Month: July 2015

This weekend is the last weekend before school starts for my kids. (sigh) It’s been a fabulous summer for us and I’m really sad to see it end. School starts entirely too early in Georgia if you ask me. I mean, it’s not even August yet. What happened to starting after Labor Day? But, like it or not, school starts next week.

There’s been a lot said about prayer in schools. I regularly get those posts to “like” and “share” if I believe prayer should be allowed in public school.

The truth is that no one can stop prayer in public school or anywhere else, for that matter. God hears our every thought and knows our hearts. What’s stopping our teachers and kids from saying a silent prayer at the beginning of the day? Christians aren’t required to go to a certain place to pray or to pray at a specific time. God’s hands cannot be tied.

Here’s another question, “Are we praying with our children before they leave our house?”

Government can’t stop God. He can flourish in the hearts of all followers as long as we keep praying. I always encourage my kids to pray before they start their day. I always pray for them after I drop them off. I feel that they are covered. My hubby and I have taught them that they can pray anywhere and anytime. God always hears.

Instead of being annoyed the next time you see the Facebook post complaining about the fact that prayer isn’t allowed in public schools and lamenting that things aren’t like they used to be, I would like to ask you to join me in praying for the students and the teachers. Just stop for a moment and say a prayer.

As Christians, that’s a powerful gift we can offer all of our educators as well as the kids. In fact, maybe we should just add our kids’ teachers to our daily prayer lists. We might find a very different school year ahead.

If parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles all just added a daily prayer for teachers from pre-school to college, as well as for our students, the entire school experience for everyone involved could change dramatically. We may be wonderfully surprised.

I think it’s worth a try. Maybe you do too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

I was taking a walk yesterday and I saw a cicada lying dead on the pavement. But, when I stepped over him, I discovered he wasn’t dead as he flew away. I was really startled and chuckled to myself over how scary those bugs actually look.

As a life long Southerner, they have always been a part of my summer time. My sister and I used to delight in pulling their shells off of the pine trees and putting them in our bicycle baskets. They make a bizarre noise that sounds like  some kind of an alien invasion.

I have no fear of them because I know from my parents’ teaching and life experience, that they are completely harmless. They don’t sting or bite. But, if I didn’t know that, they would fall into one of my granddaddy’s favorite categories, “they won’t hurt you, but they’ll make you hurt yourself.”

We have a lot of situations in life that fall into that category, though, don’t we?

We walk in fear of everything ranging from getting a scary medical diagnosis to financial issues. So often, our fears are completely without merit. They are a bunch of “what ifs?” not even based on fact.

We also fear trying anything new because we might fail. We fear speaking a dream out loud because we are afraid of sounding dumb to others.

But, the Bible is full of far-fetched crazy sounding schemes that worked because He was behind them. Who would have thought that a hot-headed fisherman named Peter would lead the new church after the Ascension? Peter’s faith grew so strong that his shadow alone, could heal people. Who would have thought that a killer of Christians could preach the Good News to the Gentiles and write the New Testament? Paul did just that.

Who would have thought that a ninety year old woman named Sarah, could give birth to the Nation of Israel?

Fear is not only a dream killer. It’s a faith killer. Fear of failure and ridicule do not come from God. They come from our enemy. As Christians, we worship the “God of angel armies.” Should we fear anything?

Perhaps we should prayerfully search our hearts and ask God what is it that He is calling us to do that we are hesitant to do because of fear. It could be something really simple like reaching out to a neighbor or visiting a new Sunday school class. It could be something much bigger like pursuing a lifelong dream. Either way, if He calls us to do it, we should be fearless.

Because, those things that make us hesitate, well those are just spiritual cicadas. They just look and sound scary. We should pay them no attention.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

When I was growing up, going to church was an event. We had to wear special shiny church shoes. We had to wear tights and we always wore a dress. No woman would have dared to wear pants to church. My sister and I had special Sunday bows to wear in our hair as well and little white purses to carry.

Church was a formal place where voices were kept low and children wouldn’t dare to make noise or run in the aisle. Looking back, it seems like we were really big on the law and not so much on grace.

Fast forward thirty plus years and blue jeans are the norm in many churches. People regularly bring their coffee and snacks right into the sanctuary. There’s a very much come as you are attitude. Nowadays, we seem to focus a lot on grace and very little on the law.

I can see both sides of the argument here. Does God really care what you wear to church? But, doesn’t making an effort and wearing your best, show respect? Which side is the right one?

I certainly don’t have the all the answers. But, perhaps the better question is, do we consider Christianity to be a lifestyle or an event?

Do we go to church on Sunday because it’s a requirement in our minds, (that’s the law talking); or do we go because we want to spend some time with other Christians in worship? (that’s grace) Do we come hungry for knowledge and grace and leave so filled that we just have to share with others, or do we show up so we can feel good that we checked going to church this Sunday, off of our to do list?

Do we come in comfortable clothes because we are comfortable with God and our walk with Christ or do we wear blue jeans because we just don’t care to get up early enough to iron?

It seems to me, like most things involving Jesus, that it’s a heart matter. Every individual will have a different answer and while I love that the modern church has embraced grace, the law is still in play. We are still supposed to follow the Ten Commandments. The Bible is still God’s word.

Grace simply acknowledges that we will fail and can ask for forgiveness. Grace doesn’t allow us to go out and keep on sinning, just because we can. I think maybe we have come to see Jesus’ sacrifice as a “get out of jail free card.”

If Christianity is a lifestyle and not a weekly event, then we will try to honor God and love others everyday, not just when we sit in church. We will try not to break the Commandments and live like the Bible tells us to, not out of fear of the law, but out of respect for grace.

Of course, we will fail, but not because we didn’t try, but because we are human. That’s when we can truly embrace grace. I think it really takes both the law and grace to see the entire picture.

What does your heart say?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

I have had an all out war this summer with ants on my humming bird feeder. The feeder hangs on the edge of our house and it has been covered with them. I have no interest in feeding ants. The feeder is for the birds and the ants were interfering.

The problem is sugar water draws more than one type of creature. Sure, it draws the birds, but it draws ants and yellow jackets too. I figured I couldn’t do much about the yellow jackets, but I felt like I could get rid of the ants.

I thought maybe the ants were living in the gutters, so I had them cleaned. It made no difference. The ants kept coming. I told my hubby that I read in several places, on the internet that I could grease the wire holding the feeder and keep the ants off. He didn’t think that would work.

Exasperated, I tried it anyway, and as a further measure, I wrapped it with packing tape, sticky side out. I also read about that online. I filled it with fresh sugar water and waited. The birds didn’t return for a little while, but then one came, and then the others followed and guess what? There were no ants.

I was just tickled with my low tech success. I was so grateful that different people had shared their success with the ant battle. The fact that they took the time to share helped me with my own little battle.

Now, I’ll be the first to admit, that we live in a world with a lot of over sharing. I mean, there are folks who insist on taking pictures of their lunch for Facebook and Instagram as well as keeping us all updated on their recent trip to the grocery store.

But, wouldn’t it be great if people shared more of their success stories, like how they beat cancer or how they were able to save a hundred bucks on their grocery bill? What about if we shared more praises and less complaints?

What about if we shared our faith? I often see prayer requests on Facebook, but I don’t see the thank-yous for prayers answered, nearly as much.

Cyberspace is a busy and noisy place. We all have the ability to bless people who are surfing the internet or checking their social media. Just as in the real world, we have the ability to let our light shine and we also have the ability to rant and spread negativity.

The choice is ours. Now if I could just get rid of those yellow jackets!

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

This is that time of year when many of us have a tiny lull before life gets crazy. Summer break is winding down and school never starts gently and peacefully. Nope, school starts like a freight train. From that very first open house event, everyone wants your time and money.

PTO wants you to volunteer to help with a dozen events. Sports teams want volunteers to man the concession stand or sell something. I have seen three posts already in the past week for sports teams fund-raisers. There are committee positions that need to be filled too. The teachers ask for help with supplies in their rooms and volunteers for various celebrations and events.

And that’s just the schools. Many churches take a summer break too and when school starts, so do all of their programs. They need volunteers to teach kids from ages four to eighteen and volunteers to help with youth groups. They need volunteers to lead adult Sunday school classes. They need volunteers to help organize various events. They need volunteers to sit on committees. They need volunteers to visit people, to greet people and to make meals.

Let’s face it, churches and schools, need lots of volunteers. I was thinking about all of the entities that need assistance this time of year. They are all good and worthy causes. We would often love to help them all, but truthfully, we can’t.

I came across this broken branch of my tomato plant that illustrates this perfectly.

This tomato plant had huge, bright red tomatoes growing on it. I kept giving them just one more day to get a little bigger and a little redder, but while some of the large tomatoes were ripening, smaller ones began growing bigger and the weight on the branch became too much. Something had to give and it broke.

The same can happen to us when we say yes to everything we are asked to do, or that we feel we should do. All of the opportunities I listed above were good, but one person can’t do all of them. God calls each of us to do different tasks because we are all gifted in different areas.

Jesus said, “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” John 15:4

It seems to me that this is a really good time to spend some quiet time in prayer before the chaos starts. We can ask God for direction in the coming school year. What should we say yes to? What is He calling us to do? What things are just going to frustrate us and eat up our time and peace?

We should also remember that sometimes when we say yes to things we aren’t called to do, we are taking someone else’s place who was called to do that task. We can’t do it all and the call to follow Jesus isn’t to stay as busy as possible.

He says he will give us rest, not make us run a rat race. When we are too busy, we can’t hear God’s voice. Maybe we should hold that truth a little more closely. Let’s choose wisely and intentionally this year.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

I was walking across my kids’ high school parking lot last week, when I came across a nail. I barely noticed it, as I was really hot and making a beeline for my car and to some sweet relief from air conditioning. I stepped right over it. My car was in sight. I was so close. But, a little voice in my head told me to go back and pick it up.

I tried to ignore it. It was sooooo hot. But, in my heart, I knew that little nail would plague me for the entire day. I grudgingly turned around and retrieved it. It was small and rusty and I put it in my pocket.

I drive in that parking lot fairly regularly. It could easily end up in my tire or in my daughter’s tire. But, I knew that wasn’t really the point.

The little voice convicting me to go back and pick up the nail was about doing what was right for everyone who might drive through that lot, not just the people who are close to me. The Holy Spirit was trying to teach me a lesson. I think maybe I got it, this time, even if it was with some resistance on my part.

It’s easy to do the right thing when we’re not stressed or in a hurry. Doing the right thing when it’s like a hundred degrees outside and all you want is to be indoors, is another. It’s also more difficult to do the right thing when we are tired, or funds or low, or when we are angry or hurt.

It’s also easy to do the right thing when we are helping ourselves in some way. Are we more eager to write a check to help fund a building where our kids can have the ideal youth space or are we more willing to write a check to fund a building that will provide housing for people we have never met? That’s a tough one; isn’t it?

When Jesus called us to love our neighbors, there wasn’t a little set of parenthesis that said when we feel like it, or if we’re not too tired or stressed. He also didn’t mean to only love the people who share our DNA or the people we happen to call friends. He said our neighbors, period.

I’m guessing he meant any person who crosses our path. If we can help, we are supposed to. So, I picked up that nail and held onto it as a reminder. Don’t get me wrong, I probably miss the call to action way more than I get it, but that day, I got it.

I’m going to try to listen more closely. Maybe you will too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

I was tending to my tomatoes yesterday when I spotted it, the dreaded tomato hornworm. You have to look really closely or you will miss it. It blends perfectly with the plants and at first glance it seems rather harmless. Looks can be deceiving. It can wreak havoc on a tomato plant in record time.

These pests feed constantly, eating everything in their path including the leaves and fruit. The only way to keep the plant safe is constant vigilance. Once you spot the first one, you have to constantly look for more. The best way to control them is to crush them.

That tomato worm reminded me of the enemy that Christians face daily. He too, can camouflage himself and blend right in, looking rather harmless. Things like skipping church to sleep in seem like no big deal on the surface. Sure, we all get tired and need a break, but when we aren’t careful, very rarely, becomes twice a month and we have cut our regular worship in half.

When we do things to tear down others instead of building them up, like participating in gossip, we leave a crack for a worm to slip through. When we allow ourselves to become focused on the negatives in our lives instead of the abundant blessings, we can leave room for discontent and out of that, leave a foothold for the enemy.

I believe that Satan’s attacks on us are often worm like, subtle and slow, but still inflicting serious damage. But, just like that tomato worm, his attacks can be halted too. Just like controlling the tomato worm, we have to be vigilant.

We have to be in regular prayer about situations which can harm our souls. We can ask for wisdom and discernment. The Bible tells us God will give it to us. “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” James 1:5

We can also read the Bible. God’s word is truly the best way to keep the soul worms out. It’s like super pest control.

Another great way to help us keep out the soul worms is surrounding ourselves with other strong believers who will help us keep watch.

When we keep our eyes focused on Jesus, we can produce some amazing fruit. We just need to keep in mind that there is an enemy who would love to destroy it. But, thankfully, we have been given all we need to crush him beneath our feet, just like that pesky tomato worm.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

My daughter is getting her driver’s license in a little over two weeks. In order for me to feel like she’s road ready, I have made her my personal chauffeur this summer. I have had her do a ton of driving. Since we have been alone in close quarters, we have chatted a lot.

We have always talked a lot, but our conversations during the school year tend to be about all of the stresses in her life and believe me, teenage girls are stressed most of the time. From school, to friends, to boys, there’s rarely peace.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy that we have the kind of relationship where we can talk about all of the things that trouble her. I’m always ready and willing to listen to all of her complaints and to offer her advice, but our summer time conversations have been a breath of fresh air.

When we have ridden around this summer, it’s been to do errands or to drive to my parents’ house. There have been no deadlines and very few worries. We have talked about things like our vacation, mission trip, music, movies, her cousins, her birthday, and other happy things. I have truly enjoyed being in a car with her this summer.

I’m sure I will miss it when she gets her license.

As I was thinking about my summer blessing of all of that happy time with her, I began to think about my prayer time.

I’ll have to admit I’m often guilty of spending much of my prayer time asking God for things or complaining, kind of like my teen does during most of the school year. We are supposed to take everything to God in prayer, so there’s absolutely nothing wrong with asking Him for help or talking to Him about our disappointments and heartaches. That is authentic prayer.

But, how often do we just thank Him for an awesome day? How often do we share something with Him that warmed our hearts or made us smile? How often do we just say thanks for a beautiful sunset or for food on our table? I’m guessing He would love to hear about all of the good stuff too. That is also authentic prayer.

Riding around with my teen this summer reminded me that taking all things to God in prayer shouldn’t stop when things are going well for us. He wants to hear about our good days as well as our bad. Perhaps you needed a reminder too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂