Lets Make a Deal

While clicking through the channels, I found one of my old favorite shows that is back on the air...”Let’s Make a Deal.” 

Everyone comes to the show dressed up in costumes. They try to get the host to notice them & choose them as a contestant. The object is to pick a door with prizes behind it…you have three doors to choose from. There is only ONE door that has the great gifts. After picking your door, the host will then try to tempt you to give it up and take money instead.

The young girl on this particular day chose Door #1. The host then began the temptation process.

“I’ll give you $300.00 for your Door.”

She jumped up and down, and then wiggled back and forth while trying to decide, finally shaking her head.

“NO...I’m sticking with the Door.”

The host then pulled out more money.

“$700.00 for your door.”

This temptation was a little tougher. She put her head down in deep thought, wiggled and then quietly, as if unsure, said, 

"No."

The host brought out his final offer, thumbing through the cash directly in front of her face...tempting...taunting...

"$2000.00 in cash, you don’t even know what’s behind that door. You can see this cash and I’m sure a young girl like yourself could use the money."

She now seemed resolved, determined to receive her prize behind Door #1...

"Yes, I know it’s a lot of money, but I’m sticking with my decision."

The host was a little surprised, thinking that he could surely persuade her.

"Well, since you don’t want the money, let’s see what you’ve won...
An all expense paid trip worth over $40,000.00!"

She screamed, danced, jumped & hugged the host. She made the right decision!
We face the same situation everyday...Let’sMake a Deal! As you choose to follow Jesus; to live a life that will bring you the greatest prize of all...peace, love, comfort, forgiveness and eternity with Him, you’ve found the lasting treasure! You’ve chosen the right door. However, throughout your day, you’re often tempted to choose something else, something instead of the door that leads you to TRUE happiness in and through a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Pay attention to your daily choices...are they leading you away from the “Door” that leads you closer to the Lord and the ultimate prize?

Be determined in your daily decisions! Ask Jesus to flood you with His truth and wisdom each day so you’ll be able to withstand the fiery darts of the enemy. Remember, we know what’s behind the door that we’ve chosen…Salvation!

Do not let them depart from your eyes; For they are life to those who find them. And health to all their flesh. Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life. Put away from you a deceitful mouth, and put perverse lips far from you. Let your eyes look straight ahead, and your eyelids look right before you. Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established. Do not turn to the right or the left; Remove your foot from evil.

Proverbs 4:21-27

Determination

I’ve been thinking a lot about determination lately. The dictionary defines determination as: the act of coming to a decision or of fixing or settling on a purpose.

We all have hopes, dreams and goals, but how many of us can say that we have determination?

Somehow over the years, I think most of us have lost our purpose. We’ve let the things that are important slip off to the side as we continue stumbling through our life...incredibly busy, doing unimportant, trivial things or hanging on to bad habits.

What are we waiting for?

We have lost our determination in the waiting. We need to remember that while there is always waiting, we need to be fixed on our true purpose and determined to stay on course.

It takes just one right decision at a time, each day. That's it! When faced with a familiar situation, be determined to make the right choice. Complete determination to break any bondage (Habits) that are holding you captive. With each right choice...you are one step closer to breaking a bad habit...BE DETERMINED!

Jesus Christ was our example. He came to this earth to fulfill His Fathers will. He knew He had a purpose and spent His life pursuing it.

Determination...He gave us an example to live by.

As you seek your life calling...BE DETERMINED to start your day with scripture & prayer, asking for help to continue to be DETERMINED to do that which you were made for.

Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
Romans 12:11-13

The River Man

Photos & Story By: Lisa Petrarca

Van Damme State Park-Fern Forrest

It was about 40 degrees and misting as we walked down the path. The lush, moss covered trees and ferns to our left, the grumble of the rushing water to the right. It was the picture perfect moment.

He could not resist the flat stump that stood directly in front of the small waterfall.

Running towards it with the enthusiasm of a 10 year old boy discovering a secret hidden treasure, he shouted, "Hey...take my picture, it'll look like I'm standing in the middle of the river."

I fumbled around in my bag pulling my camera out, popping the lens off and fiddling with the settings.

I looked up, just as he jumped onto the smooth, flat surface of the wood.

The "sturdy" stump, shot straight into the air, as his body splashed into the icy water below.

Frantically his first instinct was to save the phone in his pocket, ripping it out of his jacket, holding it high in the air, while flapping his free hand, trying to paddle his way to the side of the embankment.

I was shocked...I managed to snap a quick, blurry picture as he came out, covering my mouth with my free hand to stifle the laugh that was threatening to escape.

Double Click for Larger View

The stump was actually a two inch floating piece of wood. It deceptively sat above the water inviting unsuspecting adventurers to stand on it!

What is the "stump" in your life? What is deceiving you and tempting you to walk away from the path?

Don't continue to be fooled by the enemy. Stay on the path that Jesus Christ has shown you by His example and sacrifice.

Let the Lord be your guide!

O' Lord
By: Lisa Petrarca

Calm my soul O' Lord
Lift my spirit
Give me the strength and faith to continue in it

Your love knows no bounds O' Lord
Set my feet back on solid ground
Direct my path and turn my life around

Freedom you bring O' Lord
Complete peace of mind
Into your loving arms O' Lord my life I assign

I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites.
Romans 16:17-18

To give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace."
Luke 1:77-79

Going Deeper

Story By: Lisa Petrarca

Are you taking the necessary steps to building a relationship with the Lord? Not only limiting yourself to prayer in the morning or evening, but praying throughout the day.

When a decision is needed to be made...

When you're angry...

When you're lost...

When you're scared...

When you're worried...

When you're frustrated...

When your life & your choices no longer make sense...

PRAY!

I've discovered that the more I pray, the more opportunity I give the Lord to help me. He knows your needs, but He is waiting for you to stop trying to do it alone and ask for His help. Our days are filled with so many emotions and decisions. Our human nature usually makes decisions based on our feelings. God basis His decisions on complete knowledge of what is best for you.

So does it really make sense to trust your fleeting, passing, whimsical emotions?

Or trust in the Lord, the one person who knows you better than you know yourself?

God sees you!

Not the person you show to the world, but YOU!

Your true heart...

Your soul...

Your true self behind all the walls of protection.

Let God answer your prayers. Pray throughout the day and watch the change in your life as you build a close relationship with your Father in Heaven.

In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Philippians 1:4-6

And this is my prayer: that our love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ - to the glory and praise of God.
Philippians 1:9-11

Cherokee Indian Legend

Do you know the legend of the Cherokee Indian youth's right of passage?

His dad takes him into the forest ~ blindfolded ~ and leaves him...alone.

He is required to sit on a stump the whole night...and not take off the blindfold until the ray of sun shines through it. He is all by himself. He cannot cry out for help to anyone.

Once he survives the night he is a MAN. He cannot tell the other boys of this experience. Each lad must come into his own manhood.

The boy was terrified-could hear all kinds of noise...Beasts were all around him. Maybe even some human would hurt him.

The wind blew the grass and earth...and it shook his stump. But he sat stoically - never removing the blindfold. It would be the only way he could be a man.

Finally, after a horrific night...the sun appeared and he removed his blindfold. It was then that he saw his father sitting on the stump next to him...at watch...the entire night.

We are never alone. Even when we do not know it, our Heavenly Father is protecting us...He is sitting on the stump beside us. All we have to do is reach out to Him.

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go" Joshua 1:9

The Tear Down

By: Lisa Petrarca

I've been dealing with some difficult things in my life lately. I've been praying, reading the scriptures daily and turning all of my problems over to the Lord. Then on Sunday, after a sleepless night, I received a really powerful message at church. It was the kind of message that made me realize that my Heavenly Father hears my prayers, He is mindful of my struggles and heartache.

Our Pastor Aaron, spoke about life changes. He used the analogy of a demolition crew coming in to tear down an old building or a construction company remodeling a home. In order to make everything new, it has to be torn down and old walls and appliances removed.

It is a hard but necessary process that the construction crew must do in order to rebuild and make everything new and beautiful. It also takes time...but eventually after all the walls are replaced, new fixtures, lights, and floors are put in, along with a fresh coat of paint, the room/building is complete.

Before God can make everything right in my life, He needs to tear down my old, broken way of thinking. He wants me to bring all the hidden things out into the open so He can repair and rebuild it. He will make all things new again.

So, as I sit broken and wondering what now? My Heavenly Father is putting me back together, piece by piece, room by broken room. Remodeling me to become all that He intended me to be.

Are you in the tear down stage too? Just remember, it may take some time, but He has heard your prayers. God is working to restore you. Your are being rebuilt and remodeled into His image.

Hold on...be patient...trust...have faith...your Heavenly Father hears your cries.

And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.
1 Peter 5:10-11

Gripping Fear

By: Lisa Petrarca

Inching closer we stood on our tiptoes to peek through the heads of the thick crowd. My mouth opened in surprise as I looked at my sister, “I’ve never seen anything like this in all the years I’ve lived here.” She grinned, “That is so cool!” We tried to maneuver our way in, kids in tow, mumbling, “Excuse me, excuse me…we just want to get a closer look.”

Perched on the top of the pier railing, long strong beak pressed tightly to his chest, he slowly moved his head back and forth; eyes shifting in curiosity at the large crowd pointing black objects in his direction.

We softly walked closer trying to place the young children as close to him as we dare. Snapping picture after picture, feeling more confident as he continued to stand still and pose, the kids moving even closer.



I looked around to find my teenage son. I wanted him in the picture with his young niece & nephews. I called out to him, “Go stand next to the pelican so I can get your picture with everyone.

“NO!” he firmly replied.

“C’mon…I need to get a picture,” I pleaded, wondering why he was being so difficult. I grabbed his arm to pull him over; he yanked it quickly out of my grasp.

“You know I HATE birds!” He was now yelling at me, “I’m not going to!”

“What’s wrong with you?” As the words came out of my mouth, I flashed back to a time, several years ago on a bike ride. A large seagull swooped down and literally snatched a sandwich out of his hand in mid air. He was very young and so afraid at the time…he cried and cried. That one incident continued to grip him with fear, even as a teenager.

Notice how the young children were eager to stand beside the pelican. They trusted that they would be safe. They hadn’t experienced trauma at the beak of a bird. My teenager on the other hand was no longer able to trust that he would be safe. He felt he had to protect himself. Staying a safe distance away from the bird. Because of this fear, he was unable to get the same beautiful picture that the children did with the pelican.


We too do this in our lives. Because of past pain, we keep a safe distance from people in our lives to protect ourselves. Unfortunately, we are actually missing out on important, meaningful, loving relationships.

Is there something that you continue to hang onto in your life? Has something in your past caused deep-rooted fear and pain? Have you spent years hiding behind protective walls such as, alcohol, drug abuse, poor choices, gambling, explosive anger, compulsive shopping, a negative self-image, or unrealistic perfectionism?

God wants to take our hurt and pain away. He wants us to lay it at His feet. Ask Him to help you get over the pain and be free from the destructive behavior that is keeping you from fulfilling the Lords plan for your life.


In You, O Lord I put my trust; Let me never be ashamed; deliver me in Your righteousness. Bow down Your ear to me, deliver me speedily; be my rock of refuge, a fortress of defense to save me. For You are my rock and my fortress: therefore, for Your name's sake, Lead me and guide me. Pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me. For You are my strength. Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.
Psalm 31:1-5

I will be glad and rejoice in Your mercy, for You have considered my trouble; You have known my soul in adversities, and have not shut me up into the hand of the enemy. Psalm 31:7-8

As for me, I will call upon God, and the Lord shall save me. Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud and He shall hear my voice. He has redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me.
Psalm 55:16-18