priorities

What Camo Are You Sporting?

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camouflage – concealment, cover-up, disguise, smokescreen, façade;
(noun) the disguising of military personnel, equipment, and installations by painting or covering them to make them blend in with their surroundings.
(verb) hide or disguise the presence of (a person, animal, or object) by means of camouflage.

This morning, I saw the cutest bunny on a hill in my backyard – hippety hop, hippety hop…and then it froze. It stayed perfectly still for over 2 minutes. Even when several birds swooped down near it. And a leaf fell right in front of its face. That bunny didn’t move. With the range of emotions I’ve experienced over the past week, that stillness spoke volumes to me. Intrigued by how well it blended in with the leaves and dirt, I had to blink several times to convince myself it was still there. The only reason I saw it in the first place was because it was moving. I guess it was protected as it stayed still and blended in with the background scenery. When it finally moved, it was very cautious and deliberate in its movement – and then I saw that fluffy cottontail as it retreated into the bushes. ALERT!

I’m not sure if there was anything chasing this particular bunny, but it’s definitely prey for some predator just by nature of its makeup. It didn’t let down its guard as it sat exposed out in the open on the hill; it was always situationally aware as that tiny nose wiggled ever so slightly from time to time. I suppose I took this little moment of appreciating God’s creation as a reminder to keep calm, minimize unnecessary commotion, make intentional moves, and trust the Holy Spirit. What’s God speaking to you today about the coverage He provides as as you wear the attire of His Kingdom? Feel free to share in the comments section…

“But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble.”
(Psalm 59:16)

“1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.”
(Psalm 91:1-2)

© Copyright 2018 by Kayren J. Cathcart

Living Beneath Your Privilege?

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princess-crown-vector-587966

It’s no fairy tale that we must build our spiritual muscles by trusting the Lord daily…

Once upon a (recent) time, there was a princess who had an S5 cell phone she’d kept for way too long. Her husband, the prince (who had upgraded to his S8 in a reasonable time frame of the warranty), had been telling her for over a year that she needed to get a new phone. But the princess (being the Most Frugal in all the kingdom), humbly decried his insistence as she was content with her old phone that was functioning quite well without the unnecessary bells and whistles, thank you very much, sir! Well, the day came (yesterday) when the princess could no longer plug the phone into its charger – the phone was warped beyond repair and the swollen battery (whoever heard of such?!) wouldn’t hold a charge (among other issues). In less time than it took to drive from work to the cell phone store, she became a textless princess…so sad…

Being the forward-thinking and savvy modern-day princess you’d expect, she came up with some potential alternatives to her quandary. Maybe she could pull out her old iPhone 4, recharge it (because of course the old charger was in her top drawer with all the other old stuff she just hadn’t let go of yet), and switch her current phone number back to that monstrosity of a contraption. The princess laughed out loud that it looked like a clunky crayon box (underneath its torn, outdated case that was barely holding on by a shred of rubber), but not being prideful, she recharged it, miraculously remembered the access code, and saw her last e-mails pop up…from 2014. That was not going to be a viable solution. Perhaps she could get one of those wireless charging pads…alas, a quick Google search confirmed that the old S5 phones were not compatible with that newfangled wireless charging technology. It looked like the princess would be forever relegated to communicating via tin cans and string…when all of a sudden…

The decisive, ever-ready, problem-solving prince drove his white horse to the cell phone store to save the day by doing recon for the erstwhile technology-deficient princess. At the prince’s instruction, the princess filed an insurance claim and was set to get a replacement phone shipped directly to her castle overnight…the same old S5 model. She was fine with that since she didn’t really want to change phones anyway, let alone pay to upgrade. However, since the phone was dead with no hope of resurrection, all the data she was trying to hold onto became eternally inaccessible in the blink of a battery-drained eye, and the princess had to be at peace with that – quickly. She wouldn’t get to transfer her contacts, photos, apps, or other precious information she held dear – they were all lost in the abysmal Moat of the Great Beyond.

When she got to her home computer (since she couldn’t read her e-mails from the hopelessly dead S5 phone), the princess saw the insurance claim was approved upon payment of her deductible AND she would receive an S7 phone (2 generations higher than the depreciating piece of junk she’d been pseudo-treasuring). How foolish she felt to have waited so long to receive, appreciate, embrace, and enjoy the gift her loving (and handsome!) prince had been trying to share with her all along! The princess had been living beneath her royal privilege, holding onto a counterfeit when the real thing was well within her reach; yea, it was her rightful inheritance.

At the time of this writing, the princess anticipates many moments of wonder and awe as she explores her new phone’s advanced technology and its expanded capacities beyond her wildest dreams. She looks forward to living happily ever after with the “right once again” prince after she purchases a new protective case to fit the blessing of the new cell phone she’d nearly missed out on.

Sound like anyone you know? Don’t pass up receiving the good things God has in store for you by leaning to your own understanding…I’d call to tell you about my personal testimony in that area, but I’m waiting for a phone delivery any moment now… 🙂

“O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.”
(Psalm 34:8 KJV)

“8 O taste and see that the Lord [our God] is good;
How blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] is the man who takes refuge in Him.
9 O [reverently] fear the Lord, you His saints (believers, holy ones);
For to those who fear Him there is no want.
10 The young lions lack [food] and grow hungry,
But they who seek the Lord will not lack any good thing.”
(Psalm 34:8-10 AMP)

“5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
(Proverbs 3:5-6)

© Copyright 2018 by Kayren J. Cathcart

Beauty in the Midst of Imperfection

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Life is a process and a cycle. Ever-changing and seldom static or predictable. Yesterday, I noticed a beautiful rose as I pulled out of the driveway heading to work. Today as I returned home, I noticed there were two roses in full bloom, and I ventured to step in the dirt for a closer inspection.

From the street, all I could see was the breathtakingly remarkable magnificence of the two flowers in bloom. However, a closer look revealed that there was one bud yet to bloom, and one that had bloomed and was now withered away. Taken as a whole, these flowers encompass the full cycle of life, death, and rebirth. I was reminded that if I keep the big picture in mind, I will focus more on the beauty that presents itself than on the imperfections that we never have to look hard to see.

May your day be filled with the beauty of His glorious splendor; expect to see it manifested in the most unexpected places!

“I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.”
(Song of Solomon 2:1)

“The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.”
(Isaiah 40:8)

“28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?”
(Matthew 6:28-30)

© Copyright 2018 by Kayren J. Cathcart

Hewn Down: Making Room for Progress…or Just Preventing Disaster?

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Trees 9-6-18

Cut down to a stump…

I was stunned to see several tree stumps outside of my workplace where healthy trees once stood tall. I hadn’t walked on that side of the building in ages, but it was hard not to noticed that a couple of trees had been cut down. Though I wondered why, it became a moment of personal reflection. Whether some of the trees were cut down because they were dying, crooked and in danger of harming people or property, or just downright unfruitful – or the orange markings indicated progress was coming through – I was still struck by the fact that some others survived the cut. It caused me to evaluate whether I am meeting the standards set forth in God’s Word. My conclusion: there is certainly room for improvement!

I want to consistently bring forth good fruit and be increasingly productive in God’s kingdom. Therefore, I must be willing to release and say farewell to the things of the past as He ushers in a new thing. Instead of holding onto the familiar for dear life with tightly clenched fists, in this season, I know I must allow the new thing to be birthed in me by yielding fully to the will of God. Purge me, Lord, and find me faithful to You…

“Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.”
(Isaiah 42:9)

“18 Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.
19 Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.”
(Isaiah 43:18-19)

“And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.”
(Matthew 3:10)

“17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.”
(Matthew 7:17-20)

© Copyright 2018 by Kayren J. Cathcart

Tell the Truth: Insulation…or Suffocation?

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Stuck in a rut? Is the familiar choking out what possibilities might be? When does the certainty of the familiar transform from a warm blanket of insulation and become a suffocating restraint that holds you back from fully experiencing the joy of the present?

Sometimes it takes another person to illuminate a way out of something you’ve been dealing with for a long time. That happened for me today during what appeared to be a benign lunch meeting – on the surface. A few moments into my delightful, velvety lobster bisque, I was challenged to grapple with trust, fear, personal goals, dreams, wearing a mask – stuff I’d carefully swept under the rug because I didn’t want to deal with it anymore. However, but the friend I dined with saw the bulging lump in the carpet as she nearly tripped over it, and cared enough about me to move closer to straighten it out. As uncomfortable as I was, she continued to gently but firmly probe until I made real progress by facing the truth of what I’d been trying to gloss over (though it had really become a significant pain point).

She challenged me to go beyond wallowing in how it felt – she called me to action. Asked me about next steps when I couldn’t see past my nose. Terrified at the potential outcome, I knew I was at a crossroads and had to move forward from the place I’d been stuck for way too long. She asked me where I was going to start (because it wasn’t an option NOT to start). Within four hours, I communicated to her that I’d made notable progress in the area she shined a light on; I accepted the challenge of accountability and the challenge to take action. No need to grapple in my mind, wrestle with the past, or struggle with what to do – the answer presented itself today and it was my choice to obey the voice of the Lord through this person He chose to use to help me get perfectly aligned with His will.

I am glad I chose rightly. It feels good to be unstuck and out of self-denial; the blanket of familiarity I thought was insulating me was choking me. And I am grateful for my friend’s time, care, and attention to help me when I didn’t even realize how great my need for assistance was. The Lord has made me whole and I am walking in the direction He established.

“20 And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment:
21 For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.
22 But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.”
(Matthew 9:20-22)

“5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.
6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?
7 The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.
8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.
9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.”
(John 5:5-9)

© Copyright 2018 by Kayren J. Cathcart

Veggie Tales: Dying on the Vine

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cucumber shriveled 7-23-18

A shriveled cucumber in our garden caught my attention. Not able to provide nutrients or nourishment, it languished. I knew it would never make it to a salad on MY table! Its label said “cucumber,” but its presentation said “washed-up has-been.” Sure, it was in the right place, surrounded by like kind…but it was deficient (lacking something), and the overwhelming evidence of its inadequacy presented itself as the sun beat down mercilessly on all the garden’s inhabitants. It was a pitiful sight.

Could this offer a similar parallel to us in relation to those who surround us? We want to show that we’re just as healthy, healed, and whole as the next person, but deep down inside, we know that we require the touch of the Master Gardener to tend us back to vibrancy and vitality. Whether we need an adjustment of our intake of sun, water, fertilizer, or even the dreaded (but necessary) pruning, we know we need His presence.

Today, I encourage you to take every shriveled cucumber in your life, lay it at the Masters feet, and ask Him to do a work of restoration in you. It won’t likely be instantaneous, and it will probably involve process and obedience – but it’s worth it to be connected to your Divine Source. Stay connected to the True Vine, and watch Him cultivate something beautiful in your life.

“4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”
(John 15:4-5)

© Copyright 2018 by Kayren J. Cathcart

My Walk: Steps to Greater Commitment

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2k steps 7-23-18

I’m walking in the Spirit…

Saturday morning, I walked. Outside. Alone. Spontaneously. Unscheduled. It was exactly what I needed to clear my head and take in God’s creation all around me.

As I passed a neighborhood pool, the sound of gently lapping waves reminded me that He leads me beside still waters and restores my soul (Psalm 23). I saw a beautiful butterfly lilting carelessly on the wind. I saw a decomposing bunny carcass attended by buzzing flies. I also saw a live bunny sitting oh-so-still next to a neighbor’s house and tried to silently warn him of the dangers lurking in the area.

This was out of my regular routine of taking group fitness classes at the gym – but hey, we’re in a new dispensation, so I should be doing new things, right? Between my walk and choir rehearsals, I racked up over 20,000 steps on my Fitbit – which I never thought I’d see in one day, so I was pretty proud of myself. I enjoyed the walk so much that I’m looking forward to taking another one this week. May we daily renew our commitment to walk in close fellowship with our Creator.

“16 this I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the list of the flesh.
25 If we live I the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”
(Galatians 5:16, 25)

© Copyright 2018 by Kayren J. Cathcart

May I Have This Dance?

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choreography – the art of creating and arranging dances

Encyclopedia Britannica emphasizes that the word “choreography” derives from the Greek for “dance” and for “write.” (I love learning about word origins). In the 17th and 18th centuries, it did indeed mean the written record of dances. Neato-burrito! (I’m such a word nerd – ha!). Today, I saw another facet of my Creator: Choreographer of the Universe. I was awestruck.

I caught this unexpected glimpse of His glory as I read II Peter 3:9. I was studying “longsuffering” (not by personal choice…but because it’s an attribute of God AND a fruit of the Spirit – therefore, something that should be evident in my life! LOL) with the assistance of my favorite online lexicon (BLB). When I came to the part of the verse that says “…that all should come to repentance,” I delved into the meaning of “should come” – in Greek, it’s chōréō (G5562) which means “to leave space (which may be filled or occupied by another), to make room, give place, yield.”

I was instantly convicted. I’ve been trying to orchestrate a few situations (or maybe more than a few) in my own life. What wife, mother, daughter, friend, or employee hasn’t done this?! However, a sense of peace and calm came over me as I reflected that in ALL things, I must yield to God’s plan and leave space for HIS will. God is the Master Choreographer, and He knows where everything and everyone is placed on His grand stage. When I choose to dance with and for Him, I can trust and rely on His timing, design, and sequence (for both movement and stillness) to be divinely ordered. My steps won’t be awkward when I allow Him to take the lead. I must make room and leave space to receive from Him as I dance through life, instead of trying to fill in everything on my own and from my limited perspective. This was the realigning reminder I needed before drifting off to sleep with a smile on my face. I encourage you to accept the invitation to take His hand this week, allow Him to lead you, and enjoy the dance!

“Let them praise his name in the dance:
let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp.”
(Psalm 149:3)

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
(II Peter 3:9)

© Copyright 2018 by Kayren J. Cathcart

Pitching Your Tent Toward Sodom?

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“12 Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan,
and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom.
13 But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.”
(Genesis 13:12-13, KJV)

Camping out with sin? Surely, we’d never want to admit this as modern-day believers in Christ. Yet, when we examine our actions and motives, we’re not all that different from Lot who made his dwellingplace in dangerously close proximity to sinful foolishness. We may not be doing evil, reprehensible things, but we’re in the danger zone of being sucked in – getting comfy, cozy, tolerant, and too close for comfort with the world.

The Amplified version of Genesis 13:12-13 makes an even clearer delineation between righteous Abram and his lukewarm nephew Lot:

12 Abram settled in the land of Canaan, and Lot settled in the cities of the valley and camped as far as Sodom and lived there.
13 But the men of Sodom were extremely wicked and sinful against the Lord [unashamed in their open sin before Him].

Lot’s initial choice and continued complacency caught up with him in Genesis 19. That which he’d been enchanted and entranced by (think modern-day entertainment options) was being destroyed before his very eyes, and he had a life-or-death choice to make instantaneously. His wife couldn’t resist the allure of what she’d been watching long enough to obey and save her own neck; she was consumed.

Whatever enticing carrot is being dangled to stir and arouse your lust – whether it’s the promise of something FREE (somebody always pays), that it won’t hurt anybody (sin always leads to death), or that nobody will know (what’s done in darkness always comes to light) – rest assured that obedience to God’s will is the best choice. Oh, it may not render instant gratification, but obedience offers protection from future destruction. In the end, obedience in the present is a better choice than eternal fire.

This week’s mail contained coupons from a donut shop that starts with my first initial – I have to approach that as an “un-gift” when it works in direct opposition to my health goals. I can’t afford to play with the notion of going by when the “hot donuts now” sign is on by conveniently tucking the coupons into my purse – that’s making provision for my flesh and setting myself up to fall and fail. Thanks, but no thanks!  I just shredded those coupons. I can’t pitch my tent anywhere near Sodom.

I had a lapse in judgment and recorded a couple of Hallmark movies this weekend for the elusive “free time” I expected to show up (after all, who can resist the June Brides theme? LOL). As we’re about to “cut the cord” and change service providers, this DVR (and the programs recorded on it) would be going away this week. I reasoned that a 2-hour movie “treat” without commercials wasn’t that bad since I wouldn’t be binge-watching for hours. Who made me justifier of how to use the time God graciously allotted to my account??? When that “free time” didn’t present itself this weekend, I fleetingly contemplated staying up late mid-week just to “get it in” before the cord got cut. That would’ve been like choosing junk food instead of a balanced meal. I repented for even considering temporary accommodations near Sodom with a remote control in my hand, and opted to get some decent sleep on a work night like I had good sense.

We cannot allow circumstances to determine our moral stance. As Christians, our standard is and must always be the righteousness and holiness of God – period. Moral relativism and emotional reasoning cannot prevail; we must choose to obey God in order to receive His reward. Let go of the old things God is showing you…or risk being consumed when the fire of God comes through to burn them up. It’s not worth the gamble when we can just choose to obey and be protected under the Shadow of the Almighty. But He won’t allow us to abide there in a sinful condition – we must be cleansed, and release those old thoughts, habits, hobbies, and addictions that have held us captive for too long. I’m a witness…

“2 For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed;
neither hid, that shall not be known.
3 Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.”
(Luke 12:2-3, KJV)

“For the wages of sin is death;
but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
(Romans 6:23, KJV)

15 Do not love the world [of sin that opposes God and His precepts], nor the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world—the lust and sensual craving of the flesh and the lust and longing of the eyes and the boastful pride of life [pretentious confidence in one’s resources or in the stability of earthly things]—these do not come from the Father, but are from the world.
17 The world is passing away, and with it its lusts [the shameful pursuits and ungodly longings]; but the one who does the will of God and carries out His purposes lives forever.
(I John 2:15-17, AMP)

© Copyright 2018 by Kayren J. Cathcart

The Power of Active Choice vs. Default

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default – failure to act; course of action that a program or operating system will take when the user or programmer specifies no overriding value or action

Saturday afternoon, I had a great conversation with another mom of growing adolescents. Our chat meandered from grocery store budgeting tips for keeping our giants nourished to specific foods they like. As we talked about the weeknight (anytime!) lifesaver known as ramen noodles, I told her I didn’t eat them anymore because of the high sodium content of the flavor packets. She quickly assured me that she enjoys hers with reduced sodium chicken broth…and I saw sunbeams emitting from the heavens.

Sunday afternoon, my hubby grilled hot dogs for the family. Knowing I didn’t need the excess sodium, I skipped the hot dogs, but wasn’t sure what I wanted for lunch. After my nap, I thought about those ramen noodles and pulled out my low-sodium chicken broth. Three minutes and three dashes of pepper later, I was enjoying some tasty soup on my front porch while birdwatching. It wasn’t until halfway through the bowl that I realized, “Hey, I made a better decision instead of just going along with what everyone else was doing!” I also took a 20 minute walk with my children instead of perfecting my couch potato skills all afternoon.

Fresh off of yesterday’s triumph, I ordered a salad today for lunch. When I opened the box, nestled right next to the wheat crackers and the pickle spear, I noticed a frosted sugar cookie (that I didn’t order) wrapped in cellophane…staring at me…summoning me to take a tiny nibble. I refused the invitation and promptly took the cookie intruder to our office break room so someone else could give it a new home.

So many times I just gave in to the thing in front of me because it was easier than politely declining or steadfastly refusing something that looked/smelled/sounded/seemed soooo good – but really wasn’t. Yet, these past couple of days have been different. So I guess the “Shake Up Your Routine” speech I gave this week at Toastmasters is having an impact on ME. And I’m proud of myself for finally making some necessary changes. Sure, it was “just one meal,” “just one walk,” and “just one cookie that didn’t slide down my gullet.” But it was a start. And it was MY fresh start of commitment to continue down a better path so I can see positive results and experience improved health. This week, challenge yourself not to yield to the default…leave a comment if you’d like some support on your journey – because you’re certainly not the only one who has to put effort into actively making righteous choices!

“I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:”
(Deuteronomy 30:19)

© Copyright 2018 by Kayren J. Cathcart