Our Needs

"Some wandered in the wilderness,
lost and homeless.
Hungry and thirsty,
they nearly died.
'LORD, help!' they cried in their trouble,
and he rescued them from their distress.
He led them straight to safety,
to a city where they could live.
Let them praise the LORD for his great love
and for the wonderful things he has done for them.
For he satisfies the thirsty
and fills the hungry with good things"

Psalm 107:4–9
 

My morning devotion left me with a poignant thought...what if our needs are actually gifts from God?

In other words, what if our needs are the very means God uses to draw us to Him?  What if our needs are the means by which God grows us in faith?  What if our needs are the way God captures our wayward hearts?  What if our needs are what helps us to recognize our weaknesses and His greatness?

What if our needs are exactly what we NEED for our hearts to turn (or return) to Christ?

If there is one thing I have learned about God is this...He has always provided for my needs.  It may not be on my timetable and in the way I think He should, but He has always, always, always met my needs.  In some cases, the needs went on for many years before being met.  Other times got worse before they got better.  There were even times I felt as though I was drowning and without hope.  But, looking back, I now see why...I needed to grow up in my faith in those particular areas before God met those needs.  But this growth was not just for my own spiritual benefit.  In just about every case, the spiritual growth I experienced through these trials was either tested soon after or was put to good use to help others.

What are you truly hungry for in this life? What are you really searching for? Are you in need of Him?

We can always look to God to fulfill our needs...trust Him to do so according to His will! And if our needs are not immediately met...be patient...and see your circumstances as an opportunity to develop a deeper trust in God. Allow Him to grow your love and faith through your needs.  Our needs can produce a spiritual growth spurt in us.

Trust in Christ today!  In Christ we have all we need!

In His Love, Cathy

Merry Christmas From Abu Dhabi!!!

Best Christmas present ever!!!!  Christmas call from our Airman in Abu Dhabi!!!


Christmas was one of the best we've had in a long time.  We had Scott's parents over and his Aunt Kathy and Uncle Paul from Las Vegas as well.  We all huddled around the laptop to Skype with Scott's brother and his family up in D.C. 

Then we all got to Skype with our son, Mathew who is deployed. 

Thanking God today for such wonderful blessings!  Praising Him for the best gift ever - His Son, Jesus Christ!!!
 
Wishing you and yours a blessed Christmas Day!



In His Love, Cathy

God's Good Plan

"And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David's ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. He took with him Mary, his fiancée, who was now obviously pregnant."

Luke 2:4–5

In my morning devotion, I was reminded that God worked out his perfect plan through circumstances that we humans would have deemed as less than ideal.  His perfect Son wasn't born into a privileged or wealthy earthly family.  Instead, God chose Mary, a young teenage bride-to-be, to be the earthly mother of His Son.  And God chose Joseph, a poor carpentar by trade, to be His Son's earthly father.  Mary and Joseph were only engaged when God revealed to Mary that she would have His Son.

Despite this, Mary and Joseph had faith in God's plan.  I would even venture to say that Jospeh had to be a man of incredible faith to follow through with his marriage to Mary.  Then in the final days of Mary's pregnancy, they had to travel to Bethlehem for a census.  They had no choice in the matter - it was the law. 

We all know the story, when they arrived in Bethlehem, there was no where for them to stay except for the inn's stable.  And that is where Jesus, the one and only divine Son of God, was born - in a stable, surrounded by animals, to a young, poor couple who were big on faith.  The Son of our Most High God was placed in a manger - not a bed of gold and fine silk - a trough where animals fed.

But Mary and Joseph still believed.  Despite their difficulties, despite their economic status, despite the conditions surrounding the birth of this child - they believed that God was working on His good plan.

My devotion reminded me this morning that even though we may not see the good in difficulties, we can trust that God is working out His good plan.  Our circumstances may not be perfect.  Our dreams of the future may not come to pass in the way that we desired.  Our plans may even fail.  We may even suffer great pains and hardships.  But, if we are in Christ, we can trust that God is working out His perfect plan for His people.  He will prevail in the end for the good of those who love Him.   

Trust in Him today!  Let Him work His perfect plan in your heart and in your life!
In His Love, Cathy

Celebrating Christmas

Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord's glory surrounded them.  They were terrified, but the angel reassured them.  "Don't be afraid!" he said.  "I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.  The Savior - yes, the Messiah, the Lord - has bee born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 

  And you will recognize him by this sign:  You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger."

  Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others - the armies of heaven - praising God and saying,
            "Glory to God in highest heaven,
                  and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased."

                                                                                                                        Luke 2:9-14 (NLT)


     

As we approach Christmas and the New Year, I often pause to reflect over the past year.  But this year I reflect with trepidation.  2012 has been a rollercoaster year for our family.  We have experienced both wonderful blessings and great sorrows.  The beginning of the year found us struggling with the passing of my paternal Grandmother - who died on Christmas Day of 2011.  Then the loss of my Father in September 2012.  We also lost our precious little nephew just a couple of weeks ago.  Heartbreaking. 

Yes, 2012 has been a rough year.

Yet it has also been a year of great blessings.  Throughout our trials, especially with my Dad, God was so good.  He opened doors on my Dad's behalf - doors that had been shut to me for several years - doors that led to one small miracle after another in Dad's last days.  Miracles that were visible to even the doctors, nurses, and staff who cared for him.

God also poured out his blessings on our personal lives.  Friendships were renewed and strengthened.  Relationships with family, especially my Dad's sisters and their families, were restored.  Relationships with our church family - who were so good to us during Dad's passing and have always been there for us in every season, every trial - were reaffirmed. 

But God's blessings did not stop there.  He blessed us is so many other ways.  He is so GOOD! 

But most importantly, He has blessed us in our faith.  Yes, we have been through trials this year.  We have been deeply hurt.  Our emotions compromised.  Our hearts left broken and wounded.  Yet our faith has been refined and strengthened through it all.

Yes, 2012 has been a season of trials and tribulations.  But it has also been a year in which I have seen God work wonders on our behalf.  He never left us - not once - nor did he ever forsake us.  He was always there, surrounding us with His love and providing us with much needed strength.

And so, after such a tumultuous year, it is time to celebrate!  And that is what I am looking so forward to for Christmas this year - celebrating the life - celebrating the renewal - celebrating the HOPE we all have because of the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!  I am so looking forward to celebrating Christ with our family and friends this Christmas! 

I am thankful for all God has done this year.  It is time to celebrate Him!
 
In His Love, Cathy

Psalm 20

In times of trouble, may the Lord answer your cry.
    May the name of the God of Jacob keep you safe from all harm.
May he send you help from his sanctuary
   and strengthen you from Jerusalem.
May he remember all your gifts
   and look favorably on your burnt offerings.

May he grant your heart's desires
   and make all your plans succeed.
May we shout for joy when we hear of your victory
   and raise a victory banner in the name of our God.
May the Lord answer all your prayers.

Now I know that the Lord rescues his annointed king.
   He will answer him from his holy heaven
   and rescue him by his great power.
Some nations boast of their chariots and horses,
   but we will rise up and stand firm.

Give victory to our king, O Lord!
   Answer our cry for help!

                                            Psalm 20

I  rejoice in the fact that at any moment in time, I can honestly cry to God for help.  Because God knows us so well, inside and out, we can always share our hearts completely with Him - every thought, every grief, every worry - everything.  And when we cry out to Him, He doesn't just listen - He acts on our behalf with all the power of His glory and power!  How awesome is HE!

God has moved heaven and earth for His people before - and He still does and will again! From the creation of all things to the parting of the red sea to the birth of Jesus Christ, His perfect Son, to Christ's resurrection on the cross to Christ's return, God hears our cries and moves on our behalf!

Tell Him the burdens of your heart today.  If there is anyone you can be completely forthright and honest with, it is God.   Tell Him your troubles, your doubts, and fears.  Trust in Christ.  Allow His Holy Spirit to fill you with His love, peace, and confidence that only He can give.  Troubles of this life are a given but we don't have to face them alone.  In Christ we can do all things!

Peace and love, friends!

   

In His Love, Cathy

Peace

"Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable.  Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.
 Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say,

“I will take revenge;
I will pay them back,”
    says the Lord.

Instead,

  "If your enemies are hungry, feed them.

       If they are thirsty, give them something to drink.

    In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.

  Don't let evil conquer you, but conquer your evil by doing good."

Romans 12:17-21

 

My morning devotion was, once again, perfectly timed by God.

 

I spent the weekend Christmas shopping in Pensacola.  Between the horrendous traffic - drivers cutting me off, running red lights, almost getting hit - and the rude shoppers - who would look at me like I had five heads when I would politely ask to get by them when they and their buggies blocked entire ailses - I had more than my fill of dealing with people!   

However, in the midst of this sour 'Christmas Spirit,' I had to maintain my composure.  And in the middle of all this chaos, Romans 12 popped into my head...especially the part about living PEACEABLY with others!!!  So wouldn't you know that this is the passage I would read this morning for my devotion:)

Although I made light of the circumstances of my weekend, the truth of this passage reminds us to remain steadfast in our faith no matter who wrongs us and why.

Paul reminds us in this passage the core of Christian living is to love others the way Christ loves us.  Though we are underserving of God's forgiveness and grace, God offers it freely to those who turn to Christ!  Likewise, since we have experienced grace we should willingly offer it to others!  We should seek ways to live peacefully with others - even those who have wronged us.

When we are wronged or hurt, Paul reminds us to:

1.  Forgive others as God has forgiven us.  Forgiveness breaks the cycle of retaliation, laying the groundwork for possible reconciliation.  Forgiveness may not be deserved, but it helps us to heal as well.

2.  Not to repay evil with evil.  In contrast, we are to repay evil with good - even if the person doesn't deserve it!   This runs counter to the world, laying the groundwork for that person to turn to or reconcile their relationship with Christ

3.  Through forgiveness and kindness, it helps those who have wronged us to recognize their error, feel conviction of their error, seek forgiveness, and repent.  We can be a strong testimony for Christ when we repay evil with good!

The bottom line, we should take a stance of living peacefully with others as much as within our power to do so.  Let God handle the justice.  He's the only one qualified to do so!


In His Love, Cathy

Into the 'Pleasant Land'

"The people refused to enter the pleasant land,
  for they wouldn't believe his promise to care for them.
Instead, they grumbled in their tents
  and refused to obey the LORD."
Psalm 106:24-25

In my morning devotion, I was reminded that sometimes we have to step outside our comfort zone to receive the 'pleasant land' God promises.  That requires our total and complete trust in Him.  It requires our letting go of our own fears and shortcomings.  It requires us to step out - sometimes leap out - in faith.

Instead of grumbling about what we can't do, why we can't do it, and the obstacles that prevent us from doing it - let's just do it!  Obey Him, then watch Him work as you follow through in obedience!

Otherwise, we could be missing out on the biggest blessings in our lives!  When it boils down to it, often the only thing that is holding us back from His blessings is most often ourselves!

So take that giant step of faith and be blessed!


In His Love, Cathy

Psalm 5:1-3

"O Lord, hear me as I pray;
     pay attention to my groaning.
Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God,
    for I pray to no one but you.
Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord.
   Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly."
                                                                                   Psalm 5:1-3

Three of the most important elements to any good relationship is communication, trust, and time.  The same is true for our relationship with God. 

Communication is vital if we wish to have a healthy relationship with God.  Spending time worshipping Him, reading His Word and in prayer opens those channels of communication.  This is how we get to know and understand God.  Communication is the key that keeps good relationships healthy and strong. 

Trust is also vital in our relationship with God.  In this passage, the psalmist trusts God to hear his voice and waits EXPETANTLY for God's answer.  Life can sometimes knock us down so much that we lose hope.  Our passion drains.  Our dreams seem to die.  But we can trust Him to hear our prayers - and act according to His will. Even if our relationship with God isn't what it should be, we can repent and ask for His forgiveness - He will answer and help us to renew our relationship with Him.  So when we pray, let us pray with confidence and wait expectantly for the answer.

And last, all healthy relationships require an investment of your time.  The same is true of our relationship with God.  We need to make it a point to spend quality time with Him daily - time when we put our focus on Him alone. 

Just like we invest in our relationships with other people, we need to invest in our relationship with the Lord.  Nothing fancy, just keep a healthy communication line with Him, trust Him, spend time with Him, and most of all - authentically love Him! 


In His Love, Cathy

A.W.A.L.

I've been A.W.A.L. in the blogging forum for the last many months.

Though I have continued my writings it's all been very personal and left unpublished.

My Dad's illness and passing hit me very hard.  He suffered so much, especially the last months of his life.  Since he had skin cancer, his illness was very horrific and graphic as well.  Something that had to be unnerving to him.  My heart breaks that he suffered so!  I am so grateful for the peace and comfort God brought to Daddy in his final days.  I am thankful for the help that God sent - the doors that God opened for Dad's care - and how sweet and peaceful Dad's passing was.  There is no doubt God was good to my Daddy - and to us.

Even so, it's taken me quite a bit of time to work through my Father's passing.  I have only begun to feel 'normal' again.  It seems so long since I've experienced normal.  Yet, the smallest things can still trigger a flood of grief and emotion that overwhelm. But I held it together when my Dad needed me most and gotten through the worst with God's help!    

It's been difficult to get closure as Dad left a lot of things undone.  Again, being the oldest, a lot of the responsibility and pressure of Dad's affairs has fallen upon me.  Dad didn't mean to leave all of this on his family.  Though he took care of some things, his condition prevented him from taking care of things like he would have wanted. 

Because of the circumstances of Dad's illness and passing, I am having difficulty finding closure. For the months since Dad's passing, I've simply been in survival mode.  Again, God has been very good - giving me the strength to somehow make it through each day.  But there have been many days that it took my best just to get out of bed.  In these past months, it takes all I could do to make it through the work week.  And when the weekends roll around, I simply have collapsed from the pressure of it all.  Sometimes I am so exhausted that I can hardly move.  I must confess, I've even struggled with depression during this time.   

However, I feel that I have finally turned a corner.  Over the Thanksgiving break, we were able to finally finish cleaning out Dad's place. Cleaning his home helped me gain some closure.  I spent a little time in Dad's house after I was done, thinking of the last moments he and I shared in his home. Emotions swelled with sweet memories of last conversations - I recalled one our last phone conversations as he joyfully recounted his memories of me as a baby and his love for the "pretty little brown eyed baby girl who stole his heart the day she was born."  He sounded so happy in that conversation - the happiest he had sounded in many years.  It is a conversation I will cherish forever.     

I am by no means 'over' losing Dad.  I never will be.  But I feel I'm taking the first steps to healing.  God has been with me throughout.  And to be quite transparent here, though my faith and love for God has remained, I've not had a lot of  'umph' in my spiritual walk since Dad's passing.  But God understands the state of my heart.  He understand that there are times that I need 'space' to process the grief.  He knows that I will need time to heal.  He understands that there is more to my relationship with Him than me just going through a daily Christian to-do list.  He has been and continues to be so patient with me through it all.  God has been so good.

And most importantly, God understands why I've been A.W.A.L.

In His Love, Cathy