Month: December 2014

Well, Christmas has come and gone. The gifts have been unwrapped. All of the paper has been thrown away and bows and boxes have been stacked for next year’s use. Recipes for leftovers have been pulled out. The kiddies are exhausted from all of the excitement and the adults? Well, we are exhausted too, aren’t we?

We have to figure out a time to take back gifts that didn’t fit. We begin to think about taking down all of the decorations. The day after Christmas can be kind of daunting and depressing.

But, perhaps we should think of the day after Christmas like the day after a wedding. A wedding can be beautiful and fun with tons of planning and excitement. But, the day after a wedding, a marriage begins. A lifelong journey hand-in-hand with another human being begins. Real life with a spouse begins.

Another example is all of the preparations that we make for the birth of a new baby. While all of the shopping and getting ready is fun and exciting. The baby is what brings us the joy. The day after Christmas should be a celebration of the life that Jesus offers us if we choose to walk with him.

He offers adventure and excitement as well as rest and peace. He offers hope and unconditional love. He offers joy and life-everlasting. On Christmas Eve, we celebrated the light of the world who came to us in a manger. Today, let’s rest and think of the enormity of that gift and how we might share that light with a dark world that desperately needs it.

Let’s take a little time and enjoy fellowship with friends and family. Let’s take some time to seek true peace. Today is just the beginning of the story of Jesus’ life.

If you are choosing to shop today, remember that light and pray for a way to share it with the many people you will come in contact with. Remember to share peace and love as you search for a deal. There’s always an opportunity to be the face of Christ. Try to find one.

As for me, I’m going to take today and next week to spend some time with family. My kids are out of school and I want to spend some special time with them. I have really enjoyed spending a little Advent and Christmas time with you in this space. Thanks for reading and sharing your comments. I wish you a Happy New Year and I hope to connect with you right back here in 2015.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Merry Christmas! I hope your day is filled with joy and family and a ton of food. I hope you have plenty of coffee if you had kiddies that woke you up at the crack of dawn. You may be running around from house to house today to visit all of the relatives and you may find yourself frazzled. You may have a very quiet day and yearn for days when you were busier. You may be mourning a loss.

Whatever your day holds, I would encourage you to join me in spending a little quiet time with God today in prayer, even if it’s just a few minutes. Prayer helps so much when we are running on empty, when we are filled with sadness or when we are filled with joy. Prayer is one size fits all, unlike some of the gifts you may have unwrapped.

Take a few minutes to thank God for this day, for His glorious gift to us. Thank God for Jesus. Thank Him for all of your blessings. Then take a moment to pray for those who couldn’t be with their families today. Pray for the men and women in our military. Pray for their families. Pray that they can feel the love of God today. Pray for our members of law enforcement who are working today to keep us safe. Pray for our health care workers who are working to try to heal us. Pray for missionaries who are out in the world sharing the good news of this day. Pray for the protection of Christians out there living in persecution. Pray for those who are really struggling today.

Remember that Christmas joy comes from Jesus. It’s impossible for anyone or anything to take that joy away. Don’t let that truth slip by you. Hang onto it.

I hope you have a fabulous day with lots of turkey and dressing. I hope you have cakes and pies and that you can take a nap after lunch. I hope you get to bask in the company of friends and family and I hope that you remember how treasured and loved you are by the One who made you. May that knowledge alone, fill you with an incredible sense of peace. Merry Christmas Y’all!

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Today is Christmas Eve. Tonight we celebrate the birth of Jesus. You may still have some running around to do today or you may have it all done. Personally, I will be cooking today with my mom and sister. We will play Christmas music and laugh and tell stories and get caught up on each other’s lives. My sister has little ones, so they will be running all over the place, nearly vibrating with the excitement of Santa coming.

But, tonight, we will stop what we are doing, whether we are finished or not, and we will attend a Christmas Eve worship service at my mama’s church. We will sit in silence as we listen to the words of the prophet Isaiah which finally came to pass some 700 years later. We will hear about a virgin who was told by an angel that she would bear the son of God. We will hear about a man who stood by his young wife-to-be, even though the child wasn’t biologically, his.

We will hear a story of obedience to God’s will. We will be reminded that the town of Bethlehem was packed with travelers and there was not one single room for a young woman in labor. We will be quietly reminded and possibly convicted with the fact that mankind continues to struggle to make room for that baby who came to earth to save us all.

We will hear once again, about the baby being wrapped in swaddling clothes and placed in a manger. The son of God made his debut on planet earth in the quietest and simplest of ways. We will be told about shepherds who were keeping watch over their flocks by night who were told of the wondrous event first by one angel ,and then by an entire host singing and praising God.

We will hear about God’s wish for peace on earth through this baby. Through it all, the service will likely be noisy with children, which I find to be perfectly fitting. After all, we a are celebrating the birth of the child who came to save us all. Children should be present to hear the story.

At the end, we will light candles and sing “Silent Night.” I will get teary as I always do during a candlelight service as I contemplate the light that came to the world that night and as I pray that I can share that light in some way with a dark world.

We have been talking about Advent for about a month. We have been talking about preparing our hearts for Jesus. We have looked at hope, peace and joy. We’ve talked about the announcements of angels. I would love to encourage you to find a church service tonight. It doesn’t matter whether or not you attend regularly. Just go. Feel the peace. Feel the joy. Feel the hope. Feel the love.

If we can make room in our hearts for Jesus, we can have all of  the above and more. What do you say?

Have a Merry Christmas!

Wendy 🙂

Angels are messengers from God. They are just one way that He chooses to communicate with us. They must be rather frightening when they appear because all three times that they appear in the Christmas story, first to Zechariah, Luke 1:13, then to Mary, Luke 1:30 and finally to the shepherds, Luke 2:10, the first thing he says is, “Do not be afraid.”

The God we worship, not only wanted to communicate with these people, He wanted them to be at peace. He knew that they would be afraid and He wanted to reassure them. His message was a message of His love for them and soon all mankind would have the gift of perfect peace.

I find it quite comforting that our God wants us to be at peace. He’s not like the Great and Powerful Oz, screaming behind a curtain. Nope, He wants us to follow Him and love Him without fear.

The next part of the angelic message from the Christmas story that really touches my heart is the fact that God had Gabriel to tell Mary that her cousin Elizabeth was also pregnant with a miraculous child. God wanted Mary to know that she was not alone. There was another woman who was close to her who would understand her unique situation.

They didn’t have telephones or internet, so God sent an angel. He didn’t leave Mary scared and alone. He told her about someone who would not question or condemn her, but would accept her and celebrate with her. When Mary went to visit Elizabeth, and Elizabeth heard Mary’s voice, “the baby leapt within her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.”

What comfort, the older woman must have been for young Mary. I am so amazed at the way God provided for these women to have each other. But, I can think of many times in my own life where God provided just the right person to understand whatever situation I was facing as well.

Relationship is very important to God. He wants a relationship with us and He wants us to have meaningful relationships with each other. Friendship is such a beautiful gift. Friends that understand and hold our hands through tough times and joyful times are a special gift from God.

I love the example of this with Elizabeth and Mary. Mary stayed with Elizabeth for three months. I’m sure they gave each other a lot of strength and encouragement. I would love to know what these women talked about, and they were uninterrupted because Zechariah was silent until John’s birth, thanks to Gabriel.

The entire Christmas story is about God’s provision. Don’t miss the details, for they are exquisite. Let’s not miss the beautiful details of provision in our own story either. The season can be full of distractions, but let’s be alert to God at work in our lives.

Let’s take Gabriel’s advice and not be afraid and go forth in peace, knowing we are loved beyond our wildest imagination.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

As we travel towards the end of Advent, towards the end of the waiting and preparation, I feel like we have to talk about angels. Angels are divine messengers sent from God. They are found in various places in the Bible, but are key in the introduction of Christ.

Gabriel makes his first appearance to Zechariah, who was a priest, to tell him he and his wife Elizabeth would have a son. Now, Elizabeth was barren and well past child-bearing years, but my pastor pointed out on Sunday, that Zechariah should have been an easy sell. He was a priest, who was well acquainted with the law and with the Torah. He knew the story of Abraham and Sarah who were promised a child and didn’t get one until Sarah was 90 years old. He knew the story, but did he believe it?

When Gabriel appeared to him in the temple, to tell him the good news, one would think he would be overjoyed. After all, Zechariah had been praying about being childless for years. Gabriel told Zechariah about how great the child would be and how he would prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. But, Zechariah was filled with doubt. He didn’t believe. The unbelief of the holy man, angered Gabriel and he struck Zechariah unable to speak until after the baby was born.

Six month later, Gabriel made a second visit to tell of the coming of another miraculous birth. This news would surely be a harder sell. He was sent from God to tell a young teenage girl, a virgin, that she would bear the son of God. Mary didn’t understand at first. She asked how? Gabriel explained. He also told her that her cousin Elizabeth was pregnant and ended with, “For nothing is impossible with God.”Mary’s answer was a stark contrast to Zechariah’s.

She simply replied, “I am the Lords servant. May it be to me as you have said.” Luke 1:38 She basically said, whatever is God’s will, I will do, and in submitting to God’s will, she changed the history of mankind forever.

I’ve often thought about Gabriel’s very different reactions to Mary and Zechariah’s questions. Why was he so short-tempered with Zechariah and patient with Mary? The answer is Zechariah was an old man. He had been a holy man the majority of his life. How could he teach others about the power of the Almighty God and not believe himself? Did he not believe that God was capable of miracles?

Mary on the other hand, was little more than a child. She should have been terrified. She should have been filled with doubt. She only asked, “how?” When Gabriel told her, she believed. He gently reminded her that nothing was impossible with God and she believed. Jesus would later grow up and talk about the faith of a child and it’s importance. His mother set a fine example for him.

As we close in on Christmas, let’s try to remember that huge truth that Gabriel told Mary. Let’s try not to put God in a box. As we get ready to celebrate the miracle of Jesus’ birth, let’s embrace the fact, “Nothing is impossible with God.”

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

As I have traveled through this season of Advent, focusing on peace, hope, and joy, and trying to share it when I find it. I feel that I just have to share the story of Craig Wayne Boyd. He was a contestant on the television show, “The Voice.” I’ve written about the show before. It’s a very positive, family friendly, show. Four coaches pick teams from their voices alone. Their backs are turned and they can only hear, not see.

Each team begins with twelve contestants and each week, more are eliminated. At first, the coaches pick the winners and then later in the season, America gets to pick by voting on iTunes and through NBC. A man named Craig Wayne Boyd, made it to the five semi-finalists. That night, each of the five was allowed to choose their own song. America would choose the top three finalists from that night’s performances.

Craig Wayne Boyd was a country singer. When his turn to sing arrived, he chose, “The Old Rugged Cross.” I was shocked, what a gutsy choice. America is not known, not lately anyway, for being big on gospel music and if you believe the media, not big on God, period. He did a phenomenal job and I have included a link below, if you would like to see it or more importantly, hear it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amxE80Zj1Ys

The song alone, was awesome in itself, but what came next has stuck with me for days. After the performance, the judges are asked to give their opinions. Coach Pharrell Williams, who was new this season, and a well-known pop singer and producer, said, “Going through all you’ve gone through to get yourself here, what does it feel like to be at the top of your game and surrender it to God in front of the entire world?”

Boyd was stunned. He clearly wasn’t expecting that question. To be fair, I don’t think anyone was expecting that question. This was national television. This was a network music show. This was live. For God to be mentioned was  surprising to say the least. A very emotional Boyd, answered, “I feel so blessed right now, it’s blowing my mind.”

Coach Pharrell replied, “I get it man. To God be the glory.”

I wanted to stand up and cheer for Pharrell and Boyd. I think that there are many more Christians in the silent majority than anyone knows. I wondered how he would do. How would America vote on this heartfelt gospel tune from 1912?

Turns out, America loved it. “The Old Rugged Cross,” went as high as number four on iTunes for all genres. It debuted at number fifty-nine on Billboard’s Top 100. I was amazed.

Boyd made it to the three finalists and on Tuesday night, he won season seven of “The Voice.” A pastor, named Mark Ellis, who has known him for years, said he was never shy about his faith as a teen and was always involved with the church youth group. He said he was never too busy to be involved in church.

It hasn’t been an easy road for Boyd. Music wasn’t paying the bills and he was just about to give up when he had a chance to audition for the show. He had even lost his truck. But, it seems God had other plans for him.

Sharing our faith can be tough sometimes, but as Christians, we are called to do it and seeing someone share his so beautifully, gives me hope and joy this Advent Season. I just had to share it with you.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Often when Christmas draws near, joy is the last thing on our minds. It often gets lost along the way with our peace. We rush around at the last minute trying to get it all done and all we feel is worn out. Sometimes we get it all done. Sometimes we plan perfectly. We got the perfect gifts for everyone. The house is spotless and we can’t wait  for everyone to open those perfect gifts.

Then someone in our family gets the flu or a stomach bug and Christmas is ruined. Our joy is gone. Other times when we thought we got that perfect gift for someone we loved, but that person was not nearly as impressed as we were. Our feelings are hurt and Christmas is ruined. There are other things that we allow to ruin our holiday like burning the dressing, or the perfect Southern Living cake not turning out like the picture.

Perhaps the biggest issue of joy stealing during Christmas is getting families together. When we bring together a bunch of adult children who have made families of their own, fireworks can often occur and not in a good way. While we love our families individually, being together in large gatherings often requires some grace on our part. Sometimes words are said that can’t be taken back and once again, our Christmas is ruined.

But, with all of the things I’ve talked about here, from food issues, to gifts, to sickness, to family issues, none of these have anything to do with the true meaning or true joy of Christmas. Over the years, our friends in Hollywood along with Norman Rockwell and Currier and Ives, have made Christmas a picture of perfection that no family, no gift, nor meal could possibly match.

While many of us including myself, have many fabulous Christmas memories of gathering with family, the true meaning is about a God who loves us so much that He sent his son to us as a simple, helpless, human infant. He became one of us. That child would grow up to die for us and willingly save us all, so that we could live forever.

That is where Christmas joy should come from. It has absolutely nothing to do with cranberry sauce or turkey or the perfect gift or whether visiting family is getting along . Perhaps during this Advent Season, we should pray that God would remind us of that truth and remind us again every time we are tempted to allow Christmas to be ruined by something that in truth, has nothing to do with the birth of  Immanuel, which simply means, “God with us.”

As I write this, Christmas is eight short days away. Perhaps we should decide ahead of time to remember the true joy of Christmas and where it comes from. Maybe we should remember that because of this joyous birth that we celebrate, nothing can separate us from the love of God. That kind of truth creates a joy that cannot be stolen. That kind of truth reminds us that Christmas can never be ruined.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

After my cantata experience, I got to thinking about Christmas caroling and the joy it can spread. I always wanted to go caroling when I was growing up, but we lived ten miles out in the country with no neighbors. There really wasn’t anyone to sing to. When I was in college, I got to tag along with a girl from my dorm who was going with a group from the Baptist Student Union.

We didn’t go from house to house; we went to a nursing home which I found a little strange at the time. I remember wondering why they would want to hear a bunch of college kids sing off-key. I mean, when you are outdoors, it doesn’t matter as much. But, after we got there, I got it. The residents there were delighted with our presence. They loved the singing and the company. As I look back, we really were spreading Christmas joy.

There’s something so special about Christmas music. There’s always a particular song that we have tied with a special memory. The motivation of the writing of some of the old songs is special in itself.

In 1818, an Austrian priest named, Joseph Mohr, learned on the day before Christmas, that the organ in his church was broken. He was very saddened that his church would have no music for Christmas. He sat down and wrote the verses of a song that could be played on a simple guitar and sung by the church choir. “Silent Night” was born. It’s probably the most played song in Christmas Eve services across the world. You just never know what kind of huge difference your seemingly small contribution can make.

From 1647-1660, when the Puritans came onto the scene, Oliver Cromwell banned Christmas carols in England. He believed that Christmas was a solemn occasion. But, people still sang them in secret. Apparently, the joy of Christmas, couldn’t be stifled. It just had to be shared in song.

In the 1840’s, when Prince Albert of Germany married Victoria of England, the newspaper printed a story that Prince Albert loved Christmas carols. The story goes that peasants got together to honor him by singing Christmas carols. At that point, caroling took off all over Europe and the Methodists and Lutherans are credited to bringing the tradition to America.

I participated in another caroling adventure a few years back with some children from our church. The children’s pastor put together a list of some shut ins and some elderly people who might enjoy the kids. It really was an awesome night. People who can’t get out much are filled with joy from people who visit for no other reason than to spread Christmas cheer and especially when those people are kids. But, then that was a lesson that I had learned more than twenty years earlier, even I had forgotten.

Christmas music is special. Even non-believers seem to be okay with it when it’s playing at the mall. People don’t do too much caroling anymore, but it’s a great way to reach out to folks who might not be able to get out that much.

Cantatas and church pageants are fabulous. I love those presentations. But, perhaps as Christians, we should be making more of an effort to take the music outside. It’s a great way to share the story of God coming to earth as a baby, with a world that desperately needs to hear it.  It seems like an ideal way to share joy during Advent. Sing on my friends!

Have an awesome day!

Wendy

I just participated in my first Christmas Cantata. I have attended them before, but being on the singing side as opposed to the listening side was a completely different matter altogether. It’s an entirely different way to share our faith. This particular piece wove traditional Christmas songs with newly written ones and produced some beautiful results. Being a writer more than a singer, I’m a lover of words. I hadn’t taken time to read the narration before the songs and when I heard some of the words for the first time, I was moved to tears.

It was written by Joseph Martin and his words included, “When truth and tune are bonded together, each anthem can bring us closer to peace, love, and joy at the very heart of our spiritual quest.” and  “When adoration moves us towards authentic worship and when we think of all wonders the season brings… how can we help from singing?”

I found those words so profound. The Bible is full of examples of a call to sing praises to the Lord. Psalm 98:4 says, “Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music.”

Traditional Christmas songs do just that. Think about some of your favorites. “Joy to the world. The Lord is come; let earth receive her King. And heav’n and nature sing.” What about, “Oh come let us adore Him!” There’s also, “Hark! The herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn king!”

My mama and my sister and I, used to always sing those songs on our drive into town. She was teaching her little ones the true meaning of Christmas way before we were old enough to grasp it. Music has a way of connecting us and touching us in an entirely different way than other forms of worship. According to my pastor, it hits a part of the brain that logic and reason sometimes miss.

God surely knows this since He designed our brains. I think it’s really awesome that we are encouraged by the Bible, His word, to sing to Him. We are encouraged to engage in worship creatively. That little nugget alone, fills me with peace and joy. God never misses a detail, not a single step.

I’ve always loves Christmas songs of all kinds and I’ve always been one to sing if the notion struck me. My kids are way past being embarrassed by it. Oh, if life could be a musical! But, it is in its own way, nature is filled with song, music that was created by God himself.

Most worship services are filled with song as well. My participation in the Christmas Cantata was one of the most spiritual experiences I have had in quite some time. As I raised my voice along with others to proclaim the birth of Christ for the congregation, I almost felt like I could fly. I wonder if that’s how the angels felt the night they were proclaiming the good news to the shepherds.

Buddy, in the movie, “Elf,” once said, “The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.” I think he had a point. If you need a little Christmas joy, try singing songs of adoration. If you don’t like singing in front of people, try the shower. God doesn’t care what your voice sounds like or where you sing. All praise is music to Him. Give it a try. You may be pleasantly surprised.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

I have been writing about Advent for the past couple of weeks. The first candle in the Advent wreath represents hope. The second represents peace. The third candle, that we lit yesterday, represents joy. Joy is a tricky concept for us to understand in today’s world where it seems that instant gratification is on everyone’s menu.

We tend to gauge our lives by how we feel at this moment or by what is going on in our lives at this moment. And there’s our mistake, we judge our success, our peace, our hope, and our joy, on how we are feeling, not by what we know to be true eternally. What we know and what we feel are two very different ideas altogether.

One night a couple thousand years ago, there were shepherds who were tending their sheep. Shepherds were not very well thought of in those days. They had the same status as the homeless of today. They lived outside in the fields with the animals. They may have had a tent, but little else. They were nomadic and didn’t have true roots or a place to call home.

There they were; outcasts minding their own business, when, “An angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:9-11

The angel told them the news was great joy for all people, not just a select few, not only the Jews, not only the wealthy people or the people with families and homes and jobs. The angel didn’t say the news was for one particular race or for one particular sex. The joyous news was for all people. God had sent a savior for all people.

This concept split time in half. This concept stood humanity on its head. The shepherds ran to see the newborn Savior and they told everyone they came into contact with, about what they had seen. They would have then returned to their fields. They had sheep who were counting on them. The news didn’t make them millionaires or get them better jobs. Society didn’t all of a sudden treat them any differently, but they had something better than society could ever offer them.

They had a personal message from God that they were treasured and that He cared enough about them that he sent a message to them personally. Not only that, He gave them the opportunity to visit the Christ child, the Messiah, and see him for themselves. I can’t imagine the joy they must have felt that night or for the rest of their days. I wonder in what ways it changed them. Surely, they were forever changed.

The joyous message of a savior being born to us is the same today as it was then. Nothing has changed except for the fact that we know the entire story. We know all about the death and resurrection. We know about the opportunity to spend eternity with God.

The fact is that our lives are filled with dark times. We have good seasons and bad seasons. We have times of happiness and sadness. But, joy is an entirely different matter. Joy is the permanent knowledge that we are loved and treasured and that God has a plan that ends with us with Him forever with “no more death or sorrow or crying or pain.” And that my friends, should give us joy, come what may.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂