Coffee and Hope

I’m sitting at my table with a cup of coffee as one of my communions. I have two dogs lying at my feet. I have a turkey sausage sandwich on an orange plate being gobbled quickly. Life is good.

Most of all I have my best friends with me as I write, drink, and eat. They have accompanied me my whole life but I was not aware until in my late teens. I have become more aware as time and life went forward. The ups and downs and twists and turns. The hills and valleys and mountain tops and bottom of the ocean floors. I’ll tell you more about them….

As I read through my last post, that my friend Ann wrote, a couple of lines stood out to me:

“I tried to wear them

These black and white lenses

That religion required.”

Well, religion is a tough one. I’ve been religious. I actually hate it when I am. You see, I am a Christian. Some of you may stop reading now that you saw that simply because it means a certain attitude, or religious rites, or hurt in your heart from some of the same “religion”. I understand. I even cringe sometimes when someone says to me that they are a Christian.

As I sip my coffee on a full tummy of yummy breakfast sandwich I am just one person that is going to tell you that religion is not what Jesus is all about. He wants us. He wants a friendship like none we’ve ever experienced before.

When you realize that it’s a personal relational friendship with God, Jesus His son and Holy Spirit you can breathe a deep sigh of relief. They are real and wonderful and free from laws and religion.

By no means am I saying not to go to a church building. But when you realize that every breathing hour of everyday can be accompanied by a living God your churches will look different. A whole new perspective opens up before you. Will all your troubles leave suddenly and life becomes full of rainbows and unicorns and puppies and kitties? No way! God never promised life on this earth will be perfect if we know Him. He did promise a boat load of other things such as, He will never leave us alone to face the hardships and challenges. He will make a way right out to the other side. He gives us a perspective of how He sees our life. He sees the whole picture – like a jigsaw puzzle. The end result is beautiful and He works through every piece with us.

Back to Ann and her story. She just didn’t fit into the religion and oppression she was born to. She was born to soar and create and be who she was made to be. Thankfully she was able to be free to leave and find her self and her own relationship with God. How many of you have lived a life that others made for you? I did. But I also was able to find who I was and set out on the journey I was made for.

This post is written for those who feel lost still. Those who struggle with not really knowing what to do or even feeling afraid of the world around them. Let’s face it, COVID threw the world a curve ball. So many of our old normals are gone and will not come back. Many lost loved ones and many are still recovering from an awful sickness. Burt I have good news for you. If you doubt that God can know you, that Jesus can be your friend, then I highly recommend you just set yourself off under a tree or on a beach or in your car on under your sheets, wherever you can be alone and just ask Him to show Himself to you in whatever way you need.

I’m going to give you an example of God meeting you where you are at…. I was parked outside an elementary school waiting for one of my grandsons to be dismissed from school. There was a dead sparrow on the side walk next to my van. As kids immersed from the building a group of three boys came upon said bird body. I knew young boys and dead bird were not going to be a pretty sight. Sure enough, as mosts kids will do, they began to poke and kick the bird body. I prayed that God would do something because a stranger parked at a school telling kids what to do never ends well. All of a sudden a seagull flies in and swoops down and picks up the bird body and off he goes. The boys were amazed and so was I even though I asked and God answered. It’s as simple as that Dear Readers.

There. I pray the best for all of you.

Enjoy!

Cate B

A New Thing

As a child I was encouraged to be creative……sort of encouraged. My mom was a creative person, but her way of encouraging me was to have me watch John Gnagyour version of Bob Ross. She bought pads and pencils and I was left to figure out if I was able to draw or not. That didn’t last long. I learned to sew and knit very basic. I learned to bake and cook and listen to music while singing my heart out in my room. No verbal encouragement came so I gave up very easily.

But you cannot throw away the creative juices that lie within you. They may lay dormant but they are always there waiting to spring forth when given just a hint of watering and sunlight.

So I have blossomed into a rather good crocheter and baker. But I get antsy. I recently couldn’t ignore the voice that kept gently bidding me to jump in deeper to the creativity. Then, through people I highly respect, I answered with a big YES.

Being a person who just loves my friendship with Father God, Jesus and Holy Spirit, I felt a strong tug to paint. But not paint precise images (thank God) but to paint colours.  I just love colours. I am drawn to colourful things and they speak to me and actually bring out feelings and senses that otherwise just stay hidden.

So now begins a new journey. I started painting in a freeform-type of artistry. Whatever happens with this journey will definitely be a learning experience. At first I absolutely hated what I produced. But I kept them and am moving forward. I figure I will be the first one to get anything out my art simply because I need to see it in a new perspective – as God sees it. I think He likes what I produce, therefore, I need to like it too.

I even show my pieces to people. That is a new thing for me. I often ask why I couldn’t just crochet and give it away (I still crochet and bake – try and stop me!) But I know that this is the medium I am to do now. So here ya go, Dear Readers, a glimpse of my new thing…….

 

Enjoy!

Cate B

Sweetness

There is a sweetness in the air this time of year.  No, it’s not all the sugar that we use in baking all those yummy Christmas cookies and Holiday treats.  I don’t know, I feel all warm and fuzzy inside and can sense the sweetness that accompanies that.

Too sappy?  As I sat down to write a post, list of ideas before me, I decided to change direction.  I decided to sit a moment and just look into my heart and see how I feel.

As a “church goer” for many years, “feelings” seem to be put on the back burner by some.  I have actually heard many a sermon instructing Christians that feelings are not something to base your actions on.  Say, “I believe”, rather than, “I feel”.

Say what???  Being a person that feels the presence of God and feels how others are doing, etc., that just goes against who I am.  I could study the Bible till the cows come home and walk away with very little memorizing of scripture but my heart is full of it’s meaning.

I love that about me.  I love that others are more theological and logical.  After all, isn’t God that way?  BOTH ways?  How can I be who I am not?

I tried that growing up.  A right-brained child in a left brained house – so to speak.  We were given a lot of creative things to do but had to create a certain way.  Explain that to the God who created armadillos or stripped horses – aka zebras.

I’m being silly in some ways.  But it is just fine and dandy to use your emotions. They are real.  So, back to my opening line…..

I feel a sweetness in the air today.  A cozy comfy feeling and I love it.  Could be Christmas or Holiday Season or just the love of Holy Spirit surrounding me.

Can you feel it?  Here’s a fun one for you…..

Enjoy!

Cate B

 

Write and Write and then Write, Right?

Author  I really believe I am to put my “Prisoner of Hope” writings into a book.  I have no doubts.  Sigh.  It’s hard for me to sit down and do this.  But I will, by golly.  After all, the meat of it I already blogged, so how hard can this be to read and add and rewrite and so on and so on…….

It’s hard.  For me.  But I will prevail!  I am thankful for a writer friend who comes by and encourages me.  I couldn’t do it without her or my husband and family and the friends I have that believe in me.  And my most faithful friend of all who lives inside me and by me and gently loves and laughs with me in all I do and who gave me the gift of writing from the start.

So, onward I go!  Thank you dear readers for staying with me.

tumblr_l896uejCXz1qawpsxo1_500
tumblr_l896uejCXz1qawpsxo1_500

Enjoy!

cate b.

%d bloggers like this: