Cathy's Heart

Turning 60 - My Gift To You, Your Gift to Others Today, I am 60. And, my blog turns 10. Six decades of living. A decade of writing. This year, my hearts desire for this milestone birthday/blogiversary post is to give each one of you a gift! And to ask you, dear reader, to give a gift away. The idea grew inside me as I watched men and women serve my husband and I, as well as hundreds of other hotel guests, last weekend on a birthday get away. I tried to thank each employee, who I passed in the hallway, for their service. And when I did they stopped, smiled, and seemed blessed, yet completely surprised. From our getaway weekend, I drove to Arizona to visit family and celebrate my dad, who shares my birthday. A major renovation was going on at the hotel where I stayed. For four days, I watched the work crew tearing out the old and putting in the new, in 100 plus degree weather. Each time I passed one of those hard workers, I told them they were incredible and “God bless you!” Then, later,...

Learning to Contend in Prayer - Part 6 “ Are you still nearby? Because the president of the United States just walked past our shop .” This was the message I received, several years ago, from a dear friend who managed a toy store where I loved to buy gifts. No, I wasn’t there any longer. And by mere moments, I missed actually meeting the president of our nation. Many years later, I have yet to meet a real live president. Still, I believe they exist. I respect their man selected, and God given, authority. And, I pray for them, whenever I remember to. Or, when we are in crisis and things are a disaster. (Just being honest) Why do I tell you this story, as I began the sixth and final post in my series about learning to contend in prayer? Well, one day, I realized this story is a great example of my faith and prayer journey.  You see, I have always believed in Jesus, and often called out to Him in prayer. But I have not always known the One to whom I prayed. For instance, one of my fir...

Learning to Contend in Prayer - Part 5 2019 has been a year of contending! I didn’t really understand that! Until the last few weeks, when I felt the Holy Spirit ask me to study God’s Word from the view of contending in prayer. Instantly,  I assumed my study would include passages about contending  against  the spiritual forces of evil  in the heavenly realms as described in Ephesians 6, where we are instructed about putting on our spiritual armor and how to use our spiritual weapons. Yet, from the start, God led me in a different direction. So, this week, I looked up the definition of contending. There, I realized God not only wants us to contend  against  our enemies, but  He longs to show us how to contend  on behalf of  others —our family, our friends, our allies, and even our enemies. In the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, I found that  contend means to maintain, to assert, to struggle for, to contest.  And, in the Longman Dictiona...

Learning to Contend in Prayer - Part 4 (Dedicated To My Mom) “Do you know of anyone who was praying for you?” This is a question I often ask the person who is sitting across from me in a coffee shop or at a cafe, as I listen to their story about God’s miraculous and redemptive work in their life. It is the same question I continually ask myself as I look back on my own faith journey. I remember my mom was the first person who prayed for me. And at the age of eleven, I saw God answer her prayers when He miraculously spared my life in a horrible car accident. My mother had sensed her first born was in danger while on a road trip, so she knelt beside her bed in a prayer vigil, until she received the middle of the night phone call that every parent dreads. Then when I was seventeen, a group of teenagers from my high school were praying for their fellow classmates and teachers, as well as seeking opportunities to invite them to attend church. It was my senior year, and I was headed for trou...