Inspiring or Distracting by Steph Beth Nickel

As the celebration of our Lord’s substitutionary death and triumphant resurrection approaches, one of two things can happen.

We can spend extra time meditating on what Jesus accomplished on our behalf …

OR …

We can face a tsunami of extra plans and preparations coupled with trying to accomplish five days' worth of work in only four.

True Confession

Because I have extra work to accomplish this week (thankfully, some of it is even paid work), both in my office and beyond, I haven’t been spending near the amount of time I would like to focused on the Saviour.

I am thankful, however, for Christ-centred podcasts that I can listen to while I’m cleaning the church (and my house, although this won’t get near as much of my attention).

While I’m taking my daughter to work and picking her up or toodling around, running errands, I can listen to faith-based podcasts and audiobooks.

Even in the midst of my busyness, there are things I can do to keep my thoughts centred on Jesus and the price He paid on my behalf.

There are also other things happening this week that have the potential to help me focus even more intently on the most profound weekend on the Christian calendar—as long as I don’t let my mind wander to the tasks yet undone:

1. Worship team practice on Thursday night.

2. The Good Friday Service (to be followed by a fellowship lunch).

3. The Resurrection Sunday service (preceded by yet another worship team practice).

 And then there’s the amazing reminder in Colossian 3:23, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters” (NIV). (emphasis mine)

So, whether I’m spending quiet time with the Lord, participating in the church services, cleaning my house, preparing meals, or working in my office, I can turn my thoughts heavenward. I can work at my tasks as if doing them for God—because, ultimately, I am.

This week—or any week—I can and should commit my To-Do List to Him. In fact, I repeatedly make plans to begin each task by committing it to Him. This is not a habit I’ve gotten into, but it is one I intend to work on today and in the days ahead.

So, is the upcoming weekend an inspiration or a distraction? 

While it has the potential to be both, as we take our thoughts captive to obey Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5), even the distractions can inspire us.

Do you find this week inspiring, distracting, or a bit of both? How do you stay focused on our Saviour when you’re especially busy? How do you point those around you to the One we are to honour each and every day He gives us breath?

Meet Clan Nickel by Steph Beth Nickel

 

Nice to meet you!

I’m Stephanie Elizabeth. My first name means “crown,” and my second name means “oath of God.” As I recall, my mom liked the name Stephanie and one of her friend’s was named Elizabeth.

I married my hubby David Earl, my “beloved man of noble birth,” 38.5 years ago.

We have three grown children: (David) Nathanial, our “beloved gift from God,” Joshua Aaron, “Yeshua is salvation,” and Sarah Elizabeth, our “Princess, oath of God.”

A Beloved Gift

I’d always wanted to be a mom. Therefore, it made perfect sense to name our firstborn David Nathanial. (He goes by Nathanial or Nate. We never wanted him to be known as “Little Davey.”) The sad irony is that he and his wife aren’t walking with the Lord. Nathanial would have referred to himself as a Christian until he was in his early 20s. He’s now in his mid-30s. Of course, he’s still beloved and a gift from God. It is our prayer that the Lord will draw him, his wife, and her family to Himself.

Fun fact: if our firstborn had been a daughter, we would have named her Melody Alyssa, which refers to a noble song. My hubby is a musician. So, this name would have been a tribute to him.

The Gospel in a Name

Our second son, who would have been named Natasha if he’d been a girl. I don’t think we ever settled on a second name, but at the time, I was involved in praying for and reaching out to Russian brothers and sisters in Christ who were being persecuted for their faith. Therefore, it seemed appropriate to choose a Russian name. (I also liked Sebastiana Alexandra, but that would have been a mouthful.)

However, God knew I had always wanted a daughter and may not have had more children if He’d given us a daughter back in 1984 or 1988, when our sons were born. And I can’t imagine life without either of them.

Joshua Aaron is very much like his dad, an easygoing, faithful follower of Jesus. Joshua settled in northern Saskatchewan after graduating from Bible college there. (It was amazing how God opened those doors, but that’s a story for another day.) Joshua is a gymnastics coach and very involved in his church. He also preaches from time to time. He’s getting married this summer, and we are hopeful that we’ll be able to attend.

Even though Joshua lives only two provinces away, it feels almost as distant as Scotland, where his brother lives. Dave and I hope to get back to the UK at least once more. It’s GORGEOUS!

Made Complete

On February 28, 1990, God sent us our third precious blessing. Our family was complete. Enter Sarah Elizabeth. Remember how I said I’d always wanted a daughter? One day, when she was having a disagreement with her brothers, she said, “Mom wanted me more than you.”

Oh, dear!

I had to tell her that I’d shared how much I wanted a little girl to let her know how special she was to me. I also told her that I hadn’t been smart enough to realize what a blessing little boys were as well.

Oh, the stories we as parents could tell!

Certainty Among Uncertainty

If this past year has taught us anything, it’s that we truly don’t know what the future holds. I don’t know when I’ll see Nathanial and Laura again. (Hopefully, next summer in Jasper, Alberta, if not this year.) I don’t know if we’ll be able to attend Joshua and Ericka’s wedding, which they inadvertently set for my 39^th wedding anniversary. What fun! I don’t know if Sarah will ever get an apartment with her BFF as they’re planning or if the Lord has other plans for her future.

What do I know?

(David) Nathanial is still our beloved gift from God.

Joshua Aaron bears the greatest truth of all eternity in his name. Jesus (Yeshua) is, indeed, the only source of salvation.

Sarah Elizabeth is our princess, evidence that God’s oaths, His promises, will all be fulfilled.

Names, they mean a lot.

And we must always keep foremost in our mind the Name Above All Names, our Lord Jesus Christ. During these days, it’s especially hard to do so, but as we repeatedly take our thoughts captive to obey Him (2 Corinthians 10:5), we will be richly blessed.

4 Steps to Managing Crisis - Bobbi Junior

Chronic crisis takes a toll. Be it one unrelenting circumstance, or a few overlapping issues, emotions begin to reign. Turmoil feels normal.  Supports may drop away as friends and family lose sight of our ongoing struggle.

During my first experience with a lengthy crisis I existed in a state of hypervigilance for almost two years. Helpless to control my circumstance, I did little that was thoughtful or planned. I felt like a victim. This mindset only served to increase my struggle. It was not a happy time for me or those around me.

A few years after the first circumstance stabilized, the good Lord allowed me a second opportunity. Could I manage chronic crisis in a different way? This time I sought some purposeful strategies. Gradually, four daily steps emerged.

1. Make a list of what's working. (This reminded me that progress was occurring. During times of crisis, it's easy to miss that fact.)

2. List all the issues hanging over my head. (A long list!)

3. Highlight those which are in my control. (A much shorter list.)

4. Of those highlighted, identify the priorities for that day, based on:

• What has to be addressed?
• What do I have the energy to address?
• Is this a day I can take a break from managing the crisis?

That's it. At the end of four steps I had a plan of action for the day. One day. This day. Nothing more.

Remaining items were noted, so as not to be forgotten. They usually waited for another day, and miraculously, many dropped off the list of their own accord with no effort on my part.

Now it became a battle of the mind. Paul laid out the strategy when he said, “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”  2 Corinthians 10:5

I began to take every  random thought captive, separate it from clinging emotions, and decide if it was worthy of attention or not. Most of the time, it wasn't.

At first, it wasn't easy. Emotions wanted control. I had to constantly remind myself that panic does not change the situation. Worry doesn't cause others to manage their part. Fretting doesn't solve a situation not yet positioned for resolution.

With practice, I've learned I can be at peace in the midst of chronic crisis. I can rest in between addressing needs. I can enjoy life while I wait for the situation to resolve or stabilize. As the Beatles once wrote, "It's getting better all the time..."

What strategies do you use to manage crisis?

In 2011 Bobbi’s mother's progression into dementia could no longer be ignored. One day Mom demanded, "Someone needs to write about this!" In response, Bobbi began to explore her mother’s journey and her own struggles as a caregiver. Her learnings are documented on her blog at www.bobbijunior.com, and in a memoir, The Reluctant Caregiver.