There’s A Place For You At The Table

January 18, 2020 Cathleen Zahradnik

You arrive late to the event. Everyone is seated at the beautifully decked tables. The room itself seems to sparkle. The fine china is set. The centerpieces add color, beauty and fragrance to the elegant room. The sounds of a string quartet hang softly in the air. You look around hesitantly, hopeful that there will be a seat, embarrassed at your lateness. The host sees you and eagerly greets you, leading you to a place prepared for you. Your name is displayed in gold, scrolling letters on a place card. You sit, relieved that your place has not been given away, and, honored to be welcomed and cared for by such a gracious host. Your place has been prepared and kept for you. And then, you are overwhelmed to realize that you have been honored with a place at the host’s own table!

My friend, when it comes to God’s story on the earth, there is a seat for you at the King’s table. Like a banquet, God has reserved seating at His table and He has kept a place for you. Isn’t that amazing?!

You Really Do Make A Difference

January 11, 2020 Cathleen Zahradnik

“You are unique.” How many times have you heard that in your lifetime? It’s a familiar phrase, but have you ever really taken the time to consider it? Take some time to think about your personality, gifts and talents. What does your uniqueness say about God and His purposes for you?

I’ve learned that knowing myself and my uniqueness is part of knowing God better. The better I know myself, the clearer God’s purpose for me becomes. And I am always learning more, which keeps me growing and reaching further for what He has ahead. As I learn what I am good at, I begin to see what I can do for Christ. I have a clearer picture of His character, plan and purposes and how I fit into them.

How about you, my friend? Here are some things I know about you:

A Resolution For 2020

January 4, 2020 Cathleen Zahradnik

The year begins with fireworks and bells clanging. People shouting. Confetti falling. I join the celebration. My face smiles, but there is a nagging gnawing within. ”In this chaos and the sea of faces, does anyone really see me? Does my life matter to anyone or am I just a dot in the middle of a thousand other dots? Who sees me? God, do You see me?”

Isn’t that the gnawing question we all ask? “Does anyone really see me? Does my life matter?” Dear Friend, here at the start of 2020, I want to offer you an answer to that question that could help anchor you through whatever lies ahead in this new year. You can know that you matter because God loves you. Simple? Yes, but profound. How deeply have you assimilated that truth? Has it moved beyond knowledge to experience? What if you and I made a resolution to live out that truth in 2020? Let’s think about it together.

Take A Deep Breath And Take The Next Step

December 28, 2019 Cathleen Zahradnik

Time to take a deep breath and turn into the future!.png

I followed my friend’s directions...I thought. But here I am at a “T” in the road. Now what?! Right or left? I am not really sure which way is correct, but I know what I can’t do. I cannot stay here with a line of traffic behind me. I have to make a choice. I have to go somewhere! I take a deep breath, put on my signal blinker and turn. Here goes!

Maybe you’ve been in that kind of situation as well. You might be right there at this point in your life. The end of a year. The beginning of a new one. Which way do I turn now?

We all ask the same questions. Which is the right way to choose? What is the right thing to do. Which direction should I head in? How is this all going to turn out?

You and I have things that we want to do. For those of us who are believers, even nominal believers, we want to know God’s will. We often get stuck because we feel like there is only one right way to go and if we mess it up we will have ruined our whole life and God’s plan. That is a pretty big failure, messing up God’s plan! Who wants that kind of responsibility?! Maybe you say to yourself, “I guess I will just make no decision. Stay where I am. Change nothing. Isn’t that safer? Isn’t it better to stay where I am than to mess everything up?”

Tribute To A Brave Heart

December 21, 2019 Cathleen Zahradnik

I had a plan. I had a plan for what I was going to write about this week. I had even begun to write it. Then something happened that changed my plan. Something totally unexpected. Something world-altering. My friend Christine lost her valiant battle with cancer, but, through her faith, she won the ultimate victory.

She didn’t want to be known as a victim of cancer, so I want to emphasize what she has won over what she lost. But I have lost a great deal, and you have, too, even though you may not have known her. She is one of those people who made the world a better place just by being in it. Her friendship made an impact on me and who I am, so if I make an impact on you at all, Christine is part of that. Even though she has left us, her influence continues, so she makes the world a better place by the legacy she leaves. She left a legacy of passion, courage and love.

Passion defines how we face life. What we are passionate about influences our words, our decisions and our attitudes. Christine was a woman full of passion. When you spoke with Christine about anything at all there was an intensity in her eyes as she intently listened and responded. She didn’t do anything half-heartedly.

Look Beyond The Surface. God Is With You!

December 14, 2019 Cathleen Zahradnik

So, what was it you really wanted to accomplish this year? Way back in January, you probably had some idea of what you hoped would happen and how you hoped to grow in the new year. Something about the new year makes us feel like a fresh start is in order. And here we are now at the end of the year. Something about the end of the year makes us want to look back and evaluate. I have begun to do some evaluating. How about you?

As you look back on this year, what kind of progress have you made toward your goals, written or unwritten? This year, I feel like I have made some progress, but I don’t always feel that way. It’s easy to come to the year’s end and feel that you have made zero progress. You haven’t accomplished what you had hoped. You are still struggling with some of the same flaws. Circumstances are just not where you’d like them. But is zero progress really accurate?

I want to encourage you to look deeper and look further. Look beyond the surface and see God, not what looks like your failure.

Look Around. How Is God With You?

December 7, 2019 Cathleen Zahradnik

As I listened to the preacher’s story, I had the same questions. But how would God answer me? He shared a time of sitting in a chair feeling alone and abandoned by God and saying to God, “Don’t You care? Don’t You love me?” The story continued with the man’s little child coming to him at just that moment, climbing into his lap, putting tiny hands on either side of his grown-up face, looking directly into his eyes and saying, “I love you, Daddy!” In that moment, the preacher recognized the love of God coming to him in the form of his child. I had the same question, “Don’t You care? Don’t You love me?” Later in the service, God used that preacher to answer my questions in a way that I recognized as God sending His love to me. How is God sending His love to you today?

There are times in life when we feel absolutely alone. Rejected and abandoned by the people we most hoped would be there for us. There are even times when we feel rejected and abandoned by God. Key word: FEEL. It often seems like He is not there as we walk through difficult circumstances. You may think, “Where are you, God? Don’t You care? Don’t You love me?” Maybe you are in one of those times right now. I am so sorry that this time is so tough, but let me encourage you to look around and recognize Immanuel, God with you.

Does All This Busyness Really Matter?

November 30, 2019 Cathleen Zahradnik

You are standing in the middle of a busy mall. People are rushing past you, their arms are full of purchases, but their wearied demeanor makes it clear that their shopping task is far from complete and they are not heading for the exit. You recognize that look because you are right there with them. You stop and watch the chaos. Listening to the hum of activity, the occasional scream of a tired toddler reaches your ears. Music fills the cavernous space. You realize that as full of activity as that space is, it’s empty at the same time. “What is all this busyness for anyway and why am I here in the middle of it?”

When I have allowed the tornado of the holiday season to envelope me, I have had those kinds of moments. But questioning isn’t all bad, you know. Questions like that reveal our desire for more, more life, more meaning, more purpose. You don’t want to just do what is expected. You want to do something that has value. So, in the middle of holiday obligations is it possible to connect to life, meaning and purpose? Absolutely!

The holidays illuminate an on-going problem in my life and, I expect, in yours, too. You and I often allow tasks to crowd out purpose.

Are You Really As Alone As You Feel?

November 23, 2019 Cathleen Zahradnik

Isn’t it odd that in our highly connected online society Isolation is epidemic? People often feel alone in a crowd, even though they have hundreds of Facebook “friends.” Many of us even feel alone in our church, a place that is called “the family of believers.” Maybe you feel that way, too. Why? How did this happen? Most importantly, what do we do about it?

How do we overcome our sense of isolation and aloneness?

Practice God’s presence. As believers we we start to overcome aloneness by remembering that if God is who we say He is, then He truly is always with us and we are never alone. You and I need to find ways to stay connected to God in the midst of our days and guard them with all our strength. When we focus on ourselves, our tasks and troubles, we lose touch with God.

I have found it really hard to stop in the middle of the day and just be in His presence, yet, when I do, I am reminded that I am not alone.

To Get Through: Give Thanks

November 16, 2019 Cathleen Zahradnik

I am sorry that you are going through such a hard time. I wish I could make it all go away. I really do. I wish I had the resources to just clear everything up and make it all easier for you. But I don't. Even if I did, it might not really be the best thing for you. There are always things that God is working on in us in the middle of the hardest times. It's been that way for me. Yet, in the middle of it, when things are hardest and you wonder how you are going to make it through, sometimes all you want is a little relief.

So, since I can't fix it for you, let me offer you some perspective. Through my hard times, and believe me, I have had a few, I have found an anchor to hold on to. It doesn't change the situation, but it can change you in the situation. Honestly, I have found that to be more valuable than an easy fix to a tough time. As I have changed, I have found the inner strength to make it through. My hope is that it will help you as well. Getting through with grace starts with thankfulness.