Feeling weary or worn out?

If this is you then I hope you will be encouraged by this verse in the Bible:

"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 11:30 (The Message)

Be blessed!

~ Kathi ~

A worry-free life...for Lent and beyond

I've just come back from an amazing weekend away with a bunch of youth from all over the city of Leeds. It was a privilege to serve them and lead them. I missed my little family so much though and am really glad to be home!

While I was gone I posted on Completely Devoted for Focus Fridays, which are all about Lent and simplifying life this month. Here's a snippet:

"If you want a simpler life, you must learn to develop a more trusting life." Joyce Meyer

There are so many ways that we can try to simplify our lives - from storage solutions to internet shopping, from daily schedules and routines to highly organised cupboards and closets. And those are only some of the practical ways. In my head and my heart I long for a simple life, especially when it comes to clutter and the 'stuff' of domestic life.

But there is a much more important way that I am learning to keep things simple in my life and that is by trusting whole-heartedly in God. That sounds very simple in black and white doesn't it, but it is another thing to continually live a life of trust in God.

You can read the rest of my post here.

Blessings!

~ Kathi ~

Let everything that has breath...

My husband is always telling me to look up whenever I'm walking anywhere. There is so much we can miss if we don't look up!

This morning as I was walking to school with the children I looked up and noticed a tree. There are quite a few trees on this particular lane so it wasn't unusual to see one and I have walked this way many thousands of times. I don't know whether there has been some pruning and cutting going on recently but I have never seen this before. I looked up and saw (in the middle of picture) what looks like a tree-person with it's arms raised heavenward. Can you see it? How cool is that? That is going to make me smile every time I go past now on my school run!

Let everything that has breath... praise the Lord! (Psalm 150:6)

Let every created thing give praise to the Lord,

for he issued his command, and they came into being.

He set them in place forever and ever.

His decree will never be revoked.

Praise the Lord from the earth,

you creatures of the ocean depths,

fire and hail, snow and clouds,

wind and weather that obey him,

mountains and all hills,

fruit trees and cedars,

wild animals and all livestock,

small scurrying animals and birds,

kings of the earth and all people,

rulers and judges of the earth,

young men and young women,

old men and children.

Let them all praise the name of the Lord.

For his name is very great;

his glory towers over the earth and heaven!

Psalm 148:5-13

Have a blessed day...and remember to look up!

~ Kathi ~

Change Requires Action

We all know about people who have affected change at some time in history. We think about folks such as Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa, Florence Nightingale and William Wilberforce who brought about positive change. And those who are known for the negative way in which they changed things such as Adolf Hitler, Saddam Hussain and Colonel Gaddafi. How about the man who has affected change the most; past, present and future ~ Jesus Christ.

I was provoked by a story that was in the media a few weeks ago, about a 3 year old girl who wrote to Sainsbury's supermarket (in the UK). It was regarding a loaf of their bread.

The letter went like this: "Why is tiger bread called tiger bread? It should be called giraffe bread. Love from Lily Robinson age 3 and 1/2."

The reply went like this: "I think renaming tiger bread giraffe bread is a brilliant idea. It looks much more like the blotches on a giraffe than the stripes on a tiger, doesn't it?"

After the letter went viral and due to popular demand, the supermarket renamed the bread!

Suppose the little girl had just told her mum what she thought and had not written a letter to Sainsbury's. The bread would still be called tiger bread. But she didn't. She wrote a few lines (and with some help from the public) she changed the name, probably forever.

If we want to bring change it requires action, whether it's to change something about ourselves or something external. It's no good just thinking something!

So I challenge you today, whatever thoughts you have been having about positively changing something for you, for your family, for your community, nation, the world, then start acting on it and just see what could happen!

Blessings

~ Kathi ~

Love is Kind

I'm so pleased to tell you that I've now joined the Completely Devoted family as a regular writer. This month the theme for Focus Fridays is Love.

Today I write about 'Love is Kind.'

Love is a verb, it must be done; kindness is an expression of this love that flows from the heart of the Father. God is love, God is kind.

“Love talked about is easily ignored but love demonstrated is irresistible.” Jim Mooney

Kindness speaks volumes. It opens doors; it breaks down walls; it builds others up and makes them feel appreciated and valued; it brings hope; it softens the heart and ministers to the soul; it can improve someone’s life for a moment, for a lifetime or anywhere in between.

Please go over to Completely Devoted to read the rest of my post.

Have a wonderful Friday!

~ Kathi ~

You don't have a testimony; you ARE the testimony!

I just turned 34 years old! I was raised in a family where both my parents had (and still have) a solid belief and faith in God. There came a point in my early teens when I realised that I couldn't live by the faith of my parents but that I needed to have my own to become grounded in. I had a great foundation but I had to get to know God for myself.

Why am I telling you this? Because when I was a teenager, and even beyond, I felt like I didn't really have a 'testimony' - a story about how I had met God (because I had always known Him). People around me were becoming Christians and I would hear amazing stories of how God had transformed their lives and saved them from the mess they were in. I remember one Sunday morning when I was about 13, everyone in our church family wrote a little story about how they had met God and how He had changed their life. I found an aspect of my life to write about but felt that it wasn't as powerful as some of the others around.

God spoke to me one day and reminded me that He had saved me - from alcohol, from drugs, from having sexual relationships outside of marriage, from making bad decisions and choices which could have ruined my life in all manner of ways. I am not perfect and I have done things that I regret but because of my faith I have not conformed to the ways of the world and I thank God every day for that.

As I have matured in my walk with God I have come to understand something much more than this though, that we don't have a testimony; we are the testimony. Just as John was a testimony to Jesus:

There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. John 1:6-8

Yes, we have many stories about God's goodness, faithfulness, grace and favour in each of our lives and they need to be shared. And yes, there are powerful stories of transformation when people have met God and their lives have turned around and they must be shared. But these are not meant to be stand-alone stories. Our whole lives are a testimony, a witness to Jesus. It is in our daily walk with him that we become more like him and where we bear witness to who he is - for all the world to see.

Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim His greatness. Let the whole world know what He has done. 1 Chronicles 16:8

Blessings!

~ Kathi ~

Butterfly Girl

We recently borrowed a book from the library called Butterfly Girl. One night I sat on one of the children's beds and before I opened the book (which I had only glanced at previously) God told me that He was going to speak to me through it!

The story is about Butterfly Girl and her friendship with a sad little bird, Blue, that she finds on her doorstep. Blue is sad because he has lost his song. The girl says that they must find a new song for him right away. They try to find one in different places - the meadow, the river, the mountains, a cave, the ocean. But all of the songs they found belonged to someone else.

Eventually they stop and rest for the night on the sand. Butterfly Girl says that they will try again tomorrow and goes to sleep. Blue is still wide awake wondering if he will ever find a song.

The sun comes up and the first thing that Blue sees is Butterfly Girl asleep on the sand and he feels grateful to have found a special friend. And suddenly he feels a brand new, beautiful song bubbling up inside him. Butterfly Girl wakes up and tells Blue that it's the most beautiful song she has ever heard and asks where it came from. Blue says that he made the song for her!

The last line of the story goes, "Perhaps everyone has a song, you just have to know where to find it."

While I was reading I was reminded of this verse from the Bible:

"He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the LORD."

Psalm 40:3

Sometimes I feel spiritually dry, I feel like I have lost my song. No amount of searching for a new one is going to help unless I go to the source of new songs. Just like the little bird found his new song as he gazed upon Butterfly Girl, so we will find our new song whenever we seek the face of the Song-Giver. And each day when we seek God and spend time getting to know him more and more, he will put joy in our hearts and a song to express our praise to Him. This song will not only praise the Lord but it will bless others as we sing out.

Have you lost your song? If so, the Song-Giver is ready and waiting.

Blessings

~ Kathi ~