Cadybunch Cottage

Fill Your Life with Beauty and Truth

Christmas is…Day 22

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Christmas is…

“God showed how much He loved us by sending His one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through Him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.” —1 John 4:9 (NLT)

“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of His glory He may grant you to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” —Ephesians 3:14-21 (ESV)

Are you weary today? Do you feel unloved, discouraged, or alone? Perhaps this Christmas is not a time of rejoicing and excitement but one of grief, loneliness, and heartache. I am praying these words of truth for you. That you might KNOW this immeasurable, unfailing, incomprehensible love of God, and be strengthened with His power at work in your heart, mind and soul.

Bask in the immeasurable, unfailing, incomprehensible love of God today! 

Rejoicing in Him!

Copyright ©2017, Susan Cady, susancady.com

 

Weary and Waiting

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This week in our reading of Psalm 119, I was struck by two verses in particular.

Uphold me according to Your word, that I may live; And do not let me be ashamed of my hope. Hold me up, and I shall be safe, And I shall observe Your statutes continually. —Psalm 119:116-117

I sensed an inner struggle with the psalmist from the opening verses of this section of the psalm, and I can relate. The psalmist begins with a declaration about those who are double minded and then confirms his source of hope and refuge.

I hate the double-minded, but I love your law. You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in your word. —Psalm 119:113-114

There seems to be some internal dialogue happening with the psalmist. You know, talking to yourself. We’ve all done it. We do on a daily basis when we rehearse that poor choice of words or reaction to someone that we later regret. We become weary when we’re rehearsing a particular sin that we can’t seem to conquer. We become weary in replaying that encounter over and over in our minds, unable to release it to the Lord’s care and forgiveness. We can become so weary in our waiting for relief and deliverance. We want it to stop. We want out. We want solutions.…continue reading

When Life’s Not Perfect

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Several weeks ago I was sitting on my porch enjoying a quiet morning in God’s creation. It had been a long week. I was weary. I was exhausted. My strength was sapped.

I love my porch. It’s where I retreat to reflect, to enjoy creation and talk things over with my Creator. It’s my place to refuel and refresh.

Then…I noticed it!

My perennial butterfly/hummingbird garden was looking a bit worn. It was so beautiful in the Spring. Flowers in every shape and color delighting bumblebees, butterflies and hummingbirds. But today…today it was tired. Some of the plants had lost their blooms, many were just barren, brown sticks. I was disheartened!

Did you catch that it was a perennial garden? Perennial as in perpetual; everlasting; continuing. I had so enjoyed seeing the fruits of my labor from digging in the dirt the previous Fall. I really wanted it to stay pretty and perfect just as it had been in Spring.…continue reading

I have this little book…

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Honestly, I have more Bibles and devotional books than any one person should admit. I love words. I love books. Especially those filled with Truth! I do have a few devotional books that are like old friends. They are my “go-to” books year after year. Most of them are worn, in need of rebinding, marked-up and tear-stained.

Girl with books

But I have this one little book whose permanent home is my nightstand.…continue reading

When You’re Running on Empty…

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When I’m running on empty —weary, overwhelmed and worn— Grace is what I need.

When it seems I’ve poured out more than I have to give —    Grace is what I need.

Grace — it’s such a beautiful picture of the give and take…

extend Grace…

embrace Grace.

 

EMBRACE GRACE_EXTEND GRACE

Easier said than done in this world that promotes and encourages attitudes of independence, self-sufficiency and “me-first”.  I fall captive to these attitudes all too often. I need grace. I need to embrace grace. I need to extend grace to those around me.

Grace – “charis”…continue reading

Feeling or Fact?

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HEART_PSALM 9_10

Trusting what I KNOW, not what I FEEL when I am…

Afraid…

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? —Psalm 27:1

Overwhelmed…

But He said to me, “ My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. —2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Weary with life…

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. —2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Weary in my work…

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. —Matthew 11:28-29

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. —1 Corinthians 15:58

Confused……continue reading

A Prickly Shield?

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Faithfulness Shield Ps 91_4

I was reading through one of my favorite Psalms the other morning, when one verse in particular struck me.  I love when the Lord does that —when He takes the highlighter to my life  through His Word, especially when it’s a familiar and well-read passage!  This morning it was Psalm 91:4, “His faithfulness will be a protective shield.”

Faithfulness…stability, certainty, reliable and trustworthiness, truth.

 

There’s a big difference between His faithfulness and mine.  Mine is flawed and fickle —often mood and circumstance-dependent.

His faithfulness is certain, steadfast, trustworthy and eternal.

 

In this verse there are two words that make up this word picture of God being our shield.  One means to surround and encompass, which is exactly what God’s faithfulness does in my life.  He surrounds and protects me.

Yes, His faithfulness is my protective shield.

 

But one of the definitions for this word in the original language described it as meaning, prickliness, a prickly shield.

I thought, how odd, a prickly shield?  But as I pondered this longer, I realized there are times when I am just so worn out and weary or when life has just beat me down and I just can’t seem to rise above. I just need some refuge, rest and renewal.  He is my prickly shield!  I got the image in my mind of a porcupine whose quills pop out at the sign of danger or attack as his defensive shield.  As I find refuge under the shadow of His wings, as I find my refuge in His presence, He is my prickly shield.  He guards against anything that might be coming against me, while I — weary and worn — find rest and renewal in His presence.

Yes, His faithfulness is my prickly shield.

 

There is another word picture of God’s faithfulness as my shield.  A shield can also be something used in battle to protect and defend.  And God’s faithfulness is not only stable, reliable, certain and trustworthy, but it is also truth!  There are times when His faithfulness is my protective shield in the battles of life.  Often for me the battle is in my own mind, and this is when I need the shield of His truth.  His Word shield surrounds, protects and defends my thoughts with what is true instead of the lies assailing my thoughts.  The truth of God’s Word is not only my weapon to wield in battle, but also my powerful shield against the enemy.

Yes, His faithfulness is the truth of His Word, my powerful shield.

 

I can face my day knowing and walking out the truth that, His faithfulness will be my protective shield!

 

Rejoicing in Him signature

Stressed!?! Find Rest

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We are a society that has become weary for lack of rest. We can relate to the psalmist who says, “I am weary with my sighing” (Ps 6:6). Weary can mean faint, having nothing more to give, ready to collapse. Do these words describe you? Are you weary emotionally, physically or spiritually?

Stressed header

Too often our “to do” lists are longer than the hours in our day. If you are like me, much of the time, I create my own stress. I say “yes” when I should say “no” to a task or request. I fail to take time to pause and just be in the Lord’s presence; instead I fill my days and hours and the result is exhausting. Many times I create stress by taking on tomorrow’s worries today. I let my mind wander and worry. But God created rest. God desires we find rest.

Matthew 11:28-30 speaks to us about learning to find rest in the midst of our stress:

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Come – deute – an imperative — come hither! come here! come! come now! —from a root word meaning urging and calling, here! come!

Rest – anapauo – to cause or permit one to cease from movement or labor in order to recover and collect his strength; to give rest, to refresh; to keep quiet, of calm and patient expectation, an intermission.

Jesus beckons us to come to him to find rest. I love how the original word for “come” is so emphatic. It’s like he is saying, NOW! Not later, not if you feel like it, not when you’ve exhausted all other possibilities, but NOW! The rest He desires to give us is a pause to recover our strength, a quiet and calming of our souls. The great thing about learning to rest in Christ is that it can be done in the midst of whatever we have going on in our day.

Three ways I’ve discovered I can find rest instead of experiencing stress:

…continue reading