When difficult times knock you down, roll over and look up at the stars. It’s okay if you don’t have the strength to stand up right away. Facing unexpected trials can knock over even the most mature Christians. Reasons for… Read More ›
christian faith
Is Your Cup Filled With Hope?
To read more devotions by Cheryl go to her blog http://facingtrials.com How do you see your cup, half empty or half full? Do you predict the worst will happen in any given situation or are you well practiced at finding… Read More ›
UNBREAKABLE
I went to see the movie UNBROKEN today. It was worth facing 18 degree weather and icy roads. It is one you should make a point to see. I will be pondering the life of Louis Zamperini for a long… Read More ›
Get A FREE eBook of Facing Storms NOW!
Hello Everyone! I am giving away free eBook downloads (hope you have a Kindle or iPad) of Facing Storms: Devotions for Thought and Meditation this Saturday and Sunday. Be sure to tell your friends and family! It is my prayer… Read More ›
The Humility of Christ's Birth
“Wisdom’s instruction is to fear the Lord, and humility comes before honor.” Proverbs 15:33 (NIV) “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full… Read More ›
Give God Thanks… ALL The Time!
To have a heart of thanks is to have a heart of praise. It is easy to thank God for times of health and prosperity but it is not so easy to thank God for our times of trials, storms,… Read More ›
The Anxiety of Mary
“Mary lived in invisibility in the moments of an ordinary, obscure life, as far as anyone in her own life knew. And yet, in the living of her life, quietly, faithfully, God noticed her…..God saw her and she found favor… Read More ›
Healed By A Compassionate God
Compassion is an emotion of deep sympathy or sorrow for another who is experiencing misfortune and pain. It includes a desire to ease or even alleviate burdens and distress. Jesus was often moved to compassion and would heal physical and… Read More ›
Facing Adversity: Thoughts of Wisdom, Praise & Promise
The last book of my devotion trilogy, Facing Adversity: Thoughts of Wisdom, Praise, & Promise, is now available on Amazon. Here is an excerpt from a devotion titled SUFFERING UNITES US ALL http://www.amazon.com/Facing-Adversity-Thoughts-Wisdom-Promise/dp/1503377989/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1417501877&sr=1-5&keywords=Cheryl+Zelenka “God has a plan and a purpose… Read More ›
God's Love Includes Pruning
“Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices… Read More ›
Maybe Gene was Right and Failure is Not an Option; I’m Still Not Sure (Part 2)
I have had lots of input since my last post (link here). Many, many folks have been insistent that, in Christ, failure is not an option–if (and this, I think, is a big IF) we are honoring His call and… Read More ›
Do You Run First to God?
What is your first response to adversity? Do you run to God or do you look elsewhere for support? A loving father wants his child to solicit his help in times of difficulty thus, our heavenly Father wants His spiritual… Read More ›
Free eBook This Friday and Saturday Only
Hi everyone!! I will be giving away free eBooks of FACING STORMS: DEVOTIONS FOR THOUGHT AND MEDITATION this Saturday & Sunday(Oct.11th-12th) on AMZON. Please write a review if you like the book… this really helps authors. http://www.amazon.com/Facing-Storms-Devotions-Thought-Meditation/dp/1502487551/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1412896807&sr=8-3&keywords=Cheryl+Zelenka “In FACING STORMS: DEVOTIONS… Read More ›
God Heals The Broken Heart
Our God is a healer. He is the “Great Physician,” and this means spiritual and emotional healing, not just physical healing. “He heals the broken hearted and binds up their wounds.” Psalm 147:3 (NKJV) I won’t assume that all of… Read More ›
Soldiers In God's Army
Giving someone authority over your wellbeing is not easy. It requires trust and a willingness to yield to their leadership. Every day soldiers are asked to do this in order to fight more effectively and for a common good. The… Read More ›
Thy Kingdom Come, part I
Created to Rule: Ezekiel 28:11-19 (NAS): Again the word of the Lord came to me saying, “Son of man, take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “You had the… Read More ›
A Wise Man Holds Back Anger
“Anger and bitterness are two noticeable signs of being focused on self and not trusting God’s sovereignty in your life. When you believe that God causes all things to work together for good to those who belong to Him and love… Read More ›
Solitary Moments Of Prayer
“But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” Luke 5:16 (NIV) … Read More ›
God Will Mend A Hard Heart
This is a devotion from my next book, FACING STORMS: DEVOTIONS FOR THOUGHT AND MEDITATION. Be sure to look for it the first week of October. Check out my other books on Amazon! … Read More ›
Learning From Joseph
When a trial comes your way, do you groan and think of it as an ordeal to muddle through? Is your first reaction fear and dread, or do you see each new struggle with more positive eyes? The love… Read More ›
New Book On Amazon This October
Hello! I have been busy collecting my favorite devotions and compiling them into my next two books. This is a devotional trilogy… FACING TRIALS, FACING STORMS, AND FACING ADVERSITY. Facing Storms: Devotions for Thought and Meditation will be available on… Read More ›
Your Spiritual Journey
“Our spiritual trek is life long and life changing, so long as we yield to God’s will and purpose. Sanctification takes us through the Refiner’s fire over and over, until we are purified and reflect the very image of Christ…. Read More ›
History Behind the Hymn, "I Have Decided To Follow Jesus"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTNy674setQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvZp87bIxU8 “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus” is a Christian hymn originating from India. The lyrics are based on the last wordsof a man in Assam, north-east India, who along with his family was converted to Christianity in the middle of… Read More ›
Pure Joy or Mere Happiness?
“To pursue joy is to lose it. The only way to get it is to follow steadily the path of duty, without thinking of joy, and then, like sheep, it comes most surely unsought, and we “being in the way,”… Read More ›
Sorrow Into Joy
A devotion from Cheryl Zelenka’s soon to be released book of devotions FACING STORMS. Available on Amazon this October. “No one will calmly and quietly submit to bear the cross except those who have learned to seek their happiness beyond… Read More ›
Reverent Fear
There is a fear of God that admiration enfolds with arms of adoration. It acknowledges the absolute power of the Creator and the inconsequence of man. This holy and reverent fear is the beginning of wisdom, for it is wise… Read More ›
Are You Satisfied With A Lukewarm Walk?
This is an excerpt from my book DIVINE INTERRUPTIONS: A BIBLE STUDY THROUGH THE BOOK OF JOB (Available on Amazon). “Think of a hot tub with lukewarm water. In complacency, we will sit and try to enjoy the soak, even… Read More ›
Find Our Joy In God
Many in society have adopted the philosophy that life should be a trouble free existence filled with ongoing pursuits of lustful pleasure. Is our time on earth meant to be a continuous party filled with inordinate and excessive pleasure? Does… Read More ›
The Peace of Christ
A devotion from Cheryl Zelenka’s soon to be released book of devotions FACING STORMS. Available on Amazon this October. The Word of God tells us that in this life we will have trouble. But even with tribulations we can still… Read More ›
Prayer for the Persecuted
THERE ARE MANY CHRISTIANS DYING BECAUSE THEY WILL NOT RENOUNCE THEIR FAITH. PLEASE, LET US SUPPORT THEM IN PRAYER. “Have mercy on me, O Lord! Consider my trouble from those who hate me, You who lift me up from the gates of death.”… Read More ›