When Pain Partners With Praise

Guest Post: A Praise Coach Tells Her Story

Praise is an intentional choice we make to call attention to our God and His greatness in the midst of all of our circumstances.

Hi! I am Hannah Picard, the founder of Made to Praise and the first-ever Praise Coach. The passion of my heart is to call attention to God’s greatness in my life and equip others to do the same.

I’ve come to realize in my journey, that praise is not always pompoms and praise songs, answered prayers and blessings, but more often praise is a choice to intentionally call attention to His greatness in the midst of really hard or even mundane times. This means calling attention to His greatness as our Comforter in the midst of grief, Security in the midst of uncertainty, Companion in the midst of isolation, Love in the midst of fear, Hope in the midst of darkness and so much more…

In August 2018, my husband Jonny and I found out that we were expecting our first baby. Everything seemed to be going well until our 21-week gender reveal ultrasound. And, as Providence would have it, this was also the day before our major move from Florida to Ohio.

At our appointment, we excitedly found out we were having a baby boy, but quickly learned from our doctor the tragic news that he did not have any amniotic fluid around him. The high-risk team recommended that day that we terminate his little life due to the reality he and I both were in danger.

Termination was not an option for my husband and me, as we had just heard his perfect little heartbeat. With all our hearts we believed Jesus would guide us through to the end—an end we believed could be miraculous!

Important side note from my life: In 2008, I unexpectedly lost my only sister after years of hardships and relentless prayers of believing God could do the miraculous in her life. I never saw that miracle come to pass. Now, I found myself again facing another journey of choosing to trust God, no matter what the end would be, and choosing to hope and believe this could be different.

Team Asher!

Once in Ohio, the first of many miracles connected us with Dr. Radha Reddy at Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton. Dr. Reddy heard our story and moved heaven and earth to see us on December 24th, Christmas Eve. At our appointment, she and the team determined that bed rest in the hospital would be our best plan until Asher made his own arrival or an emergency happened that deemed it necessary to take him sooner. No one knew what the end would bring, but we united our hearts in hopes for the best. Together, we became Team Asher!

I entered the hospital, and we embarked on a 95-day journey of praise. For 65 of those days I was confined to bed rest. Each day I faced a choice: I had to choose—as an act of my will—to call attention to God’s greatness in the midst of our uncertainty and the grim outlook we were given.

Gloom Room

Daily, I allowed myself entry into what I called my gloom room, a place to be sad and to be honest with the Lord. Then, after spending time in this space, I would, figuratively, come out, and intentionally call attention to God’s greatness.

I called attention to His comfort. I called attention to His voice encouraging me through His Word. I called attention to His great love through the visitors and staff that came by each day to support me. I called attention to His great hope in believing and speaking His word. I called attention to His timing, even with a “placental abruption” at Day 10, which threatened to bring Asher’s immediate arrival. I called attention to His provision as all our bills, which mounted to over a half-million dollars, were covered, I called attention to His peace, when I doubted and wondered about our outcome.

Together, Jonny and I called attention to His grace when we found ourselves angry with God at the thought life might not work out like we prayed. As parents in pain, we didn’t do it perfectly, but with His great help, we made it through day by day by day.

Miraculous Birth

Then… on day 65, March 12th, 2019, I called attention to His mighty, miracle-working power when Asher Benjamin Picard arrived, and he was PERFECT! Our baby boy—4 pounds,13 ounces, 18 inches long—had no respiratory problems at all.

For precaution and stability, he spent one day on the ventilator and four days on CPAP, a high-tech breathing machine. Then, for the next 32 days we stayed with him in the NICU as he grew stronger and prepared to face the outside world.

Life Lessons

Now, more than a year has passed since I spent those painful, uncertain days at Miami Valley Hospital. Though doctors don’t often speak of the miraculous over science, our Team Asher certainly does! And, lessons learned from that journey stay with me:

1. God is certain in the midst of uncertainty!

2. Praise is an intentional choice we make to call attention to our God and His greatness in the midst of all of our circumstances.

3. There is a difference between in all circumstances and for all circumstances. Notice, I did not say “for all of our circumstances.” I don’t praise Him for death, but I do praise Him for His comfort during times of loss. I don’t praise Him for brokenness, but I do praise Him for His healing power. I don’t praise Him for the COVID-19 virus, but I do praise Him for His wisdom and guidance to socially distance, so more people don’t get sick.

Going Forward

“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord” (Psalm 150:6). I believe there is always a way to call attention to His greatness no matter what we are walking through. If you are struggling, especially in these days of uncertainty, I would love to encourage you regardless of what you are facing. I invite you to reach out to me at hannah@madetopraiseusa.com.

And, if you want to read more of our journey and see photos from Asher’s first year, beginning with 65 days of praise at Miami Valley Hospital, we blogged about it here at madetopraiseusa.com/blog.

Thank you for allowing me to share my story. Now, I would love to hear yours!

Guest Post by Hannah Picard - Hannah describes herself in these words: I am a Jesus-loving girl, wife to Jonny and momma to Asher. I get to stay home with Asher, work part-time as a Praise Coach, and experience God each day in a myriad of ways - through friendship, food, naps, flowers, walks, His Word, and so much more!”

Enjoy Your Meal!

-originally from Paul de Pruno in the 1980’s

Louisiana Style Meatloaf

“A classic comfort food that is guaranteed to feed and fill your whole family.” Chef Brian

“Who eats meatloaf anymore?”

Nobody!

“Why?”

Because it is boring!

Meet Brian Hopper, whose words are the intro, and allow him to guide you in creating a delicious surprise for the inhabitants of your home.

A trained chef from Baltimore Culinary Institute, Brian and his wife Suzi once owned their own restaurant in Pennsylvania. Now, they serve on the staff at Bay Area Community Church where Brian is the Annapolis Campus Pastor.

Brian’s enthusiasm for cooking becomes the secret ingredient for this mouthwatering entrée, Louisiana Style Meatloaf. With an engaging manner, he invites you into his kitchen, and he leads you step-by-step through the preparation process. You will enjoy the video, and as his fans say, “This recipe is absolutely fabulous.”

Click the link for an opportunity to bless your family and friends! Cooking With Pastor Brian

Louisiana Style Meatloaf

2 lbs. ground beef/pork mixture (3:1) (or ground turkey) 1 tsp of each - salt, black pepper, cumin, white pepper, cayenne pepper 2 bay leaves ½ cup of each - all finely chopped - green pepper, red pepper, onion, celery 4 cloves garlic ½ stick butter A couple swirls of olive oil 2 tbs Worcestershire sauce 1 tbs Tabasco sauce ½ cup ketchup ½ cup evaporated milk 2 eggs 1 cup breadcrumbs

Living With Eternal Intentionality®

As you and I embrace Living With Eternal Intentionality, even sharing a meal with our family and friends takes on significance. “And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Col. 3:17 HCSB).

When is the last time you had boring meatloaf? Who shared the meal with you? Try to remember what you talked about. Did the conversation make you smile or did it make you want to cry?

How could a new recipe encourage your family, particularly right now?

Escaping the Whirlpool of Negative Thinking

All at once, I stopped in my tracks. The ferocious sight captivated my attention.

My late afternoon walk meandered along the river’s edge, and I drank in my surroundings. All at once, I stopped in my tracks. The ferocious sight captivated my attention. A vicious whirlpool dominated the current, and an ominous swirling motion pulled objects into its powerful, downward grip. The vortex made me shudder, and I wondered what I would do, should I find myself trapped by the underwater tornado.

However, the daunting force in the river leads us to consider another whirlpool, the whirlpool of negative thinking. Such swirling in our heads, leaves us being pulled down by a cruel and dominating strength with a pattern that is both dangerous and destructive.

Negative thinking possesses countless faces and can unexpectedly gain a life of power and strength. A thought, an event, an announcement, a comment, a call, a conversation, a situation, a text, a letter, a fear—to name a few—all hold the potential to take over and take us under.

So, is there a way forward when negative thinking threatens to take us down? Yes, I believe there is. But we must read the river and be vigilant. The recent teaching of our pastor offers a strategic plan. With his permission, I share four phrases for Escaping the Whirlpool of Negative Thinking:

Don’t rehearse it Don't nurse it Don’t curse it Ask God to reverse it

“A sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7) is a self-disciplined mind of someone who knows how to handle their thoughts, control their mind, and not let their thoughts and circumstances control them.” (Chad Hovind)

The Bible definitely sheds supernatural light on the murky mental waters of negative thinking. While these concepts are not a formula, they do offer strategic steps of action :

Don’t rehearse it: Monitor your soul talk, and refuse to let mental anguish loop over and over in your mind. Rehearsing the thought—event, announcement, comment, call, conversation, situation, text, letter, fear—over and over inside our heads takes us places God never intended us to go. Instead, turn toward Philippians 4:8 for the counterclockwise motion needed. “Finally …whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things.”

Don’t nurse it: Deny the negative thought—event, announcement, comment, call, conversation, situation, text, letter, fear—emotional fuel. Counter the pull, and lift your eyes to heaven where your sanity can be restored (paraphrase Daniel 4:32). Look to God. Let it go. Love like never before!

Don’t curse it: Resist the swirling urge to harbor resentment. Rather, embrace the opportunity to know the sweet and supernatural Presence of Jesus in a place of pain or difficulty. “When you walk through the waters, I will be with you …” (Isaiah 43:3). “In everything give thanks, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1Thessalonians 5:18).

Ask God to reverse it: Reach upward and grab hold of the promises of God. Only God in His sovereignty can take the negative thought—event, announcement, comment, call, conversation, situation, text, letter, fear—and redeem it. But He can and He will! “For God causes all things (ALL THINGS) to work together for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).

As long as you and I walk the trail of life, the danger of being caught in the whirlpool of negative thinking lurks just around every bend. But, God be praised; He does not leave us helpless. He offers His Word—placed in the Hand of The Holy Spirit—to provide fullness of joy, even within the confines of our heads. (John 17:3)

Living With Eternal Intentionality®

How has COVID-19 made the threat of negative thinking more prevalent for you?

Which of the 4 phrases in the strategy against negative thinking draws you in the most?

What is one step you want to pray about and initiate in order to see negative thinking give up its hold on your thought life?

*Chad Hovid, lead pastor at Horizon Community Church, gave permission for these four phrases to be used.