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Three things we must do when our world turns dark. | Janet erez Eckles

28 May

Walking by Faith, Not by Sight

Janet Perez Eckles

His Way

 

That short hour the other night without electricity reminded me how wimpy I had become. Back in Bolivia where I was born, electricity and water only lasted till noon. And we adjusted, thought of it as normal and never thought to complain.

“Honey!” I called to my hubby the other night, “the phone is dead.”

“Everything is dead,” he said. “The electricity went out.”

You see, for this blind gal, the fact there are no lights is no big deal. But when the phone or the computer don’t work…that’s major stuff.

My lights went off recently in a different way. I witnessed one of my closest friend suffer with a sorrowful situation with her family. Adversity seemed to darken her life with no warning. And her heartache and worry became mine. We prayed together on the phone and we asked for God’s intervention. As we did, God used the centurion’s story to remind me of the three truths to cling to when darkness hovers:

  1. Jesus is attentive to our own sorrow, to small and big details, as well as when we pray for others. “When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. ‘Lord,’ he said, ‘my servant lies at home paralyzed and in terrible suffering.’” (Matthew 8:5)
  2. If we turn to Jesus, place all that aches before Him and wait; we’ll find He’s willing to answer. “He said to him, ‘I will go and heal him.’ The centurion replied, ‘Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.’” (Matthew 8:8)
  3. Jesus observes our level of trust, our belief and our faith. “When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, ‘I tell you the truth. I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.’” (Matthew 8: 10)

How much faith will you have as you place all your requests before Jesus?

Janet

Source: Three things we must do when our world turns dark. | Janet Perez Eckles

 

 

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Three secrets to live triumphantly.

14 May

Walking by Faith, Not by Sight

Janet Perez Eckles

05-13-16 3It might be strange to say, but this time in history is probably the best time to be blind. Technology has advanced so much so that those us who cannot see can perform just about any task as the sighted. And soon, even driving a car might be on the list.

But for now, the gadget I enjoy as much as the computer that reads me the screen is my cell phone. The feature of “voice over” is fascinating. Hard to believe it recognizes my voice and obeys the spoken commands. Never realized the effective way my spoken words could be.

In the same way, when adversity strikes, our words, our spoken words out loud are effective to bring triumph into our lives.

The apostle Paul, Peter and also David spoke words, powerful words…unleashing God’s force. We can do the same in any situation, any challenge, any stronghold, any disappointment, any struggle. We speak triumph in our lives in three ways.

  1. We speak words with authority as Paul did with the slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. “Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, ‘In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!’ At that moment the spirit left her.” (Acts 16:18)
  2. We speak words in faith as Peter did with the crippled man, and God’s healing power is released. “Then Peter said, ‘Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.’ Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk.” (Acts 3:6-8)
  3. We speak words in truth, and the giants we face are defeated. “David said to the Philistine, ‘You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty…’” (1 Samuel 17:45)

It takes boldness, it takes faith, and it takes audacity to say, “In the name of the Lord Jesus……”

And when we do, triumph comes as we speak out loud, when we declare in faith, and when we utter words to bring about God’s power to anything we face.

What words will you use to triumph over the situation you’re facing today?

 

Source: Three secrets to live triumphantly. | Janet Perez Eckles

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Three sure ways to overcome anxiety

6 May

Walking by Faith, Not by Sight

Janet Perez Eckles

Janet Eckles Perez

 

04-29-16 anxietyAs I slipped under the covers in the hotel room this past weekend, I sunk my head on the pillow and enjoyed a good night’s sleep. But I confess, years ago, I’d never be able to do that that—travel by myself, unable to see the surroundings, spend the night alone in a hotel in a strange city. And to add to the stress, I had to get up and deliver a keynote speech before influential folks. Before my blindness, that would never have happen. But when I learned to walk by faith and not by sight, life began to look good, and nights came with peaceful sleep.

I engraved in my heart these three keys which David gives in Psalm 27. They erased anxiety and fear.

  1. Recognize who holds our life, our troubles and our struggles: “The LORD is my light and my salvation- whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1)
  2. Declare victory when the enemies that rob our peace and the intruders of anxiety attack: “When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall.” (Psalm 27:2)
  3. We claim with confidence In God’s power, In His mighty strength and His faithfulness to bring the victory—the triumph even when we don’t see the answer: “Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident.” (Psalm 27:3)

What anxiety will you allow God’s Word to triumph over tonight?

Source: Three sure ways to overcome anxiety. | Janet Perez Eckles

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How to heal from shame: three truths.

30 Apr

Walking by Faith, Not by Sight

Janet Perez Eckles

Janet Eckles Perez

 

I gasped when I read this headline: “Chinese Woman Mistakes Airplane Exit as Bathroom, Deploys Evacuation Slide.”

Her mistake was all over the news. The process to put back the slide in place delayed the flight for hours. Her passport was confiscated and she probably went home with a suitcase filled with embarrassment.

That’s what the world does, relishes in pointing out faux pas. The news emphasizes mis-spoken words, actions and mistakes.

If the adulterous woman scenario took place today, Tweets about her affairs would be all over the News. And details of her shame would be blasted throughout the internet. But they didn’t have cell phones then. Instead, they had rocks to stone her with. And right when they were about to begin, Jesus asked which was without sin. They probably broke out in sweat as they dropped their stones on the ground.

Because of Jesus’ presence, things turned out differently. And since He’s alive now, and powerful, loving, and forgiving as back when He walked on earth, when shame tears our insides, the end is glorious.

Three things He does when we stand facing our shame:

He hopes we stand still, lift our face to see Him and not try to run away.
He states His forgiveness.
He gives the advice for freedom.

“…with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’

‘No one, sir,’ she said.

‘Then neither do I condemn you,’ Jesus declared. ‘Go now and leave your life of sin.’” (John 8:9b-11)

No matter how much we try, we’ll end up pulling wrong doors as the Chinese woman. Or head down the wrong path, make huge mistakes, or do something that makes us blush just thinking about it. That’s Okay, we can rejoice because Jesus doesn’t condemn, blame or accuse…He simply forgives.

Any shame or regret hiding in your heart today?

Source: How to heal from shame: three truths. | Janet Perez Eckles

 

Looking for a speaker for your upcoming event? A great speaker makes the difference between a so-so event and one that shines with impact. I invite you to view one of my two-minute videos HERE.

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How to live a clean, happy life: three promises

23 Apr

Walking by Faith, Not by Sight

Janet Perez Eckles

Janet Eckles Perez

 

ouch“Ouch! Ouch!”…that’s what I wanted to say, but I couldn’t.

My fault entirely. I let my routine teeth cleaning go beyond the six month. And although I’m the queen of flossing and teeth brushing, I paid a painful price at the dentist chair.

There I was, mouth wide open, bib placed under my chin, and sucking hose hanging from the side. The scraping began.

Oh, friends, I’m not talking normal gentle scraping. Oh no. Actually, I think the dental hygienist had pent up frustrations for a year and this was her moment to let them out.

The furious metal scrapes against my teeth could be heard in the parking lot. And unable to let my pain be known each time the metal hook jabbed my gum, my heart begged, “mercy, mercy!”

May I ask you—aren’t you glad we don’t have to go through that awful, grueling scraping during the cleaning process of our sins? I’m mighty grateful for that. If I look back at the overdue routine episodes of repentance, those sins would need industrial scraping.

But God is so very merciful. His cleaning is gentle but His calling firm. He declares three truths:

  1. No sin is too dark for Him
  2. No flaw too deep to correct.
  3. No mistake too serious to erase

David knew this. He sat in the chair of repentance, heart wide open. He looked up: “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin” (Psalm 51:1-2).

God’s promise to you and to me: “…Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool” (Isaiah 1:18).

Source: How to live a clean, happy life: three promises. | Janet Perez Eckles

Looking for a speaker for your upcoming event? A great speaker makes the difference between a so-so event and one that shines with impact. I invite you to view one of my two-minute videos HERE.

What an honor it would be for me to delight those who attend your women’s gatherings, retreats, church congregation or corporate events. Here are some of the TOPICS you can choose from.

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What to do in the storms of life

16 Apr

Walking by Faith, Not by Sight

Janet Perez Eckles

Janet Eckles Perez

 

 

04-08-16 storms

 

Decades ago, while still in my hometown of La Paz, Bolivia, birthday celebrations were a big thing. With a handful of invitations, I ran from house to house on the dirt streets where my friends lived. Anticipation danced in my heart as I delivered them with pride because my Mom had designed them with colorful writing.

My parents gathered enough money to buy ingredients for a birthday cake. And the other treat at my 10th birthday party was made by mixing red Jell-O with evaporated milk. Since we didn’t have the luxury to own a refrigerator, Mom placed them outside, hoping the chilly night would make them gel.

And when my special day came, the friends who accepted the invitation, filed in through the worn, rusty gate of our house. They carried gifts. And in turn, I carry that memory in my heart.

Decade’s later invitations took a different meaning. During the storms of life, I ran down the dirt street of worry and self-pity. The only way to conquer all that was to extend an invitation to Jesus. He accepted and together we celebrated a restoring of my soul.

We can all do the same. But the invitation has to be specific:

• We invite Him into our storm.
• We invite Him into the heartache of the moment.
• We invite Him to share the disappointment in our marriage.
• We invite Him to share the longing for a solution.
• We invite Him into the diagnosis from the doctor.
• And we invite Him to be with us when we face the end of something we treasure.

When Jesus accepts the invitation, He shows up carrying the gift of His promises, colorfully wrapped in His love. They repeat: “The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17)

Visit Janet’s website to read the rest of this story and to learn more about Janet and her ministry.  What to do in the storms of life. | Janet Perez Eckles

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Is Jesus really enough?

9 Apr

Walking by Faith, Not by Sight

Janet Perez Eckles

Janet Eckles Perez

cooltext173078713213329I received a peck on the cheek as I hugged a small, frail woman. “Welcome beautiful visitor,” she said.

She brought small bowls of rice to feed the children who gathered outside her tiny nipa hut nestled in the rural areas of the island of Mindanao, Philippines.

In the midst of the humid, scorching heat, she fed them. They sang songs, and then she nourished their souls with Bible lessons.

Fighting mosquitoes and wiping sweat beads off my forehead, I listened and observed her joy, her passion, and patience with those little ones. As we were about to leave and head to our next stop in our missions trip, I hugged her. “I admire you,” I said. “You have so little and give so much.”

She gave a shy giggle. “When you have Jesus, you have enough,” she said.

Can that be so? Can Jesus really be enough?

Here are three questions to determine if He’s truly enough for us:

1. If we lose all we value, can we still declare we believe and trust in Him?

2. If our plans fail, our heart is broken, and our future looks bleak, will contentment still fill our hearts?

3. If His ways contradict ours, will we still embrace joy?

And if we had nothing, can we repeat what Habakkuk 3:17-18 declares? “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.”

No matter what you’re facing today, can you still rejoice in Him?

Source: Is Jesus really enough? | Janet Perez Eckles

I am thrilled to share this news about Janet

What a delightful shock to receive the news that I was chosen as the winner of the 2016 Alumni Merit Award by my alma mater, Southeast Missouri State University.

How ironic! When I arrived at that campus so many years ago, I was overcome by homesickness. I was the queen of insecurity, shy, and fearful I’d never make it to graduation. Could it be God had His own plan in spite of it all?

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Will God answer my prayer? Five keys.

26 Mar

Walking by Faith, Not by Sight

Janet Perez Eckles

Janet Eckles Perez

03-18-16 keysI sat beside a delightful lady at a recent prayer gathering. She related with passion each of the steps of her healing from a devastating car accident.

“The healing was miraculous,” she said.

Broken bones healed with no need for casts, cuts on her face healed with no scars. And doctors said she would lose her teeth as they had turned gray because they began to die due to the severe impact. But God healed them as they turned white before her eyes, leaving the doctors stunned.

We all listened in awe. But after the astonishment subsides, do we sometimes wonder: Why aren’t our own prayers answered and why do miracles seem to pass us by?

I imagine Joni Erickson might have wondered the same from time to time while spending her life, paralyzed in that wheel chair.

But even when we question, God still insists for us to bring our requests before Him. (Philippians 4:6)

And when we do, here are five steps to make sure He will answer them:

  1. Readjust our priorities. If we seek the answer to our Prayer with more passion than we seek God Himself, His patience rather than answers is what will be at work. (Matthew 6:33)
  2. Resist the temptation to recite memorized, perfect prayers, with lovely words and deep insight. God simply wants the genuine expression of our heart. (1 Samuel 16:7)
  3. Recognize that sometimes we don’t know how to pray or what our requests should be. So we can freely ask for Him to show us what to pray for. (Psalm 139:23)
  4. Remember that His answer is always in His timing, not ours because a thousand years in God’s sight are like a day that has just gone by. (Psalm 90:4)
  5. Relish in the fact that while we wait, He’s working in us, in our heart, in our situation. He has the answered already prepared. (Ephesians 2:10)

Why follow these steps? Because “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him” (1 John 5:14–15).

Visit Janet’s blog to read more: Will God answer my prayer? Five keys. | Janet Perez Eckles

IN THE NEWS

Sometimes God says “yes,” sometimes he says, no,” and sometimes He says, “not yet.” The key is to trust Him no matter what the answer. My dear friend and I prayed for God’s hand to open doors in places where only He can. And this time His quick and clear “yes” left us in awe. I received an invitation to minister to women in Quito, Ecuador. I’m packing lots of gratitude in the suitcase of my heart.

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How to fight fear, three steps.

19 Mar

Walking by Faith, Not by Sight

Janet Perez Eckles

Janet Eckles Perez

 

 

03-15-16 Boxing gloves

Sometimes the biggest obstacle is the fear we pack in our suitcase when we travel through life.

We stood at the doorway of the hotel room. “Is there anything I can do for you?” the lady who picked me up from the airport asked.

“Well…thanks,” I said, “only one thing…can you go in the bathroom and tell me which is the shampoo and which is the body lotion?”

Strange question, isn’t it? Well, when you are blind and the hotel room is a foreign place, a bit of navigating is needed to get familiar. But the tough part, the really tough part is determining which is which among those little containers lined up on the bathroom counter.

I learned the hard way. I’ve shampooed with body lotion. And yuck, I have spread shampoo on my body, assuming it was body lotion. I’m okay with that because all that’s part of the adventure when I travel to speaking engagements.

But, this true story made me think twice about staying in a hotel room alone:

Some years ago my husband was traveling in Europe, and he would leave me alone with only my maid in a large house, far from neighbors. One night, after my habitual reading of the Bible and prayers, I went to bed. As soon as I entered our room, I saw, in the mirror, the reflection of a man hiding behind the wardrobe. I was terrified and thought of screaming for help, but I knew it would be useless.

Determined to trust in God, I walked with trembling legs, and with as brave a heart as possible, took my Bible that was on top of a small table and sat in the chair nearby. I started to read in a loud voice chapter 53 of Isaiah, and then knelt down and started to pray asking God for His protection against thieves and every kind of evil.

Then I got up and sat in the chair again. I felt a hand touch my shoulder and a voice saying: “Don’t be afraid. You are safe. I came here to rob this house, but this chapter is the one my mother used to read to me, and your prayer reminded me of her prayers. I am going away now. You don’t need to be afraid of anything.

She saw the shadow, but being blind, I’d never see one. But know what? Fear never moves in with me in any hotel room or anywhere. And it won’t with you either if you believe in these three promises in Isaiah 41:10.

  1. God’s presence is with us: “Fear not; for I am with you…”
  2. No intruder is a match to His power because He says, “…be not dismayed; for I am your God…”
  3. He will come to our aid when fear tries to make us weak. He said, “I will strengthen you…”
  4. He will come to our aid when fear attacks our thoughts. He says, “I will help you…”
  5. His protection is stronger than any outside force. He promises, “Yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness.”

No matter where you travel, I invite you to make a reservation in the hotel of His grace. That’s where fear dies and faith grows.

Visit Janet’s website and sign up for a free gift: How to fight fear, three steps. | Janet Perez Eckles

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Does God love us when we’re bad? Five ways to know. | Janet Perez Eckles

20 Feb

Walking by Faith, Not by Sight

Janet Perez Eckles

Janet Eckles Perez

cooltext166100669393043

I blew kisses and waved good-bye at my two grandkids. They waved back from the back seat. “Remember,” I called out, “no more, no less.”

In her high-pitched voice, my eight-year-old granddaughter called back, “No more, no less, Nana.”

That’s our secret code. It began one night as I wrapped a fluffy towel around her after her bath. I cupped her soft face in my hands and looked into her blue eyes… “Always remember, princess, that there is nothing you can do to make me love you more. And there’s nothing you could ever do to make me love you less.”

Ever since then, that was our code each time we part: “no more, no less.”

I learned that from Romans 8:39; “Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

He (God) loves us no matter what:

  1. When we fall. When we make errors, mistakes and ruin what we thought would be a good thing.
  2. When we fail in our attempt to do something good, worthwhile or important.
  3. When we frown at the sadness of life. And when that sadness turns to tears of sorrow, anger or confusion.
  4. When we forget. When we forget the power of His love, the length of His compassion and the sincerity of His promises.
  5. When we feign. When we try to fool others by putting a smile on the outside yet, inside we are falling apart.

He still loves us. He still calls us. And He still looks for us to receive that immense love.

Source: Does God love us when we’re bad? Five ways to know. | Janet Perez Eckles

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