Cadybunch Cottage

Fill Your Life with Beauty and Truth

Confessions of a Mama of Preschoolers

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How would you feel if your daily conversations were recorded and played back for you at the end of each day? Yikes! I’m not sure I’d be signing up for that service. But it would be a helpful tool in discerning whether our words were pleasing to the Lord.

I’m excited to share with you today a guest post from Jennifer Byars, a beautiful Mama of a toddler and a preschooler. She is transparent and authentic in what she shares. I believe these are words of encouragement and wisdom for young Mamas, but also a great word for us all regarding the meditations of our heart and the words of our mouth. I pray it encourages you today in whatever season of life you find yourself. (Full disclosure: this Mama holds a special place in my heart, as she is the one who first made me a Mama.)

Guest post from Jennifer Byars

“Recently Viv (18-month old) took a 7-minute video of her feet, a book, and the carpet…and audio of me teaching Ev to read. At first, as I listened, I congratulated myself on how patient I was and how well I praised and celebrated her. But as the lesson progressed, I heard my impatience, anger, and ugliness.…continue reading

A Beautiful Reminder

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I have this old Bible that was my grandfather’s. When I inherited it, it was worn, tattered, and falling apart. I considered having it rebound but knew it would not be a Bible I’d use to read or for study. But I could not part with it. I have many extended family members who have been/are faithful servants of the Lord; many of whom have served/are serving in full-time ministry. Many of whom walk out the Word and share Jesus wherever they are as part of their daily life. I am grateful for their influence and impact on my life.

My Grandpa Hutchings was special to me. He was kind and gentle. But he was not a man I thought of as having a vibrant faith. He rarely talked about God. He made many, many mistakes in his early adult life. His Bible was marked with passages on the weight and struggle of sin and the amazing grace and love of God. This resonated with my heart and seemed to parallel my own life in some ways. I identify with being a wretched sinner saved by amazing grace!…continue reading

Waiting with Purpose

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Waiting…it’s part of all our lives whether we like it or not. Waiting…it’s a reality. But there is good and purpose in the waiting, in the delay. For some of you, just reading the word wait causes you to get all wiggly and antsy. Several years ago I was in a time of waiting and delay in more than one area of my life. It was frustrating. It was hard. It caused me, at times, to doubt and feel hopeless. During this time, I went to the Word, one of my favorite places to spend time. I discovered a lot about waiting. Wait does not have to be an ugly word. Waiting has purpose. Waiting is good. And there are things we can “do” while we wait. Read on.…continue reading

When the Cares of My Heart Are Many

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When I am filled with cares, Your comfort brings me joy.
Psalm 94:19 (HCSB)

When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.
Psalm 94:19 (ESV)

Are you having one of those days or seasons of life when the cares of your heart are many? Perhaps your mind is weighed down with disquieting thoughts that are distracting and consuming you.

In the original language, the word, cares, in this verse means disquieting thoughts, divided in mind. Cares…{sigh}…I have them and they often weigh my heart and soul down leaving me feeling defeated, discouraged, and distraught. But as I read this verse today, it was such an encouragement!

I love how the Word of God meets us right where we are, in the midst of our everyday moments, further solidifying what Hebrews 4:12 teaches us—God’s Word is living and active!  Literally, it is living, breathing, fresh, powerful and effective. That’s just what Psalm 94:19 did for me today.

Psalm 94:19 tells us that God’s comfort brings joy and cheer to my soul when I’m filled with care. This word in the original language simply means that God takes something bad and makes it better.  …continue reading

Unstuck

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Four years ago, I was in a funk! It was a difficult time and things just did not seem to be going as planned. I found myself extremely discouraged and discontent. It was nothing earth-shattering—no grave illness or life-altering circumstance. And I had many REALLY good things in my life for which to be thankful. And yet, I felt stuck. Stuck with little hope that things would change. Stuck with a case of the blahs, and a bad attitude to go with it! I had resigned myself to the situation and my pity party was underway. Summer was approaching and everywhere I turned everyone else’s life seemed to be going to well (and we know this is never as accurate as we tend to see it in our own heads). Nevertheless, with all the talk and Facebook and Instagram posts on the excitement of summer plans, trips to the beach, cruises, and “beautiful, perfect-looking” lives, my pity-party was in full swing!…continue reading

Encouraging One Another to Believe, Hope and Persevere

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Sometimes walking by faith and trusting God is hard. When our dreams, desires and expectations collide with our reality, it’s easy to become discouraged and give into apathy. When life seems like a tidal wave washing over us, it’s hard to endure and persevere. Many times we find comfort in the routine and change is not always welcomed.

But we find encouragement in 1 Corinthians 13 when it speaks of a love that believes, hopes and endures ALL things.

…continue reading

Walk in Love: Bearing Burdens

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Life hurts sometimes. We all face times of loss, disappointment, hardship, discouragement, and doubt.

Read how Paul describes his situation in the letter to the Corinthian church in the first century:

For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. —2 Corinthians 1:8-9

Can you relate to any of these thoughts or feelings? Burdened beyond your strength? Despair? Affliction?

The word for burdened in the original language of Scripture means heaviness, weight, burden, trouble. If you continue reading, Paul gives us the proper perspective to adopt in the midst of our hardships:

But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. —2 Corinthians 1:9-10

We have hope! As painful and uncomfortable as these situations may be, they serve to teach us to rely on God. We read that God delivered, will deliver, and will deliver us again. That’s good news!

My idea of deliverance from something painful or difficult is very different from what is promised in this verse. The word for deliver in the original language means to draw to one’s self, to rescue. I often want the deliverance to be out of or the end to a difficult circumstance!

But God delivers by drawing me to Himself. He is my place of refuge, security, hope, peace and joy in the midst! Because…He IS hope. He IS peace. He IS joy. He IS steadfast and immovable. He IS the source of my hope, joy, contentment, and peace in life. None of these are dependent upon my circumstances, but in knowing and trusting in the character of God. He IS faithful and trustworthy!

God is our refuge and comfort in times of difficulty and despair. As we walk in love, we extend this same comfort and encouragement to others. We are not called to bear life’s difficulties alone.…continue reading

Walk in Love: Speaking Truth in Love

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I like order. I like rules. I like to stick to the rules and I like it when others follow the rules too.  I have a tendency to be a “line drawer”.  I grew up with three sisters. I am the oldest, and naturally the bossy one. As a military family we moved around…ALOT!  Most of the time I was blessed (and thankful) to have my own room. It worked best given my tendency to like things in order, neat, clean, and everything in its place. It was not a desire my sisters all shared with the same conviction. At one of our duty stations my sister Patty and I had to share a room. She was not as concerned about the order of the room. One day, in extreme frustration with the mess, I was going to teach her a lesson (for her own good, of course). This wrong needed to be righted! I drew the line! Literally. I found the duct tape and put a strip down the center of the room threatening that anything that crossed the line was going in the trash! I felt so good about my decision. Smug. I was going to teach Patty to be a neat, organized person, and to follow my rules for the room. Patty readily agreed to this new rule. I was shocked! As she walked out of the room, she pointed out that the door was on her side of the “line”.  I was stuck in my “perfect” room.

Love does not rejoice in wrongdoings but rejoices with the truth. —1 Corinthians 13:6…continue reading

Walk in Love: Forgiving One Another

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Forgiving others when we have been hurt or wronged is hard. No question! So where do we begin? How do we love and forgive when we’ve been wronged?

As we continue our study of learning to walk in love, let’s compare 1 Corinthians 13:5b with the mutuality commands (one anothers) found in Ephesians 4.

Love..is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. —1 Corinthians 13:5b (NIV)

Love…is not irritable or resentful. —1 Corinthians 13:5b (ESV)

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted,  forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. —Ephesians 4:32

LOVE is not irritable or resentful so WALK being kind and forgiving.

…continue reading