Cassie L. Wilson

Learning to be the light

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Encouragement: Strengthen That Which Remains

November 7, 2022

Inside: encouragement to strengthen that which remains

Writing a new blog post almost feels like I’m blowing the dust off my blue ukulele (that I absolutely bought during the start of the Pandemic, don’t judge) to start practicing chords again.

It’s weird.

And just a fair warning, this post and the ones coming in the near future will probably be extremely raw and honest. Because, as my reader, I want to be nothing but honest with you.

Deep breath. Here we go.

Let your friends guide you to the Light

Churching has been hard lately.

Like, really. hard.

It’s been hard for a multitude of reasons that I won’t go into in this post, but I will eventually. I have a feeling there are others out there that probably need to hear what I have to say, and I’m hoping you, dear reader, will find some encouragement through these posts, too.

During times like these, when it seems that you can’t be the light to someone, much less see the Light yourself, it’s helpful to have a circle of good, Christian friends you can lean on.

(I am extremely grateful for my circle of people; if you’re reading this, thank you for always being there.)

You need Christian friends that let you ask questions. Friends that will fight for you. Encourage you. And care enough to lift your name up in prayer.

You need friends that will send you links to sermons that they know will be exactly what you need to hear.

My friend, Tina, is one of those people. Earlier in the week, she sent me the sermon her pastor preached at her church concerning the Church of Sardis (you can find this in Revelation 3).

The half-dead church of Sardis

Tina’s pastor went on to preach about spiritually dead churches and the need for revival. If you’re a Bible reader, you know that the Church of Sardis was basically living on its past reputation. The Lord told them He knew of their past works, but just scooting by on what they did in the past wasn’t going to cut it in the future.

Encouragement to strengthen that which remains | Cassie L. Wilson- learning to be the light

Revelation 3:2 says, “Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God.” (NASB)

I have been pondering this thought for a few days.

No, this post isn’t about the need for revival in our churches today.

Do we need that? Yes, yes we do. We do need a true revival.

But, this post is a little more personal than that.

The moment I started to worry

Have you ever felt like you just couldn’t see the Light because of all the fog? And no matter what you do or try to do, you just cannot get to the Light?

If you want a good, thick fog recipe, throw together discouragement, disappointment, and hurt. Then, sprinkle in a heavy dose of confusion.

Don’t even measure it, just mix it allllllll together.

I’ve been dealing with this unwanted fog for a while. Much longer than I care to admit.

If you’ve been a regular reader of my blog, you know Bible study is something I did a lot. I was the one encouraging you to read the Word, pray, let go, and let Jesus guide you.

But, it got to the point (and this is when I started to really worry) I felt I couldn’t even do any of that for myself. There was no way I would be able to sit down at my laptop and try to encourage someone else to do what I couldn’t.

It felt like my prayers were being manipulated and that God wouldn’t hear me because of some “wrong” I had done. “Wrongs” that were not sins, but were treated as such.

I felt like Jesus had turned His back on me for these “wrongs” and probably would never come to my rescue ever again, must less take the time to listen to my prayers.

Believe me. I spent a lot of time just whispering, “Lord, help.” And that’s about as far as I’d get.

Jesus is our Helper

But, you know the thing about Jesus? He’s a lot more gracious, kind, and forgiving than some people make Him out to be. And He heard all those times I whispered, “Lord, please help.“

It’s been a different time (or a season, since we Christians like to call everything a ‘season’. Guilty.) compared to the nights I spent writing in my prayer journal and reading and taking notes in the Word.

Without getting into the thick of it in this post, maybe you’re sitting in the same seat I am.

Maybe you’re confused by things you’ve read or have been taught and you’re wondering exactly how it lines up with the scripture. Maybe, you’ve experienced a hurt so deeply, you don’t think you’ll ever come back from it. Or, maybe you’re carrying around a weight that isn’t yours to carry.

Strengthen the things which remain

Reader, lemme tell you something. When you get to the place where you can start to push all that stuff aside and come out of the fog: strengthen the things which remain.

Study the Word for yourself. Hold on to the things you know to be true, honest, and good. And find good, Christian friends that will encourage and support you as you lay down the things holding you back and rebuild upon the Cornerstone that remains.

You don’t have to suffocate from the fog.

But do you know the thing about fog?

The fog eventually lifts when the sun (and you know I mean, the Son) shines.

And He is always shining.

Love, Cassie

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Filed Under: Confessions of Cassie, Encouragement Tagged: Christian, Christian Living, Encouragement, Hope

Why You Need to Be Confident in Your Calling from God

June 15, 2021

Inside: why you need to be confident in your calling from God

If you have browsed around my blog for any length of time, you know that I seem to write an awful lot about the call God puts on our lives.

I’m not entirely sure why this is the case. I guess because I want you, dear reader, to be confident in your call from God. I want you to be encouraged and go forth in faith and do what He has laid on your heart to do.

And I’ll be the first to tell you, friend, sometimes taking that first step of faith is hard.

It’s scary. It’s nerve wracking. And it can be downright paralyzing if you let fear get the best of you. (Which, by the way, is exactly what the enemy of our souls wants to happen. Not today, Satan. Not. today.)

If this is where you currently are, stuck in fear of your calling, take heart, my friend. You’re in good company.

But, you can’t stay there and here’s why.

[Read more…]

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Filed Under: Encouragement, Faith Tagged: Calling, Calling from God, Christian, Christian Living, Christian walk, Encouragement, Faith, Hope, New Testament, Walk in your calling

How to Find the Courage to Pray Big

April 16, 2021

Inside: finding the courage to pray big

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about prayer. You know, the kinds of prayers that are so saturated in faith that it gets things done. (Well, the Lord is the one that gets it done, but you know what I mean.)

Prayer is (or should be!) an important part of our everyday Christian walk with the Lord.

My mom, a Sunday School teacher, likes to teach her kids that neglecting prayer is like neglecting to talk to our best friend. Without that line of communication, eventually that relationship is going to crumble. Same thing happens with our relationship with the Lord when we neglect to pray often and fervently.

But, what happens, friend, when we’re too afraid to pray?

Too afraid that God might answer our prayers and disrupt our super comfy lives? Or, we’re too afraid of the answer to the umpteen questions we have about it?

[Read more…]

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Filed Under: Faith Tagged: Answered Prayers, Christian, Christian Living, Christian walk, Encouragement, Faith, Prayer

What to do when it hurts to hope

January 31, 2021

Inside: what to do when it hurts to hope

If you’ve been browsing around the blog for a while, you’ll know that I liked to read YouVerison’s devotionals when I dry my hair. YouVersion has a devotional for just about every topic you can think of. Want to start a “read the Bible in a year” (or half a year)? Well, YouVersion has you covered on that, too. They’re basically a one stop shop.

Now that I have a fancy-dancy Dyson hair dryer, my drying time is cut in half. But, I still have plenty of time to start my day with a devotion and God’s word while getting my hair dry.

Lately, I have been reading Harmony Grillo’s devotion, Dreams Redeemed. I’ll be honest, when I pick a devotion to read on YouVersion, I usually read the first day’s devotion before starting the plan. You know, just to see if I like it.

But, not with this one.

[Read more…]

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Filed Under: Encouragement, Faith Tagged: Christian, Christian blog, Devotions, Encouragement, Hope, YouVersion

Storms: What to Do When You’re in One

July 15, 2020

Inside: how to hold on during a storm

Have you ever ridden a boat? Not like on the lake or a riverboat. But, a boat out in the middle of the ocean and you can’t see land?

So, I have. I was with a group of my classmates on a research trip.

Lemme set the scene: The sun is shining bright. The swells aren’t terribly bad and the breeze is just right. And just about every single one of us, including me, couldn’t keep our eyes open because the boat was rocking us to sleep.

Really, it’s a miracle none of us fell out of it…

So, when I read about the story of Jesus and the disciples in Mark 4, I can understand how Jesus feel asleep so quickly.

And, then I think, “Uh, Cassie, it was also storming…” And then I’m all, “Nevermind… Not sure I could’ve slept through that.” (And if you know me, you know I sleep through just about everything…)

[Read more…]

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Filed Under: Encouragement, Faith Tagged: Encouragement, Faith, Help, Jesus, Peace, Storms

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Cassie L. Wilson

Cassie Wilson

Christian. Writer. Fly fisher. Sweet tea enthusiast. Middle child. Lover of all things green.

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Gather ‘round. It’s story time. Several mont Gather ‘round. It’s story time. 

Several months ago, I was visiting my boyfriend’s church when the pastor began talking about being stuck in the hallway. 

You know, the “hallway”?

Those moments in life we’re you’re just stuck. It’s dark, you don’t know which way to turn, which way to go, and all the doors seems to be closed. 

Those moments when you just have to surrender and let the Lord work in your life. 

Yeah, that kind of hallway. 

When the pastor was talking about this, something struck my heart and it just felt like the words he was speaking were important. 

Back ages ago, one of my favorite preachers said “When the Lord speaks to you, write it down. He’s only obligated to speak to you once.” So, I flipped my Bible open to the front page and I wrote down “The Hallway” and dated it. 

Little did I know that I’d find myself stuck in a literal hallway some three months later. 

I couldn’t go out the way I came in because it was too dangerous. I couldn’t go out the emergency exit because I had no idea what was on the other side of the door.

I was stuck. 

Sometimes life gets this way, too. Maybe we’ve lost a job and we don’t know how we’re going to make it. Or, we’ve lost a loved one or a relationship ended and moving on seems terrifying.

There are umpteen situations in life that can put us in a hallway where we have no idea what to do. 

But, God was in the hallway.

Philippians 4:7 talks about the peace that passes all understanding. I’ve read this verse a hundred times, but I don’t know that I truly knew what it meant until I was stuck in that hallway. 

When I began to pray, a peace came over me and I knew we’d be okay. I knew I had to trust Him. 

God is in the hallway. 

When all seems hopeless, He is there. 

When all seems lost, He is there. 

When you don’t know what to do, He. Is. There. 

God is in YOUR hallway, too. 

He knows where you are. He knows how to bring you out. He knows when to send the peace at just the right time. 

You just have to trust Him. 

He can and will bring you to the other side. 

#shinebright #learningtobethelight
“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by p “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4:6‬ ‭

Oh, friend, what if we actually lived like Philippians 4:6? 
 
What if we actually trusted Him with 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 in our lives?

I’m not just talking about the big prayers that you absolutely need God to take care of because you can’t do it on your own. 

I’m talking about the little things, too. The things that seem insignificant, but are actually really big things in the grand scheme of it all. 

What if we turned it all over and learned —really learned— to lean on Him to provide? 

Imagine what a difference that would make. Not just for you, but those around you. 

Wow. 

World changing. 

What verse has stuck out to you lately? 

#learningtobethelight #shinebright
“Is anything too hard for the Lord?” If you h “Is anything too hard for the Lord?”

If you have kept up with my stories this week, you know I’m attempting the @biblereadingchallenge. The goal is to read the entire Bible in one academic year. 

Today’s readings came from Genesis 17-20 and John 10-11.

In Genesis 18, we find God, himself, asking, “Is there anything too hard for the Lord?” 

God was trying to prove to Abraham and Sarah that He could (and would!) provide them with a child. 

Even in their old age. 

Even in their doubt. 

There was nothing too hard for the Lord. 

But, then in John 11, we find Jesus and Lazarus. 

Well, actually, we don’t find Lazarus until later in the chapter because he had already croaked. He was already in the grave and his family was already grieving. 

But, is there anything too hard for the Lord? 

Even in their grief. 

Even in their doubt.

There was nothing too hard for the Lord.

Even in your circumstances, friend, no matter what those circumstances are there is NOTHING too hard for the Lord.

You can trust Him. Always. 

P.S. have you participated in the #biblereadingchallenge? If so, I want to hear about it! 👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼

#learningtobethelight #shinebright
“𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦, 𝘊𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘦?”
 
Ouch. 

Lately, it seems like every where I turn, I keep being reminded of 1 Kings 19. Yeah, you know, the chapter about Elijah hiding in the cave and feeling all sorts of ways about his life and everything and everyone in it. 

Elijah felt alone. He was discouraged. He thought he was useless. 

How many times have we felt the same way?

Alone. Discouraged. Useless. Good for nothing. 

I tell ya, friend, when discouragement hits, it hits hard. And sometimes it’s not easy to shake. 

I know because there were several years (yes, I said 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴) that I battled m a j o r discouragement. 

Sometimes, when the storm is raging, it’s difficult to see the Son. You 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 He is right there with you, but when you can’t see Him and your faith is dwindling… 𝘮𝘢𝘯, 𝘰𝘩, 𝘮𝘢𝘯, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩.

It was 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 to be the light when I felt like I couldn’t even find it myself. 

To say I hit a low point is an understatement. 

But, it’s often when we are at our lowest that God has the greatest work for us to do. 

God wasn’t done with Elijah. And, He’s not done with you (or me!), either.

There is a purpose for you. 

There is hope for you.

What doest thou here, friend? 

#learningtobethelight #shinebright
“…the patient in spirit is better than the pro “…the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.” — Ecclesiastes 7:8

Pro tip: never, ever pray for patience because the Lord WILL answer that prayer. 😂

Kidding aside, learning to be patient and wait on the Lord is tough, but it’s one of the best things we can do as Christians.

Whether we want to accept it or not, God has a plan for our lives. And His plan is way better than anything we could have come up with ourselves. 

But, His plan often requires that we are patient and wait for His leading. 

Impatience will lead us to a whole world of trouble. It will lead to heartache, unnecessary sorrow, and unwanted suffering. (Ask me how I know…)

The Lord knows what is best for us. Always. Trust Him. 

Stay patient, my friend! 

What book of the Bible are you currently studying? 👇🏼

#learningtobethelight #shinebright
There’s just something special about finding the There’s just something special about finding the most appropriate Bible verse right as you’re listening to your mom teach the Sunday School kids about the paralyzed man who’s friends tore a roof off a building to get him to Jesus. 
•
“In my distress, I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even unto his ears.” - Psalm 18:6
•
The story of the paralytic man goes like this: his friends were carrying him on a bed to Jesus. But, because it was so crowded with everyone else trying to get to Jesus, they couldn’t get him there. Instead, they decided to carry him to the roof and where they would tear the roof off and lower him in. Once Jesus saw this, He had compassion on the paralytic man and healed him. 
•
My mom was teaching the Sunday School kids about how we need to be an encouraging friend to others. I mean, in this day and time, you never really know who just needs to see your smile and who needs your prayers. 
•
But, as I was sitting in the floor trying to figure out something for mom, my eyes landed on Psalm 18:6. 
•
“In my distress, I called upon the Lord… and my cry came before him.”
•
The Bible tells us that it was crowded where Jesus was. It was probably chaotic. It was likely overwhelming.  And, it was probably discouraging knowing you needed to get to Jesus, but the way seemed impossible. 
•
But, yet, Jesus healed the man anyway. He knew his cries. 
•
When our hearts are overwhelmed, when our minds are full of fear and anxiety, when the stress of the day (or week or year) is crowding up our minds, or when we are oh, so very discouraged, we can call to Him and He will hear us.
•
Sure, it was a crowded mess and looked impossible for the paralytic man to get to Jesus. But, Jesus had already heard his cry. He already had a solution for him. He knew exactly how to help him. And so He did. 
•
Jesus knows how to help us, too. Even when the world is falling apart around us. 
•
He still hears our cries. 
•
#shinebright #learningtobethelight
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