One month ago today, I was up at IBLP Headquarters for a girl’s Journey to the Heart program. Because Hannah and I arrived a day early, we had the opportunity to accompany Robert Staddon to the airport, to meet the wife and daughter of the president of Hobby Lobby! We later found out that their flight had been delayed and would not be expected until much later in the day. As we drove back to HQ, Robert encouraged us to look over the Psalm that went in accordance with the day (Psalm 20). Looking back, I found it to be such an incredible blessing! What could have become an irritation to us actually paved the way for a special time of spiritual refreshment - meditating on God’s promises, sharing insights, and discussing topics from Scripture became the highlight of my day! Today as I read the precious familiar words of Psalm 20, I was reminded of the valuable lessons God taught me through each verse back in March.

Psalm 20

“The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee;

2. Send thee help from the sanctuary, and strengthen thee out of Zion;

3. Remember all thy offerings, and accept thy burnt sacrifice; Selah.

4. Grant thee according to thine own heart, and fulfill all thy counsel.

5. We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners: the Lord fulfill all thy petitions.

6. Now know I that the Lord saveth His anointed; He will hear him from His holy heaven with the saving strength of His right hand.

7. Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.

8. They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright.

9. Save, Lord: let the king hear us when we call.”

I just LOVE the whole concept of the NAME of God being my defense! How amazing is that??? Consider the power of this name above all names! By the name of Jesus his disciples raised the dead back to life, healed the sick, lame, and blind, cast out demons, and baptized new believers; by the name of Jesus, we as His own children come before His throne, binding and rebuking Satan; and it is at the name of Jesus that every knee shall bow (in heaven, on earth, and under the earth), and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord!  I find that as I use the various names of God in prayer, I come to view Him in all the different ways that He really is. I seek Him as a Shepherd when I feel confused and lost; His is my tower of refuge and a strong rock when I am weak and frightened and afraid; He is my Healer and Great Physician when I am sick; He is a bright light and lamp to my feet when I need guidance… As I marvel at this powerful name, I am greatly convicted by the breathtaking, mind-whirling stories I’ve heard of those who were delivered from danger and death, by crying out in the name of Jesus, and by calling upon the name of our Savior! I am convinced that this is an area where I desperately lack devotion, because I daily take for granted the powerful name of my King!

There is so much to write about what God taught me through this awesome Psalm, that I know I cannot even begin to scratch the surface here! I think my favorite verse is verse 5, because it talks about setting up our banners in the name of the Lord! I thought about what a banner is used for, and this is what I came up with: (1) Our banner is a symbol of who we are – it represent us, or our cause. (2) Banners keep us focused on a goal, and by looking at it, we are reminded to strive continually and with all diligence. (3) In battle, the banner would aid in keeping the soldiers where they were supposed to be, and stood as a symbol to the opposing army that they had not yet won the battle – if the banner was still held high.

Based on this, believers should be asking, “Is my banner still raised? Have I surrender to the ways of the world, or to the pressure of those who claim to also be children of God but are compromising? Does my banner communicate a a message of Jesus’ love to the eyes of the watching world? Who am I trying to represent, and for what cause?” For me, as a soldier in the army of God, I desire a banner that rises high above all banners of this world- that speaks the truth of Jesus Christ and His perfect undying love to all mankind. The battle I fight is not against flesh, but against powers and principalities and darkness, and the rulers of this world…my weapons are of Christ – truth, righteousness, salvation, faith, peace, prayer, and boldness to make known the mystery of the gospel… Let us all strive to raise our banners high in the name of Jesus – for it is in His name that we have authority against our deadliest enemies, and victory to overcome the lust of the flesh, and to take captive every wrong thought to the glory of God!

This past Saturday Mommy surprised us with a trip to the zoo in Columbia, SC! Since Daddy was away at a local speaker’s meeting all day, we quickly ate breakfast and jumped into the van to get an early start for the 1.5 hour trip that lay ahead. Timothy was especally excited, because this was his first real trip to the zoo that he would actually be old enough to enjoy!

When we arrived, we were just in time to see the bears playing! They were chasing each other, and “wrestling” like you see in the picture below. Unfortinately, the tigers and lions were sleeping, as they usually are when we have visited throughout the past few years. Nevertheless, we had an exciting trip and I made good use of my camera! (Hopefully these pictures will make up for the posts lacking in pictures )

I think it is so easy to take for granted the blessing of a large family! Looking back over the years filled with precious memories alongside brothers, sisters, and parents, I cannot imagine life without the joy of each one! Being at the zoo as a family - helping each other out, taking turns, and laughing with one another, really challenged me to be more grateful for the loved ones God has placed in my life. Have you stopped to thank God for your family today? Take time to bless and encourage a parent or sibling this week, by making them feel loved, and letting them know just how much you cherish them The memories you make over the years with them are priceless and precious -  don’t take them for granted!

There is a GREAT TIME in store!!!!

This past weekend we had the privilege of visiting with the Staddon family at their home in West Virginia. What an amazing time we had!!! Words cannot describe the depth of our fellowship, the laughter, the excitement, and the friendly competition that created magnificent memories and new motivation to make the next visit “not so far into the future” (Unfortinately we did not take many pictures Visit the Staddon’s blog to see the few that James captured.)

If you have been around the Staddons, you know that their enthusiasm is contagious and they just can’t help serving others! They prepared delicious meals that went perfect with the table talk, and arranged thrilling “adventures” that included building a new bike trail, visiting tree forts high on the mountain, sharing funny stories while planting potatoes, playing ping-pong with a balloon, hauling fallen branches out of the yard and  up the mountain, singing hymns, photo-shooting, and playing outdoor games from football to volleyball to “follow the judge to court,” and more. To top off the wide variety of activities we enjoyed, the majority of us participated in a thrilling, competitive game of Catan which lasted nearly 3 hours! We enjoyed a detailed property tour and got hands on experience in many areas of mountain living Michael shared helpful hints on how to improve our garden and designed a beautiful work of art for the little boys – a piece of wood with Scripture and art burned into it.  Donald helped Jonathan make a pencil holder with the initial “S” burned into it. Robert set right to work building us our new family blog and devoted hours to making everything just right, even though other activities were going on around him. Everyone was quick to jump in and help out wherever they were needed whether washing dishes, including little ones in activities, or setting aside personal comfort to make our stay the best ever! We even enjoyed fresh maple syrup on our pancakes, harvested from the Staddon’s own maple trees!

The highlight of our visit was surely celebrating the resurrection of Jesus! We had the opportunity to sing “Trust and Obey” as a group at their church. We later enjoyed resurrection cookies as well as a time of fellowship with the Mrs. Staddon’s relatives who dropped by for lunch. James took a picture of both our families beneath a beautiful tulip poplar tree in their grandparent’s yard. We were sorry to say goodbye, but anticipate that the next visit will surely be even better! There is something significantly special about visiting families who live far away - it makes the time of fellowship so much sweeter, and the time together to be treasured all the more, knowing that goodbyes will soon be said With each visit, all the good memories just keep building up, making friendships so much sweeter and better.

Thank you Staddon family for your generous hospitality! You are a beautiful channel through which the love of Jesus flows to encourage and bless other believers, and His light is radiant in your joyful countenances and in your everyday enthusiasm. Continue to rejoice in our precious Savior and allow Him to draw others to Himself through you!

I was really, really looking forward to this journey!!! Not like I haven’t in the past, but it was especially exciting since I would be able to visit with several friends from previous journeys and meet up with some very encouraging girls who had been influential in my life! I think I left home with the misconception that I had already dealt with the majority of my “issues” and that God was just going to use this time to hone in on any blind-spots I had missed. I love God’s sense of humor, but it was not that funny when I got there and realized how much more God had in store for me than I had originally intended on dealing with. I had envisioned maybe some feedback from the Lord on my complaining attitude during difficult tasks, my dislike of Physics, and my bad attitude towards homework! Instead, God hit the bulls eye and began to draw out some things that had been buried deep for a long time!

The first thing he hit was the clothes. Wow…”Lord, this is silly.” I said almost aloud as I started reading the murmuring heart.”You are only supposed to be showing me not to complain. You are not allowed to take my clothes. I know mom doesn’t like the things I like, but can’t SHE change? Why me???” Two evenings later, I was carelessly sharing with a friend that if you have not surrendered EVERYTHING, it is like you have not surrendered at all. “Hannah, why are you being a hypocrite?” The Lord seemed to say rather indignantly. “Well Lord, I can’t be perfect!” I justified myself hastily. It only took me three more days to realize that my obsession with what I wore was not just creating a breach between me and my mom, but it was hindering a free and open relationship with Jesus.

Laura and I

I certainly did not want that. After all, I had come to Journey to get closer to the Lord in the first place!!! I gave my clothes to God. I told him that it really did not matter if I liked what I wore as long as people could see Jesus in me and as long as I could know that I had the power of Christ in me. I felt free from a burden that I had originally thought to be no big deal!

Next, God honed in on witnessing. “Hannah, you have the good news. You know you are going to heaven. Why don’t you tell others about me…others that are not saved?” I almost laughed out loud. “You cannot expect me to witness Lord. I live in America…you know, the land of the intimidating!” Yeah, that’s me. I mean, if you want to send me overseas where people believe you and are raised to life when they die, that’s all good and fine, but here? I am not going to the mall and talking about you to ANYONE. This conversation is closed.” But the Lord was not finished with me yet. “Hannah, how many people are in hell right now that could be with me if you had not been so afraid?” I felt a wave of shock coming over me. “150,000 unsaved people die everyday without knowing about me…” I talked to my leader Laura about this. Two days later we gathered as a team and committed to keep each other accountable for witnessing to others. On the way home, I had the opportunity along with my sister and two friends to witness to a lady and her two kids who were in the airport. How great is God’s timing? I often wonder if he likes to put us on the spot! I mean, I know he likes to use weak people to confound the mighty, but…well, never mind that!

The third thing that God prompted me to deal with was the hardest thing. He brought to the surface my relationship with my mom. At first, I was skeptical. I really wanted a friendship relationship with her…but, that was a big jump for little me! God kept prompting me to make things right. I justified my head off and told the Lord it was ALL her fault. Unfortunately and as usual, the Lord seemed to disagree…and he was NOT in a play-around mood. He wanted me to deal with it, and deal with it right away! Why I was having such a difficult time, I really do not know, but I am sure God knew what he was doing. I left Journey without closure to my problem, but God brought me a verse the day after I got home that shed light on everything. It was from Isaiah 59, verses 1 and 2 about how MY iniquities had caused a breach between me and him! I realized that the ultimate problem here was not my mom, but was my bitterness and wrong responses. I asked God to help me forgive my mom for hurting me and I asked God to forgive me for my bitterness and hateful responses. I recognized several days after I got home that bitterness breaks family one accord.

By far, this was the hardest journey I have ever been on. God dealt with me in ways I did not want to be dealt with, but he also drew me nearer to his heart to find out who he really was. I came home with an urgent desire to seek God and find him. A dear girl who works in the office at Headquarters gave an amazing message on pursuing God the night before we drove back to Chicago. It struck me because I wanted to know how to continue my journey at home. Over and over again, she assured us that our faithful God will be near us if we pursue him. God revealed to me during those ten days what he wants from me this summer. He is not interested in me thinking I have it all down. Rather, he wants me to take a step off the diving board, a leap of faith, and simply believe that he is…to TRUST him completely. It will not be fun. I can assure you of that…but in the end, the fruit will be multiplied a hundredfold!

As you continue to walk with God, remember that he is the Diadem of Beauty. We have the capacity to look just like him, but only if we trust him. That is not conditional trust…that is unconditional trust. If you have not been on a Journey…you REALLY should go. It is not a fix, or an end all, or a band-aid for the broken, but it is a ten day trip into the heart of God, and it is worth more money than you could find in the whole world. I would challenge you to make a way to go whether it requires re-structuring your schedule or missing something academic you really wanted to do this summer, because just KNOWING Jesus is the GREATEST thing of all! If you are interseested in going with us, Sarah and I will be returning in July of 2010, the 10th through the 20th.

“Lord, I just want to trust you…fully, completely, in every area!” Does this sound familiar to you???  It’s easy to trust God when there’s bread on the table and money in the bank; it’s no task to smile when the sun is shining, or flowers are blooming, and the whole world seems to love you just the way you are… but what about those simply challenging moments when the last thing you want to do is humble yourself to repent, or take up another difficult assignment that has gone maybe just a little too far? What about the times of spiritual drought and famine in your Christian walk, and the opposition you encounter from even those dearest and closest to you???

For me, Journey to the Heart has been a time of spiritual refreshment; a breath of the freshest, cleanest air on this earth! It’s not about a method but my  relationship with Him! It draws me to the very heart of God and forces me to just unload all my cares and burdens at the feet of Jesus. In the midst of an intense week of self examination away from all the other normal distractions of life, I can get away with shedding a few buckets of tears over what seems like something incredibly small. No, it’s not always practical to unload

in such an unladylike and awkward manner; but that’s what an encounter with Jesus Christ is like…right? EVERYBODY knows when I’ve gotten straight down to business with God  Yet emotional or not, I’ve discovered that there is no such thing as tearing off on a journey and coming back just the same…in fact, more than likely I’ll end up worn out, empty, and a little broken down. Nevertheless, I’ve seen some sights so beautiful and breathtaking that I’ll surely do it ten times over. That’s the best thing that can happen – because that’s when Jesus finds me and fills me back up! He gives me rest and shows me new breathtaking images of what He plans to do in and through me.

My Journey began 9 years ago when I became a child of King Jesus! Every day draws me closer to His side and I am SO overwhelmed in His love! My daily prayer is that I could be emersed and simply drowning in the presence of His Holy Spirit. Yet my Journey has only just begun and will continue until that day when I see His glorious face with my eyes! Perhaps my most difficult issue lies in throwing aside every last scrap of intellect, self-reliance, comfort, reason, and all competing affections to simply… TRUST JESUS! This was my prayer as I headed off to Journey for the third time in March. “Lord, show me how to trust you completely, fully, totally with all of my being…no matter what it takes!” That “matter” was going to be a whole lot more than I would have voluntarily bargained for! I had no idea what great unexpected challenges God was going to bring my way, nor did I foresee the unimaginable ways that He would give me great joy and peace - by abiding in Him.

I had a perfect picture of what to expect on this Journey - one accord prayer, major breakthroughs… I had expectations that I was sure God would fulfill – but He had a better plan! Tuesday morning I woke up around 3:00AM and lost my previous meal – all over the room! Unfortinately, I was not the only girl who had been affected by the “stomach flu”. The day seemed to drag by, a constant struggle to focus on our heart examination assignments. It was then that I felt the Lord telling me, “Sarah, do you trust that I have a perfect plan in this? Do you trust me because I love you and want only what’s best for you?” I was deeply convicted as I realized that my efforts to have a joyful heart rather than murmuring had been futile. Even if I did control my mouth, I still felt annoyed inside. I wanted to complain! God brought to mind the Hiding Place which we had been listening to on audio the day before. I remembered Corrie and Betsie Ten Boom  – how in the midst of sickness, death, starvation, nakedness, weariness, and limited living space - under the control of an angry, domineering, hateful Nazi woman… had stopped to thank God for the fleas! As if I had been slapped in the face, I stopped writing in my

notebook. “Sarah, you need to do more than just NOT complain, you need TO THANK ME for this sickness and the PERFECT plan that I have in it,” God seemed to say. It was then that I went to a whole new level! I learned to thank God for the blessings that He HAD bestowed on me that I had so selfishly overlooked – like being with likeminded sisters in the Lord who would encourage me and comfort me in any way they could,  having a family at home to love and pray for me, and knowing that I was a child of God…Throughout the rest of the day, I was continually reminded that the joy of the Lord was my strength! Despite the physical pain I had to endure, my strength was renewed so that I was able to get up and serve others who were still sick in bed! Being joyful DID affect the wayI felt, lived, and acted!!!

One of my greatest desires has always been to encourage other young ladies in the Lord, and to make disciples! On this Journey I discovered that God loves surprise witnessing opportunities, and He’s really good at doing ALL the work if you’ll just be a channel! So, naturally I was sharing with a team member how the Lord gave me freedom from 30 lies, 20 painful memories, and 5 major fears that had completely taken over my life. We were walking around the lake up in Michigan and the trail was 3.7 miles. We had plenty of time to talk! I discovered that we had much in common – only she was still in bondage. As she shared her story with me,  I began to understand how deep the pain inside her heart had become – pain of rejection, verbal abuse, and lies that destroyed her perspective of her identity in Christ. I asked her if she had been able to thank God for what He had allowed, and if she had had the opportunity to bless and forgive her offenders.  I continued asking other thought-provoking questions as I felt led of the Lord, despite the discouragement of her answers. Around 2 hours later,

we arrived back at the lodge. As we headed toward the door, I asked her if she had made any wrong vows?” She exclaimed “Yes!” and started listing several - a vow to prove to the world that she was someone worth loving, to go to college and prove her intelligence to her dad, to grow up and kill all Christians, and the list went on. I asked her if she would pray and ask God to break those vows. She grabbed my hand and opened her mouth to speak, but the words wouldn’t come! Later she said, “My tongue went numb and I couldn’t speak!” I saw the fear in her eyes, and heard her scream as she fell into my arms crying, “I feel it, oh I feel it.” (the power of Satan). She shared with me later that she felt the evil presence of a demonic power and could not get freedom. I began binding and rebuking

Satan in the name of Jesus and crying out to God. This gave her freedom to ask God to break the wrong vows. She was able to bless her offenders, and thank God for her past! I then asked her to state aloud with her mouth who she was in Christ. At first she thought that was silly, but when I insisted, she agreed. I asked her to verbally repeat after me, “In Christ I am beautiful, in Christ I am victorious…” she stopped in mid sentence  and told me that all kinds of evil thoughts were running through her head – she WASN’T victorious and DIDN’T have the power or authority to say speak the truth. I asked her to pray against Satan in the name of Jesus and claim the freedom from her Heavenly Father, and she did!!! She found freedom and joy and was able to share with our team, with her parents who adopted her, and with the group back at HQ later on in the week. God was SOOOO good, and in the midst of drawing another precious lamb back to Himself, He showed me that I never needed to be any more than a channel through which He could flow as Living Water, as Precious Love, and as Light in the darkness. He taught me how to trust Him, fully, totally, completely!

We were visiting with our good friends the Staddons at their West Virginia home over the Easter holiday, when the subject of family blogs came up. I mentioned that we would like to have one, but Sarah and I had been unsuccessful at trying to set one up. Robert Staddon, in his usual enthusiastic way said, “You want to have a blog? Let’s set one up! We can do it today!”  So here it is; The Stelzl Family Blog! We hope you enjoy getting to know us better through our blog.

I want to thank Robert  for his skill and patience in working with me to get the colors, fading, arrangement ……..JUST RIGHT. My children will tell you that I am a real detail person, and getting it just right takes me lots of time We also want to thank James Staddon for allowing us to use his picture of our house taken during their visit to our home, just before this past Christmas. He skillfully captured the late afternoon sun glowing on one of the windows, and the color and clarity are amazing! We chose a picture of our home because we love to show hospitality and we have a discipleship ministry that takes place mostly through our home at present.

May God bless you through the messages found here!