Catrina Benham's Blog

It's Monday morning, and hard to believe that REAL2014 is over! We are so thankful to God for His kindness, love and power - He was at work in women's lives throughout every aspect of REAL, and it was so exciting to see how He brought all the elements came together as one! Everything that we said, believed and heard at REAL is true today as we continue to live out our own lives at home and work, in our families and communities. Truths about identity, and chains being broken. Truths about who God is and what we believe. The Truths that replace the lies, the narrative, the story we've previously been listening to. Hold on to Jesus' teaching. Hold on to Truth. Perhaps you've read through some of your conference notes? Or you read this morning's emailed Bible Devotion? Or you've put a worship song on, in the car or...

REAL 2014 may be finished but the word of God is still living and breathing.  Let's carry on listening to His voice, through our next Devotion, written for YOU by a woman within our community.... Romans 12 v 1-2 I don't know about you, but when I read those verses my eyes skim quickly past most of the first verse.  "Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice" seems more reminiscent of a horror movie than the Bible. But that phrase in verse 1 does have something to teach us as women in 2014.  The physical choice to read a Bible, however and wherever and whenever we do it, is an act of sacrifice as we switch off to everything else - work, twitter or Facebook, family, plans for the day - and tune into God.  That physical choice is also an act of worship, as we obediently serve God.  Brother Luigi Gioiaia puts it like this "Whenever we enter into our heart and close the door to the noise of the world for a while to be with the Father, we find him wa...

Hi friends. Here's our next Devotion for you - enjoy! I love the idea of travelling, and when the chance to do so arises, I reach for a good travel guide. A good guide is so valuable; it helps us prepare for the journey. It gives us the must do, must see list. The things to avoid; go but strictly at your own risk! A good guide is full of pictures to give a little taste of what is to come; it motivates us to make the best plans. We can learn about the places to stop for a while to really soak up what there is on offer, the atmosphere, the sights. The places to sit and eat and create special memories with our travel companions. What’s expensive? What’s good value? The benefits of a good guide book go on and on. In the same way we rely on a good travel guide when taking a holiday, the Bible is the best guide to help us make this Life Journey. The verse we are reflecting on in this last week before the REAL conference is: Psalm 119:105. Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light...

Well here we go girls, the countdown week until REAL! Parcels have already started arriving...tonight lights are being installed....plans are being finalised, and we're all getting excited. SO, some info for you.... Firstly, we have the Prayer room booked from 7-9pm Monday night to pray for REAL. This session is open to anyone who would like to pray for REAL. Lisa O'Brien is there to inspire and lead us to pray, so feel free to buzz the doorbell and come up anytime between 7 and 9 to join in for whatever time you have available. It's going to be fantastic to join hearts and prayers, as together we seek God for His blessing, His presence, His power - that all women coming to REAL would know His love for them! Secondly, are you a teen or twenty (something) ? If so, YOU ARE INVITED to a special (free) event just for you , during the 5-7.30pm dinner break on Saturday. Organised by Emily O'Neil and her friends, here's her invitation : For all teenage girls ...

Hope you're enjoying the Bible Devotions? So a couple of tasters for you today - gifts of words from our Guests Speakers at REAL, Shauna and Philippa. Shauna's blog will give you a taste of what we'll have at REAL - and a hint of what her life looks like right now. I loved this piece, and again felt honoured to have her with us at REAL- so glad she kept us in her diary! Philippa Hanna has a new single out, which you can download for free here Enjoy! Let God speak to you through their hearts and their words even now, before you get to REAL. And if you're not yet booked in, please do! We are going to have a wonderful time together as women in God's presence - I know He will be with us, transforming us, making us more like Jesus. We are praying in earnest for you . Book your place through the Kerith website here Ps Today I authorised payment for a very special REAL purchase. - the hire of "La Boudo...

Dear Friends, Here is the third of our REAL Devotions, written especially for you by one of the women from within Kerith community. We hope that these words bless and challenge you as you prepare for your weekend with us - it's just 2 weeks away! With much love, Catrina and the REAL team x   "Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies." Philippians 4:8 [The Message] Oh dear, we do tend to enjoy doing what we shouldn’t, don’t we? Maybe you’ve read these verses before but in another version, and this one might sound a bit weird - a different translation can often do that. Our thoughts are ...

Here's the second Devotion, written for you to enjoy on this run up to REAL. Sent accompanied by our love and our many prayers for you - God loves you! Catrina and the REAL team x " For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. "Hebrews 4:12 (NIVUK) When I became a Christian in my mid-forties my knowledge of Scripture came from my Catholic background so it was limited to the Gospels and some phrases from the Psalms. I started reading the whole Bible and I must admit, understood very little. Yet a few months on, I realised that my thinking, my attitudes and my whole life were changing. The Word of God was indeed real, vibrant and effective even without my being conscious of it. So far, so good, but the rest of the verse conjures up thoughts of pain and tempts me to withdraw, to disengage from the word of God. However th...

Dear Friends, we're beginning the four week countdown to REAL with this gift for you. It is the first of 14 Daily Devotions. Each was written by a woman in our community, led by the writers of Exposition. They were written with you in mind, that you would carve out a few minutes today to read these words, to help you to read the Word, and to let these words bring Truth to you and your situation. So each Monday on the run up to REAL, and then after the conference, each weekday for two weeks, I'll post a Daily Devotion on my blog. It will also be sent out by email to all the REAL delegates. We pray that you'll be blessed, encouraged and challenged. God loves you! We can't wait to all be together soon at REAL.Until then, pop the kettle on, settle down and let these words of real truth bring freedom, With love Catrina and the REAL team x   To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the t...

What is truth? What is truth? If you're booked into REAL, I hope you received an email from the REAL team this morning? It's called "Ready for REAL?" and it's full of practical information, helping you to prepare for our wonderful 36 hours together. (If you didn't get it, please email info@kerith.co.uk) being women, we tend to enjoy all the details, and we like to know what to expect - it helps us to look forward to something. With less than four weeks to go now, we also want to help you to look forward to the theme of REAL 2014. This years theme is TRUE - and it's all about God's Word, and the Truth it reveals, and about how knowing this Truth sets you free. Pilate asked "what is truth?" A question people are still asking today in our postmodern world, where there are truths , not truth , and where any truth is relative to one's culture. The Psalmist says " All your words are true , all your righteous law are eter...