Cathy Lechner
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Staying Steady in Your Faith During Change
On their journey from Egypt to the promised land, the Israelites spent a period of time in Elim, “where there were twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees” (Ex. 15:27). This was a place of refreshing for them–a comfortable place where they undoubtedly would like to have stayed. But it was only a stopover. …
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The Day I Didn’t Feel Like Laughing
My eyes fluttered open, and I was jolted awake. My heart
seemed as if it were pounding out of my chest. Where was I? Nothing looked familiar. Was I in a motel
room?Then suddenly it dawned on me that I had bought new bedroom furniture, the first in 18 years of marriage. I was in my own room.
Glancing at the clock, I could see that it was 6:03 a.m. Slowly I made my way to the kitchen. The constant gnawing pain in my side was growing with each step I took.
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God, What Do I Get if I Obey You?
Recently I have been crying out to God that I don’t want all my rewards in this life. Once my mother found me weeping in my hotel room and asked what was wrong.“I don’t want to receive all my rewards on this earth so that when I get to heaven all I have is a crummy rhinestone Jesus pin,” I told her. “When Jesus passes by there will be many wonderful people throwing crowns at His feet, and there I’ll be, throwing this dumb rhinestone pin, picking it up and throwing it down, again and again and again!”
I don’t want to get all my rewards here on earth! I want some things saved for me.
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Why Can’t I Say ‘No’?
"You ought to let me cut and highlight your hair." I heard the voice over my shoulder. When I turned around, my eyes had to look down about two feet to find the source of the offer, one that came with a long, Southern drawl.
"Hi, my name is Hepsiba. (That's in the Bible.) I do hair. I do pastor's hair, associate minister Calvin's hair and administrator-apostle Johnson's hair. Now he's actually bald, but I put a thick, all-natural beeswax with Retin-ATM on his hair, and then I pull it through a rice paper sorta hat.
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Finding Your Security in God
turned the thick envelope over and over in my hands. Guessing what was inside, I hesitated to open it and confirm my suspicions.
With heart pounding, I broke the seal. Underneath it lay an invitation to a wedding—a wedding that should have been mine. I was being invited to celebrate the marriage of the man I thought I still loved and the woman who had broken up our engagement. Surely they didn't think I would attend!
As horrible as this experience was, it was not unique to me. Every woman knows someone she thought would love her forever who later said, "I don't want you anymore. I don't love you or need you. I want out of this friendship, this marriage, this church, this job, this business." We have all been victims of rejection.
