I referred to my grandmother’s handwritten shortcake recipe, baked it in my mother’s pie pan, and used strawberries my daughter picked from plants that I had planted.

Kind of neat, isn’t it, that Martha Downing-Ecklor (who died four months before my birth in 1961) lives on through her recipes four generations later?

It was a simple, everyday act of making dessert for my family; it was a profound connection between past and present. I wonder what my grandmother would think if she knew?

First, I wanted to find an agent,

Second, I wanted to find at least one more publisher who was interested in considering Footprints to Freedom for publication,

Third, I wanted to sell my “Giving My Dreams Back to God” article, and

Fourth, I wanted some sort of confirmation from the Lord that I was doing what He had called me to do—to be certain that I wasn’t just following a whim of my own imagination.

On paper at least, the goals seemed like something I could handle. When the time came to act on them, however, I almost lost my nerve and ran like a scared rabbit.

Of course, the morning I was scheduled for agent and publisher interviews, the west side of Chicago experienced a torrential deluge of rain that soaked me to the skin and made my hair into a flat, hair-spray gooped mess. I had planned to go back to my dorm room after morning worship to put my “pitch” materials together, but the rain—and street closures due to flooding—prevented that. I was so discouraged, I almost cancelled all my appointments!

Thankfully (probably because many faithful family and friends were praying for me) while I was planning my escape, the Holy Spirit gently reminded me that He was in control, and that all He asked me was to courageously keep moving in the right direction so He could do the work He desired through me. I was also reminded of the sacrifices of time and money my husband had made to enable me to attend the conference. So, with a prayer on my lips, I went through with the interviews.

By the time the day was over, it was obvious that my steps had been ordered by the Lord, and that the outcome never had been dependent on my ability or self-confidence. In my weakness, my Heavenly Father reminded me that He alone makes me able to carry out the tasks He has called me to do; if I will just trust and obey, He will take care of the hard stuff.

What I blessing I received that day and the days that followed: By the time the conference came to a close, I had three agents who were willing to consider representing me, I met a fiction editor from a major publishing house who asked me to submit my book materials for consideration, and a request for an 800 word article from the editor of a well-known Christian magazine that has always been on my “dream” list of publications for which to write! I was looking for a confirmation about the Lord’s call on my life. I certainly found it at Write to Publish 2011!

Looking back on the week, I can say, without one shadow of a doubt, that it was God’s hand that granted these successes! I was scared, void of self-confidence, and inadequately prepared; He was trustworthy, dependable, and faithful. When I came across I Chronicles 28:20 today, I knew the verse described the lesson God had been teaching me at the conference: “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged,  for the Lord God, your God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work . . . is finished.”

Bless the Lord—and His (good) goals for my life!

But somehow, I have been “hooked” by this year’s version of American Idol. I didn’t start watching until the process was down to eleven contestants, but the talent of those eleven kids wowed me so much, I just had to keep watching! Every one of those final ten or eleven are winners in my book. Poise, self-confidence, outstanding voice quality, showmanship . . . you name it, those contestants have it!

When Scotty McCreery was voted into the finale this week, I was thrilled.

But I am amazed that America has voted him all the way to the top. Scotty didn’t use any flambouyant set techniques like flaming pianos or laser-type fireworks. He didn’t use wild hair styles or eccentric clothes, and he didn’t use sexually explicit actions or clothing to sell his songs.

America loves Scotty McCreery because he is real—real voice, real clothes, real guitar playing, real sincerity and real humility.

Isn’t that surprising, in light of the fact that the vast majority of popular musicians today use all of the props Scotty doesn’t use? Just think of Idol’s feature performers and feature video premieres from the the Thursday night shows: Lady GagGag, for example. 

So Scotty, this message is for you: Whether you become the next American Idol or not, I hope you will ALWAYS be the real thing like you are today. You are destined for an award-winning recording career, that is certain. So when I see you on TV  five years from now—or ten—I hope that the real Scotty McCreery will still be standing up for all that’s genuine and true.

And I hope America will still be loving you!

PS: The fact that your favorite quote is listed on the Idol website as Phillipians 4:13 is awesome!

Enjoy! Lois

I won’t deny it. I was thrilled when the Packers won Super Bowl XLV! If you had been a guest in our home on Sunday evening, you could have witnessed the celebration. I screamed and hollered for joy like every other cheesehead across the country. In fact, I was wearing a cheesehead!

I do not love sports. I do not love football. But I do love the Green Bay Packers organization, and I am deeply impressed by the perserverance and character of this year’s team. If there is still such a thing as a hero in today’s culture, the 2010 Green Bay Packers team is full of them. If anyone needs an example of a few good men—on or off the field—they can be found by taking a look at the Super Bowl XLV Championship winners.

Start anywhere on the list you wish, from the players to the coaches to the front office. You’ll find men who have endured hardship and overcome tremendous obstacles to reach their destination. Look a little closer, and you’ll find that these same men have turned right around and used their rough road to success as a platform to help others.

According to Mike Lopresti, columnist for USA Today, wide receiver  James Jones grew up in homeless shelters, and wide receiver Donald Driver lived out of a U-Haul van as a youth, even doing a bit of drug dealing to make some money. Lopresti credits both of these men for using their own personal experience as a motivation to help improve the lives of homeless kids. “I was put in this position for a reason.” Jones told Lopresti.

Driver, who admits that he was an accomplished car thief by eighth grade, is quoted in Packer Report as saying “Everybody goes through different obstacles in their life . . . I look back now and it makes me a better husband and makes me a better father. That gives me that opportunity to be able to tell my kids the things I did, so that when they get older, they won’t make the same mistakes.”

Closer to the top of the organization, Coach Mike McCarthy is no stranger to adversity. He had to deal with an unprecedented seventeen players on injured reserve this year—fifteen of them by the end of December alone. But his ‘never say die’ attitude and his emphasis on accountability on and off the field  didn’t waver, and he never used his team’s injuries as an excuse for a loss or a poor performance.

Perhaps this was because perserverance has been a way of life for McCarthy. Years before he became a head coach in the NFL, he made ends meet by working nights as a toll-booth attendant on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. “That doesn’t quite add up,” he told Lopresti, “but that was my plan and path.”

When Packer’s team chaplain, Father Jim Baraniak, was interviewed by columnist Bill Huber of the Packer Report,  he said, “McCarthy is both  loved by his players and they’re also in awe of him. They respect him, trust me. He has a very decent hold on these guys and he uses it for good . . . yeah, he wants these guys to perform on the field, there’s no doubt about it. But he wants them to be good, decent, upright men in the community—good dads, good husbands, faithful, loyal.”

McCarthy puts his money where his mouth is. This past fall, he and his wife, Jessica partnered with the Packers organization to donate $100,000 to the Seven Loaves Project, a locally-based organization which supports in villagers in Rwanda, Africa by teaching them bread-baking and small business skills. “To be able to support a member of our community who is doing very meaningful and needed work in a disadvantaged part of the world is a priviledge for us,” McCarthy says.

Even GM Ted Thompson has to be credited for his tenacity in the face of impossible odds. I daresay that there were few Packer fans who did not question his decision to move on without three-time MVP Brett Favre at the start of the 2008 season. Over the last three seasons, I have seen more than a dozen t-shirts and hats being worn in and around Lambeau Field which bore obscene comments about Thompson. In spite of the opposition, Thompson continued to work to build a roster for Green Bay that had depth and staying power­—both of which turned out to be key factors making it to the Super Bowl as starter after starter succumbed to injury this year.

But the guys who won my deepest respect during the 2010-2011 season were quarterback Aaron Rodgers and wide receiver Greg Jennings. Everyone knows how their stories came into focus in front of the world on Sunday night: Rodgers became Super Bowl MVP by completing 24 of 39 passes for 304 yards. Jennings caught four of those passes during the game—two of them for touchdowns. But not everyone realizes the struggle behind their stories or the good that has come from the hardship they faced.

Greg Jennings  worked hard to maintain a positive attitude throughout the season in spite of setbacks early on, when the ball never seemed to come his way. “He talked [to reporters] at length about not getting the ball, but he did it all with a smile, never putting pressure on Aaron Rodgers or the coaches by selfishly demanding more opportunities,” states Bill Huber, publisher of Packer Report. “I pray a lot, even  now,” Jennings is quoted as saying. “It’s staying the course and making sure that I don’t allow myself to get frustrated . . . When you’re not able to put out more, it can be frustrating but you have to perservere through. It’s all about the relationship I had with God.”

Jennings is from Kalamazoo. This past summer, the Greg Jennings Foundation donated $85,000 to sponsor a Habitat for Humanity build here in town. And throughout the season, he and his wife, Nicole, sponsored “Touchdowns for Hope,”a program which donates $1,000 to the House of Hope organization every time Jennings crosses into the end-zone for a touchdown. (By the way, Driver and Rodgers have helped with matching touchdown contributions as well.) “Anytime you’re in a position and put on a platform like this, it’s always best to give than to receive,” says Jennings.

Aaron Rodgers’ path to Super Bowl success was also one of patient endurance. In the 2005 NFL draft, Rodgers was expected to be one of the top ten picks. But to everyone’s surprise, he was passed over until the Green Bay Packers chose him at twenty-fourth. Even after signing with the Packers, Rodgers sat on the bench while Brett Favre played out three more seasons. When Favre officially retired from the Packer franchise, Rodgers was ready. He was, in his own words, “Waiting for an opportunity and prepared to make the most of it.”

But standing between Rodgers and his golden opportunity was one more obstacle. At the start of the 2008 season, Favre decided to come back. In spite of the fact that the Green Bay coaching staff and players had been moving forward with a game plan that included him as quarterback, Rodgers had to face the fact that he would be sidelined again if Favre returned to play for the team.

To the surprise of the watching public, the controversy surrounding Favre’s return became Rodger’s finest hour. He made a deliberate effort to not use the intense media attention to promote his case or criticize Favre.  Rodgers handled interview after interview with grace and dignity, while never failing to express confidence in the leadership of the Packer organization. And he endured the added scrutiny on the practice field with poise and confidence, as well. Rodgers’ behavior during this difficult time proved the strength of character this eager twenty-four year old possessed.  Brett or no Brett,  suddenly Green Bay fans were looking at Number 12 with a new level of respect.

The respect carried over to the football field. Rodgers emerged as a leader who, in the eyes of his teamates, could be trusted, and over the the course of the next three seasons as the starting quarterback for the green and gold, he was proclaimed by coaches and sports media as one of the top players in the league. By the time post-season play rolled around this year, Aaron Rodgers was viewed as the guiding force behind a team that had the potential to win the Super Bowl.

It is no surprise, then, that while earning a reputation as one of the elite quarterbacks of the NFL, Aaron Rodgers has kept his feet firmly anchored  to solid ground.  In a May, 2010 interview at Milwaukee’s Riverside Theatre, Matt Tevsh of Packer Report says that Rodgers “told the gathering that the Bible is one of his favorite books, that he always makes sure to call his grandparents on the way to games at Lambeau Field, and that staying true to his roots as a role model is important to him.” And during the media day interviews for Super Bowl XLV, he told Art Stricklin of Baptist Press—and the whole world—“We all have a platform, we all have a message in our lives. I just try to follow Jesus’ example, leading by example.”

During the weeks leading up to the big game, the internet was buzzing with examples of how Rodgers has done just that. Using his high profile as a vehicle for doing good, he goes out of his way to help others. Perhaps the most circulated internet story was the one of Rodgers’ fundraising efforts for the Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer organization, where the quarterback went out of his way to personalize his autograph on a ball he signed for the parents of a young girl who died in 2002 after battling cancer for thirteen years.  The autograph read, “To Cheri  the angel. Save me a spot. Aaron Rodgers. 12.”

Another internet story tells about a Christmas event for 100 underpriviledged kids funded by entirely by Rodgers, complete with soda, pizza, free bowling and a visit with fifteen Packer players. After the party, each of the kids received $100 and were accompanied by the players to Shopko to do some Christmas shopping.  According to Packer Report’s Tevsh, “ . . .when the [Packer organization] received requests to interview Rodgers about the party . . . Rogers declined, choosing to keep the event and its details a private matter for those involved in it.”

I love the Green Bay Packers organization, I love the coach, and I love the players. I will be cheering as loudly as everyone else when they receive the many well-deserved accolades that come with winning the Super Bowl. But when you see me flashing a “number one” sign, it won’t be just because these men are superb athletes. It will be because these men have a long history of being heroes—both on and off the field—by tackling real-life obstacles with perserverance, and by using their success to make a difference in the lives of others. That’s what makes them number one in my book!

Information compiled by Lois Helland, with thanks to the following sources: Mike Lopresti of USA Today, Art Stricklin of the Baptist Press, Matt Tevsh and Bill Huber of the Packer Report, and Dave Helland, the ultimate life-long Packer backer.

 

 

 

 

 

     THE MOTIONS by Matthew West

      (chorus)

I don’t wanna go through the motions,

I don’t wanna go one more day,

Without your all-consuming

Passion inside of me.

I don’t wanna spend my whole life asking

‘What if I had given everything?’–

Instead of going through the motions.

“The easiest way to discover the purpose of an invention is to ask the creator of it. The same thing is true for discovering your life’s purpose: Ask God!” **

My paraphrase: I am not an accident. I was custom-made by God for a reason. We discover our purpose only when God is the reference point of our lives. What might be the reasons God custom-made me, Lois Helland?

What would my family and friends say is the driving force of my life? **

“Knowing your purpose simplifies your life. It defines what you do and what you don’t do. Your purpose becomes the standard you use to evaluate which activities are essential and which aren’t. You simply ask [yourself], ‘Does this activity help me fulfill one of God’s purposes for my life?’” **

Some worthwhile ideas to think about, wouldn’t you agree?

**The Purpose Driven Life, by Rick Warren, copyright 2002, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI

Thanks very much to Vince M. for sharing the following song lyrics with me. They are from a song titled, “Rejoice in the Lord,” by Ron Hamilton. A great message to find strength from when life gets tough!

I SHALL COME FORTH AS GOLD

God never moves without purpose or plan

When trying His servant and molding a man.

Give thanks to the Lord

Though your testing seems long;

In darkness He giveth a song.

Oh, rejoice in the Lord.  He makes no mistake.

He knows the end of each path that I take.

For when I am tried and purified, I shall come forth as gold.

I could not see through the shadows ahead;

So I looked at the cross of my Savior instead.

I bowed to the will of the Master that day;

Then peace came and tears fled away.

Oh, rejoice in the Lord.  He makes no mistake.

He knows the end of each path that I take.

For when I am tried and purified, I shall come forth as gold.

Now I can see testing comes from above;

God strengthens His children and purges in love.

My Father knows best, and I trust in His care;

Through purging more fruit will I bear.

Oh, rejoice in the Lord.  He makes no mistake.

He knows the end of each path that I take.

For when I am tried and purified, I shall come forth as gold.

The last four or five months have been very difficult in terms of health problems.

RA and Fibromyalgia have been the main culprits, the first causing fevers, pain in my joints and fatigue, and the latter causing muscle pain, back and neck spasms and more fatigue. Secondary problems from IBS, ICC and endometriosis have also been aggravating. Then the whole menopause thing complicates the mix even further with hot flashes and sleep problems.

I got the stomach flu before Christmas, followed by a throat infection and head cold right after Christmas, and then just this week, a urinary tract infection. My immune system is compromised due to RA, and my body doesn’t have what it takes to fight off contagious infections. It takes me two weeks to bounce back from the same thing my kids get over in just two or three days. (As the doctor put it, the kids “bounce,” I “splat!”) These infections, of course, affect my energy level in a big way.

The last straw was my right shoulder. It started to ache after an exercise session at the pool two weeks before Christmas, and it became worse every week. Nothing seemed to relieve the throbbing, and the pain stayed at a constantly high level both day and night. It really wore me out!

The tough part of all of this is that I look “normal” to people. So why, they wonder, am I in bed or on the couch so much of the time? The other difficult factor is how I feel about myself. I should be doing more . . . for family, for friends, for church. The truth is, I have barely been able keep up with daily chores, let alone do more!

Well, the flood of tears was a good thing, because after it was over I felt much better. The doctor changed my meds, adding two prescriptions which will work to stop the source of my pain rather than just cover  it up. He also gave me a pep talk, reminding me that my symptoms are normal for a person with RA and FMG and not the result of my imagination or laziness.  Finally, he gave me a cortisone injection for the tendonitis in my shoulder. Not a permanent solution, but one that has brought significant relief, anyway.

Being free from the shoulder pain is wonderful. And being able to get a good nights rest is a huge blessing as well. I am on the mend now, and I don’t feel nearly as discouraged as I did before the appointment.

Lord willing, the next few months will be easier than the last!