All posts tagged God’s timing

A Lenten Journey Surprise

As I’ve done the last few years, I prepared for Easter with a Lenten fast from alcohol and sweets. What was different this year was that much to my surprise my 16-year-old son decided to observe a fast as well.

How it all Began

About the same time that Lent began, my son and I started a new bedtime routine. We read a daily devotional and then prayed together. On the evening of Ash Wednesday, he asked me about the ashes on my forehead which led to a conversation about Lent. (By the way, observing Lent, or Ash Wednesday, is not exclusively for Catholics as some mistakenly believe.)

The next day after school he announced he was giving up video games for Lent! My heart leapt for joy at his sacrificial offering. I don’t remember what I said that night. I didn’t ask him about giving anything up himself. When he told me his decision the next day, he was excited.

My husband and I have had discussions with our son about the amount of time he spends on video games in the past. Sometimes those discussions turned pretty heated, and he’d lose his gaming privileges. We’ve also suggested alternative ways of using his leisure time. Nothing else ever seemed to interest him.

My son’s video game collection–and that’s not even all of it!

However, as Lent started my son was excited to share his choice—and even recognized how hard it would be. Those first few days he admitted to me that his thoughts would turn to gaming. He learned to turn his attention elsewhere — sometimes to God, and other times to his studies. Those thoughts diminished over time.

The End of the Journey

As the 40-day journey grew closer to Holy Week, we talked about what he would do after Easter. Would he return to his old gaming behavior? Would he continue his fast? I shared with him my previous Lent experiences—ranging from returning to immediate gratification with candy on Easter Sunday to abstaining for a prolonged period. He has opted to return in moderation.

What excites me about this year’s pilgrimage to Easter is not so much that he stopped gaming, it’s that he (and us together) started a great ritual of connecting at the end of the day. I would often forget, and he’d remind me to join him for our devotional and prayer time. He also started reading the Bible again and occasionally writing in a journal.

My son and our dog, one of his best friends.

In God’s Timing

I know a lot of this is only possible because my son made a decision to try medication again for his ADHD a few months ago. He is a changed person.

The medication has given him access to areas of his brain that before were preventing his behaviors from aligning with his desires. It has allowed him to establish new homework routines, focus on his studies, become more social and succeed in school. In turn, he is now making more adult decisions and able to find a part of his self that was inaccessible before.

I’m very thankful that we went down this road with him. I’m grateful that he persevered over the last few years. I praise God for His timing in all of this (yet again!) and how my son is actively pursuing his relationship with Him. I’m also glad that I was able to model something to him in the past and that he caught that behavior on his own.

Surprised by God

I had hoped that my son would actually write this post for me (another thing we talked about during Lent), but he is busy with his studies. He did, however, quickly volunteered to help with the photos and captions.

When I asked him what he’d like to share about his Lenten Journey, he said, “It was a beneficial experience for me. It helped me to know God better and do well in school.” That’s a lot to get out of a 16-year-old who is filled with new hope and finding his way in life.

As far as my fast, I’m still abstaining—for now. I’m embracing the joy of getting to know my son in a deeper way. That was my Lenten surprise.

Did God surprise you on your journey toward Easter? I’d love to hear your story.

This post is listed on Christian Mommy Blogger/Fellowship Fridays and Missional Women/Faith Filled Friday.

6 Comments

by ardisanelson on April 24, 2014 • Permalink

Posted in Faith & Hope, Identity, Relationships & Family, Spiritual Growth

Tagged adapting to change, ADD/ADHD, Catholic, Christianity, Easter, family, fasting, God's timing, gratitude, Holy Week, hope, identity, leaving a legacy, Lent, prayer, sacrifice, spiritual journey

Posted by ardisanelson on April 24, 2014

https://ardisanelson.com/2014/04/24/a-lenten-journey-surprise/

Qualified or Called, Part 1 ~ Learning to Serve

³Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, ⁴who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4, NIV)

This verse first caught my attention early on in my recovery journey. It was the catalyst that I embraced when I started leading women’s support groups. God revealed to me in the short time that I was in recovery that he wanted to use my pain and my healing to come alongside others to encourage and support them on their journeys to wholeness.

Stepping up to Serve

The first group I facilitated was a Boundaries group. (It wasn’t the popular book by Drs. Cloud and Townsend. That came later in my teaching ministry.) My church was starting a recovery program with multiple groups being led with different curriculum. I was hungry for recovery and eager to share how God had redeemed my pain. However, I felt sorely unqualified to lead in this kind of setting. The ministry leader shared something with the leaders that has stuck with me ever since. He said, “You just have to be well enough.”

That was a relief to me. I didn’t have to have it all figured out. I didn’t need to perform. I needed to lead from my brokenness and my vulnerability.* That didn’t make it easy, but it helped me to let go of my pride and let God work in me in this new role with my church. You see I was, and am, a fairly capable person when it comes to project management, running large meetings, and such in the business world. However, putting myself on the front line of emotional and spiritual endeavors was totally foreign to me. And that was what God wanted.

Believing you are Well Enough

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9, NIV) That is not what Satan wants—for you to serve in ministry. He is an expert at trying to get us to believe we are not good enough, smart enough, or worthy enough to serve the Lord. Don’t believe him! God wants to use you!

In time I stepped into bigger ministry roles at my church, not because I felt qualified, but because I felt called by God, or in some cases was asked. I often jumped in quickly, not realizing what I was getting myself into. Each time God was stretching me outside of my comfort zone—to coordinate a women’s retreat, speak at a women’s event, and to train the leaders that launched my church’s Celebrate Recovery ministry. Through it all, I was often reminded of a phrase I’d heard in ministry circles: “God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called.”

Answering my Next Call

Over the last few months, I’ve been preparing for God’s next call on my life. In preparation for that, I worked on a re-write of my recovery testimony. If you don’t know what that is, check out this post, What is a CR Testimony?, on the Celebrate Recovery website where I serve. Suffice it to say, it is not a small matter; and it is not a salvation testimony.

As I wrote it, God revealed to me the weavings and points of intersection where He was putting the people, circumstances and events in place to lead to this very time in my life. It’s been pretty profound, and has grown my faith in even bigger ways. There is so much I could write about this, but one chain of events stands out with such clarity to illustrate the way God works, and how perfect His timing is. I’ll save that for Part 2 of this series.

I’d love to hear from others who have stepped up into ministry leadership. Did you feel called? Do you presently feel qualified? How was God preparing you to serve Him?

*A great book I recommend about this leadership posture is Leading with a Limp, by Dan Allender.

This post is listed on Christian Mommy Blogger/Fellowship Fridays and Missional Women/Faith Filled Friday.

4 Comments

by ardisanelson on April 3, 2014 • Permalink

Posted in Healing & Recovery, Identity, Spiritual Growth

Tagged boundaries, Celebrate Recovery, Christianity, fear, God's timing, grace, healing, Henry Cloud, hope, John Townsend, obedience, recovery, serving others, spiritual journey, trusting God

Posted by ardisanelson on April 3, 2014

https://ardisanelson.com/2014/04/03/qualified-or-called-part-1-learning-to-serve/

What if His People Prayed, Part 2 ~ Global Prayers

Before my mother passed away three years ago, my regular prayer life was mostly made up of prayers before family meals and some daily devotional or quiet time in the morning. I also prayed short prayers intermittently throughout the day. During one period of spiritual seeking I went so far as to venture into an overnight prayer vigil at my church. I liked that experience, but my church stopped the practice soon after.

Inside my first church in Spain, San Jerónimo el Real, in Madrid.

On sacred ground, inside my first church in Spain, San Jerónimo el Real, Madrid.

Becoming a Prayer Intercessor

I had never considered myself a prayer warrior or a particularly articulate prayer person. As I mentioned in Part 1 of this 2-part series, that radically changed in recent years. About a year after my mother passed away I took a spiritual gift assessment and sure enough, one of my gifts was intercessory prayer—not something that had scored high in the past.

Embracing this gift has helped me to continue on my spiritual walk across denominations and into the Catholic Church for my weekly appointment with God. This prayer practice has awakened my faith in new ways and eventually led me to Spain last summer where I finally met Rosa, Pedro’s mother. That trip was the trip of a lifetime for me—6-weeks in Spain, immersed in the culture, the food, the language and the faith. My visits to the Catholic Church here gave me a longing to worship in the grand Cathedrals and churches of Spain.

Gothic front facade of the Cathedral of St. Mary of Toledo

White limestone carvings over the front entrance to the Toledo Cathedral

Interior chapel at Toledo Cathedral

Interior altar at the Seville Cathedral

Almudena Cathedral, Madrid, Spain

Inner view of altar, Granada Cathedral

Praying in Spain

While I was in Spain, I attended mass and toured several Catholic cathedrals—13 in all, from central to southern Spain and to the island of Mallorca. It was like being on sacred ground to visit these massive, centuries-old buildings with intricate stone carved exterior figures and laden with golden altars and statues inside.

My prayers in Spain were much different than in America. Back home, I had lots of private time to thoughtfully pray for people by name. While I was in Spain, God led me to meditate on a passage of scripture in Ezekiel. This resulted in my praying for unity between Catholics and Protestants, and for revival in the Church of Spain. I had no preconceived notions how God was going to do that. I just knew that He was calling me to pray into this country for a spiritual awakening.

Interior of the Mosque of Córdoba

Stained glass & domed altar, Granada Cathedral

Facade of Seville Cathedral

Seville Cathedral at night

Interior chapel, Palma de Mallorca Cathedral (Balearic Islands)

Praying Globally

People pray for global causes all the time. This takes me back (as referenced in my last post) to the words of the Casting Crowns song, “What if His People Prayed”:

“And what would happen if we prayed
For those raised up to lead the way
Then maybe kids in school could pray
And unborn children see light of day”

We pray for government officials and against laws that we believe are unjust. We pray for victims of crime and victims of natural disasters. We pray for the poor and for the hungry.

So why not pray for the people of Spain? They live in a time of economic distress and dramatically high unemployment. According to the Evangelical Covenant Church, although historically considered a Catholic country, church attendance has declined dramatically over the years and a very small percentage have a relationship with Christ.

After six weeks in Spain, I truly have a heart for the people. It started with a heart for Pedro, then his mother Rosa, and on to the remaining 24 members of his family that I met. But more than that, God got a hold of me there and showed me how different the spiritual climate was and the need for people to return to Him. They need His Hope—the kind of hope that does not disappoint. (Isaiah 49:23)

Interior, Sant Ramon Church, Port of Soller, Mallorca

Interior chapel, Palma de Mallorca Cathedral

Main altar, Cathedral of St. Bartholomew, Soller, Mallorca (Balearic Islands)

Palma de Mallorca Cathedral

Interior chapel, Palma de Mallorca Cathedral

Prayer Works

Earlier this week, and nine months to the day I started my prayers on Spanish soil, I got physical confirmation of what I knew to be true in the spiritual realm. That was when a Spanish pastor and missionary visited the Celebrate Recovery meeting where I gave my testimony. It was his first time at this kind of meeting. We are now exploring ways to bring this healing ministry to Spain.

Is this the start of a spiritual revival in Spain? Is this what God was planning when he directed me to pray? It would probably sound pretty presumptuous for me to declare that (although I am pretty bold with my faith). All I know is that I did my part—and I continue to do so. All it takes is one person, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed. (Matthew 17:20)

Do you have a desire to go to Spain and pray for the nation and its people? I invite you to come on a 10-day prayer journey this fall and explore Spain for yourself. And maybe I’ll be there too, if those prayers are answered. Click on this link, Prayer journey 2014, for more information.

Update 7/23/2014: The Prayer Journey was cancelled for 2014, but tickets are purchased for a Celebrate Recovery mission to France and Spain in the fall of 2014. Prayer appreciated for this mission of hope.

This post is listed on Christian Mommy Blogger/Fellowship Fridays and Missional Women/Faith Filled Friday.

9 Comments

by ardisanelson on March 28, 2014 • Permalink

Posted in Faith & Hope, My Mission to Spain, My Trip to Spain

Tagged Catholic, Christianity, God's timing, Mission to Spain, pilgrimage, prayer, prayer walk, Protestant, Spain, spiritual journey, trusting God

Posted by ardisanelson on March 28, 2014

https://ardisanelson.com/2014/03/28/what-if-his-people-prayed-part-2-global-prayers/

Lights, Camera, Action, Part 1 ~ Making Music in Spain

Those three simple words, “lights, camera, action” are universally associated with filmmaking. Until last summer, my only role remotely associated with the theater was a bit part I was required to play in the annual musical back in junior high school.

For Pedro, the young Spanish man whose music career I help manage, those words have been part of his vocabulary and part of his dreams since he was very young. Now, at 20 years of age, he is living his dreams.

Pedro González Arbona, professional musician and composer (Madrid, July 2013)

Pedro’s First Short Film

When I headed to Madrid nearly six months ago, Pedro was up to his ears putting the finishing touches on the soundtrack for his first professional short film, Sed de Amor (Thirst for Love). The premiere was held two weeks after my arrival. Unfortunately, Pedro’s family and I were vacationing in southern Spain and couldn’t attend. (The soundtrack is at the bottom of this post.)

Sandwiched in between sightseeing excursions and writing, my time in Madrid was spent collaborating with Pedro on his music and promotional projects to prepare for the premiere and beyond. Together we launched his website (pgarbona.com), developed a site for his music sales, had publicity photo shoots, and worked on a Facebook marketing campaign to build interest in the film and his music.

Launching Pedro’s new website.

The Premiere

Since Pedro couldn’t attend the Thirst for Love premiere, the director, Chani Bas, asked him to create a video to introduce himself and explain his composing and music synchronization process for the film. “Take 1. Take 2. Take 3,” I said as we made light of the multiple takes he had to do to get a flawless video.

Then since I couldn’t attend the premiere, Pedro gave me my own private showing of Thirst for Love. Knowing the story, but not understanding the actors’ Spanish dialogue made it difficult to get the full movie viewer’s experience. That didn’t stop the tears from flowing at the end of the movie though. My tears were perfectly timed with the closing song “The Last Tear.” Pedro’s parents joined us for the final minutes of the film, making my joy, and my tears complete.

Celebrating the Thirst for Love premiere while on vacation in Seville.

More Music Collaboration

After our return from vacation, there was still much more music work to do. Chani had enlisted Pedro to score the soundtrack for his next short film, Always Together. Those songs filled the family home throughout my remaining days in Madrid as Pedro composed every free moment he got. We also worked on reviewing and cataloguing Pedro’s ever growing list of compositions—about 120 at the time.

On one of our last days in Madrid, I met Chani, Pedro’s director, face to face at a local Starbucks. It was a great opportunity to learn a bit more about the film industry, hear firsthand about the Thirst for Love premiere, and get to know each other. Chani was already preparing for the next film project as well. (Always Together premiered a few days ago.)

Chani Bas, Ardis A. Nelson and Pedro Gonzalez Arbona

First American Film Project

The biggest music news of the summer though was the contract Pedro negotiated with the KevStel Group, an American production company, for his first full-feature film, Tempting Fate. Days before we headed off to the island of Mallorca, international calls and email negotiations were flying through cyberspace. We were rushed to complete it because once we arrived on Mallorca, internet access was extremely limited.

On Mallorca we settled into vacation mode for the remaining 2 ½ weeks of my trip surrounded by Pedro’s family and friends. But one day while in siesta mode, I sat poolside and read the script of Tempting Fate. I couldn’t believe my eyes as I read through lines that had a spiritual message of unconditional love, betrayal, sacrifice, and redemption.

I believe it was not a coincidence that this production company or this script landed in Pedro’s lap. Like the prayer that moved mountains and connected Rosa and I, my prayers for Pedro’s music were again answered in heavenly ways.

Projected release date, July 2014

Two Years in the Making

At this season of my life, I am often in awe of all the perfectly timed coincidences that have fallen into place between my Spanish family and me: the timing of the passing of Rosa’s and my mothers, how my trip to Spain came to fruition and its timing, and now, most assuredly, the recognition of Pedro’s musical talent beyond our friends and families.

It was two years ago this week that Pedro’s CD of original compositions, Introducing Pedro González Arbona, first went online at CD Baby, iTunes and Amazon. What started on a whim and a nudge from God launched Pedro into a professional music and film career, and stepped him into his dreams. It’s hard to watch these music milestones from 5,300 miles across the globe, but I am very blessed to know that God has done more than I could ever have imagined (Ephesians 3:20).

~ To read about the exciting premiere of ‘Always Together’ recently held in Madrid, check out Part 2 of this series.. To experience his music for yourself, click any of the links below to hear an original composition from the ‘Thirst for Love’ soundtrack, ©2013 Pedro González Arbona, or check out Pedro’s video page of this site.

If this is your first time hearing about the music of Pedro González Arbona, check out his website at pgarbona.com, or “The Music” page on my site for more information about how his music was discovered. You can support his music career by liking his Facebook page, Pedro Gonzalez Arbona, Composer.

Updated 2/12/2015: The Tempting Fate soundtrack with Pedro’s music released today and is available on Amazon and iTunes. The movie will be released across Nigeria on July 17, 2015.

8 Comments

by ardisanelson on December 18, 2013 • Permalink

Posted in My Spanish Connection, My Trip to Spain, Pedro's Musical Pursuits

Tagged Always Together, CD Baby, Chani Bas, following your dreams, God's timing, iTunes, KevStel Group, movie composing, music, My Spanish Connection, Pedro Gonzalez Arbona, piano compositions, siesta, Spain, Tempting Fate, Thirst for Love

Posted by ardisanelson on December 18, 2013

https://ardisanelson.com/2013/12/18/lights-camera-action-part-1-making-music-in-spain/

You Can’t go Home Again, or Can You?

Have you ever longed to go back to your childhood home—one that your family left many, many years ago? Did you dare drive around in the neighborhood or maybe even knock on the door in hopes of connecting with the new residents and maybe getting a chance to go inside? Or maybe your childhood memories were too painful to even think of doing such a thing.

This kind of chance of a lifetime recently presented itself to me—and like so many of these life coincidences; I took it as a sign from God to follow where He was leading me.

In the Neighborhood

It was on my 54^th birthday—also the day that my driver’s license was expiring. So a trip to the Department of Licensing became a high priority on this day—not something I really had time for or wanted to do. I made the best of it though, even deciding to wear a special outfit so my ‘mug’ shot might have a chance of being pleasantly memorable.

When I pulled into the parking lot, I took more than a mental note of where I was. My childhood home was around the corner. A few weeks earlier, I had pulled out my memoir, still unworked on since last year’s NaNoWriMo. I began the painful process of re-reading it, but stopped after the first chapter, the chapter about my mother’s nervous breakdown and living in this neighborhood. After that reading, I felt God nudge me to contact the one last neighbor who I knew still lived in the neighborhood. But I didn’t act on it.

Or can you?

Although this wasn’t the home or neighborhood I was born in, I knew God was giving me another nudge, on my birthday, to pursue this last link to my childhood. I’d been to this neighborhood before several times as an adult. It was one of the first places I visited when my husband and I moved to the state of Washington about 25 years ago. At that time I went so far as to meet the residents, the people who bought the home from my parents in 1966.

This day’s visit was to the neighbor’s house though. The name on the mailbox was still the surname of a childhood friend. Maybe, just maybe, I would get some more insight into the day my mother had her nervous breakdown and our life on that street.

I knocked on the door. There was no answer. I was torn. Should I leave a note under the door? I just couldn’t believe that God brought me to this doorstep without as much as an answer.

My Childhood Home

So I took the bold step of going next door to my former home. An elderly woman answered the door. I told her a bit about who I was, a writer, etc., and asked about the neighbor. I was surprised when she invited me into the home and even offered me a seat in the living room.

Hiding behind the 50-year old landscaping lies my childhood home.

It was surreal. I had just written a post about the events of JFK’s assassination on that day—my birthday—50 years ago. And here I was sitting in the same room where I watched the unfolding of those horrific events in our nation’s history. I shed a tear or two in the retelling of the significance of that home.

The couple was quite kind to me. They gave me free reign of the house, asked me things about the property, and what it was like back in those days. The house seemed much smaller to me than I remembered, but that isn’t unusual in light of the fact I was a mere 3-6 years old when we lived there.

Regarding the neighbor, I found out that he had sold the house and moved out a month ago. Too bad I didn’t follow that nudge back then, I thought to myself. But his dementia would’ve precluded his ability to help me anyway.

The street sign may have read ‘DEAD END’, but the events of the day proved otherwise.

What Lies Around the Corner?

It was all so unanticipated—to stop by the neighborhood, to knock on their door, and most assuredly to be invited inside. Their invitation and interest was a precious gift to me, one that I’m not sure they were really able to fully comprehend. Out of my gratitude for their kindness to me, I gave them a signed copy of my book.

Plan as we may, we never really know for sure what lies ahead in our lives from day to day. What if God is calling us to something just around the corner? Would you heed to His nudge? Would you blindly do something that to outsiders may look foolish or presumptuous?

Some may say I have a habit of doing those things. Others see it as obedience and trusting God when I embrace these chance encounters. I’m just grateful that He cares enough to give me these little kisses from above, and that others may be inspired to do the same—turning their healing into hope.

In the end, I really was able to go home again. And that really was the proverbial icing on the cake for my 54th birthday.

1 Comment

by ardisanelson on December 12, 2013 • Permalink

Posted in Faith & Hope, Healing & Recovery, My Writing Journey

Tagged 11-22-1963, birthday, childhood memories, gifts, God, God's timing, healing, hope, memoir writing, obedience, wounds of the past

Posted by ardisanelson on December 12, 2013

https://ardisanelson.com/2013/12/12/you-cant-go-home-again-or-can-you/

Not Just Another Wives’ Tale

The year was 1983. It was a very memorable year for me. I got married, my husband graduated from chiropractic college, we moved to his hometown back in Illinois, bought the family home, and started his chiropractic practice in the rural town of Sandwich, Illinois. It was an exciting and stressful time in our lives.

The Chiropractic Wife

While studying for the CPA exam, I was also working with my husband to build his practice. I was learning about chiropractic, how to navigate the ins and outs of insurance billing, and how to manage the front desk operations. Unfortunately I didn’t pass that exam, and I took it more than once. I gave up my dream of being a CPA and caught my husband’s dream. I became the typical chiropractic wife—devoted to chiropractic and to my husband’s business.

For the early years of our marriage we led a blissful life, working long hours to build the practice and traveling across country to chiropractic conferences. His second year out of chiropractic college, he decided to change from the more traditional manual (hands-on) adjusting technique to a more gentle technique called Activator Methods. From that point on he has devoted nearly all of his patient treatment to the Activator technique.

30 Years Later

We no longer live in Illinois, and I no longer work for my husband, but have done so at varying times of our marriage. We live in the suburbs of Seattle, Washington where my husband started another practice based on the Activator technique. He is an Advanced Proficiency rated doctor. Way back when my husband started using the Activator technique I knew that someday he would be up front teaching. Someday is here.

My husband, Dr. Curtis Nelson, teaching at the Phoenix Activator seminar.

I am so proud of my husband and the platform teaching role he now holds in his profession. (He has been an assistant teacher for many years.) His new teaching role started last spring. Last month, I got to travel with him to a conference for the first time in years. I wasn’t the typical chiropractic wife, but I knew it was time for me to step back into the role of wife to my husband, who just happens to be a chiropractor. The timing couldn’t have been more God anointed for me.

Weekend in Arizona

A chiropractic couple we’ve known for those 30 years recently moved to Seattle and is starting over with a practice here. The husband, Dr. Ed Shepherd, has been teaching at Activator conferences for years. So we joined the Shepherds for a weekend trip to Phoenix where the men taught and the women played. My friend Cheryl and I explored the Red Rock Country of Sedona one day and the Chihuly Exhibit at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix the next. Breath-taking views abound. The heat reminded me of Spain, but the views were definitely the Southwest.

Cheryl and me on the way to Sedona.

On Saturday night, spouses were invited to join the teaching doctors for dinner with the co-founder and CEO of Activator Methods, Dr. Arlan Fuhr, and his wife, Judi. I was torn. I wanted to explore Sedona and have a leisurely dinner with Cheryl. Cheryl, who works with her husband, wanted to return to Phoenix and join the chiropractic dinner party. Sedona would have to wait until another trip.

When seated at the dinner table, I had the unexpected honor of sitting closest to Dr. Fuhr (aside from his wife). An introvert by nature and not up to date on the status of the chiropractic profession or advances in Activator, I felt a bit awkward. With a heart for Spain, I asked him about Activator in Europe, and specifically in Spain.

Dinner with the Fuhr’s and the other chiropractic instructors.

I was surprised to learn that the Fuhr’s were on their way to Madrid in just a few days. I was even more shocked and excited to hear he was teaching Activator to the first chiropractic graduates in an accredited program in Spain. Naturally I brought up my summer travels to Spain, and in time, how my story in Journeys to Mother Love is connected to Spain.

In God’s Timing

By the end of the weekend, Dr. Fuhr had an autographed copy of my book in his hands for him and Judi. It brought a tear to my eye to give away this copy of my book. I know it landed in good hands. I know it is an indirect expansion of my Spanish connection. I know it was not coincidence at this point in my life to have this encounter. It felt like a kiss from Above.

Dr. Fuhr and me, expanding my Spanish connection.

It took 30 years for my husband to step into his role as an Activator instructor. My role is no longer as a business partner in his practice. It is now as a spousal supporter of his professional career. I have my own career now in writing and indirectly in ministry to the people of Spain. The two intersected in a restaurant in Phoenix in a way that only God could’ve orchestrated.

It’s not just another old wives’ tale. God’s timing was once again, perfect.

Cathedral Rock, Sedona, AZ

Chihuly glass art exhibit at the Desert Botanical Gardens.

2 Comments

by ardisanelson on December 5, 2013 • Permalink

Posted in Faith & Hope, My Spanish Connection

Tagged Activator doctor of chiropractic, Activator Methods, encouragement, gifts, God, God's timing, gratitude, hope, Journeys to Mother Love, Sedona, trusting God

Posted by ardisanelson on December 5, 2013

https://ardisanelson.com/2013/12/05/not-just-another-wives-tale/

The Road to Spain, Update 6 ~ The Music

The last time I physically saw Pedro González Arbona we were waving each other goodbye at the security checkpoint at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport two years ago. He arrived that summer as an aspiring composer. He left America that day with 50 professionally recorded CDs of his original compositions, eager to share his music with friends and family in Spain.

Managing Pedro’s Music

Our relationship changed that summer, not intentionally, but it went from one of family connection (as a result of a short term exchange program, Education First) to a music partnership. When I offered to take Pedro into the recording studio in July 2011, he started to affectionately and jokingly call me his manager. As I caught his dream of composing movie scores, I came to take that responsibility more seriously, as did he.

Since that time, his music found a home with CD Baby, an independent music distributor, giving him an online presence on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, and other retail music sites, and giving him worldwide exposure. As fantastic as this may sound, online access doesn’t automatically equate to fame and fortune—although I was naturally concerned it might.

Introducing Pedro at his debut American performance, June 2011

Carrying on our relationship across 5,300 miles has not been easy. But like the online translator has helped bridge the distance between his mother Rosa and me, Pedro’s music has helped to connect us as well. When Pedro left in July 2011, he had a repertoire of 18 songs; 13 of them were recorded on his CD, Introducing Pedro González Arbona.

Since then he has become quite prolific with his music, growing from simple piano melodies to fully orchestrated pieces. Last month, he reached a major milestone by composing his 100^th piece, sending each song to me via email along the way.

And Then it Happened . . .

One day out of the blue several months ago, Pedro emailed me an incredibly beautiful composition that seemed to stretch his music to a new level. I made a mental note on that day of this shift, prayed about it, released it to God, and even wrote in my journal how it felt like his music was truly ready for the big screen. The very next day, I received an email from Pedro that he got noticed by a Spanish film production company who was interested in hiring him to compose for a full feature film. This was incredible news!

Pedro informed the company that I was his manager and the international communications began with the producer. Things progressed very rapidly after that. Pedro was offered the chance to compose for a short film to test his talent—which he passed with flying colors. He was then offered the job to compose for the full feature film next year.

The last few months have been a whirlwind of musical commitments for Pedro and a steep learning curve for me. I have been blown away by his beautifully orchestrated compositions for the short film. Throughout the production process, he has demonstrated his maturity and creative genius in working with the producer and the director. It has all paid off well for him as the trailer for the short film, “Sed de Amor” (Thirst for Love), below, was released last week. (By the way, the song I mentioned above was the basis for the song featured in this trailer. It really was meant for the big screen and answered prayer!)

It’s a Small World

What is so interesting to me in all of this is how the connections for this film came to fruition. It wasn’t because the film company stumbled upon Pedro’s music. It was through a high school friend, Chani Bas, who is the director and screenwriter for the short film. He heard of Pedro’s musical pursuits and shared Pedro’s music site with the producers. Pedro’s music spoke for itself.

Putting Pedro’s music online was never rooted in financial motives. It was all about sharing Pedro’s music and getting him exposure. We just had to be patient for the right circumstances to materialize and God’s timing.

Reunion on Spanish Soil

When I arrive in Spain in one week, I will be reunited with Pedro—no longer an aspiring composer, but a professional one, with the score of his first professional film under his belt. The timing couldn’t be better, as we will be able to partner for his music promotion, the release of the soundtrack on July 1, and the premiere of the movie. I’m also anxious to watch him perform the dozens of songs he sent me over the past two years.

I couldn’t be happier for Pedro. His dreams are becoming a reality. I fertilized the seed that was planted in my home when we met three years ago (when he first played the piano for us). The hard work has paid off. Now it’s time to enjoy the fruit of our labor, and thank God for the abundant blessings He has bestowed on us.

Update 12/18/2013: To read about my music related adventures in Spain, check out “Lights, Camera, Action, Part 1.”

5 Comments

by ardisanelson on June 17, 2013 • Permalink

Posted in Faith & Hope, My Spanish Connection, My Trip to Spain, Pedro's Musical Pursuits

Tagged CD Baby, Chani Bas, educational exchange program, following your dreams, friendship, God, God's timing, iTunes, movie composing, music, My Spanish Connection, Pedro Gonzalez Arbona, piano compositions, prayer, Sed de Amor, Spain, Spotify, Thirst for Love

Posted by ardisanelson on June 17, 2013

https://ardisanelson.com/2013/06/17/the-road-to-spain-update-6-the-music/

Waiting on Pins and Needles

The days were slowly passing by since I sent my manuscript off to the publisher on December 1. At first I put the entire idea of being published out of my mind. I had gone away for a weekend to write the manuscript and put so much of my normal family and life commitments on hold as I worked toward the manuscript deadline. So naturally after I sent the manuscript into the publisher, I felt a tremendous sense of relief. I met my goal. I wrote the story. I celebrated. Then I filed it in the back of my brain and jumped into the thick of the holiday season.

Then one week passed by, 2 weeks, 3 weeks. As Christmas approached I hoped that maybe there would be a Christmas gift in my email. On December 22, I did receive an email from the publisher. The subject line read: Christmas Gift from Cladach. My heart skipped a beat. I opened the email with much anticipation only to be immediately let down by the reality that this was a marketing email to announce a free e-book that the publisher was offering. It was a nice Christmas promotional idea, but my hopes were dashed.

And there it was again—right in the front of my mind. This email seemed to trigger all of my doubts about going down this path and if I really could be a writer. I had put myself out there. I had written what was on my heart to write—the story that I felt God calling me to write—and it came back void. I felt exposed. I was already in a writer’s funk and not writing on my blog. There was nothing I could physically do about it, so I worked on letting go of my fears and doubts emotionally again.

The New Year brought renewed hope for me. I attended my monthly Christian Writer’s meeting and started to think about setting some writing goals for 2012. I decided to hold on to the belief that this piece would be published this year—if not by this publisher then by another. So many people had witnessed this story unfold and told me how amazing it was. So many people had been inspired by it. So many people said they couldn’t wait to read about it. God was definitely telling me to pursue it. I trusted Him with this story and again put it in the back of my mind.

As a beginning writer, I was learning how difficult the waiting part of this process was. I definitely wasn’t looking forward to the potential rejection that commonly follows. I knew that the two month milestone would be pivotal to me. It is at that point, that a writer usually contacts the publisher if they haven’t heard.

A few days before the two month anniversary, I watched the movie “The Help” again. The first time I saw it, I was just starting to see myself as a writer, so Skeeter’s journey to become a writer really resonated with me. This time around I watched the bonus feature about the making of the movie. The bonus video clip told the story about how the book debuted on the New York Times Bestseller list and the impact it had on Kathryn Stockett, the author’s, life. She was with friends when she got the news and immediately they marked this moment in time (with a toast) as an event that would forever change her life. I got goose bumps when I saw this video clip. I sensed that I was moving toward this event in my life too. I felt encouraged and wrote about this in my journal. I felt poised for success. I was on pins and needles.

The following day, the much anticipated contact from the publisher arrived. The subject of the email was the reply (RE) to the original email I sent with my manuscript. I knew as soon as I saw it that it was the long awaited answer. I let out a scream and held back on opening the email. I received it as I was on my way to an appointment. I delayed opening the email until later in the day when I wasn’t so rushed. After I returned from my appointment, I prepared myself by spending some time in prayer and surrendering the outcome to God.

The email reply was short—just one line. I immediately thought it was a rejection. I had a friend on speaker phone with me to share this moment. I read the line silently and then began screaming—and crying.

“What, what, what?” my friend asked. “What does it say”?

“They’ve accepted my story!” I shouted through tears of joy. “They are sending a contract!” My sheer joy elicited excitement from her as well. The house was filled with a mixture of shouts, laughter, and tears. My son rushed downstairs to find out what all of the commotion was about. He thought that something terrible had happened. I told him the good news and held him in a big hug for a long time letting all of the emotion release from my body.

This excitement was followed by emails to the publisher, my husband, my prayer partners, my writing teacher, and of course, Rosa and Pedro in Spain. Later that evening, I attended my regular support group meeting and let the tears flow some more. The timing was so perfect with the anniversary of my mother’s passing just one week away. This day was also the 8-year anniversary of the devastating event that led me to start recovery in the first place. God had perfectly redeemed this day for me into something with such a positive nature.

The icing on the cake that night was celebrating and toasting this occasion with my friend at her house. It was like déjà vu. Just like Kathryn Stockett, the author of “The Help,” my life was taking a potentially dramatic change. We were marking this date as a milestone in my life and thanking God for His blessing.

Toasting the acceptance of my manuscript with a friend, January 2012.

I know my writing isn’t Pulitzer quality and that I am only one of eight authors in this book. I also know that this was only possible because it is God’s will. My waiting for this news wasn’t just something that was two months in the making. This is part of the bigger story about how God redeems years of heartache, depression and loneliness. It is the restoration for the years that the locusts have eaten (Joel 2:25).

The really cool thing about this is that this story is not done yet. God is at work in my life. He is at work in Spain. He is at work in the Protestant Church and the Catholic Church. God is at work all around us. He is for our good if we surrender to His will. That is the message of this story.

I’m no longer on pins and needles about the publishing of my manuscript. However I am still on pins and needles on what lies ahead. It is a quiet tension inside of me that I need to get used to as I live a life where I often struggle to put God first. When I do, He is graciously waiting for me.

2 Comments

by ardisanelson on February 20, 2012 • Permalink

Posted in Faith & Hope, Identity, My Spanish Connection, My Writing Journey

Posted by ardisanelson on February 20, 2012

https://ardisanelson.com/2012/02/20/waiting-on-pins-and-needles/

When Life Imitates Art

The entertainment industry is full of stories that glamorize life and give us the message that it is all about us. I veer away from that kind of ‘entertainment’ whenever possible and instead seek out uplifting stories, stories that inspire or sometimes just head for a good old fashioned romantic comedy–but nothing raunchy.

It is hard to find that kind of positive entertainment. But when my movie and theater experiences start to connect with me in a deep way, I need to take notice. That is what happened to me this past weekend.

The Diary of Anne Frank

First of all, I went to see The Diary of Anne Frank where a friend of mine was performing. I wasn’t particularly drawn to the story. I knew it would be moving and sad. But I support my friends in this way whenever possible. It is a small way I can invest in them. I ended up taking my 14-year old son with me as well so he could write an essay for school. It lent itself to some good conversation.

Besides the horrific story about the treatment of Jews by Hitler and Anne Frank’s dismal existence living in hiding, what struck me most about this story was about her writing. Anne Frank kept a diary that was later used as the basis for the books, movies and plays about her ordeal. She received the diary for her 13th birthday just before the family went into hiding.

Initially Anne wrote that she kept the diary as a way to get things off her chest and never imagined that anyone would ever be interested in reading it. While in hiding she heard a radio broadcast announcing that diaries and other important documents would be gathered after the war to preserve for future generations. That was when she started to think like a writer and began the process of re-writing her diary to publish as a novel. Of course she never got to see that happen, but she pursued her dream despite the uncertainty of her circumstances.

Why does this strike me so much? Because over the past year, I have had two areas of writing that have come alive in me. One is my journaling. So much has happened to me this year, that if I didn’t journal about it I know my mind would lose it. It is pivotal, life changing stuff.

The second piece of writing that I have done is correspondence with a family in Spain. Each step of the way God has lead me to communicate with this family about what has transpired, to encourage one another and to pray for one another. The friendship and miracles that have occurred as a result of this connection is amazing. Like Anne Frank, I know that these pieces of writing are the basis for a book.

Secretariat

The other movie I saw was Secretariat, about the horse who won the Triple Crown in 1973. It is another real-life story, but this one is very uplifting. It is about pursuing something that you believe in. Check out the trailer and see for yourself.

For me, what was so inspirational was that it was a woman, Penny Chenery, who did all this and she did it later in life. She had amazing courage in the face of potential devastating financial losses and defeat. She was pursuing something against all odds. There is a tender scene toward the end of the movie when everything is on the line and she is privately talking to Secretariat at the stables. She tells the horse that tomorrow’s results don’t really matter and that she has already won the race–referring to following her dream.

That is what writing is to me.

Following my Dream

So I have a sense that viewing these theatrical events at this time in my life was intended to give me a message. God can and does use even these kinds of venues to speak to us. That is because the Holy Spirit is always with us. It is up to us if we want to listen and follow His leading.

This is totally new territory for me to navigate. But that’s the way God operates. I know that if I wasn’t being stretched, that I would just chalk it up to doing this on my own. My goal in all of this is not to become famous, but to be used by God. If He is in it, it will happen–in His timing and in His way.

Making Me Bold

All posts tagged God’s timing

A Lenten Journey Surprise

Qualified or Called, Part 1 ~ Learning to Serve

What if His People Prayed, Part 2 ~ Global Prayers

Lights, Camera, Action, Part 1 ~ Making Music in Spain

You Can’t go Home Again, or Can You?

Not Just Another Wives’ Tale

The Road to Spain, Update 6 ~ The Music

Waiting on Pins and Needles

Update 8/24/2012: My story, “Walking My Mother Home”, was released in “Journeys to Mother Love” by Cladach Publishing. Autographed copies are available on my site.

When Life Imitates Art

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Update 8/24/2012: My story, “Walking My Mother Home”, was released in “Journeys to Mother Love” by Cladach Publishing. Autographed copies are available on my site.

Spread the word:

Spread the word:

WELCOME to my site!

Follow Blog via Email

Recent Posts

Most Popular Topics

What I Write About

Songs Composed by Pedro Gonzalez Arbona

Looking for something inspirational?

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