So…Surgery next

May 25, 2024 Cathleen Zahradnik

“The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust. Psalms 103:13-14 NLT

Hello friends!

Here is an update on my situation. You remember from last week that I fell, and God miraculously protected me from cracking my skull on the cement floor of my basement. However, as I told you last week, I had a cast on my right wrist and my left wrist was injured, but I expected it to get better within a few days. My situation has developed, shall we say. After my visit to the orthopedic doctor, it was determined that there is a crack in my left wrist. So, I now have a brace on my left wrist. I am OK with that because now it doesn’t hurt the way that it did. However, that leaves me with no 100% working hands.

The orthopedist also determined that I need surgery on my right wrist. Although the cast had immobilized my wrist, the bones were not staying aligned. Therefore, by the time you read this, the surgeon will have added screws and a plate in my wrist.

As you can imagine, that’s a lot to take in.

Where Will Your YES Take You?

August 12, 2023 Cathleen Zahradnik

'Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.”’ Luke 1:38

Do you ever feel stuck? You know what I mean. Your life becomes predictable. Comfortable. Mundane. Routines are a valuable tool when they are designed to help you accomplish what is necessary and important, but if you aren’t careful, they can just suck you into the same-old same-old. Rise, routine, repeat. Right? That’s not what you want!

What do you want? You want a life that zings with meaning, purpose, passion, and potential. You want to know that you are discovering more—all the things that God created you for. You want your life to be a fulfilling adventure, not simply satisfying. Full. Even a little bit exciting. Am I right?

I totally get it and I have been there. What I’ve learned is that every day holds the possibility to discover some of that MORE. The key that unlocks potential is a three-letter word: YES. If you can allow yourself to think in terms of that three-letter word you will find yourself on what I like to call The YES Adventure. Yes by yes you discover the more you were meant for. You discover your MORE when you give God your YES. Are you ready?

Are YOU Brave Enough to Say YES?

August 5, 2023 Cathleen Zahradnik

“God arms me with strength, and he makes my way perfect.” Psalms 18:32 NLT

“You’re so brave!” she said. The thought had never occurred to me that what I was doing was brave. I was just taking the next step on my journey with God. He had opened a door that I knew was mine to walk through. Brave? Was it really?

I had worked for several years to acquire my ministry license. Hours of classes and tests. A qualifying exam. An interview before a committee of respected ministers in my fellowship. Waiting while their recommendation was sent to the national office. Every step along the way was simply moving forward in the direction that I knew God was calling me. I had no idea how it was all going to turn out. I just knew that each new opportunity or challenge required another YES. This new venture was just one more “yes.”

I had been in my current position, a public middle school library aide, for nine years. I loved working in the school library. I had come to love the students and the staff. It was June and another school year was coming to a close. I had already submitted my paperwork to confirm another year of employment. I had no visions of a life change. Then my pastor called me in for an appointment…

Take The Next Right Step

May 6, 2023 Cathleen Zahradnik

“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’” Isaiah 30:21 NIV

Are you living a life of adventure? Adventure involves risk and uncertainty. You might think of adventure as bungee jumping or rock climbing. But what if you applied that definition to everyday experiences? Then every day takes on an element of adventure, right? And you know what? God is in the middle of our little everyday adventures just as much as the big ones.

My daughter lives in Brooklyn. She's lived in New York for a number of years and knows her way around the New York public transportation system well, so when we visit, we trust her to guide us from one place to another. But on a recent visit, a power outage somewhere in the system turned a routine trip into an adventure! It was full of risk and uncertainty.

Are You Listening For His Voice?

May 14, 2022 Cathleen Zahradnik

No words of my own today, but some words from the One whose Word matters most. Are you listening for the voice of the Lord? What has He been speaking to you lately?

Psalm 29
A psalm of David.
1 Honor the Lord, you heavenly beings;
honor the Lord for his glory and strength.
2 Honor the Lord for the glory of his name.
Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.
3 The voice of the Lord echoes above the sea.
The God of glory thunders.
The Lord thunders over the mighty sea.
4 The voice of the Lord is powerful;
the voice of the Lord is majestic.

Altitude Shift

April 24, 2021 Cathleen Zahradnik

“You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.” ‭‭Philippians‬ ‭2:5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I live in a valley area. I don’t have to go far to find a high place where I can look out across the surrounding region. The beauty of the view is awe-inspiring and, from that perspective, I see the community I live in from a different point of view. Many of the imperfections are hidden from that height. I can see way beyond my little rural city (I didn’t even know that was a thing until I lived here!) and, except for some roads and a river, most of what I can see involves the tops of trees! I can breathe in a new outlook on whatever is going on in my life from that vista. Then, heading back down into normal life takes on a whole different atmosphere. I bring some of the upper air with me and I breathe differently back among the building ands vehicles. I carry some of that peaceful perspective into whatever comes next.

It’s amazing how a shift in altitude can shift my attitude. And God knows my attitude often needs shifting! What about you? With all that is happening around you right now — your family issues, our national challenges, a global pandemic that has yet to come to an end — what’s your attitude? What is guiding your responses? Could you use an altitude perspective that shifts your attitude?

Here’s a jolt: “You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.” What?! The same attitude as Jesus! That’s what the apostle Paul told his friends in Philippi. What is Paul saying? Let’s take a few minutes to investigate that little loaded sentence.

Limitless

August 29, 2020 Cathleen Zahradnik

“For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” Psalm 103:11-12 NIV

One of my favorite places is the beach. I love to stand on the sand with the expanse of the ocean in front of me, miles of blue over my head and a long stretch of sand as far as my eyes can see to either side of me. Can you see it? Ahhhh!

What's Your Plan?

July 11, 2020 Cathleen Zahradnik

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” ‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4:6-7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I like to know what’s coming next, don’t you? How do you handle the unknown? Do you try to anticipate every possible outcome and strategize how to handle each scenario? Maybe you throw up your hands in hopelessness. Do you work hard to protect what you have?

There are a lot of responses we could have to an uncertain future. The future is always a question mark, but the current world situation makes it more clear than ever. How are you doing with your questions? Do you have a knot in your stomach as you try to figure things out or are you at peace with the unknown?

I have come to realize that I am a fixer and I like to plan. How do those things go together, you ask? Many times I make plans as a way to “fix” anticipated negative outcomes. In short, my plans are often an attempt to “fix” n advance. I would not have recognized that years ago, but I have learned that every one of us, including me, has a problem with control. Wasn’t that the real issue way back in the garden of Eden? “Eat the fruit, be like God, be in control!” That’s what attracted Eve and Adam. It’s the same trap you and I fall into, although we don’t always see it.

When we can’t control what we don’t know, we work on controlling what we do know. Save a much money as you can. Hoard toilet paper. Arrange the family schedule just so. Try to find out as much as possible by watching the news 24/7. You get the idea. Is there anything wrong with saving money or stocking up on supplies, making schedules or staying informed? Absolutely not. But what you and I need to evaluate is our motivation. If it is fear or control, then I am not trusting God. How can we learn to really trust God in uncertain times?

What’s Your Three-Day Story?

February 8, 2020 Cathleen Zahradnik

Saturday. It means a lot of different things to different people. Maybe for you it’s a day to sleep in. No school. No work. Perhaps it’s a day to catch up on home chores. Or meet a friend, or visit family. Maybe for you Saturday is a day for a new a adventure, a day trip or the start of the vacation of a lifetime. For my mom and dad right now, Saturday is another day at sea looking for a place to come home from.

Sometimes, the world news touches home. In the recent news about coronavirus fears you may have heard the report of a cruise ship that has been denied entry to ports because the ship had picked up passengers in Hong Kong where cases of the virus have been reported. My parents were among the passengers boarding in that city. Let me say that according to my parents and the cruise line no one on the ship is sick. Dad says the cruise line has done it’s best to make the best of a bad situation, but the cruise as planned is cancelled and the one goal now is to find a place from which to let the passengers go home. What was supposed to be a cruise to sites in Asia has become a different kind of adventure, one for which the conclusion has not yet been written.

The truth is that we are all in the same kind of adventure. In your life and mine things rarely go as we have planned them, right? You are in the middle of a situation right now where the end is still unclear, aren’t you? Me, too, and I am not just talking about my parents’ situation! I know how I’d like it to resolve, but I can’t make it happen. When you think about your current unplanned adventure, does it make you anxious? Can I share something with you that has helped me to navigate this kind of time with hope?

We Don’t Work Alone

July 20, 2019 Cathleen Zahradnik

You always learn something when you say YES. I recently returned from a mission trip to Armenia, Colombia, South America. This is part of my YES adventure. I never expected to go to Colombia. It wasn’t on my radar, but I felt God’s whisper asking me to go and I said YES. There are many things that I am still processing about the trip. One of the things that I am most aware of is that the YES adventure is not a solo journey. We need each other in order to accomplish God’s purpose for our lives.

When I said YES to Colombia, I said YES to being a part of a team. Our team began working together before we ever left the USA. We prayed together, fasted together and prepared practically together for our ministry in Colombia. Not one of us could have completed the work alone. We needed each other from the moment of YES.

God has designed us to need each other. That’s a significant part of our walk with God, whether we are simply trying to live out our faith day by day at home, serving in our home church or going on a mission trip. We aren’t designed to have all the answers, abilities or energy to get the job done. God has made us with weaknesses where other people have strengths. Only together can we accomplish God’s purpose.

On the Colombia team, a main weakness for some of us was language.