Month: July 2014

Seeing Past the Messy

Posted on by Wendy
These tomatoes had some dirt on them from the garden, but God made dirt!
These tomatoes had some dirt on them from the garden, but God made dirt!

I was piddling in the garden this morning and I picked some tomatoes and a couple of pieces of okra and knocked on the kitchen door and handed them to my son. I asked him to put them on the counter. As he took them he replied, “But, they are dirty.”

I chuckled as I answered, “Of course, they are dirty; they came from the dirt.”

He shook his head and did as he was asked.

As I returned to the backyard, I pondered our brief encounter. We are programmed from a very young age that dirt and mess are not good. We then turn around and pass that same mentality to our kids.

But, when you really think about it, some of the things that produce the biggest mess, bring us the greatest joy. I have delighted in growing my own vegetables. I feel the presence of God when I watch a bud turn into a flower and then into an actual edible vegetable. It’s dirty though. I have to keep a pair of shoes by the door or I will track dirt in from the outside. The veggies often have dirt on them. There are bugs too, good and bad.

But, frying okra that I grew myself? It’s an amazing feeling.

Pets are another example of the constantly messy, but totally worth it. Our dogs have to be bathed and brushed. They shed constantly and the house has to be vacuumed several times a week and there are still hairballs. But, there’s nothing like waking up in the morning to a wagging tail or coming home to these amazing creatures that seem to think I am the greatest human being ever made. What a gift!

Is the mess worth it? Oh, yes!

The media has programmed us to believe that our houses should look like the ones on television or in magazines, perfection. We can also be lead to believe that our relationships should look that way too. But, relationships, like the garden, are messy. People are messy.

When we really allow ourselves to love another human being, it’s messy. There are times when our feelings will get hurt. There are times when we no longer “feel the love.” That is where faith comes in.

If some of my tomatoes get worms, I don’t dig up the entire plant. I simply remove the injured fruit and search for the worms. Those suckers are good at hiding too.

When my dog has some type of accident on the floor, I clean it up. Yes, it’s disgusting. Yes, I may fuss at him. But, I’m certainly not going to take him to the pound and be done with him.

Human relationships are messy. There’s no way around it. It’s true that getting your feelings hurt and your heart broken is painful. But, is loving each other worth it? You bet. So much so, that it made the red-letter words in the Bible.

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Jesus  (John 13:34-35)

I don’t think I can top that.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Lessons from the Church Parking Lot

Posted on by Wendy
While giving driving lessons in the parking lot, I contemplated the lessons we can learn inside the church.
While giving driving lessons in the parking lot, I contemplated the lessons we can learn inside the church.

My hubby and I recently took our fifteen-year-old daughter to our church parking lot to let her drive her car. She had only been behind the wheel one other time and it was time to get her learner’s permit. Before we let her get on the open highway, we thought it might be a good idea to get in a little practice.

There wasn’t a soul there, so she was free to learn how much pressure to put on the gas and brakes without giving us all whiplash. She got a little practice in going in reverse and using the blinkers. She parked it in one of the many empty spaces. Then she started driving around the church, I pointed out the lines on the pavement and told her she was supposed to keep the car between the lines. With a little practice, she was able to. (Thankfully!)

My hubby commented that people come to our church all of the time to do the same thing. I told him that one of her friends had practiced there too. He said that he often saw people on Fridays, when he cuts grass there, pulling into the parking lot, looking around and changing drivers. They are looking for a good safe place to practice.

The thought occurred to me how going inside the church provides us with safety as well. When we are traveling on our life’s journey, we need a lot of instruction and practice. We need a guide-book. God has provided us with one. The Bible has all kinds of answers and wisdom to deal with life’s crossroads. Attending church can help us decipher it.

We also need the instructions from more experienced Christians. I wouldn’t let a sixteen-year-old teach my fifteen-year-old how to drive. She needs someone with more experience. Church offers the unique opportunity to be around other Christians in various stages of their faith walk. All can offer valid encouragement and advice, but those who have been on the journey the longest, are those who I seek when I really need wisdom.

The church community can also help us to keep it between the lines. Life can get tricky and we can find ourselves in areas of gray. As you know, crossing the lines on the road can be dangerous or even deadly. The lines on our life’s journey can be the same. When we have good friends within our church community, we can counsel each other when the lines get blurred. The Bible tells us, “He who walks with the wise, grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.” Proverbs 13:20

Sometimes we can find ourselves out in the parking lot. We may be hesitant to go in for a million reasons ranging from something in our past to fear of being embarrassed or judged. We need to remember that what goes on inside the church is soothing balm to weary souls, no matter what your story is. Let’s get out of the parking lot and into the church and be sure to drag any stragglers along too.

It’s cool and comforting on the inside and God is waiting with open arms, just thrilled that you stopped by.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Praying for Discernment

Posted on by Wendy

 

After months of praying and searching the perfect car presented itself.
After months of praying and searching the perfect car presented itself.

The older I get, the more I find myself praying that God will help me with discernment. When I was younger, I would pray that God would let this be the right job or this guy be the right one. Now, I find myself praying that God will give me the wisdom to make the right choices, or for discernment.

This takes a fair amount of patience most of the time. When hubby and I decided we needed a bigger house, we prayed about it and we looked around for about a year. It was really comical at the time; when we would look at a house and kind of like it, it would go under contract the next day, even if it had been on the market for months. God was at work.

When our realtor finally showed us the house we are living in, we knew immediately that we had found it. It had been on the market for over a year and had been marked down a few times. As I sit in this house that I love so much, some nine years later, I know that it was meant for us. Prayer and patience landed us here and trust that God had His best plan for us in motion.

For a little over a year now, I have been praying that we could find the right used car for my daughter this summer. We were on a very tight budget and we wanted something reliable, with good gas mileage and low miles. We weren’t asking much, right? Keeping in mind that nothing is impossible with God, I continued to pray. I combed the internet for hours at the time.

When something looked promising, I would pray that God would let us know if it wasn’t the right car. There were times when I knew I had found it and almost immediately, it sold. I never got discouraged. I kept in mind that He had a plan. We drove to Atlanta to look at a car that we thought was perfect for us, only to find that it had been wrecked and was not at all what was advertised.

My daughter’s birthday got closer and tensions began to rise. I remembered Joyce Meyer saying one time that God always provided for her family. He didn’t do it until the last minute because that’s what builds faith. I held that truth close.

A few days before her birthday, the right car presented itself. As we made plans to go and see it, I found myself once again praying that if it wasn’t the right car, to please let us know, if there was something wrong with it, to please give us discernment to see it or to let it be sold before we got there.

Turns out, in the nick of time, that the car I had prayed for turned up. It had everything on my prayer list and my daughter and hubby liked it. After driving it home, my hubby was even more confident.

And me? I was thankful that I had prayed for discernment. I pray for it more often in my life, as a mom and as a Christian. We are faced with tough decisions almost daily. Which is right and which is wrong? The Bible tells us that we can pray for wisdom and receive it. James 1:5

I think discernment goes hand-in-hand with wisdom. I think God wants us to make good choices. What father doesn’t? If we pray about the choices before us with an open heart, the answers will eventually come. It often takes perseverance and patience, but hey, aren’t we supposed to be working on those too?

What do you think about wisdom and discernment? I’d love to hear from you.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Praying Parents

Posted on by Wendy
There is an undeniable force that comes from praying parents.
There is an undeniable force that comes from praying parents.

I received a text in June from one of my daughter’s best friends. She wanted to know what I thought about her planning a surprise birthday party for my daughter at the end of July. I asked her what she had in mind. She said something simple, so I told her I thought it was a great idea. She was thrilled.

Let me give you a little background here. When we moved into our neighborhood, my daughter was in kindergarten. My son had a friend down the street. I prayed for years that a family with good strong values would move in with a daughter her age and that they would grow a strong friendship.

In fourth grade, that prayer was answered. My daughter and April became the best of friends.

One of my strongest prayers for both of my children has been that they will build strong, solid friendships. I think friendship is such a blessing. I stumbled upon a photo of my senior prom the other day of me and my four best friends from high school. It still warms my heart. I still love those girls.

My daughter and April have four other friends that they hang out with most of the time. Two of them went on a mission trip this summer with my daughter. All of them go to church. They are good for each other and good to each other. They have their ups and downs the way teen girls will, but they are never mean-spirited or disrespectful to one another.

So, yesterday, April asked my daughter if she could stop by her house because she wanted to give her something for her birthday. Our family stopped and made an excuse to go in with her. Her five best friends jumped out and said, “surprise!” My daughter was floored. She had no idea.

They all spent the night at our house. I have always made them welcome here. I think having a chance to hang out as a group helps to grow friendship. My mom felt the same way, so much so, that she put in a swimming pool. They stayed up half of the night talking and giggling like teenagers do.

When everyone was gone, my daughter and I had a chance to talk about it all. At first she felt overwhelmed by the gesture. But, then it dawned on her how blessed she is to have friends who love her and how blessed she is to have found these girls.

She’s learning the beauty of community. One of the girls broke up with her long time boyfriend this summer. The others rallied around her. One of the girls got a boyfriend for the first time. They have listened to her talk endlessly about him. They have supported each other. They are growing up.

As a mother, this is a powerful force to behold, this blooming friendship between these girls. I pray that God will continue to bless them and grow them to serve Him. Watching them together makes me give thanks for the beautiful friendships that I have been blessed with and I am reminded of the power of praying parents.

God is always listening. We need to make sure that we are talking.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

An Ode to the Minivan

Posted on by Wendy
It screams "I'm a mom!" and that's okay with me.
It screams “I’m a mom!” and that’s okay with me.

My daughter is turning fifteen next week and we have been searching for her first car. I drive a minivan and I have no desire to teach her to drive it. I’d like something small, used and reliable, that sips gas, for her to learn to drive and then at sixteen, I’d like to hand her the keys.

I was telling my philosophy to some friends the other day, when one of them said that she wondered when I would be getting rid of the minivan. I told her I wouldn’t be getting rid of it and she was really surprised.

I have been driving the little blue school bus for thirteen years now. It has taken us on countless vacations and camping trips. It has spent over fifteen hundred hours in car- rider lines, waiting for my children to finish their school day. It hauled a wedding dress to Florida, for my sister’s beach wedding, along with seven passengers. What a trip!

My hubby would tell you the biggest reason we are keeping it a while longer is that it’s paid for. There is truth in that. The fact that we don’t have large car payments has allowed me to be a stay-at-home wife and mom. This is an arrangement that we have all enjoyed immeasurably. It is something that we feel deeply contributes to the peaceful home existence that we have.

But, possibly the biggest reason for me, is that it’s still full most of the time. I’m always hauling a load of  kids somewhere. My son often has a friend with him, but my daughter, like many teen girls, travels in a pack. She usually has at least two with her, if not more. I can’t say much about that, because I was the same way. And I like it that way. My mama did too.

I have worked hard to encourage my daughter to develop a community of good friends, of good solid Christian girls who can grow together and support each other through the trials of high school. I always make them welcome at my house and I’m always happy to drive them around. I even drove a large group to their first day of school last year, so they wouldn’t have to walk into high school alone for the first time. We met at Dunkin’ Doughnuts. I took a load to the homecoming dance too. You just can’t do that in a small sedan.

Interestingly enough, my mama drove a big blue car. It wasn’t a minivan, but back in the day before seat belts, we could easily cram six or seven in it.  It’s amazing that we survived. We had a full-sized van too, in case we needed to fit in more. It didn’t have seat belts either. Just ask mama about driving seven girls to their first concert in Atlanta. (Lionel Ritchie and Tina Turner) I don’t think her memories of that night are as fabulous as mine are.

There are many ways to encourage community. The minvan has been a useful tool. It’s not the coolest car around, for sure. And I know people my age who wouldn’t be caught dead driving one. But hey, do we ever reach an age where cool no longer matters? Perhaps, maybe I am there or perhaps I’m just willing to put community first for my kids’ sake.

I learned that from mama. I think she did good!

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Taking Time to Bask in God’s Creation

Posted on by Wendy
I caught this guy basking in the sun on the deck outside my window.
I caught this guy basking in the sun on the deck outside my window.

It’s been a gloomy past few days here. We have really needed the rain, but followed by the much needed rain, were a couple of days of gray and gloomy skies. This southern girl can testify that I would not do well in the states of Washington of Oregon. I simply require more sunshine to be happy. I guess God planted me here for a reason.

As I was taking my walk this morning, I didn’t even mind the humidity that accompanied the sunshine, I was greeted by birds and butterflies and a deer, also enjoying the morning. A little bluebird landed very near me as I was thanking God for this gorgeous summer day.

Our summer break is rapidly winding down here and school starts back in two short weeks. My kids and their friends are already feeling the stress as it inevitably comes up in their conversations with each other. The parents are no different as we ask one another about different teachers and classes. The schools continue to guard the kids’ schedules with the zeal of Fort Knox, further heightening the discomfort.

We are in a bit of a limbo, not wanting summer to end, but knowing a new school year is upon us. We must go out and buy school supplies, which my kids dread at this point and honestly, so do I. I love the freedom of summer and I worry about a new year at school as much as they do. I feel their stress.

But, as I was walking this morning and enjoying this gorgeous day, I could almost feel God whispering to me. “I’ve got this.” Of course He does and worrying does not come from Him. I know this deep in my bones, but I often forget. When I do, and I pray about it, He always gently shows me in His way.

Today, it came in the form of this squirrel sunning on my deck. He was stretched completely out, without a care in the world, basking in the sunshine. I called my son in to take a look. He loves that kind of thing. God spoke to me through him too.

I called into the den, where he was watching television, “Hey, when you get a minute, come in here; I have something to show you.”

He came in, armed with his iPhone and replied, “I always have a minute.” He was delighted and snapped a photo. Then he called me back to the window.

That little squirrel turned around and was sunning his back.
That little squirrel turned around and was sunning his back!

The little squirrel had turned around and was sunning his back, truly enjoying the sunshine. My son’s words along with this little squirrel really hit home with me.

First of all, God always has a minute for us. He is always there for any prayers we have, no matter how inconsequential they may seem. If something concerns us, we should take it to Him.

Secondly, we should take some cues from nature and rejoice in the day before us. Bask in creation and stop worrying so much. Let this squirrel be a reminder!

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Letting Kids Decide

Posted on by Wendy
Sometimes, we can forget that our spiritual safety is just as important as the physical.
Sometimes, we can forget that our spiritual safety is just as important as the physical.

In a recent Sunday school class discussion, someone commented that they knew someone who was going to let their kids decide at age twelve, if they were going to continue to attend church.

I was floored. I immediately asked those who were in attendance to raise their hands if their parents took them to church as kids. Everyone in the room raised their hand. I then asked if it was something that they wanted to do or had a choice in, everyone once again agreed. They had no choice and didn’t enjoy it. Yet, here they were as adults, in their thirties and forties, with children of their own, attending church.

Hmmm, I think I recall a Bible verse about that in Proverbs. “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” Proverbs 22:6

A twelve-year-old child is in 6th or 7th grade. Would we allow that child to stop eating vegetables if they chose to? Would we allow that child to stop doing their homework if they chose to? Would we allow that child to start staying out all night and drinking with friends? Would we allow that child to start experimenting with drugs?

These are ridiculous questions. The answer to all of them is a resounding, “no.” But, these questions deal with the physical body. What about the spiritual?

An AP poll in 2011 reported that 77% of Americans believe in angels and 88% of Christians believe in angels. If we believe in angels, then we have to believe in an unseen spiritual realm. We also have to believe that there are evil forces in that unseen realm as well.

The Bible is very clear about this in Ephesians 6:12. Paul tells us that we are “not fighting against flesh- and- blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world , and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” He then goes on to discuss the Armor of God.

So the question becomes, would we send a twelve-year-old into a spiritual battle without the backing of the Armor of God? Do we believe that a child’s soul is any less important than his physical body? As Christians, there can only be one answer to that question. The answer has to be, “no.”

I have never met a parent who regrets taking their children to church. I have met many who regret not taking their children to church. The kids may whine and complain about having to attend, but they whine and complain about eating vegetables, doing their homework and attending school, too. Some things just aren’t a choice when you are growing up. They are a necessity and the adults know best.

That’s how God set it up. What do you think about letting children decide whether to attend church or not? I’d love to hear from you.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

Just a Minute….

Posted on by Wendy
Procrastination seems to be an inborn trait.
Procrastination seems to be an inborn trait.

Our Sunday school class was discussing the topic of why children disobey their parents. Inevitably, we began sharing the things that our kids say that drive us crazy. One of the universal complaints was the, “just a minute answer,” when we make a request of them.

It sometimes appears in phrases like, “hang on,” or “hold on.” For my family in particular, I get these words when it’s time for dinner. I never call those kids to dinner when they don’t have a reason for not coming immediately. I often joke that if I had a nickel for every time I hear their excuses, I would be a wealthy woman.

They are good excuses too. You know, like, “The show is almost over;” or “I’m in the middle of a game;” or “I have to go to the bathroom.” (just to name a few)

The beauty of adult community, is that we get to talk about this kind of stuff and we often realize that our kids are no different that anyone else’s. We share and we learn different parenting strategies from each other. That was the case here. But, after the class, I kept thinking about the seemingly universal desire to procrastinate.

Most all kids seem to do it. But are adults any better? Kids often provide the perfect observation of inborn human behavior. I began a little self-examination. I’m afraid I didn’t fare much better.

Whether it was a better exercise regimen to eating healthier, from calling an old friend, to sending a sympathy card, to planning dinner with friends; I hate to admit that I often have the same, “just a minute,” attitude, like my kids. The only difference, is I don’t say it out loud.

The problem with the, “just a minute,” attitude, is the same way dinner gets cold when we leave it on the table for too long, there are some opportunities in life, that have a time stamp. We never know what tomorrow will bring. Sometimes doing it now is the best way to go.

We have friends who we were trying to get together for dinner recently. We mentioned it to them and they were interested, but the proposed evening didn’t work. We put it off. In this case, the hubby was leaving town for a few months, so the window was short. I got an e-mail from my sweet friend after a few days, that simply said, “He is leaving Tuesday, if you want to do dinner, we have to do it this weekend. No pressure.”

It took a little vulnerability on her part, but I was so happy that she sent me that note. Of course we wanted to get together, we were just, “waiting a minute,” and almost missed our opportunity for a really fun evening of fellowship. We set a date immediately and had a blast.

Then I had to ask myself how often God calls me to do something and I plan on getting to it. I’m not disobeying exactly. I’m just putting what I’m doing at the moment, ahead of God’s call. It’s kind of like my kids coming to dinner. But, if I’m not disobeying exactly, then I’m not obeying either.

I think I need to be more vigilant about this. I think I need to do the important things now, responding to God and connecting with friends and family should be the top of the list. There are only so many hours in a day and so many days. I think I need to try to make the to-do list short and get it done.

How about you? How do you do with procrastination? I’d love to hear from you.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Embracing the Broken-Spirited and Broken-Hearted

Posted on by Wendy
It's easy to identify people with broken bodies, but what about those with broken hearts?
It’s easy to identify people with broken bodies, but what about those with broken hearts?

Our children’s pastor, Anne, delivered our sermon on Sunday. Not being a regular pastor, she a had a ton of tiny nuggets to share on familiar scripture, from a new and fresh perspective. I enjoyed it so much, I thought I would share some of her insight here.

The sermon came from Matthew, Chapter 13 and it was on the parable of the wheat and the weeds. Jesus loved to tell stories with layers of meanings using metaphors that common people could understand. The snapshot is that a farmer planted good seed, but during the night his enemy came and planted weeds. When the plants began to grow, the workers couldn’t tell the wheat from the weeds, (the good from the bad). When they asked the farmer if they should pull the weeds, he told them no that it would be too easy to uproot the wheat as well. He said to let it all grow together until the harvest and it would be separated then.

Anne pointed out that we all have within us wheat and weeds. None of us are perfect. We all struggle with our own metaphorical weeds. But, sometimes we are not able to truly discern good from bad. For example, what if God put it in your heart to be angry about a situation so you could work on changing it? If you decided all anger is bad, you would have pulled wheat instead of a weed.

Likewise, if we know that we have a serious weed that we need to work on, we need to accept that we can’t pull it alone. We need to ask for God’s help.  She said true change comes from our hearts with God’s help.

Anne said we must surrender our hearts to God first and then ask about the weeds. Jesus said that we weren’t just supposed to go around haphazardly pulling them.

Another layer that she discussed was the people around us. It’s easy to look around and call out the people who we see as weeds. You know the ones, the constant complainers, the ones who are always angry, or the people who are never satisfied. It’s very tempting to write them off. I mean, what are they doing to contribute to society or to the Kingdom of God?

It was in the next sentences that God revealed a personal weed to me. Anne said, what if these people just need someone to reach out to them and ask them what is going on in their lives? What if they are having marital problems, family problems, money problems, etc.. What if they are broken- spirited and broken- hearted?

Ouch! I really struggle with this. I am a very positive person, a glass half-full kind of gal. When I encounter super negative people, I just smile politely and walk away. Who needs that kind of negativity? Right? But, what if those people just need a positive person to listen to them and share encouraging words of love and grace? What if they need someone to pray for them? How will I know their need, if I avoid them like the plague?

I’m going to work on this particular weed. I’m thankful that Anne preached on Sunday and I’m thankful for her insight. Most of all, I’m thankful for a loving and patient God who is always at work in helping me get it right.

What about you? Are there any weeds you should work on? God is ready when you are.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Let’s Call an Ace an Ace

Posted on by Wendy
Maybe we would all be better off if we called an Ace an Ace.
Maybe we would all be better off if we called an Ace an Ace.

I like to read inspirational blogs. They make me smile and feed my soul. But, one thing I find consistent among them is the fact that they don’t call Satan by name. They call him the enemy of our souls, or something similar. While this is a true description, why not call him out?

I don’t write much about Satan. Quite frankly, I don’t like to give him the press. However, I think that pretending he doesn’t exist is dangerous for us as Christians. We do have an enemy. We are not supposed to fear him. God has given us victory. But, not keeping our eye out for him doesn’t make good sense.

I heard Joyce Meyer say in one of her sermons, that we need to confidently call Satan out when we know he is trying to thwart God’s plans for us. She said we should boldly say out loud, “Get behind me, Satan!” Where have we heard that before?

Jesus said that to Peter shortly before the crucifixion. In Matthew, chapter 16, Jesus is explaining what is coming. Peter, who loved Jesus, deeply, pulled Jesus aside and said (and I paraphrase here), “Surely, there has to be another way. This can’t happen.”

What happens next always bothered me, but upon closer reading, I understand it. Jesus looks Peter in the eye and says, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” Matthew 16:23

Ouch! Poor Peter, he loved Jesus and didn’t want him to die and Jesus called him Satan. But, upon closer inspection, I don’t think Jesus was calling Peter, Satan. He wasn’t saying that Peter was suddenly possessed. No, I think he knew that Satan had gotten in Peter’s ear and was appealing to his human side. Satan knew Jesus was human as well as God. He took a shot.

Jesus didn’t fall for it and called him out. It appears from the rest of the story that he moved on. He didn’t try to appeal to Jesus through Peter again.

Satan likes to move in secret. Perhaps, one of our best defenses is to call him out. Last week, I went to bed planning to rise early and go for a walk. I have some of my best conversations with God on my morning walks. I am surrounded by nature as the earth wakes up. I pray and I listen as I work my body, soul, and mind. I had been out of my routine and had resolved to get back into it.

Well, at around 6:15, my hubby tapped my shoulder letting me know we were out of dog food, ugh!  I climbed out of bed, brushed my teeth an threw on some clothes and went to Publix, thinking they opened at 6:00. I still had plenty of time.

Upon arrival, Publix was closed. They don’t open until 7:00. Undaunted, I sat in the parking lot and waited for twenty minutes. I got the food and went home. When I opened the bag to pour it into the bin, I missed, dumping dog food on the floor. I was very frustrated at this point.

Joyce Meyer popped into my mind. I said out loud through clenched teeth, while cleaning up the laundry room floor, “Get behind me Satan!”

It worked. I did take that walk and had some wonderful prayer time. Two ideas for posts were born.

When we are called to do something by God, whatever it is, we really should pay attention. That is the prime time when Satan will try to thwart us. It could come in so many seemingly innocent forms, from a friend inviting us to do something more fun to our car not starting. Satan’s plan is to thwart God’s plan; pure and simple. So, if you are on the path God has put you on and hurdles keep falling in your way, say a prayer for strength and patience. Then call Satan out.

God will win and so will you.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂