Glory

Nathan said to the king, “Go and do what you really want to do, because the Lord is with you.” 2 Samuel 7:3

If the Lord is with you, who can be against you?  (Romans 8:31)

So many characters in the Bible did amazing and courageous things only because of one thing-The Lord was with them.

Moses said “If your presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.”  Exodus 33:15

It’s not so much about the men or women that God chose and called for such a time as this, they were imperfect, flawed and weak at best, but they had a quality of heart that God desired and He used them to do amazing things, but it was never about them.  It was the God in them that brought the Glory.

In that day we will not be boasting in the Prophets, Apostles, or Women of God.  In that day, we will all fall down and behold the only one who deserves the Glory-the Holy one of Israel, Jesus Christ, the perfect, flawless, Son of God.

“We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.”  Romans 8:22

To God Be the Glory!

Cast Away

“They honored us in many ways; and when we were ready to sail, they furnished us with the supplies we needed.” Acts 28:10

Have you ever felt like a Cast Away on a deserted island?  If you Google the word, Cast Away you will find the definition to be: a person who has been shipwrecked and stranded in an isolated place.

Remember the movie, Cast Away starring Tom Hanks in which he survived by talking to a volley ball, until he was rescued and lived to tell his remarkable story. 

I think of the Apostle, Paul who was shipwrecked on the Island of Malta.  At first no one wanted to listen to him, and they suffered loss because of it, but by the Grace of God all the men were saved, and Paul did many healings on the Island of Malta, and he was received well there.  He even said He was honored and the Islanders furnished their supplies so they were able to sail to Rome where Paul was also needed.  What a blessing to see the relationship wasn’t one sided, but Paul, His Crew and the Islanders were used to supply each other’s needs.  What a testimony!

I also think of John on the Island of Patmos.  He was banished there because of His testimony of Jesus.  But even through such difficulty and I’m sure feelings of isolation and loneliness, God in his amazing love and grace drew near to him and revealed the Revelatory story of the end times.

Maybe you feel like a Cast Away today, alone, needing to survive, feeling unheard, wondering what the rescue plan is? I want to tell you that God sees you and hears you, and you will serve His purpose.  He can use you wherever you are to bring healing, to speak revelation, and He will use others you minister to-to bless you and supply your needs.

Keep your eyes on the horizon; another ship is coming soon!

Cathy

Noonday

We always want to run ahead of God,
but he whispers, Just wait, Just rest,
Just be still.

Let me turn your mourning into dancing.
Let me place a rainbow in your clouds.
Let me bring you Joy in the morning.

"Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him and he will do this:
He will make your righteousness
shine like the dawn,
your vindication like the noonday sun."
Psalm 37:5

Rise Again

You can’t cut down what was made to live!

I love to sit on my couch and look out the window.  I am a nature and people watcher.  I love to observe the environment in which I live because there’s always a lesson that the Spirit of God is trying to teach me.  It often comes through people and nature.  God’s creation is the greatest teacher if you are open to receive it. 

So, there was a tree that grew on the corner of my block and every Spring it would bloom with pink blossoms.  This brought me hope.  The winter was leaving and Spring was here.  In my neighborhood it’s mostly on-street parking, so this makes winter months very difficult. We are always so happy when Spring comes.  So, anyway this Tree always brought me hope for brighter days.  But a couple of years ago, the owners cut it down.  I was so sad about it.  I told my husband, it was sign that we had to leave our neighborhood. 

Amazingly, after a couple of years I noticed that the tree began to grow back again.  I was astounded and so happy to see a baby tree grow up and turn green.  It felt triumphant to me, and reminded me of a Christian song that my mother use to play when my sisters and I were kids.  It was called, “Rise Again.”  The Lyrics point to Jesus, our Lord and Savior and to all of us who hope for eternal life through Christ, God’s Son.

“'Cause I'll rise, again,
Ain't no power on earth can keep Me down!
Yes, I'll rise, again,
Death can't keep Me in the ground.”

If you stay in your neighborhood long enough, it’s amazing what you will see and what you will learn.  Those people and things you thought would be here long after you are gone, actually may go before you.

Stick around and watch what the Lord will do through you if you are patient in knowing that seasons will come and go and people will come and go but the Everlasting Love of our Savior is forever.

My Neighbor

And Who, is my neighbor?  (Luke 10:29)

Dave was my neighbor.  I met him some years back because he decided to be neighborly and take out everyone’s trash on Fridays for the houses adjacent to his.  I thanked him many times and told him he didn’t have to do it, but he did it with honor and dignity every week.  He took pride in being a good neighbor.  I remember asking him his name, “Dave” and telling him my name, “Cathy.”

I started giving him a Christmas present every year to thank him for his humble work, but even that waned off after some years. 

Dave was present in our neighborhood.  He was a fixture to our neighborhood.  You could often see him sitting outside and saying hello to those passing by.  He would sit on the steps or in the chair resting and catching sun.  Often when he saw me he would cross the street to tell me some headline news of the area. 

He talked to me about his mom passing away and his sister he would visit nearby.  He had a contagious laugh and would light up when talking about something he found funny.

He was difficult to understand.  He had some sort of developmental disability that effected his speech and his gait, from what I could tell.

He recently told me he turned 70 something. He didn’t look more that 60.  He was a beloved neighbor and community member. He lived in a group home across the street.  We have seen another die in that home, but it was difficult to find out Dave was the one to die this past week.

Dave had a lot to teach us about being a good neighbor.  He was friendly, humble, and self-less in serving us for many years, doing something nobody else wanted to do, and yet he did with pride and with a smile on his face.

You always wonder when someone dies, “Could I have done more?” “Could I have said more?” 

“Could I have been a better friend?”  I remember once inviting him to church, but he declined.  I remember once getting an impulse to help him take out everyone’s garbage that day, but I declined. 

Who was a better neighbor?  Dave, by far.  Thanks Dave for showing me how.  I honor your memory, today.  You will be missed.  You hold a special place in our hearts. I'm glad to have met you and happy that you were my neighbor for eight years.

Settle My Heart

Oh Love of God

Settle my heart

From fear and anxiety.

Oh Love of God

Give me the peace

To know you are

With me.

Oh Love of God

Awaken me

To the Life

Poured out for me.

Oh Love of God

Come to my

Aide quickly,

And settle

My heart.

Before the Grand Plie...

Before the Grand Plie;

I stepped across a tethered bridge,
and spoke of times not understood,
the set purpose in which I live.

I rolled the rocks of Old Hebron,
And in the waves of Oceans' Mime
I finally understood...