Spiritual Toughness

On the day I called, You answered me;

You incrased strength within me.

Psalm 138:3



As I came across this passage today in my devotion I was flooded with new insight and application.  I'd read this verse so many times before today in other devotions and in my daily Bible readings through the years.  But today God struck a different chord within me as I read it.  I immediately recognized that familiar tugging of the Holy Spirit, opening my eyes to see the truth encapsulated within this verse. 

As I contemplated the meaning of this verse throughout the day I could see its application in our lives.  Though we are blessed beyond belief, personally we have been going through a tough season in our lives.  I won't go into the sordid details as this isn't what I wish to point out in this blog.  Suffice it to say, as many of our close friends know, we are in a season of difficult times due to Scott's father's deteriorating condition.  In addition, my own Father has major health issues that are urgent and life threatening, but refusing to get medical help.  On top of all of this, Scott and I are facing challenges on other fronts as well.  Sometimes it can become quite overwhelming...causing me in particular to bend and melt under pressure.  However, sympathy is not what I desire from this blog entry.  Instead, I wish to convey a message of hope and truth that God has placed upon my heart...a message that was sorely needed today...a message found within the comforting words of Psalm 138:3.

All of us face constant challenges in our lives.  Everyone has their own unique set of troubles, setbacks, problems, and crisis.  Some are facing much worse situations than Scott and I.  And yet when we are challenged sometimes beyond what we think we are able to bear, we have a promise from God Himself...that when we call out to Him, He WILL INCREASE OUR STRENGTH!  This is the promise I found most hopeful today.  This is the promise I now cling to. 

We may not understand why we must suffer in this life.  But it's not our place to ask why...He is the potter, we are only the clay.  We must remember that our viewpoint is limited to our finite knowledge of the here and now.  His viewpoint is unobstructed - He is the One who was, is, and is to come - therefore He has an infinite view of all things past, present, and future from His heavenly vantage point.  And though we may not see our way out of our problems or sufferings, He does.  He knows how circumstances are going to play out before they ever unfold.  He knows how we'll react, what we'll say, what we think, and what we'll do.  For me, this is a comforting thought - all the more reason to trust in Him and call to Him for strength in times of distress.

God doesn't delight in our sufferings.  In fact, He loves us so much that His heart breaks for us.  We simply live in a fallen world where no one is immune from crime, disease, and suffering.  It's what we do with the 'stuff' that happens to us that makes a difference.  We can rely on God for strength to get through the crisis, coming out a stronger person than ever before - allowing the refining fire of our sufferings to mold us ever more into God's image!  Or, we can give up, allowing the circumstances to overcome us - pushing us further away from being the person God is calling us to be - a person of spiritual toughness. 

 

Yes, God can rescue us if He so chooses from our troubles and problems. However, for whatever PERFECT reason He has, sometimes we must go through crisis.  Yet He promises to hear us when we cry out to Him. And when we do, we can count on Him to be with us each step of the way, never abandoning us, and giving us the strength needed to make it through ... even through the valley of the shadow of death.

The only way to develop spiritual toughness is in the fires of life.  The only way to make it through the fires of life is with God's strength.  Only He can increase our strength to the proper levels to survive the trials of this world.  I am thankful for His infinite resources that are always only a prayer away!

I do not mean to minimize nor trivialize the sufferings anyone is experiencing.  Some trajedies are unbearable.  But I pray that you will find comfort and strength in God, especially during times like this.  Know that He is already by your side as you face the unbearable - offering comfort, peace, and strength.

And when we are hit by hard times, we can assume the position of greatest strength - on our knees, laying prostrate before the Cross!

Grace and peace, friends!

In His Love, Cathy

GLORY!

That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”



13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in highest heaven,

and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

Luke 2:8-14

Glory to God in the highest!  Peace and good will toward men!  Celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!  Singing praises to Him!  Hallelujah! 

Thankful for so many things this Christmas, but most of all for the hope and salvation we have in Christ Jesus! 

Wishing you and yours a blessed Christmas and the most happiest of New Years! 

Grace and peace, friends!   
In His Love, Cathy

Taking the Lower Position

“When you are invited to a wedding feast, don’t sit in the seat of honor. What if someone who is more distinguished than you has also been invited? 9 The host will come and say, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then you will be embarrassed, and you will have to take whatever seat is left at the foot of the table!

"Instead, take the lowest place at the foot of the table. Then when your host sees you, he will come and say, ‘Friend, we have a better place for you!’ Then you will be honored in front of all the other guests.   Luke 4:8-10

My husband is one of the most humble of men I know.  He's no push over, mind you, but he's also no attention seeker.  As he puts it, he likes to work behind the scenes.  He has a gift of teaching but he also has a gift of serving others.  He frequently puts the interest of others before his own and never once desires recognition for anything he does.  One of his most notable quotes in our family is, "Remain humble."  Now before you think I'm putting my husband up on a spiritual pedastal, like everyone else, he's only human and prone to err - after all, he's a man...JK!  However, his heart is in the right place and his biggest desire is to serve God.

As we were talking over coffee this morning, (my coffee not his because he doesn't drink coffee,) he brought up his take on living a godly life...love God first, love others, and take the lower position.    As I listened to my husband explain, I had an 'Aha!' moment.  Of course, we know we are to love God first and to love others (even our enemies). But the third requirement of taking the lower position wasn't quite as clear to me until my husband further elaborated.  He referenced Luke 4:8-10 in explaining the meaning.  After listening to my husband's clarification I felt that familiar nudge of the Holy Spirit telling me...this is good stuff so blog it!  And that, my friends, is what I will attempt to do.  I hope to convey to you what he conveyed to me in fresh, simple terms. 

We all know that pride is a sin and it is something we all struggle with on a personal level.  The Pharisees and the Sadducees had spiritual pride.  They loved the attention their position in the Jewish community gave them.  They felt that they deserved the rank, honor, and prestige that was due their position.  However, Jesus saw deep into their heart and saw the truth...they were filled with spiritual pride.  Jesus said of them, "Everything they do is for show. On their arms they wear extra wide prayer boxes with Scripture verses inside, and they wear robes with extra long tassels. 6 And they love to sit at the head table at banquets and in the seats of honor in the synagogues. 7 They love to receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi.’" (Matthew 3:5-7)

The Jewish people looked up to these religious elitists and took their word as God's.  These men who enjoyed the status of their positions and false piety, lorded over the people adding legalistic practices that burdened the people instead of leading them to God.  In Matthew 3:8-10, Jesus said, “Don’t let anyone call you ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one teacher, and all of you are equal as brothers and sisters. 9 And don’t address anyone here on earth as ‘Father,’ for only God in heaven is your spiritual Father. 10 And don’t let anyone call you ‘Teacher,’ for you have only one teacher, the Messiah." 

Jesus Christ made it clear that ONLY HE was worthy to be called Teacher and Rabbi - in other words He ALONE is the head of the Church and all within the Body of Christ are under HIS ULTIMATE AUTHORITY!  What this means for us is that we have a DIRECT  line to Christ.  There is no one between us and Him.  Each of us are able to have a one-on-one relationship with God!  Therefore, there is NO ROOM for spiritual pride because NO ONE can boast on his or her own works!  Even our salvation isn't earned, but a FREE gift from Christ Jesus!   

Spiritual pride is blinding.  It blinded the Pharisees and Sadducees from recognizing Jesus's true identity as the long promised Messiah - the ONE and ONLY SON of God.  Spiritual pride can blind us as well - to see ourselves as bigger than we should be and cause us to stumble in our faith if left unchecked. Even mature Christians can be tripped by spiritual pride.  I know - I've been fooled by it myself!

The only way to avoid spiritual pride is to remain humble - to take the lower position.  Humility isn't weakness.  In fact it takes a strong person of faith with Christ's help to remain humble...to restrain oneself from the temptations of spiritual pride.  Humility is quite simply thinking of oneself in proper perspective to God and others.  It's not demeaning yourself as a person, but rather, confidently knowing your identity in Christ and living in such a way that His love permeates your being so much that you are able to love others as He does - and then act on that love.  Humility is the created recognizing and wholly yielding to the Creator.  Humility knows how to stand up in faith, confront in love, and disciple others with compassion - while looking out for their best ETERNAL interest. 

The traits of humility are outlined throughout the Scriptures - both in the Old and New Testament.  I've only outlined some of the traits of humility that really stood out for me this morning in our discussion.

• Humility only boasts in the Lord, not on itself.  As the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 10:17    In other words, boast in what GOD is doing.  Sure, we have to contribute some elbow grease in living for Him, but ultimately, He rightly gets the credit and glory - not us!  Paul says that if we do boast, to boast in our weaknesses so that others can SEE how God is working through us DESPITE our weaknesses (2 Corinthians 12:8-10).  Think of the POWERFUL TESTIMONY we have for Christ if would would boast of our weaknesses!  Besides, humble people have no need to boast on themselves, their wealth, or their position because, quite frankly, that's not in their DNA.  Most often, their good reputation proceeds them anyway, causing those who know them to naturally respect and honor them.     
• Humility doesn't exalt itself.  "I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” Luke 18:14   In fact, Jesus says that if we desire greatness in the Kingdom of Heaven, then we must become the least!  But I wonder how many of us would be satisfied working behind the scenes with little or no recognition?  How many of us would be willing to give up our seat at the table so that others would be able to sit and eat?  How many of us would continue to serve God whether anyone of importance noticed or not?  How many of us simply serve out of love, when there isn't anything we can gain?  How many of us willingly do the jobs that no one else wants to do?  I know people who are humble and consistently serve with joy and gladness - never seeking attention nor serve for personal gain.  I sincerely admire those people. 
• Humility is unselfish and looks out for others.  Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. Philippians 2:3-4  Our motivation should be born out of an unselfish heart, one filled with love and desire to serve Him.  We must love others as Christ did and act out of that love.   Keeping our motivation in check by  surrendering our hearts to Christ moment by moment is the antedote to pride and selfish living.
• God favors the humble.  What do you think the Scriptures mean when they say that the spirit God has placed within us is filled with envy? 6 But he gives us even more grace to stand against such evil desires. As the Scriptures say,“God opposes the proud but favors the humble.”  7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  James 4:5-7   Not only does God favor the humble, but he gives us all that we need to remain humble and flee evil desires - even pride.  Pride was Satan's downfall - he desired the same status as God.  Spiritual pride can come between God and us.  Therefore, He will even oppose us when we have spiritual pride in order to discipline and restore our relationship with Him. 
• God honors the humble.  Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.  James 9:10   Humility requires that we recognize our own sin, confess it before God, repent, and seek forgiveness.  Then, God will answer our request giving us all that we need to live humbly.  What's more, God honors the humble - though we may not be honored in this world, God will honor us.  So be patient.  Remain steadfast.  And rest assured that all things He promises will come about in His perfect timing.

We must be thankful for whatever good things God blesses us with in this life - including times we are honored or rewarded.  But we must receive all such blessings, honor, wealth, position, and good gifts with total humility...accepting such things with a thankful heart and always ready to give away that which we have received.  Most importantly, we must remain humble, not boasting upon ourselves or our own works - for we are nothing and have nothing aside from Jesus Christ.  Instead let us boast in what the Lord is doing despite our weaknesses - pointing others to the cross with our testimony.     

Thankful for my husband who has taught me the importance of taking the lower position in life.  I'm learning how to remain humble. 

Grace and peace, friends!

In His Love, Cathy

Overcoming the Overwhelming

"But the LORD was with Joseph in the prison and showed him his faithful love. And the LORD made Joseph a favorite with the prison warden. Before long, the warden put Joseph in charge of all the other prisoners and over everything that happend in the prison. The warden had no more worries, because Joseph took care of everything. The LORD was with him and caused everything he did to succeed." Genesis 39:21-23 (NLT)


As I was having my quiet time this morning, I came across the story of Joseph, specifically, the story of how he was wrongly accused by Potiphar's wife and then thrown into prison. No trial, no lawyer, no hope. Joseph was wronged, no doubt about it. It wasn't the first time. He had also been wronged by his brothers and sold into slavery which is what landed him in Egypt, in Potiphar's home as a slave. Instead of succombing to his circumstances, he trusted God. He didn't give up. The Bible says that the "LORD was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did." (Genesis 39:2) As a result, "Potiphar noticed this and realized that the LORD was with Joseph, giving him success in everything he did." Genesis 39:3

After being arrested, Joseph could have just given up. Thrown in the towel, convinced that the world was out to get him, that he couldn't win for losing. Do you ever feel this way sometimes? When it just seems that nothing goes your way and everyone has it in for you? I would be less than truthful if I claimed to never feel that way. I think we all experience this from time to time. I have especially experienced this in tough situations God brought me through this year. I guess that's why God brought me to Joseph's story today.

As I prayed over and studied this scripture, God impressed upon me to look at Joseph's response. Instead of giving into hopelessness, he leaned on God. He continued to do his best at everything that was given to him, no matter how big or small the task was. And once again, though imprisoned with no hope of ever being released, "...The LORD was with him and caused everything he did to succeed." Genesis 39:23 (NLT)

Like Joseph, are you facing a hopeless situation? Are you struggling in an area of your life in which nothing seems to go your way? Has someone wronged you? Is there something that has happened at home, work, or school that you don't think you can overcome? Has your reputation or integrity been called into question? Have you been falsely accused or betrayed?

If so, we can respond as Joseph did. Lean on Christ. Pray and seek his help. Be faithful and obedient. Do your best at every task no matter how big or how small, whether it's appreciated or not. Do so WITHOUT COMPLAINT. Trust God to turn your situation around. God will see your efforts, hear your prayers, and He can reverse overwhelming circumstances to your favor. RELY on HIM. And if He doesn't change the circumstances, He will bring you through it. God can use our circumstances, hardships, and trials to spiritually transform our character to be more Christlike. And what's more...through YOU others can see God's great power working in your circumstances. Seeing your faith in action and God's work, others may come to know Jesus Christ as Savior.

Just one last word of encouragement, turn your circumstances over to God. Trust Him to take care of you according to His plan. He is faithful and just.

"Give your burdens to the Lord,and he will take care of you.He will not permit the godly to slip and fall." Psalm 55:21-23

I pray for God's peace upon you today, in whatever circumstances you are in.

In His Love, Cathy

The Extraordinary in the Ordinary

I will pour out My Spirit on the house of Israel.  Ezekiel 39:29

My devotional this morning made an interesting point:  on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples in the upper room of an ordinary house.  Had this happened while they were in the Temple, perhaps we would have associated that the Holy Spirit was limited to sacred places.  After all, that is the way it had been under the Old Testament system.  You see, up to that time the people relied on the priests to petition God on their behalf.  It was the priests who offered sacrifices provided by the people for atonement of sins.  It was only a selected priest who could enter the Holy of Holies.

However, all of this changed the moment Jesus Christ came into the world.  God sent His beloved Son, His ONLY Son to be born into the most ordinary and simple of families.  Christ grew up with an ordinary childhood as the earthly son of a carpentar.  When He began His ministry on earth, He picked ordinary guys - fishermen, commoners, tax collectors - some not well educated, others hated by society.  These guys were living an ordinary life until their lives intersected with Jesus Christ.  Jesus took these ordinary men and they became extraordinary through Christ!

Though Jesus did preach and teach in the synagogues and in the Temple, He was mostly found among the ordinary people - healing the sick, lame, blind, and deaf - teaching them the things of God.  His message was rejected by those who considered themselves 'sacred.'  Jesus made it clear that His message wasn't for the elite few, but that He came to rescue ALL men and women, offering Himself as a sacrifice for their sins!  And on the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit wasn't reserved as a spiritual luxury for the outwardly pious elite - but was poured out on ordinary people, His followers, who were in the Upper Room of a most ordinary house.

On that day, the extraordinary came to the ordinary! 

With God, it's not about location, location, location.  It's about our personal relationship with Him.  He takes us just as we are - no matter our past.  Once we turn to Christ, He sends His Holy Spirit to live in our hearts.  We have the promise that His Holy Spirit will NEVER leave us!  He is with us everywhere and in every moment!

Today, invite the extraordinary to permeate the ordinary of your life.  Tune in to the Holy Spirit even in the most mundane moments of your day.  Know that He is always with you!   

Grace and peace, friends!
In His Love, Cathy

Lead

So Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them.  But among you it will be different.  Whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else.  For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.

Mark 10:42-45

There is a scene in The Polar Express where the conductor punches the word "LEAD" on the ticket of the little girl.  She mispronounces it as led with a short 'e,' ...as in a lead weight.  He quickly corrects her and pronounces it as lead, with a long 'e', as in leadership. 

So what does leadership look like in the Body of Christ?

Much has been written about servant-leadership over the last few years.  I'm not going to rehash all that has already been said on the topic of servant-leadership, but as I studied this passage in my daily Bible reading I realized that the following characteristics are a must for Christians who lead:

1.  Humility - (You must have the same attitude as Christ Jesus had.  Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Philippians 2:5-8)

2. Righteous Motivation - (The king’s heart is like a stream of water directed by the Lord; he guides it wherever he pleases. People may be right in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their heart. The Lord is more pleased when we do what is right and just than when we offer him sacrifices.  Proverbs 21:1-3)

3. Be Unselfish, Look Out for Others - (Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.  Philippians 2:3-4)

4.  Self Control - (But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Galatians 5:22-24)

5.  Good Reputation - (He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap. 1 Timothy 3:7)

6.  Submission to God and One Another - (Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.  Ephesians 5:21)

7  God is First and Foremost - (“I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery. You must not have any other god but me.  In summation, those who wish to be great among us must become the least...But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on thosewho love me and obey my commands."  Exodus 20:3-4, 6)

8.  Love - (“Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?” Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.   Matthew 22:36-38)

But what if you have no plans or desire to lead? 

Well,  these same qualities that Christ laid out for leadership in His church actually apply to all Believers - even those who do not wish to or are not called to lead.  The qualities mentioned here simply lay the foundation for Christian character.  Without these basic character traits, leadership in the Church would be no different from leadership in the world.

But WE are different. 

WE are called to higher standards. 

WE are all to exhibit these basic qualities as Christ's followers if  WE are to LEAD others to the cross.

And though we do not all have the gift of leadership, He still commands all of us to go out and make disciples of the nations - using the talents and abilities He's given to do so!     

So we can ... lead in Christ!

Grace and peace!

In His Love, Cathy

Faithful Love, Unending Mercies

Because of the Lord's faithful love,

we do not perish,

for His mercies never end.

They are new every morning;

great is Your faithfulness!

I say:  The Lord is my portion,

therefore I will put my hope in Him.

Lamentations 3:22

Did you know that the whole purpose of salvation isn't just about us?  Let me rephrase that.  Salvation is a GIFT from God that was made possible THROUGH Jesus Christ, His Only begotten Son.  We are so undeserving and unworthy of such a gift - due to our own sins.  Jesus offered Himself as a sacrifice of our sins because of HIS faithful love toward us and not the other way around.  When Jesus was crucified, He wasn't crucified by those who loved Him.  However, He gave His life so freely and made salvation available to all mankind - to anyone who called on His Name.  Jesus chose to offer Himself as a sacrifice for our sins so that we would not perish.  His motivation was God's faithful love toward us.  We love Him because He first loved us.  Get it?

But Jesus didn't just die to save us.  He rose again and sits at the right hand of God, in glory and in power!  He is our mediator, giving opportunity for salvation, forgiveness, and mercy.  His mercies never end, and that's a good thing for us.  Even though we are saved, we can still go astray and fall back into the trappings of sin.  Therefore, His mercies have to be unending.  And what's more is that we can start each day on a clean slate - every morning His mercies can begin anew!  All we need to do is turn whole heartedly to Him, confessing our sins and surrendering our hearts.  After all, He is not just a God of second chances...He's the God of infinitely many chances!   

Because of His great faithfulness, we can chose to make Him our portion - to take ourselves off the throne of our hearts, vacating so that He can take His rightful place - bringing us inner peace and righteous hope.  Therefore, when temptations or the storms of life come against us, we can say with confidence:  "The Lord is my portion, therefore I will put my hope in Him."  (Lamentations 3:24)

 Today's Challenge:  When faced with temptation and troubles, do you, like me, try to 'handle it' on your own?  Instead, let go and let God.  Pray.  Meditate on Lamentations 3:22-24.  Allow it's truth to penetrate deep into your heart.  Determine today that the Lord is your portion and that you will put your hope in Him - in ALL THINGS no matter what!  Claim this promise by repeating it throughout your day.   Then live it!

Grace and peace, friends!

In His Love, Cathy

Happy Thanksgiving!

"'For I know the plans I have for you,' says the LORD. 'They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you,' says the LORD. 'I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.'"

 

Jeremiah 29:11-14

"God's plans are always for good, though sometimes we need to go through difficulties before his good plan is fully realized. A big part of his plan is for his people to know him. That is at the heart of all God's purposes. Do you believe God has a good plan for your future? Are you earnestly seeking him? If you are still "in captivity" somehow, seek God and believe he has a good plan. Seek him at every step, and wait patiently for his deliverance. Your fortunes will be restored!"
—Diane Eble, author of Abundant Gifts: A Daybook of Grace-Filled Devotions


What am I thankful for, today? 

I am thankful for family.  I am thankful for the love and the special bond we share.  I am thankful for the family traditions we have passed down from generation to generation - and new traditions that we have incorporated - both woven in love, connecting us across the miles and through the years - reminding us of loved ones who have gone on before us yet directing us toward the future and those who will come after us.  

I am thankful for my husband.  He is my steady rock.  I am thankful for our children - Mathew, Brittany, and Michael.  I can not be any more thankful to have children who does my heart good.  I am thankful for friends who stick 'closer than a brother.'  Friends who love us just the way we are - flaws and all.  I pray that I am this kind of friend to them.

I am thankful that God's plan for us is for good, to give us a hope and a future!  We have that very hope in Jesus Christ!  This is something we can truly be thankful about!

Happy Thanksgiving, friends!  Grace and peace!

In His Love, Cathy

What's the Point?

Another great devotion this morning that I just had to share...

"Don't let them waste their time in endless discussion of myths and spiritual pedigrees. These things only lead to meaningless speculations, which don't help people live a life of faith in God. The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith. We know that the law is good when used correctly. For the law was not intended for people who do what is right. It is for people who are lawless and rebellious, who are ungodly and sinful, who consider nothing sacred and defile what is holy, who kill their father or mother or commit other murders."

1 Timothy 1:4-5, 8-9

The point of God's Word is not for Christians to dissect and bicker over.  His Word isn't for such pettiness.  Yet that is what we do sometimes - minimizing the import, awesomeness, and power of God's Word replacing it with our own smallness!  We sometimes puff up our own Biblical Scholarly pride while degrading God's purpose behind His Word.

We need not search for what is not there, leading us into myths, speculation, and some downright crazy false teachings.  Instead, we need to read God's Word Daily, committing it to our hearts, so that we may KNOW without a doubt His Truth.  We need to measure any arguments or teachings against Scripture - determining if what we are hearing is substantiated against the context of the entirety of God's Word.  We need to trust the Holy Spirit, not just our own abilities, to help us discern His Word and live it.  For when we trust in ourselves alone, in our own academic abilities, we will totally miss the point! 

We also need to be wary of false teachings, yet not cast our pearls to the swine...speak the truth of the Gospel without dragging it through the mud.  For it does nothing to further God's Kingdom when we engage in useless arguments over the ridiculous. 

No, His Word is for a far greater purpose than we sometimes recognize...to grow within each of us a pure heart, clear conscience, sincere faith, and love. THAT is the point of God's Word! 

Grace and Peace, friends!

In His Love, Cathy

Peace

"Now may the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation. The Lord be with you all."

2 Thessalonians 3:16

"We can experience peace no matter what happens because God himself gives us his own peace. God never worries, never has any problems, because he is good and in control of everything. As you trust in his control and character, you can share in the peace of God himself. If there is some area of your life where you don't experience peace, can you entrust that to God right now? Picture yourself giving it to him to handle, right now. Envision him taking it from you, and handing something back instead: peace. His own peace, as a gift."

—Diane Eble, author of Abundant Gifts: A Daybook of Grace-Filled Devotions

Wow, I really needed this today!  Isn't it glorious how God knows exactly what we need and then provides it? 

But isn't it even more amazing that God provides us with His own peace?  It's there, a free gift, we simply must be able to entrust Him with all things and in all things.  HE is the God of PEACE!  And HIS PEACE overcomes our circumstances, problems, worries, anxieties, and fears.  The key is wholly submitting yourself to Him and surrendering ALL to Him.  The key is letting go and letting God! 

Dare I say that when we are not experiencing His peace in an area of our lives, perhaps it's an area where we are still holding out on God - where we have squeezed God out and demanding to have our own way.  Perhaps we are control freaks, and the very idea of allowing someone else to have control upsets our little universe.  We need to realize that we CAN and MUST TRUST The One who created the universe in the first place! 
So if we are not experiencing God's peace in an area of our life... 

Let it go.

Give it to God.

And don't take it back.

Accept His peace in return.

...His peace, a peace that surpasses all understanding...a peace that will provide strength, calm, and comfort in the midst of any storm.  It's simply a matter of surrendering our hearts to Christ and trusting Him with EVERYTHING! 

Jesus has got this - we just need to let go! 

Grace and peace, friends!
In His Love, Cathy

Insomnia

It's just after 2 a.m.  and I'm wide awake again.  Could have something to do with the fact that my body literally crashed around 7 p.m. last night.  Could have something to do with the migraine that onset yesterday.  Could have something to do with the fact that my body is just plain out weird.  Regardless of the reason, here I am wide awake again.

After tossing and turning relentlessly, I stumble out of bed.  Pour myself a glass of milk hoping that I will find sweet slumber tonight once again.  I stub my toes in the dark as I make my way across the minefield of our house from the kitchen, through the livingroom, back to bed.  I lay back down, trying to convince my body that it is tired and wants to sleep.  But my mind won't rest.  I replay my day over and over again as I  lay there.  I can't seem to shut off the brain.  I remind myself that I only have a few more hours of sleep before I must get up and start getting ready for work.  "Not helping!" I remind myself. This kind of pressure only causes more frustration over the fact I can't sleep, which in turn causes me not to sleep!

I turn the alarm clock away from me.  The red glow of its numbers seems to sear through my eyelids, convincing my body that it is time to get up.  It's such a tease.  Once awake, its red numbers ticking away the remainder of the night, a cruel reminder of the sleep that I've now lost! 

Then I recalled a verse that Michael and I would say together at bedtime when he was little:

I will lie down and sleep in peace,

for you alone, O LORD,

make me dwell in safety.

Psalm 4:8

I lay back down, reciting this verse.  A peace begins to come over me.  The soft patter of the rain begins to lull me back into the sweetness of my dreams.  My eyelids have become heavier.  And my thoughts are starting to trail off.  Yes, my body is taking its cue.  It is time for bed, again.  So I think I'll give this sleep thing another try.  I will lie down and sleep in peace!  Thank you, God, for the rain and another chance at sleep.  Good night, all!

Grace and peace, friends!
In His Love, Cathy

USAF MOM!!!

So our son Matt left this past Monday for USAF Basic Military Training (BMT).  Scott and I took Monday off to spend with Matt in his last few hours as a civilian.  Dropping our baby boy off at that recruiter station was the hardest thing I've ever done as a parent.  And I thought leaving him at college was hard!  With college I at least got to see his dorm, meet his roomate, and approve of his surroundings.  At least he was able to come home on the weekends whenever he liked.  And the good thing was, while in college, he was only an hour's drive away if an emergency ever arose, a comforting thought for any Mother's heart!

But now, just like that, he's gone.  College was different.  He was on his own but yet he wasn't.  He still relied on us for a lot of things - money being first and foremost!  Yes, the nest seemed empty when he went off to college, but now, he's gone.  This time his leaving has much more permanence and seemed to happen so abruptly.  I knew my son would leave the nest, but I thought it would be a more gradual process than this.  I imagined him finishing college, moving back home and starting a career, saving up money to finally move out on his own.  I thought I had MORE TIME with him!  But I was wrong.  Our son did grow up in an instant and now he is doing what we hoped to raise him to do - to find himself, be a productive member of society, and do what he loves doing in life!

Things will never return to the way they were.  Our family will never be exactly the same again.  His returns home will take on new meaning...no longer where he lives but where he lived...not where he stays but where he visits.  This has such weird connotation to me!  We've always been such a close knit family so to have one of my babies moving out and completely on their own is a struggle for my heart!

This week I've struggled with so many emotions.  I'm really missing my right hand man!  He's been such a great son and big brother.  He has always been there to help around the house, with the yardwork, and with his siblings - expecially the 6 months out of the year where I'm a cross country coach's widow!

We are so proud of Mathew's choice to serve our country.  We are so proud that he was one of the FEW who made it through the stringent criteria to be accepted as a recruit...and believe me,  quite a few who went with him to MEPS this past summer were rejected.  We are so very happy for him because he is happy and has found his calling in life.  We know that BMT will be the biggest challenge of his life and we are praying for God to supply him with strength, courage, and wisdom in facing this challenge.  Yet, I still wonder what happened to the little cottonheaded boy who stole my heart.  What happened to that sweet baby boy whose big blue eyes stared so intently into mine the night he was born, as though to say, "Are you my Mommy?"  Yes, it was love at first sight when our eyes locked onto one another!  Now our little 'Strong Man' has truly become a strong man!  And that does a mother's heart good!

I'm a PROUD, yes, PROUD to be a USAF MOM!!! 

BTW... 

Matt called for the first time this morning from BMT. He sounded so officially military like when he recited the script they gave him to read providing his mailing address out there...but before he had to hang up, he quietly said with the most tender voice, "I love you, Mom!" He then quickly snapped back into his matter of fact tone and in a deep manly voice barked out, "Bye!" He sounded happy. He is doing okay. He is doing what he chose to do and I know will love.  That's all I need to know...my heart is relieved - for now!!!!

In His Love, Cathy

Confusion

"For God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of power, love, and sound judgement." 2 Tim 1:7


My father-in-law suffers from Alzheimer's.  I know I've mentioned this before in previous blogs.  Lately his condition had deteriotated drastically.  Yesterday was especially critical.  Out of respect and love for him, let's just say that it was not a good day at all.  He had been on new medication and we thought it was helping him to remain calm.  It was completely ineffective yesterday. 

The problem is, he becomes easily confused.  Confusion can set in from his daily routine being disrupted, or be caused by giving him instructions that he can not follow, or even simply saying the wrong thing.  When he gets confused, he can become upset and extremely agitated - sometimes to the point of being uncontrollable.  Usually, he can be redirected and his agitation subsides.  But not yesterday.  He was highly agitated all day.  Nothing helped.  His confusion lead to his agitation.  His agitation further fueled his confusion.  He was caught in a vicious cycle that Alzheimer's plays on its victims...and their caregivers.  There are seven stages of Alzheimer's...based on what we've learned about this terrible disease, Dad is about midway through the 6th stage.  It's heartwrenching to watch what this disease is doing to Scott's Dad...and Mom.

Confusion is an enemy of the mind.  Confusion erodes our sense of confidence.  Within each of us is a compulsive demand to be in control.  We have to live in a predictable world, one structured by daily routines and laced with the familiar.   Our enemy knows this.  Therefore he delights in sending us into panic mode, upsetting the finely defined confines of our little world.

We can, however, be on guard against such attacks by putting on the breastplate of righteousness.  God has clothed us with His righteousness.  He has saved us from sin and death!  And when we wear the breastplate of righteousness, our heart is protected even if our minds are struggling to figure out what in the world is going on.  We have assuredness and confidence that God is in charge and in control.  Even if we do not completely understand why, we can have peace in knowing this truth.   

I am thankful today because I am hidden in Christ and His righteousness...I can experience security in my heart even when my mind cannot understand what is happening or why it is happening.  I'm wearing the breastplate of righteousness today...my heart is secured in Christ even when my mind can not comprehend!

Grace and peace, friends!


In His Love, Cathy

Discipline is Hard

" You disciplined me,

and I have been disciplined

like an untrained calf.

Restore me, and I will return,

for you, LORD, are my God."

Jeremiah 31:18

Discipline is hard - not only on the receiving end but also the giving end.  Those of us who are parents know this too well.  Just before my Dad would discipline me he would always say, "This is harder on me than it is you."  I didn't believe him until I became a parent and had to discipline my own children. 

Discipline is hard.

As parents, we must discipline our children so that they learn right from wrong.  We discipline our children so they learn that there are consequences to wrong choices.  We discipline our children because a child without discipline will grow into a person of lawlessness, who is spoiled, and self-centered.  We discipline so that our children have right relationships with those in their lives.  We don't like to discipline our children, but we do so because we love them and desire what is best for them.

Like us, our Heavenly Father disciplines His wayward children.  Sometimes His discipline may be directly from His hand, such as when he stirred up foreign nations to attack and capture Israel and Judah because God's people had abandoned Him.  But at other times, He may simply allow us to suffer the consequences of our actions.  He may simply turn away from us and allow us to experience the pain of following our own rebellious will. 

But at the end of the day, the goal of His Righteous Discipline is restoration.  He knows what is best for us more than we do.  And what should our response to His discipline be?  We find the answer in Jeremiah 31:19-20.

"After I returned, I repented;

After I was instructed, I struck

my thigh in grief.

I was ashamed and humiliated

because I bore the disgrace

of my youth.

Isn't Ephraim a precious son to Me,

a delightful child?

I certainly still think about him.

Therefore, My inner being yearns for him;

I will truly have compassion on him.

This is the Lord's declaration"

Jeremiah 31:19-20

No matter our sin, the truth is God still loves us so very much.  His very own INNER BEING YEARNS for YOU!  He thinks about YOU constantly!  Think about it!

What's more, He will have compassion on you no matter how far away you are from him or what you have done!  Like the Father of the prodigal son, God is waiting for our return!  There is no greater love than this!

Return to Christ today!  Experience a love that surpasses all and forgiveness like no other!  Discipline is hard, but we can reboot our lives, starting today anew in Christ!

Grace and peace, friends!

In His Love, Cathy

Delivered for Good

"'As for me, I am in your hands—do with me as you think best. But if you kill me, rest assured that you will be killing an innocent man! The responsibility for such a deed will lie on you, on this city, and on every person living in it. For it is absolutely true that the LORD sent me to speak every word you have heard.' "Then the officials and the people said to the priests and prophets, 'This man does not deserve the death sentence, for he has spoken to us in the name of the LORD our God.' … Ahikam son of Shaphan stood up for Jeremiah and persuaded the court not to turn him over to the mob to be killed."     Jeremiah 26:14-16, 24

"Jeremiah was in a perilous situation. No doubt he was very afraid, as we saw in earlier passages. God did protect him, as promised. This passage bears remarkable similarities to what Jesus would experience centuries later. Jeremiah's suffering foreshadowed the far greater suffering that God allowed Jesus to endure. Jesus was turned over to the mob to be killed, because Jesus was sent to suffer and die so we could be delivered for good."
—Diane Eble, author of Abundant Gifts: A Daybook of Grace-Filled Devotions

My devotion today reminded me of this truth...that I have been delivered for good!  I am no longer enslaved to sin or self, but have been raised with Christ into a new life!  But the problem is, I've been living a defeated life - as though I'm still gagged and bounded by sin! 

In Romans 6:5-7, Paul writes, "Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin."


Even though we are saved, we are still human and thus prone to slipping back into living a life of sin - a life of defeat - a life out of control. 

But we don't have to.  Carefully read Romans 6:15-25,

"Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! 16 Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. 17 Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. 18 Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.


19 Because of the weakness of your human nature, I am using the illustration of slavery to help you understand all this. Previously, you let yourselves be slaves to impurity and lawlessness, which led ever deeper into sin. Now you must give yourselves to be slaves to righteous living so that you will become holy.

20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right. 21 And what was the result? You are now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom. 22 But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord."

We, who are in Christ, are not free from falling into sin.  Quite the contrary.  However, now that we are in Christ, we have His power and resources to live free from the control of sin in our lives!  How? 

• By CHOOSING to become a SLAVE of God!  (Romans 6:16)
• By WHOLEHEARTEDLY CHOOSING to OBEY GOD! (Romans 6:16-17)
• By CHOOSING to GIVE ourselves to righteous living! (Romans 6:19)
• By CHOOSING  to do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life!  (Romans 6:22)

Our salvation is a free gift from God through the Blood of Jesus Christ!  We can not do a single thing to earn that salvation!  But once we have accepted Christ, we must CHOOSE to LIVE for HIM daily!  It will be hard at times to keep from slipping back into old habits and sins that feel so familiar, so comfortable to us.  It's so easy to let our 'self' take over, demanding our way or the highway!  But we MUST allow our new nature - HIS NATURE to permeate to the core of our being.  That can only happen by crucifying ourselves and CHOOSING to become a slave of God!  Only then will we overcome sinful habits that threaten to derail our spiritual freedom!

The good news is that we serve a God of infinite chances.  So when we do mess up, we can repent and seek forgiveness.  That is the point I'm at in my spiritual journey - removing my sinful, weak self once again from the spotlight and enslaving myself wholeheartedlly to Christ.  Lord help me to obey!

So long self - I've been delivered for good!
 Grace and peace, friends!
In His Love, Cathy

Being of One Heart and Mind

You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.

Jeremiah 29:13



My devotional today reminded me of the importance of being of one heart and one mind.  What does it mean to be of one heart and mind?  It means that our hearts and minds must be fully integrated - our words and actions matching the attitude of a heart fully surrendered to God.

When we pray, God isn't just hearing our words, He's also looking at our hearts.  My devotional pointed out that "God does not just answer prayer - He answers you."  Our prayers may be filled with lofty and righteous words, but our hearts could be a world away from God!  We can miss out on God's blessings simply because our hearts are not in sync with His.  And our missing out on God's blessings is NOT because God is stingy - it is because of our own heart condition!  The fault does not lie with God, it lies with us!  Our attitude of heart can short circuit our ability to recieve His wonderful blessings!

So, when we present our requests to God, we must be of one mind and heart - a heart in tune with His.  The words that flow from our mouths in prayer must be fully supported by what our heart is saying.  Only when our hearts and mind are of one accord and in sync with His can we climb the steep mountains of life with sure footed faith.  It only takes a misstep of inches to tumble down life's mountain.

Ask God to help you seek Him with all that you are - that your words and actions are a reflection of a heart wholly surrendered to Christ.  

Grace and Peace, Friends! 

In His Love, Cathy

Without Hesitation

The Lord is my portion;

I have promised to keep Your words.

I have sought Your favor with all my heart;

be gracious to me according to Your promise.

I thought about my ways

and turned my steps back to Your decrees.

I hurried, no hesitating to keep Your commands.

Psalm 119:57-60

Our lives have been so busy and crazy lately - jobs, homecoming, exams, kids' sports schedules, Scott's coaching - and the list goes on.  These past several weeks have simply been over the top busy - so much so that I've allowed the pressure cooker of life to dictate my time and resources.  I've allowed outside things to supercede the true priorities in my life.  It's easy to get caught up in the waves of life and get swept away by them. 

Thankfully, God intervened, as He always does when I get carried away.  My devotional passage this morning once again shifted my gaze from the immediate back to the eternal.  God reminded me of my promise to seek Him first and wholeheartedly.  And though I pretty much stunk at my end of the bargain, He was faithful to come through on His end.  When this truth was revealed to my heart this morning, I  ran as hard as I could back to Him - without hesitation, my arms lifted high reaching up towards my heavenly Father! 

And you know what?  He reached down, picked me up into His loving arms, and swung me around - my heart was overflowing with such great joy and love!  As laughter and praise filled the air, my heart was once again made right! 

Run as hard as you can, back to the Lord today, without hesitation.  Make Him your everlasting portion!  Live for Christ today!  He is simply waiting to lift you into His loving arms!

In His Love, Cathy

A Change of Heart

"'The human heart is the most deceitful of all things,

and desperately wicked.

Who really knows how bad it is?

But I, the LORD, search all hearts

and examine secret motives.

I give all people their due rewards,

according to what their actions deserve.'"

Jeremiah 17:9-10

"God has set up a moral law no one can escape: We reap what our actions sow. And our actions spring from the heart, which God alone knows. Even if you're a believer, you will live the results of your actions for good or bad. Perhaps this is what "fear of the Lord" is: living with the sure sense that God will give all of us our due reward, according to our actions, based on our motives. The answer is not the actions, then, but the heart. Let God change your heart, and your actions will be right. Then you will reap the rewards that follow."

—Diane Eble, author of Abundant Gifts: A Daybook of Grace-Filled Devotions

Been feeling out of touch with God lately?  Then examine your heart.  Ask God to expose anything  and everything that might be causing spiritual interference.  Maybe you already have an inkling as to why you are having a disconnect with God lately yet you are in denial.  Perhaps there is something going on that you just flat out refuse to surrender to the Lord or trust Him with.  Whatever the case, our actions (or lack thereof) is the physical expression of our hearts.  An unsurrendered heart will eventually show up in the physical realm in the form of our actions.  When it does, God allows the consequences of such to play out. 

We can hide our hearts from others, even ourselves.  But our hearts are laid out open before God. God knows our hearts completely...the good, the bad, and the ugly.  There is nothing we can hide from Him.  Therefore our best course of action is to wholly surrender our hearts to Him.  He can shore up our weaknesses and help us to live 'in fear' of Him - changing our hearts from the inside out!  Surrending to Him and trusting in Him will lead to a heart change...and a life change!

Live for Him today...moment by moment surrender your heart to Him!
Grace and peace!

In His Love, Cathy

Nail Scarred Hands

Look, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands;

your walls are continuously before me.

Isaiah 49:16

He doesn't forget us, how could He?  We were inscribed so painfully on the palms of His hands...there's no way He could or would ever forget us.  So let's not forget Him today.  Live your life to Honor His Name! 

In His Love, Cathy

Spacious Places

I called out to the Lord in distress;

the Lord answered me and put me in a spacious place.

...

It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.

Psalm 118:5, 8 (HCSB)

In times of distress and troubles, what or whom do you place your trust in?

Do you place your trust in your own strength, relying on yourself to 'handle it'?

Do you place your trust in others, relying upon them to rescue you from your problems?

Or is there some 'thing' that you fall back upon time after time, something other than God?

I mean, when it really boils down to it, where is your trust?  What or who do you rely upon the VERY MOST in times of trouble?   

If you want to really know what you trust the most, simply take a look at your initial reaction during a crisis.  What is your first instinct?  Does your immediate reaction or thoughts have anything to do with God, even if for a split second?  Or do you immediately turn to someone or something of this world, without even a thought of God until much later on?  Do you follow God's tugging in one direction in a situation, or do you follow the familiar stand by that's worked before but that isn't necessarily the best solution?  I understand that under some circumstances we must react quickly, especially if lives are at stake.  However, if our initial thoughts or actions seek out others and never once reflect on seeking God's help in the situation, we might not have our trust in the right place.

When we trust in God first and foremost as our refuge and strength, He WILL answer our prayers!  And not only that, HE SETS us up in SPACIOUS PLACES!  Now my idea of a spacious place is one where I can spread out, relax, and experience peaceful restoration - no one pressing in on me, imposing their ideas or human limitations upon me.  Yes, my idea of the spacious place in this passage is one in which God surrounds us completely in His presence - acting as the buffer zone of our lives.  When we are in the midst of the storm, we can count on Him to buffet the wind and the waves!  This spacious place He puts us in enlarges our territory for His work and glory!

In addition, we can view our problems as opportunities for God to position us in a spacious place - a better position where He can fully cultivate us into Christ's image and can utilize us in even greater works!

In God's spacious places we can withstand all that comes up against us.  We can't weather the storms of life without Him.  We can trust HIM as our refuge!

Grace and Peace!
In His Love, Cathy

Another Fave

It is I who sweep away your transgressons

for My own sake

and remember your sins no more.

Isaiah 43:25

How often am I tempted to remind others of past offenses...to hold a grudge and not forget or forgive.  Thankfully, when God forgives our sins He also FORGETS!!!  And what's more, He never brings them up again!  Wow! 

We should translate this forgiveness and forgetfulness to others as well.  We must forgive others since God forgives us.  I mean, Christ forgave those who spat on Him and nailed Him to the cross.  Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. (Luke 23:24)  Jesus also said, "But if you don't forgive people your Father will not forgive your wrongdoing."  (Mt. 6:15)  My devotional put it this way, "In refusing to forgive others you break the bridge over which you yourself must pass."     

God can help you forgive those who have hurt you.  It's hard  to forgive sometimes and much easier said than done.  I get that.  I, too, have been hurt deeply many times in life.  But, God's Word is very clear here.  Unless we forgive, we won't experience His forgiveness.

There is FREEDOM in forgiveness! 

Grace and Peace, friends!
In His Love, Cathy

A New Fave

"Indeed, it was for my own welfare that I had such great bitterness,

but Your love has rescued me from the Pit of destruction,

for You have cast all of my sins behind Your back."

Isaiah 38:17

This is my new favorite verse.  King Hezekiah uttered these words of thanksgiving after receiving a message through Isaiah that God had heard his prayer and would spare his life. 

Words can not entirely convey the depth, height, and width of the LOVE our GOD has for us.  (Ephesians 3:18)   I am also convinced no words can completely describe the depth of His mercy and grace.  Yet these words spoken by Hezekiah describe exactly what God has done, and continues to do for all who turn to Christ. 

Our sufferings bring us to the breaking point, the point at which we realize our limited humanity and recognize God's infinite glory!  Our sufferings bring us face to face with the truth of who we are internally and eternally.  For some, this realization is an affirmation of their relationship with God.  For others, it is a conviction of the heart and recognition for a need for God.  Hard times can grow our character, make us spiritually stronger, and draw us closer to God.

There is good that can come from great suffering, especially if that suffering leads us to the foot of the cross!  We can trust in God to bring forth something beneficial in times of bitterness and troubles.  Look for what it is He is wanting to do in and through you during those tough times.    

God isn't out to get you.  He's out to SAVE YOU! 

In His Love, Cathy

Training!

Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.

Proverbs 22:6

This morning I awoke to find our youngest son, Michael, playing his Xbox.  We have a rule about playing video games on Sunday morning - don't!  However, I paused when I noticed the game he was playing...NCAA Football 09 - he was Auburn and the opponent was South Carolina.  When I noticed that he was winning, I replied by using of of my husband's famous quotes, "That's good!  That's good!  South Carolina is having another bad day!"  So I let him continue the game just this once.  Michael then asked if he could wear his Auburn jersey to church this morning.  Although Michael has always liked Auburn, his passion for football - especially Auburn football - has only recently emerged.  Of course this thrills his father and I to death as we are avid Auburn fans and alumni!  And though he liked Auburn because we 'trained' him up - now that he's older he's developed a real passion for Auburn!  All three of our children are 'all in' for the Auburn family...and it feels good as a parent to see this fruit of our labor!

But what's more important to us than our son developing a love for Auburn football, was that our son develop a relationship with Jesus Christ.  We've trained up all of three of our children, planting seeds and tilling soil all of their lives, preparing the ground of their hearts in hopes of fertile soil ready for the Lord.  And though I am thrilled that our youngest has now taken on the full mantle of a true Auburn fan, I'm simply AWED at the results of what God has done and is doing both in and through our children!  They are 'all in' for God!

And whenever I doubt where they stand with Christ and how their relationship with God is, God shows me sweet evidence of their faith in action - the rewards of a lifetime labor of love! 

 I'm not saying I'm perfect - in fact I've been far from the perfect parent.  And I'm not saying my children are perfect - like the rest of the human race they struggle with sin.  But what I am saying is that if we as Christian parents dedicate ourselves to 'training up our children in the way they will go,' NO MATTER WHAT,' the blessing for them is eternal! 

But here is the catch...the responsibility of raising up YOUR child is YOURS!  It is not the church's, the school's, or anyone else's responsibility.  As that child's parent, YOU are the one with this responsibility.  The church is there to help, teach, and support, but realistically our children are only at church for a few hours a week.  As parents, we have the greater influence.  If we aren't teaching God's Truth AT HOME and we are not LIVING it in front of our children, then our children could be derailed in the faith!  The stakes are TOO HIGH for us parents to risk soley relying on others to teach our children God's Truth.  God has clearly made training up children a parental responsibility - not just a church responsibility!

"5 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. ⁶ And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. ⁷ Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are AT HOME and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. ⁸ Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. ⁹ Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."  Deuteronomy 6:5-9

Just as training is essential to athletes and any successful sports program, so is training up our children in the Lord.  Training our children not only prepares them spiritually, but also prepares them for life.  Training them up in God's ways better equips them to deal with their world - giving them the tools to help them resist peer pressure, drugs, sex, and alcohol.  Training them up shows them how to make the right choices in life - not that they always do,but it shows them positive options.  And if they lose their way, hopefully, one day, that training will kick in and and they will find their way 'home.' 

Teaching our children to rely on God's strength to help them face anything in life is one of the best gifts we can give our children!  But our teaching must also be couched in our own love and reliance upon God that plays out in front of our children.  And that reliance and love for God can be taught best by Christian parents whose words and deeds reflect Christ!

Training up a child in the way they should go isn't always easy.  Some children are harder to train up than others...but hang in there!  Don't give up and certainly DON'T GIVE IN!!!  And remember, as parents, we have God's infinite resources and power to help us train up our children!  

In His Love, Cathy

Mind Games

I fear that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning,

your minds may

 be corrupted from a complete and pure devotion to Christ.

2 Corinthians 11:3

My father-in-law is suffering from Alzheimer's Disease.  Though only 70 years old, he was diagnosed about 7 to 8 years ago.  Anyone who has a loved one with this disease knows just how debilitating it can become.  The sufferer can be just as healthy as a horse physically, but their mind is terribly sick.  "Dad," as I warmly call him, has maintained most of his memory for most of the years he's had this disease.  Short term memory is a challenge for him.  He sometimes tell us the same thing over and over again, just within minutes, but he still knows who we all are and he still loves to crack jokes with the best of 'em. 

The sad thing is, Dad knew he had Alzheimer's.  When he was diagnosed, he was very aware of what this  would mean for him - it ran in his family.  His aunt had it.  The disease has very recently worsened.  Since last spring, Dad's condition has radically declined.  An incident occurred in the late spring/early summer that required quick intervention and change of medications.  Dad was slipping faster down the path he had resisted for so long.  Then another major incident occurred a little over a week ago.  It was such a critical situation that Scott and I had to drop all plans and rush to his parents' home.  All was good, but we stayed for hours and are on call 24/7 in case we are needed once again.

There are so many incidents are happening but I don't want to mention them all out of respect to Dad.  But even in the midst of all this, he's still Dad.  We still see glimpses of him.  He's still with us - trying to crack jokes and when he forgets the punchline, he laughs anyway.  He still knows Scott, Bryan, and all of the grandchildren's names.  But I don't think he's called me by my name in a couple of years - he's constantly confusing me with someone from his past.

I can't imagine the mind games this disease is playing in Dad's head.  I couldn't imagine going through what he is going through.  I can't imagine the confusion, despair, and disarray this disease has conjured up in him.  Alzheimer's has disabled our Dad.  My heart hurts from the realization that his condition will become progressively worse.  My heart also aches for Mom, who is trying so hard to care for him at home as long as possible.       

So, when my devotion this morning touched on the challenges of the battlefield of the mind, boy could I could relate!

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand...

 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—Ephesians 6:13-18

 Like the cruel disease that is attacking Dad, our enemy loves to cause us mental distress and anguish.  He plants seeds of strife, causing in us confusion, despair, and disarray.  He ravages our minds, leaving behind mass destruction.  He feeds us with lies designed to disable us, cause confusion, and send us scurrying in defeat!   

Thankfully, God has provided the right armor specifically designed to protect from this type of enemy attack...the Helmet of Salvation! We can be prepared as Christians by taking up this helmet.  The Helmet of Salvation protects us from the mind games of the enemy...reminding us of God's Truth as we fix our thoughts on holiness and righteousness, shielding us from the confusion and mental disorder the enemy tries to inflict!  My devotion put it so succinctly, "The figure of a helmet immediately suggests to us that this is something designed to protect the mind, the intelligence, the ability to think and reason."  Our minds can be settled when this protection is in place, bringing order and God's peace within us! 

In His Love, Cathy