Posts Tagged ‘faith’

A New Chapter

Posted in hupomone, I'm Just Sayin', Life and Ministry, tagged , , , , , , , on May 10, 2026| Leave a Comment »

It has been 3 years since my last post here. I was very surprised to see all of the traffic that this blog was still getting! I hope that my posts have been a blessing. I have been working as the Director of Case Management for a Mental Health organization here in Pennsylvania for the past year, while also working as the Youth and Family Pastor for Christian Community Church. Sadly, on March 16th, my friend, mentor, and head pastor of CCC, Pastor Charles Kelly, passed away suddenly after a medical procedure.

While I always believed that I would one day be the pastor of a church, this was not the way I expected or wanted to receive the calling. On April 12th, the CCC board appointed me to the Pastorate of Christian Community Church. It has been a whirlwind as we navigate this unexpected transition. I have been so blessed by the generous support of both the congregation and the leadership. We are moving forward together even as we grieve. I am especially thankful for my wonderful wife and daughters, who have really stepped into the gap. Please keep all of us in prayer as we move forward in the ministry that God has for Christian Community Church.

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God has Blessed Us, Chayla is so close!

Posted in hupomone, I'm Just Sayin', Life and Ministry, tagged , , , , , , , , on May 20, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Can you help put her over the top!

Chayla Guidry

May 20, 2023

·Hey everyone! I am so excited to share that I have reached 80% of my budget to go to Belgium! In case you missed some previous posts, I have the opportunity to go and serve at a church in Belgium through the AGWM MAPS programs this summer. I want to thank everyone who has supported me financially and in prayer. I am still in need of $1000 to be able to buy my plane tickets. I ask that you continue praying for me as I step out to do what God is calling me to.

If you would like to give financially, you can do so at giving.ag.org/donate and type Chayla Guidry into the Your Gift box. Any amount is always appreciated, no matter how small.

Thank you for all the continued prayers and support!

Also, if you would like more information, you can always private message me for a support letter (or click the link)!

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Chayla is headed out on the Missions Field!

Posted in hupomone, I'm Just Sayin', leadership, Life and Ministry, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 22, 2023| Leave a Comment »

I am so excited to announce that this summer I have been given an amazing opportunity to go to Belgium as a part of the MAPS program offered by Assemblies of God World Missions.

Missions Abroad Placement Service (MAPS)  is a program that allows individuals to be mentored by a missionary and learn what it is like to do missions abroad. I will be serving at Redefined Church in Tervuren, Belgium. There I will have opportunities to disciple others and work in kids’ ministries. I will also be helping with their new campus in Overijse, Belgium.

Redefined Church is passionate about restoring people’s faith in God and in the church. In the past, Europeans have known the church as a place of fear. Redefined Church desires to change that; to give people a safe place where they belong, while spreading the true gospel of Jesus Christ.

Tervuren is a suburb of Brussels

Entering my freshman year of college I was personally struggling a lot. I had a very skewed image of who God was and I did not believe that He had a plan for my life. Even though I grew up in a mission-focused family, I completely gave up on the idea of missions. I isolated myself from the church and tried to block God out of my life. However, thankfully, God had other plans. I got connected to Chi Alpha, an Assemblies of God college ministry. The people that I got connected to fought for me even when I didn’t want them to. I ended up going to SALT, a Chi Alpha student conference, where I experienced God for what felt like the first time. It was there that I realized how much God loved me, even when I was a mess. He showed me that even though I had given up on myself, He hadn’t, and would never, give up on me.

When I opened myself back up to the Lord, He flooded my heart with a love for people. That night He laid French-speaking countries on my heart. That is when I decided to sign up for MAPS. As I was working on the process, God also laid on my heart to become a servant leader in Chi Alpha at Ohio State University. There I have had the opportunity to disciple other girls and co-lead a small group. I have found not just friends, but family in Chi Alpha.

I am so excited to step out in faith and follow where God is leading me this summer! I am hoping to raise $5500, by the end of May. I would like to be in Belgium from the beginning of June until mid-August when I begin my third year at OSU. Would you please prayerfully consider supporting me financially? This is a short amount of time to raise this much money, but I believe that we serve a powerful God who provides, and I am trusting Him. I also ask for your prayers as I step out into what God is calling me to do.

If you would like to give financially, you can do so at giving.ag.org/donate (Click the Link to Donate) and type Chayla Guidry into the Your Gift box. Any amount is always appreciated, no matter how small.

Thank you for all the prayers and support!

Chayla

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What About Saturday?

Posted in Bible Study, hupomone, Life and Ministry, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on April 8, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Saturday

 We celebrate Good Friday.  We celebrate Easter.  What about Saturday?

Sandwiched between the suffering of the greatest sacrifice ever made and the glory of the most magnificent triumph ever won, past present, or future, is What? I am going to call it Hupomone Day! because it is the Saturdays of our life that grow true perseverance.

How often do we find ourselves on Saturday?  That blank day between suffering and triumph.  At least as we watch the events unfold, we can focus on the horror and pain.  We can anticipate the miraculous escape, the triumphant turning of the tide as God magnificently brings victory.  Then it doesn’t happen the way we want or expect.  The night falls,  a restless night, perhaps without sleep, certainly with disturbed dreams.  Then what about Saturday, what do we do?  The dawn rises, but all that we can see is Friday’s darkness.  The birds are singing, but all we can hear are the screams and jeers of the crowd; the hammering of the nails; the moans of his mother; the pounding of our own hearts.

What about Saturday.  What do we do?  What should we do?  Some will run.  Some will hide.  Some will lose faith and return to the life they had known before they felt the Master’s touch.  Some will struggle and doubt, but:

struggle and doubt + faith = Hupomone

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.  Hebrews 11:1

Some of us have longer Saturdays than others.  Take Thomas.  I often hear people make fun of doubting Thomas.  I can only imagine that his fellow disciples gave him some ribbing but here is the deal:  Thomas Stayed!  He made it through a Saturday that was longer and more intense than any of the others.  I can only believe this made his Sunday morning all the more amazing.  Thomas grew through his Saturday.  He walked away with an understanding of Hebrews 11:1 straight from the lips of his Savior:  Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.” John 20:29.

If Friday is Good Friday and Sunday is Easter Sunday; Saturday is Hupomone Saturday.  Saturday is when we remember His Word.  Saturday is when we remember His touch.  On Saturday the fellowship of our brothers and sisters in Christ becomes paramount.  On Saturday we scream out to God.  On Saturday we worship, we cry, we hurt, and we heal…in-spite of ourselves.  On Saturday we grow and mature as on no other day.  Perhaps that is why Saturday is in God’s plan for us.  I have experienced a few Saturdays in my life.  Some I am still experiencing.  While Sunday mornings are great!  It is the Saturdays that draw me close to God and close to God’s people.

It is in the midst of Saturday that I make strides towards Philippians 2, learning humility, and allowing God to work in me. It is on Saturday that God makes those subtle changes in me that draw my spirit, soul, and body closer to having His attitude and His values and to truly having His love.

It is on Saturday that we practice Hebrews 11:1 like no other day.  Do we trust the promise?  Are we certain of our hope? It is on Saturday that we say in the midst of it all with Joshua, “As for me and my house we will serve the Lord.”

Unfortunately, I think that it is also on Saturday that all too many lose faith, not being able to hold on to the promise.  It is on Saturday that as brothers and sister’s in Christ we fail each other as on no other day.  Perhaps this is because we do not realize that everyday is someone’s Saturday.

Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2 

Are you in the midst of Saturday?  Be certain Sunday morning is coming, and when it does the most miraculous thing, the most miraculous change will not be in the situation that you are experiencing, it will be in YOU!

This post is a chapter in my book, The Hupomone Principle.  The book is available on Amazon.com  you can click on the image below

Hupomone Principle PB Cover

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On the Farm

Posted in hupomone, I'm Just Sayin', Life and Ministry, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on September 29, 2022| Leave a Comment »

“By wisdom a house is built, And by understanding it is established; And by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.”

Proverbs 4: 3-4

Some pictures from our new home!

Good morning from beautiful Jenners Township Pennsylvania. It has been a busy few months. God has truly blessed us as we made the move to this family property in the mountains of Pennsylvania. Things moved much quicker than we had anticipated as we put our house up for sale at the end of May on the advice of our realtor. It sold in 3 days over a weekend. We are so thankful for Scott Estep and Danbury Realtors. Not only is Scott a wonderful brother in the Lord (you have to love when you end your first meeting with your realtor in prayer!), but he also provided attentive guidance that got us a better deal on our house in Toledo than I could have imagined. This set us up to make the move at the end of June. It was definitely a bittersweet move as serving as a chaplain with Ohio Living Hospice had me working with an incredible team and provided the opportunity for tremendous moments of ministry. My son Robert and his wife Jenny also added to our family there in Toledo just as we moved away, having our 5th grandchild. We look forward to every minute that we can spend with them when visiting the Toledo area. We are just that little bit farther from Chayla as she conquers Ohio State and serves with Chi Alpha. However, we are blessed by the way that God has orchestrated every step of this journey.

The picture above are of the house, garage and some of the property. The bottom center is a picture of Christian Community Church where I am on staff as the Family and Youth Pastor. Sami and Allana have become involved in the children’s ministry and enjoy the fellowship of the Ladies Ministry as well. We are so blessed to have such a fantastic church family. We are looking forward to serving here in Boswell PA for years to come. It is a little strange for me. I have been a nomad for my entire life, moving from place to place. This is the first move where I really have a sense of this being the place I will live out the rest of my life. The Holy Spirit has just filled our hearts with love for the area and for its people. I have been especially blessed as I walk the property that was a safe place for a military brat with no roots. Whether it was fishing in the pond, picking corn, looking over the edge of a strip mine or helping my Grandfather lay gravel for an extended parking area; the property is full of wonderful memories. We certainly miss our Toledo/Bedford family and look forward to every opportunity to visit but God is blessing us here and we are so grateful for his grace and empowerment as we make the adjustment to Somerset County.

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Into the New

Posted in Life and Ministry, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on May 3, 2022| 1 Comment »

It has been a year of new things already! In January I started an MBA program at Bowling Green State University. In addition to that I became potentially the oldest pledge ever in the Delta Sigma Pi professional fraternity. I have greatly enjoyed and been enriched personally by both endeavors. My oldest daughters Samantha and Chayla began working for Code Ninjas, a programming school for children opened by a family friend. Chayla who graduates in May from Ohio Virtual Academy has been accepted to Ohio State! We are very excited for her. My son Robert and his wife Jenny moved from Clarkstown Tennessee to South Carolina just outside of Charlotte North Carolina to be closer to his seminary… I started this post in May of 2021. It never got posted. I can hardly believe that it has been almost an entire year since the last time I posted here. It has been quite the year. I guess that I should run down the items mentioned in the 2021 draft. I am set to graduate with my MBA in December. I have really enjoyed my time with Delta Sigma Pi. It has been an interesting ride as the fraternity navigated Covid along with the issues that normally come up for large groups of college students. I have been impressed by the dedication and skills of these young adults and had some fun along the way. Unfortunately the nature of my obligations at 59 years old has not allowed me to participate as fully as I would have liked but I am forever grateful for the grace that my fraternal brothers have shown me. Samantha has moved solidly into a customer service role, working at Biggby’s Coffee and Lickety Split for the year. Chayla just returned home after a very successful and eventful year at Ohio State ( Go Buckeyes! Now there is something I never thought I would say…apologies to my Nittany Lions). Robert and Jenny have actually landed here in Toledo having moved here to help her family after an accident injured her mother. However the big change coming up is that after 8 years (the longest in one city ever for me) Allana and I along with Samantha, Chayla and Nisa will be moving to a family property in Pennsylvania about an hour and a half east of Pittsburgh. Our time in Toledo has been amazing and we have been blessed to be able to serve God along side a long list of wonderful brothers and sisters in Christ in a variety of venues and projects. We are looking forward to the adventures that God has for us as we join Community Christian Church in Boswell Pennsylvania and get to work alongside Pastor Charles Kelly. God has been so good as we move towards this transition. Please pray for his continued grace as we follow his leading.

Blessings,

Sam

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The Hupomone Principle

Posted in Bible Study, Leukemia, Life and Ministry, tagged , , , , , , , , , on November 6, 2020| Leave a Comment »

Available Now on Amazon

Today is an anniversary of sorts. We signed the lease on the home that we now live in six years ago. That might not seem super unusual but let me share the story.

We spent the majority of 2013 in the hospital going through Allana’s treatment for Leukemia (chemotherapy) and then a bone marrow transplant. We were separated from our 5 children, from our ministry and basically from our lives, first at Flower Hospital in Sylvania Ohio and then at The Cleveland Clinic. A more detailed account of this is available in other blog posts and “The Nineteen Days” chapter of The Hupomone Principle. Though she was cancer free, Allana remained fairly ill, really for almost two years, as she recovered not only from the impact of the Leukemia but also from the harsh treatment protocols. We began to get our lives back together and move the ministry (which my Mother-in-Law had unselfishly maintained while we were gone) forward again. Then in April of 2014 the executive directors called us for a meeting and let us know that the decision had been made to close the ministry which included our home. They graciously allowed us to stay in the ministry house until November. So, the search began. We initially looked at purchasing the ministry house but that was not feasible. Then we looked at other properties in and around our neighborhood hoping to continue the ministry on our own, but the doors did not open.

We were blessed by the outpouring of support that had begun with Allana’s diagnosis and continued through this time, but we still could not find anything that suited the needs of our family and our finances. It was during this time that I found employment at Cherry Street Mission Ministries.

Then one day Allana was perusing Craigs List ads for rental homes. She found one and showed it to me. It was all the way on the other side of town. I did not understand why she was even looking at it but I have learned when she has these moments to listen to her listening to the Holy Spirit. This is a key to Hupomone living. I called the number and a very nice lady said she would be happy to show us the home and could do it right then.

When we arrived she gave us the tour. It was not really a good fit for us, but as we spoke, I let her know that I was employed at Cherry Street and a little of our story to explain our current finances. To our surprise she said, “Then you must know my daughter…”. I did indeed, she worked in the office next to mine. As we continued looking at the property the owner stopped and said, ” This isn’t the home for you but I know what is.” She took us to different property and we immediately knew this was it.

We were incredibly blessed as the landlord made the rent work for us and just asked that we purchase the home as soon as we were able as her intent was not to rent this property but to flip it. I told her we would and on November 6th of 2014 we signed our lease to buy agreement with a five year term which was my best guess at how long it would take. However, God had different plans and we purchased the house 18 months later.

Disruption, patience, trust, listening, believing, pursuing, receiving, these are attributes of the Hupomone Principle. This is not to say that there was not a lot of grief, fear, concern and doubt along the way (hence my initial reaction to a property on the other side of town) but God is so faithful even in the midst our instability. There were many moments in this story when I could not see or even conceive of the outcome, but that is ok because God loves me anyways! Just like he loves you where-ever you are at.

If you are interested in an easy to read and concise look at The Hupomone Principle, it is available in paperback and on Kindle.

HERE.

It doesn’t always feel like Hupomone, sometimes it just feels like life….

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What About Saturday?

Posted in Life and Ministry, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on April 11, 2020| Leave a Comment »

I know that it has been a bit since I have written here.  I have been pulling together a manuscript for a book on Hupomone living.  However I decided to pull out a piece from the archives.  It is timely considering the circumstances of our current Easter season.  Circumstances, that would be another great post to read but I will let you search for that one.

Blessings

Sam

Saturday

 We celebrate Good Friday.  We celebrate Easter.  What about Saturday?

Sandwiched between the suffering of the greatest sacrifice ever made and the glory of the most magnificent triumph ever won, past present or future, is What? I am going to call it Hupomone Day! because it is the Saturday’s of our life that grow true perseverance.

How often do we find ourselves on Saturday.  That blank day between the suffering and triumph.  At least as we watch the events unfolding we can focus on the horror, the pain.  We can anticipate the miraculous escape, the triumphant turning of the tide as God magnificently brings the victory.  Then it doesn’t happen the way we want or expect.  The night falls,  a restless night, perhaps without sleep, certainly with disturbed dreams.  Then what about Saturday, what do we do?  The dawn rises, but all that we can see is Friday’s darkness.  The birds are singing, but all we can hear are the screams and jeers of the crowd; the hammering of the nails; the moans of his mother; the pounding of our own heart.

What about Saturday.  What do we do?  What should we do?  Some will run.  Some will hide.  Some will lose faith and return to the life they had known before they felt the Master’s touch.  Some will struggle and doubt, but:

struggle and doubt + faith = Hupomone

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.  Hebrews 11:1

Some of us have longer Saturdays than others.  Take Thomas.  I often hear people make fun of doubting Thomas.  I can only imagine that his fellow disciples gave him some ribbing but here is the deal:  Thomas Stayed!  He made it through a Saturday that was longer and more intense than any of the others.  I can only believe this made his Sunday morning all the more amazing.  Thomas grew through his Saturday.  He walked away with an understanding of Hebrews 11:1 straight from the lips of his Savior:  Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.” John 20:29.

If Friday is Good Friday and Sunday is Easter Sunday; Saturday is Hupomone Saturday.  Saturday is when we remember His Word.  Saturday is when we remember His touch.  On Saturday the fellowship of our brother’s and sister’s in Christ becomes paramount.  On Saturday we scream out to God.  On Saturday we worship, we cry, we hurt, we heal…in-spite of ourselves.  On Saturday we grow and mature as on no other day.  Perhaps that is why Saturday is in God’s plan for us.  I have experienced a few Saturday’s in my life.  Some I am still experiencing.  While the Sunday mornings are great!  It is the Saturday’s that draw me close to God and close to God’s people.

It is in the midst of Saturday the I make strides towards Philippians 2 , learning humility, allowing God to work in me. It is on Saturday that God makes those subtle changes in me that draw my spirit, soul and body closer to having His attitude and His values and to truly having His love.

It is on Saturday that we practice Hebrews 11:1 like no other day.  Do we trust the promise?  Are we certain of our hope? It is on Saturday that we say in the midst of it all with Joshua, “As for me and my house we will serve the Lord.”

Unfortunately I think that it is also on Saturday that all to many lose faith, not being able to hold on to the promise.  It is on Saturday that as brother’s and sister’s in Christ we fail each other as on no other day.  Perhaps this is because we do not realize that everyday is someone’s Saturday.

Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2 

Are you in the midst of Saturday?  Be certain Sunday morning is coming, and when it does the most miraculous thing, the most miraculous change will not be in the situation that you are experiencing, it will be in YOU!

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The Day Facebook was Silent

Posted in I'm Just Sayin', Leukemia, Life and Ministry, True Beauty, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 9, 2020| Leave a Comment »

By Allana Guidry

I wrote this a couple years ago about when I found out about my leukemia fight. It encouraged my heart once again – I pray it encourages you too. He’s such a personal God.

January 4th, 2013 does not hold a Facebook post. From Facebook’s perspective it was a day of silence. Yet, when the word ‘Leukemia’ was spoken, my day was anything but silent. Within a few minutes of being told my diagnoses, I was wheeled away for a CT scan and a bone marrow biopsy. I cried through both. All I could think about was my family. How would we tell our four children (Emily , Robert , Sami, and Chayla). And Nisa…. what about my precious 19 day old miracle baby? I cried through my biopsy. Man, it hurt like heck, but it was my heart that hurt the most. I couldn’t stop crying. When the biopsy was finished the doctor left the room and let me be, but then I felt a hand rub my back and when I turned around I saw a nurse there. She was crying too. I told her I was sorry for losing it, but I was dreading telling my family. She said, “Honey, don’t be sorry, you have every right to cry, just remember, no one here will ever cry alone.” Yes this made me sob.
I finally gathered myself enough to get wheeled to my bed that waited for me down the hallway, but when the nurse opened the door, to my great surprise, there was my OB, tears running down her face and she was apologizing for not getting here in time to be with me for my tests. My OB is the one who sent me to the hospital when things just didn’t look right. And here she was. Crying at the door. She knelt down beside me and hugged me and prayed over me. Seriously, what kind of doctor does this?

As I was pushed closer to my room, I saw my husband talking on the phone, repeating again what at that moment seemed to be the darkest word in our language, “Allana has leukemia,” standing near him in the door way, was Nate Elarton. The look in his eyes is one I will never forget. It was one of sadness, deep love, and the tattletale signs that he was screaming on the inside wishing this moment was anything but true. He isn’t just our pastor, he is our friend.
Then as I came into the room, there I saw one of my best friends, Lisa K Shaull, holding my precious Nisa Faith, who was only 19 days old. Some how though I know Lisa was torn apart inside, on the outside, though I saw concern, I mostly saw a place of peace. When I was placed in my bed, I noticed another dear friend, one who is truly like a brother to me, Tim Rabara. Out of the three, he looked the most devastated, but I remembered he smiled and joked around that all the attention was on me, AGAIN. Trust me, in the months to come, Tim’s humor, though most might misunderstand, helped me A LOT!

As the day wore on, my room became silent, and Sam and I began to pray. God gave me the vision:

When I opened my eyes, I saw a beautiful music box, you know the one that has a beautiful ballerina spinning on top. He told me to come closer. As I did, I saw that it wasn’t a ballerina but a little girl dancing with her daddy. I smiled at the beauty they held, and yet a little bit of a hurt because I had never experienced such a thing. He told me to come closer. As I did, I saw that the little girl’s feet were on top of her dad’s. Tears formed in my eyes at the precious scene they made. He told me to come closer. As I did, I became that girl. His arms were gentle and yet strongly wrapped around me. My feet upon His. He said to me, “My precious daughter, I adore you. I cherish you. You are my prized possession. This road is going to spin us around and around. Keep your feet on mine; put your arms around me. No matter how fast we spin, I will never let go.”

My Heavenly Father kept His promise. He was with me every single step. I don’t look at this day, now 5 years ago as the most devastating thing that has happened to me or our family, oh sure, it was life changing! One of the most difficult journeys yet. The difference is that my faith in the One who held me never wavered for a second. I didn’t doubt His love for me. I didn’t doubt His faithfulness to be with me.

If you find yourself in a life spinning event, please allow me to encourage you… God loves you, more than you can comprehend. It doesn’t matter how much you doubt Him. It doesn’t matter how much you have pushed Him away, He still adores you. He finds you truly precious. He is calling to you, asking you to trust Him. This doesn’t mean your dance will stop or end, but it does mean that you can trust Him to never leave you or forsake you. He is faithful! He isn’t just faithful because I’m now looking at my cancer fight from a 5 year span, God is faithful because He is faithful. It’s that plain and simple. If He had chosen to take me home to be with Him, He would still remain faithful and He would be there with my family and help them through. Let God fill you with peace. Trust = Peace. I know. I lived it. He is so so good!

(a special thanks to Dani Herrera for taking the picture from my head onto paper)

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Nisa Faith – reminder of a miracle

Posted in Bible Study, Leukemia, Life and Ministry, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on December 18, 2019| 2 Comments »

I never want to lose sight of the circumstances of Nisa’s birth, nor of the days and years that would follow.  She is a constant reminder to me of God’s faithfulness to us no matter what circumstances life might bring.  This was originally posted on Christmas Eve of 2012.  I did not know at this point that I was in the middle of what I would later call The Nineteen Days (this is the link to the first post about this time.  I will probably be reposting this series).  Allana would begin to feel sick this night and the fevers would start on Christmas.  Little did we know how much of a miracle and salvation Nisa would be for us in the days ahead.

Nisa Faith was born on 12-16-2012 at 9:40 pm.  She was 7 lbs. 3 oz. and 20.5 in. long.  Yet those simple statistics do not in any way define the miracle of faith that she is to this family.  A physical living expression of the journey that God has taken this family on over the past decade.  I have been literally overwhelmed by her presence in our lives and not just by the usual intensity of life with a new baby.  I am going to re-post my blog from July 31st because today I stand with the realization of that post in my arms:

                  (Nisa- Miracle)

Faith

Guidry

We have prayed for this day for 9 years.  We have ached for the losses and doubted our faith.  We refused to give up even when we were labeled as a “Chronic Miscarriage” case.  When the entire world (and even God himself from a purely worldly standpoint) seemed to be saying emphatically NO, the Holy Spirit whispered in our ears to leave it in the Father’s hands.  So we did.  Don’t get me wrong we cried, we wailed, we begged over and over again.  We wanted at times to throw in the towel and act out of our own understanding.  We still do not completely understand, but understand this:  We have a mighty heavenly Father who cares for us in ways that I cannot begin to fathom.  He loves us in a way that is so far beyond my understanding that I only touch the edges of what AGAPE really means!

Several weeks ago while in prayer God gave me the name Nisa Faith.  Indeed she is a miracle of faith, not the simple faith of a single prayer or even the cry for healing but the faith of a 9 year journey.  She represents to us the faith of Abraham as he led his entire family to Canaan.  She represents the faith of Joseph as he waited in slavery, in prison for God to act.  She is even now, yet in the womb that miracle, an incredible act of God.

The difficult part to grasp is that my statement about our Father’s love for us is not just true because Nisa is healthy and strong.  It is an eternal truth that is expressed in both the tragic and the joyful.  He does not love us more now than he did on the very days that we miscarried our other seven precious babies.  The reality is that our journey to the fulfillment of the call that He had placed on our lives led us directly through David’s “Valley of the Shadow of Death”.  While we might prefer a detour around the Valley, God does not promise that.  He does promise that he will be with us, standing by us with His rod and staff and even more importantly for New Testament believers dwelling in us.  Many times it is not until after we are through the Valley that we are able to look back and see that God wielded His rod and staff on our behalf as we walked that  difficult road.

Even more than she represents the miracle of life to us, she is the miracle of faith itself.  Perhaps a better way to say it is that she is an expression of miraculous faith.  Faith inspired by the ongoing presence of God in our lives.  It is the faith that kept Abraham going on his 400 mile journey.  It is the faith that kept him in relationship with God even when he arrived only to face famine.  It is the faith that saw the birth of Isaac and the substitution of a ram for his only child on the mountain before God.  It is not a faith of the perfect life or of perfect people. It is a faith that traverses pitfalls and carries us through our own mistakes; faith that originates not with us but in the very heart of God and comes to us as a gift from the hands of our heavenly Father.  It is Nisa Faith.

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.  He makes me to lied down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.  He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.  Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.  You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows.  Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

PSALM 23

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