De-cluttering and Re-newing

We are in the process of change. I have never been one to like change----in fact I am most happy in my  comfort zone of what I know and what I am used to.  I like routine, and I really really like being able to count on things being predictable!  I guess that's why I have been in the same job for 25 years, despite moving 90 miles from my job 18 years ago!  And I guess that's why we have lived in the same house for the last 18 years with the same old stuff....gathering more old stuff as the years have gone by!  But there comes a time when we step back and take a look and realize that things are getting run down and dusty and mighty cluttered.  Paint is chipping off of the siding, the carpets are looking ragged, and the walls are looking a bit dated.  I open the closet door in just about any room in the house and am afraid of what might spill out!  The kids are all mostly moved out, yet their rooms still occupy many of the traces of years gone by----and when I say traces, I mean BIG traces....like closets FULL of their traces!  Don't get me wrong, it has been so comforting having pieces of them still here and I miss them so much now that they are gone, but maybe it's time to do a little decluttering and refreshing in this house! 

So, we began this "process of change" about 6 weeks ago and it has been a lot more work and a lot more costly than I ever would have imagined!  One thing I have come to realize through this process is that it often has to get a whole lot messy before it can be pretty!  Things have to come out in the open and sorted through before they can be either eliminated or put back in some semblance of order. Choices have to be made and laziness has to go out the window because all of this is hard work!  Sometimes I think it never ends!  And in a sense, it doesn't, because we are always making small changes along the way, and up-keep is necessary. 

Isn't this a metaphor of life?  I am really finding lots of parallels along the way!  Life can get so "routine" that we forget to stand back and take a good look at what is really important and what needs changed and "de-cluttered".  Our interior becomes bogged down by worldly baggage and dusty with the dirt of the heart.  Our exterior can look good for a long time, but eventually it starts showing signs of wear.  Like peeling paint, eventually we begin to see what's really underneath the veneer of appearance.  The things of the heart gradually are exposed and there is no other logical choice except to deal with the mess and clean up the clutter.

I lost count of how many bags of garbage we have hauled to the dump, and how many boxes of "stuff" have been donated. It has been an absolute mess in this house at times as we have pulled stuff out of the closets and drawers, and as we have slapped paint after paint on these walls!  But the mess is part of the process. We are getting at the point now where we can see how it's all going to look when it's done.  Our perspective has gone from feeling heavily burdened, to a feeling of anticipation as we see each room with a new coat of paint and space in the corners and closets! I don't know what I would have done without the help of my husband and kids and the professionals that remove the old siding and flooring and replace it with new.  There is no way that one person could do this alone!

The process of change is hard and slow going but step by step the work gets done and we start to see progress and get excited about the prospect of a refreshed and more simple perspective on things. The process of change is not something we can do alone.  We need the help of "The Great Transformer" in order to even be able to step back and see what is failing and what needs some tender loving care in order to be sustained and maintained.  Only God can see what He originally designed us to be, and only in His power can we have the strength to make the changes necessary in order to be who He created us to be.  It's an ongoing process----up-keep is necessary----but He gives us glimpses of His glory and new perspectives as we shed the things that are weighing us down and filling our lives with clutter and sin. 

Soon the siding will be done and the house will look new on the outside, but a house is only as good as what is on the inside---- the framework and foundation, and a few special touches of character in the décor!  I want my life to be that way too.  I want to reflect on the outside what is really on the inside.  I want my foundation to be strong in the Lord, and the framework of my life to be based on that foundation.  And I want the uniqueness that He blessed me with to show in the "décor" of my personality.  I want all who enter in to this house and to my life to feel loved and welcomed and feel the presence of the Lord in it all, and I know that He will be faithful to transform my heart in order for that to be so.  He is good----and He is always up for a good remodel!

Hope in the Labor of Living

My daughter Kylie and baby Hayden.
Photo credit Elle.Jae Photography 

Do you ever feel like living in this messed up world is just too hard?  Have you ever said, "I can't do this!"  Have you ever been so worn out and worn down by your circumstances that you just don't feel like you can endure one more painful thing?  If we had no hope, we would certainly feel like giving up wouldn't we?

I worked as an OB nurse for 8 years before working in the NICU, and I remember hearing the words, "this is too hard, I can't do this anymore", numerous times from women  in labor.  And having experienced labor 3 times myself, I certainly could relate! They say that the labor of childbirth is one of the most intense types of physical pain that there is.  That must be true because even Jesus uses the example of labor to describe the sorrow of life.

"When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world." John 16:21 ESV

And those who have experienced pregnancy can attest to the fact that it is not just the labor that is difficult, it is the whole process of having a tiny human growing and developing inside of you.  The body goes through many changes.....many of which are not so pleasant!  Fatigue, nausea, joint pain, back aches, swelling, and many other symptoms are part of the process as the body is stretched beyond imagination! But haven't you also witnessed the "glow" of a pregnant woman?  It's true, there is a special glow of joy that undergirds every other physical symptom, and it is distinctly lovely!

The journey through pregnancy, labor and delivery would be almost impossible if it weren't for the hope of what was to come through it all.  The anguish is forgotten "for the joy that a human being has been born into the world" as Jesus said.  I can still distinctly remember those moments when I held my new babies in my arms for the first time, and how all of the memory of the pain melted away as I gazed upon their tiny faces and felt  the warmth of their little bodies next to mine. Just as the journey through pregnancy and delivery would be unbearable without the hope of what is to come, the journey through life would almost be impossible if it weren't for the hope we have in Jesus, and the promise of eternal life.

In the passage in John 16, Jesus is speaking to His disciples and encouraging them as they sorrow over knowing that Jesus would soon be leaving them.  But Jesus tells them that although they will experience sorrow, it would soon turn to joy and their hearts would rejoice as they look forward to seeing Him again.  He told them that no one would be able to take their joy from them.

What about that joy?  As Christians, shouldn't we, like a woman with child, be undergirded with that special glow of joy as we go through the labors of life?  Shoudn't we always keep it tucked away deep in our hearts as a constant reminder of what is to come?  But in all honesty, sometimes I get so caught up in how I am feeling that I tend to mask that joy that I have in Jesus.  I find myself saying, "this situation is just too hard....I want it to be fixed!"  Or I get so caught up in the busyness of life that I forget about the growing life inside of me....the life that is being transformed by the Holy Spirit in me.

The world can be a dark place.  We are seeing so many things changing and are experiencing the sorrows associated with the evil in the world.  I like how Paul states it in Romans 8:22-24 NLT

22 For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.

23 And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us.

24 We were given this hope when we were saved. 

So HOPE is our JOY.  Hope is what undergirds all other circumstances of life because we KNOW what is to come.  In the labor of childbirth, it is often helpful to concentrate on a focal point to get through a painful contraction.  The same holds true in the painful times of life....keeping our eyes fixed on the hope we have in Jesus gets us through each wave of pain. In the labors of life we can display the glow of joy and hope as we focus our eyes on Jesus and the promises of life everlasting where there will be no more pain and suffering....

"Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full at His wonderful face

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim

In the light of His glory and grace"

So the old labor coach in me says, " YOU CAN DO THIS!  YES YOU CAN!  THE BEST IS YET TO COME!"

Kara 5/28/16

Kathy

                                               

Anxiously, I stepped into the church that day.  A Bible study class?  Was I really here?  I had a new friend, that's all I knew.  Another mom at the kids' swimming lessons had invited me to "this really great Bible study", and even though it was only July and the Bible study wouldn't be starting until September, my "Yes" stood firm in my heart.  I didn't understand it because ordinarily I would have found every excuse in the book to say "NO!" , but for some reason, I held on to that invitation and when September came around, I climbed in to my new friend Anita's car and off we went.

I know now that it was God who was drawing me near, but at the time, I was intrigued by this new laughter-filled friend and I wanted to meet more people like her.  My motive wasn't really to meet Jesus there, it was to meet new friends!  

As we gathered into the Methodist Church in Cody that day, there was a sweet red-headed lady teaching the class, and upon exploration, I realized that she was my dad's cousin Kathy Reed!  Being from a large family, I had never even met Kathy before, but I had come into contact with her family through my work as an NICU nurse in Billings.  Kathy's grandson Nicholas was a tiny one in our NICU for awhile, and a connection was made with his mom and dad almost by accident as I asked them if they knew any of my family members in Powell, (since they were farmers in Cody!).  To our surprise, we realized that we were distant cousins!  Coincidence?  Again, as I look back, I can see the sweet serendipitous sovereignty of God who was orchestrating a part of His grand plan for my life.  And as we know, He never orchestrates a plan just for one person's life without tendrils of purpose intertwining with the lives of others.  That first day, in that first church, with that first sweet red-headed teaching leader, became the first step on the journey of my faith in Jesus.  And not only did I find that I would make new and precious friends there, I found the greatest friend of all, Jesus Christ. 

But I want to talk about my precious friend Kathy for a moment.  Have you ever met someone and thought that they were too good to be true?!  Well, that was my first impression of Kathy. From the very beginning, I knew there was something very special about her.  At the time, I really never had studied the Bible before, and although I called myself a Christian, I really was guarded around Christians.  I had never been ridiculed or "judged" by other Christians, but for some reason I always felt inferior to them.  I saw them as a group of people that were a step above those of us who weren't really involved as Christians.  They seemed to have it all together, while I seemed to struggle with always thinking that the things I did in my iife were not quite good enough.  They seemed so sure of themselves and confident that they were doing everything right.  Well, that was my perception!  But Kathy, well she was different than all of the other Christians I had met.  She had this quiet and gentle way about her that made her easy to approach.  She had this humble way of relating to others and there was a warm glow that came from her spirit that drew me in.  I found myself trusting her every word and I began to think that if that is what a real Christian acted like, I wanted to be one!

I think God knows that His children need to be met right where they are at when they begin their journey of faith.......even if it means that He must allow people like me to fall in love with Him through loving another person first.  That is what happened in those first months of BSF as I listened to Kathy humbly deliver the lecture each week and introduce me to Jesus' love through her love.  She spent extra time talking with me and answering my questions, and she always made me feel so special as she praised God for how He was growing my faith.  I'm sure that I said some pretty juvenile things, but she always acted like it was something that was so profound!  You see, Kathy met me where I was at too, and she took my hand and lovingly walked with me to see Jesus, beaming all the way with her warm smile and gracious words.

Over the years, 16 1/2 to be exact (!), Kathy has become very dear to me and a big part of my life.  She has trusted God enough to invite me into leadership, and has mentored me in so many ways as I have sought to serve the Lord in BSF.  She has become someone who I would trust my heart with, and has laughed and cried with me through many of life's circumstances.  They say that followers of Jesus are connected in a unique and other-worldly way through His Holy Spirit, and I know that is true because so many times we reach out to one another through a phone call or text or email, because God prompts us just at the right time when we need each other most.  He has blessed us with like-minds and hearts so that we can be there for one another and pray for one another, and grow close to Him together.  I thank Him every single day, and sometimes several times a day(!) for His sweet gift of Kathy in my life.  And although her roles are changing a bit as she steps down as BSF Teaching Leader, she will always be one of my most precious treasures.  This life on earth is fleeting, and things are changing quickly, but one thing that we can count on for sure is that we will spend eternity praising God together, and I cannot think of ANYTHING better than that!  I love you sweet Kathy!

Faithful Servant

She runs around ragged

she searches high and low

she knows there is something more

something she does not yet know

He knows she is searching

He knows she is lost

So He sends His precious servant

for whom He paid the cost

His servant's name is Kathy

she is lit up with His light

He calls her His beloved

and He has made her right

She warms the world with her smile

she warms hearts with her love

She lives in the image of Jesus

turning hearts and minds above

He sends her to the lost

His servant obeys His call

and with His wonderful grace

she reaches out to all

The lost one wanders

looking for something real

and suddenly up ahead

His servant comes to heal

She meets her in her broken place

stoops down at her side

and whispers words of His love

saying, “there's no need to hide”

The servant reaches out her hand

and says, “Come and See!”

and with trust the lost one goes with her

right to the Tree

The servant introduces Jesus

who was once upon that Tree

which was made into a Cross

to set His people free

The lost one now sees the Light

which was once clouded with doubt

then the servant does something

that causes the heavens to shout

She places the lost one's hand

into His mighty grasp

and says, “now walk with Him”

you are found at last!

Well Done, Good and Faithful Servant of God!

Kara Althoff

May 6, 2016

A Hole in the Clouds

As I was driving home from work the other day I witnessed a really cool thing......... It was a hole in the clouds! Right smack dab in the middle of the dismal darkness of the stormy gray clouds was a patch of glory! Blue sky and sunshine....right in the midst of rain and wind! 

I stuck my wobbly hand out the window to try and catch a pic while driving....I know, NOT a good idea!   But it was just so......just so......HOPEFUL, I guess is the right word I am looking for. That little spot of happiness was so refreshing even though it was surrounded by gloominess. And the fact that it actually could be that way was astounding to me! 

Well, it really doesn't take much to thrill me....I'm pretty simple that way.....but it just got me to thinking.   I mean, how many times have you been right in the middle of a hard time and all of a sudden something sweet happens? Children tend to do that to me......no matter what the state of the messy day is in, a child can say something funny or giggle or plaster a big kiss on your cheek and suddenly all is well with your soul! Kids don't take life too seriously, and it takes a lot to knock them down because they can always find pieces of pleasure in their midst. And shouldn't we be that way too? 

My niece Grace is like that. No matter what's going on in life, she always has a quirky joke to tell or a song to sing. And that gap between her baby teeth used to just make me smile all over!

  GRACE. What a good name for her.

 Who deserves such sweetness? 

God's Grace is like that.  He always has a Word of encouragement and a breath of Love to share. Just when we feel heavy burdened, He gives us rest. Just when rains of tears of sorrow are falling, He sends a patch of His glory to give us hope.  He is our Hole in the Clouds.

There are pieces of pleasure all around, and when we take time to see them we experience His Grace. And I'll bet if we share them, we can be somebody else's Hole in the Clouds too!

I pray that in the midst of this cold and cloudy spring day, you find your Hole in the Clouds.

Grace to you💜

Hazy Sunrise

I've been up since 4:19 am. Sleepless nights come frequently at this stage of life! I learned a long time ago that it works best to just GET UP rather than laying there wrestling with the bed, and wrestling with the myriad of thoughts that flood into my mind. Many times I have found that God is calling me to get up ....and then get back down on my knees to pray. Some of the most peaceful and profound moments are those moments of prayer.

This morning I sat facing the east window of my living room. I kept thinking that the "bonus" of getting up this early is that I will be sure to see every bit of the sunrise. So after about an hour, the sun finally began to peek above the Bighorn mountains and I was prepared for a glorious array of color and splendor! Well.....there was light, and a soft pink hue, but as the light shined brighter I began to realize that the splendor was cast over by a layer of fog. Mist rose from the freshly plowed and planted field and the trees in the distance look like blurry shadows of darkness in the morning light. I won't lie, I was a little disappointed......I mean really? If I'm going to get up this early shouldn't I be rewarded with a brilliant sunrise?!

But as I sit here and think about this, I realize that the problem isn't the fog.....it's my perspective. Do you ever have times in your life that everything seems foggy? The fog of discouragement, fear, hopelessness, sorrow, stagnancy, and fatigue can cover over the splendors of life. Apathy begins to creep in and one day you find yourself wondering where all the color has gone. That's where I have been lately. But instead of the fog being the problem, I am thinking that my perspective is even more the culprit.

I am still sitting here in the morning light...it is now 6:18 am, and the sun is beginning to burn right through that haze.  But even so, there is beauty in that fog. And I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't even notice the blurriness without the light.

The things that obscure clear vision can either hinder us or they can help us. We can learn to see those things as reasons to look more to the Son....look to His burning light that overpowers darkness and fog. The things that try to knock us DOWN can be the very things that cause us to look UP. The mist that rises up from the fertile soil of faith can actually accentuate spiritual growth. As I change my perspective from focusing on the fog, I begin to see that there is NOTHING more powerful than the Son.

 Does it make sense when I say that maybe we should view the fog through the sun, rather than the sun through the fog? Because that's exactly what a changed perspective is......instead of viewing God through our circumstances, we view our circumstances through God.  And when we do that,  His glory shines....and so does our hope!

It's now 6:44 am and I am squinting! The sun is shing so bright that I might have to put my sunglasses on, right here in my living room! Wouldn't that be a sight...sunglasses and PJ's....on the sofa?! My husband is sure to think I've lost my mind! 

Have a blessed day all!

Kara

Funerals and Baby Showers

Celebration of life.....one going out and one coming in......sorrow and joy mixed. That combination can bring us to our knees with questions in our minds and wonder in our hearts. The complexity of it can be overwhelming, yet the simplicity of its unwavering occurrence leaves us often taking it all for granted. There is birth and there is death. In a physical sense, it seems cut and dried. But on a deeper emotional  and spiritual level, the only cutting and drying that occurs is the cutting of heart and the drying of tears.

As our family eagerly prepares for the entry of a new baby girl, we mourn the unexpected losses of  two family members.  It's ironic that we call a pregnant woman, one who is "Expecting" and then use the same term as we describe a sudden death, as one that was "Unexpected". Maybe it should be the other way around? After all, we "Expect" that all people will die, but never are quite sure when one would be blessed with new life...right? But what if, instead of separating it all out, it could become one? What if we had no expectations except that new life passes into New Life? It's all more connected than we may think. This life is temporary, yet we have such a hard time letting go. But New Life is eternal......instead of letting go, we can embrace it and hang on to the fact that death as we know it, is really only the beginning of eternal New Life for a believer.

As we enter in to Holy Week, we ponder the most heart wrenching death of all.....the Crucifixion of Jesus; and we celebrate the most wondrous truth of all....the Resurrection of Jesus. His life here on Earth as one of us was temporary, but had an earth shattering purpose. What He did on the Cross made it possible to connect that gap between temporary and eternal. His resurrection is proof of His "realness" .....proof that He indeed is our Lord and Savior.......and proof that we too can be resurrected into New Life as we accept this to be true and live a life following AFTER Him, until we are called to eternal life WITH Him.  As we die to our self focused ways, and take up His Cross.....where His forgiveness bled down.....we become one with eternal life.....New Life. Oh, the Bliss of it!

We celebrate life, both at Baby Showers AND Funerals, because life has earth shattering purpose. We welcome fresh new babies with Hope, and we say good-bye to those who have left us........with Hope.

And in between, we live with earth shattering purpose.....shattering all expectations that bind us to earthly limitations and hopelessness. We live while embracing the heavenly realm of loving God and one another. And we live forwardly, in expectancy of what is to come......when birth is just birth and death is no more.

"Now Faith is the confidence of what we hope for and assurance of what we do not see"

 Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)

"The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this Faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living." Hebrews 11:1 (The Message)

Be Still My Soul by Kara Althoff

                  Peaceful Iona sunset

Have you ever had to swallow something so bitter that it leaves a vacuum-like hollow spot deep in your gut?  I'm not talking about literally swallowing something....although it definately feels like it sometimes when troubles asail us doesn't it?  I'm talking about the times when you find out that your friend has Cancer, or your child is in trouble, or someone you've loved has suddenly died, or you have been betrayed at the deepest level.  I don't like that horrible helpless feeling that washes over me when something "bitter-tasting" occurs, but like a literal swallowing, it is the initial shock that is the worst, and then the digestion begins.

Lately, it seems like everywhere I turn, I am hearing about tragedy, violence, heartache, illness, and betrayal.  A person can get downright down-under if the burdens of the world are allowed to take over in her heart.  But the reality is, we are exposed to such agonizing things because they are part of the fabric of our lives.  I'm not gonna lie....I would rather put my head in the sand to avoid facing things.  And sometimes I turn and run swiftly in the opposite direction to try and escape the sorrow.  I've never been a "face it head on" kinda girl.  But some things just hit head-on whether we want it to or not.  

When I am consumed with "self", I tend to choke on the "bitter things" more easily.  But when my eyes are fixed on Jesus, most things pale in comparison to His amazing grace and His mysterious ways of revealing sparkling beauty and sweetness amidst the bitterness.  When I truly take the time to look around at all of the good that is happening in this world, and in my life and in the lives of those I love, I find peace.  When I am still, I remember that the Lord is on my side and has my best interest at heart...as He does all His children.  His will trumps all wills.  Oh, but I do wrestle with my "self" so often!  I have to make a conscious effort to stop and look around and let go  of the things that tie me into knots.  

I have recently read a book called, " The Hardest Peace" by Kara Tippets and have been following her blog called Mundane Faithfulness.  I have been truly humbled as I have followed her journey through Cancer.  She has 4 young children and a vibrant heart for the Lord.....but she is dying.  This woman, despite her pain and suffering, has maintained her ministry of speaking such wonder and love to a vast audience of readers.  She has been faithful and persistent in sharing the goodness of God, even in her darkest days.  She is honest and open about the hardest peace, but she always comes to one conclusion.....she has Jesus, and He is enough.  I have been moved deeply by her words and her faith.

http://youtu.be/rKDC4ugYQOk

No matter what happens in this world, Jesus has overcome it and HE IS ENOUGH.  Therefore, we can swallow those bitter things trust Him to help us digest and work through them in HIS strength.  We can trust Him to not only get us through them, we can trust Him to use them to bring about new faith and new discoveries of His vast character of love and grace.  So......take a deep breath and breathe Him in.  Let His Spirit fill your soul as you sit in stillness before Him.  Allow His Presence to be your focus and peace in this crazy mixed-up world.  His sweetness will overshadow the bitter things as He reveals the goodness that is happening all around.  And........the best is yet to come for those who trust Him!

"Be Still, My Soul"
by Catharina von Schlegel, 1697-?
Translated by Jane Borthwick, 1813-1897

1. Be still, my soul; the Lord is on thy side;
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul; thy best, thy heavenly, Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

2. Be still, my soul; thy God doth undertake
To guide the future as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence, let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul; the waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.

3. Be still, my soul, though dearest friends depart
And all is darkened in the vale of tears;
Then shalt thou better know His love, His heart,
Who comes to soothe thy sorrows and thy fears.
Be still, my soul; thy Jesus can repay
From His own fulness all He takes away.

4. Be still, my soul; the hour is hastening on
When we shall be forever with the Lord,
When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul; when change and tears are past,
All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.