Dealing with Grief and Distress

Lately, several friends have experienced either a loss of a job, a loss of a loved one, or are having relationship issues. Today I would like to share one of the devotionals from my book Devotions for Working Women that I thought could help. I hope it touches your heart. Let’s continue to pray for one another as there is so much need in our world. Blessings to you.

Dealing with Grief and Distress

Psalm 31:9 (NLT)

Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am in distress. My sight is blurred because of my tears. My body and soul are withering away.

During the course of our lives, we experience times of great distress and situations when we feel we are withering away from grief. Losing our job can create great pain for us because our work is a major part of our lives. Yet the loss of a loved one could be much more impacting in our working life. When we lose someone to death like a child, our spouse, a parent, or a close friend, it creates a wound in our heart that only God can heal. Divorce, separation, or a child leaving home prematurely can also be as catastrophic.

These events change our lives forever, and it is in those moments that grief can settle into our hearts. It is normal to go through a grieving period, but we cannot stay there too long because it is deadly for us just as David said in verse 10, “I am dying from grief; my years are shortened by sadness. Misery has drained my strength; I am wasting away from within.”

Even though we never forget tragic or sad events, we need to move on and let go of the grief and pain. We must continue the race God has set for each one of us and finish it. There are two things we need to do. First, just as David never gave up trusting God and kept running to Him for protection and comfort, we have to trust God that He will help us and lift us up. “So be strong and take courage, all you who put your hope in the Lord!” (v. 24). Secondly, we need to do what Paul did. He said to the people of Philippi, “No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead. I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven” (Philippians 3:13-14 NLT).

My Unforgettable Experience in Kigali, Rwanda, Africa

It’s been a couple of weeks since I wrote on my blog due to my trip to Kigali, Rwanda, Africa. I have no words to describe the experience other than God showed up throughout the trip. He did amazing things in Kigali as many people gave their lives to Christ for the first time. And He also did amazing things in my heart. When you go as a missionary to another place, you go to empty yourself out unto the people. What you don’t expect is to be immediately filled up with God again—right away, right there, on the spot. I was not expecting that.

I also wasn’t even expecting to be called a “missionary” as my “mission” was to only teach at the pastors’ leadership conference and then to the women’s conference and I also shared my testimony several times. But when one of my relatives said on Facebook, “Tim’s wife is in Africa as a missionary,” I realized maybe that’s what I am… a missionary. And I kiddingly said to God, “Lord, are you trying to sneak up on me that I’m now a missionary?” Then I also realized that you don’t need to go across the world in order to be a missionary. You can share the Gospel with your neighbor or your friend at work or your relatives. Sharing the Gospel with others is what makes you a missionary. You’re going on a mission and that mission is to share the Gospel with others who may never hear the good news if it wasn’t for you.

I also experienced first-hand the Scriptures in the Bible that promises us that if we leave everything behind for the sake of the Gospel (meaning you leave your husband, your wife, your home, your brothers and sisters), God will multiply it and you shall have many brothers and sisters. During the women’s conference, I told the women that I had left my home in the US and my husband for 11 days just to tell them that God loves them, that they are valuable and important—that they matter to God. They couldn’t believe that someone would take time out of their lives to share that with them and to share the Gospel with those who have never heard it. I told them I thanked God for giving me so many new sisters in Christ. You see, we may not be related by human blood but we are related by the blood of Jesus—that’s how we are brothers and sisters in Christ. Here is a great Scripture that reminds us of this truth:

Matthew 12:46-50 (NLT) The True Family of Jesus

46 As Jesus was speaking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. 47 Someone told Jesus, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, and they want to speak to you.”

48 Jesus asked, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” 49 Then he pointed to his disciples and said, “Look, these are my mother and brothers. 50 Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother!”

The women who attended the conference where all Christians already but something they told me later, really touched me. They said, “We can never repay you for what you’ve done, but your reward is in heaven.” There is a Scripture in Matthew 6:1 (NLT) that says, “Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven.” So I want to be careful to not do this myself… I only want to share this with you to encourage you to go on a mission trip or support others who are willing to go in the future. As a supporter, you are behind the scenes helping others, and I want you to know that this promise applies to you—your reward will be in heaven.

I left Africa knowing I had completed my mission there but I didn’t know I was also going to leave filled with the love of God, ready to pour it out again unto others. So today I encourage you to share your faith with others. It’s the least we can do to repay Jesus for giving us the gift of eternal life by dying on the cross for our sins. Don’t be ashamed of the Gospel. Don’t be afraid to share Jesus with others. Everyone NEEDS Jesus!

A Wedding… A Funeral – They Are Similar Life Events in Many Ways…

Last week was my father-in-law’s memorial, a celebration of his life. It was a sad event yet I am happy to know that we will see him again in heaven. During the whole time we were at the memorial event, I pondered on the similarities that these two major life events—a wedding and a funeral—have in common.

A wedding takes a long time to plan yet the day goes so fast when it finally arrives. We live through the day and everything seems like it’s really not happening. But during the wedding we take tons of pictures and we hire professional photographers to capture those moments—every moment we can. We hope to remember the wedding day forever as we try to imprint certain memories in our brain as if it were a memory chip.

Planning a funeral takes a lot of time too but in most cases we don’t have the same length of time to plan it. Everything has to be done quickly like the last two weeks in a wedding—the last minute thousand things that need to get done so everything is perfect for that day. The difference here is that when planning a wedding we’re full of excitement and anticipation versus planning a funeral when we’re grieving our loved one. When the day of the funeral arrives, it also goes so fast and it feels like we’re in a daze going through the motions that we only hope we remember later. However, we seldom take pictures at a funeral so the memories are only stored in our brains and hopefully in our hearts forever.

In a wedding, we usually shed tears of happiness as we welcome a new member into our families. At that moment, our family grows and hopefully it also grows in love for one more person. In a funeral, we usually shed tears of sadness as we say goodbye to one of our family members. At that moment, our family shrinks and our hearts cry out for the love we had for that special person we just lost.

But just as in a wedding, when we are gaining one more person into our family, when our loved one dies who knew Christ, then he or she is not lost. Our loved ones are simply moving on, “passing” from earth to heaven. Going to be with our Creator for eternity. That’s why when I know that the person we are burying had a personal relationship with Jesus, despite the sadness, I feel peace and calm in my heart knowing for sure I will see that person again later when my turn comes. That’s also why I feel a sense of urgency to share Jesus with everyone I love. It is the only way that I know I will see that person again and that we will spend eternity together with our Father.

On the practical side, we all know how expensive weddings are. Well, funerals are just as expensive depending on what the family wants to do and how our loved one’s wishes are fulfilled. It is easier to save for a wedding because it has a set date. It is not easy to save money for a funeral because we have no idea when our time will come. So with this experience, being the first of our parents to leave us, I learned a lot and hope to plan a little better for my own funeral. My father-in-law made a lot of decisions prior to his departure and that helped us a lot when making decisions on our own.

Just as a wedding is the beginning of new life for the couple, a funeral is the new beginning for the person leaving us. It’s a new beginning with the Father in heaven, for eternity. As Christians, it’s the only hope we have precisely—to see our loved ones again and live with them together in heaven for eternity with our Father. This is exactly what Jesus came to do. God sent His only one Son to die for us on the cross and His reward was humanity!

Hebrews 12:1-2 (NLT) says, …”And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish. He was willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy he knew would be his afterward. Now he is seated in the place of highest honor beside God’s throne in heaven.”

The joy of the reward, which was the entire humanity restored to God for eternity, was what kept Jesus going and how He endured the death on the cross—for us!

So, whether it’s a wedding or a funeral, what matters most is how much God loves us and how much we love others. Make sure you tell the people you love that you love them and share Jesus with them.

Together 2016: Yes… Now… Jesus!

Last Saturday on 7-16-16 I had the privilege to attend the Together 2016 gathering at the Washington Mall (www.reset2016.com). What an amazing experience to see thousands of people gathered just to proclaim the name of Jesus, to pray to God and ask Him to heal our nation, and to pray for America in general—for God to “reset” us. It was truly a unifying experience that I will never forget. I saw first-hand, how the love of God and how one Word, one person—Jesus—is the ONLY way that we, as humans, can ever become ONE. That is what God intended from the beginning but we keep messing up and allowing the enemy to divide us as a body of Christ and as humans in general.

My husband and I went to this gathering as part of the Pulse Movement team (www.pulsemovement.org). This group of people have the highest standards and do everything (each event) with professionalism and the ethical standards of true followers of Christ. God called Nick Hall to bring the message of the Gospel to this generation—to have the "pulse" of this generation and to bring them to the Kingdom. God gave Nick the gift of evangelism. We, Christians, all have different jobs to do for the Kingdom. Some of us plant the seed of the Gospel into people’s hearts, others water the seed either by sharing the Word of God or by showing the love of God to others. Sometimes, we sow God’s seeds just by praying for others in private. Then the evangelist comes and reaps the harvest for Jesus. We all do it together, each doing our own part in the process so God can get the glory (not any of us in particular). That is the beauty of the plan of God. We are all important and special with a unique mission that He prepares and equips us for.

As we all know, we are living in such a time as this where violence and hatred is evident and palpable everywhere we go. We are no longer safe anywhere in the world and the enemy is rampant seeking whom he can destroy. It seems the only thing we can do is pray—pray for one another, pray for each nation, pray for the world. At the same time, we can also do our part and jump in—all in!

There were two themes that stuck with me from this trip:

1. When God’s people pray—God moves! These days, that’s all we have left to do. Pray… together… as a Body of Christ that we are. Then God moves in supernatural ways. He does hear our supplication and our deepest prayers and He does answer.

   1. When God calls us we must say YES… And we must answer NOW… to the only name… JESUS! Yes…Now…Jesus! Send us to share you with the world. Now is the time you need us most and we need you most. Jesus – you are the only WAY, the only ONE, who first loved us and wants us back restored to our Father, forever.

So in response to the call, I am saying, Yes, Jesus, send me Now! I may never be ready but I go in faith, each step of the way, and you prepare me as I go. I trust you Lord that you will send me where you need me most. I trust that you will keep me safe and will protect me but if my time comes to see you face to face, then I’m ready for that as well. This is my prayer today. I am ready. I am willing. Send me.

I will leave you with this Scripture today so you can reflect on it:

Matthew 28: 16-19 (NLT) The Great Commission

16 Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him—but some of them doubted!

18 Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

May God bless each one of you as you seek God and discover your own part, your own mission in bringing people to the Kingdom. May you feel His deep love for you.

Kigali, Rwanda Africa Mission Trip Update

Today I attended an all-day meeting as training and preparation for my first mission trip in Kigali, Rwanda, Africa. This will be my first time going to Africa and my first time participating on a mission trip. Wow! What a mission we have… to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the Rwanda people.

From what I learned today, they used to be 95% Catholic before the genocide in 1994 and now they are about 62% Roman Catholic. In addition, there are now Evangelicals and Muslims. Unfortunately, many people think you’re either Catholic or Christian not realizing that Catholicism is simply one denomination of the entire Christian church. We serve the same God. We follow Jesus Christ. What I want to make sure people understand is that it doesn’t really matter what church you attend or what denomination you belong to. What truly matters is if you have a personal relationship with Jesus. Do you have Jesus in your heart? Have you made a personal decision to follow Christ the rest of your earthly life? Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God, that He died on the cross to save us, and that He forgives our sins? Do you believe you are a sinner and accept Jesus as your Savior? Those are the tough yet simple questions we need to ask ourselves.

My personal contribution to this trip is to teach twice at the pastors and leaders’ conference and four times at the women’s conference on the topics of leadership and discipleship. I am looking forward to what God has in store for us on this trip. Even though we go to serve others and to bring the Gospel to that nation, our lives will be changed as well.

They told us the best way to prepare is to not have any expectations of any kind but to instead, be open to what God will do through us on this trip. We need to be open, go with the flow, and be flexible with the entire experience.

I will do my best to journal the trip and will share it when I return. The trip is scheduled for Aug. 5-16, 2016. God came through for me and I was able to raise $5,300 up to now so I’m ready to go! (My goal was $5,000.) Fifty seven families supported me financially in order for me to go on this trip. Thank you!

Please keep me in your prayers and the entire team but, just as important, please pray for the people in Rwanda to accept Jesus and give their lives to Christ after hearing the message of Salvation. That’s what matters!

Is It Ok to Cry?

Yes, it is. It is perfectly okay to cry for many reasons. It is a human expression we all need to do from time to time. The last four weeks were some of the most stressful and sad weeks I’ve had in my life. All during the same time that I had to give eleven presentations to different audiences on eight different topics (four were brand new) and also included going away from home four times. As a speaker, I needed to be “on my game” and “entertain the audience” without them knowing what I was going through inside. They don’t need to know. They may not care either. People attend conferences and seminars to learn and to be entertained and don’t need to or care to listen to what’s going on in the speaker’s life.

So this morning, during my prayer time I cried for hours. Couldn’t stop. It was like a river that had been stopped and the dam overflowed. I cried because I lost a first cousin and missed having him in my life for the last thirty years. He was one of the cousins I grew up with as a child and the Nicaragua war separated us and we all continued to grow up in different places. I cried because my aunt is suffering to see her only son die in front of her eyes. I cried because I felt the suffering of all the people who loved him. He died two days before my first speech so I started this speaking marathon already distracted and hurting inside.

During the next two weeks, my father-in-law’s health deteriorated quickly from heart disease and we heard the news that he only had six months to live. A week later, the doctors said he only had two weeks. And by the end of the first week, they told us he only had two days! My husband and his sister flew to Missouri where he lived his last years with his wife. I had to stay behind because I had an all-day bank seminar to teach on Tuesday, June 7th. I called my father-in-law that Saturday and said my goodbyes. I’m glad I did. I told him I would see him on Wednesday but I never did. The very morning of the 7th at 3 a.m. I got the text from my husband saying his dad had passed away at 2:53 a.m. I didn’t cry then but I couldn’t fall back to sleep for hours and when I finally did, the alarm went off. I was to go teach the whole day. I was in agony suffering because I wasn’t there with my husband when his dad passed away. The guilt was consuming me but I had to follow the plan to get through the seminar and leave to MO on Wednesday.

Only God could help me teach the entire day without falling apart. I had an army of Christian brothers and sisters praying for me—for strength, for grace, for peace. The seminar was a success and no one knew what I was going through inside, which was not only the grief that I couldn’t say my goodbyes in person but that I was not there for my husband for such a time as this. Wednesday came and I left to join my husband, his sister, and my father-in-law’s wife. My husband told me the story of his dad’s last minutes on earth. After they took the oxygen off because that’s what was keeping him alive the last few hours, he took his last breath and his eyes opened. Then my husband said to his dad as he closed his eyes, “I’ll see you in heaven dad!” I cried when he told me that because it’s a beautiful thing to have done and have said to his dad. I know his dad heard him as he smiled on his way to heaven. It’s also the only hope we all have to see our loved ones in heaven when our turn comes.

While in Missouri when my husband and I were going through his dad’s things in the garage (which was very sad and emotional), I received an email from a very close friend saying she was separated and was thinking of divorcing her husband because he "started drinking again." This was devastating to me because I love both of them but at the same time, I was angry at him for allowing his addiction to take over and hurting my friend in such a way. Now their marriage is in God’s hands and only with His help it will be restored. I also told my friend it would be hard for me to forgive him this time.

Yesterday, my friend told me her husband needed a place to stay and my heart broke. I felt an overwhelming love in my heart for her husband. The love of God watching His little child struggling with addiction. It was a supernatural love that only God could put in my heart and I was able to forgive him and pray from my heart for his restoration and healing. I don’t understand addictions and I don’t have the training or education to deal with them or their behavior. But I do understand the love of God and His supernatural power to heal us and give us the opportunity to start over and over again. I feel now free of anger and resentment toward him. I feel free to love him as a child of God and not as a broken human being with all the dirt that sin brings into our lives. I’m sure there will be consequences to his behavior that will take years to heal and repair but God is powerful, faithful, and loving. I’m now believing for the best for both my friend and her husband.

So today, I cried for hours… I cried because I felt the love of God in my heart loving all of those who are suffering. I cried because I couldn’t do it before and I had a river of tears that needed to come out. I asked God again to forgive me for my sins and now I feel good, relieved, and cleansed from my own sins.

So if you ever wonder if crying is okay or not. Yes, it is. Cry and let it out. You’ll feel relieved and ready to continue the fight. Next Tuesday, June 21st I have my eleventh presentation and then I have a month until the next one. God is good. He is faithful and loves us very much!

My "Montevideo Book Club" Story

I am in the midst of a “speaking marathon” with eleven speaking engagements within four weeks. Of those, eight are different topics and four are brand new presentations. Those of you who speak know that it takes hours to prepare for just one hour presentation so I’ve been very busy but truly loving what I’m doing.

This past week I had the privilege to visit a ladies Book Club in Montevideo, MN, which is about two and a half hours from home. One of my great friends took me there to visit her friend who belongs to this book club. They all read my book, The Fire Within – Connect Your Gifts with Your Calling and the purpose of my visit was to share and have a discussion about the book. As we were driving to the hostess’ home, we found ourselves driving through corn fields and I told my friend, “I finally found ‘the middle of nowhere in America!’” After a good laugh, we finally arrived to the lady’s home who received us with open arms and lots of hugs.

Today, I want to share with you two major things that I realized through this experience. The first one, right in the “middle of nowhere” I found the love of God—in the country, the heart of America! It reminded me how this country was founded on Christian principles and about God’s love. I remembered how blessed we are to live in this beautiful, amazing, free country.

The second realization I had is a confirmation in my heart that I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing during this time in my life. This past week I had the opportunity to pursue going back to a regular job, as an employee of a big consulting firm working with banks. The idea intrigued me because they do exactly what I do. In a way, I could be their competitor although I don’t consider myself one because they are a big company and I’m just me. However, they see me as a competitor. Interesting! The more I considered the possibilities of dropping my own consulting firm, not being able to speak anymore, and no longer having the time to continue to write my books… the more I realized it’s not the right opportunity for me.

I wrote a while back another blog called, “A New Door: Is it an Opportunity or a Distraction?” This is the fourth door that opens up for me since I started pursuing my calling almost two years ago. I have to have long conversations with my husband who helps me stay focused. He sees how happy I am now and he allows me the opportunity to pursue my dreams—which is precisely my calling! Consulting, speaking, and writing—that is what God wants me to do at this time in my life, and maybe for the rest of my life.

These loving, amazing ladies made feel so welcomed, so loved, so appreciated. It brought tears to my eyes (and I did cry while sharing with them). The entire experience confirmed in my heart that God wants me to continue sharing my life’s experiences with the world. God confirmed that the books I’m writing are His gifts to me that I must share with the world because they are helping others find their own calling in life—pursuing the purpose that God intended for their individual lives. As each person finds their unique calling, many others will benefit from their gifts and will be blessed. They will feel the love of God through each person who follows their mission in life.

Even though the ladies who were there told me they were blessed to have me there and that I helped them by sharing about my life with them, they are the ones who helped me and blessed me beyond measure. I thank God for this opportunity and this special experience. I will never forget it.

To all my new lady friends from the Montevideo Book Club—I love you and you will be in my heart forever. God used you that night to keep me focused on Him!!

Celebrate Friendships!

This past Thursday 4/28/16 was the celebration of my new book, “The Friendship Book – Because You Matter to Me.” I want to thank all of you who were able to join me. I took that opportunity to celebrate my birthday and, most importantly, to celebrate friendships!

It is difficult to stay in touch with all our friends and the people we love but it is so important to do so. When we use the current social media to stay connected in an efficient way, meaning, we don’t have post everything we do or read everything posted by others. Instead, let’s use these vehicles to send little notes when we’re thinking about our special friends.

When you feel the nudge to pray for a friend or family member, pray for them and send them a little note letting them know you just prayed. Sometimes, just knowing that someone cares enough to not only pray but to send the quick message goes a long way. Your friends need to know you care and that they matter to you—thus the title of my book.

I want to encourage you to use social media wisely and use it to encourage others, stay connected, and to share your life. But don’t let it consume your time by either posting unnecessary “events” or by reading everything that others post either. Using time management skills with Facebook, Instagram, or even LinkedIn is crucial so you can take advantage of the medium but not waste your valuable time.

I leave you with one thing to do today: Contact one friend you haven’t talked to for a while and tell him or her how much you still care about him or her. They will love receiving your note and this little act could lead to reconnecting with a loved friend.

Enjoy friendships!

Introducing "The Friendship Book - Because You Matter to Me"

My new book is here!! And I invite you to join me in celebrating with me:

The Friendship Book – Because You Matter to Me

This little beautiful book is meant to be given to your friends as a token of your friendship and love for them. I did it in collaboration with my sister, Isa Tyler, who is an artist. The book displays 50 of her gorgeous paintings (including the cover) and 50 friendship poems I wrote. I wanted to get it out before Mother’s Day so those of us who still have our moms with us can give it to them as a gift of friendship!

Thursday, April 28th, 2016

4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Rojo Mexican Grill – Private Room

Southdale Center, Edina, MN

We will have free food and drinks to celebrate!

Please RSVP by Monday, April 25th to

Marcia@marciamalzahn.com or 612-242-4021

I hope you can join me!

It’s All about God’s Love for Us!

Each Easter I like to take time to reflect on the true meaning of it all and try to imagine what Jesus was going through during this week. I also reflect on how Mary must have felt watching her son go through such inhumane suffering and ultimately giving His life for us (including her) on the cross. Part of what I do is read from the book The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel pages 194-200 from the chapter “The Medical Evidence.” This chapter describes in detail each part of Jesus’ suffering and how death by crucifixion physically occurs. I encourage you to buy this book and learn the physical agony and all the medically described symptoms and process that Jesus went through. During this week, Jesus suffered in every aspect—emotionally, physically, and spiritually—all for us!

I also reflect on Hebrews 12:1-2 (NLT) God’s Discipline Proves His Love

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.”

When we say “The Joy of the Lord is my strength,” (Nehemiah 8:10 NLT) we are reminded of the joy that Jesus had inside of Him to get Him through such horrible process of external and internal pain. He knew the everlasting present that He was working toward—all of us in eternity with Him. The joy of knowing that is what kept Him going. He remained focused on the ultimate prize. Now, our part is to simply accept His free gift of salvation and love Him back for what He did.

Lastly, I want to reflect on the power of the resurrection. The Bible says that the SAME power that raised Jesus from the dead is the power we each have inside through the Holy Spirit. In Ephesians 1:19 (NLT), Paul says, “I pray that you will begin to understand the incredible greatness of his power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.”

So today I leave you not with the sad news that Jesus died but with the good news that Jesus rose again by God’s power and is now seated at the right hand of the Father. Jesus is waiting for each of us who believe in Him and who have accepted Him as our Lord and Savior. God sent Jesus to die for us because of His unending love for us. I will leave you with these Scriptures from 1 Corinthians 13:13 (NLT) “There are three things that will endure—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.” Romans 8:37-38 (NLT) “No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love. Death can’t, and life can’t. The angels can’t, and the demons can’t. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can’t keep God’s love away.”

Happy Easter to all my dear friends and family in Christ!

I'm Going to Africa!

To teach on leadership in Kigali, Rwanda with my friend and evangelist,

Sammy Wanyonyi.

God called Sammy ten years ago to go out into the world and preach the Gospel and

Shine in the World Ministries was born.

August 5th through August 16th, 2016

Gasabo, Kigali Festival of Hope

I’m going on my first ever mission trip! And my role will be to teach leadership principles to the pastors, missionaries, church, and business leaders in Kigali during the three-day Leadership Conference, which is part of SHINE’s Kigali Festival of Hope. When I asked Sammy if he thought I would be well received by the people in Rwanda because I’m a woman, he said, “Yes, absolutely. About 51% of the pastors in Rwanda are women! They will be thrilled to have a woman teach on leadership.” Knowing this gives me peace and confirms that God wants me to go there and be part of this amazing team.

I’m asking you for your prayers so I can fulfill the call of God in my life. Part of my calling is teaching leaders Godly leadership principles. I’m also asking you for prayers for the entire team. One of my dreams is to witness hundreds and thousands of people giving their lives to Christ. I cannot wait to experience that and share it with the world!

Since I came to America thirty years ago, I have never asked anyone for money. But this time is different. I want to invite you to participate with me in this journey. Because this is a mission trip, I need to raise my own funds, which is $5,000. I need to raise $2,500 by April 15th and the remainder $2,500 by July 15th. Below is a chart for giving ideas:

25 friends at $100 =           $2,500

30 friends at $50 =              $1,500

35 friends at $20 =              $700

30 friends at $10 =              $300

Total =                                    $5,000

All donations are tax deductible and should be made out to SHINE. You will receive an acknowledgement for your donation directly from them. I will keep track of all donations as well and will keep you posted on my progress. If you feel led to support me financially, you can do it in two ways:

Check: Please make checks payable to SHINE and write “Rwanda” on the memo line. For the IRS to consider your gift tax deductible, please don’t write my name on the memo line. Please mail to

SHINE Ministries

Attn: Mission Trip for Marci Malzahn

984 Carver Bluffs Pkway

Carver, MN 55315

OR

Online Gift. Please go to http://www.shineintheworld.org/event/rwandamission/ and follow their instructions to ensure it gets credited to my trip.

We are anticipating to have over 10,000 Rwandans at each event. This is a great opportunity for you to join me with me in making a difference in the world and in eternity. Thank you so much! May God bless you abundantly as you are part of this journey with me!

Matthew 28:16-20 (NLT) The Great Commission 16 Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him—but some of them doubted! 18 Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

I Fall Short

Today I want to share with you the poem I wrote a couple of days ago. I hope you like it and that it encourages you!

I Fall Short

I will never measure up

I will never be perfect

I will always fall short

Of your mercy and grace

But through your eyes of love

I am worthy of the King’s mercy

It is by your blood and your sacrifice

That I become worthy of your love

For on my own I am nothing

For by myself I shall perish

And never see the King

For I am not worthy of you, my King

It is through your suffering on the cross

That you made me whole

It is by your grace only

That I will belong to the King

For I am undeserving

Of your love, mercy and grace

For I will always fall on my own

But you hold my hand and call me your own

Announcing My Third Book: The Friendship Book

 I want to announce the upcoming release of my third book, The Friendship Book – Because You Matter to Me. Today I wrote the introduction to the book and I want to share with you the “unedited” version so you know it’s coming soon. I hope to have it published by Mother’s Day!

INTRODUCTION

When I was thirteen years old I had to leave my friends from my childhood behind due to the war that took place in my country of origin, Nicaragua, in 1979. My family fled to the Dominican Republic where we had relatives who took us in as refugees. We lived there almost seven years and then again I had to leave my dear friends from my teenage years behind when my turn came to move to the United States in the winter of 1986.

Leaving my friends behind hurt me and it left a scar in my heart. I promised myself to never leave my friends again. That’s why after thirty years of living in Minnesota I will not move. Here is my new home. Back then in 1979 or 1986 there was no FaceBook, email, nor texting or any type of social media. Phone calls were extremely expensive and, therefore, I lost all contact with my beloved friends. It has taken me many years to reconnect and find my friends again. Some of them I never saw again because they moved away from Nicaragua or Dominican Republic and a few of them passed away at a young age.

I treasure friendships and every one of you whom I consider my friend has a special place in my heart that no one else can take. I love you. I appreciate you. And I treasure your friendship. This book is a “thank you” to all my friends that I have made during the course of my life in different countries and throughout the United States as I have traveled. Each one of you is a gift from God to me.

Because I love to encourage others to use their gifts and talents, I worked with my sister, Isa Tyler, who is an artist, and all the paintings on this book are her original art. A few years ago, I  got inspired to write friendship poems and one day I had the idea to collaborate with my sister and use her gifts to inspire you to give this book to your friends as a token of your friendship.

It is my heart that you get inspired to nurture your friendships because you never know when it will be the last time you see each one of them. I encourage you to reconnect with old friends and spend quality time with your close friends. Enjoy friendships. They are each a gift from heaven to you!

The Master's Program for Women

 Tomorrow I will be attending the first Master’s Program for Women conference in Orange County, CA. This is the very first time the ten teacher leaders from the US are getting together and I’m looking forward to spending time with them and brainstorming about the future of TMPW. The Master’s Program for Women is a three year faith based leadership program designed to help women discover and follow their Kingdom calling. We meet quarterly for each session and then meet once in between sessions to stay in touch. You can learn more about TMPW on their website at www.themasterprogramforwomen.org.

Next weekend I will give you an update on the conference. Until then, have a blessed week!

Never Stop Starting!

As the first full week of the New Year is done, we find ourselves reflecting on the brand new year’s resolutions we just made. Two that are usually on everyone’s list are to “work out” and “eat healthy.” One of my latest tweets said, “New Year's resolution to work out doesn't work because it's only for 1 day-Jan 1! We should have a DAILY resolution to work out instead!!” The same goes for eating healthy and also for other resolutions like the one I shared last week in my blog to read my Bible daily, or at least more often.

It is very hard to keep resolutions on a daily basis but I truly believe that if we don’t have a daily commitment to meet our goals they will simply not happen. Another resolution that I’ve made in the past is to have a “more balanced life.” I finally discovered that I should first make the “lifestyle and long-term decision” of having a balanced life. Then I can make the commitment to strive for a “daily balanced life.” This approach has helped me tremendously to achieve not only balance in my life but also the other goals, such as working out and eating healthy.

When we first make a decision to change something in our lifestyles, then we can break that into smaller “time periods” like annual, monthly, weekly and finally, daily. In addition to discovering and using this method, I also have discovered that when I pray and ask God to help me “TODAY” to achieve my goals, He comes through for me. I have to remember to ask Him every day to help me balance my day, to help me have the willpower to work out, and to say “no” to the foods that are harmful to my body. I remember when I was working at the bank and my days were filled with meetings to the point of becoming frozen and not knowing where to start with my work. I would say the following prayer, “God, please help me balance my day today. My calendar is in your hands. Please do something. I don’t know how I will get everything done. You are in charge.” Almost 100% of the times I prayed that prayer within a few minutes someone called me and cancelled a meeting. I would only look up and smile at God and said, “Thank you Lord. You did it again!” The amount of time I had freed up helped me to get the priorities done for the day.

In addition to that prayer, I also decided to spend more time with the Lord and every time I gave God my time, He multiplied it and somehow I always got everything done. It was supernatural. At the same time, on the natural side of things, I’ve have to learn to be extremely disciplined and organized with my time. I have learned to plan way ahead if I want something to come true in my life. I used that approach at work too. I planned with my employees all the projects we needed to get done for the year way ahead of time and we always finished the projects on time and avoided crisis. Why? Because we simply planned! It’s amazing what we can accomplish when we plan and stay focused—both at work and at home.

So today I encourage you to make “lifestyle decisions” versus “New Year resolutions.” Below are some tips that have helped me through my life that I hope may help you too:

• Write down your priorities in life. For me they are: My relationship with God, family, career/work, community involvement.

• Choose to have a balanced life by saying "no" to things that distract you from your priorities in life.

• Ask God daily to help you balance your life.

• Choose to be healthy by working out and eating healthy—daily.

• Educate yourself on nutrition and how exercise works. Choose the workout plan that is good for your body. Each person is different and at various levels of fitness and ages.

• Learn what foods may be harmful to your body. We are all unique and different. We react differently to the various foods we eat.

• Do set goals but be realistic.

• Ask God to help you with your will power to follow through with your goals.

• Enjoy the journey and enjoy your life.

• Lastly, if you start and fail, that’s ok. Do it again. In other words, Never stop starting!!

Let's Have Abraham's Faith!

One of the things I always want to do more of is read my Bible daily. I struggle to find the time and to stay committed so today I am committing myself, once again, to spend more time on the Word of God. He gave us the gift of His Word, which is the gift of life, where we find all the answers we look for.

Today I decided to read Romans. I have read it many times but every time I read this book, I learn one more thing that touches my heart deeply. The first few chapters talk about Abraham’s faith and how much he believed God, particularly in Romans 4: 20 says, “Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was absolutely convinced that God was able to do anything he promised. And because of Abraham’s faith, God declared him to be righteous.” Wow, Abraham NEVER wavered in believing what God had promised him! And he was ABSOLUTELY convinced that God was able to do ANYTHING He promised!

I started asking myself, “Do I have that kind of faith?” The answer is no. I waver. I doubt. I question if God will come through for me. I even question His promises to me personally. Did I hear from God directly and personally? Or was that thought or desire to do something from my flesh? Do I question the Bible? No, absolutely not. But what I question is my ability to hear from God when it comes to my own life. Sometimes, when we want something in life, our desire is so strong that we think God gave us that desire and it’s simply our flesh. Other times, God puts a desire in our hearts, which is part of our unique calling. So, how do we differentiate between the two?

What I have done in the past and has worked most of the time for me, is that I ask myself deeper questions. For example, I ask, “Will doing this (whatever it is I’m struggling to figure out) benefit me only? Or would doing this benefit others?” Also, “Do I have peace following my heart on this particular issue?” “Does this activity fall within my calling? “Is doing this going to bring glory to God or to me?” “Do I have confirmation from other believers who are close to me?” This particular question can be tricky because sometimes the very people that are close to you, actually discourage you from following the calling in your life. Why? Because they want to protect you and want you to be safe. Many times following the calling can be dangerous, risky, and even seem irresponsible, when looked from the worldly perspective. Many times what God asks to do (or believe) is not conventional or the norm and we must exercise wisdom and discernment—in addition to our faith—in order to follow through.

Romans 4:16 (NLT) states, “For Abraham is the father of all who believe. That is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, ‘I have made you the father of many nations.’” Abraham believed God even though he never really saw (in this life) ALL the humans who believed in God after him. Like Abraham, who was promised to be the “father of many nations,” God promises certain things to each of us and we must have Abraham’s faith in order to see them through.

Today is a new day, a new year and I want to encourage you to renew your faith in God. Believe in Him again and more deeply. Trust Him that He wants the best for you and that He will come through for you. He will protect you and be with you throughout this New Year. And most importantly, He will always love you!

A New Door: Is it an Opportunity or a Distraction?

Recently an unexpected door opened to me that made me really question if I’m on the right track in regards to my work or not. As I started to think of the new possibilities, both positive and negative thoughts filled my mind and I started to feel overwhelmed with doubt. Was I on the right track? Did I hear from God? Or did I miss God? Which one is it? How do I know if this new door is an opportunity or a distraction to get me off track? I thought God had already provided direction on what to do but now there is brand new idea, a new possibility that I hadn’t thought about before.

In life, we are faced with difficult decisions that may or may not be good for us. These decisions may not be bad but they may distract us for a while or get us off course. Getting back on track is difficult and can cost us a valuable resource that we cannot get back—time. Therefore, the decisions we take have to be calculated and wise so we stay in the will of God. But how do we discern? How can we make sure that we’re making the right decision when the time to decide comes? Sometimes these new opportunities come with a lot of potential for growth and positive worldly things. Other times, new doors open that don’t necessarily bring material things (i.e. higher salary or bigger titles) but they bring a lot of satisfaction and fulfillment. Which road do we take? Do we go the way of more money or the road of fulfillment? Tough questions to answer.

Whenever I find myself in those situations, I pray. I ask God for wisdom, discernment, knowledge, and understanding to help me make the right decision and to choose wisely. Sometimes God reminds me of a Scripture to reaffirm He is with me and that everything will be okay. Other times, God sends me someone with whom I can discuss the options and that person can objectively give me his or her opinion to help me decide. But the best clue that God has given me over the course of my life to help me decide is peace in my heart. If I have peace about one decision, then I feel I’m on the right track. On the other hand, lack of peace tells me that I’m going to make the wrong choice. If I feel stressed out just to think about a certain option or direction, then I know that’s a red flag. I have to trust my heart that I’m hearing from God. He sent us His Holy Spirit to guide us and protect us from ourselves, to protect us from making wrong decisions. Ultimately, it is our decision and every decision we make has short-term and long-term consequences. Life presents us with choices and we must choose wisely. When we ask God for wisdom, we can have peace in our hearts that our choice, the decision we make, will be the right one.

I will leave you with these Scriptures today:

Psalm 25:4 (NLT)

Show me the path where I should walk, O Lord; point out the right road for me to follow.

Ecclesiastes 2:26 (NLT)

God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy to those who please him.

James 1:5 (NLT)

If you need wisdom—if you want to know what God wants you to do—ask him, and he will gladly tell you. He will not resent you asking.

Unity in the Body of Christ

I was talking with some friends yesterday about how we, Christians, have to work together to accomplish the work of God and how disappointing it is when we can’t make it work. Many times things don’t get done, projects get interrupted, relationships are broken, and people simply don’t get along so the work of God doesn’t get finished (and sometimes it doesn’t even get started). Sometimes we are involved in the problem and other times we watch things unfold and wonder what happened, what went wrong?

So I shared with my friends that when I went to work for a church, I didn’t have any huge expectations and I said to myself three things:

1. I am going to work for a church not heaven

2. I work with humans not angels

3. I am a Christian not a saint and I will work with other Christians, not saints.

Having no expectations of working in a church and it being any better than working in a secular environment really helped me be successful. I also built wonderful long-lasting relationships along the way. I treat people the same way whether I work in the secular arena or in a ministry. It doesn’t really matter. I had work to do at both places and my strategy worked. I accomplished much and never burnt any bridges. I now have friends everywhere.

You see, wherever we go and whatever the place of work we happen to be at, there will be people. Personalities and work styles get in the way. Egos and conflict can arise and bridges can be burnt if we are not careful. Problems need to be dealt with and we need to work together and collaborate regardless of our own opinions, for the sake of the bigger vision. In the case of Christians, for the sake of the Gospel—to fulfill the Great Commission and work for the Kingdom of God.

We must all put our differences aside, move on and do our work. We are all His laborers and He needs each of us to fulfill our calling. Let’s finish the race. Let’s finish the work that God has asked us to do, together as brothers and sisters in Christ. I will leave you with these wonderful Scriptures today:

Ephesians 4:1 (NLT)

Unity in the Body

4 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.

Philippians 3:14 (NLT)

14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

I Love to Love - with God's Love

 I used to ask God for wisdom – wisdom to help me do my job every day, wisdom to help me guide my employees, to make the right decisions for the business, and wisdom so I wouldn’t make mistakes. Last year, however, I found myself asking God for love—His love. I ask God to fill my heart with His kind of love so I can love people, and He has done it. My heart is filled with His love, a love that overflows my heart. I want to love on people. I want people to know Jesus. I have a deep desire to go out and tell people of the good news of the Gospel, to share my story of how God has helped me through the years to be successful. How it’s not about me. I’m not the main character of my story. He is! Without Jesus, I have no story!

As a public speaker, it is very hard to speak in the secular arena about my life story and leave Jesus out because He is the reason I am even alive today. He is the reason for any success of any kind that I’ve ever achieved. God is the one who gave me all the gifts I have. God is the one who opened all the doors of opportunity and God is the one who made all the connections for me, divine connections. So how do I bring the good news of the Gospel to the secular business world when the only good news is not politically correct to say? I trust God will show me the way.

I believe the corporate world is ready to hear the refreshing good news. Business people are ready to hear that it’s not all about business and making money. It’s also about making a difference in people’s lives. It’s about living with significance. It’s about bringing hope to others. And the only way we bring hope is by bringing Jesus into the business world.

The people in the business world are still people with the same needs as the people in the third world countries that are desperate and hungry. People in America may not be physically hungry but they still need hope. They are lost and are hungry for an answer. They want to make a difference. They are looking for a solution. They want significance and purpose. They want to find their calling.

So I will go on and fulfill my own calling, which is to help working people be successful in every area of their lives—that includes their spiritual lives. I will go on and love on people. I will love people with the love of God. If that’s all I can do in some cases, then God will ensure that it will be enough. I pray that each one of you who reads my blog today will feel the love of God - today and always.

My New Book is Out! The Fire Within - Connect Your Gifts with Your Calling

These past few weeks I have been working on publishing my new book, The Fire Within – Connect Your Gifts with Your Calling and it’s finally out! You can check it out at my website www.marciamalzahn.com and click on the image of the book and it will take you to Amazon. You can also purchase it directly from Amazon's website in the books section or search by name.

I also decided to start my own publishing company, Malzahn Publishing because I'm already writing three other books! I am now getting ready for the open house/book signing event on November 17th where I hope to see many of you, my friends, to celebrate my new book.

As we start the Thanksgiving month, I encourage you to think of everything you have in your life that you’re thankful for. Today is November 1st and it’s the perfect day to start thanking God for every person He has given you and for everything He has entrusted you with.