...a word from Kathy

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'...