A few days ago, my sister-friend Anzhelika and I went to Safeway for groceries.
We were SHOCKED!
Prices for meat and other items skyrocketed so significantly that they made us speechless.
$80 for a package of beef, which would be enough for one or a maximum of two meals for a family..? To put this into perspective, imagine seeing this price for a person who earns a little over $100 a day. And then, the gas, rent, other food items, and other expenses? My friend, who lives in Antioch, California, received a bill for electricity — $750! It’s impossible to survive on a single income these days.
On the way home, we discussed the rising cost of living, leaving hundreds of dollars at the store and bringing home… nothing much. Where is USA headed?!
We began feeling rising concern.
“The Lord will provide. He is Jehovah Jireh – God who provides,” I felt encouragement from the Holy Spirit.
Instantly, I thought about the power of perspective – how I look at the situation, what I see, and what this means to me. Managing my perspective has greatly empowered me over the years.
A constructive perspective helped me reframe negative situations into learning opportunities, problems, and difficulties into positive challenges to be strong and overcome, heartbreaking mistakes into valuable life wisdom and lessons, and concern during challenging situations into a faith-based mindset that kept me at peace. This allowed me to recognize the beauty of life, even during difficult times. It also empowered me to move forward with courage and confidence, knowing that God is in control.
What do I see in this situation, and what does it mean to me? This is the time when we will witness and experience the Lord’s provision! It is an opportunity to experience God’s care for His people during troubling times. I am not going to allow anxiety and fear to torment me.
Over the past 24 years since the car accident, I have experienced countless times how the Lord provides. So many times, I was in awe, asking, “Lord! How is this possible?” During the most challenging times, especially in the times of hopelessness, I experienced the power of complete trust in the Lord.
It’s been eight years since my sister-friend and I met, and we have experienced how the Lord provides over and over again! We know the Lord provides, and He will not leave those who trust Him in times of trouble. And so, we both agreed that this season would be another opportunity to witness God’s faithfulness and care.
Hearing sermons about it in the Church is one thing, and it is a totally different thing to experience it. If I had heard stories about you, I would know about you, and have an opinion about you based on what I heard. But would I really know you? No. You would probably say, “How can you know me if you haven’t spent time with me? If you want to get to know me, we must spend time together and go through good and tough times together.” It’s the same with knowing the Lord.
We can listen to hundreds of sermons about God’s faithfulness and provision but not have confidence in Him in times of trouble if we don’t have experiential knowledge of Him.
After the accident, I did not go to church for a decade. But throughout these years, I got to know my God better than ever before because I decided to seek Him with all my heart, obey Him in my daily life, and trust Him every step of the way. These were tough years, but I gained priceless – experiential knowledge of the Lord.
I got to know God as ElShaddai – He is God almighty, who has power over everything and makes the impossible possible.
I got to know Him as Jehovah Rapha, the Lord who heals. He healed the deepest wounds of my soul and also my physical issues.
I got to know Him as Jehovah Shalom – He gave me an inner peace that surpasses human understanding, even in the most troubling and desperate times.
I got to know Him as Jehovah Jireh—He is God who provides. I have experienced countless testimonies of how the Lord delivered help through people, provided finances, and provided everything that I needed.
I got to know Him as Lord of Hosts, my protector. God protected me from evil people and occurrences, and even when the police refused to help me, the Lord did; He protected me in a way that no human could.
Don’t be afraid. Read the word of God and ask the Holy Spirit to give you revelation in the knowledge of Him and invite the Lord into aspects of your life that concern you. If you submit yourself to the Lord and listen to Him, obey and trust Him, you will gain experiential knowledge of Him. You will see that God is faithful. He doesn’t make mistakes, and He is never late. You will experience His divine care. You will know your God as your shelter and your provider. You will know your God as your Rock. When you know your God, you will be UNSHAKABLE. And if your eyes are set on the Lord whom you know, you will have peace no matter what is happening around you.
You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. Isaiah 26:3 NKJV
King David was courageous and assured of his victory against Goliath (while other professionally trained and experienced soldiers were terrified of him and acting cowardly) because he knew his God. He already had the experience of the Lord helping him to win against the bear and the lion, and he did not forget about God’s help in the past. How quickly do we forget God’s help in the past and feel concerned and anxious when new challenges arise?
Let’s not forget what the Lord has done and put our trust in Him. Those who trust the Lord and have confidence in Him will not be ashamed.
And remember, be mindful of the thoughts that you dwell on. It’s a conscious, intentional choice. We choose to look at it as a time when we get to experience Jehovah Jireh – how the Lord provides.
Here is another perspective that greatly helped me when I arrived in the USA to see how to establish my life here. Obstacles were everywhere, and the unknown was very difficult to bear.
At some point, instead of being concerned and worried about things not working out in my favor, I began being curious. Instead of nervously thinking, “What if?” my mindset was, “I am curious how the Lord will help me in this matter, what the Lord has prepared for me.”
The uneasy feeling of concern no longer bothered me. The Lord provided answers to all questions, created opportunities, and the unknown became a beautiful testimony of Jehovah Jireh — the Lord provides.
I hope this was helpful to you. Blessings to you!
You can learn more by reading mybook, “UNSTOPPABLE. It’s a Choice,” which reveals my story and my journey of faith getting to know God and as well as valuable lessons learned while aiming to restore my life after the tragedy.
“Unstoppable: It’s a Choice” is a compelling autobiography and personal development book that draws from the author’s unwavering Christian faith. Inga Lizdenyte’s remarkable journey from a tragic car accident to reclaiming her life and defying all odds is a testament to God’s power and faithfulness.
Inga’s story is one of unyielding determination in the face of devastating adversity. Inga chose to reclaim her life, only to encounter further setbacks and devastating losses. However, with the intervention of the Lord, Inga found the strength to persevere and rise above the overwhelming challenges.
“Unstoppable” transcends mere storytelling; it aims to inspire and instill faith, equipping readers with the resilience and knowledge of how to overcome their obstacles and pursue the life they are destined to live.
Check out my YouTube channel, where I will post videos about my journey of life’s transformation after the tragic car accident, lessons learned, and practical advice and coaching to inspire and empower you to overcome and be unstoppable.
Many want to change their lives, beginning with changing their circumstances. If this is not possible, they lose hope. Have you ever considered that life changes often originate from within?
“Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” Proverbs 4:23 NLT
What we believe in, focus on, and allow to dominate our hearts determines how we feel, shapes our decisions and actions, and ultimately determines the course of our lives.
Therefore, we must guard our hearts carefully and focus on our inner man first.
The transformation of my life began within me – from my faith and mind. The results that followed were life-changing.
When a tragic car accident destroyed my life and left me with severe physical injuries, it was IMPOSSIBLE to change my circumstances. The pain of a tremendous loss and hopelessness about the future were always there by my side.
At times, it was unbearable.
Still, I believed that all things were possible with God. I chose to seek the Lord and hold onto faith No Matter How Hopeless my situation was.
When I realized I was deeply depressed due to the accident’s consequences, I resolved to get out of that pit and create the life I desired. I knew I must protect my mind from depressive thoughts, and instead of focusing on my loss, pain, and discouragement, I focused on blessings and hope through faith. With God’s help, I overcame the pain and found the determination and courage to move forward with my life.
My mindset, rooted in faith, empowered me to see the possibilities in the impossible situation, and I began taking action. It required relentless effort and hard work.
Unwavering faith and determination inspired me to persevere and be unstoppable as I pursued life’s restoration.
That’s when the change began happening.
Experiencing incredible testimonies of God’s help and victories as I achieved my goals, I was in awe – my life started changing! My daily emotional agony and hopelessness about the future transformed into a victorious, beautiful life journey.
Today, my life is beyond what I even dreamed of.
The course of my life was changed because I protected my heart from negative thoughts, discouragement, and unbelief. I know it would not have changed if I sat and waited for life to change one day “somehow, “some way.”
God will help you, but you must do your part. Don’t wait for circumstances to change; begin making changes with yourself.
Check your beliefs and mindset. What do you focus on most of the time?
Also, check your attitude and intentions.
What fills your heart?
What do you – really – believe when it comes to your destiny?
What is your outlook on the future? What does your future depend on?
What are the three most important things that would make a difference in your life?
What’s holding you back from making the changes you want?
What limiting beliefs do you need to let go of?
What possibilities do you see when you look at your present reality and where you want to be?
What do you think about obstacles ahead of you? How can you overcome them?
What steps can you take to begin making changes in your life?
Last but not least, bring your plans before the Lord. Ask Him to guide you, order your steps according to His will, lead you where you need to go, and bless your efforts. This made a monumental and even life-changing difference in my life.
“Commit your works to the Lord, And your plans will be established.”Proverbs 16:3 NASB1995
My Book, “UNSTOPPABLE. It’s a Choice,” reveals my story and lessons learned while aiming to restore my life after the tragedy.
“Unstoppable: It’s a Choice” is a compelling autobiography and personal development book that draws from the author’s unwavering Christian faith. Inga Lizdenyte’s remarkable journey from a tragic car accident to reclaiming her life and defying all odds is a testament to God’s power and faithfulness.
Inga’s story is one of unyielding determination in the face of devastating adversity. Inga chose to reclaim her life, only to encounter further setbacks and devastating losses. However, with the intervention of the Lord, Inga found the strength to persevere and rise above the overwhelming challenges.
“Unstoppable” transcends mere storytelling; it aims to inspire and instill faith, equipping readers with the resilience and knowledge of how to overcome their obstacles and pursue the life they are destined to live.
The first three years since the tragedy, my life was filled with anguish and the ongoing questions of how to continue living my life. Unspeakable grief for the loss. And hopelessness for the future. Yet, deep within, I knew I would not allow the accident to dictate how I would live my life. I was not going to give up. My decision to not give up and continuous perseverance delivered its fruit; Everything in my life has changed so beautifully!
So many times, I felt I couldn’t go on pursuing my goal. It was like an endless desert. The only thing that carried me through that lifeless desert was my FAITH and PERSISTENT EFFORT TO MOVE FORWARD.
It was a struggle to go against the circumstances and pursue my vision. Watching my persistence through pain, exhaustion, and disappointment, people advised me not to pursue those goals because they seemed impossible to achieve and instead make it easy on myself and work around my circumstances.
I understood; they loved me and didn’t want to see me struggle so much. But that was not my vision!!! My vision was the opposite of life in a cage that the car accident locked me into! Of course, it would have been much easier not to go against the circumstances and not to fight for my life and leave everything as it was.
But what would be the cost of my choice?
Oh, how grateful I am that I decided to hold on to my hope that the Lord is more powerful than any circumstances and that He would help me to overcome it all, and I never gave up on pursuing my goals! After running the race and overcoming barriers, my vision of a vibrant, full-value, purposeful life despite my physical challenges met me with open arms… Thanks to my family and good people and the Lord’s blessing, today, my life is indeed the opposite of life in a cage that I escaped.
Whatever situation you face at this point in your life, you, too, don’t give up. Hold on to hope; trust in the Lord unconditionally. And fight for your future. It’s worth fighting for your destiny, no matter how bad it seems. When we experience a hard blow and wonder about the future, the answer is in our choice of what we do about everything that happens in our lives. My experience has shown me that no matter what struggles and hardships you face or how terrible and desperate your situation may be, the decision never to give up always wins in the end.
Life is not a rehearsal. So don’t waste your time blaming and complaining. Make your life worth living; make your existence worthy of the Lord and your calling. Make your life story a masterpiece.
Be strong. Be determined and relentless. Be unstoppable.
P.S. Check out my YouTube channel, where I will post videos about my journey of life’s transformation after the tragic car accident, lessons learned, and practical advice and coaching to inspire and empower you to overcome and be unstoppable.
UNSTOPPABLE is an inspirational memoir and personal development book grounded in the author’s Christian faith. It follows the story of Inga Lizdenytė, a woman who transformed her life after a tragic car accident, where the chances stacked against her proved all but insurmountable. From being incapable of speaking or moving or doing anything independently, to traveling from Europe and moving to the United States, the book emerges as a valuable testimony to the power of God.
“Unstoppable. It’s a Choice” aims to inspire, coach, ignite faith and equip the reader with knowledge on how to overcome hardships and trust God.
Amazing Things that the Lord has done in the past 8 months, made this year extraordinary. May these testimonies of how the Lord answers prayers and how He turns the impossible into possible, encourage you and strengthen your faith.
Thanksgiving is my favorite American Holiday because it’s the time when we can stop our busyness and think of what we are grateful for. As I reflect on the year that is about to end, I feel pure gratitude. It was an extraordinary year. Finally, I see my dream and my goals coming to a fruition. The vision that I had several years ago is turning into reality. The entire year is full of ongoing testimonies how God has a perfect timing, how he can change circumstances around like in a chess game and how He can perfectly arrange every detail in our lives.
The new year of 2017 began with focus and disciplined ongoing work continuing editing my book “Unstoppable”. On my days off from my primary work, I worked with the content up to 10 and at times 15 hours straight. It wasn’t easy. Interesting coincidence – I finished editing process a night before my move with a friend to a new apartment! With that, I opened a new chapter. 🙂
I am grateful for the new apartment that Anzhelika and I got. It’s quite a story how we got it, a testimony how the Lord can change circumstances. When I went to my Apartments manager to ask if I could move to a 2-bedroom apartment on the first floor, she said there were no apartments available, and there would be no openings in the near future. But I knew the Lord could re-arrange the availability and suggested to my friend to pray about it. If there was Father’s will that we would move in together, He will make it happen. So we began praying for God to make apartment available for us if there was truly His will for us to live together. In my prayer, I also asked the Lord to arrange apartment that would have at least one room’s windows facing the West because I wanted to see sunsets in my home. It brought us happy smiles and astonishment when despite manager’s assurance that there wouldn’t be any availability in many months and maybe even in a year or two, in 2 weeks one apartment became available for new renters – 2-bedroom apartment on the first floor and, it had all windows facing the West.:-) People are surprised why I don’t stop when someone says “No, it’s impossible”:) That’s exactly why – God whom I believe and worship has the last say in any situation. He can change any circumstances. We love our new home!
Anzhelika stepped out in faith and moved to Santa Rosa, leaving her secure job. Seeing how the Lord was leading us, blessing our work together based on the “Unstoppable”, and how He gave us the apartment, we decided to trust that the Lord would provide a job for Anzhelika in this area. Anzhelika, contrary to her personality of making sure she has everything securely lined up and in order, to her surprise she felt totally at peace, even though she had no idea where and how she would get a new job. And, the first miracle was instant – it turned out that her company had a branch office right here in Santa Rosa, and her employer did what they never did before – they allowed her to work from the branch office and work there as long as she finds a new job. Then, after weeks of searching for a new job, Anzhelika received an offer to join one company that she liked. When we prayed to the Lord about this new offered job, we told Him that we wanted to be sure it is from Him. ln order for Anzhelika to know this, we asked for three signs: the same or higher pay, the flexibility in her schedule in case she needs to travel with me for the “Unstoppable” and the last, that they would wait for her to return from vacation (the vacation could not be canceled). And, after the interview, Anzhelika told me the news – they offered a higher pay and much better benefits than she had before, she would have flexibility in her schedule and yes, they were willing to wait for her until she returns from vacation, even though there was another candidate for her position, who was more experienced in the field and could begin work as soon as the next day! So, that determined the decision.:-)
There was a valuable lesson in this. It’s easy to say “I trust God can provide” while you are in Church and have everything you need. But, it is not that easy to say it when you have nothing and to remain at peace, having unshakable faith that no matter how desperate it seems – the Lord will provide. I have experienced this time and time again, and now I got to witness it again – the miracle of how the Lord provides happens when you receive Lord’s revelation and direction to do something, you don’t wait for perfect circumstances to do it, but instead you step out in faith into the unknown trusting that God will provide, and do what you have to do. The Lord is never late, and He provides. Those who wait on the Lord and trust in Him will not be ashamed.
Then, On June 2nd I received the disABILITY Champion Award from California Human Development for being a role model to people with disabilities and all who seek to overcome obstacles to lead self-sufficient lives, and for vital support of CHD’s disABILITY Services programs through my work at Disability Services & Legal Center. It was quite a surprise to receive a letter that I was nominated and chosen to receive the award. I never aimed for any awards or special acknowledgments. I just love life. And, I make a continuous effort to make the best out of what I have and improve my life, to fulfill my purpose. But it was thrilling to stand on a stage with the Senator Mike McGuire and receive the award. Thank you, CHD!
Then, my Mom visited me in California again. I was so happy to spend a quality time with Mom; living a half-way world away from my family is a very high price to pay for the life I’ve chosen to live. It was heartbreaking to leave my family and I long for them daily. But, now we had fun! Thanks to Anzhelika’s family, we got to visit Yosemite. The majesty of Yosemite mountains and waterfalls are breathtaking! And then, for my Birthday, Anzhelika, Mom and I went on the adventure – luxury 10-day vacation in Jamaica! Exotic island, bright sun, turquoise water, palm trees, swimming with dolphins… That was quite a vacation, which will definitely stay in our memories forever.
When 17 years ago I woke up in ICU without my legs and with severe injuries throughout my body, I would have called that person crazy, if someone had told me that I was going to visit exotic Jamaica island and swim with dolphins.:-) I could not even dream about swimming with dolphins; it seemed beyond the possibility for numerous reasons. And now, when I was in a water giving a kiss to a dolphin Susie, it brought me to tears.
It inspires me to say – if your life had an adversity or even a tragic turn, don’t rush to make the conclusion that you are broken, that you will never experience delightful moments, or that your destiny is destroyed. Never give up on your life. You don’t know what the future holds for you and a lot depends on you. It’s not the events and it’s not other people that can ruin your life, but it’s your choice to give up. Choose life. Choose to fight for your life no matter how hard it will be. It’s not going to be easy. It will require relentless effort and a lot of times pain and exhaustion. But it’s going to be worth it.
Then, after delightful vacation and seeing off my Mom back to Lithuania, I went back to focus and disciplined daily work with the book, doing the second round of editing with another editor, and this time focus was on grammar and polishing it. I had to go through entire over 200 pages manuscript, checking every sentence, every word. After countless hours of work, on October 30th I submitted the manuscript to the publisher. Finally.. It’s hard to realize that it’s being in the process of becoming an actual book. It all came from an inspiration, from an idea. I never considered myself to be an author. Never. I had no idea how to write a book! But I followed the inspiration and did what I was inspired to do.
This project was quite a test of faith and my faithfulness to the work I had to do. It was 7 years of hard relentless work not knowing how in the world I was going to publish it. I had no editor nor did I have the money to publish it. But, I thought if the Lord directed me to do this, then He would provide and the editor and the money when He sees it’s time to publish it.
And here you are. When the time was right, the editor, who edited former President’s book and is an awarded writer, showed up in my life through my work and he agreed to edit “Unstoppable”. I began praying to the Lord, thanking Him for bringing the editor, but now the question was – where the money was going to come from? I had no idea. But I knew the Lord could do the impossible, and I asked Him to provide the money to pay the editor and to publish it.
In several weeks, I met with a person with whom we haven’t seen each other for a while. After hearing the last updates on the book, he said he would like to sponsor the book publishing. I told him not to rush to this step because this was a lot of money. I suggested going pray about it first. A week later, he invited me to meet with him again. As we were having lunch, he handed me a check for $10,000, saying “I prayed about it and I know this money belongs to the “Unstoppable”. Go ahead, edit and publish it.” With my eyes full of tears, I accepted the check. And, got to work. Now the “Unstoppable” is in a publishers hands. It will come out Ja-Feb of a New Year, 2018.
I am also so grateful that the Sonoma County fires did not reach our new home. At some point, we were surrounded by fires, and whichever direction wind would blow – the fires were going to get closer to us. I am blessed to have Anzhelika and her family, who were our shelter during the week of fires. We all prayed for the Lord to protect our home, and our home was not touched. Praise be to God… My heart goes to all families who lost their homes and everything you had. It’s heartbreaking. I would like to be helpful at least in some way so I will begin a Blog How to Recover After Adversity, where I will share steps that helped me to recover after the crash and other hardships I had encountered. I hope it will be a blessing to those who will read it.
And now, as we are about to enter into a new year, my friend and I are wondering, what 2018 is going to look like? What’s next?
For some reason for the last few days I have been feeling I needed to post the very end of my upcoming book “Unstoppable”. Not sure why, but maybe someone needs encouragement. I wish I could speak to that person. Well…this is for You, who takes time to read it. I lived every single sentence and whatever situation you are in, I want to encourage you – do not let go, keep going.
Keep going forward fully trusting your Creator. Fight for your future no matter what happens and how difficult or painful it might be. Do not fear of anything because the Lord your God holds you in His hands. He directs your path and leads you the way you need to go. I do not say that your life path is going to be easy and you won’t meet any difficulties if you live a righteous life in the sight of God. Life is a journey, and you will experience heat and cold, sun and rain, valleys and hills covered with green and flowers, and also the dessert with no water or liveliness. But the Lord will be there with you at all times, will protect you and help you to go through any adversities.At the same time, in a way life is a battle and it depends only on you whether you win or lose.
There will be sleepless nights, when you will be thinking that what you want is nearly impossible. But trust that your Creator is all powerful and with His help and your efforts anything is possible. There will be times when circumstances will not turn the way you would like it to be. But trust that sometimes events, which seem bad to us or not to our benefit, really are for the better; we just don’t see it at the time. Accept what happens and always do the best you can. Sure there will be days when you will feel tired from constant trying to stretch and to do your best, and you will want to just let it go or do your job carelessly. But you rise above mediocrity. Win against yourself by doing the job better than you did it yesterday. Yes, there will be disappointments. But do not allow it to break down your determination. There will be thoughts that will try to discourage you when your circumstances will seem way too complicated to be solved in your favor. But do not give up. Look for the solution until you find it. You will not find it only if you believe that there is no solution and will give up on it. There will be people, who will try to convince you that it is not worth doing what you are trying to accomplish. Also, there will be people who will try to tell you what you should or shouldn’t do. But that’s just their opinions based on their beliefs and their attitudes. But really, only you know what is the right thing for you to do. You have your vision; you know what you believe in and where you are going. So hold on to that and do not let anybody talk you out of your purpose. You will meet obstacles that will prevent you from achieving your goal and will try to get you off track. But overcome those obstacles and just keep going.
No one can break you down and stop you unless you allow it. And even if you slip and fall down – ask the Lord to give you strength, get up and continue moving forward. Just do not give up. Never give up. When you face difficult times, remember that you have a source of strength. The Lord your God is watching over you and always going to be there for you. He will hear when you call Him with your pure heart, and He will give you help. Certain people or events can impact your circumstances, and even can direct your life in a certain way, but they can’t determine how you will live your life.Things that happen can impact your life one or another way, but nobody and nothing can take away from you that, which is within you. No people, troubles or difficulties can take away from you your faith and positive attitude, which is a foundation for your life. When you do face the challenge – accept it with courage, because it was given to you for you to learn, not to break you down. If you hold unshakable faith and attitude that strengthens you, you will always have the courage to accept any situation in life and strength to move on no matter what happens along the way. And if you protect it, no life’s storm will be able to break you down. So, cherish and protect that, which is within you. Be like a ship that lifts up its sails and moves forward despite any storms.
Be strong. Be determined and persistent. Be unstoppable.
Commitment, Action, Persistence, having control over your thoughts and your inner state is absolutely critical to have. But there is one more thing, without which I would not have made it. I got knocked down and deeply disappointed so many times, and even having all these qualities sometimes it seemed I did not have strength to get up and make another step… But there was one thing that did not let me give up. It got me up each time I fell down. It carried me on the arms when I could not walk any more. It gave me hope in the darkest time. Basically all my big goals seemed nearly Impossible, and sometimes I would ask myself “Inga…what are you doing…are you out of your mind..it’s IMPOSSIBLE!” but there was something that gave the birth to strong determination to go after those impossible goals. It’s my faith that with God’s help I will create the life that I desire. I would not have rebuilt my life after the crash, if God would not have created opportunities for me and would not have given me strength and ability to handle it all. Faith in God never fails, trust me. And those who seek Him with all their heart, find Him.
UNSTOPPABLE 