activated january 2012

8/3/2019 Activated January 2012

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Vol 13 • Issue

change your l i fe . change your world

THE PATH OF LIFEDetour or destiny?

Waiting for the Happy EndingPut problems in perspective

Deserted Phone BoothsDon’t be left behind



Vol 13, Issue 1

P E R S O N A L L Y S P E A K I N G

Like a lot o people, as each new year approaches I

try to refect on the past year and set goals or thecoming one. As I was about to do that this year, a

riend sent me this quote by Joni Eareckson Tada:

“Faith isn’t the ability to believe long and ar into the misty uture. It’s simply

taking God at His Word and taking the next step.” at quote was a big help,

and here’s why.

When I applied it to the past, it rang true. Each o the last seven or eight

years involved uneasy steps into the unknown. Ater my wie’s health took a

sudden and severe downturn, a troop o doctors spent a couple o years trying

to diagnose the problem. As it turned out, she has a combination o incurable

but manageable conditions, and it’s taken several more years to nd the mosteective treatments. During that dicult time, all we could do was pray and

take one step at a time. But that was all God needed rom us. anks to Him

and the good doctors He led us to, my wie is doing much better. It hasn’t

been easy, but we can both now say without hesitation that the experience has

been good or us. It’s deepened us, made us more thankul or all we have, and

taught us to value each day. More than anything, I think, it’s increased our

aith in God’s love and goodness.

With that as my rame o reerence, the coming year doesn’t seem so daunt-

ing. e daily diculties o the past ew years are now only vague memories,

but the good that came rom them is a vital, emboldening orce. “ink bigger,” it tells me. “You have nothing to ear. Pull out the stops. Take giant

steps. God is good—and He is with you!”

Keith Phillips

For Activated

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E Keith Phillips

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P Samuel Keating

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reserved.

2



At the start of last year Iset off on a journey. Sitting on

a pier, breathing in the salty sea air,

I elt surges o both excitement and

trepidation as my eyes scanned an

ocean o time that stretched ahead.In the course o my voyage,

I sometimes aced turmoil and

adversity. e turquoise sea became a

churning, oaming expanse o dark,

angry waves. Stinging rain and blus-

tering winds battered my ship. But

there were also times o blessings and

steady progress, when bright sunlight

sparkled on rolling waves and gentle

breezes carried my boat orward.I didn’t experience these things

alone. My captain, Jesus, was with

me. Together we aced each day.

Together we braved the storms o

adversity. Together we laughed and

enjoyed the sunshine. I knew Jesus

had a plan or our voyage and had

charted the way.

Still, there were times when I

questioned His judgment, when l

already elt weak and weary o the

struggle but would catch sight o

yet another storm gathering on the

horizon. “Jesus, must we go throughmore hardship?” I would plead. “I

You love me as much as You say

You do, can’t You make my voyage

easier?”

With a smile, Jesus would sotly

reply, “I do love you that much.

I always have and always will.

Although everything around you

may seem rough and stormy right

now, it is only or a time. e sky will appear brighter and more beau-

tiul ater the storm. Just hold My

hand, and I will see you through.

Look or the blessings that these

storms bring.”

e secret, I learned, was to

stay close to Him until the clouds

cleared. And while I waited, I

discovered some wonderul thing

His loving presence became even

more real to me during those

stormy days, and His reassuring

words gave me strength, soothed

my nerves, and allayed my ears. And those blessings He spoke

o? As I stand at the threshold

o another new year, I look back

and see that those times o testin

engendered courage, aith, and

hope—courage to never give up

despite opposition and diculti

aith anchored in a love that will

never let me down; and hope in

Jesus, who has a perect plan notonly or my next year, but or m

whole lie.

Elena Sichrovsky lives in

Taiwan and is a member of th

Family International (TFI),

a Christian community of

faith. ■

MY CAPTAINBy Elena Sichrovsky



DESERTED

PHONE BOOTHSBy Curtis Peter van Gorder

Your potential lies ahead of you—whether

you’re 8, 18, 48, or 80. You still have room to

improve yourself. You can become better

tomorrow than you are today.

—John C. Maxwell

A city where I used to live is dottedwith deserted public telephone booths. Obsolete and derelict, they stand silent and empty, eerie

reminders o their ormer useulness, now simply taking

up sidewalk space, useless to all but a ew spiders that ar

ever quick to spin their webs in out-o-the-way corners.

Ten or twenty years ago, these booths were a vital mean

o communication. Long replaced by cell phones that a

more convenient and capable, these relics are no longer

worth the trouble, either to keep up or to tear down.

ose old phone booths strike a sad chord in me.

remind me o people who are stuck in the past becausethey couldn’t or wouldn’t adapt to the new. Any o us ca

become like that. I we ocus on the past instead o the

present and uture, we will get out o touch with the wo

around us and be let behind. e world is ever changin

and we need to be ready to change with it, to learn new

skills and continually strive to make progress. at is tru

o both our physical and our spiritual lives.

e past year was ull o learning experiences or me

I moved rom the Middle East to India and started a ne

job. at was certainly challenging. Change is oten dowright dicult, but I’ve ound that it usually works out

my good. I’ve needed to adapt to my new location and

situation, and I’ve acquired some new skills in the proce

Human nature seems to want things to remain static

but the ways we did things yesterday are oten no longe

the best approach to the needs o today. Regardless o

whether or not we change with the times, what was cut-

ting edge yesterday oten doesn’t cut it today. Take a loo

at the rapidly changing world o computerized gadgetry

to see what I mean. I recently looked through back issuo a popular electronics magazine and couldn’t help but

chuckle at the products that were being hailed as “innov

tive” in their day, but are outdated now.

As the saying goes, “Time and tide wait or no man.”

We had better move with the times.

Curtis Peter van Gorder is a script writer and

animator in Mumbai, India, and a member of TFI.

4



1. Psalm 118:8

2. Psalm 84:5a,7a NCV

3. Psalm 32:8

4. All three books are available from any

of the addresses on page 2.

5. Ecclesiastes 4:9

6. Proverbs 27:17

7. See James 5:16; Matthew 18:19.

8. Psalm 100:4

9. Proverbs 24:16

10. Psalm 37:24

11. Philippians 2:13

12. 2 Corinthians 5:17

1 Take stock and set goals. Make a list o the areas you want to

change in and what you can do to

bring those changes about. Putting

goals and plans in writing will helpcrystallize your thoughts and rm

your commitment.

Nine HOW-TO s of CHange

By Keith Phillips

2 Program the changes into

your daily or weekly schedule.

Without a denite plan, good inten-

tions will probably soon be orgotten

or get lost in the press o everything

else you have to do.

3 Depend on Jesus, not will-

power, intellect, or natural ability

alone. e Bible tells us, “It is better

to trust in the Lord than to put

condence in man,”1 and “Happy

are those whose strength comes rom

[God]. e people get stronger as

they go.”2

4 Find instruction and

encouragement in God’s Word.

God promises, “I will instruct youand teach you in the way you should

go.”3 An online Bible-search site,

concordance, or Bible study help

such as Keys to Happier Living , Bible

Basics , and Key Bible Verses 4 makes

it much easier to nd what the

Bible has to say about specic topics

related to the changes you want to

make.

5 Join or form a support

group. Being around like-minded

people provides positive reinorce-

ment and moral support—two

catalysts o change. “Two are better

than one, because they have a good

reward or their labor.”5 “As iron

sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the

countenance o his riend.”6

6 Ask others to pray for

you. United prayer gets remarkabresults.7

7 ank God for His help.

e more you show your gratitud

the more God will want to do or

you. “Enter into His gates with

thanksgiving, and into His courts

with praise.”8

8 When you fall short, ask

God to help you keep trying. “A

righteous man may all seven time

and rise again.”9 “ough he all, h

shall not be utterly cast down; or

Lord upholds him with His hand.

9 Keep believing that you

can change, with God’s help. Cla

verses that increase your aith, suc

as, “It is God who works in you b

to will and to do or His good ple

sure,”11 and “I anyone is in Chris

he is a new creation; old things ha

passed away; behold, all things hav

become new.”12■



By Peter Amsterdam

A few months back my wife, Maria, and I had dinner with a young riend who told

us o his latest plans. His dreams were big, his disposition bold. He said that or months he

had elt God’s guidance to move in a certain direction, but kept brushing it aside as crazy. e

more he tried to ignore it, though, the stronger the urge became. He eventually asked the Lord

i this was indeed His plan or his lie, and as a result, he began to eel at peace about movingin this new direction.

At the time o our dinner, his plans had rmed up and he was going to be moving soon in

order to pursue those dreams—going, by aith, in the direction he believed the Lord was guid-

ing him. Maria and I were impressed by his sincerity and willingness to heed God’s call.

In the course o our conversation, I said something to the eect that God sometimes leads

people to do things that are quite out o the ordinary, only to use those initial steps to start

them on journeys that lead to other, unexpected destinations. e path o lie is oten ormed

6



Finding God’s will isn’t a one-time event. As we progress

through spiritual and physical changes, as times and circum-

stances change, it’s necessary to reevaluate our lives or aspec

of them to make sure that we’re up to date with God’s plan.

Finding God’s will is a regular occurrence for a Christian.

—Maria Fontaine

by a series o seemingly unrelated

decisions and choices, which build

upon one another and eventually

lead to ulllment.

“Can you give me an example?”

the young man asked.

I thought or a moment and said,

“Yes, that happened to me.”

About orty years ago, shortly

ater I had joined the Family

International (TFI), one o the

sponsors o our center, who owned a

printing business, donated a printingpress to our work. He planned to

teach us how to use the press and

his other equipment, and then let

us print our teaching and outreach

materials at his shop. As it turned

out, I was one o a ew who were

trained as printers, and I continued

in this line o work or a year and

a hal. I elt like I had joined the

Family International to share Jesus’love and message with others ace to

ace, so it wasn’t always easy to spend

my days going through the oten

tedious routine o mass printing.

Little did I understand then that this

was an important part o God’s plan

or my lie.

Because o the experience I gained

in that print shop, I was eventually

invited to move to Germany to help

with TFI’s German-language publi-

cations, and over the next ew years

I was also involved in other publica-

tion centers. Eventually I was asked

to supervise the team responsible or

TFI’s printing or much o Europe.

at job led to another one that put

me in contact with David and Maria,

TFI’s ounders and leaders, and a

couple o years later they invited me

to work directly with them as one

o their assistants. My journey had

started with a step that was totally unexpected and contrary to my

thinking at the time, but one step led

to another until I ound mysel doing

what I do today—work that I love

and nd very ullling.

e point I was trying to convey

was that even i what our riend was

planning didn’t work out, it could

very well be the rst step in a journey

to another wonderul place—perhapssomething even better and more

rewarding than what he was dream-

ing o now.

I have since shared this point with

a ew others, explaining that they

shouldn’t be disappointed i they

step out to ollow where they believe

God is leading them but things don’t

work out as anticipated. It may just

be the rst step toward something

else special. What you learn or wh

you meet in your initial venture m

turn out to be more important tha

the venture itsel. Today’s dicult

uncertainties, and disappointmen

may be steppingstones to uture

success.

* * *

Last night, I ound mysel lying

awake in bed, praying and wonder

ing how certain decisions I now a

will aect the uture. Ater some

time, I got up and began writing tarticle. Partway through, Jesus spo

to my heart. “Look at what you’re

writing. What you told your rien

applies to you too. You need to be

willing to take the rst steps towar

the new by aith—to step out and

ollow Me, even i it seems crazy. I

you are rozen in indecision, you w

never be able to take the rst step;

but that rst step is the one that wset you on the path that leads to th

destination o My choosing. You h

trusted Me with your lie all these

years. Can you continue to trust M

now? Follow Me, trust Me, and let

the uture unold a day at a time.”

Peter Amsterdam and his wi

Maria Fontaine, are directo

of TFI. ■



1. Matthew 17:20

2. Mark 9:23

3. See Luke 11:11–13.

4. Romans 8:28

5. See Philippians 4:8.

WAITING FOR THEHAPPY ENDINGBy Maria Fontaine

Life is full of choices. Every

day there are choices, large and small,

and every day that passes leaves agreater legacy o past choices. Some

turned out to be good, some bad,

some a bit o both, and some we’re

not yet sure about, but each played a

part in making us what we are.

Here are a ew principles that I

nd helpul when thinking about

the past and what has brought me to

where I am today.

Our uture isn’t limited by ourpast. No matter what decisions we

have made or what others decided

or us, and no matter what point we

are at now, the uture is still as bright

as God’s promises—ones like these:

“I you have aith ... nothing will be

impossible or you,”1 and “All things

are possible to him who believes.”2

I you’re not where you want to be,

there is time to change that. Wherethere is lie, there is hope.

I some choice you made seems

to have had a bad outcome, or one

that is not what you had in mind,

remember that you probably haven’t

seen its ull eect yet. What looks

like a stone or a serpent may yet

turn out to be bread—or even a

three-course meal.3 Film director,

actor, screenwriter, and producer

Orson Welles once said, “A happy ending depends on where you stop

your story.” Or, as someone else put

it, “Everything will be okay in the

end; and i it’s not okay, it’s not the

end yet.” at principle is certainly

true or those who love the Lord and

look to Him or guidance, because

He has promised to always work

things out or our good in the end.4

It’s human nature to look back and have regrets about some o the

things we did, or to wish we’d done

them dierently. God understands

that and sympathizes. But it’s a mis-

take to overlook the good that also

came rom those experiences—the

wisdom, maturity, and other lessons

learned, which have helped to shape

our character and prepare us or

bigger and better things to come. When you look back on the past,

count your blessings. Remember

those “true, noble, just, pure, and

lovely” things that also make up the

story o your lie.5 ank God or

the good decisions you made in the

past, as well as those that He’s going

to help you make in the uture. ■

8



As last year drew to aclose, I was still struggling with

many o the complications and

worries that had been making me eel

insecure or some time. en I came

across an article about the dierence

between “insurance” and “assurance,”

which got me thinking. Was God my insurance or my assurance ?

Having God in our lives is a orm

o insurance. We know that no mat-

ter what happens, He will be with

us and bless us or trusting Him. “I

am persuaded that neither death nor

lie, nor angels nor principalities nor

powers, nor things present nor things

to come, nor height nor depth, nor

any other created thing, shall be ableto separate us rom the love o God

which is in Christ Jesus our Lord,”1

1. Romans 8:38–39

2. Romans 8:28

3. Psalm 32:8

4. Philippians 4:19

5. 2 Corinthians 12:9

6. Hebrews 13:5

7. James 1:5

8. Isaiah 30:21

insurance: coverage by contra

whereby one party undertakes

to indemnify or guarantee

another against loss by a speci-

ed contingency or peril

assurance: the state of being

assured: as a: security b: a bein

certain in the mind c: conden

of mind or manner: easy freedo

from self-doubt or uncertainty

Denitions courtesy of

merriam‑webster.com.

Insurance or Assurance?By Rose Conn

and, “We know that all things work

together or good to those who love

God.”2

But in my day-to-day lie, particu-

larly when I’m aced with a decision

or problem, what I want and need

even more is assurance or the short

term. God gives us that, too. Hepromises us guidance,3 supply o

our needs,4 and grace and strength

in dicult times.5 He also oers the

assurance, “I will never leave you nor

orsake you”6—and that is as true in

the immediate circumstance as it will

ever be.

Lie is a series o situations and

decisions. When we ocus on the

uncertainties, we become paralyzed.But when we take our problems to

God and look to Him in our decision

making, His assurances propel us

the right direction. “I any o you

lacks wisdom, let him ask o God

and it will be given to him.”7 “You

ears shall hear a word behind you,

saying, ‘is is the way, walk in it,

whenever you turn to the right ha

or whenever you turn to the let.’” Who knows what the coming y

will bring? Probably a mix o sur-

prises, successes, setbacks, and som

sleepless nights. But through it all,

God wants to be both our insuran

and our assurance—insurance in t

long term, and assurance in the sh

Rose Conn is a project man-

ager for web marketing anddesign, and a member of TFI

the U.S. ■



1. John 15:5

2. Philippians 4:13

3. See Genesis chapters 37, 39–41.

4. See E xodus chapters 2–3.

5. See 2 Samuel chapter s 11–12, 15.

6. See Acts chapter 9.

7. 1 Corinthians 1:25–29

8. 1 Corinthians 10:11; Romans 15:4

9. Isaiah 55:8–9

10. Matthew 25:21

C o m p i l e d f r o m t h e w r i t i n g s o f

D a v i d B r a n d t B e r g

f a l l i n

g u p w a

r d

Life is one big learning experience, and or those o us who

know and love Jesus, He is our teacher. More than anything, He wants to

teach us all we need to know about Him and His love, so things will go bet

and we’ll be happier.

He knows that none o us can accomplish any real good i we depend on

own supposed strength and wisdom. In act, He said, “Without Me you can nothing.”1 But the Bible also says that we “can do all things through Christ.”

at’s the key right there. We need to learn to let Jesus do things through us.

10



O course, learning to be more dependent on Jesus is not something that

we can learn overnight. It takes time and experience, and oten that involves

some diculties and seeming deeats. e list is almost endless o people in

the Bible whom God had to humble beore He could use them.

Look at Joseph. O Jacob’s 12 sons, he was his ather’s avorite. Joseph’s

older brothers nally became so jealous o him that they nearly killed him,

threw him into a pit, and then sold him into slavery. Joseph had to be made a

slave and later be condemned as a criminal beore God could exalt him to the

second most powerul position in Egypt and use him to save His people rom

amine.3

And look at Moses. For 40 years Moses was groomed as a prince in thecourts o Pharaoh, but God couldn’t use him until he had spent another 40

years in the wilderness doing nothing but tending sheep.4

And consider King David. When David ell in love with a married woman,

Bathsheba, purposely had her husband killed in battle, and then tried to lie and

cover up the entire crime, God had to expose him and severely punish him.

And later David’s own traitorous son, Absalom, drove him rom the throne or

a time.5 Was David’s a all downward? Or did he all upward? Sometimes God’s

way up is down—just the opposite o what we think. David was humbled

and reminded that it was God who made him great. From that squeezing and

twisting o David’s lie came orth the sweet honey o the Psalms, praises toGod or His love, goodness, power, and mercy.

Or consider the apostle Paul. He was an up-and-coming Jewish activist,

then named Saul, who had taken it upon himsel to put an end to a ast-grow-

ing new sect. As he journeyed by horseback to Damascus, where he intended

to capture, imprison, and execute as many o the ollowers o Jesus o Nazareth

as he could nd, God had to knock him o o his horse and blind him with

the brilliant light o His presence. Trembling, helpless, and blind, Saul had to

be led by the hand into the city, and was so astonished by what had happened

to him that he was unable to eat or drink or three days. A disciple o Jesus

then came and prayed or Saul, and Saul regained his sight, was converted,and became the apostle Paul. God had to break him and make him a new man

beore He was able to use him to help many.6

Nearly everyone who has ever been o any real use to God had to rst come

to the end o themselves. Otherwise, they would have been too proud and

sel-condent, and would have taken the credit to themselves. God uses weak

and oolish things.7

When we learn rom our mistakes, we become better or them, like these

men in the Bible did. We can also learn rom their mistakes. “Now all these

things happened to them as exam-

ples, and they were written or ou

benet, that we might nd hope.”

God does not see things as we s

them, or His thoughts are not ou

thoughts and His ways are not our

He doesn’t judge or reward us acco

ing to our successes or ailures, bu

according to our motives. In heave

one day, He won’t say to those wh

are true to Him, “Well done, My scessul servant,” but “Well done, M

good and aithul servant.”10

So even i you don’t always

understand why you’re going throu

tests, trials, hardships, and breakin

remember that God has a purpose

and knows what He’s doing. God g

some o His greatest victories out o

seeming deeats—victories o yield

ness, brokenness, humility, and uttdependence on Him. So don’t be

discouraged when you make mista

but learn rom them. Fall upward.

David Brandt Berg (1919–199

was the founder of TFI. ■

T G’ ,

:

Jesus, I want to know You an

experience Your love. I open

my heart and invite You in.

Amen.



Q: Does God really have a wonderful

plan for my life, like I keep hearing?

Often it feels more like a bumper-car

ride—continually running into one

obstacle after another and getting

bounced in every direction.

A: God does have a plan or each

o us, and it is one that is perectly

tailored to our unique makeup, abili-

ties, and interests. Not only that, but

He wants to let us in on that plan

and work with us to bring it to pass.

“Trust in the Lord with all your

heart, and lean not on your own

understanding; in all your ways

acknowledge Him, and He shalldirect your paths.”1 at doesn’t

mean, though, that everything will

be easy or happen just as we would

like. In act, it may sometimes seem

1. Proverbs 3:5–6

2. See Isaiah 55:8–9.

3. Jeremiah 29:11

If we could see, if we could know

We often say,But God in love a veil doth throw

Across our way.

We cannot see what lies before,

And so we cling to Him the mor

He leads us till this life is o’er,

Trust and obey.

—Norman J. Clayton

like everything God brings your way

is dicult, and that trying to ollow

His plan only makes things more so.

Does God ever ask too much o us?

Sometimes it can seem that way.

God wants what’s best or us, but

oten the means to that end involvestaking us through both triumphs

and trials, joy and pain. From our

perspective, a particular situation or

event may not seem good, but rom

God’s perspective, it’s what He wants

or us because He knows it will

urther His plan. He sees arther than

we do, and His plans are better and

more complete than ours.2

In the prophet Jeremiah’s time,the Israelites were deeated militarily,

scattered, and in exile. ey prob-

ably wondered what had happened

to God’s promised plan or them as

a people. God explained that they

would remain in exile or 70 years, as

a punishment or their waywardness,

and that this was also part o His

Does God have a p lan?

plan. at couldn’t have seemed li

good news, but He reassured them

that He continued to pull or them

“I know the thoughts that I think

toward you, says the Lord, though

o peace and not o evil, to give yo

uture and a hope.”3

So i you nd yoursel in a simi

situation, lost and wondering wha

became o God’s plan or you, don

despair. God’s plan is never deeat

and He never gives up trying to he

us catch on or catch up. ■

ANSWERS

TO YOUR

QUESTIONS

12



FEEDING READING

Our Guide Through Life

By Samuel Keating

• e Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes

me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside

the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in

the paths o righteousness.—Psalm 23:1–3

• He guides the humble in what is right and teaches

them his way .—Psalm 25:9 NIV

• Are there those who respect the Lord? He will point

them to the best way.—Psalm 25:12 NCV • e steps o a good man are ordered by the Lord, and

He delights in his way.—Psalm 37:23

• Since you are my rock and my ortress, or the sake o

your name lead and guide me.—Psalm 31:3 NIV

• I will instruct you and teach you in the way you

should go; I will guide you.—Psalm 32:8

• For this is God, our God orever and ever; He will be

our guide even to death.—Psalm 48:14

• You guide me with your counsel, and aterward you

will take me into glory.—Psalm 73:24 NIV • Your word is a lamp to my eet and a light to my

path.—Psalm 119:105

S amuel Keating is Activated’s production coor-

dinator and lives in Mi lan, Italy. ■

POINTS TO PONDER

Trust God’s Plan

is world is God’s workshop or making men in.

—Henry Ward Beecher (1813–1887)

Walk boldly and wisely. ere is a hand above that will

help you on.—Philip James Bailey (1816–1902)

Lie is a tapestry: We are the warp; angels, the wet; Go

the weaver. Only the Weaver sees the whole design.

—Quoted in e Angels’ Little Instruction Book, Eilee

Elias Freeman, 1994

e highest knowledge is to know that we are surrounby mystery. Neither knowledge nor hope or the uture

can be the pivot o our lie or determine its direction.

It is intended to be solely determined by our allowing

ourselves to be gripped by the ethical God, who reveal

Himsel in us, and by our yielding our will to His.

— Albert Schweitzer (1875–1965)

To wait open-endedly is an enormously radical attitude

toward lie. So, too, is giving up control over our utur

and letting God dene our lie. at, indeed, is a very radical stance toward lie in a world preoccupied with

control.—Henri J. M. Nouwen (1932–1996)

One thing is certain: God knows what He’s doing. So

whenever we don’t understand why He allows somethi

to happen, we just have to wrap our questions in a littl

bundle o aith and tuck it away till some day He revea

why.— David Brandt Berg (1919–1994) ■



Imagine a traveler, sitting

quietly in a boat as it foats down

a river that meanders through a

green valley. Trees and shrubs, some

in ull bloom, line the riverbank.

Majestic, snow-covered peaks rise

in the distance. But this travelerdoesn’t notice the beauty o his

surroundings; he is too busy studying

the guidebook, learning about the

history o the area and where the

river will take him.

“Look up! You’re missing the

view!” We call to him, but to no

avail. He just keeps on reading, his

head bowed, his mind elsewhere.

ere are times when we needto study the guidebook, as well as

times when we need to think back

or orward, but there should also be

times when we stop and take in the

moment.

For the next week, take ve or ten

minutes each day to look closely at

the world around you. Focus your

attention on the fuy white clouds as

they drit eortlessly across the vivid

blue sky. Study the intricate design

on the petals o a fower, or the

graceul architecture o a tree, or the

pattern o a fock o birds in fight.

Look or something dierent eachday, and thank God or His creativity.

•

What is this lie i, ull o care,

We have no time to stand and stare?

No time to stand beneath the

boughs,

And stare as long as sheep and cows:

No time to see, when woods we pass,

Where squirrels hide their nuts in

grass:No time to see, in broad daylight,

Streams ull o stars, like skies at

night:

No time to turn at Beauty’s glance,

And watch her eet, how they can

dance:

No time to wait till her mouth can

Enrich that smile her eyes began?

A poor lie this i, ull o care,

We have no time to stand and star

—William H. Davies (1871–1940

•

e best remedy or those who

are araid, lonely or unhappy is to

go outside, somewhere where theycan be quiet, alone with the heave

nature and God. Because only the

does one eel that all is as it should

be and that God wishes to see peo

happy, amidst the simple beauty o

nature. I rmly believe that nature

brings solace in all troubles.—Ann

Frank (1929–1945)

•

God is the riend o silence. Trefowers, grass grow in silence. See

the stars, moon, and sun, how the

move in silence.—Mother Teresa

(1910–1997)

Abi F. May is an educator an

author in Great Britain, an

an Activated staff writer. ■

APPRECIATETHIS WONDERFUL

WORLD A spiritual exercise

By Abi F. May

14



THE BLAN K PAGE

By Evelyn Sichrovsky

The page was blank, its edges

wide,

A sea of white before my eyes.

Unmarked, unspoiled, or so the

year

Held in my Savior’s hands

appeared.

I gripped a pen tightly in handWhile questions as unnumbere

sand

Swept through my mind until m

eyes

Met my Lord’s, who soft replied

“Dear one, this year will work ou

best

If trust surrenders it to rest

Wholly within My hands as MinYet you alone must choose to si

With quiv’ring heart I whispered

“Love,

Whom have I but You above?

This year and all its days are Thin

And kneeling, the blank page I

signed.■

I didn’t like my mood. It wasn’t exactly cold—more like chilly with

a chance o thunderstorms. Exactly like the weather that day. I knew why

I was eeling that way, and it scared me. Changes were in the air, looming

over me like ominous clouds. I also knew that there was hope or my

situation, like I knew the sun was somewhere up there, but not being able

to connect with it was unsettling.

e smell o impending rain enveloped me. I sat by a haystack at the

top o a small hill, an apple orchard to my right, bushes downhill, and a

little fock o sheep grazing in the clearing to my let. High above, a ew needlelike rays o sunshine pierced the pewter clouds. e mountains

in the distance were a palette o muted colors in the gathering gloom—

greens, grays, blues, purples. Between them and me, a light rain hung like

a lmy curtain. I had to admit that even without the sun and the usual

bright colors, the view was beautiul.

Exactly like today , I thought. Like this week, like the last few months. So

much uncertainty, like these clouds hanging over me. So many challenges, like

these mountains before me. But there is still beauty to be found, even in these

trying circumstances.

Just then the clouds passed, the sun came out, and it suddenly became warmer. A tiny lilac butterfy alighted on my shoe, and a woodpecker

tapped out his message in Morse code—“God is love.”1 Hope had shown

her ace, and she was beautiul!

Mila Nataliya A. Govorukha is a youth counselor and volun-

teer project manager in Bosnia and Herzegovina. ■

1. 1 John 4:8

By Mila Nataliya A. Govorukha

Where is hope?



I want to make you happy and give you purpose in lie—and it is withinMy power to do so. I have answers to your questions, solutions to yourproblems, and insight into the complex situations you encounter. I want toshare all o that and more with you, but you must also do your part.

When you ask or My guidance, I give it,1 but you must rst be willing toset aside your own ideas and plans.2 at can be dicult, especially i youhave your heart set on something that you’re not sure I will agree is best

or everyone concerned, or the right time or. When aced with such tests,remind yoursel o Bible promises—“Delight yoursel also in the Lord, andHe shall give you the desires o your heart,”3 and “No good thing will God withhold rom those who walk uprightly,”4 or example. I your desire istruly to nd and ollow My plan, I will give you the best.

I know your past, present, and uture. I understand your needs and desires,your aspirations and ears. I know everything about you. e more youlearn to seek and ollow My plan or your lie, the more likely you will be tond genuine happiness and ulllment. e choice is yours.

1. See Jeremiah 29:13; Matthew 7:7; James 1:5.

2. See Isaiah 55:8–9.

3. Psalm 37:4

4. Psalm 84:11

FROM JESUS WITH LOVE

My Plan or Yours?

activated january 2012

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