Back on TV
Some of you might have read this on my Facebook but wanted to let you all know that Faithful Workouts is back on TV. Here is the airing information:
NRB Network Monday – Friday at 9:30am EST
On Directv – #378
On SkyAngel – #126
Online only at 9:30am EST http://www.nrbnetwork.tv/WatchOnline/Pages/default.aspx
Angel 2 Newtwork Thursday at 5:30am EST
On Dish – #266
On SkyAngel – #102
My son asked me, “How did the show get back on” I answered with all sincerity “God”
Just to tell you a few parts of this story. My biggest challenges were music and production costs.
I was flying to a MOPS convention, as I walked to baggage claim I saw one of the greeters holding a sign with someone’s name with “MOPS” written underneath. I was pretty tired from a very delayed flight but I felt the urging to go introduce myself to the person who was also attending the MOPS convention. During the introduction I learned they were there to film the convention and they were based in CO. We spoke for only a moment but as I walked away I thought, “I wonder if that was a God moment”
I didn’t think too much about it until just after I returned from the convention and I received a call from the owner of the production firm. After several conversations this amazing man offered to film 20 TV programs and said we would worry about the money later. He brought his crew, tons of equipment, edited all the programs (takes hours) and said for the most part, pay what you can when you can.
As for the music – I had just said talked to my husband once again how challenging the music for the TV program and DVDs was. I went to teach a class and there was a women there that I had met briefly once before (her husband and I sit on a board together). We started to talk and I asked her what she did. She told me she was an intellectual property lawyer. I was like, what’s that. Part of her answer was, “I deal with music licenses”. After a few discussions and without me knowing she went to her firm and asked them to take on Faithful Workouts probono (no charge) they agreed!!
I also found a group of Christian artists whose hearts are all about sharing God’s word through music. They agreed to allow me to play the music on TV for either no cost or minimal cost.
So like I answered my son, the reason the show is back on the air is because God allowed it to happen and some incredible people listened to God’s urging to help Faithful Workouts.
Thank you God!!
A bus ride, an ipod and Jesus
I want to encourage you to never stop sharing God’s love with those that don’t know Him. Never stop praying for them. It can get frustrating when you care for someone and you want them to know there is a God who loves them and it doesn’t seem to sink in. Don’t give up on them.
I am thankful that God has given me the courage and the desire to tell others about how much better life is when you allow God to direct your path. The challenge for me is finding balance. I want so badly for everyone to believe that I want to grab them by the shoulders, shake them and say, “How can you not get it” and then I remember that I lived 40 years without getting it.
When it comes to raising my kids I find it especially tough to not push my faith on them too hard. I want them to understand that their relationship with God should be the most important thing in their life but I realize as they get older that they need to come to this not just because it’s what I tell them but because the really believe it. I know I can’t force it on them and that I need to just keep trying to live it.
My daughter said to me one day that she felt she was the closest thing to a “preacher’s child” without having a preacher as a parent (my husband is in ministry, too). She didn’t say it in a condemning way, but it made me pray harder about how I can best parent my kids because I have heard too many stories about “preacher’s children”.
There’s a part of me that says parents are supposed to push their children to follow what they believe is the right path, “Do your homework, study, give it your all, eat healthy, go to sleep” but you can’t force them to believe in and love God. God gave us free will because He wants us to love Him because we really do love Him. Love isn’t love if there isn’t a choice involved.
I struggle with being a control freak so finding this balance has been tough for me. Lately, I have seen God at work in my kids and it makes my heart smile! They are starting to really “get it”. I tell you all this to encourage you with your own children (no matter how old they are) and with your other relationships. Continue to live it and share with them what God’s doing in your life.
I can’t explain how awesome it feels when I see how having a relationship with God is directing my kids’ path. All I can say is thank you God!
My Friday night experience with my son inspired me to write all this to you.
Quinn, my youngest son, was sick and really having a hard time. He asked me to play some music for him. One of the songs he asked me to play was “Give Me Jesus”. He started telling me a story about why he liked this song so much.
Two years ago when he was in 4th grade he had a really bad day at school. He had a stomach ache (he struggles with stomach problems) and was feeling super down. On the bus he sat alone and turned on his ipod. He listened to the song “Give Me Jesus”. He said to me, “Mom it was unbelievable I sat there feeling so bad and as I listened to the song I am certain I felt Jesus come into my body. I felt Him come in through my head, I had this tingly feeling all over, I felt my stomach ache go away. I am 100% certain it was Him and then I had this crazy, peaceful feeling come over me.”
At that moment I thought, this is what every person should experience. Philippians 4:7 promises “Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ.”
The peace my son felt while listening to his ipod on the way home from school is available to everyone. When we open our hearts and minds and allow God to come in He will give us peace.
Don’t grow weary from sharing God’s love. We don’t want anyone to miss out on the life changing experience that comes from having a relationship with Jesus.
Praying for you,
Michelle Spadafora
My “Why God??” moments
Sometimes in life things happen that don’t make sense. Sometime in life things happen and you can’t figure out how it will possibly bring about good for the kingdom. Sometimes in life things happen and you don’t want them to.
I just went through a few weeks where quite a bit didn’t make sense. Things happened that I didn’t want to happen.
It began over Labor Day weekend. I was up in Breckenridge and decided to take advantage of a truly spectacular day. I packed up my backpack with a great book, “Forgotten God” by Francis Chan, a bottle of water, a banana, my ipod and my two dogs. I was going to hike and spend the day talking to God.
I wish I had a picture to show you of how totally breathtaking the view was. I was driving up this big mountain. I was driving high above the town of Breckenridge. It felt like I was leaving the world behind. A great song, called “Learning to Fly” by Tim Davis was cranked up loud on the car stereo. The words of the song struck me. Here’s a few of the lines:
“I’m over conforming to the worldly norm.
I’m learning to fly.
By your grace I’m gaining altitude, climbing to the highest point of views of you,
Soaring through the skies of gratitude, high above the dried up desert life of mine.
I’m learning how to fly.
Show me how ugly my ground use to be.
Come teach me to fly.”
The day was off to a great start and I could really feel God’s presence. I loaded the dogs out of the car and off we went. I had a playlist with all my favorite Christian songs so I turned on the tunes and set off. We had hiked about 5 miles and I was looking for a place to sit down to read and continue talking to God. It was such an awesome morning and I kid you not I had just said to God, “I think I am the happiest person in the world right now”
Well, I noticed I couldn’t see one of my dogs. What I saw next was crazy, my dog MoJo’s face was covered with porcupine quills I’m talking so covered I thought he was carrying something. They were covering his tongue, down his throat, in his nostrils – so freaky looking. (you can check out the pictures on my facebook)
After my initial shock we started running down the mountain. I was so thrilled to see a car, I flagged them down and they were so nice to drive me and my two dogs to my car. I jumped in the car and started my drive to the vet. While driving I asked God, “What is this all about???” “Why!!!”, “I had plans to spend the day with you – it was all so perfect”
The answer I got is, “I am with you” Could there have been something dangerous around the next bend? Could Satin have jumped in to pull me away from God? I don’t know. But the fact still is, God was with me every moment on that mountain.
Two days later, I had just driven back home after the weekend in Breckenridge with my family. It was my son’s birthday and we had left his untouched cake in Breckenridge. So although it was late at night I said to him, “Let’s run to the store and get you another cake”. As I pulled out of my driveway I crashed into my daughter’s friends car that I forgot was there.
My thoughts were, “seriously God what’s this?? You know I am trying to save my money to get Faithful Workouts back on TV why do I have to not only pay for MoJo’s porcupine surgery but now the cost of car repairs too?” God’s answer was, “I am with you”
Two days later I was going to the Dr. with my mom to get the big thumbs up that her back surgery went great and she can hop on the plane in two days and fly home to FL. Instead, after he looked at the new xrasy, we were told the surgery didn’t hold and she will need another surgery. My thoughts were, “God, you know how much I prayed for your direction with my mom, you know how much I have been praying for heeling. Why is this happening?” His answer again, “I am with you”
A few days later I was looking for my dog Micah. I couldn’t find him. My husband and son had taken him down to our creek a few hours earlier and said he was acting a bit strange but they hadn’t seen him. It was dark out so we put on some headlamps and went looking for him. My son and I drove, while my other son and my husband went on foot. We couldn’t find him anywhere.
I went to bed that night with such a heavy heart. He had an odd little cough but it didn’t seem like much. Other than that he was healthy, he had just turned 7 the Monday before. When I closed my eyes that night they were filled with tears, fearing the worst.
When the sun was almost coming up the next morning my husband and I set off looking for him. I heard my husband cry out in a voice that said so much, “I found him” I ran toward him and my heart broke. There was Micah, only a few feet from where my husband was with him the evening before. He was so peaceful looking yet he was dead. I said, “God why??? He was such a good dog, I loved him so much, why did he have to die?” “I am with you” was God’s reply.
We all have had or will have seasons in our life where we are thrown one challenge after another. We have to hold on to the fact that through it all God is with us. We don’t have to understand it and we don’t have to like it. The only way to get through times like that is to know that God is with you. Nothing that happened to me during those two weeks surprised God. He was with me and offered me peace that goes beyond all understanding.
Someone emailed me the words to the song, “Praise you in the Storm”. Here are some of the lyrics.
I was sure by now
God You would have reached down
And wiped our tears away
Stepped in and saved the day
But once again, I say “Amen”, and it’s still raining
As the thunder rolls
I barely hear Your whisper through the rain
“I’m with you”
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away
And I’ll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
And every tear I’ve cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm
No matter what you are going through, God is with you. He feels every tear you’ve cried and He’s never left your side. God loves you.
You have a choice to make when things go bad. Are you going to draw closer to God so he can hug you or are you going to give Satin that opening he was waiting for? Satin wants to jump in and say, “God doesn’t love you, if he cared about you why would you have to go through all this?”
I am so thankful that God drew me towards Him during all of this and that He gave me the strength to say, “Satin don’t even think about it, you cannot pull me away from God!”
Back to School Advice
For some of us this time of year brings about big changes – Back to School. For me I have mixed feelings. Thankful that I will have more time for me to devote to Faithful Workouts but sad that we will be back into the school routine. School time means I have less time to spend with my kids and more energy I need to put into keeping them on task – “Wake up, eat your breakfast, don’t forget your lunch, did you do your homework, don’t forget your football gear…..”
It’s way too easy to get so into the school routine that we don’t make the time to talk to our kids about what really matters. If you ask your child, “What is your purpose for being alive?” They would most likely answer, “Um I don’t know” but isn’t really our purpose for being on this earth to give God glory? Isn’t it all about bringing His light into the darkness? Isn’t it about loving God and loving others”
If that is our purpose and our kids’ purpose for being here we need to talk about it with them. Imagine if we all sent our kids off to school with the lyrics from the song, “These are the Words I Would Say”
“Be strong in the lord and,
Never give up hope,
You’re going to do great things,
I already know,
Gods got his hand on you so,
Don’t live life in fear,
Forgive and forget,
But don’t forget why your here,
Take your time and pray,
These are the words I would say”
If kids around the world started their day hearing these words and put them into their heart and mind – imagine!
Some of you probably already know this about me but I am really into music. I love music that has an important message. Here is another song that has awesome lyrics for your kids to listen to before they head off to school. This song is called, “Don’t laugh at me”
“I’m a little boy with glasses
The one they call the geek
A little girl who never smiles
‘Cause I’ve got braces on my teeth
And I know how it feels
To cry myself to sleep
I’m that kid on every playground
Who’s always chosen last
A single teenage mother
Tryin’ to overcome my past
You don’t have to be my friend
But is it too much to ask
Don’t laugh at me
Don’t call me names
Don’t get your pleasure from my pain
In God’s eyes we’re all the same
Someday we’ll all have perfect wings
Don’t laugh at me”
Talk to your kids about being kind. Let them know how you feel about teasing. Remind them to look out for the kid who doesn’t have anyone to play with. Reward them for acts of kindness not just for good grades.
My 15 year old daughter, Denika, came home yesterday from school and told me about a teacher that was having a lot of pain from an abscessed tooth. She asked if she could make him some chicken soup.
My heart smiled when I saw her cutting up the veggies and chicken and making the soup. My husband made a point during our family prayer at dinner to thank God for Denika’s kind heart for caring for her teacher. He told her how what she did was showing God’s love not just talking about it.
My family is far from perfect but this was one of those moments when I was so thankful that God had tugged on our hearts and drew us close to Him.
It’s so easy to get caught up in what the world values but keep your focus on God. Pray and ask Him to direct you.
The Starfish
I’m in the Dominican Republic and am seeing so much. It’s overwhelming to be in a place that has so many needs. To see people living in such tough circumstances, to see children without a home, to learn of the challenges they face is trying to get clean water – overwhelming. You can’t help but ask what difference, if any, am I really making. Two of the families gathered up yesterday and talked about this (we both have 3 children with us between the ages of 11 – 17). My friend read us a story from the book “Hole in the Gospel” about some starfish. The story is about a guy walking down the beach. He comes upon thousands of starfish that have been washed up on the shore. He sees so many starfish that are going to die and it saddens him. He sits down and puts his head in his hands and thinks about the sadness in the situation. He hears some noise and when he looks up he sees someone there throwing the starfish back into the water. He asks, “What are you doing, don’t you see there are thousands and thousands of starfish that have been washed up – what you are doing really isn’t going to make a difference.” The other person picks up a starfish, throws it back in the water and says, “It made a difference to that one” My son reminded me of a Mother Teresa quote that we had talked about before. The quote goes something like this, “We might feel like what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean but that ocean is different because of that missing drop.” We can’t turn a blind eye to those whose needs are so much greater than ours. The most important thing we can do is share God’s love with them. What that looks like for each of us might be different. What I’m learning is that the best way to help them doesn’t mean just giving them a handout. It means working with the locals to get a plan that allows them access to the basic necessities and gives them a plan to support themselves and their family. Please take the time to look into the awesome ministries that are reaching out to those in need. Find one that resonates with you and do something. If we all throw a few starfish back into the water we will make a huge difference!!
What are your Five Words??
Two years ago I was attending the Revolve Tour, a Christian conference for teenage girls with music and speakers. One of the speakers said something that stuck with me. He posed the question, “What are five words you would want someone to use when describing you?”
When I first heard the question I thought, “Well, I shouldn’t really worry what people think of me so does this question really matter” After spending more time thinking about this question though I believe we should all think about our answer.
Here is your challenge. Spend some time thinking about what five words you would want someone to use when describing you. Then try and live each day so that someone WOULD use those words to describe you.
People are watching you. When they know you are a believer in Jesus they might watch even closer. Being a Christian doesn’t mean that you won’t make mistakes it means that you can be forgiven for your mess-ups. So please don’t feel like you have to be perfect because people are watching and forming an opinion of you. I think though if you have answers to this question you might live more intentionally.
For me the first words I would want someone to use when describing me would be, “she loves God” and the next description would be, “she loves on others”. There are days when I don’t think anyone would use those words to describe me but with God’s help I am trying to make it more often that people would say that about me.
So what are the descriptive words you would want someone to say about you? How can you live to make that happen????
Why do you do good deeds?
I was reading an email from the gospel.com/blog and it posed an interesting question – “Why do you do good deeds?” They listed off some typical answers but their answer comes from a devotional from My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers. He says that we should try and act righteously and live a morally pure life so that we can “point people to Jesus Christ”.
I don’t think this means every time we do a kind thing we need to tell the recipient, “I did this for you so I can tell you about Jesus” but in our heart we should hope that our kindness might give us an opportunity to someday tell that person about Jesus’ love and what He did for us. I love Matthew 5:16, “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”
This verse really motivates me to get out and love people. When we openly love others we might have a door open that allows us to tell them about the greatest love of all. I want to encourage all of you to show love to others so that you might be able to “point people to Jesus Christ”.