Real Life by Peggi Tustan

Welcome to Real Life . What are you thankful for? “Anything that causes us to need God is a blessing!” –Nancy DeMoss Wogelmuth In America, God has blessed us with prosperity. The more we have, however, the less we seem to appreciate it. Rather than thankfulness, prosperity often breeds a sense of entitlement and discontent. We continually desire more, better, and easier. In our land of plenty, thankfulness does not come naturally. It’s a heart attitude we must intentionally nurture and develop. “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 NIV) I hope 2023 has been an incredible year for you. I hope your heart sings with gratitude as you pull up a chair to your Thanksgiving table. But if like me, 2023 had its share of challenges, let’s choose to thank God in all circumstances. Because although thankfulness doesn’t come naturally, paradoxically, it often arises after hardship. The bitter opens our eyes to a new appreciation f

Welcome to Real Life . I’m all shook up! “I welcome change as long as nothing is altered or different than before.” –Anonymous We all go through seasons of shaking. Often when we least expect it, life changes. We want to walk the old paths. We reach for the comfort of old routines, but they are gone. Israel was shaken in the prophet Isaiah’s day. Once thriving and powerful, in their prosperity, the people rebelled against God and removed themselves from his protection. And so, he allowed first Assyria, and then Babylon to conquer them. In their turmoil, however, God never has and never will abandon his people. “Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you. (Isaiah 54:10) Grand Teton Mountains This year, my mountains have been shaken. Hills have been removed. After a decade of fairly stable health battling stage 4 breast cancer, my sister Theres

Welcome to Real Life . Like it or not, death is a part of real life. Theresa (Salva) Keeler September 8, 1957 - July 7, 2023 Theresa/Terre/Tess [1]  was my sister, my friend from the moment of my birth until her last breath. I don’t know how to live without a sister. I don’t want to learn. Yet, in the midst of my sadness, I am incredibly grateful God blessed me with a sister. In many ways, Terre and I were black and white. We did not look like sisters. We grew up sharing a room, and drove each other crazy with her messiness and my neatness. She was Miss Morning Sunshine. I crawled out of bed and growled. Bone deep, however, we were the same. Our foundation stones were cut from the same quarry. We were the daughters of Slovak immigrants who were fiercely proud of both their US citizenship and their Slovak heritage. Our father arrived on this continent in his thirties with little more than the clothes on his back. Our childhood was simple and carefree. My mother did not drive, so we walk

Welcome to Real Life . The news is not always good. “And gradually, though no one remembers exactly how it happened, the unthinkable becomes tolerable. And then acceptable. And then legal. And then applaudable.” –Joni Eareckson Tada [1] The year is 593 BC. While in Babylonian exile, along the banks of the Kebar River, God calls Ezekiel to be a watchman. It is not an easy position. We like to give good news. But Ezekiel was called to speak the truth; and the news was not good. Judgment was coming. The remnant of God’s people living in Jerusalem had turned away from him and turned to idolatry, violence, and immorality. They had even begun sacrificing their children—Israel’s future—in the fire to the false god Molech.  A watchman protects an entity (such as a business or city) from robbery or enemy attack. If the watchman falls asleep and the business is robbed, the watchman will be held responsible. If Ezekiel failed to deliver God’s warning, and the people died in their sins, God would

Welcome to Real Life . What enemy are you facing? Be kind; everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle. –Rev. John Watson There is a time to be still—to stop trying, striving, doing, working, fighting—and just be still before God. There is a time to rest in him, knowing the battle we face is beyond us. We are not big enough, strong enough, smart enough, or holy enough to win the victory. But we know the One who is enough. For four hundred years, the nation of Israel suffered as slaves in Egypt. They cried out to God. He heard. He answered. He sent Moses to deliver them. Ten plagues later, Pharaoh finally relented and set God’s people free. But the Israelites had barely begun their journey home when Pharaoh and his officials reneged. What have we done? We lost our labor force! Pharaoh set out with his entire army—chariots, horses, and troops—to hunt down the Israelites and force them back into slavery. Meanwhile, camped on the seashore, the Israelites felt a rumbling. They looked up to

Welcome to Real Life . The night before his crucifixion, a spiritual battle is raging. "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me ." [1] Earlier that evening, Jesus shared a Passover meal with his twelve apostles. As they ate and drank, he tried to prepare them for what was coming. This bread is my body broken for you. This wine is my blood poured out for the sins of many. The disciples heard Jesus’ words. But in their wildest dreams, could they have imagined their fulfillment would come in the form of a cruel crucifixion? After dinner, they arrive in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus walks a little further for privacy. He asks his three closest friends—Peter, James, and John—to accompany him. “Watch and pray,” he pleads. But the hour is late. Sleep comes unbidden. It makes me wonder. Were these three oblivious to the distress in Jesus’ eyes? Or perhaps it caught them off guard. After all, they were the needy ones. Jesus was the

Welcome to Real Life . When we run and hide, there is someone who cares enough to come looking for us. My keyboard must be broken. I keep hitting the escape key—but I’m still here. –Anonymous When life overwhelms us—when we’re hurt, confused, and troubled—we often run. We try to escape. We stop answering the phone. We binge Netflix. We open the fridge. We uncork the bottle. No matter where we hide, someone sees us. No matter where we run, someone comes looking for us. He is the Good Shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine to find one lost sheep. Throughout the Holy Script, God reveals this aspect of his character. In Genesis, before the law and the prophets, he seeks a young runaway. Her story begins with a promise God made to Abram (before renaming him Abraham). “Look at the stars. Can you count them? So shall your offspring be.” [1] One issue mocks the fulfillment of this promise. Abram’s wife Sarai [2] is barren. The pain of infertility cuts deep. She offers Abram Plan B: bear childre

Welcome to Real Life . What has your attention? If I had a dollar for every time I got distracted. I wish I had some ice cream. –Anonymous “ Deep work is the ability to focus without distraction on a cognitively demanding task,” says Cal Newport in his book by that title. In our ultra-connected, media-saturated culture, distraction-free can be hard to come by. Newport believes it’s worth the effort. Learning to focus deeply improves our concentration which enables us to master new skills. This results in a greater sense of gratification, meaning, and purpose. Deep work enriches our lives. Prayer is a work that requires deep focus. It’s not always easy to achieve. My phone dings. My husband has a question. My mind wanders to the next item on my to-do list. It takes determination to carve out distraction-free time with God. Although Jesus Christ did not carry a smartphone, his days were full of distractions. He lived, ate, and ministered with his disciples. Jesus had no office door to c