Motto

22 Worst Foods for Trans Fat

22 Worst Foods for Trans Fat

Stand Firm

       
Don't be dismayed or confused when you are persecuted for the light that Christ has given you, the joy you have in salvation. Our trials are momentary and our sufferings do not compare to the everlasting glory set before us. God is our rock and He is our refuge and despite what hate we face for the gospel, what torture we may endure, our shield of faith is in God's undeniable love. We must continue to reach out and tell the world of Christ's salvation for a lost and dying world. 
By Ernie Kasper

Dream A Little Dream

     There I was, my eyes were closed and I could hear the children playing, laughing and giggling, there was so much life in their voices, so much joy in the moment. When people get older, some of that wonder just washes away from life's trials, heartaches and so much more; people forget what it means to be alive. Kids just take it all in, they are fresh with dreams, ideas, imagination and complete wonder. Children taste imagination, adults look at it from a distance. Well I quickly got up from my chair and instead of sitting around, I wanted to taste it, see something I have never seen. I wanted to come alive with my imagination, dance with mystery and look through the eyes of a child. I quickly picked up my camera and began walking all around the park and just began smelling what was around me, closing my eyes and hearing the sounds dance between my ears; playing with with my memories with such sweet surrender. I wandered along a beautiful trail where I began to capture the beauty in the small things, the things that are often missed by the human eye. I watched as life suddenly began to sing with joy all around me. I was so captivated by what I saw and what touched my heart. God is the most brilliant painter of life and it sweetly sings of His love for us and the beauty of peace. Never take a day as just another day, capture it, dance with it, feed it your imagination and learn to fly!

Count Your Blessings

     A beautiful day to praise God and remember that counting your blessings makes you forget all the things that were never really worth complaining about in the first place.

     When I can't talk I sing praises in my mind, when I can't walk, I pray for all those God wants me to reach with the gospel, when my mind is angry I pray for all those who have hurt me most. So whatever struggle I go through I'm keeping my eyes on Gods purpose and focusing less on my struggles. God always triumphs over the worst of adversity, I just have to know that He has me in His hands and that everything is going to be okay, in fact everything will be so much better because I walk with God or in my case RUN. 

Rise Above It

     What an awesome night of training!!!! For the first time I ran 7 km while skipping and I was able to perform for the last km a double skip every 5 minutes and then I did my regular routine of martial arts and acrobatics. Towards the end of my training a group of teenagers were cheering me on and screaming and shouting after I performed acrobatics. One teenager ran across the street and nervously came up to me and wanted to shake my hand. It was weird to see all of them filming me with their cell phones though.
     When I got home I couldn't help but remember when I couldn't speak, walk, understand language and more, I thought of all the people who turned away and stopped talking to me or people who would look down at me because my stroke often presented itself as a person of less intelligence or to say it kindly, they thought I was mentally challenged. I saw through their eyes the shallow judgement, the snobby refusal to even look at you because of your behaviour but in turn I also saw and met some of the sweetest people who wanted to find the deepest part of me, they wanted to know who I was despite what they saw. God does that but with far greater wisdom and he takes our lives when we trust in Him and He plants a new beginning with much more than we could ever conceive on our own strength.

The Covering

     Last night I was redoing my trailer, fixing it up and re-coating the cedar when a young kid came running up to the house to hand me my newspaper. He always smiles and says just a few words but his attitude is awesome. I stopped him to tell him a story. I told him about myself and when I was younger I did the newspaper just like him, I loved it and enjoyed the reward of awesome customers who appreciated my happy attitude. He smiled quickly and then I pulled out my wallet and gave him 10$ and said "I knew this one guy who always gave me money because that's what he did, he appreciated me and he told me that lots of times." So I looked the kid in the eyes and said "You have a good attitude, keep smiling, keep being awesome and enjoy what you do."
     As he turned around, he looked over his shoulder with a huge grin and said "Thank you so much!!!" It was like he just received the lottery for being himself. Now that I look back I could see why that one man always gave me money, he wasn't rich by any standard, in fact the house he lived in was weathered, some shingles were often missing and one of the windows was broken. The paint on the house was so faded that you could see the bare wood and the grass was always overgrown. Every time he came to the door he looked disheveled and in need of a good shower but he was in my opinion one of the most giving people, foul in language but someone who you by assumption would believe he was in all pretenses a bum. I learned early on in my daily newspaper route that you should never judge a book by it's cover. In fact on that same route I had a family that I thought had it all together and they spoke well, they smiled at all the right times and presented themselves in such a kind manner but when it was time to collect the money for the route, they often gave excuses, lied repeatedly to me and I lost money. I new from that moment on that when someone tells you something it doesn't mean much unless there is reputable action that follows.

Time given, Time taken

     I was heading out to home depot to get some materials when I saw a neighbor walking with her kids, as I drove by I could see a wince of sorrow in her eyes, a moment of emptiness behind the smile. I stopped the van and called her to me. As she walked back to the van I could clearly see she was broken inside. I asked her if she was okay and her eyes looked away as she began to tell her sad situation. You see she recently divorced and I knew her husband well, sadly everything fell apart and of course things got messy. 
     I remember speaking to the husband telling him that he needed to draw close to God and start removing the stress in his life with his work and start eating healthy. He looked fine but I felt I needed to say that, well during the ex-wife's conversation with me it obviously didn't happen. He had a sudden heart attack and was rushed to the hospital for a triple or quadruple bypass. His arteries where all clogged. I quickly stepped out of the van and ran around to hug the ex-wife and give her comfort. It was the first time it felt like I was holding a bunch of broken pieces melting like wax under a hot sun. Her kids came running up and she quickly put on a brave face and smiled and said "Well, have a great day Ernie, I'll talk to you soon." 
     Time passes quickly, sometimes we assume that tomorrow is a guarantee or at the very best our health will somehow be the same but we really never know and the time we have now is precious. Some people spend all their precious time trying to acquire things instead of embracing the people who so desperately want their love, friendship and kindness. 

Today I saw an opportunity to take a fantastic shot and as I focused on how I should take the photo, I could hear a light buzzing sound and then a CLICK. I took the shot and immediately looked around and just off to the right was an elderly woman looking at me with a big smile, she quickly chuckled and said "I stopped so you could take your shot." I laughed and said "Thank You" We quickly began laughing together and saying a few things back and forth with big smiles and I asked her if I could hug her and she had a BIG GRIN and said "OH of course, I LOVE hugs!" so I quickly gave her a gentle hug and laughed once again. She looked up at me and said "you just made my day, more than you know!" She asked for my name and then wheeled away for a cup of coffee. 
 

    Sometimes the littlest things can change everything in your day.

A moment of patience

in a moment of anger

Saves you a Hundred

moments of regret. 

#trials #suffering #survivor #hope 

Whether it is in the deepest of trials, the greatest of sufferings, this I surely know, God is the hand I will rest upon, God is the hope that I will raise my heart to, God is the peace from which I will bring my sorrows to. God can and does bring us through our storms, sometimes He stills them and the waters become like glass and other times He teaches us that character is paramount, tarry the rough seas and remember this too shall pass. By Ernie Kasper

Overwhelmed

The Tipping Point...

There always is that moment when something little may have just broke the camels back on patience. You are doing great and BAM someone yells at you from another car or you have little mishaps along your day and they put you off a little bit until something hits a tender spot in your life. You start thinking negative, you start speaking out things like "Of course this was going to happen!" or "Go figure!" when easily before you were in the mindset of  "It's okay, just a small bumped in the road, don't sweat the small stuff."
It can easily be just one domino that starts the whole thing in motion and that is the place where grace is so important, so precious and valuable, knowing that things do happen and we fall sometimes and it's those times we need forgiveness. Beating yourself up over a tough situation doesn't help anyone and it surely won't help you get back up and shake the dust off of a bad moment and learn to step forward. The sign of a good boxer is on how well he or she can take getting knocked down. Will they get in the ring and practice and learn from their mistakes and become better or will they just sit in the corner and complain about how useless they were in the ring. Our duty is to look to God for hope and encouragement and when we fall, He wants us to know that He is there for us because that's what a father wants, to be trusted, to be counted on, to be a source of wisdom and encouragement.

Isaiah 41:10: "Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand" (NLT).

#TeamJesus #suffering #courage The real character of anyone is truly seen when they're at their weakest, their worst of hours; watch them in the seasons of despair and if something shines in those darkest hours you know the truest of characters, the rawest of integrity, the grit and if they pray, praise, rejoice and trust in that season you have met a hero of faith. 
By Ernie Kasper



We The People

~People~ #truthbetold #faith 

People want faster cars, less patience
People want more money, less virtue
People want more spirituality but less truth
People want nicer clothes but weaker character
People desire satisfaction with less value
People hope for change but refuse to let go
People want wisdom but desire less humbleness
People put so much effort into whiter teeth but fail to see the value of a gentle word
People want instant fame hoping it will give instant peace
People desire bigger houses, thinking it will give comfort when the warmth of family far exceeds such things.
People want bigger tv's instead of deeper conversations
People want what others have but unless you can appreciate what you got, then what they have is never good enough.
People need something more than empty words
People need something more than broken promises
People need a cure for their hurts and pains
People need peace in the midst of suffering
People need the Lord...

By Ernie Kasper

Silence has words

The joy on my face was evident but suddenly the words fell to the floor, once again the stroke has reminded me that I am weak and that words are precious. Words are too beautiful for spending them on hate, wasting them on pride, planting fields of discouragement. I reached into the depths of my heart and tried several times only to fail miserably with "blub blub blub blabbablub" Tears crawled down my face, my heart was weary, my soul was crying out for courage and my words were broken. All of a sudden a song came to my heart and it just showered me with such joy, such hope, such love! I began to sing the song out loud, the words quickly fell into place and everything was clear and precious. I raised my eyes to God and sang "How great is our God, how great is our God, sing with me" The words danced from my lips and that one place where the mind wasn't damaged, I could sing, I could sing with hope. As I lifted my trials to God I felt His peace and I knew that He was and is with me in my weakness and for that I praise Him. Greatness isn't about all the things you can do so easily, in fact it's all about what God can do in every failing moment, every circumstance that stands itself between you and Gods promises. Never give up hope in what God can do, it's never about your abilities but rather what God is willing to do in your inabilities, this way only God is given glory and the roots of your faith can only become more precious. You may be pressed from all sides but that will never silence the will of our saviour. God is able, He is able to do much more than we could ever imagine and for this we praise Him, even in the darkest corners of our trials. 

In The Tomb Of Your Weakest Hour

God is ever ready to hear our prayers, it isn't in the caverns of distance that whispers are heard but in the depths of Gods heart, His soul, that is the place where prayer is heard. To God it is nothing short of a symphony of faith, hope and love. The passion is in the waiting, knowing that whatever is done it is done at the epicenter of wisdom. God rolls the stone away from each and every circumstance, what He does with it is the Fathers will and that matters most. The sweet joy is knowing that whatever it is it will be covered by the hands of love, the same hands that where pinned to the cross, the same back that was marked because of our transgressions but praise God for the love that rose jesus from the grave. Whatever you are facing, remember this, God is never finished with you and even when you feel like your in the grave of sorrows last song, you are in Gods hands and He can always roll the stone away. By Ernie Kasper

My strength is in you

There was this brilliant joy that feeds my heart, the love of family, the kindness of friendship and the hope I have in christ jesus. Those were the thoughts dancing around inside my mind and what a beautiful song it was. Suddenly as I began to speak the words just fell to the floor, all scrambled into jargon, almost like someone took all my speech and shook it around in a snow globe. I turned to my daughter to tell her how much I loved her and all that came out was "brineda da da da dub dub" Silence filled my mind but my mouth keep repeating the same thing. My emotions felt like a downpour of frustration and brokenness. My son turned to me and placed his hand on my cheek and said "dad, it's okay" and gave me a big hug. Like a babbling brook I continued to try but to no avail.
That's my stroke and that's my challenge, it comes and goes but what amazes me is God's comfort through it all, the love He exudes in those dark valleys. Sometimes we go through life's challenges and think "this is brutal, this is just the worse thing!" then when you look back you see clearer and you might even see the rainbow after the storm ;) It's been seven years since my stroke and every day is a challenge beyond reason but what has come out of this is something so precious, so amazing that I would never take it back. I found faith that is much deeper than superficial name it and claim behaviour. I found that having faith is all about knowing God's character, knowing that even in suffering He is able to do much more than I could ever dream. That's the God of the bible, the one I love so much! In all my trials God has lead me to this very place, this place where I am writing poetry, painting pictures, taking photography, sculpting, preaching the gospel without regret. So you see, this hardship is temporary, my testimony is in God's unfailing love and it is Him who sustains me and as I run seven miles in seventy cities, I know that God is able to do much more than I could ever imagine.

~I'm Alive~

He took the tears in my life and turned them into wine
God took my sorrows and brought me new tomorrows
His love is precious
His love is divine
He took my broken words
shook the dirt from my heart
taught me to fly
gave me a new start

I'm alive
I'm alive
nothing in this world could ever take away
wash away my love
your my precious child
and every step I take
I'll teach you to rise above
I'll hold your hurts and pains
give you courage during the mighty storms
the rushing rains

There can be a million broken dreams
hurts that tear you at the seems
but I'm the lifter of souls
I'm the light when others hate
sits like burning coals
I will calm the storms
I will be there even unto the end of time
I am yours and you are mine...

By Ernie Kasper

Bullies and Me

The words come to the forefront of my mind "You're such a loser", "Nice face buddy, man you're ugly", "If I looked like you I would shoot myself" and so forth. It was a constant barrage of cruel words with hateful intentions.

     There I was in grade 9, my first year in a big unknown school and I didn't know a single soul. The crazy thing about it all is I was more uncomfortable because at recess people were smoking and some were even lighting up drugs. I hated drugs with a passion, my brother was and is hooked on them and I saw how it was destroying his life, his body, his mind and his character. I had a strong sense of right and wrong and maybe that's where it all started but I think it was even more than that. I looked awkward, spoke awkward and didn't look anyone in the eyes and that's the perfect recipe for being bullied.

     After just two weeks of school things suddenly became a living nightmare, people would just come up to me and say nasty things, sick things, things that don't even deserve to be repeated but I tried to ignore them. I put my best foot forward and kept smiling when I could and shaking off the heartache, the verbal daggers, the cruel intentions. I often prayed before going to school, during school and one thing it taught me was to never be anyone else but yourself.

     During that year and the next it became clearly evident that even switching schools wasn't going to solve my problem with bullies. The next school was even worse than the first one. Girls would come up to me and just laugh at me, while others pretended to like me and then begin laughing as others looked on, knowing all the while that it was just a cruel joke. Stories circulated about who I might be, what I might be, what I was in their minds and the stories got bigger and more cruel as time passed on. One morning in particular I was mocked and ridiculed during class by seven to eight students at one time and then the teacher joined in the festive banter and that was the day that my heart completely fell to pieces. Later that night I attempted suicide and failed miserably, thankfully! My parents saw the serious situation that had finally boiled to an uncontrollable frenzy of pain and decided to take me to South America on a trip. I believe that in some small way it was the best thing to do. They took me out of school and I lived life, I actually began to smile again, not all the time like I used to but the smile was working its way back in.

     To make a long story short, I fell into satanism, became an angry young man and by the time I was 17 I was seriously involved in martial arts for the purpose of never being bullied again. I took my situation and tried to resolve it my way, I was angry at God and at life but I had a radical turnaround and accepted christ back into my life and began witnessing to my partying friends and the change in my life shocked them. Suddenly I wasn't the angry guy looking for violence and hate, I was looking for truth, faith, hope and love. God took my broken life and made me bold for the gospel. I became someone that had enough courage through christ to forgive those who hurt me, who hated me, and even those who betrayed me. Jesus taught me to love others as myself and that in itself is a novel waiting to be written ;)

Where we are broken, God in His amazing glory, His wonderful love, can and will restore us. It isn't that God is cruel by ignoring our suffering when we pray for hope, change and deliverance but rather it is all about perfect timing. My life is a testimony of Gods unfailing love, His devoted arms of strength despite everything I've done, everything anyone has done to me. I am a child of the one true King and by jesus's strips I am made brand new. Bullying can never triumph over the grace of the cross, fear and hatred could not keep jesus in the grave and for that resurrection I am forever changed...

The beauty of a soul is something of a mystery, you see if you hold it in your hand and do nothing with it, it remains a seed, there is only the shell of it's potential, but if you know it's true value, the purpose for what it was always intended to do, then you can do wonders with it. When God reaches the depths of who we really are, He takes that seed and He places it in the soil of jesus's life, and He waters it with grace, with love, with tender mercy and with the utmost care in mind; because when the seasons change and the rain has passed, the sun begins to shine, you will become the beautiful flower, the blossoming tree, whatever He has purposed for your life. The great marvel of it all is God always new what seed you were and where you should be planted and what blessings you would bestow to others. By Ernie Kasper #teamjesus #wisdom #faith #hope #love

Second Chances

God is a God of second chances, third, fourth and every other number never forget that His character is love but even in that vast well of grace He will use wisdom and sometimes that wisdom requires tough love, the love that must do the unpopular, the love that must speak out, the love that tells it like it is but always at the right moment. By Ernie Kasper ‪#‎reallove‬ ‪#‎faith‬ ‪#‎hope‬ ‪#‎God‬

It's never easy but then again....

When life hits you with a curve ball it can really catch you off guard but then again that's life. The amazing thing is whether you can learn from it, can you adapt to the trials, the heartaches, the broken dreams and pick yourself up and keep swinging until you hit that ball. When I suffered my stroke 7 years ago it became very clear that this was a curve ball and that I had to not only pick myself up but learn to read, write, walk and talk and then swing that bat! There were many, many tears, lots of frustration, people misunderstanding me and sadly enough some would value me as less than who I was. I was still me, inside the shell there was the same person who is and was Ernie. I still loved to laugh though at many times it was silent, I still loved to smile though it was crooked, I still loved to hug though it was often done with little or no strength at all; the real me was still alive and thriving. My life was being blown by the wind and it didn't help that most of me had become ashes. There is this deep part of me that says "God is there, it may seem distant but He's right there" and I took that whisper and I made it echo through the valley of my tears. I wasn't going to let this break me and crush who I was. I was going to pick up the pieces and with Gods help I was going to be a mosaic picture of faith, hope and love. Suffering has this unique way of stripping you of all your weight and putting a mirror in front of you and saying "Is this who you are?!" Well this was and is who I am, someone who refuses to quit, to give up, to simply end my story with failure and by Gods grace it will be so much more than I could have ever imagined.

By Ernie Kasper