Rejoicing In His Presence

Today, I choose to experience the day from His perspective – as a gift to be unwrapped.

Instead of analyzing the “box of the unknown,” I receive and accept the truth that my Heavenly Father gives GOOD gifts to His children.

There is no place or room for fear, worry, dread, or anxiety because I am His daughter, He loves me, and He has great things in store for me.

What’s your declaration today?

If you’re not sure, start by reading the scripture below out loud for a spiritual identity boost!

Blessings, Kayren

“3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,

5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:

7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:

9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.”

(I Peter 1:3-9, KJV)

“3 Blessed [gratefully praised and adored] be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant and boundless mercy has caused us to be born again [that is, to be reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, and set apart for His purpose] to an ever-living hope and confident assurance through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

4 [born anew] into an inheritance which is imperishable [beyond the reach of change] and undefiled and unfading, reserved in heaven for you,

5 who are being protected and shielded by the power of God through your faith for salvation that is ready to be revealed [for you] in the last time.

6 In this you rejoice greatly, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials,

7 so that the genuineness of your faith, which is much more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested and purified by fire, may be found to result in [your] praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

8 Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and though you do not even see Him now, you believe and trust in Him and you greatly rejoice and delight with inexpressible and glorious joy,

9 receiving as the result [the outcome, the consummation] of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

(I Peter 1:3-9, Amplified)

My Dubious Relationship with Time

Posted by kayrencathcart

Am I sus? Yeah…

It’s not that I overestimate my abilities (as much as I used to…because age has a way of bringing reality into clearer focus😆😝😜), but I underestimate the amount of time things take.

Like travel or commute time…I often forget to figure in traffic or unexpected delays or detours.

Or work projects – gotta expect the unexpected, right? (But how to track that on a Gantt chart or dashboard?)🤔

Maybe it’s estimates vs. actuals that trips me up…because everything can’t be eyeballed. Some things require precision.

So imma keep working on that…

Got any helpful time tips? I welcome ‘em…drop a comment.

Blessings, Kayren

“15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,

16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.”

(Ephesians 5:15-17)

The Leadership Lesson

Posted by kayrencathcart

In process and in progress — *Learning when your tests & trials aren’t just for you…*

The tempering. Pulverization. Incessant pressure. Repetitive knocks. All leading to and culminating in ultimate restoration.

I hadn’t thought about the challenges of my current season as being part of leadership training. Until now.

But it all makes sense.

The greatest among us must serve.

And a true servant leader has a tender heart after experiencing what they walk others through – because they’re already familiar with the path.

They know the sting of rejection. The frustration of being misunderstood. The loneliness of isolation. The two-sided coin of forgiveness and redemption.

And they don’t despise any part of the lesson, because they understand that it’s all part of the process of being made.

May we continue to endure each lesson until we become leaders who accurately reflect the image of our primary example of selfless servant leadership – Jesus Christ.

In progress & in process, Kayren

“24 And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest.

25 And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors.

26 But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.

27 For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth.”

(Luke 22:24-27)

Nice, Neat Boxes

Posted by kayrencathcart

Reality check straight ahead…

Life gets a LOT simpler when we stop trying to define, label, and categorize ourselves and our situations.

Because things are always shifting. So even when we think we’ve figured out one part, another facet shifts.

Therefore, it behooves us to accept some things as they are instead of angsting over what we wish they were.

Most of the time, what we imagine isn’t even part of the true essence – so it’s a ridiculously unrealistic expectation (and hence, a waste of time, energy, and other resources) to even bother considering.

Let’s not waste time on fleeting vanity…

Blessings, Kayren

“8 Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity.

13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”

(Ecclesiastes 12:8, 13-14)

I Have THIS Moment

Posted by kayrencathcart

No time like the present - appreciate the gift

We can’t gather and collect time.

But we can appreciate and enjoy it for what it is: the gift of this moment. 🎁

A present IN the present, if you will.

Selah…

Blessings, Kayren

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:”
(Ecclesiastes 3:1)

Resilience

Posted by kayrencathcart

Persistence and endurance…we LOVE these character-building lessons (that often come through tests), don’t we?!

Who voluntarily signs up for resilience training?!? 😵‍💫🫣🤔👀

And yet, we must be patient.

So we endure.

Because we know the end is worth it.

Blessings & stay encouraged, Kayren

“7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.

8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.

9 Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door.

10 Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.

11 Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.”

(James 5:7-11)

Love: An Action & A Choice

Posted by kayrencathcart

Sacrifice required.

Sacrifice applied = rewarding.

Bewilderment inevitable.

Bewilderment addressed through God’s Word = reassuring.

Joy baked into the process.

Joy experienced = fulfilling.

Jesus is our example of unconditional love – a requirement for successfully completing our assignment as mothers.🌟

Some days, we do better than others, but our goal must always be to partner with Him in the process, and to never think we’re able to unplug or disconnect from the Source and do it on our own. 🎁

Because we can’t. It wasn’t designed for us to be able to do it on our own.

Being a godly mother is a BIG job.💪🏽 With more than 2 decades of momming under my belt, I can say it’s one of the most significant jobs I’ve ever undertaken. When we show up in His presence daily for fellowship, refreshing, refilling, and guidance, He equips us with exactly what we need – a measure of HIS love.😇💓

Blessings to all who take on the BIG job of momming – and to those who are honoring mothers today…and EVERY day, Kayren 💞

“1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

(Hebrews 12:1-2)

On Waiting and Resilience

Posted by kayrencathcart

I’m cringily recalling my recent DMV visit. ‘Nuff said.

Long line. At every location. No appointments available online – throughout the entire state.

Seriously? THIS is what we’re doing? Okay…

After getting out of long lines (or avoiding them completely) at visits during previous weeks, the rubber met the proverbial road and I had to wait in a line winding out the door and around the corner – along with everybody else trying to beat a deadline.

Three. Hour. Wait.

Outside. Sweating. Standing 97% of the time. Ugh!

I concluded that THIS very experience had to be on the spectrum of being identified with Christ’s suffering. It was a very fitting experience for #HolyWeek.

Thankfully, I survived (and God’s mercy was at work on my behalf as I made it in the door JUST before the cutoff of “the last 4 people” were taken for the day).

And my character was developed.

So was my patience. That muscle I thought had made such progress…alas, it seems there’s more room for progress!

Drop a comment if you have tips for waiting patiently…I’m all ears!

Blessings, Kayren

“5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;

7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.”

(II Peter 1:5-9)

In the Face of Lions

Posted by kayrencathcart

I’ve been studying Daniel 6; it’s full of intriguing lessons. 🦁 Since errybody is going through something, it becomes a matter of HOW we endure that distinguishes us.

While we don’t have a lion’s eye account 👀 of what happened throughout that night, I can imagine that Brother Daniel made an intentional decision, “Well, I’m here in the lions’ den; I know God’s faithful character and that He changes not, so Imma chill out, and continue to trust God.”

Perhaps he even purposed in his heart to enjoy the journey.

I’m not sure if it was quiet or if the lions roared a lot, but apparently they were famished since they DEVOURED Daniel’s accusers the next day (AND their family members…exactly how many lions were there crunching up the bones of all them folk after one li’l ol’ vegetarian Daniel sat with them all night?)…🤣

However, I digress… 😂

Daniel’s choice to stay calm and trust God in the midst of an overnight stay at the Lions’ Arms Inn likely set the atmosphere for and contributed to his safe deliverance by God’s awesome power (the lions didn’t smell fear on him).

Take me, for instance – when I’m in a jam and fear arises, I’m plottin’ and schemin’ how to get out (by my own <limited, finite> power…if fear is telling me I can speed things up apart from the divine timetable…hey, I didn’t say it made sense).

Building a makeshift ladder would’ve been noisy (and who brings tools with ‘em when being thrown into a lion’s den – besides a very prepared Boy Scout!)? Trying to dig his way out would’ve called more attention to himself. So it kinda behooved Daniel to wait on and trust IN the Lord.

👉🏽After all, there was an appointed time for his deliverance AND God was glorified in the outcome.

Daniel was surrounded by what appeared to be a problem (lions – likely hungry)…but GOD made it a non-issue for him! Since our God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34), I believe He can do the same for us today.

So what is our issue with waiting patiently on the Lord? #HolyWeek #PalmSunday

Blessings, Kayren 💓

“Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee.”

(Daniel 6:16)

“25 Then king Darius wrote unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you.
26 I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God, and stedfast for ever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end.
27 He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.”

(Daniel 6:25-27)

Lessons in Resilience

Posted by kayrencathcart

The spiderweb in my shower was nearly imperceptible.

And fully unexpected. I’d just cleaned the bathroom a few days ago.

But the angle of sunlight streaming in illuminated tiny droplets hanging onto the faintest wisp of a web in a corner I must’ve skipped (or chosen not to reach).🤔😉

I threw some water on the web. Several times.

It barely budged.

May we be that resilient in the face of opposition that intends to take us out.

Blessings, Kayren

“10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;”

(Ephesians 6:10-18)

Kayren Cathcart's Blog

Observations on daily life and inspiration for spiritual growth…

patience

Rejoicing In His Presence

My Dubious Relationship with Time

The Leadership Lesson

Nice, Neat Boxes

I Have THIS Moment

Resilience

Love: An Action & A Choice

On Waiting and Resilience

In the Face of Lions

Lessons in Resilience