Tag Archives: Faith

Simple quiz to see how you handle fear

16 Jul

Walking by Faith Not by Sight

Janet Perez Eckles

His Way

LostWhat joy, the plane landed a bit earlier in Quito, Ecuador. My friend would be waiting for me and we’d be on our way to our week of ministering to those affected by the earthquake.

The airport employee who guided me out of the plane grabbed my bags and led me toward the exit of the airport. Then he asked, “What does the friend who’s picking you up look like?”

I leaned on my white cane and gave a silly grin. Although I met her during her visit to the states, being blind, I had no clue what she looked like.

“Don’t worry,” I said, “she’ll recognize me and we’ll be on our way.”

We waited. And we waited. No friend. Then logic filed in my head. What if, since I’ve been traveling so much, I ended up in the wrong country, or arrived on the wrong date.

“This is Ecuador, isn’t it?” I asked, sort of joking.

Whew! He said it was. At least it was the correct country. But with no one there to meet me, I had to decide what to do. I couldn’t use my cell phone; it had no service in a foreign country.

Here’s when we have the choice—whether we allow fear to rule us or faith empower us.

I chose the latter because of this test I gave myself. And I invite you to take it too:

  • Is God aware of our every glitch?
  • Is He faithful when we encounter unexpected circumstances?
  • Is His faithfulness active even when we fail?
  • Does His answer come in ways we never predicted?
  • Is His protection available no matter where we are?
  • Does He warn what to do about fear, worry and anxiety?
  • Can I rest, knowing His hand is upon me no matter if I’m blind, deaf or crippled?

King David might have taken this test because he declared: ”The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1)

I passed the test, then gathered my suitcases around me, plopped in a chair near the exit and relaxed while I waited. If you also answer “yes” to all of the above, you’re on the way to a life of faith. And if you recognize His promises as you answered the questions, you’ve arrived at a place where faith rules, where peace reigns, where your steps are firm. And best of all, even when circumstances don’t change, your heart is secure, your thoughts are calm and His answer is sure to come.

And my answer indeed came. My friend had received wrong information from the airline, telling her the plane was delayed for three hours. Eventually she sent someone to pick me up from the airport. And although I didn’t know this person, I still trusted—not so much in her as she was a stranger, but I trusted in god who is truly trustworthy.

How about you? Are you at a place strangely painful? What does the test reveal about your fear, about your faith?

Janet

Source: Simple quiz to see how you handle fear. | Janet Perez Eckles

 

This message from a friend took my breath away. She was recently diagnosed with last stages of leukemia. And she writes:

“My heart has been blessed. My mind is at peace, my direction for ministry is more clear. God heard and is answering. Thank you. I do have a spirit of joy and peace. Even laughter! I smile thinking I get to go to Heaven first. I’ve always loved winning a race. Ha! I’ll beat you there! In reality, I’m not giving up and I am trusting for a miraculous healing and that God will continue to teach me lessons I can share with the world. What a thrill it is to be a servant of the King!”

After reading this note from her, I reflected on my reaction should a doctor tell me I only have a few months to live. How about you? How would you react?

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Independence Day Fireworks

4 Jul

My Take

DiVoran Lites

Chapter 32 Fireworks

Fireworks are so exciting! Because he’s a pyromaniac, Bill loves them even more than I do. We knew the father and uncle of a family who every year bought bags full of fireworks and got together to blow them up on the Fourth of July. Not long ago, Bill and I were invited to that party. The kids danced and whooped as sparks boogied around their feet. An adult brought out lawn chairs for Bill and me assuring us that we sat well out of the line of fire. Two dogs stayed in the house, and I could hear the big one barking. I knew the tea-cup poodle, who was my friend, would be shivering with fear. She’d go up against any big dog anytime, but loud noises scared her. Suddenly a feisty spark landed on my bare arm, and that was enough fireworks for me. I went into the house to comfort the poor dogs and sang to them while the outside part of the gathering lasted.

Most July Fourths we drove to whatever body of water the town elders selected to reflect their extravagances. When I was a kid, our tiny community raised the money for a grand display. The town leaders went to the other side of the reservoir and arranged the fireworks for the show. The only hitch was that, as we heard later, a match fell into the main box and then all the combustibles exploded in bursts of color and sound. Unforgettable!

I can’t omit the other sort of fireworks, though it was not on Independence Day. I experienced it when Bill got a visitor’s pass for me to go out by the VAB (Vehicle Assembly Building) to watch the launch of the Apollo Twelve. The team of engineers he worked with effected the separation of the first stage from the second stage on the moon-landing vehicle by installing the explosives that separated the two parts. On this launch day the orange and white exhaust-plume against the blue sky was gorgeous, but the hurrahs of the crowd and the pulsating roar of the engines that seemed to shake the entire planet under my feet and travel though my body were so meaningful and unexpected that they made me want to cry.

Because of my fear, the fireworks loving family were kind enough not to ask us back for that particular holiday. Since we don’t have kids around anymore we don’t get in the car and go to wherever the pyrotechnics are. We may watch a few on Face Book or T. V., and we hear them from the neighborhood into the early morning hours, but that’s it. It’s not that we don’t appreciate all the reasons we are still an independent country, it’s just that we have found another way to be independent no matter where we are. We do it by learning to depend on Christ Jesus, Our Father, and the Holy Spirit to give us wisdom and guidance through all the joys and troubles of life. We know that dependence by many people in the past and present is the answer to the question, what has made America the greatest country in the world. “God bless America,” land that I love. May He stand beside her and guide her through the night with His light from above and within.

 

“God Bless America,” Kate Smith

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Five mistakes that bring on regret. 

11 Jun

Walking by Faith, Not by Sight

Janet Perez Eckles

His Way

 

 

I woke up, and while still in bed, I stretched and yawned one night during my visit to Ecuador. As I pondered about the time, I had no way to find out. My cell phone didn’t work—no connection. Unlike here in the States, there was no land line phone to use to call for time.

Most of you who are sighted, would glance toward your phone or clock and know the exact time. Not so for this blind gal.

Surely it must be morning, I thought. So, I started my morning routine. But before getting dressed, I realized it must still be the middle of the night as I heard no birds singing.

Have you done the same? We all do it, don’t’ we? We take action and begin our routine at the wrong time. Even worse, we forge on without checking God’s timing. Without consulting His will. And without seeking His guidance.

Then when we’re in the middle of the journey, things begin to fall apart. That’s when we try to hide our regret, and, with a sorrowful look, we ask God for His input, His help and rescue.

Jesus told that very story in Luke 15. He relates how a young man chose to follow the recipe for bitter regret marinated in foolishness. And often we do, too. We go through these five stages:

  1. We follow our own intuition, our wisdom and whims. “….the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living” (Luke 15:13).
  2. Later, we evaluate the situation and scratch our head, wondering how we got there. “After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need” (Luke 15:11).
  3. We scramble, looking for an answer. “So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs” (Luke 15:15).
  4. We recognize our bad timing, our mistakes and our pitiful ending. “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you’” (Luke 15:17).
  5. The glorious good news is God welcomes us back:  “The son came back home and…while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him” (Luke 15:20 ).

The father delighted in the son’s return. God does the same. No matter the foolish path, the sad mistakes, the pitiful choices, we can always, always come back. God will run to meet us, throw His arms of compassion around us and give us the kiss of forgiveness.

What regret still nags at you today?

Source: Five mistakes that bring on regret. | Janet Perez Eckles

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What to do when our world shakes.

4 Jun

Walking by Faith, Not by Sight

Janet Perez Eckles

His Way

 

06-03-16 earthquakeI was alone, seated at the dining room table in the house who hosted me during my trip to Quito, Ecuador. The chair moved a bit. I thought it was my imagination. Then the table moved from side to side. I jumped to my feet and my heart beat fast.

What flashed through my mind was another earthquake, similar to the one that happened only eight hours prior. The magnitude was nearly 7, the same magnitude as the one that destroyed the coast a month earlier.

As the table shook, and the floor underneath me moved, I called out the name of Jesus.

Perhaps I faced an army of fear, anxiety, uncertainty and those weapons of panic were about to attack.

You might have too. Maybe right now, life has your world shaking with an unexpected emotional earthquake. Perhaps you received painful news and what was once steady is now moving out of control. And without warning, the uncertainty of the next moment is about to bring you down.

But God is not surprised and has the answer. He’s saying to you, to me, the same as he declared to King Jehoshaphat who faced an overwhelming army:

  1. The battle is not ours. Thus, we need not know how to fight on our own because God said, “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.” 2 Chronicles 20:15
  2. When all is shaking and the earth is moving underneath us, our soul is steady while we stand firm, wait and trust. “You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem.” 2 Chronicles 20:17a
  3. We can face any tremor, confront any quakes, yet our heart is calm because God is with us. “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.” 2 Chronicles 20:17b

If your world is shaking right now, what is God whispering to you?

 

Source: What to do when our world shakes. | Janet Perez Eckles

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Thanks for the Memories: Jesus Loves Me

30 May

My Take

DiVoran Lites

DiVoran, Mom and brother

David, Dora, and DiVoran Bowers

It was a time of childhood and Mother took us to the church she’d been reared in. It was, and still is, a beautiful church built from some kind of red stone. But I see on the Internet that it is closed now. How sad. Mother, David and I could walk there from our grandparents’ apartment house where we lived while Daddy was away fighting in WW2.

I must have been in first grade the year Auntie Elvira was my Sunday School teacher. She had taught my mother, then my mother’s younger sister and later she taught my cousins and even their children. Elvira, a maiden-lady lived alone, but she was well-beloved by the entire Canon City, Colorado community.

Our Sunday School room was clean, well-lit, and cheerful with carefully crafted wooden book cases holding children’s books we could read if there was time. Auntie Elvira always told an exciting Bible Story and let us know how much Jesus loved us. The one thing she never forgot was to lead us in, “Jesus Loves Me,” a song I have remembered all my life.

“Jesus Loves Me,” has helped me out of many low places. One day when Bill was working at the Kennedy Space Center I was pushing the iron around on one his white shirts when I began to feel so discouraged about myself I could hardly stand up. I recalled our minister of counseling telling us that he had a congregant say she had tried to feel as if she measured up to God’s expectation, but she never could. One day she fell to her knees and prayed fervently but that didn’t help, so she stretched out flat with her nose pushed into the floor thinking God might smile on her then.

I decided to get down on my face, too, and see how it worked for me. I put the iron in its holder, but that moment I remembered a tale told by our pastor, Peter Lord. He said he knew a professor in seminary who was the best educated, and the Godliest man he’d ever known. When a student asked him what his favorite song was, the professor answered, “Jesus Love Me.”

Still standing at the ironing board I decided that if it was good enough for a fine man like that, I’d give it a try. As I sang, Auntie Elvira’s love for the children came back and then I felt a warmth in my heart. That warmth assured me that God did love me, after all. I went back to ironing, but by then I had the song where it needed to be and I repeated it over and over. I have now depended on it for many years. God did, however continue to solidify my conviction that I was all right with him, as well. During that period I had two memorable dreams.

Charlene and Billie png

Charlene and Billy Lites

The first dream was about a dog. When Charlene and Billy were children, we gave them an adopted puppy for Christmas. They were thrilled. Right away Renie dressed the pup in doll clothes and put her in the doll buggy. We named her Dingo because she looked like an Australian Dingo dog. When she became full-sized, she couldn’t do enough to show how much she loved us and wanted to be with us. Then, one night, I dreamed that Dingo came to the side of my bed and she was blind. I didn’t feel pity, instead I knew it was a message from the Holy Spirit, God telling me that He didn’t see my sins any more than that blind dog could see me. That was confirmed by Corrie ten Boom at a meeting in Melbourne when she said: “God has threw our sins into the deepest sea and put up a, NO FISHING sign.

Trust in the Lord

Those dreams and the reassurance that God loved me happened over fifty years ago, and yet I remember one other dream as vividly: In this one, I run through the sky as light as a butterfly, totally free of all shame and blame. Though I’ve had doubts about my own “perfection,” I never doubted the Father’s love again.

“Jesus love me, this I know,

For the Bible tells me so.

Little ones to Him belong,

They are weak, but He is strong.”

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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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7 May

 

My ways are not your ways neither are your thoughts my thoughts-2

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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 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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