From the category archives:

a calm in the storm

Humbled…

by Anjula Caldwell on July 13, 2010

Most of you know where we stand with our faith. We love and follow Jesus Christ. From my perspective, every person that chooses this path encounters times in their life where they question it. It’s only human to stop and wonder if you’ve been led astray or brain washed. Or if it’s not real and you’re just stuck looking for hope that there is more than the difficult paths on this earth. Well, I am no stranger to this place. But every time, I am reminded by my God that He is real. The thoughts of “what if this is all a big joke” fade rapidly as He reveals Himself to me. The biggest sign of this is this child growing inside me. Sprout is nothing less than a miracle. A baby formed during medicine’s throw away cycle as we approached them to help us understand what was wrong with my body. 3 years of trying were unsuccessful. One cycle of trying after surrendering to God’s plan and here we are a couple short months from experiencing the most triumphant journey of our life as husband and wife…becoming parents to a precious miracle of God. I had an insulin resistance due to a hormone condition causing my metabolism and reproductive system to work abnormally. A few weeks ago, I took my first one hour test for Gestational Diabetes. Of course I should have this ailment, I’m insulin resistant. Well, this is God’s child. I was low on the chart. No Gestational Diabetes. Incredible.

As I think about how amazing my relationship with Jesus is, I think about how many people are offended by the mention of His name. I apologize for all who have mentioned His name in a way that offends you. He is a loving God. A merciful, graceful God and works good through all circumstances that this life throws at us. People are not God. Christians are not Jesus. They do not always represent His perfection. I pray that one day, He will show who He is to you so that you may see the true essence of finding a life that trusts a God that doesn’t ask you to be anything more than who you are, who He created.

An incredible man, Britt Merrick is going through one of the most difficult trials I could imagine. We’ve mentioned him before. He is a Pastor of Reality in Carpinteria, CA. His daughter Daisy was struggling with cancer. She had a tumor in her abdomen. 2 months ago, they proclaimed her cancer free. Today he announced her cancer is back, bigger, stronger and inoperable. How do you continue forward? His and his family’s faith in God’s plan is encouraging. You can read about their journey at http://prayfordaisy.tumblr.com/. It’s a testament to truly following God through any and everything that happens. It will break your heart and cause you to stop and think about what you’re truly doing here.

We don’t usually stop and take a moment to speak so freely and boldly. But as I sit here, feeling Sprout do cartwheels through my uterus, I am amazed at God’s hand. When I am humbled by the wisdom of a 7 year old, encouraged by the trial of a young girl’s fight with cancer, brought to my knees in awe of the ultimate creator, and peaceful when the world around me is chaotic, I can only be encouraged that God is real. It’s how I choose to live my life. Through my choice, I watch myself persevere when the world tells me I can’t. Through my trust, I watch us pay our bills every month during an economy that shows me otherwise. Through my desire to live in my purpose, I wake up every morning with my husband, head to our studio side by side and capture memories in people’s lives freezing a moment they will cherish for years to come. Through my hope that He knows more than I do, we left our desire to have a child in His hands…and here we are. Why would I want to live without God as my leader? It can’t get any better than this.

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It’s one of those days…

April 8, 2010

Do you ever have one of those days? Usually, we use that phrase to indicate it’s one of those days Murphy so conveniently coined. The day where your tire blows out on your way to a big interview and you have to call and postpone. The day where you stub your toe just before walking [...]

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Rear View Mirror

March 1, 2010

This Sunday at church our Pastor was talking about being in a bless-able position. You know, really allowing yourself to be open to what God has to offer. So often, we get wrapped up in what we’re doing for ourselves, we forget to see what we can do for others. We’ve been trained from a [...]

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an excerpt..

February 24, 2010

In one of my last blogs I mentioned a book I just finished reading by Mitch Albom called have a little faith. It’s an interesting book about his journey of getting to know his Rabbi closely in order to perform his eulogy. It sounds like a crazy and morbid book, but it explores the parallel [...]

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The Pleasure in Sorrow

February 19, 2010

I walked a mile with Pleasure;
She chatted all the way;
But left me none the wiser
For all she had to say.

I walked a mile with Sorrow,
And ne’er a word said she;
But, oh! The things I learned from her,
When Sorrow walked with me.
ROBERT BROWNING HAMILTON
I recently finished reading a true story written by Mitch Albom, the author [...]

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