Month: January 2014

Faith and Religion

Posted on by Wendy
The water in this little creek will eventually end up in the ocean.
The water in this little creek will eventually end up in the ocean.

A friend of mine and I were recently talking about the new church home her family has found. They feel very comfortable there and inspired and are excited about getting up to go to church on Sundays. The only drawback, is they can’t yet join as a family because her two teens were baptized as babies and not completely immersed.

We had a short discussion about one versus the other and it really struck me how sad it is when Christians get hung up on certain religious practices. I’m talking about things like whether you use grape juice or wine for communion and whether you have communion every Sunday or once a month or once a quarter. I’m thinking about things like whether you kneel at your pew or whether you do responsive readings. The kind of music that gets sung is another big bone of contention for many people.

When we get angry at fellow Christians about these kinds of things, I think the devil is delighted. If he can get Christians mad at each other, then there’s not room to do the work of the Holy Spirit.

Interestingly enough, even the earliest churches like the one in Corinth, that Paul helped to start, had new believers squabbling with one another. The Jewish converts fought with the Gentile converts on how much law the Gentiles should have to follow and about circumcision and about and about; the list is long. This is one more good reason why reading the Bible can be enlightening for us.

Arguments among Christians are nothing new and Paul found himself wearing a referee hat for a good amount of time. Jesus makes us passionate and that’s a good thing. The Book of Revelation even warns us about having “lukewarm” faith, but I think we should be careful about judging others in how they carry out their faith walk.

If we love God with all of our hearts and we read the Bible and follow its teachings, if we believe Jesus is our one and only savior and we pray and listen, I believe in my deepest soul, that we will be lead to where we need to worship. We will be planted in a community that is perfectly suited to our calling and for His purpose for us. When we get there, it’s up to us to grow and thrive and become part of the fabric that makes that particular community.

However, we should keep in mind that our next-door-neighbor may be lead to an entirely different place. And you know what? That’s okay. On that fabulous day when we are called home to live with Jesus forever, I can’t imagine there being a gatekeeper inquiring whether we were Baptist, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, etc….

No, if you are a believer and a follower, He’s going to say, “Welcome home faithful servant; we’re glad you are here.”

Isn’t that all that really matters? I’d love to know what you think. Feel free to comment.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

The Back Story

Posted on by Wendy
You wouldn't know, just by looking at the picture how deep this spring is.
You wouldn’t know, just by looking at the picture how deep this spring is.

A friend recently introduced me to a daily Bible reading blog called, www.#shereadstruth.com If you are looking for a way to read the Bible daily and have a meaningful message to accompany it, I highly recommend it. Right now, they are doing a series on fresh starts and they have found passages throughout the Bible to show God giving His people a fresh start.

Today, their passage was Acts 9:1-19 and their discussion was on the conversion of Saul to Paul. This is a fabulous example of a fresh start. I mean, this guy went from hunting and killing Christians to preaching about Christ and writing the majority of the New Testament.

But, there’s an unsung hero in this story. His name is Ananias. The scripture says he was a disciple living in Damascus. I picture this guy, minding his own business and kind of lying low. He’s a believer, but it’s dangerous to be a believer and then he has a vision.

Jesus calls his name. Ananias answers him. Jesus then instructs him to go to the house where Saul of Tarsus is and heal him by restoring his sight.  Ananias says, (and I paraphrase),”Umm, Lord are you sure about this? This guy has been killing and arresting your people left and right.” And I’ll bet he was thinking, “Take that, Saul! You reap what you sow. Bullies everywhere, take note!”

But, Jesus says, “Go!” He has chosen Saul to be the person who will carry his message to the Gentiles and their kings and to the Jews.

Did Ananias argue? Did he try to reason? Did he ignore this calling and lean on his own understanding? Nope. Verse seventeen tells us he went and found Saul. And if that wasn’t enough; here’s the coolest part; He puts his hands on him and says: “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you might regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Acts 9:17

It wasn’t a grudgingly delivered message, like we find with Jonah. Ananias wasn’t angry that Jesus decided to use Saul. Jesus called. Ananias answered and not only did he heal Saul, he called him brother and baptized him.

Saul goes on to be Paul and we know his story, but Paul would have remained blind and huddling in a corner if Ananias hadn’t answered his call. Ananias was faithful, obedient and brave. He trusted Jesus and that trust and obedience enabled  Paul to complete his all-important journey.

There are no unimportant or non-essential pieces in God’s plan. Every single person has a part to play. Every part matters. Just because you probably didn’t know Ananias before you read this, makes him no less important in the big story. There’s always a back story. No one ever gets where they are without help from someone else.

If you ever wonder if what you are doing matters, rest assured; if you are answering Jesus’ call, it matters. You matter. So, keep on going my friend. Keep doing what you do. You’re making Jesus proud. What do you think about Ananias? Feel free to share.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Symbolism of the Shell

Posted on by Wendy
I picked up this shell at church on Sunday.
I picked up this shell at church on Sunday.

Last Sunday at church, we renewed our vows of baptism. The pastor told us that the seashell is the Christian symbol for baptism and at the end of the service, invited us all up to get a shell and dip our fingers in the baptismal font and pray at the altar.

It really was a beautiful service and I loved the symbolism, but I had never heard about the shell being a Christian symbol before even though I’ve been a lifelong  church goer. Being a curious sort, I had to investigate.

Since I just love to watch for God in the everyday, I was delighted at what I found. Turns out, that the shell was used in the very first centuries of the Christian church to assist in the sacrament of baptism. We know this because there are paintings of baptism depicted on the walls of catacombs where early Christians worshiped.

No one knows exactly why shells were used, but the thought is probably for practical reasons. In many places, there wasn’t enough water to completely submerge the candidate; so they would wade out and have water poured over their heads. They would want to use as much water as possible. (It wasn’t like they could pick up a bucket at the local Target). A shell could hold more water than a hand.

The shell comes from the ocean. Jesus’ first disciples were called by the seashore. When we are baptized, we are supposed to be disciples for Christ, spreading the word and the love. The shell can remind us of the first disciples as well as our own calling to discipleship.

There are shells depicted in art in many churches all over the world, from embroidery to stained glass. They are sometimes shown with three drops of water, symbolizing the trinity.

So, the next time you have the pleasure of walking on the beach, be sure to pick up a shell and be reminded not only of the beauty and wonder of nature, but also of the infinite grace of God. Be reminded of the privilege of baptism and the love of Christ. Be at peace and know God loves you and of course, pass it on!

Have an awesome day! 🙂

Wendy

Learning to Go with It

Posted on by Wendy
When your heart and soul are calm, a little chaos is no big deal.
When your heart and soul are calm, a little chaos is no big deal.

If you read my post yesterday, then you know all about my rewarding Sabbath time yesterday. Interestingly, the calm I took the time for yesterday, prepared me for my chaotic morning today.

After I dropped my daughter at school, I was planning on coming home and doing some cleaning, which didn’t get done yesterday, some laundry, because it’s everyday, exercise, because it’s a new year and I’d like to be in better shape, work on a Wednesday night kids program for church and write for gracefulgaines.

My husband met me at the door and informed me that our neighbor’s alarm had been going off. That has never happened before and since she is one of the sweetest people on the planet, I sent him over to check it out. The alarm had stopped, but he went over. The house was locked up tight. I called her, but there was no answer. I was concerned, but I let it go. I said a prayer for her safety.

I put in a call to my mom to catch up and we talked for a little while about a recent death in the family. Then we talked about a dear friend of hers who has been diagnosed with cancer. We were talking about another friend of her’s whose husband has been put in hospice care, when the alarm went off again. Mom, ever the steel magnolia, told me I should hang up and investigate.

The alarm stopped again as I went across the street. I peaked in windows and saw nothing. The alarm went off again and I dialed 911. They asked me to wait for an officer to come. I did, although it took him quite awhile. He looked around and discovered there was no car in the garage, so I was relieved. He assured me I had done the right thing by calling. He left.

I finally sat down at my keyboard and my phone rang. It was my sweet neighbor who had been out and knew nothing about the alarm. I told her about all of the excitement and she thanked me for looking after her. She was going to call the alarm company and get it figured out. I was so thankful she was okay. I said a prayer of thanks.

I sat down once again at my keyboard. My phone rang. A very good friend of mine was having a moment. She never calls to complain or vent. She’s just not that way; but today, she needed an ear. I was happy to listen and I feel like she felt better when we hung up.

By this time, it was close to noon and I hand’t showered, cleaned, exercised or written anything. I marveled at how I wasn’t the least bit frazzled, although my entire plans for the day were shot. I was praying about it and I felt like God whispered to me, “It’s the Sabbath time.” I hadn’t done anything on “my list,” but I did everything on God’s for me for the morning. I loved everyone He put in my path and I just went with it. I felt calm and blessed.

I really do believe there’s something to this Sabbath time, especially if it means learning to do His will and not mine. What do you think? I’d love to hear from you.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Obedience Can Produce Beautiful Results

Posted on by Wendy
This was the first waterfall I discovered.
This was the first waterfall I discovered.

Yesterday, after church, I decided to make myself observe some Sabbath time. It was rather difficult for me because it had rained for the past two days which resulted in three dogs being in the house round the clock, which resulted in numerous hair balls and muddy footprints that desperately needed cleaning up.

However, in my quest to live more intentionally and a desire to be more obedient to God, I was determined to observe some Sabbath time. I gritted my teeth as I stepped over a tumbleweed of a hairball and walked out onto my screened in porch.

It was a gorgeous day. Early last week, we had temperatures in the single digits. On Friday, we had torrential rains and thunderstorms, and late Saturday, the clouds broke and the sun appeared like a long-lost friend. We had little rivers running all through our yard even after the rain stopped.

But, today, well, today was stunning. The sky was that brilliant blue that you really only get in the winter time and the temperature was in the high fifties. As I sat in my swing, sipping my coffee and taking in the beautiful weather, I could hear the rushing water of the creek behind our house.

As I was thanking God for the weather, and the beauty of nature, I began to think about that creek. The creek is often no more than a trickle. From time to time, after really heavy rain or the occasional snow, we can hear it from our house and we always marvel at how people pay for property with a noisy creek.

We have been in drought for the majority of our time here and we rarely hear it. But, as I heard it today, I felt like I was being nudged to investigate, to not only hear it, but to see it. I went inside, put on my rubber boots and headed out.

The first little waterfall I came to, I had seen before. I took a few shots of it. But, something told me to keep exploring. I followed the sound and found a second waterfall I had never seen before. I was really surprised. I was probably a hundred yards from my house and here was a second gurgling, bubbling waterfall. I took some more pictures, but something nudged me on.

This was the second waterfall I discovered.
This was the second waterfall I discovered.

I walked just a little ways further, following the little creek and the sound and what I found stopped me in my tracks. Here, practically in my backyard, was a little waterfall with a fairly steep drop making beautiful music as it crashed on the rocks. It was surrounded by big boulders covered in moss that just called me to have a seat. I did and within a few minutes, a hawk soared above calling out as he went.

This was where my quest for Sabbath time and obedience lead me.
This was where my quest for Sabbath time and obedience lead me.

I just laughed as I looked up towards Heaven. “Of course there was a third,” I whispered. “Thank-you, God, for showing me.”

God always has a plan, and sometimes, when we listen and obey, the reward can be breathtaking. I’m still working on the obedience thing, but today, well today I got it right and it was good. How about you. How are you doing with obedience? Feel free to share.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

Staying Crumb Free

Posted on by Wendy
Every slab of granite is unique just like each one of us.
Every slab of granite is unique just like each one of us.

I have granite counter tops in my kitchen. I love them because they are varied and unique. The area by the sink looks different from the area by the stove. No two slabs of granite are ever exactly alike because they come from nature and nature just doesn’t work that way.

We are a lot like granite. We are all unique. We may have similarities to each other, but we are all unique creations. No two people are exactly alike.

What I don’t like about my granite is that it hides crumbs. I can wipe and clean and then when the sunlight lands on it, I have a mess. I have missed so much. I never even know the crumbs are there unless the light is on them.

As I was cleaning the kitchen the other day, (again) with the help of the sun, it struck me that our lives are like the granite before the sun shines on it. We carry all kinds of crumbs around like guilt over our past, I’m not good enough attitudes, unresolved pain and anger, the list goes on; you can fill in your blank here:________. Try as we might, we just can’t remove them alone.

When Jesus comes into our lives, he shines a dazzling light on the crumbs that have been left behind and need to be swept away. Sometimes the light can be a little blinding and painful as we work to sweep away destructive behaviors or attitudes that we have come to hold close. Sometimes the light is incredibly liberating as we learn to accept that we are unique and loved, “fearfully and wonderfully made,” just as we are.

Either way, with Jesus, we are wiped clean, free to start fresh with a new path and a new plan. We have to keep in mind that crumbs can easily re-gather and to keep them away, we have to walk closely with him, listen to his voice, pray and obey.  When we do, we can be  shiny and crumb free and that, I think, is something worth smiling about.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Trust the Potter

Posted on by Wendy
The newest version of the all important scientific calculator.
The newest version of the all important scientific calculator.

My high school freshman came home after her first day of Algebra 1, (Although it’s no longer called that; it’s now called Coordinate Algebra. Doesn’t that sound more rigorous?), and announced that she needed a scientific calculator. Her teacher told her that it was a good investment because they would use it all through high school.

I smiled as I remembered back to math during my high school days. My math teacher had said the same thing, and she was right. I did use it all four years of high school. Being a journalism major, I never used it again, thank goodness! And I can’t tell you for the life of me, what good tangent and cotangent are, but I digress.

Her calculator is a lot snazzier than the TI35, I had, but it serves the same function. The calculator got me to thinking about the things that we require for certain periods in our lives that are totally necessary at the time, but we will never use again afterwards. The first things I thought of were baby things, like cribs, high chairs and car seats. When your child is ten, you can’t get rid of that stuff fast enough, but when they are infants, they are a must have.

There are school supplies like crayons and glue sticks that elementary school kids need, but high schoolers have no use for crayons. Our lives are always changing. Nothing ever stays the same. We are in constant motion like the earth we live on. Our needs change as we change.From babies to seniors, we change and grow.

God is often depicted in the Bible as a potter. “Yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are the work of your hand.” Isaiah 64:8

I like the idea of Him molding and making me, but I have come to look at myself as more of a Play- Doh consistency than true clay and I think that’s a good thing. When a potter makes a cup or a bowl, he puts it in a kiln and bakes it into a hard, permanent shape. It will forever be a cup or a bowl.

However, I think that God calls most of us to do different things during our lifetimes. There are those of course, that know early on that they were called to do one thing and they do it well for a lifetime. But, many of us are called to do many different things during the many different seasons of our lives. Those tasks may not always look the same as we don’t look the same.

As we grow and mature and change, what we are called to do often changes too. We may go from being a saucer to a pitcher. I think the key is to stay flexible. Listen for His voice and remember that whether Play- Doh or clay, only the potter decides the final shape, not the medium being shaped. So, we should let go of our desire to control and see what He come up with. We are likely to be amazed. What do you think? Feel free to share.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Recognizing Evil

Posted on by Wendy
Our windows were iced over this morning.
Our windows were iced over this morning.

The good people of Georgia woke up to an icy, cold morning today. The temperature was a balmy nine degrees. Southereners simply aren’t prepared for this kind of cold. Many of our homes have heat pumps. Heat pumps don’t do well in frigid temps. There are probably many kids who don’t own big, winter coats, not because their parents can’t afford them, but because they are too “cool” to wear them and rarely need them.

Due to many factors, local schools were cancelled today along with schools in several surrounding counties. The weather was too dangerous to contend with. As I was going about my business, the ice on this window, really caught my eye. It was beautiful and kind of fairy-tale looking with the barren trees in the background. You wouldn’t know, peering through it from the comfort of my home, how cold and dangerous it was on the other side.

My family and I were recently watching “Return of the Jedi,” and we were discussing how evil the emperor looked towards the end. He didn’t look that way in the original movie, but he became hideous, obviously evil. So, I posed the question, “Wouldn’t it be nice if everything that was evil was hideous, so we would know it was evil?”

We love to think of the enemy as a horned devil carrying a pitchfork, but evil rarely shows its true face in the beginning. Like the emperor in the first movie, it starts off looking rather benign. Billy Graham once said, “All sin is fun, for a time.”

When evil presents itself to us, it’s often in a pretty frosty package like that window. It can seem harmless, but what waits for us on the other side can be dangerous. In the first “Star Wars,” Darth Vader was scary. The emperor was just a little man. In the “Return of the Jedi,” Vader was a slave to that little man.

So, how do we know if something is evil in nature? We just had this discussion in our middle school Sunday school class. We have to ask ourselves if it lines up with scripture. We know from Proverbs 3:5, that, “We are to trust in the Lord with all of our hearts and lean not on our own understanding.”  That means what we as humans, “think” or “feel” is right, may not be.

Isaiah 55:8-9, tells us that, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” That means God knows better than we do, just like parents know better than their children do. He is all-knowing and we are not.

Finally, Ephesians 6:11, tells us “To put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” Part of that armor is the gospel of peace.

We have to read the Bible if we want to know God’s thoughts, God’s plan and God’s will. It’s really the only way we can know the truth. Now is as good a time as any. It’s a new year. Let’s get started. Feel free to share.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

One Size Fits All

Posted on by Wendy
Jesus will meet you wherever you are.
Jesus will meet you wherever you are.

My teenage daughter has a very dear friend named April. When they first became friends in the fourth grade, she was very disturbed when she told me that April didn’t believe in God. I told her she should invite April to Vacation Bible School. She did and not only did April attend VBS , she began attending church with us and went through confirmation in the sixth grade. She was then baptized and joined our church. Never underestimate the power of a little children’s program called Vacation Bible School.

The girls are both in high school now and continue to be good friends. April is a very dedicated soccer player and plays year round. Last Fall, she was playing in a tournament and was badly injured. She was kicked so hard that she broke both bones in her lower leg. She was far from home and in excruciating pain. Her parents rushed her to the nearest hospital.

Her mother told me that she was sitting in the emergency room in a wheelchair crying hysterically. She was in so much pain and was very frightened. Out of nowhere, a woman who spoke Spanish, put her hands on April’s shoulders and prayed over her. April was instantly calmed. Her mom told me that an amazing sense of peace overtook her.

Here’s the thing, April doesn’t speak a word of Spanish and no one knew who the woman was. She wasn’t a nurse or employed by the hospital.

I have thought of this story often since I first heard it and I have wondered who she was. Of course, her identity doesn’t really matter. She was clearly sent from God. At that moment in time, she was given the ability to comfort a child with the presence of Jesus. Her actual words didn’t even matter. The heart knows prayer when it hears it and April’s heart was comforted.

If a fifty-year-old man was sitting there, God may have sent someone else. The awesome thing about Jesus is he is one size fits all. Wherever you are in life, he will meet you there, right where you are, with his arms outstretched. There is no path or place out of his reach. There is no waiting room or sickness or pain that will scare him away.

He is fearless and he wants you and me. I don’t know about you, but I find that to be very comforting. And as I seek comfort from him, I pray that he will use me to comfort too, just like the woman in the emergency room.

What do you think? Feel free to share.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

What Do You Seek?

Posted on by Wendy
This chest could contain anything...
This chest could contain anything…

Today is Epiphany. It’s the day when the church officially recognizes the visit of the Three Wise Men or the Magi. Have you ever wondered just who these guys were and why they brought gold, frankincense and myrrh?

The Magi were from somewhere in the far east like Persia or Arabia, no one knows for sure, but they traveled a long way to worship Baby Jesus. The scripture doesn’t say how many there were, but the assumption has been that there were three because they brought three gifts.

They would have been very well-educated and had obviously read Old Testament prophecy, possibly written by Daniel. They would have likely been born into being Magi and would have counseled kings on what they knew of the stars. They were very well-respected by all people, including kings, for the special knowledge and wisdom they possessed.

The gifts they brought were very expensive and traditional for kings. The deeper spiritual meaning is that gold represented his kingship and divinity. The pagans often used gold to make idols. By presenting Jesus with gold, they were acknowledging that he was from God. Frankincense was used was often used in worship and with burnt offerings. It would have been symbolic of Jesus having a priestly role. Myrrh was used for embalming and the myrrh foreshadowed Jesus’ death.

Jesus was probably not a baby when they arrived. The scripture says he was a child. Theologians guess he was between one and two years old. When King Herod learned they were in his country, he requested a meeting with them. They told him they had come looking for the King of the Jews in order to worship him. Herod told them to come back to him when they found the child, so he could worship him too.

They continued to follow the star until it stopped over the place where the child was. (By the way, no one can explain the star. It was a supernatural gift from God.) “When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! They entered the house and saw the child with his mother Mary, and bowed down and worshipped him.” Matthew 2:10-11.

When it was time for them to go, they went home another way, because God warned them in a dream not to return to Herod. Ever notice how God has his hands all over the place, when you really look? These guys were the first on record to worship Jesus. They were the first to acknowledge his divinity and kingship and God protected them by telling them to go home another way. They were the first to seek and were rewarded with God’s protection.

Like the Magi, when we seek Jesus, we will always find him. The question then becomes: What do we seek from him? Do we seek forgiveness, healing, guidance, peace? Do we seek to worship?

I’m asking myself this Epiphany what it is I’m hoping to find on this quest for more Jesus. Maybe you would like to join me? Feel free to share.

Have an Awesome Day!

Wendy 🙂