Monday, June 8, 2015

The Isolation Chamber

You know those friends, new acquaintances... you don't have to say much and then it's like you've been friends for years. I have one of those in Vancouver. We were new to the city, and to the church. We arrived in British Columbia pretty broken. (You've Been Voted Off The Island)

Over our love of a good cup of coffee we shared little bits of our stories. I was gun-shy. Not sure about surrendering my heart to anyone, and that point, especially church people. But the beauty of that quiet morning was she recognized that you've-been-through-hard-stuff look on my face right away. She respected it. She loved me through it.

The beauty of our relationship was that she had also been through hard... Some of what we shared was similar but a lot of her story was different then mine. Yet this one thing resonated for us both. Isolation.

A couple weeks later she felt compelled to send me this short essay that she had found. The author was unknown to her... I've never been able to give it due credit.

Today, I'm sending it to you... my reader. In case you are wading through Season of Isolation or have felt very alone in your story, I pray this will connect with your soul like it did to mine.

The ISOLATION CHAMBER

“Be Still and Know That I Am God…”
Psalm 46:10

There is a time and place in our walk with God in which He sets us in a place of waiting.  It is a place in which all past experiences are of no value.  It is a time of such stillness that it can disturb the most faithful if we do not understand that He is the one Who has brought us to this place for only a season.  It is as if God has placed a wall around us.  No new opportunities – simply inactivity.  During these times, God is calling us aside to fashion something new in us.  It is an ISOLATION CHAMBER designed to call us to deeper roots of prayer and faith. 

It is not a comfortable place, especially for a task-driven business person.  Our nature cries out, ‘You must do something,’ while God is saying, “Be Still and Know That I Am God.”  You know the signs that you have been brought into this chamber when He has removed many things from your life and you can’t seem to change anything.  Perhaps you are unemployed.  Perhaps you are laid up with an illness.

Most religious people live a very planned and orchestrated life where they know almost everything that will happen.   But for people in whom God is performing a deeper work, He brings them into a time of quietness that seems almost eerie. They cannot say what God is doing.  They just know that He is doing a work that cannot be explained to themselves or to others.

Has God brought you to a place of being still?  BE STILL AND KNOW that He really is GOD.  When this happens, The Chamber will open soon after.

Author Unknown




Thursday, June 4, 2015

Hi I'm Kathy ... and I have issues

Hi I'm Kathy and I have issues
"Hellooo Kathy...!"

I've never been to an AA meeting but I'm sure it's very similar to the scene in Finding Nemo, right?

Dory, my favoriteist favorite .... is attending a support group for sharks (she's not a shark). These are sharks with issues who are vowing to never eat other fish again. Dory the fish hasn't got all her krill in a row, if you know what I mean. She thinks she's a shark, or can relate to their flesh-eating habits, or whatever. I LOVE Dory!! She would totally be in my group.
...  Click Here to Watch Dory in Action or the video over there (you're welcome)


Oh I love DORY!!!

Last week I was out to coffee with some very dear friends. Actually a mother and daughter duo that I happen to love hanging out with, together or separate. Anyway, we have (the mother and I) a lot in common. I wish I could say we're both published and acclaimed authors or that we both are gold medal winning Olympians.

Alas, what do we have in common?
adult kids, hot flashes, and we both have issues. That's it. 

While we were at it ... debating and solving all of the world's problems, we realized that every - single - family we've ever met or have ever known is screwed up.  That.

Some of those families may not have figured it out yet, or just maybe, their screwed-upness levels are a little less than others, but it's everyone, people. Everyone.

We figured we should start a support group or something. A group that will just step up and admit it.
What are we admitting?

Hi I'm Kathy, and I ....

Well wouldn't you like to know.