Tag: Bible

Truth inside a Cathedral

Published on by marycatherinethomas1 Comment

“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6 (NKJV)

In the beginning of October we went to Ireland for two weeks. It was truly a gift and a blessing to make this trip to a place I have always wanted to visit.

As we landed in Cork, I cried as we approached the ground. The water, the green, the land of my family’s ancestors. Since childhood, this nation has drawn me to it, sparking curiosity, and sometimes just a longing to be there.

One of the first days there we walked about the city center of Cork, honestly, I can’t remember if it was at the end of a walking tour, or if we were just exploring, but we stopped in to St Peter and Paul Catholic Church.

As I have said many times previously, I was raised Catholic and left the church in 1977. Since that time I have tried to live my life for my Lord and Savior. I have not been perfect, by any means. I have gone to mass with my sisters on occasion and remember fondly my growing up in the church. I respect the traditions the church holds close.

Anyhow, we entered the church. It reminded me of the church I was raised in. The faint smell of incense greeted me at the door. A welcoming smell, one that felt comfortable. I walked into the building, looking at the rose stained glass window, the stations of the cross, the elaborate confessionals. People were pausing to pray inside. A reverent quietness permeated everything.

I often struggle with my faith. Is it enough? Am I strong in my beliefs? Am I pleasing God? I am sure at some points, people of faith wrestle with these thoughts.

I finally sat down. In the back. I looked at the kneeler. I smiled as I remembered that as a child I would look on the floor of our church and have pretend conversations with non existent ants to pass the time of kneeling a long time. I remembered being walked into mass on Fridays by the Benedictine nuns who taught us. Their strictness that we stay in line, not dawdling, kneeling straight . Memories flooded in, more than I imagined.

And then, as I sat there, I was enveloped in a peaceful presence. A still voice deep inside assured me that all my life my heart has been His. I may not have said the prayer at the time, but my heart yearned for closeness to my God. I am His. He knows my name. An unexpected peace in a cathedral.

Remembering

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“But then I recall all you have done, O Lord;
    I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago.” (Psalm 77:11) NLT

At the end of February I went to San Diego to be with a friend. It was a gift to me for my birthday and while I was there, we celebrated her birthday.

I came home knowing that I would write a blog post about the trip, and for the past month I have tried to put words to the trip. Obviously, if you are a reader of my blog, you know I haven’t had the words!

We spent time in Coronado, CA at a time share resort. It was a perfect trip. I felt something deep inside me but it was an intangible feeling at the time.

One day we spent at the Hotel Del Coronado, we sat on the deck by the water, talking, sipping coffees and munching on pastries. It felt natural to me, familiar. The military helicopters buzzed above, the Navy planes flew over, tourists were in their swimsuits jumping in the cold water and we sat on chairs in our sweaters watching it all.

As we talked, I felt like this time, special in itself, was also a special time for me. A deep feeling of calm and peace enveloped me. We stayed long enough that the coffee was replaced by iced teas and cookies (I think). Life continued around us as we sat, wrapped in conversation.

We eventually moved indoors as we browsed through the shops and wandered through the lobby. Looking into the dining rooms memories came rushing in. Going to see the Christmas trees each December and have drinks in the lobby, taking my youngest for afternoon tea in the lobby, events that I helped plan for work.

As we stepped into a courtyard more memories came to me, a leadership conference we had had in one of the rooms.

It was a day of memories for me.

Later in the week we went to Disneyland. I happen to be the same age as the park. While we lived there, I would go to the park on my ‘5’ and ‘0’ birthdays to celebrate. I haven’t been there since I was 55. Going at 70 was different, I discovered I can’t get in and out of rides as easily as I once did. Again, the park was filled with memories, lots of them.

I had a wonderful time. I felt loved on, spoiled, actually. I felt settled inside, renewed, refreshed.

I have thought a lot of this time spent in my former hometown.The flow of the traffic was familiar. The sky was the same.

As I write about this time, those intangible feelings resurface.

In our ladies Bible Study this year we have talked about altars of remembrance. It’s been an interesting theme woven into each presenters teachings. Last night as I was laying awake for a while, the two things, altar of remembrance and San Diego were tied together for me.

As I have mentioned in previous posts, I had a word from the Lord about going to San Diego in 1982 that said that there would be many thorns awaiting me in San Diego and that we would be there until the Lord was finished with me there. The word that was spoken to me came to pass.

During the time in San Diego the Lord did many things in me and He taught me many things. I grew and discovered that I was more capable of things than I thought. I was stretched and shaped like a potter shapes a vessel on the wheel.

With each move since leaving San Diego I have found myself reverting to old habits. Being shy and fearful of doing things. As I lay awake last night I realized that the trip was in fact, an altar of remembrance. It has taken me a month to identify those intangible feelings, but I am beginning to see. The Lord allowed me to be in areas where He ministered to and taught me life lessons. I remembered who I am in Christ. I experienced my altar of remembrance. I remembered the great works of God in the past.

I praise Him for His wondrous deeds in my life. I praise Him for taking me on this trip. I thank Him for those who were obedient to get me there. I thank Him for this trip I didn’t know I needed. Our God is a great and glorious God who cares for us. He knows what we need and He provides for those needs. Great and mighty is He!

Rookie Mistake

Published on by marycatherinethomas2 Comments

“A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.” Proverbs 16:9 (NKJV)

If you notice, the scripture from this post is the same as my last post. I am learning this scripture. Not trying to memorize it, although that would be easy enough, but learn it. God directing my steps.

Yesterday Dale left for a men’s retreat. I have told him that this was my time to play. You know the adage, ‘while the cat’s away, the mice will play.’ He would just look at me and smile. He knows me better. My idea of ‘playing’ is staying up past 9:30!

So, I dropped him off at the church and ran an errand that I had. In the past, I’d stop at the store and load up on snacks that I love to indulge in. Yesterday’s stop at the store was not the usual. Nothing looked good. I bought a couple of things and headed home.

This is where the scripture comes in. On the way home from the store, I ran through a list of things I was going to accomplish. It was going to be a great evening and I had it all planned.

I unload the car, which didn’t take long. I locked the car, of course. I came into the house and dropped my bags and proceeded to get the trash ready to take to the curb, or the head of the driveway as we have no curbs.

I was sailing along, cleaned out the fridge, loaded up the trash bag, grabbed my phone shoving it into my jeans’ pocket.

(Now at this point, I should describe the door we use all the time. It’s right by the driveway and it’s our go to door. The door knob will sometimes lock, but most of the time, it’s on vacation. We rely on our deadbolt which works great.)

I head out the door, throw the trash into the bin and pull it up the driveway. I check the mail, a piece of junk mail and a beautiful card from some friends in Colorado. I stroll back down the driveway, go up the steps and guess what was back from vacation? The door knob lock.

When I am at home alone, I usually carry my keys with me. It is something I have done since our Navy days. You have to be prepared. Guess who was not prepared yesterday? I looked at the door, I laughed. I actually could hear the Lord laughing. God directs my steps…. yep.

So, I look where we have hidden a key. No, not there. I walk around the house. I try using the junk mail envelope to do what you see people do in the movies. I realize it’s a bit chilly. Because, I just ran out of the house, with my long sleeve tee shirt and jeans on.

After praying, I decide I need to bite the bullet and call Dale. The thing I did not want to do. After all, he was in a van with his friends and I was going to be THAT wife. Graciously, he tells me where to look for the other key. I follow his directions, the key wasn’t put back the last time.

He calls locksmiths for me. He’s like that. Gracious. One calls back. It will be a couple of hours before someone can get there. I knew I made a rookie mistake. I knew the Lord was there with me, although laughing at my rookie mistake. He has gotten me through things like this before.

It’s around 4 p.m.. Our trees block the sun and at this point and my cheeks are getting rosy. I go next door. I ask to come in and it felt wonderful in there. I ask for a paper towel, because, well, it’s chilly and my nose is running.

I explain my situation. Their son and his girlfriend are sweet about not laughing in my face.

Fortunately their son was quick on his toes and handed me a spatula. This spatula. I love that spatula. I told them to never get rid of it.

So, armed with the spatula, I walk through the woods, and pray. It worked. It was the Lord. It was a miracle. But, a part of me smiled and said, “Welcome back Navy wife.”

I smiled to myself and thanked the Lord. Then it occurred to me to pray again. I had just opened my locked door with a spatula! A spatula! Thank You Lord for deadbolts and most of all, your protection.

Learning

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I try to be an upbeat person. I can get down at times, but through our Lord, those times have become more infrequent. I try to forgive easily and move on quickly.

During the storm there were a couple incidents that hit deeply for me. I have struggled with hurt and discouragement since then. To be honest, I am still struggling.

Writing has always been the area where I can release emotions and thoughts. For years I journaled, releasing things that at the time were major events. I had thought of writing in a journal now, but, as I thought of the recent events I know there are many here who are dealing with similar thoughts, feelings, emotions.

Our area has not been in the news, which is understandable with the massive destruction of our neighbors to the north. What people don’t realize is that in order for the storm to hit there, it had to go through our area. But, our city has rallied and is coming back to life. I talked to a stranger in the grocery store yesterday and she commented the same as I have just written.

I went back again to the squirrel on our gazebo. He was battling the storm alone. Our area has had tremendous linemen from all over the country and as far as Nova Scotia. These men have been warriors in the face of what we had. They have worked tirelessly. They have given our area power. And, as I looked at a group of trucks last night, I realized that these men will either move to North Carolina or head south to Florida. Quietly they came in to our area, no fanfare, just the desire to help us.

They will begin to leave and again, without fanfare the trucks will be gone.

With power restored, water restored, internet being restored, life will resume to what it was. Many places are like they were before. Signs may be missing, grocery shelves may be empty, but life is continuing.

For many of us the work still looms heavy. This is when many will look around and sigh deeply. For those with family around them, the work will be shared. The burden will be easier. My heart is heavy knowing that there are so many who will deal with the remains of the storm alone. My prayer is that someone will come along beside them. Although I have seen that people have their own agendas and will take opportunities to comment and insert their thoughts into any open ear there are still loving people out there that, without care for themselves they will step up.

“The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit. 19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all.” Psalm 34:18-19(NKJV)

Purpose

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I am in the middle of doing a Bible study. It’s just a three week study, nothing major, especially from me.

The first week focused on prayer. This weeks’ theme will be purpose. The reason things were/are done.

As I went to sleep last night this scripture came into my mind. It’s not one I often think of. “Precious in the sight of the Lord Is the death of His saints.” Psalm 116:15 (NKJ)

I pondered on it a few minutes and fell asleep.

This morning as I was half awake and thinking I had slept the morning away, my phone rang. It was our pastor. He called to tell me that a dear friend of ours had a heart attack and he was on the way to the emergency room. We got up and dressed and decided to stay put until we heard more information.

More information came quickly. Our friend moved to Heaven this morning. Trying to define the words to describe the emotions we have fail me. Mostly I am concerned for his wife and daughters and granddaughters. I wasn’t going to write anything as writing usually garners remarks to me and that is not my desire or purpose.

Purpose, there’s that word again. A few minutes ago, I asked God what the purpose was. This was too abrupt, too shocking. I wanted answers. Personally, I cannot wait to move to Heaven.

There, in the deep part of my being, I was assured that our friend’s purpose was completed. He had fought the good fight, he had stood his ground with the enemy of our souls. Most of all, He has loved the Lord our God with his whole being. He served our God with joy, laughter, integrity, and warmth.

So many lives have been touched by him. He always made me laugh. His laughter was contagious. Now he is laughing with our Lord.

I am now challenged to serve my purpose here with as much joy as he did. Please, pray for this family.

Is That A Splinter In Your Eye?

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“You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad, and you have no excuse! When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for you who judge others do these very same things.” Romans 2:1 (NLT)

Who of us has not been judged before? We all have, either for good reason or just because.

Who of us have judged? In my mind’s ear, I don’t hear many confessing that they have played the part of judge.

I confess that I have been on both sides of the above questions. Yes, I have been judged. Sometimes I have needed it and sometimes it has been harsh. Yes, I have accepted the judgement and justified that I rose above the judgement and forgave and repented. But, have I really?

Forgiveness of others is a journey. You say the words, “I’m sorry” or “Please forgive me” and even better, “I forgive you.” easily. But, the road of forgiveness is sometimes long and bumpy. Because, as humans we remember.

Along that bumpy road of forgiveness there is judgement. Even if we boast of being kind, gracious and Christian, judgement lurks right behind the veneer.

My opinion is that judging others is a two way street. You are judged for the splinter in our eyes. We remove it, and walk away. But as we walk, we pick up the log that goes into our eyes. What may have been a splinter that was called out becomes a log as we remember the initial issue, the shock of being called out, and the hurt caused. Soon it becomes evident that we have begun to dwell on other’s splinters.

Women, I think, are very prone to this issue. Men hold things in boxes in their minds. Something happens, it is resolved and then locked away in a box in their minds. Issue is dealt with and resolved, end of story. Women, on the other hand cannot do this. It is said that women have spaghetti brains. Everything that has happened in their lives touches everything that is currently happening. It’s a jumbled mess. Of course, women also are quick to love and quick to comfort for the most part.

Personally, I have been judged for my house, my cleaning routine, my hair, my makeup, my children. You name it and I can relate. I have also had my faith, my prayer life, my actions judged. The bulk of it done by “Christians” of which I myself live within those quotation marks.

Paul urged the Roman church to watch the judging. I am part of hearing that urging. Honestly, I think we can all fall under the need of that urging.

 “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. 2 For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.3 “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? 4 How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.” Matthew 7:1-5 (NLT)

I really have no answers to this issue. I am still working and walking through this life. All I know is when you truly focus on Bible reading, you can become uncomfortable. Words you have read thousands of time hit you with sharp edges. How you perceive yourself changes.

I have always thought of myself as a kind, gracious and sometimes funny person. Yes, I have my glaring blemishes that all can see. Even deeper, I know inside me. I know those feelings like shivers that run up your spine at times. Those ‘judgement’ issues. Each human has them. The key word being human.

Since I wrote this, will I immediately conquer these problems? No. But, I am aware of them with a more magnified lens. Judgement comes easy. Holding on to judgement is even easier. Judging others is a sin that can easily lead to a hardness of heart. That is not what I want for my life.

This season of life, this time of this year is quickly approaching. The next few months judging others is going to come swiftly. We will all have our ‘feelings’ hurt because someone will disagree with us. This happens every four years. We can become so involved in becoming hurt that we do not realize how quickly we are judging.

This has been a ramble of words, I know. But these scriptures have been in my mind. I want to meld them into my heart. I want to be able to stand before our Creator sometime in the future and see Him smile as He sees that I became aware of my judging ways and with His help and guidance I conquered the nagging and easy to fall into problem of judging.

I have asked the Lord to help me with this. I carry judgement in my heart, I think this is human. It is also resulting from hurt accumulated. If we were each honest with ourselves, the stories could be similar.

“Share each others burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ” Galatians 6:2 (NLT)

Daybreak

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“Tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it… Yet.” (Lucy Maude Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables)

Tomorrow always (for me) begins at daybreak. The sun rises and it is like the earth is covered in hope. The shadows of the night are erased and the world awakens.

Daybreak brings hope, promise and a renewed presence of God in our lives. He shines forth, allowing our eyes to focus on our surroundings. We are never promised tomorrow, but each day is like a gift that unwraps itself with the dawning of the sun.

The past week I have had a dear friend visiting. She is retired now and is about to venture into a new life. A new adventure. She is moving here. I am grateful to our Lord for this gift to me.

I often think of the Girl Scout song, “Make new friends, but keep the old. Some are silver, some are gold.” These words have followed me for a very long time. Golden friends take a while for their patina to become evident in your life. At first, they are the new friends. Soon they are the old friends. Eventually they show their shine in a silvery way and then that patina is gold. Such is this friend moving here.

Change happens throughout our lives. Each season of change is a challenge. This week I have been reminded that roads are now familiar to me. It wasn’t long ago that I looked out the car window like she has this week. Everything is strange. The difference from the metropolitan area of San Diego to the quiet of upstate South Carolina is vast. I have watched and remembered when I was where she is now. Excitement mixed with a longing. Knowing a change is needed but questioning if this drastic of a change is where the Lord is leading her.

How often in our lives does our Lord bring us to a cross road? We tend to go the direction we have gone for years. We know the ruts. We know the dips and bumps. We know what to avoid. There is comfort in the known.

Sometimes the Lord, at those crossroads puts up a road block. Un-passable. We can’t continue the way we have always gone. We look at the other side and think how strange it is. Sort of like those fairy tales where the heroine ventures down the path where we know the big, bad wolf is waiting.

But God… He knows that it may be strange, different, scary, but He also knows the other path is an adventure. A tomorrow with no mistakes.

When God is in charge of our plans, the daybreaks bring joy. Hope. Promise of fresh starts, new adventures, His plan for our lives.

“So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you” Deuteronomy 31:6 (NLT)

A Child Who Needs Snuggles

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“2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” Revelation 21:2-4 (NLT)

I read this verse today and a couple of things came to my mind.

The first thought I had was me clinging onto God (at least the image I have in my mind). I was wrapped in His arms and breathing deeply. I was snug and secure and I knew if /when I am in that position, I truly will want to stay there forever.

That thought was followed by a second thought, a memory, actually. I remember being young and following my Mom around. I was so close to her that if she stopped, I would run into her, or I would get bumped on my forehead by her elbow. In the echoes of my mind, I could remember her saying to me, “For God’s sake, Cathi, give me some room.” Actually, I would hear her say this several times a day, and I was that clingy child.

Fast forward many years and I had a child that would follow closely to me. I remember bumping her forehead with my elbow. Immediately, I laughed. I knew the Lord had answered my Mother’s prayer of me having a child like myself. I loved the closeness of that child to me, how she would snuggle.

As is usual for me, my mind trailed off as I thought of all of this. For those who make God their Savior and Lord, He is the One we run to. The One we can follow closely. The One whom we can run into upon a sudden stop. He longs for us to be that clingy child. He wants us to climb into His lap for a snuggle so deep and long that our hearts calm, our tears are wiped away and we are comforted and at peace.

As we spend time with Him throughout our day, praying, reading or worshiping Him, we can experience those snuggles. But, I cannot wait to experience this fully. When He calls me home and I can run to Him, jump into Him like my grandchildren do when they see me. And finally and forever have my tears wiped away for good. What a perfect day that will be.

Winter Sunset

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“The light shines in the darkness,  and the darkness can never extinguish it.” (John 1:5, NLT)

There is a time each winter day when the sun sets over our woods. The woods close up to the house have started to look gloomy and dark for the night hours. 

The sun, however shows it’s glory in a bright burst before saying good night. It lights up the trees in the distance with a glow that takes my breath away each time I see it. 

Towards the end of the day, when tiredness is creeping in and my sighs become more frequent I look at the woods and feel a darkness come on me. It’s not ominous, it is just the end of the day. The feeling that my pajamas are calling out to me and the idea of toast and tea for dinner somehow seems like the perfect end of the day. 

Then my eyes go upward and I see the brilliant light of the sun reflected in the distance. The light that reminds me that behind each dark cloud there is a brilliant hope for tomorrow. The hope that we find in Christ. The hope that all of my darkness and weariness and sighs can be resolved sitting at the feet of my Lord, where the light can never be extinguished. 

Now, I am ready to fix dinner.

Taking Things Literally

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Most of the time, I am a literal person. I take people at their word. I make jokes of street signs, such as “Slow Children at play”. Why would anyone call a child slow and then point out that slow children are playing?

Another is the lack of correct punctuation, which I know I am horribly guilty of. An example, “let’s eat Mom” instead of “let’s eat, Mom.” I am thankful my daughters did not say the first, I know I would be a gristly piece to eat.

I say the above in jest, except for being horrible at punctuation. There is one area that I truly am literal. I am literal when reading my Bible. I know what I am reading is truth. I know the words are from God given through Holy Spirit to men.

I have no qualms believing the words I read daily. “ All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,” 2 Timothy 3:16 (NKJV) These words have helped me through the years, given me strength, encouragement, and set me on right paths when I was straying in a different direction.

One of my favorite scriptures that I believe and am waiting to see more proof of in my life is John 13:12 ““I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father.” (NLT)

Jesus has gone to the Father. With faith and courage we can do greater things now. I know there are countless promises of God in His Word. Each one is for us. God does not deceive. He does not waver. What He says He will do, He will do. He is not like man who will say something, forget about it, let it slip our mind and not do something. God is a great God. He will do as He promises in His word.

Today, let’s be literal. Let’s look at the Bible and believe what it says.