Just as He Said

by Kristi Bothur © 2012

Photo by Mark Butterfield

"He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said." (Matthew 28:6, NASB)

Have you ever done a trust fall? Popular in youth groups or other programs targeting teenagers, the idea is to have one person stand with his arms crossed over his chest. Another person stands behind him, arms outstretched. On cue, the person in front leans back, and when he begins to fall, his partner catches him.

The lesson is to learn to trust each other. But that lesson only sticks if the person doing the catching actually comes through! Otherwise, you end up with a sore behind and a determination to be careful who to trust in the future. Finding out that you can't trust someone leads to all kinds of negative feelings – disappointment, discouragement, embarrassment, fear, betrayal.

I think Jesus' followers must have felt all of those feelings in the hours following his crucifixion. They were confused and broken – what had happened to all of their hopes, all of his promises?

Words of Strength

This article is accessible all month long from our "Words of Strength" tab.


Passed By?
By Kristi Bothur © 2011

Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do 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. Acts 3:6-7

Have you ever felt like God just wasn’t hearing your prayers? Sometimes when a need is particularly near to our hearts, and our prayers have gone unanswered for months, or years, it is easy to wonder if God is listening. If he were, wouldn’t he answer? Or at least give you some indication of how long the wait would be?

I have felt this way many times – when I was younger and prayed for God to give me a husband…later for the health of a friend…for the salvation of a loved one…to conceive a child. So often, I have thought, if I could only talk with Jesus face to face, as people did when he walked this earth. Surely he wouldn’t turn away.

Kick Start Your Dreams

Three Super-Simple Kick Start Living Your Dreams – in the next 15 minutes
By Kathi Lipp

Is there a dream that God has given you, but you are waiting until the kids are grown and you have money in the bank before you get started?

You may not be able to enroll in a month long pastry making class or take a week off of work to get started on your novel, but today you can take three little baby steps to making your dream a day-to-day reality.

1. Go Public with It
It’s a little scary to tell the world what you want to do when you grow up—but this is one little step could get you closer to living your dream than almost any other. Plus—it takes very little time and you don’t have to raid your kid’s college fund to make it happen.

When you gather up all your courage and tell your best friend, “I want to learn how to paint,” suddenly she remembers an old art book she has laying around she would love to give you, or her friend from church who teaches art classes. The people you know and love want to be a resource. Give them the privilege of being a part of making your dream happen.

2. Join an Online Group
This is one of the simplest—and cheapest—ways to start exploring your passion. Find out who else is talking about restoring antiques and listen to their conversation. Start by Googling your interest along with the term “online groups.” You will be amazed with the number of people who want to talk about the proper way to care for 1950’s lunchboxes as much as you do.

3. Don’t be Afraid to Pray
I remember the first time I put an offer in on a house—I wanted it more than I had wanted almost anything else in my life. While I knew that I had dozens of other people praying on my behalf, I was too scared to pray.

I didn’t want God to tell me no. I was afraid to pray until my co-worker Kim asked me (in a loving, kind way), why I didn’t believe that God wanted His best for me. Don’t be afraid to pray—as with anything amazing in my life, the path is never what I expected, but it has always been obvious that God’s hand has been on it the whole way.

Kathi Lipp is a busy conference and retreat speaker, currently speaking each year to thousands of women throughout the United States. She is the author of The Husband Project and The Marriage Project, serves as food writer for Nickelodeon, and has had articles published in several magazines, including Today’s Christian Woman and Discipleship Journal. Kathi and her husband, Roger, live in California and are the parents of four teenagers and young adults. See: www.kathilipp.com