Take a Seat, Please!

Hello, Dear Readers –

LA Mission Team

Mary Jane, Cathy, Karen, Sam and Hannah

The team of five arrived home from the Los Angeles mission trip and we’ve recovered from jet lag, which, as it turns out, is a very real thing. I couldn’t physically or mentally function for several days after we returned. We are all back to normal now (I smile as I type that – us, normal!) and as He promised us, God showed up and heaped blessings all over and around us. I’ll have to unfold the story in several smaller portions to get it all told. Here’s the beginning:

On the flight from Charlotte to Denver, Sam (our team leader) sat on a row alone, with two of us seated behind him and two seated across the aisle. The seat beside him stayed vacant for quite

An Empty Seat

some time as the plane filled up. A young man finally came searching for that seat. As we were traveling to the airport, Sam told us that he planned to get some rest on this first flight. The young man sat down and he and Sam exchanged pleasantries, and Sam prepared to lean back and get comfortable. Once the young man found out Sam was involved in Missions, the floodgate of questions opened and Sam politely answered them, still set on resting during this flight. But the young man was so hungry and thirsty for the truth of Jesus and the knowledge of Him that he kept Sam busy and then prayed to accept Christ as His Savior somewhere between Charlotte and Denver.

Brand-new Bible in a Suitcase

Sam let the rest of us know what had happened and we prayed for this young man with our arms through the seats, over the seats and across the aisle. His entire countenance had changed since he sat down in that seat next to Sam. God had prompted one of the ladies to pack a Bible she had at home, brand-new, still in the wrapper. She got her suitcase out of the overhead bin and fished out the Bible and gave it to the young man, who we now knew as Wycliffe. He hugged it to his chest and rubbed it and smiled as he said, “I WILL read this.”

We all met in the airport waiting room when we debarked so all we Mommas could hug him and properly welcome him to the family.

Now here’s the rest of the story:

Wycliffe lives in Atlanta now but is originally from a village in Africa. Sam was in Wycliffe’s home village three weeks earlier as he partnered with a minister there to spread the news of Jesus.

Wycliffe wasn’t supposed to sit in that sit next to Sam. His seating assignment had been changed at the last minute “to accommodate another passenger with a special need.”

I had just finished reading the autobiography of William Cameron Townsend, the founder of the

Wycliffe Bible Translators Logo

Wycliffe Bible Translators, the week before the trip. One portion talked about how some of the natives had shown their gratitude to Townsend and his wife for all the many kindnesses they performed in the villages by naming their children after them and their work. I asked Wycliffe where he got his name and he replied, “From my grandfather.” As soon as I heard Wycliffe’s name, I was struck that Wycliffe’s grandfather may have been one of those babies. The time periods line up for it to be so.

Was all of this coincidental? I don’t think so. I believe God let us see how He works. I believe God had been making a way for Wyclliffe to come to know Him for over three generations.

What lengths has God gone to so you would know and love Him? I’d love to hear your story in the comments.

Going out with joy today because God is at work all around us –

Cathy

Because You Will Go

Los Angeles, CA

Before another week passes by I want to touch base with you, my dear Readers. It’s that “time flying by” thing going on again. I guess that could be written up as the story of my life.

Tomorrow I will be flying to Los Angeles, California, on a Mission Trip where a team of five will be doing street evangelism and prayer walking in a couple areas of the city. God has given us a specific assignment just as He did last year when He called us to go to Washington, DC, for a similar purpose. On that trip, God showed up and showed out in ways we never imagined He would, even giving us visual cues for what He was going to accomplish in Washington.

We have been gathering each month since March to pray for the trip, for each other, and for

Meeting for Prayer

directions from God as to what our exact mission is. Several of us have questioned God about why He would call people from a small town in North Carolina to go to a huge city like LA, especially when there are already Christians there. Why not just call on them? The answer I received through prayer was, “Because you will go.”

Because I am available, He is using me. It doesn’t have anything to do with my skills, what I can add to the team, or whether I am prepared to meet strangers on the street with the message of God’s love for them. It’s simply because I will go. He’ll do the rest by preparing hearts in California for a divine appointment with an old lady from North Carolina. Just because I will go.

What about you? Are you available? Will you go where He sends you? Tell me how He is using you in the comment section below. I’d love to hear your stories.

Going out with joy today-

Cathy

Getting Older? Here's the Test

Time Flies

I’ve discovered a sure-fire way to tell if you are getting older: combine three active children, sometimes alone and sometimes together day and night for parts of two weeks and then add in a four-day trip that will require sixteen hours of driving before you’re back home. It’s been a whirlwind but I loved every minute. My children and grandchildren live away from the town I live in so visits are a treasure.

Emma, our 9-year-old granddaughter, arrived first. She stayed with Pawpaw and me so she could attend a two-week long drama/art camp in town. The camp was Monday – Thursday from 9-11 am for drama and from 1-3:30 pm for art. It’s been awhile since I was responsible for getting someone up, dressed, fed and delivered somewhere at a certain time of day. Thankfully, she was good about getting up and getting ready. It was just us the first week.

Emma and McKenna

at the  Park

The next week, McKenna, our 6-year old great granddaughter, decided she wanted to come spend some time at our house. She arrived on Sunday evening. Emma also returned on Sunday evening from spending the weekend at home. The two girls loved being together again and, as a bonus, McKenna got to play with a cousin who was also in town.

Our grandson, Matthew, 9 1/2 years old, came from Charleston on Tuesday to join the festivities. He came so that he could travel with us to Columbus, GA, on Thursday to a reunion of the unit my husband served with in Vietnam. Matthew is a history buff so this trip was right up his alley.

Matthew with his

Black Belt

These three and the two others who didn’t get to come are beautiful, sparkling gems that God has placed in my life. We managed to fit all kinds of activities into these two weeks. Afterwards I wondered when I got so old. In my mind’s eye, I’m still in my twenties with an abundance of energy. In reality, I’m seeking every opportunity to take a nap.

Looking back on those two weeks, I’m glad it all happened. I loved seeing the drama camp play that Emma was in come together as they worked on it day after day. Imagine taking 60 children, most of whom had never acted, and producing a play to present to parents and the public in just eight days, costumes and all. McKenna’s sweetness permeates the house and everyone in it when she’s here. Even gruff old Grandpa is transformed. At six, she has formed definite opinions about life and I learn a lot from her. On one hand, Matthew quietly observes life (you can learn a lot that way) and on the other he is all boy riding four wheelers, climbing trees, shooting his bow and arrow, and learning about guns from Grandpa while sitting under a shade tree.

Four Wheelin'

Today, I am thankful for these precious blessings God has given me in my old age. And I’m thankful that I still have what it takes to keep up with these blessings. What are you thankful for today?

Now, I think it’s naptime!

Cathy

Continuing the Journey

Hourglass

Hello, dear readers! Lots of life has happened since we last talked. We’ve been apart longer than I intended when I took a break from blogging. I’ve missed you.

            Often, I feel like I am a puppet on a string at the mercy of someone else’s plan for my day. A day is gone, then a week, and then a month has passed and my head wiggles and waggles like a booble-head doll, wondering where all those days went and what I did to fill them up. When I was about twenty-years old an elderly lady (it seems strange to say that now that I am one!) told me that the older you get, the faster time goes. I discounted that information because she was an old lady and what could she possibly know. Now I know. Now I’m the old lady giving young women a reason to shake their heads.

Friendships are

like jewels

            I’m looking forward to being back with you, my dear readers, as we share the journey through this world to our real home in Heaven. The journey here is still joyful and God is still placing gems along my path that I want to share with you.

Joy and blessings to each of you!

See you again soon-

Cathy

Living in the Not Yet

Have you been praying for a specific request for what seems like forever and wonder if God is ever going to answer it? I have.

If God came to you, as He did to some in the Bible, asking, “What do you need,” do you know how you would respond?

I’ve been praying for my brother’s healing for over twenty years. He is disabled due to a degenerative disease of the spine complicated by a car wreck years ago. He’s had four neck vertebrae fused and has limited range of motion in his neck. He is in constant pain even with a pain medicine pump surgically inserted into his abdominal cavity with leads that run to his spine. The combination of medications it pumps out lessen the pain but don’t remove it. Some of the medicines have caused him to be diabetic and are now causing liver issues.

I’ve prayed for my sister’s salvation for decades.

I know God hears my prayers, and some prayers have been answered in miraculous ways. The truth is, God can answer our prayers by saying yes, no or not yet. That’s where I’m living with these two desires of my heart, in the not yet. God hasn’t chosen to heal them (physically for one and spiritually for the other), but He hasn’t said no either. So I’m living in the not yet.

There are others living here with me; several friends who are praying for their marriages, three women I know who are yearning to be totally healed from the effects of child sexual abuse, some who are trying to move on from failed marriages but the spouse is causing havoc in their new lives, and a couple of singles who are praying for the mate God has reserved for them.

What do we do while living here in the not yet?

1) We keep praying, just as fervently as ever, while we keep our eyes and ears tuned to God so we don’t miss even the tiny miracles He performs in answer to those prayers. Sometimes the answer requires multiple steps to get everything lined up for the big reveal.

2) We search ourselves to see if there is a lesson we need to learn along the way and try to discover what it is and learn it quickly so as not to prolong the answer.

3) We keep loving God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength because we know He loves us and is working out a perfect future that will be for our good and His glory.

4) We support each other knowing that living here is not easy and can drain us of our strength. It’s during those times that we take on the prayers of someone else so they can rest from the labor for a while and be refreshed for the battle. If we constantly pour out of ourselves and don’t take time to refill, we won’t be able to fight to the end.

Are you living here with us in the not yet? What is your heart’s desire? How can I help you in the battle?

Going out with joy today –

Cathy

An Unlikely Missionary

In September, 2015, I was privileged to be part of a Lay Witness Weekend at a church about 200 miles from my home. Lay people from other churches volunteered to be part of a team of witnesses who spent the weekend sharing their faith stories with the host church’s members in various settings. The article below came out a few weeks ago telling about one ministry that sprung from the weekend. I’m thrilled that I was able to be a part of this amazing work of God in the Rocky Mount, NC, Community.

An Unlikely Missionary
January 12, 2016

FUMC Rocky Mount has hosted a “Monday Morning Community Breakfast” for the past five years. Every Monday at 7 a.m. homeless people, housing-challenged individuals, working poor, and members from FUMC gather for a hot breakfast, fellowship and devotion. We sing, pray, share, listen, and experience God’s presence. Over the past year, one particular church member has been very intentional about bringing her six-year-old daughter, Annie, to sit and interact with those gathered.

In September of this year, FUMC had a “Discipleship Weekend” that focused on what it looks like to become an apprentice of Jesus Christ—someone imitating the ways of the Master. To our surprise and delight, a dozen individuals who normally only come to the Monday Morning Community Breakfast came to this retreat. At the closing lunch on Sunday, several of them were sitting together at a table. But they weren’t the only ones at that table for six. There, sitting by herself with them, was six-year-old Annie. Across from her sat Tom, a middle aged-man with a long, white beard. Beside her sat Debra, an African American grandmother and her granddaughter. Across the table diagonally sat Richard, who had just come out of the homeless shelter, and Bob, dressed in jeans with holes in the knees. There was no sense of insecurity, no look of discomfort on her face—just joy. Annie sat there at that table like it was the most natural thing in the world–making conversation and smiling at her friends as they all ate together. It was one of those “Kingdom moments”—the kind I imagine brings a smile to God’s face. This was just the beginning.

The Kitchen Crew of

First United Methodist Church, Rocky Mount, NC

A few days later, I received an email from Annie’s mother. It said that later Annie had asked her if they could let some of her new friends stay at their house where they “could be warm during the winter. “After some back and forth conversation in which her mother had to explain to a perplexed six-year-old why they couldn’t have everyone live with them, Annie decided that she could help by collecting warm blankets, jackets, and socks. Annie then shared her idea with her elementary school teacher. The elementary school teacher was so moved that she invited the whole class to be involved. In the teacher’s lounge, that teacher shared what her class was doing. The principal was so moved that the whole school decided to participate in the drive. “Can we set up a bin in the church to collect?” the email concluded. How incredible! From a six year old sitting at a table making friends…to a classroom…to an entire school and church!

It is amazing what God can bring into being from just having the courage to develop relationships with people—especially with those different from you. Part of what drives a missional community and a missional church is the persistent effort to develop relationships with people. It sounds simple and obvious, but relationships lead to new and relevant ideas. We often try forcibly to manufacture an idea and hope that it leads to relationships, growth, or a desired outcome. (“If we build it, they will come.”). Instead, they can miss the mark because they are not grounded in the reality of the neighborhood or the community they are supposed to influence. Annie’s story reminds me that it often works better the other way around. We are, after all, a sent people. When we first develop relationships with people with nothing more than an agenda of just getting to know them and befriend them, God uses those developing relationships as a kind of fertile ground to grow ideas and vision. Who knows where this blanket and sock drive will lead next? It has certainly united a church and a school around a particular mission. What if more churches operated on a large scale like Annie did? What missional ideas and visions might sprout from the fertile ground of relationships?

Author, Tyler Williams is the associate at FUMC: Rocky Mount. He is a participant in the New Faith Community’s AXIS Learning Community for Spiritual Entrepreneurs.

Going out with a heart full of joy today,

Cathy

O, Come, All Ye Faithful

Welcome to my Joyful Journey, 2016!

I know, I’m a little late with my greeting, but the new year slipped right on in, whether I was ready for it or not.

Shortly before the end of the year, when people were thinking about the new year looming ahead and making a list of resolutions, I got my instructions for marching ahead into 2016. Lots of times if God wants to speak to me, He’ll do it through a song. That day, I heard the Christmas carol, O Come All Ye Faithful, playing on the radio while I was driving toward town and the day’s errands. Here’s what I heard as the choir sang:

O, come, All Ye Faithful,

          Do you hear my call, my yearning to have you spend time with Me? Can I call you faithful? Will you come?

Joyful and triumphant!

          I have given you everything you need to approach life joyfully and triumphantly? Do you? My son’s death on the cross allows you to live life from a position of victory.

O, come, ye, oh, come ye to Bethlehem;

          The little town of Bethlehem was known in scripture as the House of Bread. Are you hungry, thirsty, lacking anything? Come to Me and I will supply all your needs. Stop your weeping, receive My blessing, anointing, refreshment, salvation.                  

Come and behold Him, Born the king of angels;

          Will you recognize My authority and worship Me?

O, come, let us adore him,

O, come, let us adore him,

O, come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord.

          This is worth repeating. When you focus your adoration on Me, everything about you is changed: your vision, your mind, your actions, your habits, your time.

Come, Faithful One, spend the year with Me. I will supply everything you need.

What about you, His faithful One? Will you scratch and dig yourself through another year or will you allow Him to change you into all He wants you to be?

He wants to spend time with us. He wants to provide all of our needs out of His great bounty. He wants to meet us in worship and adoration. And, yes, that adoration is mutual. He loves us.

You, O faithful One, are His favorite child! He is your best cheerleader.

Going out with joy today! I hope you are, too.

Cathy

O, Come, All Ye Faithful Copyright

Text: Attributed to John F. Wade c. 1711-1786; tr. Composite

Tune: Attributed to John F. Wade c. 1711-1786;

Joyful Journey: On Mission in Canada - Part Two

Joyful Journey: On Mission in Canada - Part Two:   Read these stories of persecuted Christian brother and sisters I met in Canada.

On Mission in Canada - Part Two

 

While on mission in Canada last month I met Christian brothers and sisters who had been persecuted in their home countries. Rather than being driven to fear and silence, their trials served to make them more boisterous about their faith. They eagerly tell about God’s love and faithfulness during their darkest days. They express their thankfulness for the way the Holy Spirit comforts them and guides their paths. They sing praises to Jesus for all that He does for them daily and they share their stories readily with anyone who will listen.

Ninety-four year old Arthur laments the fact that he can’t share Jesus the way he did when he was younger. His recent heart trouble has forced him to slow down but he is still on fire for Jesus and wants the world to hear about his Savior. He gets up early in the morning and goes to a neighborhood right after the morning newspapers have been delivered. He gathers the papers up, puts a tract about Jesus in each one, and then redistributes the papers to their rightful owners. He includes his name and number so they can call him if they want further information. Some

days he sits at a bus stop and waits for someone to sit down next to him. He begins a conversation with them and soon is telling them about Jesus. If no one comes to sit beside him, he leaves a Gospel of John in the predominant language of the neighborhood laying there in a plastic bag. Again, he includes his name and number so they can contact him.

Mussaret acted as an interpreter for one of our teams as they went door-to-door in one community giving out Bibles and Jesus DVDs in the homeowner’s language. Between houses, she shared her testimony and told stories about her past. She quickly jumped in as needed to share Jesus with homeowners who couldn’t speak English. Mussaret and Anwar opened their home to the team on Thursday evening for a meal. They are members at LEAF Canada, the church we partnered with while we were there. The buffet meal prepared by Mussaret was scrumptious, a real feast of Pakistani delights. After the meal there was a spirited recounting of the day’s blessings followed by prayer. Anwar closed out our prayer time with a prayer of thanksgiving and blessing that left many of us in tears.

Richard grew up unable to read. One night he went to a healing service seeking help for a wounded leg. A lady there prophesied over him telling him that he would go to the nations. He passed it off as nonsense; after all, how could a man who couldn’t read take the Gospel to the nations? Later in the evening when he went forward for prayer, he was told that God would come to him if he wanted Him to. He went home and prayed for three days for God to come to him. God showed up and asked him what He could do for him. Surprised, and unprepared for the meeting, Richard replied, “Maybe teach me to read.” Richard now speaks five languages and travels with his car trunk loaded with Bibles in many languages. He is always at the ready to share Jesus and God’s Word.

We all have a story to tell. What is your faith story? Please share it with me in the comments section.

Going out with joy today-

Cathy

On Mission in Canada - Part One

Charlotte Airport - Day One
Melba, Debra, Angie, Cathy, Karen, Paula and Sam

I had the privilege last week of going on a mission trip to Brampton, Ontario, Canada, with Hands on Missions in Shelby, NC. We partnered with a pastor and his church there to minister to the largely Hindu, Muslim and Sikh population. What I learned about being a witnessing Christian from the members of the church, most of them there due to persecution for their faith, has forever changed my perspective on evangelism.



Pastor Robin Wasti and wife, Neena

The Pastor, Robin Wasti, was the director of Campus Crusade for Christ in Pakistan. He started receiving letters threatening his life if he didn’t stop his work there. When his car was shot up he took the threat to his life and the lives of his family seriously. Because of his travel with CCC, he had a visa to the United States and one to Canada. He tried to come to the USA but the details didn’t work out. He had a cousin living in Canada so he moved there, leaving his wife and three children living underground in Pakistan until he could make arrangements to move them. They were separated for almost four years before they were reunited in Canada in May, 2014.

 In the meantime, Pastor Robin was working hard, sharing his faith with anyone who would listen. Some divine appointments in the workplace allowed him to find a basement apartment to live in and he started a house church there with the help of April and Jeffrey Langley, missionaries with the International Mission Board. God blessed Robin with understanding homeowners who allowed the church to use some of their rooms upstairs so they could break out into separate groups for Sunday School.

Some of the children at
Bottomwood Park last week

When Robin and his family were reunited last year and they could minister together, things started popping. The church is growing and they are now having services in a Chinese Baptist Church on Sunday afternoons and evenings. In July of last year, they held their first Kid’s Club in a local park. Every community has a park where families with children gather from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. each night during the summer months. A group from Hands on Missions came to help with the first Kid’s Clubs. Each member of the team set up a station where they witnessed to the children about Jesus in various ways through stories, games and prizes. They also played large group games in the center of the parks, performed skits of Bible stories like The Good Samaritan and gave away candy, juice, Bibles and Jesus DVDs in their own languages. Witnessing was going on all around the edges of the parks where the men and women of the community had gathered for their nightly visit. Nearly 300 children heard about Jesus last year through the Hands on Missions teams. Two other teams came after this one and repeated the fun in six other parks.



"I got Kid's Club!"

Last week, all of this was repeated in three parks, but this year over 400 children heard the Good News, along with their parents and others visiting the park. I was amazed at how attentive the children were, sitting quietly, wide-eyed, hardly moving a muscle as I told them about the gift that God gave us through Jesus and how to open and claim that gift for  themselves. Some remembered the Kid’s Clubs from last year and were excited that the team had come back. As I sat in the park one morning making posters to advertise the next night’s event while others went door-to-door inviting families to come, several children came up and asked if they could have an invitation. Four of them danced around holding up their cards saying, “I got Kid’s Club, I got Kid’s Club.”

I kept asking myself while I was there if I would be as exuberant about sharing the Gospel if I had been shot at, persecuted, and separated from my family. Most of my witnessing in my everyday life at home is done silently, being a good example. Occasionally I will take the opportunity to use words. The believers I met on mission in Canada know the cost of following and witnessing about Christ – and do it anyway.

“God help me be more like them. Amen.”

Going out with joy today-

Cathy

Answers to Prayer

 

George F. Mueller
1805 - 1898
 

Here is your assignment for life: Renounce your regular salary and live on unsolicited gifts. Start five orphanages that will eventually house over 10,000 children. Establish 117 schools and travel over 200,000 miles evangelizing unreached parts of the world for Christ pre-air flight. In your travels distribute over 285,000 Bibles, 1,460,000 New Testaments and over 240,000 evangelical tracts. Remember, you cannot advertise a need for funds or ask people to support you. Are you ready to get started?

George Mueller (1805-1898), Evangelist and Director of Ashley Down orphanages in Bristol, England accepted that challenge. His two passions in life were to convert people to a relationship with Christ and to care for the “dear orphans.”

First Orphan-House, Wilson Street
Opened April 11, 1836

On December 5, 1835, while reading his Bible and praying, God impressed Psalm 81:10 on George’s mind. He pondered the meaning of the verse and realized that he had never asked God for anything regarding the orphan-house except to know His will regarding the establishment of it. George then fell to his knees and started praying for the provision of all articles that were needed to open an orphanage: a house or building, money, furniture, clothes, caregivers, and more. By December 13^th, God had moved on the hearts of people and the needs were well on the way to being provided.

George Mueller’s book, Answers to Prayer, (2013, Lumin Christian Products), contains excerpts from his many journals. He recorded every pound, schilling, pence and miracle that God brought to the ministry and the amazing ways that it came. Many times, they were down to their last coin with not enough to feed the children their next meal – but God always came through for them. In all the years of this ministry, the children never lacked food, clothing, care, or education. During the times when supplies were thin, George devoted himself to fervent prayer and Bible study, often times interrupted by someone at the door with the means needed to carry on the work for that day or for several days.

Orphan-House No. 3

Why would a man do life the way George Mueller chose to? Listen to one of his journal entries: “I certainly did from my heart desire to be used by God to benefit the bodies of poor children, bereaved of both parents, and seek in other respects, with the help of God, to do them good for this life; I also particularly longed to be used by God in getting the dear orphans trained up in the fear of God; but still, the first and primary object of the work was, and still is, that God might be magnified by the fact, that the orphans under my care are provided with all they need, only by prayer and faith without anyone being asked by me or my fellow laborers whereby it may be seen that God is FAITHFUL STILL, and HEARS PRAYERS STILL.”

What could God accomplish in our world today if faithful Christians lived as though they believed that God is faithful and He really does hear and answer prayer? Does our lukewarm belief bind God’s hands and prevent us from experiencing the miracles He wants to lavish on us? I sense that most of us have only given ourselves over to the very tip of the iceberg of the blessings of faith, prayer and Bible study. This book has certainly struck a cord in my heart that will require much time alone with God.

I’m going out with joy today, knowing that God loves me, warts and all-

Cathy

What's in Your Hand?

As the music reached a crescendo, my hand rose into the air. The Spirit wove its way through the sanctuary inviting worship. As the music ended, a peace settled over my soul and my hand came to rest in my lap. I noticed my pen was still in my hand and the thought came to me that I had offered my pen to God. For a writer, that seemed significant. It was as if I had surrendered my writing to God and asked Him to write through me the words He wants people to see.

Days later as I was pondering what happened on Sunday, I remembered a passage in Exodus 4 where God asked Moses, “What’s in your hand?” God had given Moses an assignment and Moses was giving God all kinds of excuses as to why he couldn’t perform. God showed His great power by transforming the rod Moses carried in his hand. Moses gave in and, with God’s help, accepted the task he was given.

A week later I read a book about a quilter who used her craft to fashion quilts for babies who were born in a home for unwed mothers. She wanted each baby to have something of their very own to take with them as they left this home, and something they could use for several years as they grew.

Do you have a bottle of nail polish and an hour to spare? A friend takes her bottles of nail polish to a nursing home near her

house and goes from room to room once a week spending time talking to each resident while she polishes their nails. Such a simple act, yet so meaningful to the ladies she visits.

Maybe you have a pen in your hand but you don’t consider yourself a writer. A dear friend who was virtually homebound due to the illness of her son spends her spare time sending greeting cards to folks in our community. Once a year, in December, she prints a poem called My First Christmas in Heaven on parchment paper and sends it to local families who have lost a loved one during the year. I was the recipient of one of those letters in 2010 and was deeply touched by it.

What do you have in your hand? Would you give it over to God for His use in blessing someone today? Please leave a comment about how God is using whatever is in your hand.

Going out with joy today-

Cathy
 

It's All About the Cross

              This weekend my family will be celebrating Easter along with other Christians worldwide. Though society tries to discount the meaning of Easter and make it all about cuddly bunnies and chocolate eggs, for those of us who acknowledge Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior, it’s all about the cross of Calvary.

The Cross Declares the Love of God and the Sinfulness of Man

            My sin caused a chasm between God and I that could not be breached through my own efforts. My death was required as payment for my sin. Yet, God loved me so much that He sent His only Son to die on the cross in my place. I owed a debt I could not pay. He paid a debt He did not owe.

The Cross Demands Acceptance and Repentance

            God offered me the free gift of everlasting life. I accepted His gift of love when I was sixteen years old. Repenting of my sin has given me a heart bursting with joy. His gift gives me abundant life now and life with Him in eternity.

The Cross Divides the Spiritually Blind and

the Spiritually Blessed

             Do you know the Jesus of the cross? He died to set you free from the chains of your sin. He came back to life three days after His death to go live with His Father and prepare a place for you to live with Him forever. He loves you and He wants you to be His child. The cross presents you with choices: accept or reject the love He offers. Take a look at the cross this weekend and make your choice. He’s waiting for you to decide.

Going out with joy today-

Cathy

Running the Race - Part Two

Cathy running thru the pink zone at
The Color Run in Asheville, NC

 I am finally getting back to Part Two of my exercise/race series which has been delayed by holidays, sickness and life in general. Thanks for your patience. You are an awesome group of people. Click here to revisit Part One to refresh your memory. As I told you, I’ve been using a walking DVD to get back in shape. As the instructor gives directions, I hear words like Stand Tall, Reach, Keep Moving, Choose, and Expect.

            Stand Tall – When I stand tall during exercise, my muscles can achieve peak performance. Standing tall improves my attitude and gives me a sense of confidence. Surveys of Human Resource Managers shows that job applicants who stand tall during an interview are hired at a much greater rate than those who slouch in with shoulders in a defeated position. Standing tall is as much an attitude as a physical position. I know a lady who is wheelchair bound, yet she portrays an attitude of standing tall. The wheelchair is a circumstance, but it hasn’t affected her confidence in herself.

            Reach – When I stretch and reach, my muscles are lengthened giving me a longer, leaner look. Setting health improvement and other life goals should cause us to reach beyond our comfort zones. If I can reach my goals without reaching and stretching toward them, they probably weren’t appropriate goals.

            Keep Moving – Any kind of movement is healthier than no movement. When I think I am at the end of my strength, I force

Cathy and Mary Jane (in yellow shirts) at
Meet Me at the Fountain Run, Forest City, NC

myself to keep moving for another minute or two. Push yourself. Not quitting will do amazing things for your self-esteem. When I’m doing a 5K race, I usually breeze through the first mile. The second mile my body wants to get a little slower and the third mile is torture. I often want to stop but by then I’m a mile into the race. Heading toward the finish line only makes sense.

            Choose – One bit of encouragement the instructor offers is that because you made the good decision to exercise, you will likely make other good decisions that day, possibly good food choices. One good choice leads to another and another. Ever hear the phrase: sit, soak and sour? The choices to stand tall, reach, and keep moving will keep me us from stagnating.

Group Shot after the Race
Light the Night, Forest City, NC

Expect – As I make right choices, I can expect good results. Do you hear that recording playing in your head that says, “Be a good girl and clean your plate?” I’ve seen a change in my thought pattern that tells me I can quit eating when I am full. I don’t have to go away miserable because I overate anymore. Our body is miraculously designed to tell us what it needs. Listen to it. It will tell you when it’s hungry, or thirsty, or tired.

            I hope my experience will help you stand tall in confidence, reach for your goals, keep moving in a positive direction, make good choices, and expect great rewards for your effort.

I’m going out with joy today, thankful for a body that still moves-

Cathy