Above and Beyond the Usual

Many times when beginning something new we go through anxiety or uncomfortable feelings.We become afraid or frozen in time, which does not allow us to venture forward. I have learned the closer I become connected to God the less anxiety I feel. It doesn’t mean we will not have those moments of stress but it allows us to take a deep breath and lean on God.

It is a matter of loving our Lord with total trust and know that we are not going to be lead anywhere God has not already forged ahead. What joy fills our hearts as we become aware of His goodness.

Let us never waver from new experiences because we believe we do not have the talents or skills…God has already prepared the way

What pleasure we receive when jumping into the new project…volunteering for the first time…applying for a position that is out of our comfort zone or just relaxing and going with the flow. It is all about following where God leads.

So as we begin to go above and beyond our usual let us remember we are not walking alone, but leaning on our Lord. We have His strength and courage to go forward and accomplish what God has waiting for us.  

2 Timothy 1:7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.

We have God's continual promise to always be with us and all that is expected from us is faith and trust. Let us go forth knowing we can and will accomplish our goals with the confidence of God. 

Smiles & Blessings,

Cynthia Collins Kaitfors

Prayer Warriors

Our lives are up and down and at times may seem more like downs than ups, however we are blessed with our Lord who continues to guide us. Sometimes His guidance is through music, which lifts us up, other times it will be an article we have read, a friend who reaches out to us or a movie.

This past weekend we went to see "The War Room" and I have to tell you it was inspirational. I laughed, I had tears and by the end of the movie we applauded. It was the reminder I needed to continue being a prayer warrior.

We tend to get bogged down by own issues, yet the Lord is waiting for us to pray for others, to shine as God's light. We forget what a privilege we are given when we are able to pray for others or plant seeds for those who do not know our Lord and Savior, Jesus.

Let us go worth today knowing we have asked God's blessing for those in need, for continued healing, for peace and comfort or for the knowledge of knowing Him. We have an amazing opportunity to model our faith....let us shine as Christians and spread His love.

Micah 7:7
But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord,  I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.

I pray we continue to rejoice in His name and praise God for His love, mercy and grace.

Smiles & Blessings,
Cynthia Collins Kaitfors

New Beginnings

Each day we are given a new beginning. I wonder at times if we understand the significance of this. We are blessed with a day of trust, faith, and forgiveness. How do we approach this gift? I believe at times I take it for granted and do not appreciate the phenomenal opportunities that await me.

We accept the day as any other day and do not allow its significant's to impact us. If we are not thanking our Lord for this day or we are not living the life He has in store for us then we are ignoring the gifts God has waiting for us.

When traveling God's road and not ours we are aligning ourselves with our Father. Reaching out for His gifts and then preparing our day accordingly is all He wants. My prayer is we live beyond our comfort zone or what we believe to be what others expect of us and live for God.

What joy we will encounter along the way as we trust and follow our Lord. God does not promise a smooth sailing but He does promise a life that we can fill with His love and mercy. So let us make the most of this day and celebrate all we are given. Actually let us celebrate even our trials as they make us stronger and more faithful when joining hands with Jesus.

Jeremiah 29:11 "I know the plans I have for you", declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future". 

Enjoy God's peace and grace as we live this blessed life of today.

Smiles & Blessings,
Cynthia Collins Kaitfors

Lost and found

Lost and Found

 I went on a trip a couple of weeks ago, had a wonderful time, and flew home with joy in my heart after spending time with my brothers and sister-in-laws. Unfortunately when departing the plane I left my journal...What an awful feeling as my thoughts are personal and only for the Lord...

I was angry at my irresponsibility and the joy I had when flying home was gone. I called the airlines in hope they would locate it and put it in lost and found.  For two days I grumbled over the possibility of losing my journal.

Our lives can be an up and down roller coaster, and yet we find the joy through our loving Lord. I realized that losing one tiny journal was not as important as what I have in my life...how silly to worry about a lost item and not worry about a weak faith.

I then had to reevaluate my priorities...was it a lost journal or a continued faith that brings me joy. Naturally we do not want to lose our things, however I had put too much importance to a lost possession...my prayer is we evaluate the importance of our faith rather than our possessions...

Psalm 51:10  Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. 

What a joy it is to praise God and know that we have His unconditional love...even when we lose our focus... and yes, the airline found my journal and it was in lost and found :)

Smiles & Blessings
Cynthia Collins Kaitfors

Children model what they see and hear...

It is always so dear when playing with a child to watch their imagination kick into high gear as we pretend play. The other day my granddaughter and I were playing with her Princess dolls and having a wonderful time. She was the Mom with a career and I was the customer.

What was so delightful was noticing how much she models what she sees in the adults around her. She was selling me doll furniture and had to "scan" the products I was buying in order to find the price. It totally surprised and tickled me as I watched her. As a store owner, my granddaughter's  tone and demeanor was confident, courteous and helpful. She was in total control of her environment...

This led me to the realization that how we live, what we model and how we respond to others is being watched and learned by our children/grandchildren. So, as Christians we want to continually put our best foot forward, which means displaying our love for the Lord in all we do and say. It is the simpler and easy example of Christian living.

Can there be a sweeter joy than to know our behaviors and speech teach our children/grandchildren the way of our Lord. Being kind, generous, compassionate or obedient demonstrates what is expected of us. Let us remember to shine for God...When we do our children/grandchildren will grow in the way of  our Lord.

Proverbs 22: 6 Start children off on the way they should go and even when they are old they will not turn from it.

We are given a precious job...raising our children to know and love God and our Lord Jesus Christ. My prayer today is we walk in the ways of God, continue to be obedient to his commands and shine for our Lord for all to see. Let us be a Christian modeling the behavior God expects...

Smiles & Blessings,
Cynthia Collins Kaitfors

Walking the Chosen Path,

As I was talking with a dear friend the other day I mentioned my grief and loss (from years ago) led me on  my path to the Lord. My friend answered we are "all" on the path God has chosen for us. I acknowledged the response, however later that night I realized that is not true.

Many chose another path, the path of selflessness, corruption, illegal activity and being a society Christian. It is easy to state one is "a Christian" but it is entirely different when you walk the walk and talk the talk.

Stepping beyond friends and society to keep the commands of God and go a different direction is tough. We all want to be part of the group...my thought is which groups is more important... God's or society? We are at a time when we cannot allow our children to listen to the news. as it is no longer censored for young ears.

I have a friend who mentioned there are no more G rated movies...not even Disney...so they want to be very protective what their young ones see. Which leads me to wonder what path are we choosing? I pray our faith is strong enough to endure the onslot of society's behaviors and disregard of God's commands.

So as we go forward today let us put on the armor of God, be thankful for His protection, and give praise for His continued mercy and grace.

Romans 12:2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will. 

We have an opportunity each day to choose the path of God...let us rejoice in our good fortune and praise His name through our close walk with our Lord. What could be sweeter than to know we walk the path of God's righteousness.

Smiles & Blessings,
Cynthia Collins Kaitfors

How Stubborn are we?

I have been studying the book of Exodus and wondering how the people of Egypt felt when the pharaoh ignored God's warnings and they were inundated with the plagues. It makes me wonder if I am listening to our Lord and living accordingly.

Now I know I will not have the plagues sent down on me, however I do want to receive all of God's blessings and when we live our lives according to our wants and needs and not what God has in mind for us He must shake His head in disbelief. Are we so stubborn that we choose not to listen and obey?

As a child when we disappoint our parents we feel guilty or should. As Christians hopefully our conscience dictates our behavior; but when we step beyond our Christian boundaries and live our lives according to society it is possible to lose our way.

It is through our faith in our Lord, Jesus, that will give us strength to follow His path and not society's. As we mature in our Christian walk we gain confidence to stand strong. To trust in God and all He has for us. In times of trials as well as joys we must elect to follow what is right in the sight of God not what the world deems acceptable.

It is pure joy to feel His love, know He forgives our sins and to rejoice in the Holy Spirit as it flows through our souls. When praying and praising our Lord we are drawn closer to Him, which then allows us to hear which path God wants us on. This allows us to shine for God and live according to His ways so others may also see the path.

Matthew 5:16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

I pray we go forward this day spending time in prayer, learning what God has in store for each of us and knowing the difference between His ways and the ways of the world. God Bless....

Smiles & Blessings,
Cynthia Collins Kaitfors