Month: November 2014

Clearing Away the Underbrush

Posted on by Wendy
Sometimes Creation takes my breath away.
Sometimes Creation takes my breath away.

My parents have a pond behind their house. I think it’s been there longer than the house has. My maternal grandmother was an avid fisherman and the pond was her baby. My siblings and I spent a fair amount of time there as kids. My brother actually did a lot of fishing there. But, over time, we grew up and moved out. Daddy was still working full-time and the pond had become very overgrown.

I tried to take my own kids fishing there over spring break a couple of years back and they couldn’t fish at all from the bank. They had to go out in the boat which is at least as old as I am, so that in itself, was a risky proposition.

But, recently, Daddy retired. He and Mama decided that they would like to enjoy the pond. They had someone come and clear the underbrush and they installed a dock. Now, they go down there almost everyday and bask in the creation that God has blessed them with. Daddy has also been doing a lot of fishing, so much so that he took my son for the first time in October.

They had quite a bountiful catch.
They had quite a bountiful catch.

A thirteen-year-old boy, fishing with his granddaddy, is a memory that’s hard to beat. My son will treasure that day for the rest of his life. I’m so thankful when my children have those kinds of experiences.

But, the pond is not new. It’s been there for close to fifty years now. What has changed? They cleared out the underbrush and made it a priority. My parents took something that had been neglected and overgrown over time and cleared off the scrub trees, and removed weeds taking it over from one end. They removed the obstacles that kept them from enjoying it.

Then they added a place, a dock, where they could sit and enjoy it and they are making enjoying it a priority.

How many things do we have in our lives like that pond? How many gifts have we been given that we have neglected because we are too busy? They can be physical things like our yards, or a pond or a porch or even a sunny room in our homes. They can also be pets that we could spend time walking. They can be friendships that we have let go. They can be marital relationships that we have taken for granted or a bicycle sitting and gathering dust in the garage.

We all have things and people in our lives that we tend to take for granted when life gets busy and hectic. We allow underbrush to grow up around things and people who should be a priority. We allow underbrush to grow up around our relationship with God too. That’s our nature. But, when I think about that pond and the total transformation that took place from clearing out underbrush and just adding a space to sit, I am reminded that we never have to look very far to see beauty and blessings.

Maybe it’s a good idea for us all to look around and see what needs clearing out and figure out a way  to clear it and then create a space to sit and enjoy it. Who knows what memories we can make by doing so?

How are you doing with life’s underbrush? Feel free to share.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Seeking the Light

Posted on by Wendy
All living things seek light.
All living things seek light.

As I was dusting my house yesterday, I had to carefully turn all my plants because they all grow to one side, leaning towards the sun. In a couple of weeks, I will have to turn them again because they will have grown back towards the other side. Both of my dogs kept fighting over the big bed in the sunny window, so I finally moved the little dog’s bed too. Now they are both happy.

That particular window gets the most sun in the house, so I had to put the aloe plant there as well. It just so happens that’s also where my laptop is set up. I find that I like to write by the window that gets the most light.

All living things, including people, seem to naturally seek light. Have you ever noticed that real estate ads usually describe a house as light and airy? I rarely see, really dark with little light, in a description. We like lots of windows and lots of light.

Many people struggle in the winter months with short days and not much sunshine. I know a family who was stationed in Alaska and they had special lighting stations that people were encouraged to visit to help battle depression during the long, dark winter.

Think about how many people flock to the ocean to lie in the sun even though we know too much is not good for us.

Our souls are constantly seeking light too. Sometimes we truly believe that we have found it through our own accomplishments. Good jobs and good salaries can allow us to bask for a while. Winning races that we train for over a long period of time can allow us to bask for a while. New relationships, new houses, frankly just about anything new, can allow us to bask for a while.

The problem is the newness of anything new always wears off eventually and the light dims. We go searching for the ever elusive light somewhere else and each time we can truly believe that we have found it. And, sometimes we lose that job that provided so much self-worth or a relationship fails. Sometimes we get injured and can no longer run. When life throws us curve balls and it always does, eventually, if we have let the light in our lives be our own accomplishments, we can suddenly find ourselves in the dark, with no windows around. What will we do then?

There is another way to feed our light seeking souls. John 8:12, says, “Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” That sounds promising.

1 John 5-6, says, “This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth.”

Turns out we are wired to seek light because we are wired to seek God. God is a gentleman. He will not force us to seek Him. He will not force us to seek Jesus. He will stand back and allow us to fumble around in the darkness of our own ambitions, but why would we want to? Why not follow Jesus and never walk in darkness?

Bad things will continue to happen from time to time, but when they do, we’re not in the dark. Our light shines on. Just like the sun, that draws my pups to the window, Jesus is a constant. I think that’s light worth seeking.

What do you think? I’d love to hear from you.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

Comfort When We Hit Rock Bottom

Posted on by Wendy
When life is the darkest, God comforts us.
When life is the darkest, God comforts us.

2 Corinthians 1:4, has come across my path three times in the past week. I read it in two different blogs and then it showed up in my Facebook news feed. I knew God was trying to communicate something to me, but I wasn’t sure what, so I prayed and waited.

My hubby and I met our pastor for coffee and he was talking with us about all of the pain in the world around us and how very important he felt that prayer was in stemming the tide. He then shared with us that he was going to meet with a woman the next day who was going through a terrible divorce. She was very hurt and angry and he asked us to pray that God would give him the wisdom to say the right words to comfort her and that He would give her heart the ability to hear them.

I prayed for the meeting the next day and that verse kept popping into my mind. ” He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.” 2 Corinthians 1:4

I found myself sending him an e-mail telling him that I too, had been divorced and although it had been close to twenty years ago, it was very definitely rock bottom for me. I told him it was a very dark and painful time and I sometimes wondered if I would survive it. But, even in all of that darkness, there was redemption and grace and forgiveness and hope.

In a moment of despair, in a terrible thunderstorm which seemed to mirror my own life at the time, I found my way back to God. Right after that storm, I wrote my first piece on encouragement. The encouragement had come from God and I had to put it on paper to share later. It would be many years before I was writing encouragement daily, but that little piece was a start that lead to other little pieces along the way. It was a beginning to a lifelong journey of watching for God in the world around me.

So, I found myself telling my pastor to please feel free to give this woman my phone number if he thought she might like to have coffee and talk. It wasn’t because I had any particular desire to share the mistakes of my past with a stranger, but it was because in my darkest moments, God comforted me and began something new in me. He can do the same for this woman and he can do the same for you.

It’s the paying it forward of spirituality. He comforts us so we can comfort others. He shows us forgiveness and grace and expects us to do the same. He offers hope. When times are the darkest, He holds us the closest and when we come out on the other side, a little stronger, and a little braver, He wants us to show others the same kind of love, His love.

Maybe we should keep our eyes open for opportunities to offer comfort to others who find themselves in situations that we have personally experienced. I think that would make God proud.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

What About Seth?

Posted on by Wendy
What we teach our children about can have a ripple effect for years to come.
What we teach our children about God, can have a ripple effect for years to come.

If I were to say the names, “Adam and Eve,” to you, what comes to mind? Is it Eden? Is it the first humans ever created? Was it their sin that had them banned from Eden? Those are all facts that go along with them. They are all true. What if I were to ask you about their children? What names come to mind?

Was your answer Cain and Abel? We all know what happened to those two brothers. Cain killed Abel and was banished by God. The “bad” son killed the “good” son. But, that’s not the end of the story for Adam and Eve. They had other children. One of them is named in Genesis. His name was Seth.

We never talk about Seth. His older brothers are part of a story that’s worthy of the tabloids, but not Seth. There’s no drama in his story, but it’s very important. Here’s why; Seth grew up and had a son of his own. His name was Enosh.

After Enosh was born, the Bible says. “At that time people first began to worship the Lord by name.” Genesis 4:26

This is the Bible’s first recorded prayer. They worshiped the Lord by name. Adam was 130 years old when Seth was born. Seth was 105 years old when Enosh was born. It took a couple of hundred years before they worshiped the Lord by name, but when they did, beautiful things came out of it.

Out of Seth’s lineage came Enoch. He was seven generations from Adam. “Enoch walked with God for 300 years…. Altogether , Enoch lived 365 years. Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.” Genesis 5:22-24

The seventh generation from Adam through Cain, produced pure evil. The children from Cain’s lineage professed no need for God. They were completely independent and bent on destruction.

What an interesting contrast. One brother became a worshiper of God. In fact, one of his descendants became so close to God, that he didn’t even die. God just took him to heaven. The only other time we see that is with Elijah.

Cain’s descendants on the other hand, saw no need for God and reaped the benefits with a chaotic and violent existence.

So what does all this story mean for us? For one thing, God gives second chances. He gave Adam and Eve more children after they lost their first two. He also gave Cain a second chance. He didn’t kill him for what he did to his brother Abel. But, God also gives us free will. We are  not forced to love Him, worship Him, or obey Him. The choice is ours, just as it was Cain’s and Seth’s. Cain continued on a road of disastrous choices which lead to generations who came after him who did the same.

But, Seth’s son, Enosh, made good choices, such good choices, he didn’t even die, God just took him home. As parents and grandparents, we too, have the opportunity to make a huge contribution to the future of our descendants and that’s by teaching our children and grandchildren to love God. The stories of Seth and Cain illustrate what a ripple effect that sharing our faith can have for hundreds of years into the future.

Because, guess who else came from the line of Seth? Noah. Yes, the Noah who was the one man who found favor in the eyes of the Lord, so much so that He used him to spare some of humanity from the flood.

What we teach our kids today about God, matters. Let’s be shining examples of the love of God for the kids in our lives whether they are related to us or not. According to Genesis, it can make all of the difference.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Age Matters

Posted on by Wendy
Research shows if we want our kids' faith to stick after they leave home, they need to be exposed and connected to Christians of all ages.
Research shows if we want our kids’ faith to stick after they leave home, they need to be exposed and connected to Christians of all ages.

We are surrounded by a “youth is awesome,” culture. We are all supposed to look and act at least ten years younger than we are and there are all kinds of products and procedures out there to help us achieve perpetual youth in our appearance. Looking and acting younger has become a bit of a cultural obsession.

Statistics show that 40% to 50% of  teens raised in Christian homes who regularly attend church, will leave their faith behind during college, even those kids who were really active in huge youth groups. However, a youth pastor recently told me about research that shows that the ones who stay true to their faith had strong relationships with church members of all ages. It’s called Sticky Faith and you can read about it here if you are interested.

http://fulleryouthinstitute.org/sticky-faith/press-release

I can’t say that I really find that so surprising. In our quest to build youth groups and Sunday School classes with hundreds of  kids who gather regularly for fun and fellowship, they are missing out on relationship with older members of the faith. Hey, wait a minute, is the research stating that older church members have something valuable to contribute to our children’s faith walk? Yes. That’s exactly what the research says.

Come to think of it, the Bible says that too. Job 12:12 says, “Wisdom belongs to the aged and understanding to the old.” Psalm 92:14 says, “Even in old age they will still produce fruit; they will remain vital and green. By the way, Psalms and Job both belong to the Books of Wisdom in the Old Testament, just one more point to ponder.

So what does this all mean? Should we do away with large and vibrant youth groups? Of course we shouldn’t. Fellowship with other young Christians is important. But, there’s a certain amount of wisdom that can really only be attained by living. When we live year after year, we make mistakes. We learn about redemption. We experience true grace. Is it really possible for college students or other teens to have the wisdom that someone over forty has? Maybe the better question is, “Is it probable?”

Everyone’s faith walk is unique and everyone who is on that walk has something unique to share. Those who have been on it longer really have the opportunity to share and mentor those who are newer. I believe that’s what God wants for us in Christian community. I believe that’s what God wants for us and our children in church.

So how can we be a part of the, “Sticky Faith,” principle? For one thing, we can encourage our kids to develop relationships with older Christians. Then, we as older Christians, can seek out opportunities to develop relationships with the children and youth in our churches. Even though we may have raised our own long ago, as more experienced Christians, we still have a part to play in the spiritual growth of the kids of all ages in our church. As long as we are alive and breathing, God isn’t done with us yet.

Turns out that older is sometimes better. But, we already knew that; didn’t we?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Zacchaeus-The Bigger Story

Posted on by Wendy
Thankfully, we don't have to climb a tree to see Jesus.
Thankfully, we don’t have to climb a tree to see Jesus.

I participate in an online Bible study that had me reading the Zacchaeus story found in Luke 19. Are you humming the wee little man song that you learned in Sunday School? If so, give a quick prayer of thanks to the teacher who took the time to teach it to you. I’m thankful for Anne Brooks for teaching me the song and the story. It has always stuck with me. As I’ve said before, it’s about planting seeds.

The Bible study I am participating in is focusing on hospitality, but as I read the story, something completely different jumped out at me. That of course, is the beautiful mystery of the Bible. It speaks to every one of us a little differently.

Zacchaeus was one of those dreaded tax collectors and not only was he a tax collector, he was  a chief tax collector. He had become filthy rich from cheating fellow Jews, definitely not a very noble way to make a living. He likely had other tax collectors under him who he encouraged to do the same. He was not a good guy.

The text tells us that Jesus was coming through town. He must have been surrounded by people because Zacchaeus was trying to get a glimpse of him and was too short to see him. That makes sense. Jesus was healing people left and right. He was constantly surrounded by folks seeking his help.

Zacchaeus’ next move was the first step in changing his destiny forever. He could have thrown up his hands and walked away. No one would have ever been the wiser. He could have continued living his comfortable life cheating others. But, something in his heart, convicted him to climb a tree to see Jesus.

Think about that for a minute. This guy was a major fat cat. I kind of picture one of those television lawyers, those “Have you been in an accident?” guys. He willingly climbed a tree. He had to have looked kind of silly, a grown man, a wealthy man, a likely hated man, climbing a tree. Yet, he did. We don’t get an internal dialogue, just that he ran ahead and climbed a tree. He ran and climbed. This man was clearly eager. He didn’t even know for what. He just wanted to see Jesus, not touch him or talk to him, just to see him.

But, that tiny bit of curiosity, that tiny bit of seeking something different, was enough. Jesus came by and called him by name. Jesus noticed him. Zacchaeus took the first step and it was enough. Of course, Jesus wanted no part of people watching him from afar. Nope, he wanted face-to-face, personal contact and he told Zacchaeus to come down from that tree because he wanted to be a guest in his home.

Tongues went to wagging. There was disapproval from the crowd that Jesus would keep company with such lowlife. But, then Jesus never sought human approval, something we could all learn from him.

The entire incident lead to Zacchaeus changing his life forever. A personal encounter with Jesus has a way of doing that. It didn’t matter where Zacchaeus had been or what he had done. What mattered was his heart’s desire for something different. He found salvation that day just because he was willing to seek. It was just that easy.

I still love the song, but the adult story of grace and redemption involved in this Jesus encounter is just too good not to share. All we have to do is seek to know just a little bit of Jesus and that can compel us to change our focus and our destiny forever. It’s awe-inspiring stuff.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

Church Unplugged

Posted on by Wendy
This book is full of exciting truth just waiting to be read.
This book is full of exciting truth just waiting to be read.

Back in the late eighties and early nineties, MTV used to do a weekly segment called “Unplugged.” They would take some of the most popular artists and have them do their music in an acoustic version. There were no synthesizers or electric guitars or anything electronic. It was just the artist and a microphone and a guitar or two. It sounded vastly different that the radio version of the songs, but it was fabulous, more honest somehow.

We don’t hear many artists doing unplugged versions anymore. I suspect quite frankly, that many of the current singers wouldn’t dare sing without all of the electronic assistance. The right software and accompaniment can make anyone sound great.

This unplugged concept has really been swirling around my head in regards to church. There are a lot of churches out there that are something like a Bon Jovi concert. Then there are churches that would never dream of having a service without forty robed choir members belting out angelic tunes accompanied by a piano and an organ.

Don’t get me wrong. I love music and I especially love good worship music. But, what would happen if we unplugged all of that? What if we removed all of the instruments and robes and had one lone piano and hymnals? What if we sang just a couple of songs of preparation for the message like, “Amazing Grace” or “I’ll Fly Away?” What if we were at church simply for a Biblical message from God?

If church were unplugged, would we sit on the edge of our seats, riveted by the Word of God? It seems to me that if the Bible is taught correctly, it’s riveting. It’s a love story. There are angels and demons. There are good guys and bad guys. There are battles that put, “Lord of the Rings,” to shame. People fall from grace. God gives them redemption. There’s the supernatural. There are earthquakes and floods. There’s beauty. There’s grace. There’s healing and family for all who seek it.

The stories in the Bible are so good that Hollywood merely dreams of coming up with stuff that good. But, it can’t. The Bible is truth and truth is usually way more exciting than fiction.

So, maybe we should ask ourselves why we attend church. Is it awe-inspiring? Do we want to worship God because the message is so life changing? Are we part of a loving and active faith community? Do we leave service with the desire to share the light of Jesus with the world? Are we becoming disciples? Does our church make us want to be more like Jesus?

The original church in the Book of Acts could answer yes to all of those questions. They wanted to learn about Jesus, be more like Jesus and invite others to do the same. They were unplugged, so to speak, and on fire.

Music can add so much to a church service and I’m glad we have it. But, if we were to unplug and had only the message to listen to, would it be awesome on its own? Maybe it should be. In its fight to stay relevant, the church has to stay true to the message. Maybe we should think about it.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

PS Those of you taking the gratitude challenge, you should have three things your thankful for by today. It’s not too late to start your list!

Team Jesus Needs You

Posted on by Wendy
Team Jesus needs you, unique and wonderful you.
Team Jesus needs you, unique and wonderful you.

My daughter’s high school football team has had a really good season. They have a new coach this year and there have been some fabulous results. After one of the games, my daughter commented that her friend told her that the kicker almost lost the game for the team. That statement really made me angry. I went on to explain that football is a team sport. If everyone on the team had played better, that kick wouldn’t have meant a win or a loss. They would have been comfortably ahead.

But, we love to be armchair quarterbacks. The blame game is a game that humanity loves to play. We like to win, period. It may be our favorite team we are cheering on, or it may be at the workplace or in our relationships. When we feel we are losing, it has to be somebody’s fault and we are quick to point out who that somebody is.

But, the winning at all cost attitude can cost us dearly in our relationships with each other and with God. When we focus on winning no matter what, our focus shifts to self. In relationships, people who are self-focused are very difficult to work with or play with, for that matter. In fact, self-focused people are difficult to live with.

God calls us to a different standard. On our faith walk, it’s not about winning or losing, it’s about keeping our eyes on Him and being obedient to His call. We are never supposed to compete with each other because we are all called to do something a little different from our neighbor. Everyone’s voice is unique because we are all unique.

Winning souls for Jesus takes teamwork. You may have taught a kid Sunday school until the day he graduated from high school, but it may not click until his twenties while he’s attending some sort of retreat. Even though you didn’t get to see the final results, you planted seeds. You participated in the Christianity co-op.

I believe in my deepest heart that we are called to be a part of community as Christians. We are called to work together to help point others to Jesus. We are not called to compete and we are not called to work alone. It’s easy to talk about the importance of community when we refuse to work with anyone or to get involved in our church.

And believe me, I get it. People in churches can act very unChristlike. They can hurt our feelings and disappoint us. That’s because people are broken. We live in a broken world. People tend to get self-focused if we aren’t very vigilant. Self-focused people can’t be God-focused. We can’t serve two masters. So, we get our feelings hurt and we refuse to participate further because someone let us down. We don’t want to be team players any longer. We will attend church and then hit the door when it’s over, problem solved.

I am unbelievably thankful that Jesus didn’t take that attitude. We would all be doomed to hell. We are called to love each other because he loved us first. We are called to community. Jesus traveled with a group. He was part of a community. After the Ascension, the Holy Spirit was the driving force behind the community of the Church. Check out the Book of Acts. Talk about teamwork! Those guys and gals were on fire.

Sometimes it’s good to stop and ask ourselves what part are we playing on Team Jesus. If we have been on the sidelines for a while, it may be time to suit up and get back in the game. The world needs you, unique and fabulous you. What are you waiting for?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

A Season of Gratitude

Posted on by Wendy
Before we speed on to Christmas, let's stop and enjoy a season of thankfulness.
Before we speed on to Christmas, let’s stop and enjoy a season of thankfulness.

Halloween is over, but it hasn’t been a full forty-eight hours since I had trick-or-treaters. I have barely taken the jack o’lanterns off of my front porch. I haven’t even fully looted all of the Snickers and Almond Joy bars out of my son’s candy stash, but a quick visit to the mall tells me it’s time for Christmas. Target has already begun teasing about free shipping and Wal-Mart, not to be outdone, is giving free shipping and special deals already. It’s only November the 3rd.

Don’t get me wrong. I love free shipping and I know in my heart of hearts that the retailers are really nailing us on shipping and handling. I also love a good deal and I like to shop early. But, speeding onto Christmas in our minds is skipping a very important and vital to our hearts, holiday. That holiday is Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving is uniquely American. We are the only country who celebrates it. We have seen fit as a country, to set aside a day to remember how the Pilgrims and Native Americans came together after surviving a horrible winter. To honor their blessings, they sat together and broke bread and gave thanks. (To God by the way, the Pilgrims were religious people who wanted the opportunity to worship undisturbed by the government.)

It has become a holiday when we gather together with friends and relatives to give thanks for all of the abundance we have as individuals as well as a nation. We have much to be thankful for. As dire as our economy has been and as dark as the world seems, we are still incredibly blessed. We are one of the wealthiest nations around and one of the freest. We have clean water to drink and clean air to breathe. Our children are all entitled to an education. Our women are free to pursue whatever interests they desire. We are free to worship as we please.

I could go on about our many blessings. We definitely have work to do, but no one can deny that we have been blessed beyond measure. One of the scariest viral outbreaks in the world is ravaging Africa and so far, the medical care available here has been able to save all, but one life. And we have many volunteers willing to go and fight that outbreak, putting their own lives at risk, an example of the blessed being a blessing.

We have almost a month until Thanksgiving Day. I would like to challenge you to take the next few weeks to join me and intentionally jot down one blessing a day that you have to be thankful for. Keep a list for yourself to look back on. Then, let’s start praying for ways that we can be a blessing to others this Thanksgiving season. Start thinking about friends and neighbors who may be alone or struggling this year for the holiday. Maybe they have lost a loved one or can’t get home. Maybe they have recently divorced or lost their job.

If you have had a year blessed with abundance, then pray about sharing with someone who hasn’t. If you have been someone who has had a rough year then consider taking the hand that has reached out to you. That hand may have been inspired by God.

Let’s take the next twenty-five days and count our blessings and be a blessing to others. Let’s celebrate this season with thankfulness, whether the retailers do or not.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂