What is Balance Anyway?

November 11, 2023 Cathleen Zahradnik

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5 NIV

Would you say that your life is in balance? Where do you spend your most thought and energy? Where would you like to be spending your energy? What area needs your attention?

If I find I am obsessing over certain details of my life, then I need to remind myself that I have lost my balance. You know what I mean. You lie awake while your brain is trying to solve a problem, or put a relationship back together, or put things in order that are really out of your control. Believe me, I have been there. In fact, I have been there VERY recently. Okay, it was today!

What I have learned is that if something is out of balance, there is a good chance that I am attempting to do it in my own strength. When I make Jesus the center of that situation, then I know what requires my effort and attention. When something is out of balance in my life, I need to step back and evaluate if I am staying connected to Jesus. Am I relying on His strength or depending on my own? Am I deciding what I think is best without reference to to His Word and His Spirit?

How can I put Jesus at the center of everything? What does balance really look like anyway?

One of the most helpful things I heard in all of my education for ministry credentials came from one of my teachers. It wasn’t in the assigned curriculum, and I can’t remember which teacher said it. But this concept changed how I approach priorities. It is the key that helps me find my balance.

We tend to think of priorities in a linear fashion. It is a very western approach. You know what I mean. “God first, then my family, then…” The teacher used the white board and wrote JESUS in the center. He said that when Jesus is at the center, He will show us where to focus our attention at any given time. There may be times when my family should be my focus. There may be times when my ministry receives greater focus. There may be times when I need to spend more energy on my physical or mental health or finances. If Jesus is the center of my life, then He will show me the right thing at the right time. Jesus at the center is the key to balance.

Find your balance by finding your center. What area of your life seems to be out of control and weighing heavy on you? That is an area that is out of balance. How can you find your center?

One thing that has helped me is to seek God for a Scripture that speaks to that area of life. If finances are weighing on me, then I find scriptures that speak about God’s provision. (Mt 6:33, Phil 4:19) If I am struggling to find peace as I wonder how circumstances are going to play out, I look up words that remind me to trust in Him (Isaiah 26:3, Proverbs 3:5-6) If I am struggling over a family relationship, then I remind myself that love is what matters most and ask what love looks like in that situation. (Galatians 5:6, Mark 12: 29-31)

Here’s the thing: Any area where I am focused on trying to solve the problem or smooth out the situation is an area that is out of balance. When I put Jesus back in the center of that area the angst settles, and I can wait for Him to speak. When He does, I can see clearly what He is asking of me, and I receive the grace to do it. When Jesus is at the center, I am in balance.

Balance does not mean everything is even. When you envision an old-fashioned scale, balance means both sides are even. If we think of our priorities in a linear fashion, we imagine everything being equal and lined up one after the other. But if balance is about being centered, then the majority of weight is in the center, and I can focus on one area more than another without being out of balance.

Jesus at my center means that He reveals where I need to pay more attention. My weight is on Him and He helps me to care for the area He highlights. The other areas will receive the attention they need at the right time.

Trying to spin all the plates at the same time and keep everything going at the same speed just doesn’t work. Find your center and ask Him where He wants you to focus. That keeps you in balance. You can do it. Isn’t that so much more doable than trying to keep everything even?

Balance requires constant re-evaluation. Because you can’t keep everything at the same level all the time, you need to constantly be re-centering. Keeping your balance requires constant re-evaluation. Keep checking back to center and ask Him where you need to spend your thoughts, energy and time. The courage and wisdom to tackle each issue comes from the center. He will show you the right thing at the right time. Stay open to the Spirit’s prompting to shift your focus while keeping your weight on Jesus.

Dear Friend, balance is not easy, but it is doable. If you and I can remind ourselves to find our center, focus on what the Spirit says and be ready to re-evaluate we will find our balance and move forward with grace and peace. You can do it! You can find your balance with Jesus at the center.

Key Question: What does balance look like?

A Scripture to Consider: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5 NIV

A YES Challenge: Look at your schedule and evaluate where you are spending most of your energy. Prayerfully consider if that area is out of balance. What steps can you take to make Jesus the center of that life area?

Prayer: Lord, I realize that I tend to pay attention to certain areas of my life more than others. Help me to understand myself. Help me to see what needs to change so that I can make You my true center. I want to rely on You to show me where I need to focus my attention and energy so that I keep You at the center. I need Your guidance by Your Spirit. Amen.

How to Be Strong When You Struggle With Strength

November 4, 2023 Cathleen Zahradnik

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.” Ephesians 6:10 NIV

Do you struggle with strength? If God says, “Be strong”, where does He expect me to find that strength? Does He expect me to generate strength on my own? Of course not! But where does your strength come from?

There is so much wrapped up in God’s command to be strong. You and I tend to try to obey the command to be strong by looking within — to our own resources. But what if we approached it differently? What if we approached it by looking out and looking up?

As I have worked on making this my practice, I have found some things to be true that I hope will encourage you.

The strength doesn’t come from you. I think this is the hardest thing for humans to accept and walk in. Let’s be honest. We all like to think that we are strong enough to handle things on our own. That’s why we can be so down on ourselves when we feel like we aren’t. The need to find that strength within is the very situation that caused me to turn to God at the very beginning of my walk with Him.

I had been trying to handle overwhelming emotions on my own. I had been attempting to solve all my own problems because I thought I was supposed to. But I couldn’t. To the point that I fleetingly considered throwing myself in front of a speeding car! That fleeting thought was my wake-up call.

Are You Shaken? 3 Strategies for Staying Strong in Times of Uncertainty

October 28, 2023 Cathleen Zahradnik

“I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.” Psalms 16:8 NIV
“I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.” Psalms 16:8 NLT

What makes you feel shaken? Not knowing the future? Not knowing how world events will affect you? Not seeing where provision is coming from? Not having the support of the people that you think you need? Not feeling up to the task? Unsure of what action to take next?

I get it! We have all been there, and the way things are in the world, every day brings up new questions that can shake our security. I have been in a season of uncertainty for a while now, and a few strategies have helped me retain some peace and security through it. Would you like to hear about them? Great! I hope they help you, too!

Look to the Lord. When we feel insecure and uncertain our tendency will be to keep our eyes on the question rather than the answer. When we are faced with a puzzle, something we don’t know the answer to, our brains naturally try to solve the puzzle. Our tendency will be to try to come up with the answer. I catch myself doing this ALL the time!

3 Tips for Waiting Well

October 21, 2023 Cathleen Zahradnik

“You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.” Hebrews 10:36 NIV

Are you in a waiting season? Yeah, me too. Sometimes it feels like forever when you are waiting for something. God has made us to crave resolution. Maybe it’s so that we long for heaven. Whether it’s an unresolved chord, a fractured relationship, an incomplete sentence, or a situation in progress we naturally bend toward the resolution. We want to skip to the end, play the chord, fix the relationship, finish the sentence. But life doesn’t work that way, does it? You and I are in good company, though. How many times do the psalms ask God, “How long, Lord?”

So, what do we do while we are waiting? We persevere. We keep living. We keep hoping. We keep looking to God. Easy to say. Not easy to do, right?

So, here are a few tips for waiting well. I need them just as much as you do!

One Thing Yoda Taught Luke: Be Present in the Process

October 14, 2023 Cathleen Zahradnik

“Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.” Psalms 105:4 NIV

Are you a Star Wars fan? No? Well, let me intrigue you and you might become one.

There’s a scene in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (Yep! I am a Star Wars fan!) where Yoda, the Jedi Master, is deciding whether or not to train Luke Skywalker and chides him for a mindset that will prevent him from becoming the Jedi knight that he wants to be.

Yoda says, “A Jedi must have the deepest commitment, the most serious mind. This one a long time have I watched. All his life has he looked away...to the future, to the horizon. Never his mind on where he was. Hmm? What he was doing.” (“8 Creat Life Teachings from Yoda” StaWars.com accessed 10/12/23) Because Luke was always looking ahead, Yoda knew he would not be present in the process. Unless Luke committed to be present in the process, his progress would be limited. Did you catch that? Luke’s tendency to be far ahead in his mind, imagining what he wanted to be doing and where he wanted to be, would keep him from being fully present in the very thing that would get him there, his training. As his training begins, Yoda’s concerns prove to be correct.

What about you? Are you fully present right here and right now? Your dreams of where you want to be are important. They can motivate you. They can inspire you. But they can also distract you. If you are always in the future in your brain, but not present in the present you will miss the presents that are waiting for you here and now.

Go Further With Friends

October 7, 2023 Cathleen Zahradnik

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other. John 15:16-17 NIV

Who are your closest friends? Have you ever thought about how those friends influence you? Well, they do! I have some friends who motivate me and keep me on track just by being their wonderful selves. Their forward progress inspires me to keep going and keep reaching for the goals that I believe God wants me to achieve. My friends help me go further.

Whether you recognize it or not, your friends help you go further, too. How do friendships help you achieve your goals?

Friends keep you accountable. We all veer off course from time to time. It’s a fact. We need people who can see what we don’t see to help us get back on track. Friends help us do that. Sometimes they help us do that by calling us out when they see us drifting. But most often, our friends help us stay on track by reminding us of what is important. Just their presence in our lives and the time we spend together reminds us of what we want and what is important to us. That helps us stay on track. Want to accomplish those goals? Schedule regular times with your friends!

Why Wait? - Guest post by Chaplain Tom Zahradnik

September 30, 2023 Cathleen Zahradnik

“Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.” (Psalm 27:14 ESV)

Well, Friend, welcome to the first-ever guest post at The YES Adventure! My husband, Tom, recently wrote this for a newsletter at the Syracuse Rescue Mission where he is a chaplain and we thought it might encourage you. Be blessed, Friend!

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When my wife, Cathleen, and I knew God had called us to leave the church we were pastoring in Port Jervis, NY, and move to Syracuse, there was one thing missing… A job!
This past January we began the process of looking for a place to live knowing we were moving in June. But there was one thing still missing… A job! I knew my next assignment would be as a full-time chaplain. But where?!? And by the way, did you know you can’t buy a house or rent an apartment without proof of future income? So, we waited…looked…prayed… and waited.

The scripture says to wait. It also tells us how to wait. “Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.” (Psalm 27:14 ESV) What?!? Wait patiently?? Really?

Small Changes, Big Payoff

September 23, 2023 Cathleen Zahradnik

“What is impossible for people is possible with God.” Luke 18:27 NLT

How intentional are you with your rhythms? You have rhythms. Routines, if you prefer. I wanted to avoid using that word. “Routines” carries the context of mundane, repeated, boring. But here’s the thing about intentional routines. They are designed, not haphazard. And they are designed with goals in mind. Intentional routines —rhythms— are strategically designed with an end in mind. These rhythms are put in place as guardrails to keep you on the road toward achieving your goals, discovering YOUR more, and fulfilling your divine potential. There is nothing boring or mundane about these repetitive activities! They are all about forward motion, not mere maintenance. So, how intentional are you with your rhythms?

Intentional rhythms are exciting and productive. They are worth taking the time to design. So, think about those goals you took the time to set and the new habits you want to introduce. Now is the time to design the rhythm where those habits will fit into your life. Start with just one area you want to work on. Taking action on your dreams means having a plan.

Don’t Just Dream It, Do It!

September 16, 2023 Cathleen Zahradnik

“Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.” Philippians 4:8-9 MSG

Why do we often stop at thinking about an idea or a dream and not do it? Who do you dream of becoming? What do you dream of doing? What are you doing about it? Having those dreams is great. But dreaming about those things must translate into action for transformation to happen. Don’t just think the best, do something about it.

Dear Friend, don’t discount your dreams. They are in you for a reason. The difference between dreamers who only dream and dreamers who live out their dreams is simple. The ones who live them out are the ones who do something to achieve them. What steps are you taking to live out the dream that God has put in your heart?

Have given yourself permission to dream? Then you are off to a good start. If you are disciplining yourself to think about what is best, good! Are you beginning to apply the truth of who God says you are to your life? Awesome! You are making progress toward becoming the person you were designed to be. Now it’s time to take a step further. It’s time to do something about achieving those dreams! Think the best and then take steps in the direction of that dream. Here’s how.

Where You Look is Where You’ll Go

September 9, 2023 Cathleen Zahradnik

“We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5 NLT

When I was learning to drive a car I heard this phrase, “The car goes where your eyes go.” Did you ever hear that one? As a new driver, if I was fearfully eyeing the mailbox along the side of the road that I didn’t want to run into, the car would start drifting toward the mailbox along the side of the road. If my gaze shifted anxiously toward oncoming traffic, the car would also shift toward the oncoming traffic. I had to learn to keep my eyes focused straight ahead so that the vehicle would keep a straight-ahead course. Even now, especially when I am passing a large truck in a narrow lane, I say to myself, “Just keep looking straight ahead.” Being aware of what is around you is important, but not being distracted by it requires intentional focus. I have to decide to keep my eyes pointed where I want to go, not on those other things.

It isn’t that different in life, is it? It’s so easy to get distracted by all that is happening around us. We might have a tendency to drift toward that thing on the right or the left, but when we do we find ourselves off track.

Are you off track my friend? Is your life headed where you want to be? You might need to discipline yourself to keep looking where you want to go. You might need to tell yourself, “Just keep looking straight ahead.” Why? Because your life will head toward what you are paying attention to. When you pay attention to things that distract you from your ultimate goal, your life will drift. Are you heading where you want to go? What does straight ahead look like for you? Here’s how to “get your eyes back on the road.”