of faith and healing. Here are her own words:

On March 20th, I suffered a very severe brain aneurysm. On a scale of 1-10, the doctors said it was a 10. I was working out at the gym and the Anterior Communicating artery in my brain ruptured during my workout and I had a massive brain bleed. I fell unconscious and had to be transported to the hospital via ambulance. I stopped breathing three times and the doctors call me “The Miracle Lady” because they did not expect me to survive. I was in a coma for 5 weeks and in ICU at Mission Hospital for 52 days. Because of how bad the bleed was, they expected that I would have severe deficits on the left side of my body and I appear to have none. The biggest side effect so far is the back of my head is now bald and the hair is not growing in yet. I guess all things in perspective, I am happy to be living and I may have to be bald. Over the last couple of months I have had a brain coil procedure to encase the aneurysm, a craniectomy, a shunt inserted in my brain and then my skull placed back so I don’t have to wear a helmet. It took 18 angiograms, vasospasm treatments, etc. to ensure that I didn’t have any strokes on top of what I had already experienced. Only 40% of people who have aneurysms survive and if they survive, most have severe deficits like paralysis, speech loss, forget how to walk, etc. I have just lost strength due to being bed ridden for so long. That is expected to fully return with time and exercise. Hallelujah!

I am alive today because many of you prayed for me to live. I feel God has given me a very tangible gift on how precious life is and how powerful He is. God heard our prayers and the sense of gratitude I have to everyone and to Him can not be measured in words. The outpouring of love and kindness that has been shown to me and my family is indescribable. Our small group supported my husband John and my family in a way that cannot be measured. They were there everyday from day one, bringing meals, praying with John and my kids and parents supporting him as he plead with the Lord not to take me yet. Saddleback Church overtook Mission Hospitals ICU waiting room. I overheard my neurosurgeon telling one of the other doctors that “This lady knows everybody.” I would have to say that I do know a lot of people but many of your friends and small groups have prayed for me and I don’t know them. I am so grateful for that as well. God has shown me that he is the true healer and that he loves me more than I have ever experienced before. God also showed me His family working in perfect unison on my behalf and for that, I am truly grateful.
Love,
Lisa
May each of you know God's powerful love in your lives. As Pastor Rick said last night, this life is a dress rehearsal for the next part of our lives.

Clothed in Christ

Henri Nouwen, one of my favorite authors wrote, "Being a believer means being clothed in Christ. Paul says: "Every one of you that has been baptised has been clothed in Christ" (Galatians 3:26) and "Let your armour be the Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 13:14). This being "clothed in Christ" is much more than wearing a cloak that covers our misery. It refers to a total transformation that allows us to say with Paul: "I have been crucified with Christ and yet I am alive; yet it is no longer I, but Christ living in me" (Galatians 2:20). Thus, we are the living Christ in the world. Jesus, who is God-made-flesh, continues to reveal himself in our own flesh. Indeed, true salvation is becoming Christ." Henri Nouwen, from Bread for the Journey

As we prepare to face each day, in addition to washing our face, brushing our teeth, and picking our outfit for the day, let's not forget to put on our most important garment -- the nature of Christ Himself. Then we will indeed be the "Body of Christ" to those wee meet, touch, and encounter through our day.

For Such a Time as This

The Bible says that BEFORE Esther stepped out to serve her purpose, she called for all her people to fast and pray for three days. Then she "put on her robes" and went out to do her work (See Esther 4:15-5:1)

If we want to be truly effective in our work and ministries, we must remember to not only "fast and pray" ourselves before we begin, but to ask others to fast and pray for us. There should be no "Lone Rangers" in the body of Christ. We all are connected to and responsible for each other. (Romans 12:4-5).

Then we must robe ourselves, first in the whole armor of God; the belt of truth, the armor of righteousness, the shoes of peace that comes from the Good News, the shield of faith, the helmet of our salvation, and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:14-17) and remember to cover it all with the robe of humility, graciousness, and above all else, love. Then we will be ready to make a difference for the Kingdom.

Run to Win

Run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step.
1 Corinthians 9:24-26

God has a purpose for each day of our lives. But if we have fallen out of shape we might not recognize that purpose, or be up to the challenge. Runners condition their bodies by exercise, diet, rest, and training so that they can run the distance. Likewise, we need to condition ourselves for our daily “race” for God’s glory. We exercise our spiritual muscles through prayer. Feed our souls with a steady diet of God’s Word. Rest in His truth, and train ourselves to look for opportunities to share His love with those around us. Run for the prize!

Teaching our Lives

Sometimes we think of teachers as the instructors up in front of the classroom, but the word "teach" means more than just speaking "up front." To teach means to enlighten, instruct, inform; to impart knowledge or skill; to cause to learn by example or experience; to advocate. Think of all the ways you "teach" others during your day... then remember that our actions speak louder and truer than our words.Who are you teaching today? And what are you teaching them?For more on teaching, check out: http://bibleteacher.blogspot.com

The Power of His Word

And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul's message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth. Acts 17:11-12

We are all eager to hear “good news” these days. Easy solutions to our problems; three easy steps to eternal happiness, wealth and success; “miracle” solutions for weight loss where we can eat whatever we want and never have to exercise again! There are many messages that bombard us everyday! They sound appealing and can seem true. How do we evaluate what is true and what isn’t? What is the measure of truth? How do we know who or what to believe? God has given us a standard by which we can measure every other message…His Word.

If we want to know the truthfulness of the messages we hear, we need to know where to look for authentication. That means that we need to be familiar with the scriptures – how to read them, how to find the answers they hold. Open your Bible today! Buy a translation you can understand. God’s word was meant to be enjoyed, to be consumed, and to be used. When you begin to understand God’s words, you will begin to realize the trustworthiness of God’s Word.

Morning Check In!

Henri Nouwen wrote,“Each of us has a mission in life. Jesus prays to his Father for his followers, saying: ‘As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world’ (John 17:18). We seldom realise fully that we are sent to fulfill God-given tasks. We act as if we have to choose how, where, and with whom to live. We act as if we were simply plopped down in creation and have to decide how to entertain ourselves until we die. But we were sent into the world by God, just as Jesus was. Once we start living our lives with that conviction, we will soon know what we were sent to do.”

To fully realize my potential for each day, I must start my day by reconnecting with the One who has purposed this day, and my place in it. What a waste to spend even one day of my life busily doing nothing that God intended for me to do; to accomplish only earthly things; fulfill only my calendar’s agenda; and never realize the Kingdom work that was planned for me to do. Before we check calendars let’s check-in with our Lord!