Author: StephanieBBlake

I love to help others focus on the one thing that's most important in life through my ministry, teaching and writing. As Vice President of Xtend Ministries International - www.xtendinternational.com, I travel extensively with my husband. I maintain two websites: www.onefocusministries.com and stretchmoney.wordpress.com. On the One Focus site, you can find free Bible studies, devotionals and information about my first book, "The Prayer Driven Life". My book, "Money: How to Be Rich Without It and How to Stretch It Using Ten Hints from the Past and the Technology of Today" was the inspiration for stretchmoney.wordpress.com. Money saving hints are contained throughout the book and this site was created to continue to give helpful hints on stretching money or having the proper view toward money.
One Focus Blog

Forced Renovations

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In between mission trips, my husband and I returned home to America for a few weeks. We had quite a surprise when we entered our home. Even though we had turned off the water and drained the pipes, a long hard freeze while we were away resulted in so many water leaks in our home we eventually lost count. Not only did the plumbing need fixing, dry wall repair was also needed throughout the house.

As a result of the repairs, we had a forced renovation to two bathrooms. That was not exactly how we had planned to spend those two weeks.

When the unexpected happens, I often look to see if there is a spiritual application. Is it possible that sometimes we need a forced renovation in our spiritual lives? Could it be that God sometimes finds it necessary to allow a “freeze” so that He can fix the leaks and repair the walls? Can it be that our old natures leak through, obscuring the new nature we have in Christ? If so, what is the cost of the repair?

It takes work to maintain a house. It takes work to maintain the right spiritual attitude. You know, I was just wondering…

The Apostle Paul made these statements as a Christian, an apostle, a church planter and a mentor.  Even he admitted there is constant need for renovation.

For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. . . For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. . . O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?  I thank God – through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin. There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit (Romans 7:14, 18,19, 24, 25).

One Focus Blog

Time, Trains and the Total Picture

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In Europe, I often travel by train. One day, I waited for a train – and waited – and waited – and waited some more. Over an hour after my arriving at the platform, the train finally showed up.

Although during that time there had been announcements over a loudspeaker, I couldn’t understand them. I don’t speak the local language. A friend showed up a few minutes before the train came and said she heard that there might be a strike on that day. That would explain the delay, of course, but if she had not said something, I still wouldn’t have any idea what had delayed the train. The problem was not only do I not speak the language. I was missing other essential facts. I didn’t have the big picture.

Only God has all the facts. In His wisdom, He knows what has led me to a point in my life. He knows where I am going. He is also aware of what is going on with those around me and how their lives intersect with mine.

He may give me clues along the way (like the public announcement on the platform), but He knows I will understand only so much. What He asks is that I trust Him to do what is right because He does have the big picture.

I am confident of God’s love. I love Him and I know He loves me. I don’t totally understand His ways but I trust Him. His perspective is based on His unlimited knowledge and His eternal plan.

For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9).

One Focus Blog

Abundance: So Near Yet So Far

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Ministry has taken me to many locations where I have observed a variety of living conditions. Two weeks of ministry in Cape Town, South Africa caused me to reflect on some of what I had seen in my years of ministry.

During years of living in Germany, several German friends gave testimony of the state of affairs before and after the Berlin wall came down in 1989. Some of these friends were in Berlin at the time. The freedom that came with the removal of that wall was more than a news report for people living on each side of the wall. It was a life-changing event. For so long, those on the eastern side of the wall had dreamed of a day when they would be able to once again see family and friends. They had been so near, yet so far away.

One year, as I traveled through Nigeria with friends, we drove past an enormous mansion protected by a high fence. Everything else I had seen, including the immediate surroundings of the mansion, gave evidence of poverty. People living next to the mansion were aware of the luxury, but it was not attainable for them. They were so near, yet so far away.

Much of one year was spent in France where the local beauty and the housing are well above many of the other countries I have visited. Yet, many days I passed by a woman who sat on the sidewalk in between a large bank and a nice shop. She was huddled against the wall during the cold and her tin can in front of her was an indication that the abundance in the bank and the shop was not available to her. She was so near, yet so far away.

This situation was even more pronounced in Cape Town. In a beautiful natural setting, the very modern cosmopolitan city has pockets of severe poverty throughout. The shantytowns, where thousands of people live, are right next to well-maintained highways where luxury vehicles travel. They are so near, yet so far away.

Many in their spiritual lives are in the same situation.  God’s love promises the abundance of His everlasting love, the adoption into His royal family and a heavenly inheritance that lasts for eternity. Unless one reaches out and receives Jesus’ invitation to become a part of His family, they will never experience the abundance of the life that He has to give. They are so near, yet so far away.

I have come that they might have life, and have it abundantly (John 10:10b NAS).

One Focus Blog

Keep Moving: It’s Good Spiritual Exercise

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I used to be a runner. I was one of “those.” I ran because I loved it. There was a certain point in which I thought I might run forever…and ever. I even ran in the rather steep hills surrounding San Diego working up to 9 1/2 miles a day in my mid-40s. The beauty of the surroundings and the private time with God was delightful. I miss it.

I can’t run any more – doctor’s orders. Time is catching up with me and sometimes just rolling out of bed causes back pain. My knee gives me fits every once in a while, but the real kicker came when I developed floaters and flashes in my eyes and I was told that excessive jarring (operating a jack hammer or garden tiller or simply running) might result in a detached retina.

So, alas, now I just walk. But I do walk. I don’t just walk for exercise. I walk to do things, like shopping or banking or getting my hair done. In Europe, that is not strange. Europeans walk everywhere. In America, some well meaning person is always stopping me asking if my car has broken down. Am I OK? Do I need a ride? They find it hard to believe I walk because I want to.

I have made a discovery. The slower I have to go physically, the more determined I am to stay on the racetrack spiritually. I have more time behind me than I have ahead of me. There is no time to waste. What I do I want to count for God. So, where I meandered along slowly in the past thinking there was lots of time for God to point out things to me, I realize now I need to move faster. I want to know God better and I want to know Him better now.

Honestly, lately, I have thought how sad it is that because of my lack of spiritual exercise I wasted time:

  • times when God was right beside me and I ignored His presence
  • times when He was trying to teach me something and I was unteachable
  • times when I stopped altogether because I didn’t want to make the effort to get to know Him better
  • times when I could have spoken for Him and kept my mouth shut

Obviously, I can still trip myself up on the track, but I am determined that with the time I have left, I want to pick up the pace. My physical endurance may have waned, but my eyes are on the goal. I am determined to keep moving.

The Apostle Paul likened our Christian life to a race and talked a lot about the discipline of the journey. Jesus did most of His work in little over three years. He rested physically, to be sure, but He never stopped moving spiritually. God provides the endurance. There is a prize waiting.

. . . let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us (Hebrews 12:1) . . . I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:14 NKJV).

One Focus Blog

A True Handicap: Loss of Communication

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While lodging with a mission team here in South Africa, there have been some surprises. No one expected to stay in an inn that had no heat (especially when winter is making its entrance in Cape Town); however, the lack of internet access has been an even bigger hurdle for most of us. Everyone brought a laptop or IPad expecting to be able to do business as usual. Although there was a varied response to the lack of communication, we all felt the loss. After much searching, we finally found a coffee shop where internet time could be purchased, which is the reason I am able to do this posting.

Many of us now live in a world totally dependent upon instant communication. Ministry carries me to one country where internet is not available for any of the population and to some others where it is greatly restricted. Even in those countries, though, the people are aware of the possibility of instant access and greatly desire it for themselves.

It is now possible to make connection with someone from the other side of the world, form a friendship and never meet face to face. We have seen recently how Twitter and Facebook have sparked revolutions and even changed the punishment for a high school student who asked for a prom date using his school wall. Complete strangers now have the possibility of becoming involved in any issue, whether it pertains to them or not. Social media is a great influencer.

Those of us who are dependent upon the internet feel the loss immediately when it is not available. However, how long does it take us to discover there is a loss of communication with God? Prayer is conversation with God. He is always instantly available. His desire is that we come to Him with anything that is on our minds. Whatever concerns us concerns our heavenly Father. He loves His children and yearns for a relationship that is unhindered by sin. God is as close as our thoughts – even closer – His Spirit resides within our hearts.

Although God never leaves us, it is possible to block communication with Him. When communication is broken, it is all of our own doing. We can ignore Him. When world noise rings louder in our hearts than the voice of the Holy Spirit, it is because we have chosen to let it be that way. Even believers, who have the Holy Spirit, can permit the temptations of the world to interrupt fellowship with God. However, the connection can be quickly restored. As obedient children, when we succumb to temptation, we can then immediately go to God, ask for forgiveness, and then fellowship is once again unhindered. However, if we let the temptation dwell in our heart and give in to the desire, we create a wedge between us and God. When that wedge becomes as prominent as losing the ability to go online, perhaps we will be quicker to remedy the situation.

If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear (Psalm 66:18).

One Focus Blog

Sweaters, Sandals and Seasons

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Traveling from France to Cape Town, South Africa, I encountered a surprise in weather. I checked the weather report before I left France. Both locations had similar predictions. Even though France was going from spring to summer and South Africa’s fall was changing into winter, I erroneously thought that 60-70 degrees Fahrenheit was going to feel the same in both places. I was wrong.

What I didn’t take into account were winds from an icy Atlantic and the start of the rainy season in South Africa. The lodging where I stayed had no heat. None. There was a fireplace, but even in use, it was basically ornamental. All the heat went up the chimney.

My heavy suitcase was full of summer clothes. At least they were still clean when I returned to France. You would think that with all the travel I do, I would know better. Just before I left France, I observed many people wandering about in sweaters and jackets, but eager for the warmer weather, I suppose, they had changed their winter boots for summer sandals.

I found myself in that same situation. With one exception, I only brought sandals to South Africa, but I found myself layering all those summer clothes and wearing the two jackets I brought every day – whether or not they matched my clothing!

Life is full of seasons. Sometimes we are prepared for the next one. In moving from youth to adulthood, or high school to college, we spent years anticipating and preparing for that season in our lives. From being single to married, from living with parents to being on our own, we plan for that season. Other times we are caught by surprise. Parenthood sometimes comes without a definite plan; becoming grandparents especially so. Each season has its’ own challenges and joys.

Job, a man who trusted God and was blessed by Him, was taken by surprise when he experienced the hardest season of his life. During the trials and heartache of that season, he longed for the days of his prime. Through it all, God was watching and allowing Job to be tested. In the end, Job passed the test. Even in his most despondent days, he did not sin against God in what he said about Him. Even when he wondered if God had deserted him, he was determined to trust the God he had known in the past seasons of life. God richly rewarded him, not only restoring family and riches, but gave Job a new level of understanding of who He is. Whereas Job had heard of God before, he said, now my eye sees You.

For those of us who long to know God better, when an unexpected season presents itself, we can learn lessons from Job’s experience. God has not vacated the premises. He still cares. He is still in control. He wants to bring us into a new level of relationship with Him. Through times of confusion, be encouraged that He has a purpose for anything He allows in our lives.

To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven (Ecclesiastes 3:1). And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).

Reflective Focus

Spending Time with God: Digging for Treasure in His Word

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Going through a long line of prophets, God has been addressing our ancestors for centuries. Recently he spoke to us directly through his son (Hebrews 1:1 The Message).

God loves to communicate with His family. That is why He sent His Son, the Word, to live among us. That is why He gave us the Bible, His written word. That is why He puts such an emphasis on prayer.  He is so intent on making Himself understood that His Holy Spirit lives in the hearts of His believers. Unlike false gods, He is totally engaged with His people.

If someone wants to know what God has to say, he studies the Bible.  Unfortunately, Bible “study” is often viewed as an obligation rather than an exciting privilege. However, the psalmist did not feel that way. I have put my hope in your word. . .  How sweet are your promises to my taste. . . I gain understanding from your precepts. . . Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path (Psalm 119: 81,103, 104, 105 NIV).

Reluctance to spend time in God’s word is usually more prevalent in a society where Bibles are readily available.  In countries where access is limited, if a Christian owns a Bible, it is his most precious possession. He can say with Job, I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread (Job 23:12b NIV).

There are many ways to study the Bible: a careful word-by-word exegesis of a particular passage (such as John 3:16), an in depth study of a book (such as Genesis), a character study (such as Daniel), and many more.  The important thing is to set aside time each day to hear from God – through His word and through prayer. I get excited about discovering threads of truth that run from the beginning to the end of God’s word or “connecting the dots” about a Biblical theme.

Although the Bible was written by many people over several hundred years, it has one underlying theme.  It is, after all, God’s word. It is all about God and what He is doing. The theme of every story, book, and character is how God used that person or circumstance for His redemption of fallen man. Redemption is through Jesus, the Word of God. He appears in the Old Testament in pre-incarnate forms and comes as the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophesies in the New Testament.

Jesus revealed Himself as God: I Am (John 8:58), the Bread of Life (John 6:35), the Light of the World (John 8:12), the Door (John 10:7), the Good Shepherd (John 10:14), the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25), the Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6), and the True Vine (John 15:1).  Although these statements are unique to Jesus, He shared the characteristics of one of them with His believers. This is the theme of the Bible study on this site: Living in the Light: Looking Up and Lighting the Way for Others to Follow.

© Stephanie B. Blake

May 2011

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One Focus Blog

One Focus is a Choice

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A blog, short for a web log, gives personal reflections intended to be shared with internet users. Wow, how things have changed in the last few years. There is no longer the need for hand written letters in order to communicate with friends and family (although I still love writing and receiving hand written notes in the old fashioned snail mail). Technology is moving faster “than a speeding bullet,” and sometimes I think only Supermen (or women) could possibly keep up with the changes; however, if you want to communicate with anyone, you must attempt to keep up with changes on the internet.

It is so easy for life to get in the way of Life. So many things can occupy our time and thinking that we are tempted to have no focus at all. We just flit from circumstance to circumstance, or thought to thought or day to day, never really being grounded in the reality of the Truth.

One Focus – the only way I can handle all the changes going on in this world is to keep my feet firmly planted on the one foundation that I know is unshakeable and never changes. The love of God is expressed through the person of Jesus Christ, His Son. That Truth is my reality and I hope and pray that it is yours.

The book, devotionals, and Bible studies on my website, http://www.onefocusministries.com, attempt to provide resources to help me and others keep our eyes focused on the One who can help us navigate the joys, trials, questions and changes of life. This blog is designed for a more current reflection of how I see God working.

You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You because he trusts in You (Isaiah 26:3 NKJV).

Reflective Focus

Trusting God: A Predetermined Choice

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. . . choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve . . . as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord (Joshua 24:15).

The predetermined choice to trust God is a common characteristic of Christian heroes. Their examples are recorded in the Bible, in history and continue to flesh out before us the one thing that pleases God the most: faith. Solid, unshakeable faith founded on an intimate relationship with God is seen in those who make the decision to take Him at His word regardless of circumstances.

Abraham’s trust in God led him to be obedient to God’s unexplainable request to sacrifice his son Isaac. When God provided the ram for the sacrifice, Abraham’s relief must have been indescribable; however, he was sure that if God expected him to carry out the sacrifice of his son, God would raise him from the dead. Abraham was certain that the promise God made to him about his legacy through Isaac was true. Only a man who had made the decision in the past to trust and follow God, no matter what, could have passed this test.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego refused to worship the image Nebuchadnezzar set up even when the king’s wrath sent them into a fiery furnace. They knew God was capable of delivering them. Their testimony to the king was even if God chose not to rescue them from the fire, they would trust Him. It is questionable that these men foresaw that God would walk with them in the fire, but that is what happened and what continues to happen symbolically for many believers today.

Joshua was sent as part of a team to scout out the land God promised to Israel. The presence of giants in the land frightened all but two of the team. Joshua and Caleb were certain God would secure the land for them.  The influence of the rest of the team, however, infected the people of Israel with doubt and fear. Instead of entering the land of milk and honey, they spent forty years in the wilderness. Only Joshua and Caleb were still alive when God brought his people into the promised land, having maintained their youthful energy and determination to follow God.

Joshua did not argue with God when He revealed His unusual battle plan for conquering Jericho.  Instead, Joshua did as directed and the walls of Jericho fell down as God had promised.  Joshua was aware some of his kinsmen might abandon God even after His miraculous intervention in their lives, but Joshua went on record with a declaration in the future tense: As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

Job never saw what was coming when his trials began, but his predetermined choice to trust God was the reason he was able to declare, Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him (Job 13:15).  Even when his darkest days made him question God, his decision to trust God prevented him from sinning against God with his words. 

Testimonies of those who have made the predetermined choice to trust God did not cease with Biblical accounts. Although history tells of many who did the same, those I have known who have lived that decision before me have made the most lasting impression.

When my husband was in seminary, the pastor of our church received the horrible news that one of our church members, a recent seminary graduate, lost his life in a fire along with his infant child.  When the fire began at his home, this man brought his family out of the burning building only to discover that the baby was still in the house.  As he rushed back in to save his baby, his wife and older children waited outside for him.  He never returned.  As our pastor prepared to visit the widow, he confessed to us he had no idea what he could say to help her through such a horrendous event.  As the widow opened the door, she looked her pastor in the eyes and said, “Pastor, the joy of the Lord is my strength.”

Several years ago, I lost one of my best friends to brain cancer.  When the diagnosis was given to her, she said to her husband, “God has just told me I will not survive this.”  During the remaining nine months of her life, her favorite saying, “God is faithful,” continued to be on her lips wherever she went.  She suffered much and was even criticized for not having enough faith to believe God would heal her, but she never wavered in her steadfast trust of a faithful Father who loved her and her family.

A few years after that, my husband also got cancer.  With his diagnosis, he made the determination that he would glorify God no matter what happened.  In his case, God healed him, but he did have to go through surgery, months of chemotherapy and additional hospitalizations because of complications with the chemotherapy. Through that year, he continued to travel with our ministry and made an impact upon those who were in the congregations and conferences.  He is healthy today and continues to preach and teach the love of a God he trusts.

During trial and tragedy is not the time to wrestle with the issue of whether God can be trusted.  That choice must be made ahead of time.  If a trusting faith is not already in place when hard times come, there is no well to draw from.  The well of resource must have already been filled with Living Water to sustain one through a time of drought.

It is impossible to please God without faith.  His word is full of promises of His presence for those who trust Him.  He promises to be a refuge, a hiding place, a rock, a fortress, a shield, a present help in time of trouble, a deliverer, a defender, a stronghold.  Those who trust Him live under the shadow of His wings, are blessed, feed on His faithfulness, are given a new song to sing, are not afraid, are not put to shame, are known by God and are kept in perfect peace.

© Stephanie B. Blake

April 2011

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Reflective Focus

Prayer Powers the Life of a Christian

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Is there a correlation between lack of prayer and the lack of productivity in a believer’s life? What about the lack of positive witness for the Christian church?

Have you ever run out of gas on a trip? It doesn’t matter how big your engine is, how well decked out the interior of the car is, or what a beautiful paint job it has. If there is no fuel, there is no power. A car cannot go anywhere without fuel.

In January 2010, an inaugural Interior Design Show symposium held in Toronto, Canada featured “Conversations in Design, A World without Oil.” Designers from around the world were encouraged to introduce design ideas that would work in a world no longer dependent upon oil. This has been a concern for years.  In the 1950s, Dr. M. King Hubbert developed a theory that oil, as a finite resource, would someday reach its peak.  Building on that theory, Dr. C. J. Campbell conducted a study using data from Petroconsultants of Geneva. The Petroconsultants database is the largest database on oil outside the continental U.S. and is used by all international oil companies. As a result of his study, a graph was developed indicating that oil production did peak in 1999 and as of 2011, we are on the downhill side of oil production.

Snowstorms, thunderstorms and heavy rain can create massage power outages resulting in life-threatening problems. Utility companies often race to restore power to homes totally dependent upon their services. The upheaval in the Middle East has sparked debate about oil prices and availability. Countries with limited power sources already have mandatory blackouts which is becoming more common even in the U.S.

What does all this have to do with prayer? The power behind a believer’s life comes from God. Prayer fuels the Christian’s life. A person can be a true Christian, but be spiritually ineffective. Unless he fuels up, he has no power. He “just runs out of gas.”

The source of a believer’s power is God. His power will never run out. It is a resource we can count on for eternity. To live a productive life, however, believers need to stay close to the source of His power.

In order to have fuel in your vehicle, you must first go to a supply source, typically a gas station. You must use the nozzle and fill the car with fuel. It is a similar process to use the power in your home. The electricity may be installed throughout the house, but if the switch is not turned on, the power source is not tapped. I don’t have to know all there is to know about fuel production to be able to put gas in my car. Neither do I have to be an electrician to turn on the lights in my house or run my washing machine. In a sense, I just have to do what is required to ask for it.

It is like that with prayer. Jesus said, “Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask and you will receive, that your joy may be full (John 16:24). What honors Him is to ask Him for power to do His will. Stephen was said to be full of faith and power (Acts 6:8). Stephen had power because of his faith. His faith was in the God of power. Jesus said, “I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven” (Mark 14:62). Power is a gift from God. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). It is all of God. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us (2 Corinthians 4:7).Quotations are from the New King James Version.

This brings us to the relationship between power and prayer. James 5:16 is a familiar verse and many can quote from the KJV, The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. However, in over half of twenty translations of the Bible, the word “power” or “powerful” is used. For example:

The intense prayer of the righteous is very powerful (HCSB).

The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective (NIV).

The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with (The Message).

The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results (NLT).

Although it does not use the word “power,” I also love how the New Century Version puts this verse:

When a believing person prays, great things happen.

Great things do happen in the life of the praying person and the lives of others when prayer taps into God’s power.

© Stephanie B. Blake

March 2011

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