Month: March 2016

Worshipping The Rainmaker

Posted on by Wendy
The God of all Creation can certainly send a shower.
The God of all Creation can certainly send a shower.

A few Sundays back, after church, and after lunch, and after I got my ducks in a row for Monday, I tiptoed out to my back porch. My hubby was out on a run and both of my teens were occupied. I had my laptop in hand and I had prayed that God would meet me at my keyboard, so I could write my next blog post.

The weather had turned warm and I was excited about a little peace and quiet out in nature. But, as soon as I stepped outside, my heart sank. My neighbor was burning leaves and the smell of smoke was strong. I knew it would give me a headache in no time.

I plopped down on the futon anyway, aggravated, as I began to type. It wasn’t long before a light rain began to fall. It didn’t rain for very long, but long enough to wet everything outside and to put the fire out.

It cleared out almost as quickly as it started and then the sun came back out. The smoke was completely gone and the air was clear.

I marveled at God’s timing. I’m not saying that He made it rain for me. Maybe He did and maybe He didn’t. The point is that I know and respect that He can make it rain. The Bible gives us proof of that. Check out Elijah’s story.

I didn’t pray for rain. I prayed for Him to meet me at my keyboard and to give me truth and inspiration to share with others. I prayed for Him to show His face. It rained and I was inspired.

The Bible tells us, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28

I find that when I am trying to do His work, when I am trying to glorify Him with my life; He always makes a way. After all, I worship the Rainmaker.

A little shower reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

Seeking and Finding

Posted on by Wendy
Those who truly seek Him, can still find Him.
Those who truly seek Him, can still find Him.

I recently read the resurrection account in John where Mary Magdalene was searching for Jesus. In John’s account, she is the very first one to the tomb and the first to see the stone was rolled away. She frantically ran to find Peter and John to tell them what had happened.

Then they ran to the tomb to see for themselves. The men checked out the empty tomb and went home. Mary stayed and cried. She turned around and glanced back inside and saw two angels sitting there and still continued to sob. They asked her why she was crying.

Now, most people who see angels are filled with fear; not Mary. She had been in mourning for three days and at this point, she must have been inconsolable. Why didn’t she ask the angels where Jesus was or who they were? Wasn’t she curious? They are messengers from God. They probably would have told her. But, she didn’t ask. She told them why she was crying and turned around to go.

Now, here’s the really interesting part. She then stood face to face with Jesus and He asked her why she was crying. She proceeded to tell Him and He said one word to her. “Mary” He called her by name and she knew.

Mary was so frantically looking for Jesus in the place where she thought that He should be, that she missed Him where He was.

Let’s ponder that concept for a moment. How often do we miss encounters with Jesus because He’s not where we “think” He should be?

The Bible tells us we may see Him in the face the hungry, or the thirsty, or the stranger, or the sick. In fact, we should probably look for Him wherever there are people in great need, which is quite often not at church, or places that are clean and shiny. The Savior born in a manger, never chose to live in a palace. He chose to live among the common people.

He also chose to hang out with some questionable characters and shared the truth with them. What does that say to us? Where should we seek to serve Him?

Most of us have also at one time or another, found ourselves like Mary, frantically searching for Jesus, wondering where He has gone. We wonder why He doesn’t answer our prayers or reach out to us. We may even miss angels in our lives pointing the way and in our own self-absorbed, panic, we rush right past Him.

But, if we can force ourselves to be still, He will call our name, just as He said Mary’s name. He is here. He is reaching out. We only need to still our minds and hearts and listen.

He still has important things to say.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

No Small Parts in Kingdom Building

Posted on by Wendy
It takes many small things coming together, to make a flower grow and bloom.
It takes many small things coming together, to make a flower grow and bloom.

My daughter was recently asked to be the stage manager in her high school’s production of “High School Musical.” She is really interested in the behind the scenes of the entertainment industry, so she enthusiastically agreed.

When I told her that her daddy and I wanted to come and see the show, she couldn’t understand why. She asked me if I understood that she would be backstage at all times and that we wouldn’t see her. I told her that I understood, but that I also knew that her doing her part in the play would help to make it a success even if I couldn’t see her.

She still couldn’t understand why we would want to come. When I told my mama about the production, she wanted to come too. My daughter once again, couldn’t understand why. But, my mama knew just as I did, that the behind the scenes stuff can make or break a production and that my daughter’s part mattered.

The activities that go on behind the scenes can help make a performance flawless or complete chaos.

The Bible is full of those nameless characters that did their seemingly small part, but made a huge difference in the outcome. We have no idea the name of the innkeeper who offered Mary and Joseph his stable, to shelter the Baby Jesus. We have no idea who the shepherds were who just happened to be doing their jobs when angels visited them to tell them the news of Jesus’s birth. We have no idea who the man was who willingly gave his donkey for Jesus to ride on, thus fulfilling prophecy.

What about the servants at the wedding at Cana who did exactly what Jesus instructed and got to witness His first miracle? What about the friends who cut open a roof and lowered their paralyzed friend down to see Jesus, who then healed him because of their faith?

There are countless, nameless people who played what must have seemed a small, insignificant part in the life of Jesus, that actually made a big difference. Some of them unknowingly fulfilled prophecy. Some of them helped others grow their faith. All of them had a part to play whether big or small and all of them mattered to God.

And so it is with us today. Every part we play in helping others to know Jesus, matters. It can be a prayer, an invitation to church, teaching a class, sharing a pin on Pinterest, or a blog post that touched our hearts somehow. Our actions and efforts to love our neighbor matter.

We all get to play a part in building the Kingdom.

My stage manager reminded me of that. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Easter is a Way of Life

Posted on by Wendy
For Christians, it's always Easter.
For Christians, it’s always Easter.

Yesterday was Easter Sunday. It’s the holiest of holy days for Christians. It’s who we are and what we stand for. After a very gloomy, cloudy Good Friday and a wet and cloudy Saturday, I was hoping for a gorgeous, sunny Easter. But, alas, I woke up to more cloudy weather.

I knew the weather report called for rain, but I figured those guys are just guessing about half of the time.

When I opened the door to let my dogs out, I was pleasantly surprised. The sky might not have been celebrating Easter, but the birds were. They seemed to be engaged in their own symphony of praise.

When I went to get my cup of coffee, I pondered about the women going to the tomb on that first Easter morning. It was just before dawn, so probably kind of dark and gloomy like my weather happened to be at the moment.

Right outside my kitchen window, something caught my eye. It was a white iris that seemingly sprung up with a few others overnight. It was such a deep contrast to the dreariness that surrounded it. The damp gray weather, made it pop. I just had to grab my camera and take a closer look.

The delicate perfection reminded me that grace is always available.
The delicate perfection reminded me that grace is always available, if we only ask.

I was greeted by six irises standing straight and tall, almost as if they were saluting heaven in the only way they knew how. No, the sky wasn’t sunny and beautiful, but the earth was celebrating Easter anyway and so did I.

Those irises reminded me of the many blessings that we miss along the way when we are intently searching for a specific blessing. I wanted sunshine, but I didn’t get it. God sent me something even more beautiful. I might have missed it, if I wasn’t looking with an open heart.

Those irises reminded me that grace is always available to us if we only ask. That’s the miracle of Easter. They reminded me that Easter is not a day on the calendar. Easter is everyday for those of us who believe. Those irises reminded me that Easter should be a state of mind a daily, lifelong celebration of the truths that we are loved, treasured, and redeemed, and that God wins.

Those irises also reminded me that we can stand tall and point to heaven no matter our current circumstances. I thanked God for the reminders. Maybe you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Good Friday Musings

Posted on by Wendy
To truly appreciate Easter, we have to walk through Good Friday.
To truly appreciate Easter, we have to walk through Good Friday.

Today is Good Friday. It’s the day Christians remember the crucifixion of Christ. It’s a somber day, an ugly day. People don’t like Good Friday or to talk about Good Friday. Many churches don’t do Good Friday church services because they are so poorly attended.

The events of Good Friday are so unfair. Jesus was first betrayed by a friend, then given a mock trial. He was beaten, ridiculed and spat upon. No one stood up for Him. Then He suffered an unimaginably horrible death, trading His rightful crown of glory for one of thorns and finally nailed to a cross.

It’s difficult for us to think about. It’s even more difficult to admit that our sins put Him there. We would all like to believe that we are good people and that our sins aren’t that bad. But the truth is all sin is bad. It really doesn’t matter what flavor our particular ones are. Jesus died for my sins and yours. We all had a hand in it.

He was blameless, yet died willingly. He told His captors to put away their swords, “Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?” Matthew 26:45

He also told the chief priests, “But this is your hour when darkness reigns.” Luke 23:53b

Jesus was right. Darkness did reign for a time. I encourage you to read one of the Gospel accounts of the crucifixion. You can find it in Matthew 27, Mark 15, Luke 23 and John 19.

But, that’s not the end of the story. God always has a plan and God had a plan for Jesus and ultimately a plan for us. The beauty of the Gospels is that there is also a Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24 and John 20.

While Good Friday is painful and sobering, the next chapter begins Sunday, Easter. Easter is about resurrection, brand new life and redemption for all of us who believe. It’s about forgiveness, grace and new beginnings. It’s part of the greatest love story ever told, the story of God’s love for His people, the story of a savior’s love for us.

Easter Sunday is a reminder that we can begin each day with a clean slate and another chance. It’s like a happy new year every single day.

But, to be able to truly grasp it and fully appreciate it, we really have to walk through Good Friday. I know it’s difficult, but let’s try to spend some time today contemplating the enormity of Jesus’ sacrifice. Let’s spend some time in prayer and ask for forgiveness, keeping in mind in these dark hours, that Jesus is coming back.

He is risen! He’s alive! Hallelujah!

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Woodpecker Perseverance

Posted on by Wendy
The woodpecker is relentless on its quest.
The woodpecker is relentless on its quest.

I was taking a walk recently and praying for some guidance. It seemed like nothing I was trying to accomplish was succeeding. From financial plans, to job plans, to spiritual issues.

I’m not one of those people who believes that you just pray for something and sit back and wait for God to make it happen. There is certainly a time to be still, but we also have to remember that God is not a genie. We have to do our part too. I was praying and I was trying, but I felt like nothing was working.

I asked God to show me His face, to let me know He was listening and working. I’ve often shared in this space that God sends me hawks when I’m deep in prayer. It has happened too often to be a coincidence and I don’t believe in coincidences where God is concerned anyway.

The atheist sees God in nothing. The believer sees God in everything.

I didn’t see a hawk on my walk, but I wasn’t surprised. I knew God would show Himself in some way that I could understand and He did. When I went to the sink to get a glass of water, a very large red-headed woodpecker, was right outside my window, pecking on a tree. He was way to close for me to miss him.

I smiled and said a prayer of thanks.

Woodpeckers are relentless in their pursuits. If you have ever heard one pecking on a tree, you know they rarely stop to rest and if that tree doesn’t produce, they move on to the next, working just as hard.

My cousin Kay, will also attest that if you get one going after the cedar siding on your house, it’s next to impossible to stop them. They are single-minded when on a quest. They are also protected.

I rarely see woodpeckers in my yard, but I often hear them. I was pondering the nature of the woodpecker as I went upstairs and as I looked out the window across my deck and there the woodpecker stood on the ground, still pecking. It was as if God went out of His way to be sure I didn’t miss it.

I didn’t. That woodpecker reminded me to never give up, to never stop trying my best, to never stop praying, to not get discouraged, to move on to a different pursuit if what I’m working on isn’t producing results, and to persevere no matter what. It also was a gentle reminder that as a child of God, I am protected by my heavenly Father who always has a plan.

The same is true for you. I felt a weight lifted off. I really needed reminding. Perhaps you did too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Victory in Jesus

Posted on by Wendy
To truly defeat evil we must pray without ceasing.
To truly defeat evil we must pray without ceasing.

Yesterday in Brussels, a terrorist attack killed, at this writing, thirty people and injured dozens more. The Islamic extremist group called ISIS, once again, took it upon itself to murder innocent civilians in cold blood.

Those of us in the Western world weep for the victims and for the loss of life. We weep for their families. We scratch our heads as we so desperately want to understand how any member of humanity can act so cruelly towards other humans. What could possibly cause that kind of hate and indifference to life?

French Prime Minister Manuel Valls was quoted as saying, “We are at war.” I suspect he was speaking of France or possibly Europe as a whole. He may even have been including all of the West in his statement. He was right, but this war is not new, not really.

The war with Radical Islam specifically, may be a newer concept to us, but God’s people have been at war from the very beginning of humanity. From the moment God created man, Satan has tried to turn us against Him and we have far too often obliged. It didn’t take him long to get us tossed out of Eden.

God created us with free will, something that has gotten us into trouble since day one. We are fallen by nature. But, God sent us a Savior and this is the week that we are getting ready to celebrate Easter which gives us the opportunity to be free from the wages of sin.

Is it a coincidence that the bloody attack happened this week? I seriously doubt it. The enemy that we fight, has to hate Easter and all that it represents, so he will spread fear and chaos and shed blood if possible, because that is what he does.

Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.” John 10:10

That looks exactly like what Satan is doing in Europe through ISIS and our reluctance to call it evil and recognize where it truly comes from has only hurt us.

I am reminded of a quote I read recently from, “Lord of the Rings.” Aragorn was desperately trying to get a king, Theoden, to stand up and defend his people, but he didn’t want to fight. He didn’t want war.

Theoden: “I will not risk open war.”

Aragorn: “Open war is upon you, whether you would risk it or not.”

Satan is at war with all Christians. We have no choice in the matter. We do, however, have a choice of whether or not we will defend ourselves and perhaps more importantly, go on attack.

We are not called to live in fear. The Bible tells us repeatedly to “fear not.” We are called to live in prayer. If we really want to win the war on ISIS, the war on terror, the war on evil, the war with Satan, we have to begin on our knees.

We have to read scripture and pray it. We have to pray without ceasing. The Bible assures us that God wins. The question for us is do we want to be a part of that victory?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Focusing on Jesus

Posted on by Wendy
When we stay focused on the cross, we can always be at peace.
When we stay focused on the cross, we can always be at peace.

I enjoy doing yoga. I am by no means an expert. Most of the poses that I know, I learned from the Wii Fit. My favorite poses are ones that force me to work on balance. It occurred to me the other day, that whenever I begin to work on a pose that requires one leg, I automatically locate a spot on the wall to focus on.

My focus on that spot, will keep me steady and from falling over. It’s a trick I learned as a child, when I was participating in gymnastics. Now, it’s simply a habit. If I take my focus away from my spot, I will get wobbly.

But, when I thought about that spot focusing habit the other day, I remembered that ballerinas will do the same, when they are spinning around repeatedly in one place. Their focus keeps them from getting dizzy and falling.

I also recall reading that in natural childbirth classes, women are instructed to focus intently on a single spot and breathe to make contractions more bearable.

So, in three different and seemingly unnatural or chaotic scenarios, maintaining balance on one leg, maintaining balance while spinning, and in getting through severe pain, simply remaining focused on one spot, can keep you going.

This seek is Holy Week for Christians. It began on Sunday with Palm Sunday. Many of us will participate in a communion service on Thursday, called Maundy Thursday, where we remember the Last Supper. Friday is Good Friday where we remember the crucifixion and Sunday is Easter, resurrection day. It’s our highest holiday and most important celebration.

Our focus always, but especially this week, our spot, should be Jesus. Our focus should be that He willingly died for our redemption, our salvation.

Because when we become intentional about keeping our eyes focused on the cross and what it means for all of us sinners, we come to realize that no matter how unbalanced our lives become, or how fast our world may be spinning or even how much pain we may be in at the moment, we are loved beyond our comprehension. We are treasured. We are saved. We are more than our current circumstances.

As we walk through Holy Week, let’s intentionally make Jesus and His sacrifice, our focus spot and let’s remember that whatever we are going through on this side of eternity, that He’s ready and willing to hold our hands and help us through it.

In the end, if we accept and embrace that humbling and beautiful truth, we can have peace and joy that is beyond all understanding, no matter our mess.

A yoga pose reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Jesus Loves the Little Chidren

Posted on by Wendy
We prayed for sunshine and God sent it.
We prayed for sunshine and God sent it.

Last weekend, our church hosted an Easter egg hunt at our new church location. The church itself is fourteen years old, but has moved around from place to place until landing at our new permanent address. We moved less than ten miles from where we were, but we crossed a county line.

We went from our not very diverse, conservative community to an incredibly diverse college town. The entire congregation voted on it and it became very obvious through prayer, that God wanted us in our new place. So, we went, not knowing what to expect, but open to God’s call.

Several months ago, I pitched the idea of an Easter egg hunt and everyone was on board. We decided months ahead that we would do it the Saturday before Palm Sunday instead of the Saturday before Easter.

A couple of weeks before, my pastor’s wife, who is one of my favorite people on the planet, asked me at choir practice, what my backup rain plans were. I informed her that it would not rain and I asked her to pray for sunny weather. She said she would.

It was amazing to see my little church come together on the preparations. Somebody ordered the eggs. Somebody different ordered the candy and toys to go in the eggs. The ladies group stuffed the eggs. A different person bought cookies and prizes. Another lady made lemonade. A different crew hid the eggs.

All week long, the weather forecast looked terrible. At first it was going to be cold and rainy. Then it was going to be warm with thunderstorms. When I last looked, the storms were going to roll in at hunting time.

Anytime I was asked what needed to be done for the hunt, I replied prayers for nice weather. Saturday began cool and cloudy, but I wasn’t concerned.

I have learned through years of planning children’s ministry events, that when we are doing God’s work for kids, He intervenes. I reasoned that if the Maker of heaven and earth wanted to use our little outreach to plant some seeds, the weather would not be a problem.

Not surprisingly, the afternoon turned out to be truly stunning. There was a light breeze and the sun was out. Two hours before we started, a family pulled through the lot to ask us about the hunt. We told them and welcomed them to come back.

At start time, we had five families of multiple nationalities who we had never met before, along with a few others, as well as church members. There are few things more precious than laughing, excited children, hunting Easter eggs and I was reminded of the song from my childhood, “Jesus Loves the Little Children,” though politically incorrect now, I’m sure, the meaning behind it still rings true.

Jesus loves children of all colors and nationalities and when we make an effort to reach out to them and plant seeds, well, it’s always wise to expect Divine intervention. We invited them to church and to our summer Vacation Bible School.

I can’t wait to see what God will do with that ministry. One thing is for sure, as long as we continue to pray about it, we can expect to see big things.

“If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” Matthew 21:22

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

 

 

Giving Thanks Always

Posted on by Wendy
Keeping an attitude of thanks and praise keeps our eyes focused on God and not ourselves.
Keeping an attitude of thanks and praise keeps our eyes focused on God and not ourselves.

A couple of days ago, a little orange light with a wrench on it, popped up on my dashboard. I panicked of course. What did it mean? Was it bad? As soon as I could park, I flipped through my owner’s manual until I found it. It simply meant that I needed to get my car serviced. What a relief.

The next morning, I took it to my mechanic around 9:00. They are always super backed up. There were like six people in the waiting area. I told them I was leaving it, but coming back in about an hour. I did come back and the car wasn’t ready. I had to wait and I waited until a short time after noon. I was very annoyed.

I was fuming on my drive home. I told them I wasn’t leaving it all day. Why did I actually have to be sitting there for the car to go to the front of the line? I had so much I needed to get done that wouldn’t.

Then I heard a little voice in my head that seemed to whisper, “These are first world problems.”

I was reminded of a report that I had heard on the radio the day before about children in Haiti literally eating sand so their stomachs wouldn’t hurt from hunger pains. I had been so moved that I unsuccessfully fought back tears. Life is so unfair sometimes.

Was I really going to be angry about having to wait on my car?

I asked God to forgive my selfishness and then I began to give thanks. I gave thanks that I had a car to begin with; many people don’t have one. I gave thanks that I had the money to get it serviced; many people don’t. I gave thanks for an honest mechanic. Many of them aren’t. I gave thanks that it wasn’t a huge repair needed.

It’s difficult to remain angry when I am thanking God for His many blessings in my life.

I also had to remind myself that my to-do list really wasn’t that big of a deal. It’s not like I was going to be late for performing a heart transplant. But, sometimes it’s easy for me to get totally self-focused on what I want and then to get frustrated or angry when my plans get knocked off course. Maybe that’s the case for you too?

The Bible tells us to give thanks in all circumstances. Sometimes that’s really easy and sometimes it seems nearly impossible, yet it’s what we are called to do. I’ve really been working on having a thankful heart. I’ve really been working on prayers of praise, instead of always praying with my hand out.

Prayers of praise and thankfulness take the focus off of me and put it on God, where it is supposed to be. When I get it right, which is certainly not always, my entire attitude changes and I find there is little room for anger and frustration.

A little orange wrench reminded me of that. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂