Embrace with Joy!

/ thinkfulkarin / 1 Comment

A Divine Appointment

David was doing his simple magic trick for some little children during an evening fellowship meal at Fellowship Bible in Springdale, AR. The kids were intrigued that the wad of paper that disappeared could, seconds later, be pulled from their ear.

While David was keeping these little ones spellbound, a lady introduced herself to me and we began chatting. Cathy and her husband knew some of the same people we did from Citadel Bible College years ago. She had grown up as a MK in Congo, and then later with her husband, they had served the Lord for thirty years in Mindanao, Philippines. They moved back Stateside about six years ago.

When I asked how that transition had gone, she smiled and said it was very, very difficult.

Change is Hard!!

And a big change, like changing countries, is even harder.

Many people moving cross-culturally have fought heart-wrenching struggles. Exchanging the familiar for foreign, replacing routine with constant trial-and-error, and discovering new types of humor, privacy zones, and communication styles is exhausting. All the changes slide them down into a spiral from which they can’t find their way out. Culture shock is mental-emotional trauma, and even more tricky is “reverse culture shock,” because people don’t expect to feel like strangers when they return to their old “home.”

Mentally choosing to go down the different path of trusting in God’s Word and His promises, instead of the natural path of worrying thoughts and doubts, takes a huge and persistent amount of effort.

“Trust is not a passive state of mind. It is a vigorous act of the soul by which we choose to lay hold on the promises of God and cling to them despite the adversity that at times seeks to overwhelm us.”

Jerry Bridges

The New Motto

As Cathy continued her description she mentioned something that intrigued me.

“It was like a never ending funeral leaving the Philippines for me. Till my kindergarten roommate Marilyn wrote me. She said, ‘I know it’s hard coming home. But I want to challenge you to embrace this new change with Joy.’ That made a whole big change in my thinking and emotions. I have had such Joy here embracing what this season has brought.“

Cathy shared how she decided to follow the advice from her friend and “embrace with joy” this new season. It was a mind game. Instead of recounting the hardships, sorrows, and frustrations, she would look for the joy, the gifts from the Lord, that were all over the place just waiting to be discovered.

She chose to journal and write down these gifts. Some gifts were hard, but it was amazing to find nuggets of joy embedded even in the hard things. I was reminded that in the gold mines under Johannesburg, gold appears as black spots in the otherwise gray rock. The black is chiseled out and with heat the gold takes on its familiar color. God’s hard things have to be refined with thankfulness to draw out their true color and worth.

Terry and Cathy now do a Neighborhood Bible Club where they live. Cathy also gets to spend time with her grandson teaching him.

Why Embrace New Seasons?

Why do we need to embrace new seasons with joy? Because it gives the honor and credit to the One who made the change and controls all things in my life. To fuss and fight and complain and lash out is an empty effort to seize control.

Down deep, we believe God has done something wrong – He has left things too ambiguous, hasn’t fixed what I want fixed, has been too slow, isn’t listening, doesn’t care – and we embrace a host of slanderous thoughts and lies. We say we are frustrated with our circumstances, but actually we’re frustrated with the God behind those circumstances.

God knows what He’s doing! He can be trusted! We need to say this over and over to ourselves as we wait upon Him and His timeline. He is the sovereign, dependable Shepherd who is micromanaging the details of our lives, even through the valleys of dark shadows.

It is best to let God be God as the Author of our lives and the changes He leads us through. Scan the names in the Hebrews 11 “Hall of Faith” and see how many of those people God took through massive changes and cross-cultural moves. God moved them to new places and into new seasons … and they stayed faithful because they trusted in God’s character!

How Do I Embrace New Seasons?

If He has allowed a difficult change in your life, go to Him and pour out your heart before Him because He is a refuge for us, but make sure you TRUST Him!!

“Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your heart before him;
God is a refuge for us.“

Psalm 62:8

So if I was to begin to try to embrace a new season in my life, how should I do that? Can I suggest baby steps?

Firstly, maybe ask for God’s help and get a journal to record just three things a week that have brought you joy and for which you can be thinkful. Then after a few weeks, try to find one or two joys each day. I think you will discover them when you put the right glasses on. They are all over.

    When a person gets a proper view of how infinite God’s mind is, how steadfast His love and faithfulness to us is, how comprehensive His knowledge of our details is, and sees how much the whole creation is filled with His glory, it results in submission to whatever He ordains. There is blessing and praise that come with that mindset (Proverbs 31:30). This is a beautiful thing that happens to a person who fears the Lord.

    Learning How It Works

    When David showed the little girls how the magic trick worked, they became so excited to try it themselves. They struggled at first – it was a new skill – but with practice they, too, in time would be able to give joy to others.

    Governing your thoughts is no easy trick, but in time you, also, can learn the “magic” of embracing your new season with joy. Step by step God is teaching us to trust Him and embrace whatever He sends.

    “Be still my soul the Lord is on thy side

    Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain

    Leave to thy God to order and provide

    In every change He faithful will remain”

    Anxious Thoughts

    / thinkfulkarin / 6 Comments

    Test Or Temptation?

    David and I arrived at the Atlanta airport and went through passport control. Went so smoothly that we both remarked how different that was from Africa. We were exhausted, as we normally are after sitting in an airplane for about sixteen hours and my head hurt, but not too badly.

    When we got to the luggage carousel, we stood for a long time looking for our four bags. They did not come. We were among a large cluster people whose luggage did not make it. So we stood in line to report the missing pieces.

    There was a lot in those bags. Over 300 knitted African animals that my Zulu ladies had made, important meds, clothes, papers, journals that we needed. If I allowed my thoughts to go where they wanted, anxiety would seep in. No doubt!!

    Opportunity for Wisdom

    When something happens in our lives, we get the opportunity to react or respond. If this is a test, there will be temptations connected with it, and part of the victory over temptations is slowing things down so that we can think – responding rather than reacting.

    Will I take a second to remember that this challenge is common to man, that God is faithful, that He has checked that I can handle it with His help, and that He is watching me? If I reach out to Him for wisdom and carefully choose to respond with wisdom, there’s a way of escape so I can bear it (I Corinthians 10:13).

    But if I am enticed by a spike in my own desire to react rapidly, I take no time to regain God’s perspective, or use any wisdom filter. I just fall into the floodwaters of my adrenaline or anxious thoughts. The repetition of unchecked thoughts and unfiltered reactions brings a life called “death” (James 1:14-15).

    Often we don’t consciously think about how we respond. We don’t quickly recount God’s promises. We don’t consider what would be wise. We just react. Anxiety just happens so quickly and naturally. Thoughts come like kamikazes, dive-bombing into your mind with great force.

    • What if I can’t handle that?
    • Will I actually have to wait on the Lord with all this ambiguity?
    • Has the Lord forgotten about this one?
    • The Lord does not truly like me?
    • Maybe God wants to hurt me? He’s getting back at me for something.
    • What if I simply freak out and die?

    On and on it goes.

    The Lord has a check list of what to do when faced with anxious thoughts. He says to wrestle down the thoughts that are not in harmony with the knowledge of God.

    Wrestling takes work! Wrestling uses more muscles in the body than any other sport. It is not just an automatic response. No sir! It’s intentional. It’s aggressive. It’s grueling.

    We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,

    2 Corinthians 10:5

    Why Does Wrestling Matter?

    In short, because you will receive consequences for not wrestling.

    Considering yourself defeated and going with the flow of your anxious feelings is not innocent. It’s disobedience. It’s sin. I know that sounds harsh. But the Lord who made us, tells us not to do that.

    “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

    Philippians 4:6-7

    The wrestling of anxious thoughts is not a fast, once and done thing. For many of us, it is a daily struggle. Like a wrestling partner who believes wrestling practice is never over, creeps up, and takes you down in random places throughout your day. It is a continual fight to set your thoughts above and not on things that are on earth (Colossians 3:2). Learning to slow down, regain perspective, and respond by speaking truth to yourself is essential.

    • My Lord is sovereign and meticulously managing the details of my life
    • I am loved steadfastly by my Father and nothing touches me without His design
    • The Lord desires me to pass this test with His help and have proven character because of it
    • This test will pass
    • I have been delivered from the domain of darkness (Colossians 1:13)
    • All my sins – all of them – have been forgiven. The Lord is never “getting back at me” for something
    • As I am in the midst of this test, I need to remember how it feels so I can relate to others
    • I have an opportunity to display God’s grace before others
    • If it is from the Evil One, I am worthy of being attacked
    • God’s Word becomes more precious to me as I cling to its promises

    Friend, as you read these words I want to pour courage over you. You can have victory. You can be conformed to Christ in the way you respond to hard things that come your way. Don’t be afraid!

    Christ Our Wisdom Sovereign Grace 2024

    The Wrap

    I want to share a tool that has helped me over and over again. Get a hold of a journal or even just a piece of paper. Begin to articulate exactly what it is that is worrisome. Then begin to wrap that concern with thanksgiving. In other words, deliberately think thanks about your challenge.

    Let me show you with the incident that happened to us with the lost luggage.

    My thinkful wrap:

    • Our plane made it to the USA all the way from Johannesburg, SA
    • The Lord knew exactly where our four bags were even if we didn’t
    • I Corinthians 10:13 promised me that God had checked this test. He knew I could pass this test with His help
    • David and I were together and could share this burden and have people pray with us that it would arrive in time IF God willed it
    • Romans 8:28-29 tells me that all things in my life, even losing luggage, can work for good, for me being more conformed to Christ
    • Perhaps it could help get my eyes more on things above and not on things on earth
    • Jesus has promised to never leave me nor forsake me even in the middle of an airport
    • I may meet others who have gone through the same test and I can now relate better

    End of the Story

    Losing luggage is really not a big deal. It’s irritating, but they are just things. There are many, many other challenges that are much more difficult. And in fact our luggage was never lost. The airline was facing a weight limit on a trans-Atlantic flight so they set many bags aside for the next flight.

    But this was a test to see if I would give into the temptation of anxious thoughts.

    How are you responding to anxious thoughts? With every test comes temptations? Slow down your response, wrestle down the lies and imaginations of worst-case scenarios, list the things you can be thankful for, regain God’s perspective, and act with wisdom.

    After thirty hours the luggage was delivered by the airline.

    God’s Journal

    / thinkfulkarin / 2 Comments

    Thankful Remembrance

    “Then those who feared the LORD spoke with one another. The LORD paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the LORD and esteemed his name.”

    Malachi 3:16

    God is God. He doesn’t need to write something down to remember it. But this passage states that God is listening to certain human beings. He listens with interest and delight as believers who are in awe of Him talk about Him and think of ways to honor His name. He has ordered that a “book of remembrance” be written about those believers. It seems that this is His ongoing journal covering centuries of conversations between believers.

    There are a few verses that talk about books in the Bible:

    • Exodus 32:32 says that Moses referred to God’s book
    • Psalm 56:8 refers to a book where the Lord keeps count of our tears
    • Psalm 69:28 references a book of the living
    • Daniel 7:10 says the books being opened
    • Daniel 12:1 mentions names being written in a book
    • Revelation 13:8 mentions the Book of Life
    • Revelation 20:12 mentions the books being opened
    • Revelation 20:15 The Book of Life and the books are opened

    It is interesting to note that ancient kings, like the kings of Persia, had books to keep track of memorable deeds that needed to be rewarded.

    On that night the king could not sleep. And he gave orders to bring the book of memorable deeds, the chronicles, and they were read before the king. And it was found written how Mordecai had told about Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs, who guarded the threshold, and who had sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. And the king said, “What honor or distinction has been bestowed on Mordecai for this?”

    Esther 6:1-3

    In Malachi, God is dealing with Israel because of their sin. He addresses their empty, hypocritical worship, teaching error, adultery and murmuring. But then as a great encouragement He says that He has been listening to the faithful ones. Of course nothing is hidden from the Lord. He sees our hearts and motives. He knows us better than we know ourselves. But He has apparently directed an angelic scrivener to keep an ongoing Book of Remembrance about the faithful ones and their conversations.

    God is thinking thanks!! What!?

    The Lord states that He remembers. He even says that those who feared the Lord and spoke to each other about God would not only be remembered, but also be His own special and treasured possession, like jewels were in ancient times.

    They shall be mine, says the LORD of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him.

    Malachi 3:17

    The Lord God doesn’t need to thank anyone. He is the author of all! He deserves the praise, the gratitude, the worship. That is why it is so fascinating that He, God, would “write down” the names of the faithful ones.

    Searching For My Name

    But … is my name in His journal? If I could do a word search, could I even find my name? If so, what was the quality of my words, and were they unmixed with self-interest? How many times has He listened while I spoke to others about Him with joyful amazement and high esteem?

    Or have my sentiments about the Lord and His works just been private and kept to myself? Private feelings don’t get recorded. A journal entry requires the Lord to hear us talking to each other about Him.

    Your Book

    To be “godly” is to be “god-like.” God keeps a journal of people and conversations He is thankful for. Do you have a book of remembrance? Do you write down things for which you are remembering to think thanks?

    I also wonder if those words in Malachi 3:16-17 were written for us to remember that God will reward righteousness. The Bema Seat is coming. And the beauty in all this is that whatever we thought, said, or did that was pleasing to the Lord we could do only with His help. Yet, He says that we will be spared as a man spares his only son.

    The Lord Jesus exhorted His disciples to rejoice because their names were written in heaven (Luke 10:20). In Colossians 1:12-14 the Lord exhorts us to give thanks because He has delivered us from the domain of darkness.

    “… giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.“

    Delayed

    God’s reward is delayed. It is like the student that works hard all year and then at graduation is granted an award. The Israelites in Malachi had grown weary from waiting on the Lord. They felt like He didn’t see, He didn’t really care. They grew envious of the wicked.

    We, too, can begin to grow weary and feel like it doesn’t really matter. “The Lord doesn’t see what I do, what I think about and treasure in my heart.” But that is a LIE! He does see. He does know all things, and nothing can be hidden from El Roi (the God who sees).

    Be encouraged, you who fear, esteem, and converse! The Lord knows who you are, faithful ones. He will remember and reward. He wants us to keep on keeping on till the end. Even our precious Lord Jesus kept the end in view.

    “looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

    Hebrews 12:2

    Start them young!!

    Josh Sullivan’s Miracle

    / thinkfulkarin / 2 Comments

    A Kidnapped Missionary

    When Pastor Josh Sullivan was knocked in the head and kidnapped right from the pulpit in his church, he had no idea of what lay ahead for him.

    Josh and his family came to serve the Xhosa people in South Africa. They learned the language and sought to share the good news of the gospel.

    The township of Motherwell where the Sullivans ministered was a high risk area. The people there were well acquainted with theft and unsafe conditions.

    The Sullivans knowingly came anyway. They loved the people there.

    On April 10, 2025, Josh had just started to speak when four men entered the hall. At first it was not clear why they had come, but it did not take long before their purpose became evident. The men had guns and proceeded to confront Josh. They asked him if this was his wife after grabbing Meagan. They then hit Josh over the head and he fell down almost blacking out. Meagan was also pushed to the floor. Their children and the rest of the church were left alone, just staring eerily.

    Josh was forced up, down the aisle amid the whimpers of his children, and out of the building into his own car and they drove away.

    The Wait

    For 122 hours everyone waited. Josh also waited in a distant house as his captors let the authorities know their demands for money. The news hit social media and then the mainstream media, and people all over the world prayed earnestly for God to protect and free Josh. They prayed for safety for Meagan and the kids. They prayed for God to be glorified through this very difficult, challenging situation.

    The authorities were working behind the scenes. The kidnappers were trying to negotiate a ransom for Josh’ life. Some were starting to gather funds.

    This is a very tricky problem in mission work. Most mission organizations don’t pay ransoms. It opens up a whole can of worms. If money can be acquired through this means, every missionary in the country becomes a target, and there’s almost no end to the nightmares that could flow from that. We, as fellow missionaries, were praying for great wisdom for the negotiation team, hoping that law enforcement would find Josh before money was paid.

    Josh’s feet and hands were tied, and he was hooded. He was kept in the back room of the house. They threatened him, but did not harm him. They offered water and food, and allowed Josh to use the bathroom.

    The Miracle

    On Tuesday, April 15th, the kidnappers told Josh that he needed to get to the car.

    Josh had noticed they were cleaning a lot that day, washing and wiping things down. As they moved toward the garage in the darkness, Josh fell two times. One time it took a while for him to get back up. Three of the men got in the car, two in the front and one in the back with Josh. Josh had a hood over his head and had his head down in the lap of the guy in the back seat.

    Josh realized that there were two other guys outside. One opened the garage door. The car pulled out into driveway. Then the car stopped as someone opened the gate at the front wall. At that point, Josh heard the three guys jump out of the vehicle and 20-some shots were fired for about 2-3 minutes. Then everything was quiet.

    Josh heard footsteps approaching the car and he prayed to God that it would be a “good guy.” The door opened and the policeman was shocked to see Josh there. He paused, a bit confused, and then said, “Are you the American pastor?” Josh responded that indeed he was. Josh got out of the car, fell to his knees and prayed and cried thanksgiving to God.

    The miracle is that the four policemen who pulled into that exact driveway were actually lost and trying to turn around. They were following a tip on a vehicle, but had made a wrong turn. When they pulled into the driveway, they were shocked to see three men get out of their vehicle and begin shooting. The other two guys that were in the garage and opened the gate got away, but the three kidnappers were killed.

    The next day when Josh was being debriefed by the South African police and the FBI, that same initial policeman came up to Josh. He wanted to tell Josh that he knew he was a praying man and that it was a work of God that they happened to be there exactly at that time. So, Josh tripping two times on his way to the car, was all part of the perfect timing of our incredible God. This was a fine-tuned rescue by the Sovereign God.

    https://www.google.com/gasearch?q=josh%20sullivan%20kidnapping&source=sh/x/gs/m2/5#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:3df28323,vid:kMr5H-kwNsc,st:0

    Thinkful

    As the world watches this news story and the TV interviews that followed with great interest, both Josh and his wife Meagan want to be very careful to give thanks to God. This was not the FBI or the CIA. This was not even “just a coincidence” as humans might try to call it. This was an answer to the prayers of thousands of people.

    God rescued Josh!

    We thank Him that it was His will for Josh to be released. We know that God is good all the time, and would be good even if there had been a different ending to this story. But this time God chose to free His servant and let him rejoin his wife and children. We thank Him. We praise Him. We rejoice in the gospel message going out all over the world through this event.

    “Bring me out of prison,
    that I may give thanks to your name!
    The righteous will surround me,
    for you will deal bountifully with me.”

    Psalm 142:7

    Let us continue to pray for Josh and his family. Processing trauma takes time.

    • Pray specifically that they will hold their thoughts captive to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5)
    • Pray for them to think on truth and not on “what if’s” (Philippians 4:8)
    • Pray for God to receive much glory from this miracle (Psalm 145:3)

    Thankfulness – The Firstborn Child

    / thinkfulkarin / Leave a comment

    A Triple Command

    GOD: “My child, I want you to have joy all the time, pray without stopping, and think thanks for everything!”

    ME: What? Non-stop? Sounds a bit unrealistic, don’t you think? How can you ask that of me? You know how difficult, irritating, and frustrating life can be? How dreary and mundane routines can seep all my strength down to the bones?

    The Lord is kind to us. He knows our frame. He remembers we are dust (Psalm 103:14). He also knows the power of being renewed in our mind to think on truth, so in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, He gave us one of the two most direct commands to be th(i)nkful in all the New Testament.

    A Closer Look at the Three

    REJOICE ALWAYS. Rejoicing is the outflow of joy inside. Joy is my calm enthusiastic confidence in the presence of God’s face shining on me, the goodness of God’s character, and the perfection of God’s sovereign plans generally and for me specifically. As part of the fruit of the Spirit, it comes from His help inside my heart and mind no matter what is happening around me (Romans 5:3, 2 Corinthians 6:10, James 1:2).

    Happiness is tied to happenings. Joy comes from the faces of precious people – this is a theme throughout Scripture. When you spend more time on your face seeking His face, you realize that our struggles are for a host of greater goods – developing character and steadfast consistency, drawing us closer to Him and each other, giving us a chance to advance the gospel, etc. There is not one thing that God does to us because He is evil or angry with us. Every good or bad thing – always – is from His love for us and His desire for our Christlikeness.

    PRAY CONSTANTLY. This carries the idea that you practice God’s presence beside you, as though you are in an ongoing conversation with Him throughout the day. Don’t stop praying. Don’t imagine He is not there. See your good health, or your stumbling upon a great sale as gifts from His hand. When the tire goes flat, or the bride abandons the wedding, immediately ask what He wants you to do or say. Your life, your days, must be an ongoing conversation between you and your Creator-Father who doles out enormous wisdom to those who ask for it (James 1:5, Luke 18:1-8).

    GIVE THANKS IN EVERYTHING. When you have a “big God theology,” believing that God is the author, orchestrator, and fine-tuner of every circumstance of your life – AND you have a calm enthusiastic confidence that His face is shining on you, AND you are talking to Him non-stop as you move through your days – you see things not just as good, but from the One Who is good and defines good. They might be little things like smelling blooms or big things like getting pregnant after a decade of waiting and praying. You are not just “thankful for” these things, you are “thankful to” Him. This thankfulness also loops back around and gives you more joy.

    Thankfulness As A Firstborn Child

    Here is what the Prince of Preachers, Charles Spurgeon wrote:

    “The more we pray, the more we rejoice. Prayer gives a channel to the pent-up sorrows of the soul; they fly away, and in their place, streams of sacred delight pour into the heart. At the same time, the more rejoicing, the more praying. When the heart is in a quiet condition and full of joy in the Lord, then also will it be sure to draw near to the Lord and worship. Holy joy and prayer act and react on each other.

    Observe, however, what immediately follows in the text: ‘give thanks in everything.’ When joy and prayer are married, their firstborn child is gratitude. When we joy in God for what we have, and believingly pray to him for more, then our souls thank him both in the enjoyment of what we have and in the prospect of what is yet to come.”

    Putting It into Practice

    Recently it was discovered that my dear husband needed a three-hour delicate surgery. It was a rare disease that had affected his ear. As we readied ourselves to travel seven hours to the city that offered this operation with an expert in this area, our hearts felt a bit anxious and overwhelmed. There was some warning that this cholesteatoma could break through the lining of the brain.

    What a perfect opportunity for us to put into practice what we know to be truth! We indeed tried to pray without ceasing – a constant awareness of walking with the Lord and talking to him. The rejoicing was a byproduct of realizing that God loves us and is in control, no matter the outcome. We could rejoice in His promise to never leave, nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).

    As they wheeled David back into theatre (surgery) I was able to think thanks by beginning to write down things for which I gave praise to God.

    As the hours went on, my list got longer.

    David made it through the surgery and they were able to remove the disease and spare the lining to the brain. As we returned to our little room close to the hospital where we spent 10 days of healing before the follow-up appointment, David wanted to add more the thinkful list. Truly we had so much for which to think thanks.

    Now, let me make it clear, that everything is not a bed of roses. In the past week, we had a precious young mother, age 33, pass away in our church. Difficult and dark times may be the corridors God has for us to walk. But as we walk, step-by-step, we can trust His character and promises – our sins are gone and His face is shining in favor on us. We need to practice His presence and talk with Him about everything. And we need to thank Him because everything in our lives has purposefully come from Him.

    A Knife At Her Throat

    / thinkfulkarin / Leave a comment

    The Attempted Hijacking

    All four ladies were chatting pleasantly as they drove up to the intersection. Adaleen’s window was halfway down due to the hot temperatures outside. Out of nowhere the assailant’s hand reached in through the open window and pulled the keys out of the ignition, stalling the car. Shock gripped all the women. Adaleen crossed her hands on her chest and became completely still.

    Her coworker in the front passenger seat quickly locked the doors as the assailant had forced the locks open. The war of unlock – lock went on for a second or two. Then the hijacker put a knife to Adaleen’s neck. She did not see the knife, but the passenger in the back saw it, and proceeded to throw her lunch pail at the man, which caught him off guard. At that very moment, a security guard drove up behind the car being hijacked. When the attackers saw the guard, they ran. The guy who had taken the keys threw them behind him as he ran.

    A Guard’s Witness

    The guard came up and checked on them. After telling him that no one was hurt, he asked them to drive up the road a bit to get out of this dangerous area. He wanted to chat with them. They did so. The guard said, “God protected you. I never come down this way, but for some reason I did today” (thank you, God!).

    Wow! All four of the women were so shaken up. The one lady who had thrown her lunch pail, realized that her ID as well as her brother’s insulin medicine was in the pail that the men had taken. So they needed to go to a chemist (pharmacy) to get more medicine.

    The Test of a Wrong Response

    The first pharmacy was located right next to a liquor store. Adaleen was the only believer in the car. She is a young Christian who was baptized only last December, but before Christ, she struggled with sinful addictions. One of the other ladies said she would run over to the liquor store and buy some alcohol for Adaleen so she could stop shaking, but Adaleen said no, she would instead go home and talk to God to calm her.

    That phamacy didn’t have the insulin needed so they had to go to a second pharmacy which was located right close to where Adaleen used to buy weed (marijuana). She was again tempted, but refused to run to those sources to cope. She dropped off her friends and headed home to her little flat, where she lives alone.

    Th(i)nkful – The Right Response

    That evening was the time that we normally met online for counseling, so a little after 7 pm, I got the whole story. Our church text group lit up with thankfulness and prayers for Adaleen because we were all sure that she wouldn’t sleep so well that night.

    My heart was so touched with all that Adaleen had experienced just a short time earlier. As some of you may remember, I also experienced an attempted hijacking years ago in Johannesburg with my daughter Elly. When you have a traumatic experience like that, it is so easy to go right back to the emotions you experienced when you later hear a similar story. I sought to help Adaleen as much as I could. We read Scripture and we prayed. I shared what had been helpful for me to think about when I went through that test. Adaleen was shaken, but it was amazing to me that somehow this young believer was so fully conscious that the Lord had been with her and helped her.

    I asked her to write down things that she was able to thank God for in the ordeal. I said to please send me screenshots of what she wrote down. Adaleen wrote down twenty different things for which she thanked God. She was able to go to sleep and even slept well. Praise You, Father!!!!

    The next day Adaleen went to work again, and her co-workers could not believe how calm she was. They said she must be in denial or not processing the trauma correctly. Adaleen used the attention she had to give God all the glory. She said that God had saved her. God helped her. God had given her good sleep and was giving her peace.

    The Aftermath

    The aftermath of a very traumatic experience is delicate and important. To choose to take every thought captive is extremely difficult.

    “We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,”

    2 Corinthians 10:5

    It involves thousands of decisions. We can do the right thing initially – the first big decision is usually the hardest, but then the reinforcing echo-decisions are of critical importance.

    I have found that having a friend to walk through that pivotal time is so helpful. Just touching base with a daily text on how things are going can be the thing needed to stay on track with choosing to think thanks.

    Ataraxis, Not Anxiety

    Ataraxis: (Ancient Greek), a state of tranquility, freedom from anxiety and mental disturbance

    Ataraxis was a new word for me. I love the meaning. However, true tranquility can only come from one source! When Paul exhorts the Philippian believers to not be anxious, he wrote that they should instead pour out their specific burdens to the Lord with thanksgiving, and then the ataraxis of the Lord, which defies understanding (as it did with Adaleen’s coworkers) would keep, hem in, shield and protect them (Philippians 4:7).

    I wonder if you have ever taken God up on His challenge in Philippians 4:6-7. When a new challenge comes your way, I urge you to try. It may not be an attempted hijacking with a knife at your throat, but whatever is trying to hijack your thoughts and lead you to despair, arrest it! Emotions are real but they are not reality. Still, they can be wild animals that continuously claw and bite at your soul.

    Choose to take those thoughts captive. With strength and clarity, think thanks for God never leaving or forsaking you during the incident He chose in order to build your proven character. Thank Him for using every and all things to conform you to the image of Jesus Christ (Romans 8:28-29). It may be a wresting match in your mind, but as you win with the Lord’s help, ataraxis comes. It may seem illusive at first through the fire and fog of the trial, but it will eventually come into focus.

    And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

    Adaleen gave me permission to share her story

    Th(i)nkful Appointments

    / thinkfulkarin / 2 Comments

    Mission:

    Mission for Karin Brown: flight from Istanbul to Kigali, Rwanda, 3:40 am, establish contact with Swedish traveller, share the gospel.

    Have you ever seen a clear direct appointment from the Lord? I had one of those recently. It caused me to be full of gratitude. I got to be th(i)nkful!!

    David and I travel a good bit. It is part of our job. It is wonderful being in these places, mixing with God’s people, and doing ministry. But traveling here and there as we grow older is challenging, with jet lag, lost luggage, cancelled flights, headaches, contracting illness from a few hundred other people flying in the silver tube, and so on. My husband teaches Ethics and Apologetics and we have as a value that, as much as possible, we like to serve together as a couple. We can experience the joys and trials together and it binds us closer. We also get the privilege of exemplifying what a godly marriage should look like although we are far from perfect and rely heavily on our precious Saviour’s help.

    On one Turkish Airlines flight over Saharan Africa, in the early morning hours, we were cruising along in a packed plane. The African gentleman next to me had been quiet the whole trip, wearing earphones most of the time. I want to be ready to share the gospel whenever the opportunity arises, but not push when it doesn’t seem to fit. In fact, I was struggling with a pretty bad headache and some nausea and trying to choose profitable thoughts over grumbling.

    Well, all of a sudden it was time! The man next to me began with a question. “Are you getting off in Kigali, Rwanda, or continuing on to Entebbe, Uganda?” I stated that we were going to Uganda and that my husband David was planning to teach a block course in Ethics close to Kampala.

    This led to more questions and in time he revealed that he lived in Sweden, but was originally from the Congo. His family had been refugees from the Congo when he was young and had to flee to north Uganda bordering South Sudan. Both of his parents had passed away. They were brought as refugees to Sweden. He now was a Swedish citizen and lives outside Stockholm.

    Well, I began to speak Swedish since I am fluent in that language. How sweet and odd to converse with this Congolese man in Swedish! He shared that he had heard about Jesus in the refugee camp and trusted in Christ. He is now married to a lady from the Congo, and they are part of a church called Livets Ord (The Word of Life) in Sweden.

    We talked about the gospel and that the only hope for every human is to have a renewed personal relationship with God through the saving work of Jesus. I even got to mention I write this blog and gave him a card to check it out.

    Prepared and Ready

    A man once said, “When you put a believer and unbeliever together, the only thing you need to do to put both on edge is to mention the word ‘gospel.'” Years ago, I used to be terrified to share the gospel. Would I do it right? Would I leave something important out? If they trusted Christ based on what I told them, would it be a still birth?

    Now, many years later, I have had lots of practice, and as with music and sports, it gets much easier with practice. It’s still a little nerve-wracking as I move through a gospel exchange, but it’s God who saves, not me. He opens eyes and hearts. My job is just to listen and to share truth with grace.

    Afterward, you feel thankful for whatever truth you were able to speak, even if the Lord uses it to only move them a tiny step closer to saving faith. God gives us grace to think and speak; God gives them grace to see and believe. God gives us more grace to pray for them and be thankful for the encounter. It’s all about grace.

    Part of the trick to being thankful about a gospel encounter is to do your preparation before God’s appointments arise. Do I have a list of “What to do if’s”?

    • Do I know the worldview and beliefs of the person to whom I am speaking?
    • Do they need relationship more than truth right now, or truth more than relationship?
    • Can I share the gospel points clearly with confidence?
    • Do I have on my phone verses that could help?
    • Do I have an awareness that there are no mistakes in what God brings into my life and at what time He does this?
    • Do I diligently pray for and look for appointments to reflect Christ?

    Do You Have Appointments?

    Of course you do! The Lord is shaping you for the work He has prepared for you to do.

    For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

    Ephesians 2:10

    Be quick to sense His leading and obey. You only see a limited view.

    Thank you, Father, that You do see the full picture and can be trusted. Help me remember that my job here on earth is to be Your ambassador and reflect Jesus to a needy world.

    The Tebow Missionaries

    Did you know that Tim Tebow, the American football player, grew up as a missionary kid in the Philippines? I came across this book lately, and have received blessing and challenges from it! Some of the stories and challenges sound familiar.

    Pam Tebow shares how she was given multiple appointments to reflect Christ and share the gospel through difficult and challenging times. In fact, the level of difficulty of what she endured turned up the volume on what she was saying. Pick up a copy!

    Future Appointments

    Next October, Lord willing, we will be in Norway for a conference. David is teaching on developing a Biblical Worldview. I mentioned this to my new contact in the plane flying over Africa. Who knows! Maybe David and I will see him again!

    My job is to show gratitude to my Saviour by being available to testify for Him whenever He asks. The fruit is His business.

    Be ready! You may have divine appointments coming up.

    Wow! She Did It!

    / thinkfulkarin / Leave a comment

    Anna’s Example

    Listen to what my friend Anna shared with me:

    “You know those weeks where the Lord gives you dramatic opportunities to practice what you say you believe? I’ve had one of those weeks!

    Monday, we traveled to OH for a family reunion. Tuesday afternoon, we fell under a tornado warning and soon lost power at the home we were visiting. We watched some crazy wind and rain from the basement, where all 11 of us gathered to wait out the storm. Later reports confirmed 4 tornadoes in the area, one of which was less than a mile from us. The tree and power-line damage we saw on the dark drive to our sleeping place that night was extensive. We had to try multiple routes to even get there, as most of the roads were impassable. 

    The next morning, we heard that over 400,000 people were without power! So, we continued the rest of the week together without power and navigating constantly-changing road closures. Needless to say, it will remain a memorable reunion. 

    But, in the midst of the inconveniences, I kept thinking about God’s command (and desire) for us to give thanks in all circumstances (1 Th. 5:18). Further, Karin Brown’s blog th(i)nkful has consistently exhorted me to “choose to download grace/strength from the Lord to think thanks about every circumstance in my life and to express that thanks orally or in written form.”

    One exercise that she suggests is to make a list of as many things as you can think of to be thankful for in the midst of that difficult task/circumstance. And I needed that this week! 

    Instead of focusing on all of the negatives, I started my ‘list.’ I thank the Lord that:

    1) Everyone was safe

    2) No damage to either house we were staying at

    3) We eventually found a way to the parsonage where we were sleeping (even though it took over 4x as long, and we drove under some low hanging power lines and tree branches!!). Thank the Lord for a grid system of roads!

    4) The parsonage not only still had running water, but hot water too!

    5) The ‘day home’ had large windows letting in lots of daylight

    6) It also had a generator to keep the fridge going to keep 12-18 people fed

    7) The weather cleared up to allow for playing outside, but also remained semi-cloudy, keeping the temps more comfortable inside

    8) One of the young, local cousins (not with us that day due to sickness) ended up having a fever-induced seizure that evening at home, going unconscious, and expertly cared for in an ambulance before being taken to the hospital. They were in a nearby town that was not hit by the tornado, allowing the EMS crew to get there quickly despite the crazy storm damage. 

    9) Several in our group are used to dealing with no power, so they were prepared and proactive, keeping us well-cared for….water, food, and “powerless” fun!

    10) Lastly, I thank the Lord for the opportunity (even though I still had to work sometimes to see it as such!) to reflect on all His graces to me that I take for granted, but still give thanks for Who He ALWAYS is to me whether I have those conveniences or not. Our Giver is good.

    God is honored by our thanksgiving, and I know I express it too infrequently. This was a wonderful week to remind myself of how much I have to thank Him for. May you and I both grow in our ability to think thanks in all circumstances, glorifying the Lord and spurring others on to do the same!“

    You, my reader, are now privy to this admonition. Be like Anna. When you are presented with a difficulty or challenge, put thinking thanks into action. Get that list going!

    The Only Thing We Need To Do

    Do you realize all the opportunities that the Master affords you? Every day when you wake you are given a clean sheet of paper to use for His glory. I love how we don’t have to stay on yesterday’s sheet of paper. You get a new chance to live for the Lord and please Him.

    I have come up with 3 D’s of living for His glory. It just helps me stay on course. It is so easy to waste time and energies on things that don’t matter and seep out my strength and focus. Reading through the Scriptures it becomes apparent that it is crucial for me to discover His will. When Jesus walked this earth and exemplified how we should live our lives, He carefully sought to do His Father’s will (John 6:38; Hebrews 10:9). But there is more. I need to not only discern, but also choose to do in obedience what His will is for me. It is a beautiful reality that God has given me enough wherewithal to do His will. What a comfort!

    And I would add that just a begrudging or apathetic obedience is not enough. So I have inserted a middle “D.” We should delight in doing the will of the Father. Why? Because we can trust our sovereign Lord. He loves us and does what is best for us. Yes, even when we don’t see it.

    • Discern the Father’s will for me (Romans 12:2)
    • Delight in….. (Psalm 40:8)
    • Doing the Father’s will for me (Matthew 7:21)

    Anna, Carla, Me and You

    A few months ago our dear friends, Andy and Carla, visited us in Africa. Carla and I discussed the 3 D’s as we walked the beach on the majestic Indian Ocean. If we truly lived by that simple mantra, we would come to the end of our days with no regrets.

    On a sober note, you realize, don’t you, that you only get so many days? Perhaps for you or me there are not many left. Wrestle the opportunities to the ground. Don’t waste another day, but instead live life on purpose. Discern what the Lord wants from you today. It may not be what you wanted. Be flexible to His ways. He is “the God of the bend in the road!” Let Him guide your thoughts and direct your choices, and when you come to full knowledge of what His will is, choose to not only do it in obedience, but embrace it! Delight in doing His will. You may not feel it at first. Emotions are fickle, but they come around as you choose to do what is right.

    Carla and I walked on the beach and prayed. We prayed for our difficulties and we prayed for us to have God’s perspective. He loves us so. He wants what is best for us. He knows what that best looks like. He asks us to trust in Him with all our hearts.

    Walking The Talk

    I have been working on a manuscript for a book on Th(i)nkful. One thing I am clearly reminded of is that if I want to teach others, I have to be tested as well. So lately I have had lots of opportunities to practice what I preach. It’s not easy!! To choose gratitude when you are hurting, when you feel like you will never be fully well again, takes grace from the LORD. Remember though that He wants to give that grace to us as we come to Him with our burdens and cares.

    How will you put into practice what you believe?

    What will your sheet of paper look like today?

    Hard Times Harder

    / thinkfulkarin / 4 Comments

    Can Hard Get Harder?

    “Oh, no!” a friend cried out as she lost her balance and fell to the floor. Her left wrist caught her fall and yielded to a small bone fracture.

    My dear friend ended up in the emergency room, had to have her ring cut off, and her left hand is now out of commission for four weeks, right during the holidays!

    In a totally different part of the world my dear daughter in the Lord, Adaleen, also had a challenging Christmas. She went to worship with the church on Christmas Day and then returned to her tiny apartment and enjoyed Christmas all alone.

    She writes:

    It was so peaceful
    Gave thanks to the Lord
    Opened my gifts
    I ate until I couldn’t move 😄
    And then took a little nap🙏🏽

    “The hardest time to go through a hard time is in the good times.”

    David Brown

    Another friend and coworker is missing a recently deceased spouse. The internal conflict of going through that first Christmas without a special someone is legendary.

    Suffering a broken wrist when you want to serve others in the kitchen, or being alone at a time when family gathers, or navigating a joyful season when your life partner will no longer share it with you. These things are hard…..

    ……but even harder at Christmas.

    Why Is It So Difficult?

    We have an expectation inside of what is right and good, and when Christmas comes, and one or more of those conditions are not there, it exaggerates the pain. Imagine Christmas without any music. Or Christmas without any lights or decorations anywhere. It would just seem so wrong, downright disturbing and dystopian.

    But play the music and put up decorations everywhere, and then imagine Christmas where you cannot participate in any meaningful way due to illness, injury, or responsibilities elsewhere, or Christmas without dear ones who have passed away. Again, it just seems wrong. The radiance of the Advent turns up the contrast on the darkness in your heart. I remember when my mom died that I didn’t want Christmas to come. I wanted to avoid it because it hurt so much.

    I often think of the advice given to Ciara when she returned home from quadruple amputation last year. Her friend told her to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5).

    She wanted to give up. It was too hard, but God gave her grace to pursue gratitude and trust in a sovereign God. She started to think thanks. Her slogan has become Always grateful.

    You choose to think the right thoughts. It’s a work in progress. We fall. We get back up. We choose to be strong and let our hearts take courage, we who wait on the LORD (Psalm 31:24).

    You download grace from the LORD’s inexhaustible storehouse to think thanks in every circumstance.

    This is not easy! This is maturity above immaturity. This is warfare of the mind!

    “I WILL offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving
    and call on the name of the LORD.”

    Psalm 116:17

    It’s a sacrifice of thanksgiving. Sacrifices costs you something!!

    Processing the Hard

    You don’t ignore the pain. You are allowed to pour out your heart to the Lord. You can do it in anguish even, but run to Him with your pain and not away from Him. He wants to make you better, steadfastly faithful through this, more like His Son, Jesus.

    Learning to search for thankful thoughts when you are sad and struggling is a feat indeed.

    My friend Debbie, who broke her wrist did that. In fact, she found comfort and inspiration in Ciara’s godly response. How beautiful is that!!

    Ciara and Debbie are both worshipping God with their gratitude in the midsts of their pain and frustration. It is like pouring fertilizer on their reward one day in heaven.

    We don’t get to choose what kind of tests the Lord will take us through. He chooses our crosses. But we get to choose how we respond.

    Having a friend to walk with you during these times is helpful. Just to express to that friend:

    “Yes, it is hard, but I am choosing to think on truth.”

    • The Lord has not left me (Isaiah 43:2, Hebrews 13:5b)
    • It could have been worse (Revelation 16:17-21)
    • It will pass; even if it lasts as long as this earthly life, we are headed to a Celestial City where there is no more pain (Hebrews 11:14-16, 12:22-29, Revelation 21:4)
    • God’s Word is a rock of refuge to us (Psalm 71:3a)
    • Others may gain inspiration from me thinking thanks which in turn brings more glory to God (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

    Embrace the Hard

    I am challenging myself here, as well as seeking to inspire you, to not run away from the “hard,” but instead face it, run toward it, embrace it. You will get through it!!

    Step by step, download grace. Cry out to the Lord for help and think thanks!

    My two friends who are downloading grace to think thanks in their hard times.

    Joy Fuel

    / thinkfulkarin / Leave a comment

    Your Joy-Fuel Gauge

    This girl brings me joy. 😃 She is a “fueler” for me, not a “drainer” – spending time with her increases my joy, settles peace in my heart, and expands my imagination. She mentioned that the song by Steph Schlueter entitled, “Counting My Blessings,” is one of her favorites. 🎶

    Most of us are very familiar with the fuel gauge in our cars. It reflects what level of fuel is in the tank. But, try to picture an “emotional gauge” inside of you. It reflects how much strength and resilience you have in your “emotional tank” to meet new events and people and struggles each day. People who care a lot and give a lot can empty their emotional tank. If they do it too often without sufficiently refueling, they will struggle with burnout. And your emotional gauge affects your physical and spiritual gauges as well; these three are tied together.

    There are several fuels that can slowly refill your emotional tank, like peace and solitude and meditating on God’s truth. But there is nothing like the fuel called “joy.” Joy is the #1 fuel for your emotional tank. When you have no joy, you can barely move forward. But joy acts like a medicine.

    “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”
    Proverbs 17:22

    “The joy of the Lord is your strength.”
    Nehemiah 8:10

    So, where can you get this fuel? What is the level of your joy storage to refuel your emotional tank? Is it brimming to the fullest and pouring over?

    Joy Is Different

    Most of you already know that joy and happiness are not the same. Happiness is a response to positive external happenings; happiness disappears when things go sour. Joy is an internal mindset that sustains you when things are sweet or sour. So, how can you get this “internal frame of mind?”

    Meg Bucher gave us the insight that “Happiness is a reaction to something great. Joy is the product of someone great.” True joy is connected to the Creator. In the biblical worldview,

    Joy is my calm enthusiastic confidence in the presence of God’s face shining on me, the goodness of God’s character, and the perfection of God’s sovereign plans. In short, God’s delight in me, God’s kindness to me, and God’s control in my life.

    We can differentiate joy and happiness in several ways, including:

    • Source: Joy is a fruit of the internal workings of the Spirit of God (Galatians 5:22), while happiness comes from things outside of me (having a flowing spring within rather than seeking a stream nearby – John 4:14).
    • Duration: Joy is a long-lasting state of being, while happiness is temporary and fleeting.  
    • Origin: Joy is developed internally, while happiness is achieved externally. 
    • Nature: Joy is a deep enthusiastic peace that comes from within, while happiness is an outward reflection of circumstances. Happiness may be more animated than joy, but joy has more staying power over time and through hardships.

    Creating the Fuel of Joy

    How do we create the fuel of joy? We extract it from God’s truth and from deposits God has placed within our circumstances. It takes a choice. It takes thought. We must choose to meditate on the good things that God has given us. Being th(i)nkful is what creates the fuel of joy.

    Even if our circumstances are not that great, we stop and think for a bit, and find these deposits of joy. In fact, we are to count it all joy when we face trials. Why? God is building long-term virtue in us, and God loves long-term virtue in His children. Our calm enthusiastic confidence in God’s love, goodness and perfect plans for us fuels and sustains our steadfastness when driving down the sometimes long road of sorrow and heartache. Joy heals. Joy gives power.

    Gratitude is the first step to building joy into our lives…

    Jim Wilder

    We are at God’s table every day, and it is free, whatever we have. It is accounted very unmannerly for a man at his friend’s table to find fault with things…Now when we are at the table of God (for all God’s administrations to us are his table)…for us to be finding fault and to be discontented is a great aggravation of our sin.

    Jeremiah Burrough, The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment

    So many of us are trouble-shooters, problem-solvers, which has a nasty side effect – we spend our days focusing on trouble and problems. True, we can’t just live all day in the bliss of thankfulness and militant contentedness where we leave everything a mess and get nothing done. But in our mornings and evenings, and repeatedly oscillating throughout the day, we need to focus on things we are thankful for.

    Think the thanks, express the thanks, remember and honor the One to whom the thanks is due. You are creating the fuel of joy for your emotional tank. The ancient word “rejoice” means to intensify joy by repeating it, recalling it, and expanding upon it. It is a sister to being th(i)nkful.

    “I do not think the church rejoices enough. We all grumble enough and groan enough: but very few of us rejoice enough.”

    Charles Spurgeon

    Why Invest in Joy Fuel?

    Perhaps the first reason should be because God asked us to rejoice in Him (Philippians 4:4), to give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:18), and to even rejoice and give thanks when we face persecution (Matthew 5:11-12).

    But also, when we purposefully develop a habit of gratitude, and discover the huge deposits of joy in the discipline of thankfulness, we become gospel-contagious. So few people in this world see joy. Their eyes and hearts are heavy with sorrow, regret, and guilt. A joyful person is an anomaly. Many people are skeptical when they see a truly joyful person. “Why are they being that way? That can’t be real.” But a follower of Jesus who knows the gospel well has a treasure trove of things to be thankful for and joyful about.

    Most of you know this good news, but some do not, so read this carefully. Jesus of Nazareth was God in human form who came to die in our place and for our sins to save us from God’s judgment. Hundreds saw him after he rose from the dead, and the news of his teachings, death, burial, and resurrection has spread around the world. One day soon, Jesus is returning to planet earth.

    A person can only be forgiven of their lifetime of sins when he or she believes in what Jesus did and asks God to save them (Romans 10:9-10). When someone turns from their sin to the Savior, God declares them fully righteous in His court, gives them spiritual rebirth, adopts them as His children, and sends His Spirit to live inside them beginning the lifetime work of transforming them to become more like Jesus. They have peace with God and begin to experience the peace of God.

    When Christians sin, we can confess that to Him, be cleansed from that unrighteousness and be restored to the joy of a clean conscience. That joy is catchy! Joy is attractive. Your obedience in cultivating thankfulness and joy could be the catalyst that brings another to Christ!

    “You have put more joy in my heart
    than they have when their grain and wine abound.”

    Psalm 4:7