Blessings In Disguise

By Erika Rizkallah

I have a love-hate attitude about my chronic pain, a condition called Small Polyfiber Neuropathy. Of course I hate pain. But if I didn't have it, I wouldn't have been given a gift. One of those blessings in disguise things, if you know what I mean. 

Living an Unstuck life is all about freedom and movement. As we walk along the path of life God set out for us, we have freedom and rest for our souls. We also have movement... 

            We're walking with Him.

We're not stuck. 

However, we can be lured into that trapped/stuck lifestyle at any time. We have an adversary (Satan) who spends 100% of his time trying to kill, steal and destroy our life and everything meaningful to us.

Let's face it, we don't spend 100% of our time on anything; this gives him an advantage over us if we're not walking in the spirit.

We can be following God's plan when out of nowhere, we're hit with the rotten parts of life: confusion, crisis, strife in the home or an illness. These things come with decisions: Are we going to continue moving or are we going to let it paralyze us?

That's what happened to me when illness first struck. I didn't know what my body was doing or why - and neither did the doctors. Everything came to a screeching halt (me = screeching). But after a while, I resolved to get back on my feet and serve Him in my weakness. 

I also wanted to press on with my goals and enjoy the full life Jesus meant for me to have. 

I love to sing. I've been singing since I was four and was in choirs until high school. Then I got kicked out (long story) and stopped singing in groups. For the past three years I've been telling God I'd sing in his choir in Heaven, but several weeks ago I thought NO...I'm going to sing now! 

So I prayed for a choir I could sing with, and then...voila! I got the opportunity and joined it. Best of all, I get to sing with my daughter, Katya. 

Our choir is a mixed group of teens and adults and we traveled together to Tennessee to see three regional Broadway plays and perform a concert for a large church.

                                                       Two of our fave actors: Anna & Austin

I can't explain how joyful I felt watching people praise God from our position behind the pulpit. I now know what it means to offer myself as a living sacrifice and it was worth every ounce of pain I feel now.

                                                          Enjoying life with my daughter 
                                                                                               (I take terrible selfies)

What about you? Have you recognized any blessings in disguise from your illness?

It cuts like a knife

I hope everyone had a relaxing Memorial Day weekend, and if you've served our country in any way, THANK YOU. I thought about your sacrifice and Christ's sacrifice all weekend.

One of the easiest ways to get unstuck, is to make sure you're using the right tools for the job. I'm reminded of this because I just finished making a meal for a sick friend in my church.  My husband is the cook in our family and I don't like it, except when I can help someone in need. Plus, he enjoys it and is so much better at it than I am. I think, Why bother? I mean, it's kind of a pain - all that chopping, and dicing and mincing.

It annoys me because it takes so much work on the front end and is gone in minutes. That was until these...

A few months ago, my husband bought these fancy schmancy chef knives. He'd whip open the box and say, "Look at my knives. They're from Japan. They're super sharp and some of the best you can buy." Then he'd tell me how much they cost and I'd think, Wow, are you so lame that you need to brag about cutlery? Of course, I never said it out loud, because well...he's got knives.

One day, when he was out, I took the precious knives and used them to cut up some vegetables for dinner.

          Oh. My. Lord.

These things are amazing. They're phenomenal. They can slice through an unpeeled banana like butter! Really, I became a slicing maniac. I even called my kids down to the kitchen, "Hey you guys, watch this!"

      Slice, Slice, Slice. Chop.

I was so tempted to go Ginsu and slice through a can, but that would be wrong.

Suddenly, I didn't mind cooking so much. I have to admit, I became like an addict. Whenever I'd cook I'd start with my old knives and immediately start thinking about the ones that could really meet my needs. I'd secretly take the box down, lift up the black lid and clean them up neatly afterward so he wouldn't notice. Mine. All mine! All other knives paled in comparison, they felt like saws in my hand.

He finally learned my secret the next time he bragged. I couldn't help it, I bragged more: "I know! They're awesome and I use them all the time!" He was not amused, because what I didn't know is that you're supposed to use a special tool to clean them because they can take a finger off.

Oops!

Anyway, I mention the knives because sometimes faithfully reading the Bible isn't easy. The wrong one can feel unwieldy in your hands, but when you find the right one for the job, look out...you become a Bible reading maniac!

So, try to find one that speaks to you personally and wherever you are in life. I've got study bibles, an archeological bible, a women's bible and even, a waterproof bible. God's people know his word, and after all...

 the most expensive sacrifice in history was the one made by Jesus Christ.

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
                                                                                                             Hebrews 4:12

Bloom

Hi friends,

Pardon the many garden images coming out in my blog. I'm spending tons of time getting all my plants strongly rooted before the southern sun burns them up. The garden is where I learn the most about God.

I know following God can sometimes be difficult, especially when you don't understand the seasons of life he has you in. I find that when I need to get unstuck from a miry area, the best thing to do is move.

Make a move in any direction, because when you're moving, you're not stuck in discouraging and defeating thoughts. You're engaging in life. When we engage in life with God, he directs our steps and takes us where we need to go.

Look in the bottom corners of this this picture closely:

I purchased these hibiscus plants to put on either side of my front door. They're the same plant, bought at the same time, and positioned in the same area. I guess I didn't fully understand their growth requirements, because I had to move them.

Their beautiful flowers fell off after a week. This may not seem like a big deal, but since my husband is convinced that I'm a plant killer, and thus a money waster, it's a big deal for me.

I'll do anything to prove him wrong about this! 

One hibiscus had buds on it, but the other didn't, so I decided to switch it and move it to the sunnier corner. After another two weeks, I noticed that the other one's leaves were getting dull and the other was growing buds.

        Here's the one in the sunnier corner, starting to bloom again.
                 

             
          Look at this one....she's leaning - trying to get to the sun!

Now, I play "The Switcheroo." Every other day, I switch them around to give them an equal chance to stand in the sun. It's a lot of work, but that's ok because God's teaching me to tend to things and really care for them. He's also showing me that sometimes we're just not in the right spot.

Our God is a tender gardener. He looks after us, cares for us and moves us around when we're not in the right place. When we're in the right spot.....

    We bloom!

How about you? Are you in the right spot in your life and ministry?

     Are you, and others around you, blooming?

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener." John 15:1

Five Things

My bucket list is small and huge at the same time. I'd planned to post it weeks ago, but every time I tried to come up with items, I kept thinking of the things I didn't want to do:

   I have no desire to climb mountains, traverse deserts, or jump from anything.

     I have no desire to become a famous celebrity or fabulous media personality.

        I have no desire to push myself beyond my physical limit to inspire others.

I'm not competitive, I crave peace and quiet, and enjoy special moments with God and people.

Putting a lot of action items on my list felt fake. I don't want to chase a bunch of things of no value to me and then feel unfulfilled because I haven't done them. I'm pleased with where I am in life.

                In short, I'm content.

Because discontentment has been a long-running theme in my life, and since this is a milestone worth celebrating, I made myself a tower of mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and ate it.

Then I threw imaginary confetti, so I wouldn't actually have to clean it up.

The truth is, the older I get, the less I care about what I have and do. I'm very concerned about who I am and who God wants me to become. I also value the quality of my life and what I leave behind, more than the experiences I can have in this world.

However, in order for me to achieve God's purposes for my life, I've got to be focused on a very few things. So, I've narrowed my bucket list down to just 5 main objectives:

Raise my children to love God and be healthy, passionate, and self-sufficient people.

Become an award winning children's book author.

Buy a house of rest and refuge for church leaders.

Establish a family foundation for underprivileged kids.

Travel the world

Considering there are thousands of obstacles between here and there, that should keep me busy for awhile.

         "But godliness with contentment is great gain." 1 Tim 6:6

Unstuck

It's important for you to know what Unstuck is so you get what this blog is really about. Unstuck is about movement. It's about identifying those stuck patterns and areas of your life that aren't good for you or glorifying to God. Those could be areas of sin, unhealthy habits, bondage, oppression and attitudes.

I know what it feels like to be stuck in a cycle. I suffered for years with extreme discontent. It was a deep, eating at my soul feeling that something wasn't right. Year after year I would journal and struggle and journal and struggle and still nothing would change. Thankfully I learned to journal faithfully because one year I decided to go back and read them. I was stunned. I was writing and thinking the same things over and over and before I knew it, five years had passed. I was stuck and sick about it.

The scary part was that I didn't know how to fix it, but the fear of having another year pass, overrode the fear of making necessary changes. I couldn't and didn't do it on my own. I did it with Jesus. He set me free and He can set you free too.

So that's what it's all about - movement toward the life God has in mind for you.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.  John 10:10

Stuck?

I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living.  Psalm 116:9

Do you feel alive? Not physically... spiritually. Are you walking with Jesus and before the Lord in the land of the living or are there dead places inside you?

For years I was a dead Christian.

Some would say it's impossible because Christ is alive in us. I can say from my experience and many other women I know, that there are multitudes of dead Christians. Believers who were once alive in Christ and filled with His power and glory are living in a withered and powerless state.
It doesn't have to be that way.

Christ redeems. He makes things new and is an expert at raising the dead to new life in Him, but He requires our participation. He requires belief and belief requires action. Do you feel stuck? Do you want to walk in wonder and freedom with Him once again?

Let's do it together. You're not alone. There are others walking on this journey and in the weeks and months to come we'll share our stories of how the living God is reawakening those once dead areas of our lives.
                                          
   Peace and adventure in Christ to you!