Still There

May 13, 2023 Cathleen Zahradnik

The Lord is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth. Psalms 145: 18

When Tom and I travel we love to take long drives and explore, especially when we are in a new place. On our first trip to Rhode Island, we found ourselves on such a drive. We would have been at Misquamicut Beach soaking in the sun and breathing in the sea, but the clouds were obscuring the sun and the fog blurred out the sea.

We planned our route by map. Remember maps? Those paper things people used before phones could access GPS and give us turn-by-turn directions? We planned to stop at the lighthouse near Point Judith and then drive up the coast to Narragansett. According to the map, we arrived at Point Judith. We didn’t see the lighthouse anywhere. In fact, we couldn’t even see the ocean, the fog was so thick. After a while, we realized that we were in the right place, we just couldn’t see the lighthouse because of the fog. So, we drove on up the coast. The rock wall along the road was the border between us and the ocean. According to the map, the ocean was there. According to our eyes, there was only a wall of grey, cloudiness. We reached Narragansett and looked around a bit, then returned to our hotel.

The next day greeted us with clear skies and sunshine, so we decided to retrace our tire tracks and try for the lighthouse again. We were amazed to see just how close we had been to it the day before without even a hint that it was right there! Not only that, but the location opened up to some breathtaking ocean views that were totally invisible the day before.

The ride to Narragansett was equally astonishing.

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 Crossing the Rickety Bridge?

April 29, 2023 Cathleen Zahradnik

Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23-24 NIV

It was a terrifying moment. I remember exactly where I was. I can clearly see the room around me in my memory. I was about to do something that could potentially rock my world, but I knew that it had to be done. The consequences of not following through outweighed the risk of taking the plunge, so I did it. I prayed Psalm 139:23-24 and meant it! “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.”

I had begun to ask God to show me who I really was. It was like setting out to cross a rickety bridge. It didn’t look safe, but it was the only way to get to the other side. Reaching my goal required absolute honesty. The destination was more important than safety. I knew that to become the person that God wanted me to be I had to be willing to give up the comfort of staying the same. I had to risk Him showing me faults and patterns that I didn’t want to see so that I could move forward. I took the risk of praying the prayer. Then, I prepared myself for the awful things that I was sure God would reveal to me. I steeled myself against the pain of self-revelation. I imagined the worst.

But it never happened the way that I imagined it.

He's Got It Covered!

April 22, 2023 Cathleen Zahradnik

There’s a whole bunch happening in my life right now. What about you?
Isn’t it good to know that God isn’t surprised by any of it? He’s got it all covered because He made you and me and laid out every day from the beginning. Be encouraged, Dear Friend!

Psalm 139
(New Living Translation)

O Lord , you have examined my heart
and know everything about me.
You know when I sit down or stand up.
You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.
You see me when I travel and when I rest at home.
You know everything I do…

Every Goal Needs A Tune-Up

April 15, 2023 Cathleen Zahradnik

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. ' Philippians 3:13-14

You’re on the road and realize that the road signs and landmarks don’t line up with where you thought you were going. You don’t want to waste time and gas by heading in the wrong direction. What do you do? You pull over, figure out where in the world you are, and check your navigation to make sure you are on the right track! Then you fine-tune your directions and get back on the road.

So, where are you on your journey toward fulfilling your divine destiny? Where are you in fulfilling the goals you have set? One of the most important things you can do to keep making progress is to stop and re-evaluate your goals. Every goal needs a tune-up!

Here are some reasons why.

Silent Saturday: Counting the Cost

April 8, 2023 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?

Celebration is Motivation!

April 1, 2023 Cathleen Zahradnik

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. ' Philippians 3:13-14

You’ve taken the time to craft a compelling goal. You’ve created a system to remember your goals. You’ve thought about what you want to achieve. You’ve asked yourself some hard questions. Good work!

Now begins the task of working toward achieving that goal. Where are you at? It’s time to evaluate. Do you know what that means? More hard questions!

To evaluate where you are, take a good hard look at the reality that is right now. Why not start with an encouragement boost? Consider your goal, and ask yourself some questions.

What is working well? Start here.

Review Regularly. Remember. Achieve.

March 25, 2023 Cathleen Zahradnik

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” Philippians 3:12

Remember that goal you set in January? You took the time to think it through. You crafted a compelling goal. You thought through your why. You took the time. You made the effort. Take a moment now and repeat back to yourself what you planned to accomplish. What’s that? You kind of remember? Is “kind of” remembering really remembering?

You and I have full lives. There are so many things happening every day, right? The kids have to go there. This bill needs to be paid. That customer needs this right away! The refrigerator is empty. And on and on and on. There are so many things that we absolutely need to do. It’s very easy for what we really want to do to get lost at the bottom of the pile. Unless….unless we make a plan to keep that goal at the top of the pile.

Here’s the bottom line, my friend: You will not do what you do not remember. The only way to set yourself up to actually achieve your goal is to regularly review it.

How does regularly reviewing your goals help you achieve your purpose? When you prayerfully and thoughtfully craft specific goals, these goals line up with your life purpose. You have made goals to help you achieve the purpose you were created for. When you set yourself up to accomplish those goals by regularly reviewing them, you set yourself up to achieve your purpose.

So, here are some tips to help you do just that.

Be intentional. It doesn’t matter how good your memory is, if you don’t decide to create a system to regularly remind yourself of your goals they will get lost in the list of to-dos.

How to Craft a Compelling Goal

March 18, 2023 Cathleen Zahradnik

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” Philippians 3:12

Compelling: evoking interest, attention, or admiration in a powerfully irresistible way:

Is your most cherished goal a compelling one? A compelling goal is one that keeps you moving forward. It is clear, concise, and connected to a strong why, a why that is rooted in your reason to be. A non-specific goal that isn’t connected to your reason to be is not going to motivate your forward motion. The most important aspect of crafting a goal is knowing why you want to complete it. A goal that isn’t connected with your why is not a goal that will be accomplished. Craft goals that connect with your why!

What motivates you most? When you set goals do you think of what you want to accomplish or why you want to accomplish it? Both aspects are important if you really want to achieve something. If you set your goal, what you want to do, without considering why you want to do it, you won’t get far.

The secret to setting a truly compelling goal is knowing why you want to reach it in the first place. Your why keeps you reaching when you get weary or feel lost. How do you craft a compelling goal?

Clear Goals, Clearer Purpose

March 11, 2023 Cathleen Zahradnik

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” Philippians 3:12

Movies. They entertain and inspire, right? Tom and I enjoy watching movies to relax. We like Hallmark movies because they are predictable. I am not ashamed! You always know there will be a happy ending and that there will be no jarring surprises in the process of getting there. We enjoy classic adventures like Star Wars, but we also enjoy inspiring true-life stories. One of our favorites is Chariots of Fire.

Chariots of Fire is set against the backdrop of the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris. It follows the development of Great Britain’s running team and focuses the story on two young men in particular, Harold Abrams, a Cambridge student who became a journalist, and Eric Lidell, a Scottish preacher who became a missionary to China. They are both runners and contenders for the gold medal in their event. Spoiler Alert: They both achieve gold medals, but their motivations for getting there and their responses to their challenges along the way differ. However, there is a similarity I want to emphasize for your benefit: They kept their goal in focus. They both had a clear vision of what they wanted to accomplish and devoted tremendous efforts to reaching that end.

Harold Abrams and Eric Liddell kept their goal in focus. That enabled them to go further, achieve more, and developed their character. What about you? How clear are your goals? Do they help you go further, achieve more and develop your character?

A clear goal helps you to focus your energy.

September 12, 2026

This is Not Forever

“For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 NLT

As I tearfully opened the sodden boxes of our stored belongings, wondering what was ruined, a verse came to mind,

“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” Matthew 6:19-21 NLT

We were temporarily living with my parents, and our stuff was stored in Tom’s parents' garage. They had a plumbing issue in their bathroom above the garage, causing a leak that soaked several of our boxes and other items, including our mattress. We weren’t sure what was salvageable.

That period of time was already difficult. We were waiting for a job to open up and unsure how long that would take, how long we would be living with my parents, how long our stuff would be stored. Both sets of parents had been patient, loving, and gracious. There was no one to blame for the water damage. Sometimes things just happen.

But when that verse popped into my brain, it completely changed my perspective on going through the damage. The tears didn’t stop. There was some mourning and disappointment. But at the same time, there was hope. This was temporary. These things were just things. What really mattered was how I responded. I could choose an eternal perspective. I could choose to treasure Christ more than an earthly possession.

As it turned out, very few of our things were unsalvageable, and insurance more than covered anything that was lost. But the eternal perspective I gained is a treasure that I still carry. That simple shift helped me through the three and a half years of living in the in-between.