Grateful.... even for snow

Snow. Right now we dont need any other word to bring sighs, groans and slumped shoulders... just the word snow. We are so ready for spring, sunshine, warmth, signs of new life.... that the thought of another week in a winter freeze can be downright depressing. And its something that everyone relate to right now. Just yesterday I talked to at least 5 different strangers at the gym, and what did the conversation involve? Snow. All about snow and almost all grumbling. "Im so sick of snow", "April is almost over, what is this?!", "I cant wait for summer!", or the most common, "Im moving to Florida! No seriously, I really am!". Have you grumbled about it? I know I have, even if just a little. Last week during our Moms prayer group at school, we spent the first half hour talking about the weather, and then jokingly said that this was no longer a prayer group but a "Weather" therapy session. We all desperately crave warmth and sunshine, there's something about that happy feeling that it gives us. But in the midst of a snowy day, lets be grateful for other things.

I would have loved to wake up to a snow day with school cancelled, but I didnt. I would have love to have had my husband snowed in and have to work from home, but he wasnt. I would have loved to ignore the alarm clock and sleep in, but I couldnt. I could have complained about all of that, plus having to take our neighbors son to school on top of my own kids, but I didnt. And I really could have added a groaner to the fact that when I did drop off my neighbors son, another parent in that school backed into my van trying to get out of the parking lot. But I didnt.  I chose to have the peace only God brings. I chose to sing this morning to the kids, I chose to greet our neighbor warmly and with a huge hug. I chose to take in the absolute beauty of all the snow covered trees contrasting a bright blue sky. I chose to smile at the guy who hit me, look him in the eyes and tell him it was ok, that he was gonna have an amazing day and God bless him.

So I challenge you today. STOP IT. Stop complaining, stop grumbling, JUST STOP IT. Choose to see the good in your day. How do you want your day to go? Do you want it joyful, full of life and fun? Or moody, slow and long? Think about whats coming out of your mouth, or swirling around in your head and choose to make it positivity. Yeah I could have spent the morning in bed sleeping, but I got the chance to be a blessing to someone else in the midst of a cold "winter" day. Praise God for that!
Do you accept the challenge?

Philippians 2:14-15 "¹⁴ Do everything without complaining and arguing, ¹⁵ so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people."

Life is not pointless

My heart hurts. The emotions are so mixed. And although there is a joy indescribable for my dear friends gain, the pain of the loss of such a gem in this world literally takes my breath away.

But thats not what this post will be about. Not about the pain or loss, but about the example that an amazing, very young man left behind. I will NEVER forget the day Nick Reed came into my life.

In September of 2011, our brand new church plant hosted a booth at the North Central University church fair. In the sea of college students, our team handed out Ramen Noodle and talked to lots of new people. Most of them asked questions like, "What kind of worship do you have? What kind of message do you give? How many people attend? Where are you located? Do you have a youth group".

 But not Nick. As I greeted Nick, my first thought was, "Wow, He is way older than most of the people here." We talked for a good 15 minutes, which is incredible considering most of the conversations all morning had been about 30 seconds long. After explaining some of the history of how God called us to plant this new church, Nick said he was willing to help anyway he could. I asked him what areas he was good in and he replied, "Just give me a brush and Ill scrub the toilets and the bathrooms. I want to serve." Then He explained to me that he was sick of hearing of churches using all these gimmicks to get you to come, that He wanted to find a place and just serve. Then He promised to be there waiting at 745am on our first launch day of South Oaks. He met our team that day, and as He walked away all of us marveled at such an amazing guy. We talked about him all week long, prayed for him and at our next meeting told everyone all about this Nick guy. We even debated on his age, because there was something about him that was so much older than the other students.

On our first Sunday, September 18th, 2011, Nick was one of the first, if not the first person to arrive. Ready and waiting to help set up and tear down. And He came every Sunday after that, bringing even more people with him every week, even with a limp.... and then eventually crutches. He served with all his heart. We didnt even know right away what a talented musician he was, or his amazing healing from the first bout with cancer. But we didnt have to, we knew from the moment He walked up to that booth that He was a one of a kind guy, someone unique and powerful. Adding in all that incredible testimony just increased our respect for him. If it wasnt for Nick, I wouldnt have met the awesome Brandon, or the beautiful Jessi, or any of the other amazing NCU people who are now a part of my life. And all the way up to the point when He had to go back home from surgery, He set the example and the bar for truly living for Jesus Christ in our church. Even from his hospital bed this past September, he sent a thank you video to the church for our 1yr anniversary. He never gave up, through pain and trial, through the toughest parts of life, Nick plowed through. Even more amazing to find out that He was only 19 at the time, He carried a wisdom far beyond his years.


I remember one time walking out the door at the same time He was, and he was on crutches. I tried to hold the door open for him, and he laughed and said "Im not paralyzed, girls dont hold the door for guys." And he put his crutch up on the door and blocked it, till he could get in front of me to hold the door for me and my boys. I remember giggling with Jessi as she crushed on him, and watching the two of them exchange glances.... I even gave up a seat next to Nick and forced them to sit next to each other. This was obviously before anything became official between the two of them, and Im pretty sure I made them both blush and very uncomfortable. lol But Im glad I did.

The church, My husband and I and our boys, just like everyone else, poured massive hours into prayer for Nick. I am overjoyed that He is now healed, whole and in heaven.

I have never met someone like Him, I believe He was a real angel sent her to show us how to serve with everything we have. The last words he wrote show his heart, "The seeds we sow in this life will be the crops we reap after we die. See, our bodies may die and all the things we worked so hard to get will be equal to nothing. But our souls will live on........ Life is not pointless. So live like it has a point."

The heart, the passion, the love for God, the way he treated Jessi.... all examples to live by. We call him the Warrior Nick... and his is a story I will tell over and over again my whole life. The story of a man, an angel, a servant... whose time here we all feel was too short, but was designated with a mission by God. I know that the evening of January 31, 2013, Nick Reed heard the words, "Well done, my good and faithful servant."

The Beilke's love you Nick. Thank you for impacting our lives, by just being you. I am grateful to have met you.

1There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under heaven:

2a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,

3a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,

4a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,....
11He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end
Ecclesiastes 3:1-4, 11

Nick Reeds BLOG:
http://thepilgrimman.wordpress.com/

(Nick and the team at a babyshower)

Do not grow weary in asking

My 5yr old son Elijah has already proven that He is quite prophetic. He has seen things, heard things and spoken things out that have happened. Its pretty incredible watching him grow up. Theres this silly, hyper, crazy little boy who is just like any other 5yr old, and then out of the blue He does something that make Sheldon and I take a step back and go, wow.

Two nights ago He had a dream that He remembered quite vividly. As far as I can remember, its the first time He has remembered a whole dream, and the night before was New Years Eve and we prayed special prayers over each of our children for 2013. He woke up slightly disturbed and told us all about it. He was in the ocean and a skeleton was teasing a shark. Well the shark ate up the whole skeleton and and spit out its bones and left. Thats it.

But the timing of the dream and the stuff in the dream is not coincidence. In the last week we have paid out over $1800 in vehicle repairs, and not one dime of it came from our personal pocket books. What we had need of, we prayed and the next day checks came in the mail. This van has been broken down since June! Would it have been nice to have it fixed before now? Sure! But God is always perfect in his timing, never late! We survived just fine with one car, it was tough and there was lots of switching, Sheldon taking the bus a two hour bus ride at 5am, and Elijah staying at school late, but even through the stretch and stress, we survived just fine. However, with our exchange student coming, we need the second vehicle, and God provided right on time for a situation we had given up on. Its so amazing that Sheldon and I have been totally in awe since last week. Then comes this dream.

To me the skeleton represents lack, starvation, emptiness, sickness. Well we have definitely struggled with sickness this month, and we have always been just under the cut for bills to income, even with the most basic bills you can have. But in all, we remain faithful to God and to giving to Him.

Now to the shark, He is the powerhouse of the ocean. He is the equivalent to the ocean, as what the lion is to land. He is fierce, Hes a hunter, and does not back down from attack. As He chews up and spits out the skeleton, to me it represents the destruction of lack and sickness.

For 2013, I claim that promise. Just as God has provided every cent needed to fix what the van, which we had given up on, He will provide for every need this year, as always. And I claim to stand as boldly as a shark in my walk with God. I will be bold, I will not back down in seeking and sharing Him, and I will fiercely love. 


'For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.“Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" Matthew 7:8-11