adventure Archives - Sherry Stahl

From Adversity To Adventure

This post, From Advesity To Adventure was originally posted on November 18, 2018 when Todd and I got back from Guatemala… for the third time. I just felt it needed to be released again.

I woke up thinking about the Soul H2O Podcast Epidode #28, Seasons of Growth in Adversity (which also features and interview with Todd, my daughter and Peggy Kennedy). That reminded me of this devo and it encouraged me, so I pray it will do the same for you!

Here’s the Soul H2O Devotion…

From Adversity To Adventure

This resurrection life you received from God
is not a timid, grave-tending life.
It’s adventurously expectant, 
greeting God with a childlike 
“What’s next, Papa?” 
God’s Spirit touches our spirits 
and confirms who we really are. 
We know who he is, and we know who we are:
Father and children.
And we know we are going to get
what’s coming to us
—an unbelievable inheritance! 
We go through exactly what Christ goes through. 
If we go through the hard times with him, 
then we’re certainly going to go 
through the good times with him!

~Romans 8:15-17 The Message

For the past two weeks, Todd and I were in Guatemala!!! This is our third trip because the people have gotten into our hearts. We’ve only been home a few days and we’re planning to go back.

The crazy part is we started journeying to Guatemala before we ever became romantically connected! We discovered at the beginning of our dating relationship that we both wanted to go back to Guatemala. With the encouragement (or maybe a little hounding) from Sam Welten of Possibilities International, we went last March to help with a teen missions trip. While there, I was asked to run a women’s event. It went so well they asked us back this year with a team of women who would coordinate four women’s events across Guatemala and build houses for families in need.

I was blessed to have this opportunity because a horrible thing went on in my life. For two decades I was in an unhealthy marriage that ended with a very difficult divorce. Todd and I would never be married if we both hadn’t had to go through the disappointment of divorce. My life has been a series of hard times followed by incredibly awesome experiences. I can honestly say; every struggle has made the good times all the sweeter. With God, you can go from adversity to adventure!

ADVENTURE THROUGH ADVERSITY… TO THE EXCITING STUFF!

I chose to use Eugene Petersen’s Message paraphrase of the Bible for this week’s Scripture reference because I love how he words this passage. {Side-note; did you know he’s Canadian too? A Canuck just like me… OK, back to the devo} What Petersen’s meaning when he compares the Christian life by saying:

This resurrection life you received from God
is not a timid, grave-tending life.

Is that the Christian life isn’t for lifeless, dead, boring people. It’s a life resurrected. Jesus came to give us life and life more abundantly! Yes, you’re going to have problems, but yes, you’re going to experience the good stuff. Begin to live adventurously expectant of what God destined for you. A life lived for God is an exciting adventure! You won’t be bored. You may be hanging on for dear life at times, but it will never be a lackluster existence. I’ve found, that with each step I take towards God’s purposes for my life, the more attention-grabbing my journey gets. Seeing how God connects me with the right people at the right time, watching where He directs me to go and recognizing who He’s leading me to go with are all born out of exhilarating escapades!

So, if you’re finding life a tad bit drab… ask God to show you what HIS plans for you are and take the first step on your exciting new adventure!

Prayer

Father… Help me not to live small. Your plans for my life are big, exciting, adventurous plans. Let my heart line-up with your will so I can experience all that you have purposed for me to do. I will live expectantly asking “What’s next, Papa?”. In Jesus Name…Amen

Right before we went to Guatemala I did a Facebook Live to update and encourage people. It’s what inspired this devotion.

WATCH MY FACEBOOK LIVE ON ADVENTURE

Some of you have followed our adventures through facebook live’s from my Sherry Stahl-Author, Speaker, Blogger page and the Possibilities International Page. If you didn’t, the videos are still on our Facebook page Video sections.

DRAWING FROM THE WELL

Romans 8:15-17 The Message
Exodus 12:11
Psalm 84:5
Matthew 4:19

THANK YOU!

We want to thank all the individuals who gave to help fund this missions trip and make it a reality. Below are links to a few of them. We’d love for you to support them with donations or your business J

Possibilities International
Founder Sam Welten has been friends with Todd for decades and taking teams on humanitarian trips almost as long. He’s a heavy-hitter for the Kingdom bringing his ‘lemony goodness’ around the globe. Affectionately telling people to ‘Get off the Sauce’ and do something with your life!
https://iam1ru.com/ShoppingCartTrip.aspx Fall Medical/Build/Ladies Event

Sew On Fire Ministries
Wendy Hagar is one lady full of adventure! Following God’s call, she started this ministry in her home, now a 9000 square foot warehouse filled to the rafters! Wendy vicariously travels around the globe as she sends out humanitarian aid with a loving touch. The women on her team sewed bags and gave us an abundance of stuff to put in them for the women of Guatemala, along with dressed for little girls, a wedding dress, and shoes)
http://www.sewonfire.com/

Tim & Stephany Mercer’s Century 21 Local Home Team in Leamington, Ontario
These amazing friends of ours have the biggest of hearts! Adventurously stepping out into the business God purposed for them to start. They offer their time, talents, and treasures to build God’s Kingdom. (Donated funding to build a home for a family in dire need and their 7 kids)
https://www.localhometeam.ca/

Goodness Project (Donated Clothes and Nailpolish)
My cousin Bill & his wife {my BFF} Rachelle Fletcher are reaching out to those in need and providing emergency disaster relief across Canada and the US. They are two of the most giving people on the planet who have man an earthquake effect for God’s Kingdom opening wide God’s love into broken, needy places!
https://www.teamgoodness.com/

Keep It Real Ministries (Donated Encouraging Hats)
Laura Bronson is a Youth Minister and Graffiti Artist who impacted our kids as teens and continues to influence youth for Christ as she has expanded Keep It Real ministry to include a team of Graffiti artists!
http://ikeepitreal.ca/