L. Kathleen Cline

Today I had a wonderful conversation with the ladies on being determined. I know we always put that word with extreme things like diets or marathons, but I think you might be surprised how many times a day you do something out of determination. For me, I never leave my house without the bed made. There is a problem, though. Three days a week, my husband leaves after me. The solution to making sure it happens, we made a house rule, last one out of bed makes it. Think about all the things you do during the day. Maybe you smoke. For that to happen, you have to buy the cigarettes and figure out were in public you can smoke. Do you drive to work? For you to make sure you are not walking one day, you have to plan to have that vehicle ready to go. If you want something like convenience or pleasure, you are going to make sure that whatever you want is available. So when you see that verse that says Daniel determined in his heart not to defile himself, you can understand there was a plan in pla...

This morning as I was driving to the mission, I was singing that phrase, "I'm going to see a victory"; I stopped for a moment and asked myself, "What does a victory look like?"; Sometimes I think we need to define what we are expecting. We walk around saying the most generic phrases that honest to goodness if they happened, we would not recognize it if it bit us. So, in the world of followers and likes, is reaching only one person a failure? Seriously, if you don’t see the success you think you should have, then are you a failure? If our faith is not by sight, then what is the clue that we have arrived at the goal? Are the people in Hebrews 11:37 all failures because they were stoned, sawn in two, put to death by the sword and ill-treated? When it comes to God and His definition of victory, what are you asking Him to do in your life? My very first class at one of the chapels, I had two ladies show up. Soon it became only one. When I went to talk to God about it,...

When my husband deployed to Iraq, he went with the 22MEU, which is considered the green side of the Navy. I was used to my husband deploying on a big strong ship. This time he would be boots on the ground with the Marines. Like most military wives, I think we internalize our emotions in an attempt to normalize the situation. Since the topic of death was taboo, I began sleepwalking. I would wake up, and I was standing in different parts of my room. I even took my socks off at night, thinking the cold winter floor would wake me up before I found myself at the bottom of the stairs. Not knowing what to do, I went and talked to my civilian family doctor. He was such a good Christian man. He suggested that we go in prayer concerning the issue. If, in a few weeks, it did not resolve itself, then come back, and we would look at medical reasons. So, I started talking to God about my issue. Immediately I felt God was leading me to fast from the news. Every time I wanted to turn on the news and s...

I do this little exercise with my class, where they make for me out of playdough a circle, square, and triangle. After they finish, I show a picture of the earth that God created. I then show them the most beautiful mountains, along with a photo of crystals. The point I am trying to make is that Satan sells us the playdough version of our life which we are living, and we need to learn to allow God to transform us into that new creature in Christ. Let’s just say you are the best artist in the world; you still would require a medium to work with to make your creation. God called into being that which does not exist. Have you ever heard in your head, “This is the best that life will ever be for you” or “You will never change?” While the ladies and I were discussing all those discouraging comments, Satan says to us, one of the ladies shocked me. Not that I had never heard the daunting statement she said she heard but that I just heard it a few days ago myself. “This is your life.” I was on...

Like many children, I was scared of the dark. It did not help that I grew up in a house that put out some bizarre noises. For example, you could hear my mom putting up the dishes, or you could hear my mom’s favorite show “Perry Mason,” but when you opened the door, the front of the house was dark and quiet. Just this past week, my middle sister and I talked about those strange noises, and we speculated what they could have been. It is the unknown that scares most of us. As adults, it is not just the things that lurk in the dark but those financial, physical, accidental, or terminal phantoms that keep us up at night. The “what-ifs” are always rambling around in our heads, and if we allowed it, they could cripple us with fear. “The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread? Psalm 27:1” I dislike dramas because I do not find them relaxing at all. The first Jurassic Park movie my husband was on deployment. I was able to fas...

I had a terminal friend that had a seizure in a convenient store. When she woke up, there were people gathered around her with their cameras out filming her. That evening her husband spent most of the night searching the internet to make sure no one posted the videos. Every time I think of this story, I tear up thinking about the love of a spouse doing their best to restore the dignity of their dearest. In this digital age, I often wonder if people understand the loss of self-worth because of videos that memorialize the worse moments of someone’s life. There are websites set up just for others to down load clips of another human being so they can be mocked or dehumanized for a laugh. There are many a time that one of my first-step ladies is so full of shame of what they have done that they cannot even make eye contact. It is hard to describe how indignity can cause a person’s shoulders to roll forward in the attempt to create one’s self to become unnoticeable. Through time though, as t...

“Your daughter has died; why trouble the Teacher anymore? But Jesus, overhearing what was being spoken, said to the synagogue official, ‘Do not be afraid any longer, only believe.’” Mark 5:35b-36 I like to give that faith illustration of standing next to a chair. The punch-line to the illustration is, you know I believe the chair will hold my weight because I am sitting in the chair. If I stood there all day proclaiming the chair is safe without sitting in it at some point, doubt would begin to form concerning the stability of the chair. So, what do our actions tell others about our God? The question is painful because times have gotten so rough that it seems like every adult security blanket is in the wash or lost. There is not one area of an American’s life that has gone untouched. Some stores have arrows with lines telling you to keep six feet apart. Other stores you have to make an appointment just to go in. Online shopping is hit and miss with a warning about shipping issues. Cert...

Having a few days off, I am reading more articles than usual. I must say I am saddened by many faith-followers that are using secular information in an attempt to cull their fear. I understand what I am saying to you because evil plays on my fears all the time. Last week God had me put a proclamation on my computer with the verse Proverbs 3:5-6. I am asking you to receive the next few words as just advice, and then you take it to God. See, that is where we are going completely wrong. Unless God is guiding you and I mean every step that you are taking and every thought you have lifted to Him, if you don’t, then that crack is where evil will gain access. When you tell people compliance is showing love, that is wrong. If information has shifted multiple times to achieve an end, then you are obligated to ask God to reveal the truth. You cannot pick and choose information that fits a narrative. It may require you actually to go into fasting and prayer. Are you willing to do this? Changing w...

One of the classes I have the privilege to teach is Introduction to God. Most of the ladies that I have in class come from the Bible belt. In the Bible belt, we grow up in church, and we quote verses. One thing I have noticed is many people do not know God or even why we worship Him. Going to church has become a habit or tradition with very little meaning. So that is why I ask everyone that sits in my class, the honor to introduce them to God in a different manner. Will you allow me to show you a different way to talk about salvation. As you read, ask God to guide you to develop a testimony in your own words to help others understand salvation. God’s word (Genesis 1:26) teaches us that man was created in God’s image. Many have debated what this means. If you were to ask me, I believe it means that we were holy like our God. (Revelation 4:8) I think in Genesis 3:22, it shows God’s mercy because man now cut himself off from that Holy bloodline. God did not want to leave us permanently se...

“For am I now seeking the favor of men or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ Galatians 1:10.” When does representing God suddenly become about doing what pleases man? This question has me staring at the computer. I think for me, the tell if I am striving for man and not for God, is my stress level. My God is not a hard taskmaster Who demands perfection. Perfectionism is something that evil demands. God works in our weak areas to improve and develop us into a humble, loving soul. It is curious though how many critical spirits proclaim Christ. Maybe that is why many of us are scared, to be honest about our inadequacies. As one of my students reminds me every week, “I don’t want to look weak, and then someone mocks me for it.” I love her honesty because let’s put it on the line. For most of us, that is why we are trying to please man. It’s the bully in the room that might make us feel stupid or pathetic. Go...

“Guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called ‘knowledge’ which some have professed and thus gone astray from the faith 1 Timothy 6:20.” I read a phrase today from the editor of my Hebrew-Greek Study Bible that I just love. “He, who is managed by God, manages people best.” This quote has stayed with me all day. I believe how you use the power or position that God has placed you in states volumes about your character. God has given all of us authority roles whether or not you recognize it. Maybe you are a parent, older sibling, teacher, caregiver, a homemaker; the list could go on. We are all given a position of influence. How are you going to manage it? The beginning of the verse in Timothy is critical. Whatever God has entrusted to you needs you to protect it and watch over it by avoiding unholy and fruitless talk. God requires His people to be obedient and fervent about displaying His love in our lives. ...

As a child, I discovered that I had this weird ability. I can turn my legs so that one foot is forward and the other foot is facing back. My elbows are the same way. Come to discover that a bone that keeps my knee cap in place is too small. That is how I met my husband is I dislocated my knee on a dance floor. If I am not careful, my knee cap can slide all the way to the back of my leg. Okay, this may be the oddest way to start a post, but I bet I got your attention. In life, we need to learn to be flexible with God’s interruptions. I just finished laughing with my social media partner because I am so task-oriented, and she is all about people. It is mentally tasking for me to stop right in the middle of work to chit-chat. One of the prayers in my journal is me asking God, “Dear God, help me know when You are interrupting my day to do Your will and Your task.” Do you know that I can feel guilty if I stop too long to socialize during the day? I used to tell my sister, “I need to get off...

I had a dear friend once that converted from Catholic to Protestant. She did not understand the terminology that her Bible study friends where using, and when she would ask questions, many of the answers seemed almost silly to her. For example, when my friend asked how she was supposed to pray to God, she was told to “Talk to God like you talk with a dear friend that comes over for coffee.” So, this precious lady set the table for two with coffee cups and a plate of sweets. She sat down and began to talk to the empty chair about everything in her life, just like you would do with your best friend. This story makes me tear up every time I think about it. I wonder how special that moment was between an innocent child and a Father. It must have been a treasured slice of time where there was no pretense or religious hurdles; but instead an honest, heart-to-heart moment of worship. Sometimes it is hard to come to God and remember Who He is. I know that sounds funny but seriously. The Great ...

I am not much of a shopper. If I ever go on a shopping trip with a friend, I promise you it is the company that I am interested in and not the purchasing. Going to an auction and buying antiques is an entirely different story. I love taking something old and beat up and bringing it back to life. Whether it is a simple cleaning job with little toothbrushes or a complete makeover with sanding and staining, I just love creating something new from something worn. I am not even put off with scratches or gouges. To me, those marks only add to the patina. Becoming that new creature in Christ is the same way. God can take some of the most broken people in life and develop in them a beautiful Christ-like impression or appearance. It is amazing to me how God can take such great care in crafting people into incredible citizens of heaven. The catch is that we must allow God to work in our life. If we embrace God’s ways, He will build inside of us an enduring spirit. God can give you a spirit so ne...

Today’s post is day three of preparing our hearts, and we will be discussing rejecting the old life. Psalm 34:12-14 teaches us, “Who is the man who desires life and loves length of days that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. Depart from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.” Saying no to some portion of our lives is one of the hardest things. We comfortably call them habits, ruts, or routines. If the behavior is really engrained, you might even proclaim that this is just the way you are. God requires us to pick a side, which means we have to walk away from sinful practices willingly. For seventeen years, I worked in critical care. Nine of those years, I was in California. I developed a mouth on me that made me sound like a character out of Scarface. There was nothing about my language that declared me a child-of-God. I have worked for years to clean up my mouth. If you were a past close prayer warrior friend, you know that this was a ...