• Three Word Wednesday :: Keep On Singing

    ByKristin Cate, JOY, life, motherhood, quotes, Thought-Provoking Thursday, Three Word Wednesday
    33 Comments


    You know that song “10,000 Reasons”? I love it, but one part gets me every time:

    “Whatever may pass, and whatever lies before me
    let me be singing when the evening comes.”

    That line gets me because most evenings I’m not singing. Really, most evenings I’m done trying to hold myself together. And plenty of evenings I’ve already crumbled.

    When the evening comes, I’ve refereed sibling arguments while cooking dinner. I’ve been disappointed by people I love dearly. I’ve answered the same questions multiple times. I’ve been frustrated with those hard-to-love people in my life. I’ve been challenged and encouraged and failed in a matter of minutes.

    But whatever may pass, whatever lies before me, God wants me to be singing. {Tweet that.}

    I’m not patient, naturally. But I know that’s what God is working on in my life. He wants me to see people as he sees them. He wants me to remember my kids are watching me. He wants me to know him more so I can be more like him.

    “You’re rich in love, and You’re slow to anger
    Your name is great, and Your heart is kind.
    For all Your goodness I will keep on singing
    Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find …”

    My husband and I had a hard conversation this weekend. It was one of those that started with one frustration I was having and overflowed into other related struggles. The conversation ended with him encouraging me to have a different perspective.

    Y’all, adjusting my perspective is hard. And, really, I was at a loss of how to even begin. And then just two nights later during our small group, a wise friend said, “When we change what we think, we can change how we act.”

    God answered the question I’d been holding onto. He reminded me he’s working here – beginning in my soul and overflowing into my home and my relationships.

    The following night – three nights from when Greg and I stayed up too late discussing some hard parts of life – my daughter wandered out of bed a couple hours after we had tucked her in. “Is Jesus coming back tomorrow?” she asked us sincerely.

    The three of us talked about how the Bible tells us we don’t know when Jesus is coming back but he is one day. We talked about how God tells us not to worry about tomorrow because he’s already there.

    “He knows my whole life, doesn’t he?” Cate asked.

    “Yes, and we’re so glad he knew you would be our daughter,” Greg told her.

    We talked some about salvation and baptism and what being a Christian looks like. We talked about how we can’t do anything other than believe to become a Christian, but that when we do decide to follow Jesus there is a responsibility to love and serve others.

    When Cate walked back upstairs, I could tell she was more at peace than when she came down 10 minutes earlier. Greg and I were reminded that despite our imperfections, God is working here in our family.

    That hard conversation with my husband. The unsolicited advice from my friend. The unexpected conversation with my daughter. Those are reasons to keep on singing.

    I add them to my #choosingJOY list on my phone and glance at others :: 148. Listening to music with Greg while driving home with the kids sleeping. 149. Kids’ excitement over passports. 150. Sky High Sports. 151. Songs and sermons that convict and encourage at the same time. 152. Doughnuts. 153. All four of us falling back asleep in our bed on Sunday morning. 154. Seeing God bring people and visions together.

    “Bless the Lord, O my soul
    O my soul
    Worship His holy name
    Sing like never before
    O my soul
    I’ll worship Your holy name”

    ________________


    I’m also linking up with Lyli Dunbar’s Thought-Provoking Thursday. 

    Want more insights? “Peace in the Process: How Adoption Built My Faith & My Family” is available on Amazon. Like me on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, peek into my life on Instagram, follow 152 Insights at Bloglovin’, or subscribe to receive “Insights in Your Inbox.”

  • The Beauty of Technology

    ByKristin community, friends, life, technology, Thought-Provoking Thursday
    22 Comments

    I used to laugh (at least on the inside) when people met online. I didn’t understand how real connections could be formed like that.

    I take it back.

    I’m sorry I laughed, even if nobody actually heard me. I’m sorry I doubted the authenticity of the relationship just because it deepened through emails and Facebook messages.

    My perception changed because some of the best encouragement in my life comes through emails, texts, Voxes, Facebook messages, tweets, and comments on my blog post. These friends of mine have prayed for me. They’ve promoted my ebook and sent real cards and gifts to my front porch. We may have met online, but they’ve shown up in real life – even if there are still some of them I’ve yet to meet in person.

    These friendships are the beauty of technology.

    I like Facebook for how it connects. I like my iPhone for how it makes the world a smaller place. Emails are like ongoing conversations with people I wish could be my neighbor. Plus technology helps maintain connections with people who used to live near and even those who still do.

    Thankfully, I’ve got some amazing real-life friends who can actually come around my table to share meals and lives. I’d be lost without them. That’s why I didn’t think I needed to make friends online too.

    But this new community I’ve found goes beyond pixels and font size. They’re another layer of encouragement to not grow weary in life and inspiration to continue telling my story. They pray for the people, sicknesses, conflicts, hurts, and decisions that are part of my real life. They praise God when healing comes and love is shown in my everyday life.

    Just the other day my husband and I – who met long before we even had cells phones – were talking about how sometimes real life is hard. During those times, the prayers of people who aren’t right in the middle of the everyday-ness are blessings.

    My family went with me to meet one of my favorite online encouragers when we were in Texas a little more than a year ago. I think they all thought I was a little crazy for wanting to go spend time with someone I’d never met in person. But they – and me! – have realized the in-person meetings can certainly happen after the friendship is already developed.

    In March 2014, I spent the whole weekend with writer friends from what started as an online book launch group. Then my family and I met another favorite online friend of mine when we were in Chicago last spring. That time together wasn’t awkward like you may think it could be. In fact, it took our friendship to a deeper level – as did my other in-person meetings with online friends.
    I have plans to meet up with a group of my blogging friends this summer. Yes, we connected through blogging, but our friendships go beyond that now.

    I may have met all these folks and others online, but they’re real friends. They make me grateful I didn’t remain stubborn, laughing at the idea people could meet while sitting at their own computers. These blessings came when I decided to open up my life to community online, thanks to technology at its finest.

    ___________

    I’m linking up this post with The High Calling, where others are sharing their technology stories, and Lyli Dunbar’s Thought-Provoking Thursday. 

    Want more stories? “Peace in the Process: How Adoption Built My Faith & My Family” is available on Amazon. Like me on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, peek into my life on Instagram, follow 152 Insights at Bloglovin’, or subscribe to receive “Insights in Your Inbox.”

  • On living in the light

    ByKristin Cate, Compassion, faith, motherhood, Thought-Provoking Thursday, words
    9 Comments

    “You know, momma, I just don’t like the dark.”

    Those words came from my 7-year-old girl when I was questioning about why she was having trouble going to sleep the other night. It’s a regular thing: She reads in bed reading for some time. She knows it’s time to turn out the light, but she’s hesitant. And she’s so much like me: Her mind gets going right when she should turn it off. But it’s not that easy, I know.

    And, really, who likes the darkness?

    So I give her a hug and kiss. I tell her I love her. I say a quick prayer for God to calm her and give her rest. And I don’t see her again until I check on her before I head to bed and then nearly nine hours later awake her for school.

    LIGHT has been my word for the year. It’s a popular blogger thing to choose a word for the new year. Like a trendy resolution. I like words, so I’ve been going along with it the for past several years.

    But this year has been different.

    God has shown me LIGHT in so many areas. I’ve worked through some childhood hurt that has spilled over into my adult life. I’ve witness God’s glory in some hard days. I hear the word in songs and realize its meaning in my everyday life. Book after book I’ve read have pointed me the LIGHT – such a stark contrast the darkness so many of us fear.

    And I’m in the middle of “Breaking Free” by Beth Moore. If you’ve gone through the study, you get it. If you haven’t, you should. So many times I’ve felt caught in the doorway between darkness and light. I want to shut the door to the dark room and live in the room with all the natural light coming in through the windows. I spend so much time there, but sometimes meander back to the darkness.

    I’m learning how to let go of that tendency. I’m learning to grab onto God because with him there is no darkness. And it’s easier to close my eyes at night because I know I’m not alone. That’s what I want my girl to learn too.

    She’s a talker and a thinker. For as many words as she says, I’m pretty sure she has even more thoughts. These conversations about the literal darkness have spurred on so many good words between us.

    A few days passed after her confession that she just doesn’t like the darkness. Then she brought me three $10 bills and eleven pennies. She wanted to give it to me. I’m not sure why. She just said it was a gift. As sweet and sincere as the gesture was, I told her I’d like to her to think of something else to do with that $30.11.

    After a few minutes, she said she’d like to send Roselyn, our Compassion International-sponsored girl in Guatemala, a gift. We are only allowed to mail flat things like coloring pages, sticker sheets, and letters, so I encouraged her to come up with some like that.

    Then her big, brown eyes lit up: “Can I help some other kids like Roselyn?”

    I’m not sure she comprehends how “kids like Roselyn” live. Truthfully, I’m not sure I do either. But the fact she wants her $30.11 to help someone else is good. She went to bed with a gift catalog – you know, the one where you can choose meals to feed the hungry and medicine to help the sick – and I didn’t hear about the darkness from her that night.

    The next morning, she showed me what she had circled. “Mom, you may need to help me. These things add up to $67.”

    You can’t put a price on LIGHT, but I’m certain $67 will buy more than some gospel tracks, hot meals, and medicine. That money will shine the light on some dark situations – in Guatemala, maybe in Ecuador, and certainly right here in my own American home.

    ________

    It’s nearing the Christmas season. I know. Choosing gifts for others is such a joy. We’ve loved helping others through Compassion International and have had good experiences doing so. I’d encourage you to check out those gift catalogs for a meaningful, life-changing kind of gift-giving. We’ve also loved sponsoring children through Compassion International. There’s plenty of children who could benefit from your prayers, money, and relationship. 

     Other posts about LIGHT :: One Word. Songs of Spring. Living & Learning. 

    I’m linking this post with Lyli Dunbar’s Thought-Provoking Thursday. 

     Want more stories? “Peace in the Process: How Adoption Built My Faith & My Family” is available on Amazon. Like me on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, peek into my life on Instagram, follow 152 Insights at Bloglovin’, or subscribe to receive “Insights in Your Inbox.”