Cathy's Heart

Soup in the Pantry For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink…Matthew 25:35   “Residents of a local retirement community don’t have enough to eat.  Please, let me know if you would be able to donate soup to help those in need?” Carefully, I read the Facebook post.   My heart skipped-a-beat. My mind flashed back to my grandmother’s house. I was a teenager. My family was on our annual summer visit to Michigan.   I remember, I searched my grandma’s pantry for a snack to eat. Only cans of soup lined her nearly bare shelves. Even as a fourteen year old, I wondered, “were those cans of soup there because that is what she liked to eat? Or, were they the only thing she could afford?”   Then, I thought of my homeless neighbor, Maria. “What do you need? What can I do for you?” I asked through a friend who spoke spanish.   Maria answered simply, “Sopa.”   My friend translated, “She would like soup.” ...

Turning from Worry to Trust Worries, worries go away. Don't come back any day ! Worry! Recently, it has been a frequent nighttime companion. I have learned, over the years, how to contend with this enemy in the daytime. At night, however, I find the battle is more difficult. As I drift off to sleep, a small worry wiggles its way into my dreams, and before I know it, I wake up to find myself consumed with fear, anxiety and alarming dread. I read somewhere that this problem can be a "lovely" by-product of post-menopause. I, for one, am not a fan! However, as God would have it, at just the right time, a dear friend and mentor, Kathy Collard Miller, released her new book,  Partly Cloudy with Scattered Worries.  I'm currently devouring it. Kathy's book is reinforcing my faith and giving me a fresh perspective on familiar, yet powerful, tools and truths to combat my unwelcome nighttime intruder. Kathy is my guest today. I know you will be encouraged by her post. Please ...

Our New Home In July, nearly a year after we began our house hunt, my husband and I finally moved into a new home. It was not any of the houses or communities  I wrote to you about in February . In fact, for a long while, it was a house we would not even consider. Here’s our story: I saw the sign one day, driving through a neighborhood that I had discovered, and fallen in-love with, more than twenty years earlier when we first moved to San Diego. For Sale By Owner: Open House, Sundays 1-4 p.m. I jotted down the address displayed in small black numbers on the front of the pale blue house. Then, I scribbled the phone number written on a shabby sign hanging from a thin metal frame in the front yard. Slowly, I drove past the other quaint, cape-cod style homes, looking for any other For Sale signs. I found none. The following Sunday, I dragged my husband to see the house. As it did not meet much of our criteria, we were in and out of there in a matter of minutes. And, our house hunt con...

In Honor of Jinha This weekend, my youngest son, Dustin, will marry his beautiful bride, Jasmin. What a joy it has been to watch them plan their wedding with great maturity, love, and care around their desire to make sure Jasmin's mother is able to particpate in and celebrate her daughter's speical day! Below, please read the special story of this young couple's wedding plans, written by my soon-to-be daughter-in-grace. I know you will be blessed. And, I hope you will prayerfully consider a way you can help combat the devastating disease that has changed her families lives.   On April 6, 2013, My wonderful boyfriend propsed to me. After contemplating dates and budgets,  we asked ourselves what was important to us... our answer: my mom Jinha.  So, with that said, we decided that celebrating my mom and making sure she could enjoy our wedding to her fullest capacity was our #1 priority. We decided there was no better day than Oct 19, 2013.. the day of the  Alzheimer's W...

Turning 54 Yesterday, I turned 54 and  my blog  turned 4. Happy Birthday to us! And, welcome to my annual birthday post.  Here are just a couple of highlights from the past year. I have an adorable new grandson! I launched this  new website . I learned (and am still learning)  to deal with pain in my life, instead of burying it . And, after a long house-hunt, my husband and I bought and moved into a new house while it was being remodeled. (Watch for future posts about this grand adventure).  As I grow older, I am learning Change Never Stops! Growth Never Ceases! (As long as you desire it, that is) And, I desire it! This lady never wants to become a stagnant, old-fuddy-duddy.  Last spring, while I sat in my son’s backyard, watching my granddaughters play, I learned the most valuable lesson of the year. It is a lesson I pray will last the rest of my life. It all began when my almost 2 year old granddaughter placed a small black bead in the palm of my han...

Taking Care of Soul Pain "Pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains..." C.S. Lewis   How do you want people to see you?  I perused the answers to the multiple choice question on a spiritual gifts survey.  How did I want others to see me , I wondered? One answer caught my attention. Surprised, but certain of my choice, I marked the box, Strong. I knew it was right, for as far back as I can remember,  I have always wanted others to see me as strong.   Last summer, God decided it was time to expose a chink in my "strong" exterior armor. Through a chain of events, God revealed that in my attempt to appear strong I had managed to suppress much of the pain in my life. Not physical pain, (though it may have manifest itself that way), but pain which touches the heart and seeps down into the soul.  God forced me to see that over my lifetime, I had mastered the ability to bury, deep do...

What's In It For Me? "Great message," whispered my husband. Was it , I wondered? I recalled the words of a wise and godly woman. "If you don't get anything out of a service where the Word of God is being taught, it's nobodies fault but your own." Her words rang true. That morning, I hadn't been paying attention to the sermon. Convicted, I quickly prayed, "Lord, what do You have for me to receive today? What do You have for me to give this morning? And, Father, what do You have me to take away?" This prayer, which I have recently started praying every Sunday morning, was inspired by a story that the dear,  old woman  shared with me many years ago.  She told me to imagine I carried an empty basket with me to church every Sunday. Then, during the service, I was to listen for the truths and treasures that I could fill my basket with. She said with grave seriousness, "You should never walk out of church with an empty basket. If you didn...