Saturday: Contemplating The Cost

April 20, 2019 Cathleen Zahradnik

It is Saturday of Holy Week. Good Friday has passed. Easter Sunday is yet to come. We wait in anticipation of that joyous celebration. But what did the disciples do on that Saturday after the crucifixion? They did not know that joy awaited them. They observed the Sabbath in obedience, but that day of rest from work was most likely anything but a day of rest in the mind. How could they do anything but continue to relive Friday’s horror and wonder how they would ever face, not only Sunday, but every day after?

It is in human nature to avoid the painful, but what if you and I took this Saturday to relive some of Good Friday’s pain? Might it increase our joy of the resurrection?

Contemplate with me the cruelty before the cross.

How does one describe unimaginable pain? Physical and emotional suffering beyond what any of us has ever experienced?

Why To Be The Best You

April 13, 2019 Cathleen Zahradnik

Do you ever wonder why you are on the earth? Rick Warren starts his book, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth am I Here for? with this statement: “It’s not about you.” It’s jarring to pick up a book about discovering my purpose in life and see those as the very first words. “It’s not about you.” Some readers might immediately snap the book closed saying, “Well, that’s not what I want to hear! What about self-fulfillment? Doesn’t God want me to be happy?” Of course he does, but God’s definition of happiness and yours might not line up with each other. Warren’s point is that ultimately my purpose in life, and yours, isn’t about being happy. It’s about fulfilling God’s design for life. Self-fulfillment and happiness will be found in the midst of seeking that purpose. So, whose ideas about happiness need to change? Yep! Yours and mine.

Then what is God’s idea of happiness? What is His design for life? God is happy when His people fulfill His purposes on the earth. Jesus pleased the Father by making His goal to fulfill the Father’s purpose. “Not my will but Yours be done.”(Mark 14:36 ) Hebrews 12 describes Jesus as the author and perfector of our faith. (Hebrews 12:2) How did He do this? It says that Jesus endured the cross for the joy set before Him. (Hebrews 12: 2) What was that joy? Our salvation: The restoration of hummanity’s relationship with God. God’s goal has always remained the same. He wants to see people restored to Himself. So then, your purpose and mine is going to be wrapped up in His purpose. What is God’s purpose? To restore people to Himself. What is your purpose? To restore people to God. Our mission is to help people on their journey of restoration. (Mark 16:15) Wherever people are on their journey, your purpose and mine is to help them get closer to God. ..

How To Be The Best You

April 6, 2019 Cathleen Zahradnik

Road trip! I love a road trip! On our road trips I have usually been the navigator. Years ago a long road trip needed a great deal of planning. After the destination was decided I would pull out my road atlas and determine the best route. The Internet made it easier when I could search a mapping website and print out directions. Now, I pull out my phone, type in the destination and let my GPS speak the directions turn by turn. Definitely easier! Yet each method of finding the way starts the same: I have to decide where I am going.

When it comes to your adventure with God do you have an idea where you are going? Not specifics. None of us really knows that in advance. With God we get the turn-by-turn directions as we go. But God does want to give us an idea of what direction to head in. Have you asked Him about it?

When you know what direction He wants you to head in you will find yourself motivated to keep growing. Growth doesn’t happen randomly. It happens intentionally. Where do you find your motivation to keep growing? Are you looking to please other people? Are you looking for happiness? Are you looking to fulfill a self-made dream? How’s that going?

If You Don’t Run, You Can’t Win!

March 30, 2019 Cathleen Zahradnik

In the movie Chariots of Firethe runner Harold Abrahams has just lost a race to Eric Liddell. He sits in the empty stadium staring, depressed, despondent. He just can’t move on from the loss, reliving it in his mind. His girlfriend, Sybil, arrives and tries to encourage him. She tells him how marvelous he was in spite of the loss. He angrily tells her, “If I can’t win, I won’t run!” She wisely, and just as angrily replies, “If you don’t run, you can’t win!” Harold’s goal was perfection, to win every race. Up until that moment he had achieved that goal. Losing the race shattered his dream of perfection. What now?. Perfection was no longer an option. Why even try? In that moment he was paralyzed. He needed a different goal. But what? I totally get Harold’s thinking. I have often found that perfecionistic tendencies keep me from even trying. Could that be you, too?

Don’t Let Weariness Win

March 23, 2019 Cathleen Zahradnik

I unsuccessfully attempted to become a runner for a period of time. I got up before the sun and shivered on the way to the gym where I found an empty treadmill. I put in my earbuds and listened to an app that coached me through alternating walking and running to build up endurance and help me to run longer. The voice on the app wouldn’t just tell me when to walk and when to run. At intervals the voice would encourage me. “Halfway there!””You’re doing great!” The app designers recognized that potential athletes would experience fatigue. They might feel like the physical challenge was just too hard, the running time too long. They might want to give up and needed encouragement to keep going. I never became a runner. I really prefer walking, not a leisurely stroll, but a brisk walk. However, while I was running that app helped me to push beyond what I thought I was capable of. I ran longer and farther than I had ever thought possible. I needed the coaching to help me do that, even a virtual one helped. Wouldn’t it be great to have a coach like that for life?

Friend, I don’t know what your challenges are right now, but I know that sometimes you might just get worn out

Resist The Resistance

March 16, 2019 Cathleen Zahradnik

I’ll bet you wouldn’t peg me as a Star Wars fan. True, I am more partial to the original trilogy and have had a harder time warming up to the newer offerings. But, if a Star Wars movie comes out I want to see it. I want to know what happens in that universe. I want to see how the story progresses. Let’s be honest here, as long as the Star Wars franchise is making money the story will never actually end. That’s okay with me. So, what is it that grabs me, and so many others, into spending a few dollars to watch this crowd of familiar and fresh faces flying through hyperspace? What catches us?

There’s a moment in The Last Jedi, the most recent Star Wars film (not spinoff) that I think says it all. Finn and Rose (Don’t know who they are? Ok, “The good guys”) are on a mission to defeat the First Order (The bad guys) and they need help. They meet a few kids working in a stable and earn their favor with the acknowledgement “We’re with the Resistance.” The kids faces light up and they are in. There is something in all of us that wants to be with the Resistance, we want to be with the good guys defeating evil. That’s why we stand in line and buy tickets.

In Star Wars being with the resistance is a good thing. But resistance isn’t always good, is it? Sometimes resistance is the thing holding you back from accomplishing what you know God has called you to. Sometimes resistance is the force opposing you rather than the force opposing evil. So how do you handle that kind of resistance? What do you do when the resistance is fighting against you?

Does God Really Want To Use Me?

March 9, 2019 Cathleen Zahradnik

Have you ever been so afraid of making the wrong decision that you do nothing? That was my modus operandi for years.

One time as a teenager I had the opportunity to go to a conference on leading music in church. At the time I was a member of a music team at a denominational church and was being groomed to become the leader. Yes, I WAS a teenager. The thought of stepping into a leadership position was paralyzing. I had trouble making even small decisions. How was I going to be a leader?

I had never been to anything like that conference before, so the whole experience was new and a bit overwhelming. The conference included lunch in the college cafeteria where the event was being held. We could choose anything and it was okay. Hot lunch, cold sandwiches, salads, fruit, desserts. Whatever I wanted. As much as I wanted. For some people that may sound like heaven but, I was overwhelmed. Too many choices became a fear of making the wrong choice. I wandered through the aisles longer than anyone else on our team and finally sat down with two things on my tray. I don’t even remember what they were. Whatever they were, I couldn’t enjoy ithem. Did I make the right choice? What if I missed something better?

Fear of making a wrong decision clouded my ability simply to choose lunch! How was I ever going to become a leader?

Real Life Is Outside Your Comfort Zone

March 2, 2019 Cathleen Zahradnik

A sudden sound jars me awake. What is that? Oh, yeah. The alarm is beeping. Where is that remote for the alarm clock? There it is! Button pressed. Ah! Ten more minutes. I snuggle down under my comforter and head back to sleep. But what about getting up to write? What about my time with God? It is so cozy under my comforter, the soft warmth lulling sleepiness. I don’t want to get up! Through the morning brain fog I begin to hear a deeper, more subtle sound from within me. “Come on. It’s time to get up. We have some things to do together.” My feet are on the floor. I quickly find my slippers and pull on my bathrobe against the chill air. I’m up. Time for a warm cup of coffee and some time time doing what I know God wants from me.

Comfort. There’s a lucious word! It sounds so good. Hot cocoa and a warm blanket. Grandma’s chicken soup. A hot cup of tea on a cold day. Lunch with a good friend. A snowy evening at home watching a movie with the family. None of those things are wrong or bad. But let’s consider a different kind of comfort: I stay in a job that is less than satisfying, but easy to do or at least fits with my plans. I keep to a ministry position I’ve done for years, but is below my potential. I stay within my circle of friends and don’t reach out to anyone new. I ignore the nagging sense that God is calling me to more than who I am and what I am doing.

If I choose being comfortable over pursuing God’s purpose for me, then it doesn’t matter how good I might feel.

When You Don’t Know What To Do, Know Who You Are Doing It For

February 23, 2019 Cathleen Zahradnik

Peer pressure. I think peer pressure is at it’s worst in middle school. I not only lived through that labyrinth myself, I observed it for ten years as an employee of a public middle school. I attended middle school in the late 1970’s, a time af great social change and national insecurity. But middle school was still middle school.

One outgrowth of that period in history was a move toward a more casual society. Whereas, previous generations dressed up to go to school, my generation was wearing jeans. (When I worked in the middle school the slide continued and some kids even wore pajamas!) My mom, as a member of the previous generation, was resolute for a long time that I would not be allowed to wear jeans to school. I not only had to wear skirts, but knee socks with skirts! I was already a shy and awkward girl who loved reading and actually liked school. This put me in the lowest social strata, but dressing like an old lady sunk my social standing even further. All I wanted was to fit in and maybe even be accepted by at lease one cool kid, or even gain a notice from the cutest, coolest boy in homeroom. I pleaded with my mom and, eventually, I was allowed to wear jeans. My relaxed wardrobe didn’t garner any cool-kid friends, but at least I could blend in with the crowd and was less of a target for ridicule. My pressure to be a “peer” was reduced and my need for acceptance was quieted, temporarily.

When You Don’t Know What To Do, Know Who You Want to Be

February 16, 2019 Cathleen Zahradnik

When I think about who I wanted to be, I can’t not write about Sharon. It didn’t take long after I became a Jesus-follower for me to decide who I wanted to be when I grew up. I wanted to be like Sharon. Sharon was my friend’s mother, my pastor’s wife and my mentor. She didn’t know she was my mentor, but mentors aren’t always people you get together with and ask questions of. Sometimes they are simply the people you look up to who show you who you want to be. I wanted to be like Sharon. She was a loving, passionate woman of God. She knew the Scriptures and taught them well. She encouraged and inspired other women to live whole-heartedly for God. She was gracious and had a warm smile added to her gentle Southern drawl that made people feel comfortable and welcomed.

I wanted to be like Sharon so I began to model my behavior after her, or at least I thought I did.