Cathy's Blog

Journeying into God's Love

finding hope for depression
Jesus Chose to Go to the Cross

Chased into Truth

The muscles on the back of my neck were throbbing. My foot was pushing down on the accelerator with increasing pressure. My stress levels skyrocketed.  I glanced furtively at the speedometer. My gaze returned to the rearview mirror. Nothing. Just an empty road. I slowed the car. The vehicle that had been tailgating, pushing me to go faster, had vanished.  I had been chased by something that was no longer there. Not so very different from parts of my life. Maybe you can relate. Maybe you feel chased by a mistake that you made, a serious one. Perhaps you are being hounded by an old sin. You have asked for and received forgiveness. But you just can’t let go of the ... read more

Running on Empty

Do you feel drained, wondering how you will be able to take the next step? Maybe you feel like you are running on empty. Me too! A sigh escaped unintentionally as I negotiated the heavy traffic. Troubled at my inability to help a friend in a difficult situation, I did not know how to proceed.  Despite my best suggestions, the solution to her problem appeared unattainable. Uncertainty of what to do next left me feeling frustrated and exhausted. Maybe you have felt like that too. I received a reminder of hope in a very unlikely place. Our local gas station, my favorite, closed a few weeks ago. The final stages of the dismantling of the station, removing the underground ... read more

6 Steps to Getting Your Day Back on Track

The day was unfolding like any other. I had a plan in place, not the kind that will change the world. The kind that has reasonable goals, that can be met without the use of a superhero cape. I was chugging along when I suddenly noticed that my progress has slowed – a lot. Well, maybe it had just screeched to a halt. As I sat considering what had gone wrong, faint whispers emerged. “You can’t do that, you are too disorganized, you never will!” Have you experienced this? The echoes of false beliefs that cause you to stop doing what you are more than capable of completing? I have. But today was different. I did not let myself get derailed. I stopped those thoughts and got back on ... read more

The End of One of Those Days

Have you had one of those days? When everything you attempted crashed and burned? Every glance in the mirror brought worse and worse news? When reassurance from friends and family falls short. Their words are drowned out by roaring internal voices proclaiming you never will, or who do you think you are? I am having one of those days! The downward spiral of negative thoughts urges me to give up. To slump into despair. I am tempted to return to this familiar place. Have you been there? But today, I chose to pull back from the edge. I retrieve a file of Bible verses that speak truth to me. One stood out:  “The LORD your God is withyouHe is mighty to save.He will take ... read more

God the Father’s Love

I longed to draw closer to God, to know Him better, But my progress seemed slow. Was there something in my mindset or in my experiences that was limiting my understanding of Him? God is described as our Heavenly Father. Could my relationship with my father have affected my relationship with God? The question lodged securely in my mind. The answer arrived in an unexpected place. Over coffee with friends, the conversation turned to memories of father-daughter dances, being treated like a princess and the fun of being a daddy's girl. Some related that their fathers showed them what God was like, allowing them to love God more. Familiar feelings of sadness and isolation welled up ... read more

A Light in the Dark

Have you ever experienced a difficult time in your life? One where the situation gets progressively more difficult, not better? Maybe you are there right now. As the waves of disappointment and unmet expectations roll in, how do you stop from giving up hope, from sliding into darkness? Is it even possible? Yes! When we lose our footing, if we slide on a wet floor, we instinctively reach out for something to save us: something to stop our fall. When we feel like our world is shifting because of circumstances out of our control we reach out for stability. The stability of who or what we reach for can drastically affect where we end up. In the case of the slippery floor, we can end ... read more