Are you Taking Care or Casting Cares

Have you ever been waiting for and expecting something and your life feels like all sixes and sevens. You feel nervous and "antsy". If it's something you are looking forward to you face the day with anticipation.  If it is hanging over you like the sword of Damocles then you wait with trepidation. But what if you were to cast the care of that "thing" on God. What if you were to believe that He had your back in the circumstance you were not so anxious to deal with? What if you knew that He knew exactly what was going to happen? Do you trust Him? Do you believe He is in control and He loves you? If it's a confrontation of some kind do you know that you ought not plan out the conversation in advance? Do you believe the Bible when it says "open your mouth and God will fill it?"

If you are anything like I am, you may believe all the things written above and still give your mind over to worry and reasoning. When the Bible says, "cast all your care on Him for He cares for you," do you still hesitate? Do you adhere to the principle that God helps those who help themselves? Have you been mislead to believe THAT appears in the Bible?  Well, my friend, take courage and know it is NOT in the Bible at all. That book is all about how God is a shelter in the time of storm, your comforter, your standby. He never says "pull yourself up by your bootstraps", nor "buck up", " keep a stiff upper lip!"

What The Book tells us is this, "No weapon formed against you shall prosper". It also says, "If God is for you who can be against you?" God is not a man that He can lie. If the word "gospel" means "good news" isn't this good news?  God wants to bless you and prosper you. He wants the very best for you. So today if you are at sixes and sevens over something that keeps playing a miserable endless loop of worry in your head, and you are waiting for the other shoe to drop, take this to heart. God loves you and He already is working this out for your good. Encourage yourself. Stir up your faith and believe everything will be okay. That's what I'm doing. Find the cure for your sixes and sevens. God has your back.

Katie

Adventures in Retirement

Well I finally retired in February 2013. I'm still where the eagles soar, have added a feisty puppy I've named Heidi (a rat terrier) to my household and had the chance to really read books on my Kindle which I am enjoying greatly.

Heidi is quite the wild child and when I'm asked to describe her I simply say she's like a Slinky on Speed. Mornings are fun around here now, they start early but not nearly as early as they did at first. She is so excited to see me in the morning she nearly wiggles out of her pelt greeting me. It's nice to have that kind of wake up call and even nicer to see how we have bonded.

Summer brought a visit from my eldest daughter and she, Heidi and I hung out in the a/c because the week she was here was very hot. We did a little road running but not a lot. Thank God for a/c in the car. She brought her Kindle again this year and enjoyed reading for relaxation while I caught up on missed sleep. Having a new puppy can be rather tiring and those wee hours that were wake up time until recently were "killer".

I've mentioned Kindle and reading a couple times so let me just say now for the record, I've grown to love writing reviews of books that really take my fancy. I've done a "beta" read for one author, reviewed several books by M.P. McDonald, and Jessica Tate. Having just become acquainted with Barbara Silkstone's comedy/mystery work I've had the pleasure of reviewing two of her three Wendy Darlin' novels. Laugh out loud funny and great reads. Now working on book three, Cairo Caper. 

You can check out my reviews on Amazon. Since I've retired, writing reviews gives me an opportunity to avoid living like the proverbial lump on a log is good. Reaching out to friends and family on social media and through writing is great therapy for the retirement blues. One gets so used to being identified with what they DID that they run the risk of becoming human "doings" rather than human "beings." My advice to fellow retirees, don't just sit and read the newspaper and books but keep having adventures and reaching out. Live your passion share your wisdom and keep looking up. God wants you to get to know Him better now that you have time to invite Him in to have coffee first thing in the day.  His grace grows daily. And, oh, yes,  SMILE. You are loved!

Katie

The Dells and a true wonderment of a woman

Well, it sure has been quite awhile since I opened the blog. A post from last February is all I have to show for the year. It's been eventful for sure with visits from a couple of my girls, lots of added friends on Facebook, people blocked, people added, adventures and the addition of a Kindle to my "vast" technological world. Love the Kindle! Amy had one with her when she visited and also brought her GPS. Of course I absolutely had to have one of those didn't I? Well, fer shur, fer shur. Used it once to get back for the LaCrosse Airport just to see if I could. Hers was beneficial when we went to visit Wisconsin Dells and locate a friend in nearby Hancock, WI. 

Guess that new friend deserves a blog entry dedicated to one of the most inspiring young women I've met. Seriously injured in a drunk driving accident at the age of 24, Jenny inspires hundreds of folks with her chutzpa and her positivity. Winner of the Jefferson Award this summer and public speaker (that's how I met her), Jenny Addis is one motivational woman. She may never see the words of praise I put here but check out How I Roll on Facebook and get acquainted with this best kept secret from Hancock, WI.

Blessings to all.

Katie

Happy February

Another January is history. Exciting for me, the fact that in 20 days I will hit a new watermark.... 70 years on planet earth. As I look back over the past several years I see many things that I've done that are worthwhile and memorable. I also see areas that still need work. Guess I better get with the program. If I am to do any changing in the near future I will need to lean harder on God and rely less on my own understanding. He even said so in His Word. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding." If all else fails follow the directions.

Katie

New Year and New Beginnings

Have you ever made a humdinger of a mistake and then spent days beating yourself up for it? If so, join the club. I've spent many hours since mid-week pummeling myself for making a human misstep. I can tell YOU how you must "beyond a wholesome discipline be gentle with yourself," but when I am dealing with me, well it's a whole other story. Even people involved in this whopper of a misjudgment tell me to "stop" and yet I carry on as though God has appointed me judge and jury and a hanging judge at that.

Recently I had a revelation of what God's love for me truly is... how deep, how wide, and how unconditional. You might ask, well, why then can't you let yourself off the hook? He has surely forgiven you. My revelation went something like this... someone was asking me what they did that made me love them so much. My response to that person was, "you don't have to do anything, all you have to do is be who you are." Gestalt!  The light goes on in my head. I've been seeking a revelation of God's love and how much He loves His children, me in this instance. There it was.... I don't have to earn that love and I don't have to DO anything, just be who I am. Just be, just be me. There are no footnotes that indicate I must meet certain criteria for God to love me. After all He made me who I am. He knows who I am, and rebelliousness and all, He still loves ME.

So how do I apply this revelation to the situation which has had me in a tailspin all week? First of all, God knew before I did this thing that I was going to do it. He knew that people were going to get hurt, people would misunderstand and most of all that I was going to get out my beating stick and open a can of whup (you know what) on myself. STOP..... Selah as the Bible so aptly puts it.

Get a little perspective here. Take a couple steps back and listen to what others are telling you." (Says me to myself.) And so I have listened to the kind words and the good encouragement of my friends and just now I read another blog and it gave me the final piece to the puzzle. To Anita, I say thank you for this. I am waiting to see the picture more clearly and I am in forgiveness mode.

Katie

Secret Sins vs Surrender

Today I have been struggling. Not so much that I don't know what to do, but that in my two year old rebellios stage I'm fighting with God trying to hold onto some things that He wants me to surrender. I don't do surrender very well. I wonder who does. We hold onto things that will ultimately hurt us, hurt others, cause rifts in friendships and most important of all, we become separated from God in our tantrum stage.

Today the prophecy site to which I subscribe nailed it. It said that God wasn't going to stop convicting me and that He would "make the offense very clear to me." It said also that if I chose to cooperate I would be delighted with "liberty".

Now I think we all want liberty and freedom in our lives. Sometimes I use that liberty as license and make the wrong choices, which, sadly I have been guilty of for a little while now. Oh, the earth won't stop whirling on its axis because of these choices but daily I get less and less comfortable in my own skin. Not having anyone BUT God to check up on my behavior, nor to confide in, I have to slink back and once again repent. He doesn't require the "slinking" you understand but that's what I do. He says, "come boldly to my throne of grace and find mercy." I translate that is creep in making as little noise as possible and whisper, "it's me again, I messed up." I guess He knows that I'm going to mess up. He is God after all.

I look around me at some of the situations that are happening in the lives of people I care about. My life is pretty easy compared to theirs. So who am I to grumble or complain. God doesn't NOT hear my prayers, I know that. But I think that sometimes He must get very tired of complaints, whining and the egregious behavior I exhibit.

Time to start tucking my shoes under my bed at night so when I'm down on my knees I can get in some face time with my loving Father. Then too, comes the dawn and I have to get back down and while I'm there say, "Goodmorning, God. Thank you for a new day." And btw, "thanks for your grace!" Gee, I needed that!

Katie

February comes to a close

Well, I see it's nearly a month since I last wrote here. A lot has happened during this, the shortest month of the year. A relationship was broken, another cemented stronger than before. My grand-daughter has had a mysterious incident which has left her with a stutter. I have become somewhat disenchanted with my job but need to continue plugging along because I know it's where God wants me right now.

God is always so faithful, even when I am not. He comes through for me every time with just the right solutions to my problems, or just the right reading fairly jumps off the pages of my devotionals. I get an inspiration and a confirmation, or just a Word in Due Season. All in all I know I serve a loving God who never fails me.

I've been in contact with an old friend this month. She's floundering in a sea of doubt, a sea of her own making. She's always been one to cling to conspiracy theories and I see her bobbing about on waves of too much worldly thinking and too much fear. I can pray for her, it's the most powerful gift I can offer but I wish I could get her to hear. She has turned a deaf ear to God. In fact she thinks that everyone else is crazy for believing in Jesus. I doubt she'd read Stroble, or "More than a Carpenter". Pray for her too will you? God knows who she is. And while you are on your knees, pray for my grand-daughter. Perhaps in this awkward ailment she will find that Jesus heals and find that He came to save her because He loves her just the way she is. My old congregation used to tell me "come as you are and be loved." I think that's a welcome everyone would love to hear. How about you?

Katie