Kookie Cut-Outs by Rachel Britz

Delivering cookies and good news.

Take the Risk!

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Have you ever helped a friend move? It’s a lot of work lifting and carring heavy boxes all day. Bending and twisting. Pulling and pushing. Muscles getting stretched and strengthened. Then, if they are a really good friends, you’ll find yourself sticking around to carefully unpack and get things set up.

Some days this faith journey feels as though I’m helping a friend move. It’s heavy, it’s awkward, and it means I need to set aside time to help. Who wouldn’t do that for a friend, right? But what I’m learning is that when God calls on me, often times, I’ll excuse myself with rational like, I’m too busy or you couldn’t possibly want me to say that or do that.


Things have made a subtle change in me this year. I’m learning. I’m learning to stand on my tippy-toes and really listen to what my Father is asking me. I’m learning to trust and just obey. Let me share with you a great story of God bringing a little heaven to earth.

This past year, over the 4th of July, some good friends of ours encountered a parents worst nightmare. Their 17 year old son fell off his 4-wheeler, hit his head, and suffered severe brain injuries. Since then, they have remained in the Twin Cities, living at Regions Hospital. It has been a very long, very slow road to recovery for their son. A lot is still uncertain for him.

Very early on, as I began to pray for him, I sensed God really pulling for this thought of total healing. The kind of healing that Jesus actually did when he walked on this earth. I prayed and prayed and prayed. All along, God was asking me to post a very bold prayer, asking for healing in Jesus name, to his Caring Bridge site. I also sensed that God really wanted to rally everyone to pray virtually the same prayer. So I prayed and prayed and prayed some more. And then I did it, I posted my heartfelt prayer that God asked me to share.

Then the very next day, this was their Caring Bridge post.

Hello Everyone,

I gotta tell you all a great story about one of Kip’s greatest moments yet. While my mom and I were relaxing with him in his room, and he was in his wheelchair, I had brought out a dry-erase board to practice some writing skills because he had a good attempt at writing his name last week. So, the first thing I did was wrote his name in large letters in the middle of the board, and had him copy it. And surely he did underneath, and he did it very fast with little effort.

I was super impressed, so I wrote “I Love Mom” in large letters again, and he copied it perfectly underneath, writing very swiftly. To add some flare, Kip circled “Mom,” and she got really excited and had to give him hugs and praise for doing so well.

The next thing Kip did, without me asking, was draw a heart after his name and then wrote “Dad” to complete the phrase “Kip (hearts) Dad”. By now our jaws were almost touching the floor in amazement.

Towards the end of writing all the names he was starting to get tired, and since it was almost time for mealtime I wanted to transfer him back to his bed. The first thing I did was try to take away the dry-erase board and marker from Kip, but even as he had his eyes closed he had a strong grip on them and wasn’t letting go. So, being an impatient older brother, I slowly pried his hands open and took the board. Kip then woke up, and he wasn’t happy with me!

His frustration was easy to see in his eyes, so I gave him back the board to write some more. We watched as he immediately drew a circle around all of the names, and then wrote the word “Love” above it. My mom was astonished, and me and my mom were laughing to tears!

Love truly astonishes! I believe that our passionate prayers move the heart of God. Author and speaker, Max Lucado has said “Prayer does not change God’s nature; who He is will never be altered. Prayer does, however impact the flow of history. God has wired His world for power, but He calls on us to flip the switch”. So, I ask, what is God gently prompting in you? He needs your help to move a little bit of heaven into this earth. Will you take the risk? You can do it, go out on a limb today and trust!

P.S. If you want to follow and pray for our friend Kyle “Kip” Otte here is a link to his Caring Bridge site. http://www.caringbridge.org/kyleotte

Book Review: Out Live Your Life by Max Lucado

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You were made to make a difference! This tag line to Max Lucado’s latest book Out Live Your Life summarizes, in classic Lucado style, the books culmination of simple, inspirational, and motivational stories. The book is all about YOU, exactly what the title says. The discovery of how to Out Live Your Life is found throughout the book as Lucado takes some very basic, fundamental ideas and opens the readers eyes to consider a new perspective.

Reading Out Live Your Life felt, to me, like sitting down to watch one of my favorite movies for the 32nd time. Enjoyable, feel good, and predictable. Max Lucado is a master story-teller. The way he weaves inspirational stories into Biblical truths that provoke the reader to take action, grasp truth, and see more clearly is a God-given gift. My favorite chapter of the book was Let God Unshell You, in which, were taught that when God unshells us we must make a careful exploration of who we are and the work we’ve been given, and then sink our self into that. We are not burdened equally. Meaning each of us has an individual pulse, our own heart beats for the gifts and passions that we have been born with.

This book is not for everyone. I would recommend this book to the comfortable Christian. The one who somewhere along the way decided that they would take Jesus up on this saving grace thing. This same someone who wonders at night why their life is boring, mundane, and same-old. If your one who is often afraid to take risks-this might be the book for you. In this book you’ll discover a promting to allow God to unshell you. The question is, will we step out of our comfort zones and partner with Him in our mission to Love? Reading Out Live Your Life might just be the first step!

A Free Man

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In June of 2006, Koua Fong Lee went to prison for crashing his 1996 Toyota Camery into the back end of another vehicle. Killing the three passengers inside, Lee insisted from the start that he desperately tried to brake but the car would not stop. To no avail, a judge convicted him of vehicular homicide and sentenced Lee to eight years in jail.

Then in a shocking twist of events, last Fall, Toyota claims the most massive recall in history. Stating that their Camery vehicles had severe issues with sticky brake pedals that, at times, prohibited drivers from stopping.

Armed with this new information, Koua Fong Lee appealed his prison sentence. On August 5th, 2010, standing in the media’s spotlight we watched Lee walk out of the courtroom a free man. The judge had forgiven his penalty and proclaimed that Koua Fong Lee was indeed innocent.

Hearing this story rang my bell of compassion. I have to tell you that I, myself have been to prison. Trapped between four walls, unable to breath, afraid to move, and near death. My skin feeling as though it had been torn off…each sound, every sensation scrapping against the wounds of my soul. Guilt and worthlessness stacked up like a pile of bricks laying heavy on my chest.

How many of us have committed ourselves to a life in prison? Lifeless between the stone walls of depression, guilt, fear, worthlessness… I’ve been there and sometimes I find myself re-walking that narrow staircase towards the dark cellar below.

We know that freedom exists, but that hope feels impossible. Until one day something happens…a tiny shard of light prickles our skin. Light coming in the fashion of forgiveness. To forgive means to pardon. A pardon from mistakes and mishaps. A pardon from the thread that tethers you.

In Luke 4 Jesus reads from the prophet Isaiah, telling his people…

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of our Lord’s favor.”

This is truth… that we are free! Free to burn past bridges, free to break strongholds, free to experience the full life that God has prepared for you. The gavel has sounded, your innocence ringing loud and clear. The truth is reality. The truth is divine. The truth will set us free!

Ketsup

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This post may be a tad saucy, offering little meat, but I wanted to “ketsup” up on a number of thoughts, thanks, and discuss some upcoming books to tinker with your thinker. So here goes…

If you visit this blog on a regular basis or check in here or there would you kindly sign-up to be a Follower. At this point, it’s just for moral. You know, the hope that someone other than my mother pops in to read the rants and ramblings of The E of Pearls. So do me a favor and become a Follower, no strings attached!

Thanks to everyone who donated your hard earned dollars towards my half marathon race with Team World Vision. My goal was to raise $1,000 towards clean water projects in Africa and I surpassed it by raising $1225. For that reason, I earned a new t-shirt. Yippee! In case your wondering, the 13.1 mile race went off without a hitch. I loved the entire race and finished in 2 hours and 8 minutes (running almost 1 minute per mile faster than any of my training runs). 13 weeks of training, no injuries, and images of children drinking unclean water contributed to a very successful finish! Thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart!

It’s been a while since I’ve introduced a new book to read so for those who care to join me, in September, I’ll be reviewing Max Lucado’s new book “Outlive Your Life.” Go out to your local book store, pick it up, and share your thoughts when I blog my review later in September.

In addition, my 12 year old daughter Lily will be a guest blogger when she reviews Lucados book “You Were Made To Make A Difference.” A book adapted from “Outlive Your Life” designed for teens offering practical ways teens can make a difference in their communities and beyond.

I care. And so I run.

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I’m all alone. Last week my running companion decided that he had enough of the heat, humidity, and long distance running. Around mile marker 4.3 I turned to find him at a standstill, panting beneath a tall shady Oak. As I continued at my steady pace, I watched my faithful Fido contemplate his options. Over his shoulder, he turned his gaze down the long country road leading back home, one last glance my way, our gap ever widening, a pause…then that dog darn near gave me the finger, turned himself around and trotted back towards the comforts of home.

I’m running my first half marathon on August 23rd. I enjoy running but I’m not a crazy die hard who joins the clubs or competes in races. No, I’m just a simple girl who likes to throw her runnin shoes on now and again and run down a quiet dirt road for a bit. Nowadays, the runs are feeling so simple; with each passing week another benchmark mile is tallied to the bottom of my rubber soles.I think this week I’m up to 8 miles.

The truth however is that there is a reason why I’m running. I’m running for water. Water that doesn’t yet exist for communities and tribes in Kenya, Africa. The organization I’ve partnered with is Team World Vision. A division of World Vision which is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to improving and empowering the lives of impoverished families, individuals, and communities all over the world. Team World Vision’s mission is dedicated to going out and rallying everyday folks (like myself) to step out of our comfort zones, do something we would likely never do, and run a 13.1 mile race for a cause.

Can you for a moment imagine life without water? Pure, clean water to drink, to bath, to wash, to flush. As many as 5 million people die every year of water-related illnesses and a child dies every fifteen seconds of waterborne diseases. Rich Stearns, President of World Vision and author of the book The Hole in our Gospel, best describes the scene.

“I want you to imagine for a moment that when you wake up tomorrow, all of the water-related fixtures and appliances have been removed from your home. The sinks, toilets, bathtubs, and showers are gone. Dishwasher, washing machine, garden hoses, sprinklers- all gone. Let’s say, though, that everything else about your home remains the same. Still, how would your life change with just this one difference?

Well, think about it. You would wake up wanting to use the toilet, take your hot shower, brush your teeth, swallow those vitamins, and fix breakfast- but you can’t. What would you do? At first, you would be irritated by the minor inconvenience of having no showers, toilets, dishwasher, or washing machine- until it started to dawn on you that this is far more serious- a threat, actually, to your health, your family, even your survival. Finding a way to get water would begin to consume your life. Without food you can live sometimes for weeks, but without water? Life as you know if would be transformed- and not in a good way.

This is the realty for millions of parents in our world today- they can watch helplessly as their children die for lack of water, or they can watch them die from diarrhea, because the only water they have is tainted.”

Right now, at this very moment water projects in Kenya, Africa have been bid out, prioritized, and are on a so-called waiting list. What are they waiting for? Money – that’s the only hold up. For this reason, I am compelled to do something. I care and so I run.

Will you consider joining me on a race to save lives and restore hope to communities in Africa? A $10, $25, $50, or greater gift will go a long way towards reaching my goal of $1,000. If you would like to give a tax-deductible gift simply click on the “I care. And so I run.” header above. This will lead you to my personal fundraising page. Thank you and God Bless!