Courage

I've known a woman for over 10 years and have always admired her and treasured her friendship. When we first met, she was not sure of the Christian faith and had not been taught to read her Bible. We have developed such an incredible friendship and have had such wonderful discussions about God/the Bible/angels/the virgin Mary/Jesus/the New Testament.....you name it, we talked about it. Sometimes we'd go for walks together and just talk and talk. Wow, did we ever grow and learn together. I've seen her children grow up into beautiful ones who love the Lord. She's raised her children in the way that "they should go and when they are old they will not depart from it" and has stood by her faith in very challenging times. She's rocked the boat when it comes to school politics and church traditions. I have learned so much from this woman. Her kids, like any other kids who love the Lord, have been challenged, tested, ridiculed or made fun of for their faith and have stood strong for God. Her family has challenged her for her faith as well and so have others in her life who are close to her. We all have at times. She has courage, this special friend of mine, much courage and she has taught it to her children. Recently, her daughter, who is in Grade 12, wrote a paper for a class assignment. This young girl is stunningly beautiful inside and out, a Grade A student and God has blessed her with many gifts and talents. My friend read this paper to me and it pulled at my heart so much, what a prayer, what a stand, to take for Christ. It completely speaks for the special youth of our day, the challenges that our youth, our teenagers who love the Lord and who yearn to stand for Him, what they go through each day - the struggles and challenges. She's given me permission to share this with you. Let it be a prayer for your children and for their children. This prayer is for all the youth in Canada, in our churches, in our schools. May it bless your heart but I pray that it will also spur you on to pray diligently for our youth, for our young women, to stand strong for Jesus and to remain pure during their young lives as women. God bless you!


"With the current spiritual state the world is in today, I believe that the gift I need most is courage. I need courage to combat the daily pressures placed upon me by an immoral society, pressures that I may not have been faced with had I been born in a simpler time. It is extremely difficult to maintain good moral values in a society tainted by drugs, alcohol, promiscuity and premarital sex. Not only am I pressured to exhibit these well-known traits of society, but I am also faced with pressures to hide or abandon my value system. I am constantly faced with rejection in various forms for standing up for what is right and true in the eyes of God. Values such as abstinence, modesty, truthfulness, patience and diligence are seen as "abnormal" or "uncool" in society and individuals who do not sport these values are faced with ridicule and rejection. Everyday I am faced with pressure from my peers as well as the media to be that "ideal" person. This "ideal" person is "cool" by society's standards, but does not exhibit good values in God's eyes. I need courage to stand up for what is right and refrain from becoming this "idealistic" person.

I am already having a difficult time standing up for what is right because I have been faced with rejection on many occasions. I am not faced with physical harm or death, but rejection even in its mildest forms is painful and can cut a person deeply. I know that I must remain close to God and to the values that are right in his eyes even when it is hard. As I graduate and begin university, I know that standing up for the truth will only get harder. Thus, I need courage now so that I can stand up for what is right no matter what pressures I am faced with in the future. Courage will significantly impact my life by enabling me to stand by my values right now, in university, in my career and in all my future endeavors. I truly desire to be blessed by God with a courage that allows me to stand up for what is right without succumbing to the immoral behavior that is horrifically prevalent in the world today. I want the courage to stand up proudly as a follower of Jesus without faltering, even though it might result in rejection, abuse or even death."

Written Feb. 26/08 in Saskatchewan.



Oh God, may this young woman be blessed for having such a heart and a prayer for You. May this be the prayers of us as well Lord, that we would stand strong for You no matter what. No matter what the ridicule is from family and friends, from spouses, teachers or parents. May we stand strong for TRUTH and Your Word - because we know that those things endure forever. Thank you God for the heart of this young woman - bless her Father, bless her for voicing her heart in such a way that it stands as an example for all the young women in her generation. May this prayer continue on in the next generation and may it also touch the hearts of women in the generation of her mother's. Lord that this would be the prayer of all women in Canada, in the world. Don't stop this here - take it to the ends of the earth. As you tell us in Your Word, the Bible, "so be strong and courageous, do not be terrified, do not be discouraged, for the Lord Your God is with you wherever you go." Oh that we would hang onto that Father, that we would pass that on to our children and to their children. That we would never tire of teaching those around us of You and that we would have the courage to stand strong in our faith, in You Jesus, no matter what comes before us. Thank You God for hearing our prayers - we know You will answer. In the precious, everlasting name of Jesus, Your Son who died for our sins and who rose again and is now living in heaven preparing a place for us, Amen.

A Flash from the Past

The following is an article written by Jennifer Jacoby-Smith for the Living Light News
www.livinglightnews.org

Photography dream comes into focus for former student

by Jennifer Jacoby-Smith

Many can recall an inspirational teacher from childhood. But few can say they in turn have inspired their teacher.
Six years ago Lisa Braun, her husband Roger and their three children returned to her hometown of Warman, Saskatchewan. While there, Braun picked up a calendar of prairie landscapes and noticed that several of the photographs were credited to Wayne Shiels.
Could this be her favourite teacher from grade six? she wondered. When she discovered Shiels still taught, she went to visit him and shared her own aspirations for photography, a long-time
hobby she was hoping to develop into more.
Shiels was impressed with her work and suggested she enter some of her photographs in a contest. “He really encouraged me,” says Braun. “He got my dream started.”
She received recognition for three of the five photos she entered, and since then her work has appeared in travel brochures and on local websites.
In 2006 Braun was asked by a local printing house to submit photos for a Saskatchewan calendar. This year, two calendars were designed with Braun’s photos, one featuring Scripture verses, a significant element for her.
Since becoming a Christian, Braun’s focus — in life and in photography — has changed. She sees her talent as a tool that God uses to bless others.
“In photography, people often ask me where I learned how to take photos and if I took classes and my answer is always, ‘God gave me a gift and I’m trying to nurture it.’ ” Her personal motto is “Capturing God’s beauty through photography.”
“God is everywhere in nature and I experience Him every time I’m out taking a photograph,” she shares.
Although Braun was raised in a Christian family, she rebelled and left home at age 15. “I made a lot of bad choices,” she admits.
Just before her senior year in high school she attended a Bible camp in northern Saskatchewan, and there she met God in a new way and committed her life to Jesus Christ. “I came to know who God really was. I found out that He was a God of joy. He wanted you to ... enjoy life.”
In her eye for a scenic prairie shot and in the everyday activities of life, Braun doesn’t believe events happen without purpose. “I don’t see anything as coincidence,” she explains. “It’s all God-incidence to me. Nothing is by chance or luck. He knows exactly what’s going to happen each second, each minute, and it’s all under His control.”
When her calendars were a few photos short, Braun’s elementary teacher came to mind and she decided to approach him. What she didn’t realize was how her request would impact Shiels, who had recently accepted Christ as his Saviour. Shiels had always believed in a Divine Creator. However, after enduring serious health problems and depression, he experienced what he calls “a darkness.” He recognized his need for the saving grace of Jesus Christ, and in 2006 he invited Jesus into his heart. “It is by the grace of God and the blood of Jesus that I am here,” he says.
“God gives us many gifts we are to use to glorify His name,” explains Shiels. “Lisa has shown me how photography can do this.”
Braun feels equally blessed. “A teacher who had inspired me, now years later tells me how much I have inspired him,” Braun says. “It blows me away!”
And just as teachers are encouraged when students realize their dreams, so years later Shiels marvels at how his former student’s photos continue to inspire him, and many others as well.
“It’s always been my dream but I never knew how to get started and I didn’t really believe enough in myself that I could do it,” Braun shares. “Well, now I know that I can ... but only with God’s help, never on my own.”
Shiels agrees. “It is rewarding to see Lisa’s passion and confidence grow,” he remarks. “She uses her God-given gift of photography to show God’s creation in ways that clearly speak to people.”



So that's the article. WOW! It continually amazes me how God works and moves around me and in me and through me to accomplish His Plan in and around my life. The following pictures were other fun photos that Wayne's daughter took for me and Wayne - they were fun to do. Great memories and keepsakes. I thank God for my teacher Mr. Wayne Shiels. :-) And for what He has done in Wayne's life and through his life and the impact he has had on so many students and adults. Thank you Wayne, my friend in Christ, I love you. May God bless you richly.