...a word from Kathy

Cross-posted from a dventagain.blogspot.com O ur precious grandson, Owen visited recently and I have so many memories stored in my heart.  I remember the days we made crafts, made pie crusts and Christmas cookies.  I remember his little feet pattering throughout my house.  I remember his little questions.  I especially remember words he spoke...love you, PapaRay, Kaki...and one more,  help .  As he would try to unlock or unwrap or open something, after the struggle he would say...help, help.  And we would jump in to help.  How could we resist such preciousness! This simple word reminded me of my childlike needs and my cries for help. "Mama, help me iron, Mama, can you sew on this button?, Mama, help me cook, Mama, help me get to school, Mama, help me understand my new baby, Mama, just help me." Children have no reluctance in asking for help.  In their lives, they have come to understand that they need a helper, a hero...someone to come...

Cross-posted from Adventagain.blogspot.com T rue confession...my list of to-dos has become the boss of my days.  Nary a present is under my Christmas tree!  In fact, we just put up our Christmas tree this week and currently it stands barren!  My house is a wreck and people are coming.  I have so much on my mind I can hardly keep my mind on track.  My brain is like an old radio station that can't quite tune in...full of static and faint sounds of music.  I'm joyful in this season but there is just too much brain buzz going on.  To sit in silence and try to have a reflective thought is ridiculously hard.  I cannot hear anything but the static we call the holidays.  Can I please put on headphones to block it all out?  I really do want to focus on the real meaning of Christmas.  I want to hear the Good News of a Savior's birth.  I want to realize the significance of His birth in my life today.  I want to hear the Savior's...

Cross-posted from AdventAgain.blogspot.com A re we there yet?  How many more days until Christmas, Mama?  When can I open a present?  How much longer?  Waiting...is...hard...for those waiting...and for those who hear the questions!  We're living in the season of waiting today.  We know a big event is coming, we're preparing, we're excited and we're hoping for celebration and unlimited joy. But even as we wait for tomorrow and the joy of Christmas, we know that today life is hard. It's hard to find all the money we need, patience we need, cooking skills required, time we need.  It's also hard because real life continues.  The demands of work, the death of a loved one, the child in the hospital, the child in addiction, the disappointment of being looked-over for promotion, the illness of a spouse, the loss of a job.  Real life doesn't stop happening just because we're waiting on Christmas.  In fact, this particular month may be harder...

 A  few weeks ago, our 2.5 year-old grandson, Owen was visiting us for Thanksgiving.  We had many activities that week but one of my favorites was the night we went to the River Walk in Tuscaloosa and walked among the decorated Christmas trees (or actually he rode his Strider)!   There were dozens of decorated trees....construction company trees complete with hard hats, realtor trees with little houses all over, an 'Incredibles' tree, and even the Grinch made an appearance.  Dozens of people had the same idea that night and as we weaved in and out of the slow-moving crowed of folks, it felt good to be engaged in Christmas with our community.  It was a sort-of throwback Christmas experience.  People were only on their iPhones to take pictures, people bought lattes and hot chocolate from a coffee truck nearby, music filled the air.  No snowflakes appeared but still it felt downright cozy and thrilling...for a little boy and his grandma. When we go...

W aking up on a Saturday morning, is oh, so delicious.  Those first moments of recognizing that it is indeed Saturday...those relaxing moments of rest before your mind fully kicks into drive. Over my lifetime, there have been many days that I wake up and my first thoughts are not restful.  In fact, they are challenging.  They remind me of all I need to accomplish, my responsibilities, my appointments, the pressure of performance, fulfilling expectations of my boss and my children, and my parents, and my husband.  Goodness!  There are so many bombarding thoughts...but on Saturdays...there seems to be a small window of release. Until this Saturday when I woke.  This Saturday, my mind was immediately filled with thoughts of what I am not.  I am not good enough, I am not smart enough, I am not respected, I am not making a difference, I am not well-liked, I am not simply enough... ...But quickly, very quickly...another, louder voice in my head, said...

I n the past month, I was on a Retreat.  Not the kind of retreat I have experienced before where 50 to 60 women gather to learn, laugh and eat a lot!  This retreat of mine was an unexpected one.  I traveled alone to China. I left Wednesday and arrived Thursday night.  And on the way back, I left Tuesday and arrived on Tuesday!  It's an interesting experience to lose a day of life and then repeat a day of life.  But in both cases...as I traveled, I was totally alone.  For 24 hours in both directions, I was alone with my thoughts, my fear, my impressions of those around me.  And I was very aware of the Voice inside of me. I got a little lost in one airport in China and I got little nervous in the Inchon, Korea airport yet the voice within me was strong and constant.  It's strange and lonely to travel to a country where you have no ability to communicate.  I couldn't order my food, I couldn't talk with the taxi drivers, I couldn't even ...

W ords are a life-source for me.  They are also deafening.  Words uplift.  Words hurt.  Words bring us life and love.  Words drown out our original thoughts.  Words get stuck inside of our heads and hearts.  Spoken words can bring freedom.  Spoken words can bring pain.  The silence of words can create wonder. The silence of words can also bring pain.  We have been given a holy spoken Word.  Words are powerful. I remember when my daughter was just a little girl, 2 or 3 years old.  She would reach up her arms towards me and say, "Hold you, hold you".  Clearly, her meaning was pick me up and hold me, mama.  But the beauty of her phrasing was so much better for my heart and soul.  Years later, the teenager phase was upon us and I heard different words!  Yes, some words that were painful at times but growing words.  Words that enabled her growth and mine. My word trap is that I always want to hea...

F ather's Day is today...oops, I forgot my husband, who is a father!  And, I almost forgot my son who is also a father!  I just have a hard time thinking about anything on Father's Day except my father!  Jack L. Loftin was his name and he left earth on June 27, 2008.  Wow, almost exactly 10 years ago.  How can that be possible?  (Hey Daddy, Happy Father's Day today!  I hope every day is Father's Day for you now...how could heaven not be?) This has been a normal Sunday for me and Ray...early church, boating on the lake, a lite lunch, reading...but my distracted 60-year-old brain has been on my Father.  And I'm sorry but not on Jack L. Lofting but on my heavenly Father.  God. Ray shared a small reading today that stated that all little girls seek love and attention from their fathers and that many women in our world today are still seeking that fatherly approval.  For the reality is not all of us had great dads.  We had stres...

E aster Sunday came and went.  Today is Monday and real life begins again.  The bunnies...all gone.  The chocolate...all gone (except what I need for daily sustenance!).  The food is all eaten, the company, thankfully, have gone and here I am...Monday.  He came, He rose, we celebrated...and it's Monday.  Life moves on and most days are routine, some hard and some unexpected.  Situations, family hurts, stress, life and death, disappointment, fear...it's Monday.  Oh yes, Easter Sunday just happened and am I living my Monday differently?  I believe He lived and rose from the dead but Monday still came. And I'm trying to figure out how to sing and live the Hallelujah chorus today...with no choir, no worship leader, just me and my little, bitty life.  How does Easter change me?  How should it change me? Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of...

Cross-posted from Fortyfaithful.blogspot.com I n Genesis 40, we find Joseph in prison.  And as the story evolves, we meet two new characters, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker.  Both of whom had offended the king of Egypt and he in turn had put them in prison.  This is when they fell under the care of Joseph.  One night each of them had a dream.  They told their dreams to Joseph and he interpreted the dreams.  Joseph told the cupbearer that he would soon be let out of jail.  "But when all goes well with you, remember me and show me kindness; mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of prison"  Joseph said.  Genesis 40:14    The chief cupbearer; however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.  Genesis 40:23 I don't blame the chief cupbearer, we all forget things and people who have influenced our lives.  He wanted to be restored and was eager to regain his duties.  He was a servant to the king and aspired to s...

Crossposted from forth faithful.blogspot.com   T he morning was sunny.  It was early and time for coffee.  The mom lazily walked to the kitchen to begin the breakfast process for her family and guests.  In just a few minutes, her husband joined her.  They bantered softly as to not wake the house.  Soon thereafter, footfalls were heard and their son joined them in the coffee quest.  This son, this broken, recovered son of addiction.  The mom still found herself amazed at his recovery and early morning risings.  She also held secret questions about how it all happened, how it all went wrong for him, how his childhood could have been better.  She had new questions too, but they were far too painful to ask so she simply chose to love.  But on this day, God had other plans.  In the quiet of the kitchen, as the son was casually conversing he asked the parents, "I've been wondering about something.  Is there any thing you...

CROSS-POSTED FROM THE LENT BLOG: FORTYFAITHFUL.BLOGSPOT.COM J ust as we set aside time to prepare for Christmas Day, it makes sense to set aside time to prepare for Easter....hello, Lent.  Think of all the Christmas preparations for the birth of Jesus; during these days we are preparing for the end of His early life and the birth of His eternal life.  These forty days give us time to shop our hearts and minds, ponder our lists with our names at the top, and choose the perfect gift for Him on Easter morning.  That gift is each of us...a more extensive us.  More of our minds and our hearts and our hands and feet.  How do we get there?  How do we explore deeply in order to offer ourselves more fully?  I honestly don't know.  But I believe the Old Testament story of Joseph will help teach us. Many scholars believe that the life of Joseph closely connects with Jesus' life story.  In fact, it is practically impossible to examine Joseph'...

T his is a post from 2015 that a friend brought to my attention.  Thought you might enjoy. IS it too late for New Years resolutions? Many of us make our lists  Lose ten pounds.  Exercise every day.  Stay within my personal budget and grow my savings account.  Visit my family more consistently.   I 'will do this', I 'will do that'...But do we ever see them through? I don't or I haven't!  We promise ourselves that this is THE year to see them through. Well, I am rebelling.  I'm much better in controlling what I will NOT do...because I like to be in control...(don't judge me, you do too).  So this year I refuse to make such a list. Instead I am making a Backward Resolution list, i.e. these are the goals of what I am NOT going to do. And....I have listed these in reverse order (thank you David Letterman): 10.   I am not going to feel guilty for sleeping late on Saturday mornings. 9.   I am not going to walk...