Resilience

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)

The Necessary Work of Holding On

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“…the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong…” (Ecclesiastes 9:11)

Sometimes just holding on and maintaining your current position takes all the strength and energy you have.

And sometimes that’s all that is required.

Stay encouraged, Kayren

“But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.”

(Matthew 24:13)

“8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.

9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”

(II Corinthians 12:8-10)

Limited Exposure Can Be Beneficial

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Everybody shouldn’t have access to you in every season. At some point, it’s gotta be just you and God.

Not isolation, but insulation.

Not retaliation, but restoration.

Not rejecting others, but protecting the gift God has placed in your earthen vessel.

Cuz some folk won’t see your value until – like an episode of Antiques Roadshow – it’s REVEALED TO THEM that they had a priceless item in their midst all along…#UNaware

So you may as well know your worth NOW. And live like it is so – because it already IS.

Blessings, Kayren

“6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.”

(II Corinthians 4:6-7)

An Accurate Reflection?

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I admire Greg McKeown’s focus on living what he teaches about Essentialism. One of his recent emails with the subject line “The Story Your Calendar is Telling” challenged me in a beautiful way.

“Your calendar is a mirror. It doesn’t reflect your ideals – it reflects your choices.

Most people try to make progress without making space. High performers do the opposite. They build a system that supports their priorities – not one that competes with them.”

That’s a whole mouthful right there. I’m still chewing on it.

Feel free to drop a comment if this resonates with you.

I’d love to hear any adjustments you’ve made (or are currently making) so that the way your time is spent or invested is truly aligned with where your heart is…

Blessings, Kayren

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:”

(Ecclesiastes 3:1)

Merciful Kindness

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What a beautiful gift! It just rolls off the tongue when you say it aloud – and you can’t help but to smile.

There’s even a Psalms 117 song to help you remember and meditate on this scripture passage – I already added it to my playlist!!! Yep – it’s on repeat…

May we lavishly bestow merciful kindness upon others today as we have abundantly received.

Blessings, Kayren

“1 O praise the Lord, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people.

2 For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever. Praise ye the Lord.”

(Psalm 117:1-2)

In the Press

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Develop your productivity under pressure…

Each test develops our testimony. It’s designed to teach us what we’ve learned, and to expose areas we need to work on.

Can you relate?

Admittedly, it doesn’t always feel good.

Yet, we build muscle, skill, acumen, and endurance as we encounter resistance and learn to fight.

I can’t say I voluntarily signed up for my current course, but God has fitted this set of tests just for me. So I’m pressing to obtain the prize.

No need to waste your suffering, pain, and tribulation – let it produce some peaceable fruit of righteousness!

Stay encouraged, Kayren

“13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

(Philippians 3:13-14)

Quieting the NOISE

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There’s a LOT competing for our attention.

I was recently aware of an uncanny (yet welcome) peace and inner tranquility.

I made a decision to maintain a worship mindset and align my environment for that purpose. The calm that permeated the room was such a blessing.

I’m going to practice this more because it was awesome.🌟

I encourage you to try it. Invite God in and watch the transformation that takes place. There’s nothing like it.

Blessings, Kayren

“4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.

5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.

6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

(Philippians 4:4-7)

In the Face of Lions

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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)

What Will You Let Go Of Today?

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If trying to juggle what’s on your plate is getting overwhelming…maybe there’s too much on the plate.

I’m working on this myself…

“33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”

(Matthew 6:33-34)

Here’s a gift with a purpose: Today, I Pray…

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Today, I Pray...Simple Prompts to Put Away Procrastinated Prayer

These are definitely praying times, wouldn’t you agree?

Sooo much is going on in the world these days – particularly on college campuses – that it can weigh down the heart. Within the past several days, I’ve reached out to my own children just to make sure they were safe in the midst of turbulence occurring near or at their respective schools.

The reason I asked if you’ve put off prayer lately is because it’s a challenge I find myself coming back to – time and again. #TransparentTruth

Sometimes it’s hard to get started with prayer. Or shut out the distractions. Or carve out a moment away from the hustle, bustle, and grind of everyday life.

“Procrastinated prayer” doesn’t sound holy at all, but let’s be honest.

Real talk? I have put off prayer…on more occasions (and more recently) than I care to admit.

No judgment here ‘cuz I fully believe that people who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones! #JudgmentFreeZone

How do we get outta the rut of carrying the weight of the world on our shoulders (which we’re not built for, by the way)? How do we get over the hump of praying one day, skipping a couple of days, then showing up in God’s presence after we’ve gotten even more weary and worn down? Help is here.

My friend, if you’ve ever felt like you needed a conversation starter with your Creator, be encouraged. I’m offering you a tool I created and curated to help us get back on track.

Today, I Pray…Simple Prompts to Put Away Procrastinated Prayer

I hope you’ll check it out – and use it…starting TODAY. #TodayIPray

It’s that important.

We all need accountability as we grow and mature. And sometimes we need a gentle nudge in the right direction…here’s your nudge…

Click here for your complimentary copy of Today, I Pray…
(it’s a flipbook, which I think is pretty cool)

I hope you’ll hit REPLY and lemme know how Today, I Pray… helped you.

p.s. If you wanna grab a PDF version you can download or print, please visit my online bookstore.

Abundant blessings during these praying times,

Kayren

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray,

and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven,

and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

(II Chronicles 7:14)

Kayren Cathcart's Blog

Observations on daily life and inspiration for spiritual growth…

prayer

Resilience

The Necessary Work of Holding On

Limited Exposure Can Be Beneficial

An Accurate Reflection?

Merciful Kindness

In the Press

Quieting the NOISE

In the Face of Lions

What Will You Let Go Of Today?

Here’s a gift with a purpose: Today, I Pray…