Month: March 2016

Honey vs. Vinegar

Posted on by Wendy
Sometimes a gentle approach is much more effective in sharing our faith.
Sometimes a gentle approach can be much more effective when sharing our faith.

A few weeks ago, my hubby and I were shopping at Sam’s Club. I love that store. There are always so many cool things to look at when I’m there.

This particular time, there was a salesperson trying to sell a satellite service. This woman was like a bulldog. The first thing she asked was who our cable television was with. She then proceeded to tell us how much we paid and how her service was so much better. She was in our faces and in our personal space. We couldn’t get away from her fast enough.

As we browsed our way through the store, we wound up in the deli section. There was a Sam’s employee there, rearranging some of the bread. There was a flat bread that my hubby and I were discussing trying. The woman looked over and told us how good it was. She said that when they were doing a demonstration on it, that the employees kept sneaking over to get more, even thought they weren’t supposed to. She told us how she had seen it prepared and that it was delicious. Then she went on about her business.

We bought some of that flat bread and let me tell you, it’s become a delicacy in our house. My entire family loves it and can’t get enough of it. We’ve even made a special trip out to Sam’s to purchase more.

I have been  thinking about the two approaches of those women as well as my reaction to them. That first woman could have been handing out pure gold and I would have missed it because I was so turned off my her approach.

The second woman could have been peddling garbage, but she was so humble and soft-spoken about it, I probably would have given it a try.

Those two women reminded me of how we choose to share Jesus with others. Knowing Him is exciting. Knowing we get to spend eternity with Him in heaven is exciting. Knowing that death isn’t the end for us is exciting. It’s good to be excited about Jesus, but sometimes in our excitement, we can get aggressive like the first salesperson.

In our excitement to share and bring others to Christ, we can invade personal space and even get loud and pushy. Unfortunately, we can push people away from Jesus instead of guiding and pulling them towards Him, even though that wasn’t the intention.

Sometimes the best course is to act like the second salesperson. Share our personal experience. Invite others to try it and then back away.

Because the thing is, the bread we are trying to share, never runs out and I think it’s certainly worth taking a more careful approach when we talk with people about something as important as eternity.

My mama always said you can catch more flies with honey than vinegar. Perhaps that applies with faith sharing too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Spreading the Light

Posted on by Wendy
In the end, the light wins.
In the end, the light wins.

Our sermon last Sunday touched on the story of Lazarus and his miraculous resurrection from the dead. The focus was on the days afterward and his sister Mary specifically, but he was part of the message.

Yesterday, the online Bible study that I’m following was about Lazarus. The reading was from John 11:1-44, if you want to check it out.

Since I don’t believe in coincidences where God is concerned, I began to wonder and then pray about what God was trying to show me in the Lazarus story at this moment.

There are so many beautiful illustrations of Jesus’ love for humanity in the story. What did God want me to see? What relevance in particular, did it have right now?

As I read it again, I remembered that the sermon last week pointed out that the moment Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead became the moment the Jewish officials elected to mark him for death. The text says, “They plotted to take his life.”

It’s almost too evil to fathom. Just moments before, raising Lazarus, Jesus wept with his sisters Martha and Mary, demonstrating that He knew what it meant to be fully human and how death devastates us and separates us from our loved ones.

Then He did the unthinkable, the amazing, the miracle that only God can do. He raised Lazarus from the dead after four days in the tomb. He restored Lazarus’ life and the relationship between him and his sisters.

This was a moment of pure joy and celebration. There was no downside here. God was here on earth, walking with humanity and restoring life. How could anyone in their right mind want to stop that kind of goodness, power and grace?

But, the Jewish officials at the top didn’t see it that way. Jealousy, greed and fear are powerful fuel. Darkness hates the light.

As I pondered the reaction of the people in charge, asking myself how anyone with any good at them at all, could possibly be against Jesus, I was reminded of some of the events going on right now.

Christians are being slaughtered in the Middle East, simply for being Christians. There is a large underground Christian movement in Iran of all places. Christianity has exploded there. There were an estimated 500 Christians there in 1979 and now 370,000 is the generally accepted estimate, even though they could be imprisoned, tortured or killed for following Jesus. Why does the Iranian government care if its citizens worship Jesus?

Why are Christians around the world persecuted and killed for following Jesus? What is so threatening about His message and His life?

Could it be because that even after 2,000 plus years since His death and resurrection, He still offers new life? Could it be because He still offers redemption and restoration? Could it be because He is still the light of the world?

Jesus said, “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil, hates the light and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.” John 3:19-20

There will always be persecution of Jesus and His believers until He returns a second time. Darkness hates the light and always will. But, for those of us who are Christians, we have to remember that we are the light that represents Him and we are called to spread it far and wide, keeping in mind that in the end, now just as it was over 2,000 years ago, Jesus wins.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

The Divine Gardener

Posted on by Wendy
These azaleas definitely need pruning, but timing is everything.
These azaleas definitely need pruning, but timing is everything.

My hubby and I were doing some much needed yard work last weekend and we pruned some holly bushes way back. We had allowed them to begin taking over our driveway. What once were nice little evergreen bushes, had gotten completely out of hand. They are seriously ugly now, but they will come back with a little time.

After we were done with the holly bushes, I saw my hubby eyeing the azaleas in front of our house. They too, are seriously out of control, but there is a right time to prune azaleas and that isn’t now. Azaleas can only be trimmed right after they bloom. If you trim them any other time, then you have to go a year without the flowers.

Since Easter is only a couple of weeks away, no way was I willing to sacrifice all of those gorgeous pink blooms. The problem is that we always miss the ideal window to prune them and so they are way too big. He grumbled, but agreed to wait.

If we prune at the wrong time, we miss the blooms.
If we prune at the wrong time, we miss the blooms.

I thought about how important pruning is to keep plants healthy. I thought how important it is to prune the bushes in the front of our house to keep them inviting and beautiful and not scraggly. Not to mention that not pruning them creates a good place for unwanted critters to hide. I want the bushes out in front of my house to welcome people inside, not scare them away.

Jesus talked to His disciples about God’s pruning. He told them, “I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” John 15:1-2

What does that mean?

Maybe it means  that when we submit our lives to God, He gets rid of all the unfruitful stuff, that we don’t need or that separates us from Him. Everybody’s unfruitful branches look different, but I suspect things like gossip, jealousy, unforgiveness and anger might make the cut. He doesn’t want to leave any places for unwanted critters to hide. But, God doesn’t stop there.

The parts of us that do bear fruit, He prunes, so that those parts will be even more fruitful. I think it’s important to remember that when we are trying our best to serve Him and things just don’t seem to be working out. Sometimes He is training us for something better. Perhaps we are being pruned.

This is where trust and obedience come to play. When we are praying and walking close to Him, but we still feel like we are being pruned, that’s when we have to lean in closer, because His timing is always perfect and if He’s pruning us, then He knows that the blooms to come will be spectacular.

Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

The Divine Writer

Posted on by Wendy
The Creator of heaven and earth can certainly write a new ending to your story.
The Creator of heaven and earth can certainly write a new ending to your story.

My hubby and I really enjoy the television show, Grimm. It comes on Friday nights and we look forward to it all week. It’s a show about good versus evil with the supernatural thrown in and is based loosely on Grimm’s Fairytales.

The writers of that show truly amaze me. There is one character named Adalind, who was an evil hexenbiest. She destroyed everything she came into contact with and was truly pure evil. But, then she got pregnant and her life and the life of her child was in danger, so she willingly gave up her powers.

She became a mother and the life of her child became her focus. She turned her back on evil and made friends with people who had been her enemies. The transformation has been truly amazing. She has friends and has embraced the good in life. I am in awe at the writers who made it happen.

My daughter refuses to watch the show with us anymore because she had come to dislike the Adalind character so much that she is angry that they didn’t kill her off the show.

I was thinking about, Grimm, the other day and Adalind’s transformation and how people really can change. She is a fictional character. Her change is due to excellent writing and good acting, but we have something even better through Jesus.

When we embrace grace, and surrender all of our own bad thoughts and deeds, and ask for forgiveness, God can completely rewrite our story. He can take our ashes and create true beauty. He can take our messes and make masterpieces. He can do what is seemingly impossible because for Him, nothing is impossible.

There will always be naysayers, like my daughter with Adalind, who refuse to believe, but that doesn’t make the possibilities or the transformation with God, any less true or real.

Our Divine Writer is always waiting to write for us a new story, a better story; one that has Jesus at the center, one that embraces truth and light, one that produces peace, patience, love and joy.

We simply have to remember that we are the characters in our story and allow Him to be the writer. Once we embrace that truth, we truly have the ability to change the world.

Sometimes I really want to write my own story and do it my way instead of His. It often doesn’t turn out very well. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

Dealing with Nuisance Birds

Posted on by Wendy
Focusing on what frustrates us, makes us miss out on a lot of beauty.
Focusing on what frustrates us, makes us miss out on a lot of beauty.

Yesterday, some movement in my garage, caught my eye. She was back. I guess it was a she. Every year around this time, I have an ongoing battle with a bird who insists on trying to build a nest in my garage. Surely after all of this time, it isn’t the same bird, but it’s the same struggle.

I will shoo her out and she comes back. She will get a pile of leaves and sticks going and I remove them. It’s not like my yard isn’t covered with trees where she could easily build a nest. Every year, I feel like she targets me, which of course, isn’t the case.

Well, yesterday as soon as I saw what she was up to, I closed the garage. My kitchen got awfully dark all of a sudden because it was a beautiful day and I had blocked the sunlight from coming in, but I was willing to make the sacrifice.

Some time went by and I decided to sweep out my garage. When I clicked to open the garage door, I was stunned by both the brilliant light that came pouring in and the symphony of birdsong. I mean, it was like a concert out there. I smiled at their songs as well at how beautiful and warm the light was.

The garage had been dark and chilly with the door closed. Sure, there was no nuisance bird, but I was missing out on a lot of the beauty that I so enjoy this time of year.

I thought about that light and music for the rest of the day. I thought about how we can allow anything that is a nuisance to us, deprive us of something special.

I thought about how especially true that is with churches. Anyone who has spent a lot of time in a church will tell you that churches are far from perfect. They are made up of people and people are broken. There will be conflict from time to time.

Christians have a common enemy who thrives on conflict.

And quite often, there will be that one person, who drives us insane, so much so, that we allow ourselves to become focused on the negatives of that person. We can allow that person to become our nuisance bird, so to speak, and avoid all situations where he or she is involved. We become willing to shut out any contact with that person.

In so doing, we miss out on so much of the community that is the heart of the church. We miss the aggravation, but we sacrifice the light and the music.

My little nuisance bird reminded me that I should spend some time in prayer about those who frustrate me and then give it to God. In the end, keeping the door closed, makes me give up too much and in a world that is often dark, I don’t want to miss a minute of the light or the music.

Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Working At It

Posted on by Wendy
Spiritual strength, like physical strength, requires work.
Spiritual strength, like physical strength, requires work.

Spring is here, or really close, and shorts weather will soon follow. I love doing yoga and Pilates, but I don’t like doing cardio and I really loathe working on my arms. But, as a gal in her mid-forties, if I don’t want those famed choir lady arms, or as my mama calls them, angel wings, I have to put in some time with weights. Sigh.

At this point in my life, if I want to be happy with how I look, I have to put in some time and effort. Oh, I wish it wasn’t so, and that I could still eat chocolate chip cookies for breakfast, and only sweat occasionally, but those days are gone.

As I have grown older and hopefully wiser, I have learned that most all of the things that matter to me in my life require my time and attention. My marriage requires my time and attention if I want it to remain strong and fulfilling. My relationship with my children requires my time and attention and sometimes loads of patience, if I have any hope of them becoming productive adults with strong character, who make me and their Daddy proud. Relationships require my time and effort.

What about my relationship with God? As a teen, I would have said that I believed Jesus was my savior and I prayed. I believed that was enough. I also believed that eating chocolate cookies for breakfast wouldn’t make me fat.

But, times and circumstances change. I have come to understand that if I want a true, close relationship with God, it requires effort on my part. I have to attend regular worship services because God requires true worship of Him and Him alone. I can’t really do that sitting at home on the couch or at the lake.

I have to spend daily quiet time in prayer. I can’t hear Him if I’m not quiet and still. When I hear people say that God doesn’t ever speak to them, I often wonder if they are ever quiet when they pray. When we don’t quiet our minds, we can’t hear. Self-talk is not the same as prayer.

Finally, I have to spend some daily time reading the Bible. It doesn’t require a lot of time. It can be a daily devotion or a follow along Bible study, but to be truly close with God and to be able to discern His will for my life and His voice over the voices of others, I have to know His story and His character. I can only truly find that in the Bible.

There are times when my day has been over scheduled and I’m almost too exhausted to breathe, that I wonder if I really have the time. Can’t I just skip a day? I can, but, like those choir lady arms that I don’t want, if I want to be as spiritually strong as possible, I just have to commit the time.

And you know what? The results, like peace, patience and joy, are always worth it.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Savoring the Moment

Posted on by Wendy
Don't forget to savor the ordinary. One day we will look back and find that it was extraordinary.
Don’t forget to savor the ordinary. One day we will look back and find that it was extraordinary.

When the weather gets warmer like it has over the past few days, I feel an incredibly strong pull to get outdoors. My family and I took a walk on Sunday. I had so many things to do at my house, but I’ve become wise enough to know that when my two teens are willing to take a hike with their parents, it truly is a gift from God, and not to be taken for granted.

I have horrible allergies this time of year and have to take an antihistamine and a decongestant, but I can’t seem to stop myself from spending as much time outside as possible. The headache is worth it. Spring is so fleeting that I always try to grab hold of it with both hands. It will be ninety degrees here in the Peach State in the blink of an eye. Spring is precious.

Yesterday, when my daughter got home from school, I was sitting on the porch with a cup of tea and she and I talked about her day. I had some laundry to attend to, but she wanted to talk, so I was happy to listen. My son came in with my hubby, a little while later and my son spent some time talking about his day.

It was getting later. I needed to start dinner, but there we sat, talking and listening to each other and soaking up every drop we could of the glorious day we had been given.

Dinner ended up being a little late. No one seemed to care. I had to take some ibuprofen after clearing the dishes because my head was aching some. I was late writing my post because I spent the extra time outdoors with my family and the towels are still in the dryer.

But, as I sit here typing, I couldn’t be more thankful. I truly believe when I get to the end of my life, that I will look back on time spent on the porch with my kids as precious and as fleeting as spring.

It’s the ordinary gifts like a spring day or the time spent with our family that we so often take for granted, but in the end, we usually find that the ordinary is actually the extraordinary. And if we are truly wise, we grab hold with both hands and savor every moment, thanking God for the everyday.

Because, time is the one thing that we can never get enough of and the laundry can always wait.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Yesterday,Today and Forever

Posted on by Wendy
We are saved by grace and grace alone.
We are saved by grace and grace alone.

I was subbing in a fifth grade class yesterday and I had a break because my students were at art. I took a deep breath because it had been a hectic day and I was basking in a little quiet time. It didn’t last long.

One of my favorite students who I had earlier that day, walked in with a smile on his face and said, “Hey Mrs. Gaines are you good at….?” The words froze in the air as I said a silent prayer pleading, “Please God, don’t let it be math.”

The words social studies, were the next words he spoke and I was flooded with relief. Snicker at me if you must; thinking that any simple-minded adult should be able to do fifth grade math, but you would be wrong. They have changed how math is done.

I have no idea who they are, but I’m here to tell you, a simple math problem which used to take all of four lines on a sheet of notebook paper, will now fill a page. I can get the right answer, but they aren’t looking for the right answer. They want to know how you got it and often times it involves drawing pictures. Can you imagine?

Now, social studies is history. History doesn’t change. I love history and I happily helped that young man with his social studies questions. Seems that the facts from the Great Depression are the same as they were when I was in school. Can I get an, “amen?”

The way school curriculum has changed drives me crazy, but as I was thinking about it, there are very few things in life that don’t change. Fashion and style change. Attitudes change. Laws change.

The church even changes. When I was a kid, we would have never worn pants to church. It was dresses and heels. But, now blue jeans are the norm. We wouldn’t have dreamed of eating or drinking in the sanctuary, but now people bring in giant tumblers of coffee.

People change sometimes for the better and sometimes for worse. But, God doesn’t change.

The Bible says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. So do not be attracted by strange, new ideas. Your strength comes from God’s grace, not from rules about food, which don’t help those who follow them.” Hebrews 13:8-9

In an ever-changing world, Jesus stays the same. The Bible still stands. Man may try to rewrite it to suit ourselves or to better explain it, like common core math attempts to. We can make it needlessly difficult, if we so choose.

But, in the end, we are saved by grace and grace alone, because God loves us.

“I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death, nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow-not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below-indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39

And that, will never change. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

Welcoming the Prodigals

Posted on by Wendy
Jesus calls us to welcome the prodigals with open arms.
Jesus calls us to welcome the prodigals with open arms.

Yesterday, our sermon was about the Prodigal Son found in Luke, Chapter 13. It’s a familiar story for most of us. I’ve heard many sermons on it. I’ve heard sermons focusing on the forgiving, loving father. I’ve heard sermons that focus on the righteous son, as well as sermons that focused on the wayward son.

I suppose the focus for the reader is most often, which of the characters he or she most closely relates to. But, yesterday, the pastor pointed out that many of us have had the opportunity to be all three of the characters, at some point in our lives. I know I have. I can relate to all three.

But, as I sat in church thinking about the father and his sons, I began to think of all of us who are regular church goers, those of us who strive to stay on the right path and stay close to the Father. How do we feel about those prodigals who come in after, as Jesus put it, “squandering their wealth on wild living?”

More importantly, how do we treat them when they come to church to worship or to seek?

How do we treat the pregnant teenager? We can say we don’t believe in abortion, but are we willing to help support the young mother and her baby? What about the prodigal who was raised in church, but chose to do drugs and is now fighting that addiction? What about the man that we know has been unfaithful to his wife and is now a single father? What about the kid who walks in off the street covered in piercings and tattoos?

What is our reaction to these people? While at this point in our lives, we may be the righteous son in the story, we are called to act like the Father, not like the son in the story.

We are called to be forgiving. We are called to celebrate every single soul who finds its way home, no matter how off the path we may feel they have been. We are called to act that way because Jesus says God acts that way.

Jesus felt so strongly about giving everyone the opportunity to be forgiven and go to Heaven, that He willingly died for every one of us, so that we could be redeemed, all of us, not just some of us.

I suppose Lent is the ideal time to ask ourselves how we feel about all of the prodigals out there who are searching for forgiveness and love. Jesus taught that we are to welcome them with open arms.

Sometimes we can forget, but Jesus is so good about gently reminding us. Perhaps you needed reminding today.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Never Stop Praying

Posted on by Wendy
Never stop praying because God is always listening.
Never stop praying because God is always listening.

I love that Jesus was such a great storyteller and to me, a great storyteller is not someone who uses long eloquent words that have me running for a thesaurus. He had a simple message for simple people. Humanity has a way of making the even simplest things in life complicated, and we can do a fabulous job of complicating our faith too.

I’ve been thinking a lot about prayer lately and the power it gives those who choose to use it daily. It draws us closer to God and over time, turns us into serious warriors.

One of my favorite parables that Jesus told, is the one found in Luke 18: 1-8. A widow kept going to a judge in town to plea for justice. For a long time he refused, but then eventually, he decided to grant her request because she was going to wear him out.

Jesus wanted his disciples to never stop praying. He wants us to never stop praying.

It can be hard sometimes when we have prayed for something in particular, for what seems like forever. We sometimes can begin to wonder if God is even listening.

Luke 18:1 tells us that, “Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and never give up.”

There are so many important things that Christians should pray about, but we sometimes get frustrated because we feel like God isn’t listening. They can be things ranging from marital issues, to sickness, to financial issues, to problems with friends and family. They can also be global issues like terrorism, violence, and national elections.

Jesus reminds us in this parable that God does hear our prayers and persistent prayer pays off.

Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Paul is also reminding us that God is always listening, even when our circumstances seem dire.

There are many reasons to be unhappy about the twists and turns our lives take. There are many reasons to be fearful about the state of our world at the moment. But, if we remember that God is in control and to pray about everything that concerns us, we will be heard. We will be comforted. We will be answered.

The Bible tells us so.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂