So, a thing happened this week…

“The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.” Psalms 37:23-24 NLT

 Hello, Friend!

So, a thing happened this week. I took a wrong step and fell backward onto my basement floor. As I struggled unsuccessfully to regain my balance, I called out the name of Jesus. He answered me in this miracle. Somehow, as I was falling my hoodie transformed into a cushion for my head, so I did not bang my head on the cement floor.  As I was at home alone, that would’ve been a really bad day.  I am praising Jesus for his great mercy and kindness!

However, my right wrist took the brunt of the fall. The left hurts some, too. In a couple of days it will be fine. After eight hours in the emergency room, I do have a cast on my broken right wrist. It will be there for at least 4 to 6 weeks. So, writing will be very interesting!       

I will be experimenting with all of the digital options I have available to continue to post my weekly blog. Thank you for your prayers. Yes, I need them, but God‘s grace is already heavy upon me. I am grateful! He is good!

That’s all for this week.

See you next week, Cathleen

What is Balance Anyway?

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5 NIV

Would you say that your life is in balance? Where do you spend your most thought and energy? Where would you like to be spending your energy? What area needs your attention?

If I find I am obsessing over certain details of my life, then I need to remind myself that I have lost my balance. You know what I mean. You lie awake while your brain is trying to solve a problem, or put a relationship back together, or put things in order that are really out of your control. Believe me, I have been there. In fact, I have been there VERY recently. Okay, it was today!

What I have learned is that if something is out of balance, there is a good chance that I am attempting to do it in my own strength. When I make Jesus the center of that situation, then I know what requires my effort and attention. When something is out of balance in my life, I need to step back and evaluate if I am staying connected to Jesus. Am I relying on His strength or depending on my own? Am I deciding what I think is best without reference to to His Word and His Spirit?

How can I put Jesus at the center of everything? What does balance really look like anyway?

One of the most helpful things I heard in all of my education for ministry credentials came from one of my teachers. It wasn’t in the assigned curriculum, and I can’t remember which teacher said it. But this concept changed how I approach priorities. It is the key that helps me find my balance.

We tend to think of priorities in a linear fashion. It is a very western approach. You know what I mean. “God first, then my family, then…” The teacher used the white board and wrote JESUS in the center. He said that when Jesus is at the center, He will show us where to focus our attention at any given time. There may be times when my family should be my focus. There may be times when my ministry receives greater focus. There may be times when I need to spend more energy on my physical or mental health or finances. If Jesus is the center of my life, then He will show me the right thing at the right time. Jesus at the center is the key to balance.

Find your balance by finding your center. What area of your life seems to be out of control and weighing heavy on you? That is an area that is out of balance. How can you find your center?

One thing that has helped me is to seek God for a Scripture that speaks to that area of life. If finances are weighing on me, then I find scriptures that speak about God’s provision. (Mt 6:33, Phil 4:19) If I am struggling to find peace as I wonder how circumstances are going to play out, I look up words that remind me to trust in Him (Isaiah 26:3, Proverbs 3:5-6) If I am struggling over a family relationship, then I remind myself that love is what matters most and ask what love looks like in that situation. (Galatians 5:6, Mark 12: 29-31)

Here’s the thing: Any area where I am focused on trying to solve the problem or smooth out the situation is an area that is out of balance. When I put Jesus back in the center of that area the angst settles, and I can wait for Him to speak. When He does, I can see clearly what He is asking of me, and I receive the grace to do it. When Jesus is at the center, I am in balance.

Balance does not mean everything is even. When you envision an old-fashioned scale, balance means both sides are even. If we think of our priorities in a linear fashion, we imagine everything being equal and lined up one after the other. But if balance is about being centered, then the majority of weight is in the center, and I can focus on one area more than another without being out of balance.

Jesus at my center means that He reveals where I need to pay more attention. My weight is on Him and He helps me to care for the area He highlights. The other areas will receive the attention they need at the right time.

Trying to spin all the plates at the same time and keep everything going at the same speed just doesn’t work. Find your center and ask Him where He wants you to focus. That keeps you in balance. You can do it. Isn’t that so much more doable than trying to keep everything even?

Balance requires constant re-evaluation.  Because you can’t keep everything at the same level all the time, you need to constantly be re-centering. Keeping your balance requires constant re-evaluation. Keep checking back to center and ask Him where you need to spend your thoughts, energy and time. The courage and wisdom to tackle each issue comes from the center. He will show you the right thing at the right time. Stay open to the Spirit’s prompting to shift your focus while keeping your weight on Jesus.

 Dear Friend, balance is not easy, but it is doable. If you and I can remind ourselves to find our center, focus on what the Spirit says and be ready to re-evaluate we will find our balance and move forward with grace and peace. You can do it! You can find your balance with Jesus at the center.

 Key Question: What does balance look like?

A Scripture to Consider: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5 NIV

A YES Challenge: Look at your schedule and evaluate where you are spending most of your energy. Prayerfully consider if that area is out of balance. What steps can you take to make Jesus the center of that life area?

Prayer: Lord, I realize that I tend to pay attention to certain areas of my life more than others. Help me to understand myself. Help me to see what needs to change so that I can make You my true center. I want to rely on You to show me where I need to focus my attention and energy so that I keep You at the center. I need Your guidance by Your Spirit. Amen.

This Is Normal?! How To Adjust To What You Didn’t Expect

So, it’s July and I saw my first “back to school” commercial on TV. Really?! But, are kids going back to school in the fall? Actually, the right question is: How are the kids going back to school in the fall? Virtually? In person? A blend of both? My life was structured around the school schedule for more than twenty years when my kids were in school and I worked in schools. It brought a sense of order to all my days and years. Now...what school year schedule? 

This is normal?! School plans in the air? Face masks in public? But, that is the new normal, isn’t it? Not knowing what is going to happen. What would normally be anticipated can no longer be expected. Things we didn’t ever imagine are now reality. As you try to plan your calendar for the rest of 2020, I hope you don’t have a pen in your hand! Pencil is the only way to plan these days.

How are you doing with the new normal? Are your fighting it internally? Are you just hanging on until “normal” comes back?

Do you find yourself longing for the normal that you used to know? The normal that you anticipated? Yeah, me too. But it isn’t happening now and won’t be happening in the near future. I hate to break it to you, but the normal that you and I knew is gone for good. There is no turning back. What you and I have to do now is learn to navigate the normal that is, not look back to the normal that was. 

How can we make it through the new normal? No, not just make it through. How can you and I thrive and honor God in the midst of this unexpected reality? 

First, forget what is behind and accept what is. The key is in recognizing what is real and living there.  You can’t really forget what was. That’s not what I am saying. But when we look back at the past and long for it, we can’t move forward. The key to moving forward with grace is to accept what is and let go of what is not. Take a deep breath and then take one last look back. Go ahead! Take that deep breath now! Now, turn your face forward. There, that’s better!

Second, set your mind on the future and look forward to what is ahead. It’s up to you to decide where you will let your thoughts dwell. No one else can do that for you. When you decide to focus on the current reality and look ahead, anticipation will grow within you. Really, it will!

Ask yourself: “What might God want to do in and through me in this new normal? What might be possible now that was not possible before? How is God growing me through this so that I can become the person that He has always intended me to be?” 

This new normal is just as full of possibilities as the one we have left behind. When you shift your focus to what lies ahead, the fog begins to clear a bit and you just might be able to discern some shapes on the horizon. Decide how you are going to think about this. Determine where you will let your thoughts wander to...and where you won’t.

Pivot your perspective and press on. What lies ahead is more than just schedules and plans. There is a reality that stretches far beyond the end of your calendar years. Eternity is ahead and that’s what is worth living for. Press on and take hold of the prize of living forever in the presence of the One who loves you completely and continually. This world is temporary and in constant change. What matters most, what really matters, is eternal. The eternal never changes.

Long before the pandemic of 2020 I found myself in the midst of a new normal I didn’t expect. I’d love to share details with you, but it wouldn’t be appropriate. Just let me say that all that I imagined, planned and prayed for seemed to be replaced with the exact opposite, and my new reality was outside the realm of anything I ever imagined. 

My life looks nothing like I expected and I have had to wrestle with that in God’s presence...a lot.  In all my wrestling I have come to this conclusion: This life is not all there is, and if I say that I believe in heaven and eternity, then that is what I need to live for. Jesus did not die so that I could live a comfortable life on earth, but so that my relationship with God could be restored. Because of the cross, I can taste eternity now and experience complete restoration when this life is over. He opened the door to heaven and I choose to set my mind on things above, not things here on earth. (Colossians 3:2)

The key to remaining steady in uncertain times is to keep the end in mind. What do I really want? More importantly, who do I want to be? What do I want to be known for? Is my strongest desire material comfort and stability, or Is it to represent Christ well? 

The new normal is not what I had hoped for or expected. The new normal looks nothing like what I dreamed of. The new normal in some ways is horrifying to me, but, one thing I do, forgetting what is behind and reaching out for what is ahead, I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. He is the one at work in me both to want to and to do what pleases Him. (Philippians 3: 13-14 , 2:13)

Press on, Dear Friend, because in the end our normal will be in His presence forever. That’s a reality worth reaching for. 

Key thought:  An eternal perspective will help you adjust to what you didn’t expect.

A Scripture to consider: “No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” ‭‭Philippians‬ ‭3:13, 14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

A YES challenge:  As you face your new normal, ask yourself some questions in God’s presence. “What is it that I really want? What matters most to me?” Allow Him to reveal your own heart to you and ask Him to help you focus on pleasing Him above all. 

Prayer:  Lord, this normal doesn’t look anything like I expected and I don’t know what is going to happen next or how to prepare for it. Help me to let go of all my expectations and focus on being the person You want me to be, whatever happens. Amen.

Sad is not Bad. Anger is not Evil. What Does God Want Me To Do With My Feelings?

So much is happening in our nation and world right now. The COVID-19 crisis has forced everyone out of the routines that bring them comfort and a sense of control, causing anxiety levels to increase like smoldering kindling. The atrocity of George Floyd's death has ignited what was smoldering and given vent to all the pent up anxiety and anger, re-injuring the deepest of unhealed wounds. The pushed-down, unexpressed, unprocessed emotion has erupted in protest. Some righteous anger has led to righteous action, while other expressions have been retribution and revenge. 

I have watched these unfolding events without being aware of emotion on the surface. I have mentally acknowledged the horror and injustice without a sense of emotion attached, but I know that I do have feelings about it. I realized that I needed to take time with God to go with Him into that place of feeling, following a process I shared with you a few weeks ago. (What’s Going On In There? A Guide For Staying In Touch With What’s Beneath the Surface? Click here to read.) 

I started by getting in touch with God's presence and giving Him thanks. Then I asked myself and God, “What am I feeling about all this?” As God and I began to go together into my feelings, I recognized a feeling of helplessness. It all seems too big for me to do anything about it. But I sensed God whisper to me, “If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.” I don’t want to be part of the problem. This is a place where I had to get right with God, to repent, and it challenged me to go deeper. 

We had to grapple through a few layers of reflection to get to the root, the depth of what I have been feeling. God helped me to name it as sadness. What I feel about the racial divide gaping in our nation. the COVID-19 crisis and people's responses, is deep sadness. So much loss and hurt. It can be overwhelming to feel that sadness. "It isn’t supposed to be this way!" echoed in my soul. As God and I grappled with this, He showed me that the sadness is a reflection of His sadness. It isn’t supposed to be this way. This is not what He wants for the people He has created. God designed us to be in perfect unity with Him and with each other. It’s the sadness that results from living in a sin-cursed world. 

An article at GotQuestions.org entitled "What does the Bible say about sadness?" (Click here to read. ) says this,  “Sadness is either the direct or indirect result of sin, and since we live in a fallen world, sin is a normal part of life. (Psalm 90:10)” Jesus must have felt this kind of sadness every day of His life. This isn’t what He planned for humanity. This isn’t what He wants. If we take the time to be honest with ourselves about our emotions, we might recognize that we also feel this sadness more often than we would like to admit. Recognizing the sadness is one thing, but what am I supposed to do with it? Your first reaction might be to try to make yourself feel better through a variety of appropriate, or even inappropriate, activities. Or, you might ignore it completely and move on. But I believe that God has something better for you and for me.

God has given us emotions to lead us to action. Many people are extremely angry right now and they are taking action, from righteous protests to unrighteous rioting. I am more likely to feel sad than angry. But that sadness is equally valuable. Just like righteous anger it is meant to lead me to righteous action. For me, then, this sadness isn’t fully my own. It is the burden God has given me to lead me to pray. It is a reminder to intercede on behalf of individuals and our nation. I am asking God what other action He might be asking of me. I will not use a call to prayer as an excuse to do nothing else. If God leads me to other action I want to obey, but I have to start by recognizing that the feeling that this is too big for me to be of any help is not true. It's a lie and every lie is an enemy of God. If I am not part of the solution, then I am part of the problem. I want to be part of the solution.

Prayer is a valuable action that connects to God’s power, but not only His power. It also connects me to His compassion and care for people. Prayer is not about making God do something. It is about connecting with what He wants to do and agreeing with Him. Prayer is uniting with God’s heart in a powerful way. Prayer is about changing me so that I can become God’s instrument in changing circumstances.  Beginning with prayer allows me to be a conduit of His power into circumstances that only He can affect. My agreement with Him in prayer invites Him to enter into the situation in His power and for His purposes. It cooperates with Him in what He wants to do. 

Dear Friend, where does God have you in all of this? How are you feeling? What actions might your feelings be leading you to? How might God be calling you to cooperate with Him in what He wants to do? 

Discover these things by getting in touch with God's presence and giving thanks and then by going with Him into your feelings and grappling with them together with Him. Get right with God where you need to, and then go forward into the action He is calling you to. (Click here to further explore this process.)

Reconciliation is part of who God is. it will always be a part of what He does. Forgiveness and justice are also part of who He is and, therefore, are part of what He does. Righteous anger leads to righteous action, not retribution. As a believer, God calls you and me to reflect His character in how we respond. 

How might He want you to be a part of the solution? 

Key Thought: God has given us emotions to lead us to action. 

A Scripture to consider: “From the ends of the earth, I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the towering rock of safety, for you are my safe refuge, a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭61:2-3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

A YES Challenge: Take time in God’s presence to recognize and name what you are feeling in response to current events in our world. Ask God what action He wants you to take as a result. 

Prayer: Lord, I never learned to recognize my emotions as messages from You. I have been feeling a lot recently, but have tried to ignore or smooth them over. Help me learn to process my feelings with You and help me learn to seek You for how I need to act in response to my feelings. Amen.