Thanksgiving and Celebration

What a beautiful day! It is a day of blessings, thanksgiving and celebration. My granddaughter turns 11 years old today and she is fast becoming a young lady…where does the time go? Over the years we have played, pretended and visited late into the night. What wonderful and delightful memories. As time has passed God has entered our late night conversations. Praise the Lord! What a gift God has given me. The gift of sharing God and Jesus Christ’s love and devotion fills my soul and builds a bond that my granddaughter and I will have for a life time. Our conversations were easy and open with the expectations of a young girl curious about God. When talking with her I thought how easy and pleasant it is to talk with someone who is interested. Why is it as we become adolescents or adults we lose the curiosity and excitement? When involved in someone’s life we are given the opportunity to plant seeds, water or nourish them while others experience the blooming. The past few years as my granddaughters parents plant the seeds, I am given an opportunity to nourish the seedlings. What a gift. My prayer is we look for opportunities to share the love of God and Jesus Christ in our everyday lives by those teachable moments; being kind, patient and loving to all we come into contact with. We are the role models and it is important to remember to walk the walk and talk the talk. Take a deep breath before getting upset, choose our words carefully and follow the commands of God… “Love thy Neighbor”. 2 Corinthians 2:14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him. Spread the love and joy with a spirit of celebration Smiles & Blessings, Cynthia Collins Kaitfors

Life rolls along

When I was young I looked forward to the summer months and enjoyed each day as it lazily rolled one day into the other. Then far too soon it would be back to school. It would be gazed upon with anxious anticipation. The exciting part was a back to school outfit and maybe new shoes but most of all you were able to get your new binders, pencils and colors. I looked forward to that as much as I dreaded that early morning wake up call. There are times our Christian life rolls lazily from day to day without preparation for our future. We are not aligning ourselves with the Lord nor are we spending that quality time needed to be in a close relationship with Jesus. What is needed to take us to the next level? As adults it would be incredible if we looked upon our Christian education with the excitement and anticipation of a school child entering into that long awaited first day accompanied by a new outfit or tools and paraphernalia. The Lord has each of us on a separate path. Whether we reach the end result that God has for us will depend on us. Are we afraid of failure or success, therefore doing little to reach our goals? If we remember that we can do all things through Jesus it will be worth a small fraction of anxiety as we learn to lean on Him and go forward. Setting time for God and Jesus Christ should be a favorite part of the day that we go into with zest and zeal. Pleasing God with a past time of prayer, Bible study and Christian fellowship can only increase our awareness of his love, devotion, and joy. I pray that we enjoy the day before us with prayers, supplication and affection for God and Jesus Christ. Commit our lives to the wonders of God’s love in order to receive His compassion, forgiveness and peace. Psalm 42:5 Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my savior and my God. With child like excitement we sing his praises. Smiles & Blessings, Cynthia Collins Kaitfors

Smile & Be Grateful

I awoke this morning with a pair of shining eyes looking in my direction. My granddaughter was ready to start her day with her grandmother…What a remarkable way to begin my day. As I quietly said “ thank you dear Lord for the opportunities of this day”, I stretched and smiled at such a sweet face. Our days can begin mundane or with a smiling child looking at us, and we have the options of always thanking God and Jesus Christ (which begins our day with grace) or we can trudge through the day without the hope, peace and faith that accompanies our Lord. I am sure to some it seems “Polly Anna” to consider that all we have to do is believe and our lives will be without worry or strife., however we are not promised a life without struggles we are promised a life…it is up to us what type of life we are to make. Finding the joy after each storm is the miracle God gives us. We are refreshed, rejuvenated and rewarded by walking through the storm with our Lord. Let’s rejoice in the miracles of families, friends and the gift of choice…The choice to always reach out to God and Jesus Christ and let them lead us through the difficult periods of our lives. I pray we continue to better our lives through prayer, Bible study and Christian fellowship. When we have the occasion to better someone’s life by a smile, a prayer or a helping hand we are doing God’s work. Let us go forth today showing our love for God and Jesus Christ by modeling how a Christian lives…model the love…SMILE and Be GRATEFUL… Let’s keep the negative at bay and rejoice in the miracle of today, after all this is the day the Lord has made. Isaiah 26:12 Lord, you establish peace for us; all that we have accomplished you have done for us. Faith and Strength are sent your way. Smiles & Blessings, Cynthia Collins Kaitfors

Beauty of Music

As I listen to music by Christian artist I feel refreshed. It lifts me up and fills my soul. I find it amazing how many different ways we can celebrate our Lord and Jesus Christ. When listening to certain songs I want to stand up, dance around and lift my hands in praise. What moves you? Do you have certain routines that just get you going in the morning? Do your routines involve God? When we are in prayer with the Lord whether it is through quiet time, reading the Bible, music or other forms of communication we are building the strength of faith. Through our faith we are learning how significant and powerful being in one with the Lord can be. He allows us the Grace to endure our challenges and encourages us in all our opportunities. When walking with the Lord and following His plan our lives although taxing at times will right themselves in the end. My prayer is to pursue God and Jesus Christ in all ways that fills our hearts and souls while discovering the delight God has in store for us. Proverbs 3: 5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and he will make your paths straight.” Dance to the song that fills your soul. Smiles & Blessings, Cynthia Collins Kaitfors

Messy & Unorganized

Have you ever made such a mess in a room or kitchen that you don’t know where or how to begin the clean up process? I do every now and then…actually right now I am facing such a mess. In a few hours I am going to visit my older son and family so I am packing, all the while getting ready to teach a class tonight…So I not only have suitcases out but all my materials for class. In my wisdom I decided to iron in my bedroom (closer to the closet) and then pack, but I am also wrapping birthday gifts for my granddaughters so I have paper, tape, ribbons…are you seeing the scene? I think in reality this is life. Messy and Unorganized!! It is difficult to see the end product due to the process. When living life without God and Jesus Christ we have no idea where or how to begin cleaning up our messes. Our Lord is so Gracious and Loving that He continually waits on us. God waits for us to call out to him, to ask for the help we need. Through our lives we have learned that in order to tackle a problem or situation we take one task at a time in order not to be overwhelmed. God does not want us negative and stressed, but he does want us feeling confident that all will turn out God’s way and in God's time. So let's make that call to God and Jesus Christ for that helping hand. We are not supposed to clean up the mess alone…He has the answers, He has the way and He can help us organize our lives through prayer, Bible study and Christian fellowship. As we walk hand in hand with our Lord we are reassured with hope and a stronger faith. Jesus knows our hearts and feelings let’s praise His name. I pray we ask our Lord for the strength to accomplish those tasks which seem insurmountable; we look toward the heavens and see the light of peace, grace and serenity. Remember we are the children of God therefore let us go worth with the confidence given to us. After all if Peter can walk on water with Jesus just think what we can do with a “little” faith. Isaiah 41:13 for I am your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. Our lives can only soar from here… Smiles & Blessings, Cynthia Collins Kaitfors

Joys and Miracles

When sitting in thought and prayer with the Lord I was wondering what to write. While in prayer I was saying, “Lord I want to tell the world what a blessing and joy we have loving You and Jesus Christ”. There was my message. God allows us the choice not only to follow but to follow with a spirit of love. Given the opportunities to learn how to pray, to know what God expects and to spread His word. Can it be any easier than that? Everyday we show our gratitude and appreciation for what we have by how we live. It is not about the stuff in our lives; however it is about the size of our heart, our sharing capabilities and our eagerness to share the love we receive from our Lord. When looking at life through God’s heart we are given a picture of gentleness, kindness and benevolence that is given to all for ever. His unconditional love is overwhelming as we are so unworthy. I begin each day before getting out of bed, saying, “Thank you Lord for your love, care and opportunities.” It is probably the best habit I have acquired. Learning to be grateful for all in my life whether it is a challenge or opportunity has been lesson of a life time. I know when leaning on God and Jesus Christ we can get through anything. Knowing that we can get through all things with God and Jesus Christ brings me back to the beginning. The Joys of Loving God and Jesus Christ is a miracle. The miracle God has given us if we choose to follow Him in our daily lives through Bible study, prayer and Christian fellowship. Let’s wear His Love in our hearts and on our faces so we advertise daily what it is like to be a Christian. Psalm 96:2 Sing to the Lord, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. Smiles & Blessings, Cynthia Collins Kaitfors

A Day in the City

Yesterday I took a trip to San Francisco to watch the Giants play the Dodgers. I had not been to the Giants new stadium and was looking forward to the day away and a good baseball game. We left in plenty of time in order to see the first ball thrown…without stress. So we thought. I am always amazed at the traffic in the city, the delays and the constant highway construction that continues on an annual basis. We also thought since I had never ridden Bart that it would be fun and easy form of travel. Well, when planning any activity that requires a schedule I believe the devil sits in wait to have some fun at our expense. Traveling to the bay area took longer, going into the city from the San Jose area was more involved with Bart and a local transit and then the people…I did not remember the rivalry between the two cities and the Giants had a record attendance of 42,882 fans… We were elbow to elbow no matter where we walked. It is a time you want to lose it and yell “Get out of my way”…however I kept repeating “Cynthia, you are a daughter of God and you are not going to be grumpy…especially when others too are trying to get through the maze and masses. When it was finally over and done…the game was won and we had survived milling through thousands and were seated at the restaurant overlooking the bay with music softly playing in the background did I look up and say thank you God. At the end of the day, we had been blessed with sunshine bouncing off the bay and an incredible meal. As I quietly said a quick prayer of gratitude that the Lord had kept my mouth shut and a smile on my face I realized the traffic, delays and people were all part of the package. We are constantly tested…as Christians hopefully we model what we pray? It is important to allow the Lord to navigate our course…as His path can fill our lives with comfort that only he can give tranquility through prayer and delight in our everyday existence. My prayer is we allow God and Jesus Christ to plot the course and that we follow the guidelines of the Golden Rule…love thy neighbor. We all enjoy the day away whether it is a trip to the library or out of town. Let’s rejoice in the day! Psalm 86:12 I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever. Smiles & Blessings, Cynthia Collins Kaitfors