pressure

The True Cost of Accuracy: Are You On-Point?

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It’s time to file taxes again!  Don’t I know it?  Last night, I was digging through my old calendar, post-its, receipts, online account statements, and hand-written chicken scratch notes to find documentation for my tax preparer related to a home-based beauty business I’d jumped into last year (without waiting to hear God’s answer of whether it was time to jump in or not).  It’s great product, great people, and great earning potential.  So what was my problem with making the business work for me?  Time, energy, and effort required…vs. the amount I had available of all those resources.  I grossly underestimated the quantity of each that it would take for me to be successful.  Through trial and error, I’ve learned that no amount of desire or enthusiasm can make up for hard work.

Frankly, last night’s activities were tiresome…and I became more tired as I looked at my overloaded 2010 calendar and saw how much I’d been ripping and running in the crux of my mad entrepreneurial dash last year.  I think my hubby had compassion on me as I peered into the computer screen, longing to be finished when the end was nowhere in sight.  I’m not a “numbers person” to begin with, so having to capture this numerical data was already taking me outta my comfort zone.  I’m so used to “eyeballing” something or “rounding up” to estimate a total.  I’ve “eyeballed” my food portions, only to discover that what I thought was 1 cup of cereal was actually closer to 2 cups – oh the horror of that discovery!  I’ve also rounded the estimated price of each item on my grocery list to the nearest dollar so I have an idea of what I’m going to spend on groceries each week.  It’s helpful, but not completely precise.  Both of those scenarios have proven to yield less than accurate results for me.  So why do I keep relying on those methods?  Because it’s easy – the path of least resistance.  But comfort and complacency are enemies of lasting change.

It will always cost more later when you take shortcuts now.  I wanted to report my tax information with honesty and integrity (i.e., not artificially inflating or misrepresenting anything) because that’s part of my Christian witness.  When my tax preparer told me the preliminary numbers I submitted last week looked a little low, she asked me to revisit my mileage log, the training I’d participated in, etc. and confirm the accuracy of my figures.  So back I went to the piles of stuff (no, I didn’t even have it in a shoebox).  Mind you, the standard evening household activities still needed to be done – checking homework, corralling young bathers, making lunches, laying out clothes for the next day, etc.  Since I had a time deadline to meet for turning in the tax info, I felt the pressure beginning to mount.  Yet, because I didn’t stay diligent throughout the year and keep my records in a more organized manner, it cost me extra time to assemble the required information – weeknight time I’d planned to use in a different way.  The final result of my labor was a higher tax returnw(hich was definitely a positive aspect that made it worth the investment of time), but did I have to wait and gather everything at the last minute?  No!  Through this tedious experience, I have learned a valuable lesson – one that I hope not to repeat in the same way again!  Ask God to show you where He wants you to be on-point today…

“Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.

For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:”

(Isaiah 28:9-10)

© Copyright 2011 by Kayren J. Cathcart

Urgency and Immediacy: And So It Goes

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This unexpected news was so impactful that I’m deferring my much-awaited homemade taco salad (and ignoring my growling stomach) after just working out for 45 minutes – because I need to capture these thoughts while they’re fresh.

Amazing.  The company I utilized in 2006 to self-publish my first inspirational daily devotional has closed as of Friday, January 28, 2011.  But they just sent an e-mail notification to their authors today – Tuesday, February 1, 2011.  I know nothing lasts forever, but what to do with all of my grandiose ideas for sequels and series?  I guess that’s a signal for “Plan B.”  Or else I procrastinated and missed it on follow-through with “Plan A.”  Or a bit of both.  Yet another lesson to underscore the importance of moving when God says move. 

A little background:  I pass by the publisher’s building twice a day since it’s in my neighborhood.  Recently, I’d been peering more intently at the sign, but I was content to see the sign still up, so I thought things were “normal.”  Boy, was I ever wrong.  Sometimes the way things appear on the outside are in stark contrast to what’s really happening inside.  Without that nudge from the Holy Spirit, I might’ve been very surprised to find out this business was closing – they were great people to work with, and they delivered excellent customer service in a timely manner.  Now (in retrospect – as they say, hindsight is 20/20), I realize that God was preparing me for (yet another) transition – yes, the ubiquitous and unannounced change that is so prevalent these days.  For whatever reason, they are now closed and I’ll need to find another publisher to work with. 

Nevertheless, there are options God’s already been showing me, so I have peace – because He wants His Word to be shared, and He will always open doors for that to happen.  The good news:  I will be able to get my files, so the book can be reproduced in its printed form when I choose another publisher to work with.  The funny thing – at least 2 weeks ago, God spoke to my heart about making the book available as an e-book.  Yes, online.  Yes, at no cost.  So, I must obey…and today’s occurrence is a push over the edge of the cliff to make sure I do that.  There must be someone waiting for the message He gave me in that book, so it’s gotta be disseminated…even if it’s in spite of me.

I understand that the only stable, reliable, and dependable constant in this economy is Christ.  I also realize that sometimes you don’t get a chance to adjust your tie before escaping a flash mob.  To put it another way: what good is it to rearrange deck chairs on the Titanic when it’s definitely going down?  My point?  Yes, I have one:  things can change so quickly.  Pay attention to the cues around you in this season.  Just scan the headlines for current events around the globe and you’ll have to agree:  it’s important to be aligned with God’s will and His timetable – now.  Really?  Yes, seriously – NOW!

“Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.”

(Hebrews 4:7)

“He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”

(Revelation 22:20)

© Copyright 2011 by Kayren J. Cathcart

Is Your Soul for Sale?

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Several co-workers asked me what my children dressed up as over the weekend and if they had fun trick-or-treating.  When I replied, “We don’t celebrate Halloween” firmly but with a smile, they swiftly moved along and signaled the end of our conversation.  Gone are the days of me trying to “fit in” just for the sake of casual conversation; I am compelled to stand up for righteousness.  As my son put it, “We don’t celebrate the devil or give him any glory because this is the day the LORD has made!”  My sentiments exactly; may God’s truth prevail!

My hubby had set the DVR to record some of the “Unsung” programs about high-profile recording artists who dropped out of the public’s eye after achieving what appeared to be fame and success.  This weekend, we watched a couple of episodes and were amazed at how rapaciously the machine known as the “music recording industry” used people, chewed them up, spat them out, and then looked for fresh, new victims.  One woman felt emptiness during her 20 years as an R&B artist, but rejoiced that the void was filled when she returned to her roots in Gospel music and focused on developing her relationship with Jesus. 

In my younger days, I thought I wanted to pursue a recording career.  Since then, I’ve had many wake-up calls to make me evermore grateful that those circumstances never materialized.  This program sounded one of those alarms.  How devastating it must be to put your time, energy, and effort – your life – into something of little to no eternal value.  Sure, people say what a nice voice you have – but are they there when you’re crying in the middle of the night, alone and empty, tired of road touring and wanting to spend quality time with your family?  No.

Gray areas and occasions for compromise present themselves daily.  Indeed, the lure of material gain and recognition by man can be enticing, but we must know where we stand – in Christ – before the pressure comes.  Selling your soul (whether in one fell swoop or a piece at a time) comes at a great price…and it’s never worth it.  Selah.

In these critical times, one misstep can cost us more than we’re willing to pay.  Let us be conscious of making godly decisions guided by the Holy Spirit each day…

“For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”

(Matthew 16:26) 

© Copyright 2010 by Kayren J. Cathcart

My Clean Start: Seizing the Moment of Inspiration

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Today, I started the great purge.  No, not the purge of paper clutter in my home – that will come later this week.  (No, really – I’m serious.  It has to…my hubby said so!).  I had to build up my endurance.  So I hit the web and found some good resources from a “paper organization” search and used that to motivation to propel me to start from where I was – at my desk at work.

Yes, sad to admit, I have retained files from my previous position (completely and utterly unrelated to what I do now) that are over three years old and were untouched since I moved into this cube.  Out they went as I felt the wind of exhilaration rush through my hair.  Or not.  I didn’t think I’d have the courage to slip them through the slit of the locked recycling bin, into the one-way slot abyss, never to return to my fingertips…but away they went.  I was surprised that it got easier as I went along, guided by the question grounded in reality, “What’s the worst possible thing that could happen if I threw this away?”  Since I couldn’t manufacture a reasonable-sounding cataclysmic or apocalyptic consequence, I parted with much of my desk paper today.  That was a baby step in the big scheme of my paper cosmos – yet, a significant step in the right direction.

Now to overcome my anxiety and attack one room at home – the office – this weekend.  God even sent a co-worker to encourage me to dig and discover the root of why I’m apprehensive to get rid of stuff I don’t need or that’s not adding joy to my life. (Duh – it’s because I figure I just might need it!  But I’ve gotta let go of that ridiculous thinking).  Halfway joking, she said, “I might have to pop in over at your house to help you keep the momentum!”  You know, I believe she just might do it.  Preparation is priceless…

“Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.”

(Matthew 24:44)

© Copyright 2010 by Kayren J. Cathcart

The Bill of Lading: Putting Down Burdens That Weren’t Mine to Begin With

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So I called the “Calgon – take me away!” hotline today, slightly dismayed to find out the line was busy…imagine that!  Here I am clamoring and clawing in desperation for someone to stop the dizzying, frenetic pace of the merry-go-round of a schedule I feel stuck on, only to realize in a flash of clarity that I am the person who can make it stop.  That’s a rather empowering realization.

Once again, I got caught up in a cycle of madness, only to return to the footstool of Jesus – bedraggled, worn, and spent – asking Him to restore me.  I could just imagine His eyes twinkling as He gently admonished, “Since you’ve finished trying to do My job, are you ready to try it My way now?”

Maturity has taught me that I don’t have to be near a breakdown to have these creatively inspired, introspective, pensively poetic moments…but you’ve gotta admit, it makes for good reading!  🙂

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

(Matthew 11:28)

© Copyright 2010 by Kayren J. Cathcart

Razed Before Being Raised

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What a timely title in light of our prayers for the people impacted by the Haiti earthquake.  Selah.

Completely torn down.  That’s what I’ve come face to face with regarding my past, and it’s a bit bizarre.  When you think your past was okay, or really cool, then you get a breaking news update that you’ve gotta let it go, it can be unsettling.  Perhaps that’s why I hadn’t written much in the new year to post – because I could see change a-comin’ but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.  Throwing “but I used to…” out of one’s vocabulary can be disconcerting – nevertheless, it’s needful.  Something on a recent makeover and personal transformation show really resonated with me, “You have to let go of who you were to embrace who you’re becoming.”  Not so “deep” when referring to fashion sense or a style philosophy, but at that moment, it was profound for me.

Another culminating “Twilight Zone” moment occurred this weekend when my children were playing VHS tapes of me from high school…1993 to be exact.  As my maiden name flashed up on the screen during an interview about a scholarship I’d won, my children asked, “Who is that?!”  Yes dear ones, who is that, indeed. 

So this year unfolds with yet another set of opportunities to emerge as that new creature in Christ.  Old things are passed away.  So what’s next?  I’m not quite sure.  But I do know that when spiritual demolition is complete, the new building that rises from below ground level is more impressive, more updated, and more sturdy than what formerly occupied the space.  In this I take comfort.

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

(II Corinthians 5:17)

© Copyright 2010 by Kayren J. Cathcart

Steal Away to Jesus

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Disclaimer: Everything stated in this article is applicable to the author!  How about you?

“Steal away, steal away, steal away to Jesus!
Steal away, steal away home,
I ain’t got long to stay here.”

Lyrical Excerpt from “Steal Away to Jesus”

A Negro Spiritual by James Weldon Johnson and John Rosamond Johnson

Why does it seem so hard for us to pull away from the things we KNOW are keeping us from abiding in true peace?  Why do we allow the all-too-familiar speed bump of the status quo to slow us down on the road to progress and success?  Could it be that we’re unwilling to make a clean break from what we intellectually know, visibly see, and mentally comprehend with our finite minds?  Maybe we subconsciously think, “Well, it’s not that bad, right?”  Is it possible there’s something deep down inside that wants to hold onto that habit, relationship, behavior, attitude, or memory? 

Perhaps you have recently found yourself thinking thoughts similar to these:

  • “Nobody else can organize/coordinate/orchestrate/manage this like I can.”
  •  “There just aren’t enough hours in the day to finish all that I have to accomplish!”
  • “I could delegate this task, but it won’t get done the way I want it to be completed.”

If so, you need to steal away to Jesus – soon.  Why?  Because the process will remind you that you’re not indispensable – only He is.  You are not a wonderful sensation or a marvelous phenomenon – you are a vessel He has selected and chosen for His use.  Only when His glory is manifested can you reflect it to this lost and dying world – and offer the hope of salvation that comes only through Him.  Yet, you are simply a vessel – one that carries the glory of Almighty God.  Always remember that it’s not your glory in the first place.  If you are so busy doing for others that you haven’t been replenished in His presence – beware!  You’ll be dispensing from your own reserves instead of tapping into Him as the endless Source.  And that, my friend, is a recipe for disaster.

Steal away means to “sneak out, slip out, slip away, exit, leave.”  It means to slip away from your regular activities and daily routine to seek His face.  Leave whatever you’re doing and get back to the basics – the core essence of your being.  Exit the madness and swirling torrents of drama threatening to overtake you.  When you spend time in the Lord’s presence, He’ll adjust your perspective and show you what’s really important –His priorities for your life.  It makes things much simpler; you don’t have to figure it out after all – just obey His instructions.  You’ll realize “I ain’t got long to stay here.”  With that focus, you’ll be able to turn your attention to the activities and assignments you were sent to do – instead of allowing extraneous things to accumulate on your plate to the point of overwhelming you.

Years ago, as I enthusiastically described my first “real” job to my Dad (and the ink on my newly-minted college degree was still wet), he took that precise opportunity to burst my little bubble and give me a heaping dose of reality.  With over twenty years of military service and plenty of “real world” life experience under his belt, I consider him to be a pretty trustworthy resource.  He looked me straight in the eyes and said, “If you think you’re indispensable to your job – DIE.  Then see if they don’t fill your seat with someone else to do your job…while the seat is warm.”  His words hurt my feelings a bit (and bruised my ego a lot!), but as time passed, I’ve had to acknowledge how right he was.  It set me on an early path of learning to balance the demands and expectations of others with taking responsibility for cultivating my own quality of life.  I share those sage words with others who need a reality check.

For some strange reason, we think we’re supposed to be “super saints” who do it all – 24/7.  Not so!  Even our supreme example, Jesus, took time away from the crowds, noise, and hustle and bustle of everyday life.  In Matthew 15, he took several opportunities after serving others to “get away from it all” and retreat into the presence of His Father.  Depending on where you stand today and the boundaries you’ve set (and honor) for yourself, “flying under the radar” or “going off the grid” may seem like an action-movie fantasy or a harsh, drastic decision.  However, sometimes it’s absolutely necessary.  Often, we tell folks too much of our personal business, grant them unlimited access to our innermost thoughts, and expect answers, solutions, and validation they cannot provide.  The intimacy we’re searching for in people must first be secured in our relationship with Christ.  So don’t delay…steal away to Jesus!

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart,

and you will find rest for your souls.

For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

(Matthew 11:28-30, NIV)

 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion?  Come to me.

Get away with me and you’ll recover your life.  I’ll show you how to take a real rest.  Walk with me and work with me – watch how I do it.  Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.  I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.  Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

(Matthew 11:28-30, The Message)

© Copyright 2009 by Kayren J. Cathcart

Resistance Builds Resilience: There’s Purpose in the Press!

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Pressure can be defined as “force, weight, heaviness, stress, strain, demand, load, burden, or difficulty.”  Does any of this sound familiar to you?  Everywhere we look these days, pressure is evident.  Sometimes it feels like more than we can bear, but we must keep putting one foot in front of the other to make progress – no matter how fast or slow we seem to be moving.  In II Corinthians 1:8-9, Paul revealed that being under intense pressure caused him to rely even more exclusively on God.  Our attitude when navigating tests and trials will determine what emerges when the pressure diminishes.

Sir Isaac Newton’s Third Law of Motion states: “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.”  Therefore, we can deduce, infer, and conclude that when something comes up against us (like pressure), we are compelled to respond with an equal and opposite force.

A force is a push or a pull upon an object which results from its interaction with another object. Forces result from interactions!

Citation:  http://www.glenbrook.k12.il.us/GBSSCI/PHYS/CLASS/newtlaws/u2l4a.html

Instead of running away from opposition, we’ve got to build some spiritual muscle and PUSH BACK!  We must allow the resistance to make us resilient (elastic, flexible, durable, strong, buoyant, and quick to recover) – we’ve got to bounce back!  God uses challenges and pressure to bring about a desired result.  Can you identify what fruit is being produced in you during this season?

Don’t Neglect the Gift Within You

“Do not neglect your gift…”

(I Timothy 4:14, NIV)

Many times, gifts God Himself has given us lie dormant.  We’ve allowed precious treasures He has entrusted to our care and stewardship to be hidden, inactive, and underdeveloped.  Often, we don’t really venture outside of our comfort zones until the pressure we’re experiencing becomes almost unbearable.  Then, under the weight, we finally yield and say, “Okay God – You win!!!”  When a storm comes to shake us out of our grogginess and complacency, we cry out, “Mercy!  Please help me, Lord!”

It is imperative that you cultivate, nurture, develop, and mature your gift.  If it weren’t important, Timothy’s mentor (Paul), wouldn’t have admonished him to “stir up the gift of God that is in you” (II Timothy 1:6).  Was Timothy lazy, fearful, or just comfortable?  Perhaps he just wasn’t operating at maximum efficiency and effectiveness.  As a matter of fact, Paul seemed to admonish him to shake off his comfortable contentment with the status quo and stop settling for the mediocre and familiar.

If this sounds like a place you find yourself, it’s time to give your gifts a wake-up call!  Repent, pray for direction, commit to purposeful action, and GET MOVING!  Be so focused and single-minded in tending to your gift and executing God’s purpose that external influences and distractions cease to matter.  I’ll admit that it’s not easy or passive activity.  Jude 1:3 admonishes us to “earnestly contend for the faith.”  That means it’s going be a press.  Sometimes we’ll have to fight; yet, Matthew 11:12 tells us “…the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.”  I dare say that your destiny is worth fighting for.

Make no mistake – today’s pressure is real.  However, the purpose of pressure in the life of a Christian is significant and undeniable.  Pressure is what transforms a lump of coal into a diamond, what differentiates a victim from a victor, and what converts a worrier into an intercessor.  Through the pressure in your life, choose to rely on God even more, then watch Him mold, shape, and form you as He sees fit.

The purpose of resistance, opposition, and pressure is to propel you toward opportunity – which is cleverly disguised as adversity!  Will you seize your opportunity?  What will you do with it?  The world awaits your response…and your destiny awaits your embrace.

© 2008 by Kayren J. Cathcart

Contents Under Pressure

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“We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia.  We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life.  Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death.  But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.”

(II Corinthians 1:8-9, NIV)

Is it just me, or is this a time of intense (and yet increasing) pressure?  Pressure can be defined as “force, weight, heaviness, stress, strain, demand, load, burden, or difficulty.”  Does any of that sound familiar to you?  Everywhere you look these days, pressure is evident.  Sometimes it feels like more than we can bear, but we must keep putting one foot in front of the other to make progress – no matter how fast or slow we seem to be moving.

We’re all hesitant to shake a warm soda can before opening it.  Why?  Because the contents have been packaged under pressure.  When we “pop the top,” the pressure is released, and what was on the inside definitely comes out.  When the pressure you’re under now is released, what will flow from you?  Will it be true worship, praise, thanksgiving, and adoration to God for bringing you through the trial?  Our attitude when navigating through the tests will determine what comes out when the pressure diminishes.

Make no mistake – pressure exists, and today’s pressure is real.  However, the purpose of pressure in the life of a Christian is significant and undeniable.  Pressure is what transforms a lump of coal into a diamond, what differentiates a victim from a victor, and what converts a worrier into an intercessor.  Through the pressure in your life, choose to rely on God even more, then watch Him mold, shape, and form you as He sees fit.

Are you a diamond in the rough or a jewel in the making?

Yield to the pressure and allow God to transform you for HIS glory!

© Copyright 2009 by Kayren J. Cathcart