Creating Happiness, Laughter and Love - my new family......

This Friday, today, is the last day of my life as I have known it for five months.  Since June 2013, I have been "unemployed."  I resigned from my position as a worship pastor in a large church and went from 50 hours a week planning, rehearsing, researching, praying, visiting, organizing, cleaning, decorating, writing and on and on and on to....well, basically whatever I wanted to do.  During those five months I interviewed with many different male senior pastors (never a female - I wonder why? Hmmm....) I traveled to Indiana and Texas and lead worship in churches much smaller than the one I left.  The Holy Spirit worked in a mighty way in those services...but I was not moved myself.  Only, rather, puzzled.  I traveled to Branson to see my dad, I traveled back home to Kansas City for long visits, started several blogs (something I had always wanted to do) started a non profit (Handiwork 4 Him-more to come on that) auditioned for a professional theatre (and Almost got a part leading me to think that it might still be a possibility in my life).  After walking through many doors I have finally landed in a place and will no longer have my days to "putter."  All my energy and time will be directed towards creating happiness, laughter and love with American Greetings Corporation.  I get a car, and a gas card, a lap top and an iphone.  My hours are my own and I basically run my 40 employee 190 account area as a small business focusing on continuous improvement, inspiring and motivating employees, strengthening customer relationships whilst keeping on top of day to day operations.  I am grateful for an excellent income and benefits in a time when jobs are hard to come by - and I plan to give this company the best of me.

I am writing this simply to let everyone know who I will be from now on.  As other opportunities arise and my work with my non profit evolves I will keep you posted in future blogs.

I hope you continue to follow me on Ruby Slippers.  I plan to continue to keep up with this blog which was originally designed to discuss change and transition.  Just because I have landed a new career doesn't mean I am not in change and transition :-)  I will always be in this space until the day when I take my last breath on this earth.  Growing is living for me.  And I hold fast to my motto "Bloom where you are planted."

My bulb has been re potted into new warm soil.  I am looking forward to the first break through of color this spring.

Thank you for following me .  Love to you all.

Cathy

Prickly Pear or Whisker Soft?

 "How are we going to get a life that has no lust, no self-interest, and is not sensitive to the ridicule of others? How will we have the type of love that “is kind . . . is not provoked, [and] thinks no evil”? (1 Corinthians 13:4-5). The only way is by allowing nothing of the old life to remain, and by having only simple, perfect trust in God— such a trust that we no longer want God’s blessings, but only want God Himself." - Oswald Chambers

I want that kind of love.  I have always wanted the whisker soft kind of love that covers everyone I am around with smiles, laughter, comfort, care and kindness.  That is who I want to be.  The issue seems to be, at least for me, that I am that soft woman as long as life and those in my life are the same.  My expectation of myself is based on my expectations of others.  I am soft, they are soft, all is good.  But what happens when I am soft, and they are prickly?  I pause, and breath deep, and return soft and get hit with prickly....again.  The old me, the carnal me, would snap back with a few thorns of my own, or walk away vowing never to open my soft under belly to that pear again.  Their actions do not meet my expectations and as a result I am disappointed.  

I think I am not alone in this, based on the number of relational problems that exist between people I know.  Putting expectations on anyone other than yourself is a sure-fire way to anger, frustration and disappointment.  The only kind of love that we can give to others is the un-conditional type that says, "You are who you are and I love you just like you are. Prickly, soft, thorny or fuzzy. (I particularly like fuzzy, but that's another blog)."

After all, that is what Jesus did for us, in a particularly exposed, public and grandiose way.  He gave love, we gave thorns, and He loved us anyway and went to the Cross.  That is unconditional love.  The kind that is not provoked, thinks no evil, shows no self-interest and is kind to the unkind.

The only measuring stick for your life is your expectation of yourself in light of who you are as a human being, and in my case, a human being who believes in God, the Father, Jesus His Son and the Holy Spirit.  If I am measuring myself against any other yardstick but the one set out for me by the One I submit to, than I am doomed to be depressed in this life. Because people and situations are prickly.

The way of unconditional love is found in the Word, in Prayer and in Submission.  To understand God, we must spend time with Him.  We must study His nature.  We must commune with Him in prayer and we must submit to His calling for us.

A prickly nature is a sign of carnality.  Thin-skinned. Judgmental  Critical. Mean-spirited.  Gossip.  Slander. Vengeful. These are not of the Spirit. Love. Patience. Forgiveness. Self-Control. Joy.Peace.Faithfulness.Kindness.Goodness.  These traits are evidence of the Holy Spirit working in and through us.

Do we pray for God's blessings?  Or do we pray with no expectation other than God is our Father, our Friend, our Protector, our Guidance, our Strength?  Perhaps it is time to take inventory of our own exterior.  Are we prickly? Or whisker soft?

"Father.  Today I pray Lord that if there be any sin, condemnation or judgement in me, that you would reveal it, that I may turn from that way and put my eyes on You as my soul/sole provider.  Give me your eyes that I might be love to someone in need today.  Give me your arms that I might embrace someone who is struggling today.  Give me your heart that I might be kind to all - no matter how evil or thorny - so that my testimony of who I am in Christ might be reflected in all I do.  I know I have far to go Lord, but I place my hand in yours and submit my will as I walk the path you take me."

Your daughter,

Cathy

Be Blessed Bright Ones.  #Lightleaning.

Today is the First Day of My New Life!

What if someone would say to you, "When you wake up tomorrow, your life as you know it will be gone and a new life will begin for you.  This new life will be a "do-over," a start-over for you.  Your past is a white blank page and you may write on it whatever you desire to create the life you want now until you take your last breath."  How would you react to that?

Beginning again.  Late in life. Early in life.  Poor.  Rich.  Beginning again is something that anyone can do at any point in their life.  Sometimes people refer to life transition as chapters.  The next chapter for example.  I prefer the do-over.  Why? you may ask a do-over?  Because the next chapter follows the same story-line, which in itself is limiting.  A blank sheet has infinite possibilities. A next chapter follows a past; good, bad or indifferent.  At least for me, I want to shut the door on the past and embrace a new tomorrow that promises hope not just for me, but for others.

Here is an exercise if you too want to embrace a "brand new tomorrow, today."

Take your blank sheet of paper, and write, draw, and describe your new life now.  What does it look like? Who is in it? How does it sound?  How does it smell?  Where is it?

Figure out where you are heading in this new change to "do over" your life and then make the plans to do it.   Don't be vague.  Don't write at a high level.  "Be happy" is a high level.  Dig down beneath the shallows and describe what would make you happy?  Remember that rarely do people, things, events or money make you happy.  Happiness is something that comes from within.  It is a love of who you are, what you do for others and yourself, what you create, what you leave behind, what you fill your mind with, what you dream of ...these are the things that create happiness.

In my own life, on my own new blank page I write....Today is the First Day of My New Life.

I am:

Grateful for another day to meet and embrace new friends. To start a career which will help me bring about financial security in my old age.  To show love to my family. To pursue three new ministry opportunities (Handiwork 4 Him), my book and bible study Pray.Love.Forgive. a trilogy; and my life as an itinerant female evangelist.

Although I shut the door on my past, I recognize that all I have come through was just the rehearsal for today's new life.  

All life is a journey, at least for me.  I know I cannot be alone in this thinking.  Explore this:

Today, you will not breathe the same.  You will take long deep breaths all day long filling your lungs and body with a different air.  This air holds promise for your future.  Today you will not see the same.  Your eyes will not be drawn to the shallow and the gaudy, but to the beautiful in spirit.  Today you will not hear the same.  Today your ears will be filled with sounds of beauty in music and conversation and "sounds" of silence and nature.  Today your mind is full of possibilities.  Who you will become in your new life and how that new woman/man will leave a lasting legacy for family and those in this world who need your voice of encouragement and inspiration.

"There was nothing of the nature of impulsive or thoughtless action about our Lord, but only a calm strength that never got into a panic. "-O.C.

This is something from the past that I am no longer bound to.  Impulsiveness.  That is not who I am any more.  We may say, "But God made me this way with this personality - to move quickly and ahead!  To do great things for Him!"  No, God wants us to slow down and live in His presence among all the ordinary things and people of this life.  On my blank page today, my future, I will write, Slow Down.  Be Ordinary.  These two things will rule my thoughts, actions and spirit today.  For a person who has been impulsive this will create a huge shift of sight.  Back to the blank page, "Today is the first day of the rest of my new life."  I WAS, but now I AM.  I was fast, and quick and full of energy.  Now I am confident, relaxed, and disciplined.  What does that look like?  Confidence has no need to show because you know you are capable, intelligent and more than enough.  Relaxed does not rush, or act quickly. Relaxed is slow to speak.  Relaxed is a listener. Relaxed has time to embrace others. Disciplined knows how to say no to the impulsive things.  Disciplined knows how to wait for the best and not settle for the mediocre.  Waiting for the best does not mean inactivity.  It means walking in this life while keeping your eyes on the future and the steps to attain the best.  It is methodical, relaxed and confident that you are smart enough, kind enough and strong enough to walk through this life that you were born into, but ultimately don't belong to.

Today is a gift.  This earth and all the things in it are gifts.  Open them. Explore them.  Choose the gifts wisely.  Remember that all are permissible but not all are for the betterment of the body and spirit.

Be blessed bright ones.  I will see you tomorrow.

Pastor Cat #Lightleaning.

Reflections on Revival.

Reflections on a Revival Weekend.

I had the great opportunity to lead worship for the Pittsfield Nazarene Church revival services with Dr, Michael Benson.  here are a few reflection moments for me:

1.  How a church is cared for says alot about how the congregation feels about its church.  We are always spouting off about how the church is not BUILDINGS.  Well that is true - the church is PEOPLE.  May I just share that a beautiful sanctuary, cared for, says to visitors, "we care about God's House."  Pittsfield Church was very well cared for - and it was obvious that it was not just the building, but the people as well from the children to the senior adults.  Kudos to this church for caring about the details.

2.  When you think that you have done the "worst" by being reckless, God uses this as an opportunity to take you to the big table. 

3.  Prayer is not the way to equip us for greater works - it IS the greater work.  Prayer is the connection between ourselves and our Christ.  Personally for me, prayer is the breathing in and breathing out of the Holy Spirit.  Prayer is continual all day long.  My soul longs for You Lord - and out of that yearning I speak to You all day long and about all things.

4.  Handiwork 4 Him is now a reality and I need to treat it like one.  If you do handiwork I am interested in connecting with you to help women in Honduras create a better life.

5.  I was told that someone heard from God that I should be added to a church staff.  I do not take any comment like this frivolously.  God may be designing something wonderful - and I want to be a part of anything that He has a hand in designing.

6.  Cabin and creation living is a great way to detox.  I am thankful for good friends who made my stay such a joy.  The sounds of a cabin full of girls laughing, singing, praying, playing was intoxicating.  I may never have this day to day experience myself - but I can enjoy other people's lives and be blessed by their testimony and day to day spirits.

7.  Live a life of gratitude.  Wake up each day being grateful for what is in your life and what is coming into your life.  Share your testimony often, because you never know who might be needing it.

8.  Never take your loved ones for granted.  Embrace them as often as you can.  Lean into Love.  Always Err on the side of Love.

9.  You may not have a pedigree, but that doesn't mean that God will not and cannot use you.  Don't fear being "outside the club."  There really is no "club".  You belong and don't let anyone make you feel like you don't.  Be strong, be confident.

10.  Reinvention is radical but needed.  A revival in a church is a time for reinvention.  If you don't want reinvention - don't hold revival.

Epic Ruby Adventures.

I'm baaccckkkk!  Ruby Slippers could not be silenced :-)  For those of you just reading this blog - Ruby Slippers was my first blog I started back in May of 2013.  I had never blogged before, found myself suddenly with more time than I was used to and needed an creative outlet to work through my latest life transition.  It was a blog originally to inspire and encourage women going through change, not THE change, just change in general. Although we could also talk about that change as well...anyway, I digress.

I stopped blogging Ruby in August, and began blogging about Worship.  Which is just great and and I enjoy immensely, however today's events in my life have caused me to bring Ruby back out.  So I hope you enjoy the antics and activities of a woman from Kansas who grew up with The Wizard and Dorothy, has a fondness for sparkles and shoes, loves God and continues to push through adversity towards her best tomorrow.

Welcome - and thanks for reading.

Today was kind of amazballs.  I ll break it down in a few bites.

1.  A friend who owns a Christian TV Station in town asked me to be on a pilot for a new tv program similar to the View with four female hosts.  Christian based with focus on what's happening in the community, fashion, fun, food....you know View stuff.  I have to admit - this whole thing makes me smile ;-)  A perfect fit.  A gal who loves fashion, has a voice and point of view, isn't afraid of the camera, loves to laugh and likes to eat.  Bwahahaha.  What could be better for me right?  I 'll keep you posted.

2.  God gave me a vision when I last visited my mother in law in July.  As a result I contacted a good missionary friend in Honduras and received an e mail from him today.  5 - 6 years ago I was on a work and witness trip to Honduras and met incredible people building a church on a cliff overlooking the capital city.  Corrugated tin huts, dirt floors, barbed wire and glass protecting their few possessions.  Women with children and no men - except for the men who come to prey. No money, no skills.  And then Jesus showed up and a church was built and a school and teachers and mission groups came regularly and loved the women and children - and I was one of those.  I fell in love.  And I have never forgotten.  So that is Villa Christina.  In July I watched and listened to my mother in law describing all the crochet thread she had that she needed to do something with.  She is a widow and has much time on her hands.  She likes to do handiwork - doilies, scrubbies, booties, dish cloths, etc.  Then I spent time with my own mother in September who knits.  She makes scarves and hats.  In this country there are a lot of retired and widowed ladies who like to do handiwork because it keeps them busy.  Keeps them active.  Gives them purpose.  In Honduras there are women with no skills and no materials.  The widows can only give away so many doilies, the Hondurans can potentially SELL the doilies and make extra money for food, clothing and essentials.  Anyway, I pitched it - they loved it and I am in the baby stages of "Handiwork for Him" Honduras Exchange.  Pretty cool huh?  God also gave me another ministry called God's Goods...but I am not sure where we are headed with that yet.

3.  A friend from high school that I have touched base with through Facebook sends me a last minute beg to send my worship pastor resume to his church who is looking for a worship pastor and is located in...drum roll...Colorado Springs!  Hello!!  So I sent that off today.

4.  Indy is not a closed door yet.  I still wait to hear from this dream church and covet your prayers for what would be an incredible match for me.  Best band, praise team, choir I have heard since Mid America days.  Extremely blessed church - I would be blown away to work with such a gifted group.

So, I share all this to share all this.  God has the most amazing plans for you - more amazing than you can ever imagine.  Ever!  Just relax and enjoy the ride.  He will use you until you decide you won't be used.

Be blessed bright ones.

Pastor Cat

In Transition No More - My final post on this blog.

Good morning Change Heroines and Heroes.  Today will be my final blog on Ruby Slippers.  Thank you to all of you who have read, and commented or shared my site.  I pray that somehow in some of the words you found encouragement in your own transition times.

I have reached closure in my transition.  I am no longer a "transient" seeking, yearning, grasping to stay alive.  I am alive through the power of prayer, love and forgiveness.  I no longer have to wish away trouble and pain.  I have a Savior who heals and tends to my brokenness like no physician on earth can.

During my transition I have leanred the ultimate Truth.  We are all born to be changing and moving along a designed pathway specifically engineered for us by a perfect God.  All we must do is stay in relationship through putting our trust in Him completely.  Knowing that He has the BEST for us.  That there is nothing we can do to earn it ourselves - but that it is a free gift given to us through His body and blood sacrifice.  Praise His Name.

In transition these are things I learned that bear repeating.

Whatever circumstances come to you - they will be used to strengthen you for your next mark on the path.  Do not resist the fire. Allow it to succumb you.  Allow it to purify you through and through.  If it were not for the fire, our impurities would remain and we would find ourselves a part of this imperfect world - which we were never called to be.  In it, yes, but not OF IT.  Stay clear of evil in thoughts and actions.

Self focus is sin.  Christ focus is the beginning of Heaven on earth for the disciple of Christ.

God still heals and performs miracles.  I was healed many times during this transition.  God also brought me to the point of death, and I saw His reward,  He gave me a glimpse as a balm to my shattered soul.  His Word is true.

When we leap in Jesus Name, He is there to catch and break our fall.

To remain static in life is to become a stale image of what could have been.  Repeating the same words, prayers, ministries, relationships over and over even though the water has run low.  Scum floats on the top and the water has a nasty taste to it yet we keep going to that water because it is all we have.  We have not gone to the River of Life and allowed it to run through us and over us, cleansing us and taking us farther upstream where new life awaits.

My dear friends.  I will miss you.  I will miss Ruby Slippers.  My transition is only beginning - I have many miles to go before I sleep.  I pray that you too go down to the River, jump in the icy water, and allow it to carry you upstream to the next chapter in your life.

Be Blessed.  And thank you again for following me.

Change in the Secret Place

When you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly —Matthew 6:6

God is speaking to each us of us in the secret places of our hearts.  We should all have a secret place, a prayer closet that we go to.  What is a closet?  It is a dark, quiet place where we can be alone and commune with God.  Why is it dark?  So that we can focus our eyes on nothing but His power.  Why is it quiet? So that we cannot be distracted by the noise of our lives.

In the closet your mind and emotions will continue to distract you.  It will take discipline to bring your whole body, mind and spirit into that place where only God is there.

Every morning when God allows me another day I have a habit of praying with Him and praising Him before I rise.  Every morning I wake with Jesus on my lips.  Jesus, be with me today.  Jesus, guide my thoughts today.  Jesus, use me today.  

Every night I say the Lord's prayer over and over before I sleep.

Every day when I am restless, I stop and quiet myself.  Go to my prayer closet and spend time with Him.

Your relationship with God through prayer and His Word will keep your inner emotions balanced.  It will keep your desires balanced.  It will sustain you through temptations.

As we continue through our molting season to become the best we can be, remember your prayer closet.  Go to it frequently.  Make it a habit of yours.  We are creatures of habit.  Habit is something that is in our nature.  We were never designed for destructive habits.  We were designed for habits that delight God.  The habit of prayer, the habit of scripture, the habit of caring for others, the habit of praise, the habit of caring for His temple (our body), the habit of charity and the habit of love.  Cultivate these habits in your life and see what changes God brings about.

Be blessed today.

**Cathy is a writer, speaker and worship leader.  You may contact her at 217 521 2070 or cwoolaway@yahoo.com

The Time in Transition is the Reality.

Good morning Change Heroes and Change Heroines.  I have been blogging about transition time and seeking God's Will in the transition.  What I have missed is this - when you are clearly following Christ - your hand in His there is NO transition.  The transition is living the real life in Christ.  Wrap your head around that for a moment.  Each moment each day each circumstance each person each act when you are completely surrendered to Him needs no explanation, no examination because it is the Christ centered path that He is leading you on.  Think about it in nature.  Nothing in nature is static.  The sun moves, the moon moves, the planets revolve, the grass grows, it dies, the caterpillar morphs, the birds molt, clouds move and people change physically.  All nature is change.  All nature is moving towards it's purpose.  All nature is change and yet predictable...commonplace.  The beauty of embracing change and transition is that you are simply moving towards the purpose you were meant to have.  You were meant to grow older.  You were meant to change your social status.  Those who remain as they were 5 years, 10 years, 20 years ago are out of God's Will.  There I said it.  But before you throw the tomatoes, think about people you know.

There is the family who lives together until the children leave home.  Yet the children never leave home.  They stay close or live with their parents.  Not because they have to or need to but because it is familiar, comforting.  No need to bring others into your circle - you have all you need in your own little family.

What about the person who prays the same prayer over every meal, exactly the same.  Bless this food to our body in Jesus Name, Amen.  They don't read the Bible regularly, they don't pray regularly, they have no real personal relationship - but they pray the same prayer and teach each succeeding generation to do the same.  Teaching a shallow grace.

What about the single person who lives for the moment?  Their lives look full of change but inside they remain the same.  Seeking out the same type of people, entertainment, self expression, sin, lust, greed, envy, jealousy.  Call it what you will - but the relationships you make are a solid reflection of your heart.  Do you surround yourself with rebels?  Why?  Because your heart is rebellious.  Do you surround yourself with gossips?  Why?  Because your heart is full of envy.  Do you surround yourself with "pretty people?"  Your heart is shallow.  Do you surround yourself with those that like what you like?  Like to do what you do?  Your heart is closed to opportunity and full of self gratification.

My friends - your transition is not a transition at all - but just another molt that God is taking you through.  Guard your hearts during this time.  Stay in the Word during this time.  Fall on your face during this time of molt.  You are shedding something to better reflect a more beautiful Him.

Prayers today.

**Cathy is a writer, speaker, worship leader and lover of Jesus.  You can contact her at 217 521 2070 or cwoolaway@yahoo.com

In Transition - Understanding His Will.

"A complete life is the life of a child. When I am fully conscious of my awareness of Christ, there is something wrong. It is the sick person who really knows what health is. A child of God is not aware of the will of God because he is the will of God. When we have deviated even slightly from the will of God, we begin to ask, “Lord, what is your will?” A child of God never prays to be made aware of the fact that God answers prayer, because he is so restfully certain that God always answers prayer." Chambers

Good morning Change Heroines and Change Heroes.  For those of us in transition the above statement by Oswald Chambers may be a balm to our spirit or it may cut like a knife into our hearts.  Transition and change are uncomfortable - whether it be seen as negative or positive it shakes us from our familiarity and causes our earthly bodies to crave the familiar and go back to what life was or re-shape the new experience into something that looks and feels like the "old place."  The Word says, "I will give you rest...."  Rest from carrying sin, past grief, past failure, past history....the past.  When God is leading us to a new place - why would we want to re-shape that new place to resemble the past?  What Oswald seems to be saying is that as a child of God every area of your life is submitted to Him.  Therefore when transitions arise you hold your Father's hand and walk faithfully beside Him.  There is a trick of the mind which says "I will hold onto my Father's hand until we arrive at what I perceive to be the destination...and then I will let go because I have arrived."  Dear friends life in Christ is never arriving at a destination.  Our ultimate destination is Heaven.  We must keep our hand fully in His to be lead.  We must put away our future thoughts of what might be and who we are so that we might be fully in His rest and thereby fully in His Will.  This is the ultimate act of releasing control to become a child of God.  When we find ourselves asking "Lord what is Your Will?" as Chambers shares above - we are out of His Will.

Here is a list of helpful things you can do to remain a child of God.

1.  Know the Lord God through His Word.  Memorize it. Keep it fresh morning and night.
2.  Pray for a clear understanding from God.  Open your hand to Him each morning in preparation to walk in obedience with Him all day long.
3.  Let go of anything that puts you in a disintegrating relationship with Christ or that feels like guilt or sin.  Make a list of all the things that may separate you from a full life of rest in Christ and begin to release those with the help of the Holy Spirit.
4.  See yourself as God sees you - His child.  Not a father, mother, sister, brother...but His child.  Think about how you see your own children and then try to imagine how God sees you.  
5.  Pray to God as a Father.  Ask for those things that you want.  Just as a child asks, so should you.  Our Father wants to give His children the very best.  Pray for the best in your life.

Matthew 11:28 reminds us "Come ye who are heavy laden and I will give you rest."

I pray that today is the start of a new relationship between you and God.  That of child and Father.  Trustor and Protector.  Innocent and unmoveable, unshakeable Rock.

Blessings.

**Cathy is a writer, speaker and worship leader.  You may contact her for engagements at cwoolaway@yahoo.com or 217.521.2070.

Finding Rest in Transition

Good morning Change Heroines and Heroes as well as I have been greatly pleased to find that the image is not oft putting to our Heroes who find themselves in transition.  This past week and this weekend I found myself doing what I ought not do.  Self-examination in change and transition is one way to stay off -balanced and I am convinced that it is a trick used to keep us from being Christ-examiners.  The word itself  "self-examination" should give us the large red flag that anytime self is at the front - Christ cannot be.  The world tells us that we should constantly be examining ourselves physically, mentally, relationally, spiritually.  It is all about how I feel, how I was treated, how I need to respond, how I , I , I.  Christ was never about himself - but always about His Father.  Christ was meek and lowly in spirit. His energy and passion came from a deep need to share His Father's message of grace, mercy and love.  Our focus on ourselves is rooted in our sin nature.  The more we allow it the deeper our despair becomes.  The sins of our past become great burdens to us that weigh us down and throw us into depression and despair.  Self examination is cleverly disguised as improvement, reflection, learning from the past, forgiving ourselves.  It is not sin - but it does not bring rest as Christ defines rest.

Those who are in transition typically are there because of circumstances that happened TO them, not that they themselves imposed.  Most people don't embrace change or transition.  Moving is a heavy load (literally!).  The physical work involved is great and the mental and emotional toll it takes as we leave familiar surroundings behind to walk into an unknown future can throw us into a roller coaster of emotions resulting in a focus on oneself.  The burden is heavy.  If you are in transition not of your choosing and the path in front of you is foggy and unclear, panic and the need to control can also bring you into despair.

Sharing all this brings me finally to the point of the message I received this weekend.  If you are heavy laden with burdens of past sin and failure your Father longs to take that burden and give you rest.  The rest that comes from knowing that your past is behind you, your sins are forgiven and His way brings the rest you need from carrying that weight.  I read this morning on this passage from Matthew 11:28 "Come all ye who are heavy laden and I will give you rest."   One theologian compared that figure of Atlas carrying the world on his shoulder.  Perhaps you have seen this sculpture in New York.  This man shared that even that great weight of carrying the world was not a fraction of the burden we feel when we carry the weight of past sin, past regret and past guilt.  This is the burden that Christ removes for all of us...not just for some, but for all.  In transition we need to move from self examination to Christ-examiniation.  We need to come to Him and lay our sins and self at His feet.  Open our hands and allow Him to give us the rest that comes from a pure spirit.  No one is beyond the covering of Christ.  Nothing is beyond the covering of Christ.  The blackest heart can be turned into the whitest snow.

If you are in a state of change - hold out your hand - give Him your burden and find rest in the chaos of your life.


**Cathy is a speaker, writer and worship leader.  Contact her at cwoolaway@yahoo.com or 217 521 2070.  And please leave comments.  I love to hear from those who read this blog.**

In Transition - Affirming Your Call

Good morning change heroines.  It is a beautiful day in Illinois and I am blessed to live a free life of peace.  It has not always been this way for me.  Even up until recently I have struggled with my path or direction.  This blog is dedicated to change and transition, so sharing my personal stories, I hope, will be an encouragement to others who also struggle with staying on the path.

Recently I was given the opportunity to affirm my path.  As a worship pastor I have served in many churches.  Recently God gave me a break.  I had been serving tirelessly for over 11 years with only three Sundays off a year.  I had gone through personal tragedy, the loss of a loved parent, a divorce in the family that rocked my world, and the stress a mother encounters when her grown children select different lifestyles than what they were brought up with.  5 moves in 5 years combined with high stress at work created a perfect storm for me.  Trying to hide behind a mask only lasts so long.  People who know you sense your vulnerability and some reach out to help, but others use it as an opportunity to tear away at you until there is nothing left.  I was given a sabbatical by God.  90 days to rest, heal and understand my transition time.  What I have discovered is that God still desires to use me in worship ministry.  God still desires for me to share the Gospel.  God is calling me to an even deeper relationship than I had before.  God uses my prayers to heal others and God is healing me physically, emotionally, spiritually and mentally.

When you are in the middle of a transition you may question your call, your path that you feel God has called you to.  Am I done?  Are you finished with me? Am I too old for this?  Am I not relevant anymore? Am I too broken to be used?  All of these questions and more may come to your mind.

What I want to share with you is that if you are pursuing the best that God has for you, allow Him to affirm your call.  Keep walking, or crawling through the doors of opportunity - even if they are only open a crack - follow them.  God will firmly close and open doors.  Just remember, that He does this according to His Divine plan for your life and not your own plans for your life.  He will bless those that stay the course.  He will also take time for further purification.  Don't be afraid of this process.  Release yourself to it and submit to it knowing that God is using this time to prepare you for something greater.  

Don't give up!  Don't spin your wheels seeking searching for anything to fill the time in the transition.  Use it to learn, to grow, to heal so that you can be a blessing to others when you come out the other side.

Know that you are loved change heroines.  I may or may not know those that are reading these blogs...but I want you to know that I love you and I believe in you and so does God!

“. . . unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God ” (John 3:3)."Am I seeking only for the evidence of God’s kingdom, or am I actually recognizing His absolute sovereign control? The new birth gives me a new power of vision by which I begin to discern God’s control. His sovereignty was there all the time, but with God being true to His nature, I could not see it until I received His very nature myself."  Oswald Chambers

**Cathy is a writer, speaker and worship leader.  You may contact her for speaking engagements at cwoolaway@yahoo.com or 217 521 2070

You Too Can Be A Change Heroine!

Good morning Change Heroines.  You may ask why I call you Heroines.  A heroine by definition is a woman with great courage who dares to fight for the good side.  She is inspirational to other people and always chooses the Light.  A change heroine is someone who goes through change with courage and her eyes focused on the Light...for herself and for others no matter what the cost - even death to herself or to things she has loved.  Is it easy to be a change heroine?  Nope.  It is hard.  If it were easy everyone would be doing it and this world would be full of Light instead of so much darkness and misery.  That's why I am calling YOU to join me in a crusade to become a world of female heroines.  Fighting for good fighting for the Light to make a difference in your communities.  Ruby Slippers is more than a blog - it is a cause to stand up to darkness and evil wherever we find it.  Dorothy could magically click her heels and be transported back to safety.  There are many woman and children in this world who don't have ruby slippers - but we ladies, yes we can make the difference and give them hope.  

I will be blogging about specific things we can do in community to help.  I would ask for your prayers.  I would ask you to begin to "like" and "share" this on your facebook page.  I would ask you to ask your friends to begin to follow this blog.  We will become change heroines together through social media and prayerfully each of us will become a change heroine - a courageous woman who isn't afraid to stand up for what is right.  We can change our little corner of the world.  Won't you join my community?

I love Alison Krauss and found this simple song encouraging.  I hope you do too.

**Cathy is a writer and speaker and worship leader who longs to become a change heroine for girls and women looking to bring Light into their corner of the world.  Contact her at cwoolaway@yahoo.com or 217.521.2070.

Their Idea? or God's Idea?

Good morning Change Heroines.  How is your transition going?  Is God opening doors for you?  Has He closed some?  Are you stuck in the desert right now - uncertain and unsure?  Well push on champions because it may be hard to see because of the clouds of dust as He circles round you, but embrace those clouds today whether they be white or gray. His way is BEST!

I want to talk this morning about the people around us in the change transition.  Our family has known us for a very long time.  They have their own idea of who we are - and they place that on us.  You may be the musical one, or the crafty one, or the pretty one, or the educated one, or the bossy one, or the crazy one, or the sweetest one....you get the picture.  If we are to allow God to radically change our lives we must allow Him to radically change our habits.  What we read, where we go, what we eat and drink, who we hang with should always be measured by is it God's Best for us?   Our dearest members of our family may or may not be on board with this new you.  "But she used to, but we used to, she's changing and I want that other girl back."  If we are always worried about what our loved ones think, we will continue to model their expectations of us. And while this keeps us close to our loved ones, with no tension, is it what is best for us?  And ultimately is it what is best for them?

Deep inside us there is a gnawing aching place that can only be filled by the Holy Spirit.  I talked Tuesday about how we fill it with other things...but ultimately to find the peace and joy and to exhibit the fruits of the spirit that Jesus talks about we must give that hole to Him.  The Priests were the only one's allowed to go into the Holy of Holies where the Ark of the Covenant resided.  It was a purification process before they entered.  They were naked and tied with a rope lest they caught fire being so close to God Himself and the other priests could pull them out.  By grace we don't have to go through that kind of ritual today.  All we need do is release that place within us.  Our Holy of Holies is our heart, the organ that allows life.  Give it to God and let Him change you from the inside out by inhabiting that place.

You might be surprised by your friends and families reactions to you.  At first there will be surprise, then scepticism, than possibly anger hurt and rejection.  But ultimately as you hold fast, they will realize that this is not imitation and you are no longer just a good person - you truly are better and moving toward your BEST.

If you are in the middle of a "what will they think" moment - I'll pray for strength for you today.  Be the one that takes the road less traveled.  Be the one that breaks the cycle.  Don't be afraid of being different and don't be afraid of the greatness that God has planned for you.

**Cathy is a speaker, writer and worship leader.  You may reach her at 217 521 2070 or at cwoolaway@yahoo.com

A Change in Your Secret Place.

Good afternoon Change Heroines.  I haven't been blogging back to back recently but today I received a message that was so clear and made so much sense to me that I had to share it.  I call it my "well DUH" ah ha moment.

During my transition period (between paying jobs and seeking God's BEST for my life) I have been challenged to change habits.  These are things in my life that are not necessarily sinful but at the same time I feel checked to stop them.

First of all, I have had a lot of bad habits in my life.  One of them that started early for me was the habit of chewing my nails.  I discovered that I inherited a high A personality which over the years caused me to deal with anxiety in a myriad of ways.  The first that I can remember is chewing my nails. When I became a teen I discovered that the nicotine in cigarettes would calm my nerves.  Throughout the years of my life I have used various outlets to deal with anxiety that comes from a driven personality.  One by one I have changed these habits only to pick up something else to replace it.  My nails today are long and need regular manicures.  I quit smoking years ago.  But even in my mid life I continued to have habits.  Not terrible things, but certainly not things that are the best for me.

Because of the transition I am in right now I find that I have more time than usual to do what I want.  There is no one to put demands on me and I spend days writing (which can be a lonely profession I am discovering.) I still have a driven personality and have times where I deal with anxiety.  Today I had a moment like that and I started to think about ways I could calm myself.  Exercise, eat, write.....and escape.  I'm not comfortable staying in one place for long.  The house can become very small very quickly and my need to drive something (lead, direct, etc.) was weighing on me.  I could have gone shopping.  That is something I think alot of us women do.  We shop out of boredom, or a need for something new, or a need to jolt ourselves out of our mood.  You may have something else.  I know alot of women who read habitually, or watch television habitually, or turn to other negative ways to deal with anxiety.  And many of us do it on the sly.  We don't want anyone to know.  We hide it - it is something only done in the privacy of our home or car or somewhere we won't be recognized.

Those of us that are married, or those who have been married or have a committed partner would not dream of cheating.  Today I was thinking about things that people do in private.  We are never in private really.  God sees everything and knows every thought.  There are habits we have that are not pleasing to Him.  There are habits that allow us an escape from who we are in Christ that must be banished.  I would not dream of cheating on my husband - and yet I cheat my God every time I choose something that I know is not good for me.  Trash tv, trash novels, trash internet, eating, self obsession.  I cheat God every time I use my time talent and treasure for anything other than proclaiming His Name or serving others in His Name.  We reconcile this cheating by saying "Well I just spent all this time on this project or that project and now I will take a little me time." But what we are really saying is that I will take a little escape from Jesus.

If we are to be Christ-like disciples, then we are to model ourselves after Christ.  Paul said "I take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. " 2 Cor. 4-5

 Here are some examples of how God thinks, and how we allow ourselves to think.

**What forms our thoughts? Take a look below at the differences between God's thoughts

(fruit of the spirit) and the devil's thoughts (opposite).

.

	GOD's Thoughts	DEVIL's Thoughts
	Truth	Lies, Negative, dishonesty, lying, deception
	Honest	Dishonest, secretive, controller, manipulative, gossip
	Pure	Unclean, sinful, filthy
	Just	Victimized, distrusting, comparison, self-righteousness, questioning God
	Lovely	Ugly, Self-hatred, hardness, unloving
	Good Report	Gossip, slander, judgment, criticism, filthy communicaton, blasphemy, wrath, malice, anger
	Virtuous	Cowardly, proudful
	Praise	Unthankful, unbelieving

**Borrowed from Life Application Ministries  shttp://www.mindsync.com/lam/Session8.htm

When we do anything in secret we are cheating God.  There is only one thing that God declares we should do in secret. "Pray to your Father who is in the secret place, and every public thing in your life will be marked with the lasting imprint of the presence of God." (Oswald Chambers)

If we do anything in secret that we would not want others to see - we are cheating and cheating dishonors God and discredits our life as a Christian.

Dearest Heroines - don't allow the trauma of change in your life to drive you to secret things.  Remember that you can overcome through the power of the Holy Spirit and He will allow you to break that secret habit that robs you of your best life in Him.

Don't allow change to give you permission to do those things that you should not be doing.  Don't waste your life in old habits.  Let God have His way in your transition and make every moment count for Him.  When you need to retreat for rest - do that.  Rest.  Go to prayer in your secret place and God will reward you in secret.  

**Cathy is a professional writer, speaker and worship leader.  You may contact her at cwoolaway@yahoo.com or at 217.521.2070.

The Mystery of Clouds

Good morning Change Heroines.  Today God gave me the coolest reminder of His personal desire for us.  It is from the Old Testament the book of Nahum in its first chapter especially at the third verse.  "and the clouds are the dust of His feet."Nah 1:3

Why must we look at clouds of darkness as something to be feared?  Oftentimes in the period of change that we experience we fear the clouds because they obscure the future to us.  We must continually look back.  "Why did this relationship fail?"  "Why did this job end?"  "Why was my home taken from me?"  "Why did I lose my loved one?" "Why?Why?Why?"  A good way to approach these questions is to keep looking back to try and uncover what it was that caused the clouds to appear.  Was it something in my upbringing; was it something in my personality; was it stress I experienced; was it the wrong crowd I ran with.  Looking back I suppose can be of some use to a person.  But in the wife of Lot's case - her lack of faith for the future caused her to become a pillar of salt.  Worth nothing and easily washed away when the clouds break through and the rain finally comes.  We can spend so much time asking why that we miss the great mystery in the clouds.  

If clouds are indeed the dust of His feet there are two things to remember in faith.  One is that when you are covered in dust that means that you are near the One that created it.  Think of it!  Those clouds that seem to follow you around are actually God's feet drawing near to you and covering you. Two - if the clouds as magnificent as they are are only the DUST of His feet - not even His FEET - how great how powerful must that make our God?  Could He lift the clouds? Of course He could.  So why doesn't He?  He desires that we believe in Him by faith - not by sight and not by our own understanding through books and google searches.  Certainly not in our own questioning, looking back or understanding.  God is a God of mystery and the sooner we accept that our minds can never conceive of His greatness or the clouds He puts in our lives the more we will become childlike people of faith.  Accepting the clouds and rejoicing that God who is so awesome would care enough about our mere life as to bring a cloud to teach us, to prepare us, to purify us and to ultimately bring us along to a holy and righteous path embodied by Jesus Christ Himself the second person of God.

I like this quote from Rev. Spurgeon circa 1855:

"He always does rightly; and therefore, he wants his people always to believe that he does rightly. But if he showed them that he did so, there would be no room for their faith."

Change heroines - don't become a pillar of salt.  Don't over-analyze and say "Oh this cloud is here because of this situation or that situation."  Love the cloud that provides comfort knowing that He is near to you, that He wants what is best for you, that He will purify you, and that rejoicing in the darkness is a sure way to find the everlasting Light.

**Cathy is a writer, speaker and worship leader.  For engagements contact her at 217.521.2070 or e mail at cwoolaway@yahoo.com

Hot flash!

The weather is changing in Illinois.  It is 62 degrees this morning and the open windows bring a breath of fresh air to the house.  This is welcome change from the stifling heat and the humidity that bogs us down, keeps us inside and makes us less active.

Heat as an element melts things.  Without heat we would not experience the beauty of blown glass or beautiful pottery or the smell of a lovely candle.  Heat purifies elements.  It reduces the impurities in silver and gold.  Heat eliminates.

Sometimes we find ourselves in heat.  It is uncomfortable.  It stagnates us.  We become clumsy and forgetful and we chase our tails only to find we are back in the same place as before.  Heat when we are in it seems unbearable.  Heat destroys us.  It pulverizes our spirit.

Understanding how God uses heat in our lives gives us greater understanding into who He is and who we are in comparison to Him.  Remember, when God created us He called us good.  We were meant for good and we all have the capacity for good.  When God gives us heat, or allows us to go through the heat what He is really doing is perfecting us by strengthening us.  We struggle in the heat and learn what it is that is not best for us in our lives.  The heat forces us to let go of all control and our impurities float to the top.  Those things which God wants out of our lives.  We will stay in the heat until we release the hold on that impurity that is hampering our beauty.  God in His mercy brings us through the heat and we are tested to see if our spirit is clean and pure.  If it is not, if we are holding on to impurities or we somehow replace the old with a new impurity, we will go through the fire yet again and again and again.

God does not give up on those who desire to be His disciples BUT you must be willing to go through the cleansing heat as He chooses.

Embrace the heat in your life.  Know that it is for your BEST and that through the fire again and again ultimately God is creating a perfect vessel that can be used for many purposes for His Kingdom.

Change heroines.....the temperature will change to a beautiful 62 degrees when we let go of our impurities and allow them to rise up and out of our lives.

***Cathy is a professional writer, speaker and worship leader.  Contact her for engagements at 217 521 2070 or at cwoolaway@yahoo.com

Rogene's Transition

Good morning sweet Heroines.  My dear sister in law Teddie lost her mother to Alzheimers early this morning.  She was a dear woman, always caring for her children and grandchildren and husband.  She worked hard, she loved hard, she fought hard against her disease and today she is finally at peace.

They say the grief when we lose someone, comes because that person had a piece of our heart, our soul and without their physical presence we feel loss, out of control and grieve.  One thing to keep in mind and to help keep us sane during this time in transition is that though our loved one is gone physically it does not mean they are gone from our lives.  The memories that we hold in our heart will always be there for us in pictures in remembrances in familiar places and spaces in the faces of our children and our other relatives.  A little piece of our heart has been torn out...but God in His mercy understands everything about us.  He knew we would grieve when our loved ones moved on in their spirit.  He knew we would feel their earthly loss. And so He gently reminds us to seek Him, the God who created us all is welcoming our loved one into His glory.  A place where pain and confusion do not exist.  We have in a sense retired our souls when we reach heaven.  And this retirement, unlike an earthly retirement, is truly a place of rest and happiness.  When God made us, He made us and called us "good."  He knew all about us from the beginning to the end. And He is especially gracious and merciful to those who suffer in this life.  Have no doubts, worry not about the after-life of your loved one and be assured that it is a place of so great beauty that we cannot grasp it in our earthly minds until we experience it for ourselves.  Even those who claim to have seen heaven have only caught a glimpse.  Your loved ones spirit will be with you, not as an angel, but as a whisper, a glance, a shadow to let you know that all is well and you need not worry.  God has it all under control.

"All praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesus the Messiah! Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel! He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us. We have plenty of hard times that come from following the Messiah, but no more so than the good times of his healing comfort—we get a full measure of that, too."

My prayer for Teddie, John, Heather, Matt and Mark.  
       "I pray that God who knows all about us and loves us will comfort each of you today in the complete understanding that your loved one Rogene is in better Hands now.  Completely whole, completely coherent and completely restored.  Her spirit life will live on for eternity with Me and one day you too will join her and be restored.  So there is no reason to fear death....death is the most beautiful part of life.  The place our spirit resides when we have lived and loved on earth.  That love will never diminish but only complete itself with Me and be at peace waiting to see you and be united with you all.  Be at peace loved ones....the end is not the end."

Love,  Cathy

Are you satisfied with your cocoon? Change is hard!

Good morning Change Heroines!  It's HOT isn't it?  At least where I am in Illinois.  I am looking forward to a CHANGE in the weather!

Do any of you find yourself constantly struggling?  It may be that like the butterfly in the cocoon you have to fight your way through the transition in order to come out more beautiful on the other side?  If we stop struggling to transition into our more beautiful self we will end up dying in our cocoon.  Some are content with this.  They have struggled for so long to get to the beauty that they grow weary, curl up, isolate and live in the comfort of the cocoon.  

There is a strong human inclination to give up in transition.  To say to yourself, "I'm not good enough," "I'm not strong enough," and to settle for the good rather than the BEST.  The good is a cocoon that may be comfortable but is not excellent.  Henry David Thoreau wrote that "the mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation."

Change Heroines - do not succumb to a life that is not God's best for you.  Here is an exercise that I have found helpful when the cocoon seems more pleasurable than the struggle for beauty and freedom.

Grab a pen and a piece of paper or open an app. (Evernote is a good one) and make two columns.  One is what is positive about you and one is what is negative about you.  9 times out of 10 you will want to start with the negative column.  That is who we are dear friends.  But resist!  Start with the positive column.  Even if you have to start simply.  "I make good coffee."  "I am a mother" "I love music" "I exercise"  whatever it might be - make sure your positive column has at least ten things in it before you start to put anything in the negative side.  Here is what you will find dear Heroines.  You will feel so good about who you are that the negative will disappear.  TRULY!!

A trick of the mind?  Or a reminder of the beauty that God has planted inside each one of us?  God wants us to struggle dear hearts.  In our struggle out of our cocoon is where we will find God's best and our most beautiful selves.

Be beautiful today.  And share your list with me.  I would love to read it !!

**Cathy is a speaker, writer, worship leader and in her positive list today she wrote:educated, friendly, communicator, creative, writer,mother,wife,sister,daughter,disciple,servant to Jesus, lover of music, lover of flowers and nature, decorator and overcomer.

In Transition - Beware of the Good and Wait on the Best.

Good evening Change Heroines.  How are you doing in your transition?  Do you find yourself anxious, emotionally defeated, tired, depressed, confused and unfocused?  That' is where I have found myself lately.  Unfocused.  

Have you ever jumped at the good thing instead of waiting for the best thing?  We women are good at that.  Alot of us are "fixers."  We hear of a need and we jump in wanting to make it all better.  It's good works and it makes you feel better about your situation knowing that you are helping someone else and that you are significant in someone's life.  But if you re-read that last paragraph - in times of transition good is about you and your rights....best is about God and His direction.  

Busy people don't do well in the waiting.  Impatience, feelings of insignificance, the need to be needed...these feelings lead us to jump in and be a "do-gooder."  In my transition period I have been doing this.  Jumping at the need.  In my last two nights of deep prayer with my husband seeking God's direction I was slapped in the face with three invitations to jump in that I had to end because although they were good things - they were not God's direction for us.  I feel like a flake....having to back out of something that I committed to.  I know that in God's power He will bless all parties.  I would have been a stumbling block to these good things....not a blessing and certainly not anointed.

I write all these things to help remind us dear friends to beware of our right to choose.  God has the best for us - for all of us.  Beware of getting desperate, beware of needing to feel needed.  Stay on your face before God and He will lead and guide You towards the best for the Kingdom.

If you take the left, then I will go to the right; or, if you go to the right, then I will go to the left —Genesis 13:9

**Cathy is a speaker, writer, dramatist and worship leader.  She is available for engagements by calling 217 521 2070 or at cwoolaway@yahoo.com.

Looking Beyond Yourself during Times of Transition.

It's Friday afternoon Change Heroines, and before I get ready to meet friends for dinner I thought I would post a quick blog about when we are in the middle of change.  Many years ago I worked as a marketing director for the longest running dinner theatre in the country.  I loved my job - but I will admit - I was also getting a bit bored with it.  A new boss came in, he wanted his boyfriend to have the job, and I was----well O.U.T. 

It was a time much like today when there were lots of people looking for jobs and lots of folks who had lost jobs.  I sat on my bum for a few weeks filling out applications and getting frustrated with my lack of success - and I thought "I have GOT to be doing something to help others who are in my same situation." So I started a weeknight group for those who had lost jobs.  We talked resumes and job possibilities, but mostly, we just talked about how we felt to be let go - how we felt to be unemployed - etc. etc. etc.  And we prayed for each other and for the families affected and we helped each other the best we could.

Some of the greatest ideas, works of art, music, books etc. have all been accomplished by people going through major change.  Change forces us to get creative.  Change forces us to reach out to others for help.  Change forces us to re-establish relationships.

During this most recent change for me, I remembered way back when I began the support group for unemployed people.  I remembered the lessons of taking my eyes off myself and giving to others.  As a result, I will start leading worship at a small church in Bloomington with a congregation of 20 something and a single female pastor.  There are no musicians, no praise team, no choir, no sound tech, no media person.  There is a single female pastor and twenty or so people who want to worship on Sunday morning and they need someone to lead them.

I could have said "No. The drive is too long. I have to be paid. Yada, yada, yada," but instead I remembered what a seasoned director once told me "there are no small parts....only small actors."

I don't want to be a small actor Change Heroines - and neither do you.  Everyone has a part whether it is  big, small or otherwise.  God has called us to use our gifts and talents where He sees fit, not where we see fit.  Humility, service, willingness and obedience.

While you are in the middle of your change....be a change heroine for someone else :-)

Blessings in your transition.

**Cathy is a writer, speaker and worship leader.  Contact her for speaking engagements at cwoolaway@yahoo.com or at 217 521 2070.