Cathy's Blog

Journeying into God's Love

finding hope for depression
Jesus Chose to Go to the Cross

Where are You Rooted -What is Your Strength?

The walls were closing in on me. The late-night darkness flooding our street seeped into the room. The deadline for the project that seemed so perplexing was rapidly approaching. Then a pivotal thought broke through: Cathy, where are you rooted - what is your strength? At the question, the accusations of self-blame (long conquered, or so I thought) stopped their insidious invasion of my mind.  I wonder if you have experienced these thoughts too? Where Are You Rooted - What is Your Strength? Where is my strength rooted? Chagrined, I realized I had only presented my mind, fingers, and keyboard to the project. The strength I was relying on was emphatically, my own. In ... read more

God’s Still With Us Even When we don’t like where we are

It started with an unexpected late-night call. Maybe you know the kind – adrenaline coursing through your veins as you answer. A conversation punctuated with your rapid heartbeat as you listen. And all the while, deep within, the whispered though of well here we go again, emerges. But, the good news is God's still with us - even when we are not where we want to be. I wonder if this has ever happened to you? God's Still With us Even When the News is Bad Even though the was conversation long over, the phone remained, encased in my white-knuckled hands grasp. I sat on the edge of the bed, and stared, unseeing, into space. The seconds rolled into minutes. Slowly, my breathing ... read more

God Really is Our Perfect Father.

Father’s Day, for many, the holiday elicits fond memories. For some of us though, it re-opens wounds. Unhealed places that may have made it impossible to understand God’s love. (That was me.) But now I know God really is our perfect Father. The crash of glass smashing overlaid with yelling reverberated through my childhood bedroom wall. The silence of the late-night shattered like the bottle. I cowered under the covers. Seeds of fear and anxiety were being planted. I did not realize as they grew and flourished, my ability to understand God as a loving Father withered. Through no fault of your own, your childhood too may have been punctuated by more conflict than hugs. As a result, ... read more

Standing Strong in the Storms of Change

This week I felt surrounded by a storm – pounded on all sides. Not just by events unfolding in our community and nation, but by the rapidly changing realities in two of my family members’ lives. I found one of Jesus’ parables that reveals the secret of standing strong in the storms of change. Jesus always gets to the heart of the problem, doesn’t He? In this parable, He quickly hones in on well, an issue of the heart. In the parable of the Wise and Foolish Builder, (Luke 6:46-49) he is dealing with the difference between agreeing with His teachings and putting them into action. The Wise and Foolish Builders 46 “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I ... read more

Exchange Our Emptiness for God’s Peace

Sometimes I have a strange gnawing, a feeling of emptiness, that seems hard to fill. Have you felt this? You may (like I have), tried unsuccessfully, to calm this feeling in a myriad of ways. But there is a solution – exchange our emptiness for God’s peace. How We Try to Fill Our Emptiness I remembered those ineffective attempts when I was watching Hyde and Ricoh this week. These two cute dogs were constantly looking for food. But they were not hungry. They are well-fed and healthy. I shook my head smiling at their antics. But I recognized some of my behaviors in theirs. Just this afternoon, I found myself gazing into the fridge, scanning for something that would satisfy the ... read more

Guest Post: Are You Tired of Being a Second-Hand Christian?

Do you want to grow closer to Jesus, but aren't sure how? Or maybe your progress hasn't been fast enough. Or maybe you are tired of being a second hand Christian. If so this guest blog post is for you. Join Kelli Garms from Sitting at His Feet: Finding God in Everyday Moments as she provides practical solutions in her post Are You Tired of Being a Second-Hand Christian?. You can learn more about Kelli and follow her Bible Study Series at https://www.kelligarms.com/. Are You Tired of Being a Second-Hand Christian? by Kelli Garms  Are you tired of being told what the Bible means rather than being able to study it for yourself? Have you ever done a Bible study and felt ... read more

Is God Still Working?

Are you wondering where God is right now?  Is God still working? You are not alone, people around the world are waiting, expectantly, impatiently for the COVID-19 pandemic to leave. When will normalcy return? I don’t know when this will happen. But I do know God is always working – even when we can’t see how. It's a truth that I learned over time. And one that I must remind myself of frequently.  God Works Behind the Scenes Too My memory was jogged during a conversation with my IT consultant, my son Tim 😊. I gained a new respect for computers (and their speed), when he, explained how many programs are running behind the scenes. Unbeknownst to me, as I am answering ... read more

Moving Into Fear-free Living

Have you noticed there’s a thread of fear woven into the fabric of our everyday lives?  It’s in social media, in conversations with our friends, and even in advertising. But rather than allowing fear to become an integral part of my life, I have decided I am moving into fear-free living.   By fear-free living, I do not mean recklessly endangering myself or others. No, I mean living life fully, but not being afraid.  I have been on an action-packed journey toward worrying less and trusting God more for several years now. (if you missed it you can catch up on some of the journeys here  ) I have been able to enjoy periods and even seasons of living fear-free. And I ... read more

How to Journey from Healed to Living Life Abundantly

I was healed from depression. It didn’t happen overnight but unfolded beautifully (as I now see) over time. I was thankful when the prison door of depression clanged shut with me on the outside. But, I didn’t realize my journey from healed to living life abundantly had just begun.  Your process may take time. It did for me. During that time, God directed me and each step brought more joy. The life I lead now is beyond what I could ever have imagined. I know that can happen to you as well.  Here is a quick summary of how it unfolded in my life:  Get help from professionals, and support from familyTake time to be reflective – discover what is important to you (for me: ... read more

God Supernaturally Provides to Those Who Radically Obey

As we finish another week in this COVID-19 crisis your world may seem even more upended than last week. Are you wondering how you will have enough to last until normal life resumes? Sometimes I catch myself holding onto what I have with both hands; afraid to give it away. But I don't have to because God supernaturally provides to those who radically obey. What do I mean by radically obedient? Doing what God calls me to do, even though it seems very risky or even impossible. Maybe you feel like that right now. A Woman Who Radically Obeyed There is a story in the Bible in 1 Kings 17:7-16 of a poor widow who did just that. You can read it here. I'll give you a quick summary. The ... read more