Category Archives: The Loft

Christian Living, The Loft

The LOFT – Changes

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Week Two of Giving Thanks at the LOFT. Graphic by Kerry MesserThe Loft: A weekly Hangout and Link Up for Christian bloggers

Changes

I’m giving thanks for changes. Like the changes that come with the turning of the seasons; from hot and sticky to cool, crisp, and cozy. Like souls evolving from strangers to hours of comfortable conversing. Like folks moving beyond suspicion to trust.

Good changes.

And I’m thanking Him for all such good changes, and for the seemingly not-so-good changes; I’m thanking Him that He, for those who trust Him, turns even the hurt-filled changes into soul-healthy memories. 

Romans 8:28 (AMP)

28 And we know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His plan and purpose.

Until Next Time ~ ~ ~ Kathie 
Christian Living, For Fun, The Loft

Sit Out at The LOFT

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Okay, Leah, I’ve been thinking you have me stumped with this one. October 28 - Picture Prompt at The LoftPerhaps that is what our little fellow feels: stumped! Friends, I have been visiting at The LOFT this morning as I often do on Wednesdays. Leah’s Loft prompt this week, our writing opportunity, is this picture.

Leah’s posting regarding it is a good one. Click here to read and then scroll down the page to link up with some other offerings at The LOFT.

Now. What do I have to say about this?
Stumped.
Yep. I am.
I could sit out over at the LOFT and just read some capable writers and perhaps I’d get some ideas but I’m not so sure that’s the fair thing to do. Hmmm.

It seems to me our fellow is sitting something out. Perhaps he doesn’t want to put on that blue and white plaid shirt laying there. :)

Perhaps he does not like the plaid and thinks it would not bring out his best side. (I’m grasping here you know?) Ever done that? I don’t have a thing to wear so I’m not going! I’ll just sit this one out.  I admit sitting some things out is wisdom.

When we are tempted to sit something out, do we ask ourselves why? Is it because it’s out of our comfort zone? And if it is, is it possible we need to shake off the drag bag over our heads and get out there?

I think the first question I should ask when I am thinking it is time for a sit-out is does it line up with Scripture? Has GOD already said NO?
If He has, problem solved, and I can sit; in fact, I better sit!
But what if Scripture gives the green light? Is that enough to get me up and on my feet? Not necessarily. I need one more prompt to get me up — do I have a HOLY SPIRIT nudge within? Yes?
Then, Girl, you better get up and put that plaid shirt on and get out that door! :)

So, what am I trying to sit out on?

That was fun! Thanks, Leah. :)

The Loft: A weekly Hangout and Link Up for Christian bloggersGraphic by Kerry Messer

Until Next Time ~ ~ ~ Kathie 
Pictures, The Loft

Autumn in The LOFT

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Autumn in lower Alabama doesn’t look starkly different from summer. The temps do drop for a portion of the season. Mornings do get crisp and evenings do get a chill. In fact I have a pot of vegetable beef soup simmering right now for this semi cool morning. Lets see what is the temp at this writing? Oh well . . . 69. It was cooler this morning and I’m gonna enjoy my soup imageanyway :)

I do get a thrill seeing Autumn’s Artist at work and looking closely I found some Fall colors right here in our own yard. See.

This is our elm tree; well, a close up of our elm tree so you could see that color I found. image

 

 

And these are the marigolds in our front bed. It’s not their aroma that endears them to me.  :)image

And if you look closely here you will see our Umbrella tree’s leaves are turning yellow; she will eventually loose them all. image 

Pumpkins! One of Autumn’s fruits (vegetables). Traveling from lower Alabama to Georgia last year we found these. IMG_1329Beautiful aren’t they?  Well, that about covers Autumn’s colors for me.

And now that it is Autumn, I’m already having thoughts of Winter and Christmas; but that’s another post. Perhaps . . . 

For more Autumn Thoughts, please follow this link and visit The LOFT. The Loft: A weekly Hangout and Link Up for Christian bloggers
Graphic by Kerry Messer

You will find some dear friends with many good things to say and some REAL Fall Colors.

Enjoy.

Until Next Time ~ ~ ~ Kathie

 

The Loft

Strong Women – The LOFT

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Mentors.

Graphic by Kerry Messer  
The Loft: A weekly Hangout and Link Up for Christian bloggersThis week’s subject at the LOFT. Mentors mentoring. It’s a holy calling. Perhaps mentoring looks a little different than it did a few decades ago.  Perhaps we are modeling different skills than we once did. But I am hoping the values are the same.

3 Likewise, tell the older women to behave the way people leading a holy life should. They shouldn’t be slanderers or slaves to excessive drinking. They should teach what is good, 4 thus training the younger women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled and pure, to take good care of their homes and submit to their husbands. In this way, God’s message will not be brought into disgrace.  [source]

My Little Girl’s Face Book cover pic is a reflection of her mentoring, the mentoring she has received and the mentoring she gives. In a Biblical frame, which is the frame she intends, it is excellent. It reads this way: Strong women. May we know them. May we raise them. May we be them.
(She captured it from All Inspired Boutique) 

Perhaps you have guessed, Little Girl has a flavoring of feminism.  It’s bolder than mine. Were it not so that her strong woman covering is rooted in Scripture, I’d worry; but Little Girl has learned to own her weaknesses and to take them to the ONE in Whom there is no weakness. I hope she learned that from me. :)

Many women of her generation are not keepers at home; all the more reason for us to mentor them to be keepers of their homes. To help them be strong women active in their homes, even if someone else runs the vacuum and scrubs the toilet, strong godly women purpose themselves to keep their homes clean of filth. They need us older women to model how. I hope I have and I hope we all keeping doing so. Here’s how.

Ephesians 5  (KJV)

5 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;

2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour.

3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;

4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.

The giving of thanks.

So simple. To know strong godly women, raise strong godly women and be strong godly women we just need a thankful heart given voice with thankful words, helping hands and steady feet – this is the best filth chaser I know!

Lets mentor!

Until Next Time ~ ~ ~ Kathie
Christian Living, The Loft

Praying ‘n’ The Loft

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House of Prayer. That’s what JESUS said the Temple (for us Church) was to be. He was quoting from Isaiah 56:7.

Isaiah 56:7 Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

7 I will bring them to my holy mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayer;
their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all peoples.”

House of Prayer. A place where people gather and pray. Together. But you know what? We are the CHURCH. So any two or more can gather anywhere in HIS NAME and HE will be present with them. HE said so. See Matthew 18:20. (HE is present when even one prays :) but for the purposes of this piece, I am speaking of a gathering of at least one more.)

The Loft: A weekly Hangout and Link Up for Christian bloggersGraphic by Kerry Messer 

Today’s LOFT subject is prayer.
A matter of thought that has been rolling around in my heart/mind for a few years as the MAIN practice that would change the world, beginning with our Local Congregations of The Body of Christ – The Church.
Real prayer. I mean gathering for the expressed and practiced purpose of praying. Aloud. Together. For the Church. For the Lost. For the Nation. For the World. For one another.

Many Churches still have Prayer Meeting on Wednesday night. I attended one last night. We gathered, we fellow-shipped, we shared prayer requests, a prayer was offered, the Pastor spoke, another prayer was offered, we fellow-shipped a little more and we went home. I am grateful for those prayer meetings, but such prayer meetings will not change a local assembly of believers, or a community, or city, or state, nation or world. It will take more.

I was privileged about a decade and half ago to be a part of a very special group of prayer-s. It was a season of struggle and deep sorrow for me and yet then and now a most treasured juncture. Memories to this day are precious and honored.  We were 20 to 25 strong, gathering each Sunday evening. We fellow-shipped (for an hour or so) at various homes over a meal, sometimes a big spread, other times just sandwiches, chips and dessert; and then we prayed. Individually all around the room, one after the other we poured out our hearts before GOD and each other. It was a safe group. A group GOD had called together. To my knowledge there was nary a betrayal of confidence, even to this day.  We’d meet around 5:00 in the early evening and reluctantly break to go home around 9:00 that night.

Those prayer gatherings, that communion, that power in prayer I have not known in recent years — but I want to. I believe it is the answer to our ails. I believe if we are to see revival; if we are to see an awakening in the Christian Church it will take praying together all over Christendom.

 And so it is for this I pray. Sometimes in my ‘war room’, sometimes written in my prayer journal, sometimes on this computer screen, sometimes walking about, sometimes with others, praying for more others to join in. 

Until Next Time ~ ~ ~ Kathie