Month: October 2016

The Blessings in the Uneventful

Posted on by Wendy
We don't have to look far to find blessings in the everyday.
We don’t have to look far to find blessings in the everyday.

As I sat down to write today’s post, I wasn’t sure what I would write. I had a blessedly uneventful weekend, with no children with an appendicitis. I bought groceries and cleaned my house. On Sunday, I returned my parents’ dogs to them and got to hear a little bit about their trip to Niagara Falls.

The quiet was restored to our house.

The heat had at long last broken and my hubby and I were able to sand and re-paint our porch rails where the paint had inexplicably peeled. Our daughter was lounging close by in her Eno hammock while we worked. The weather was picture perfect. The sun was out. There was a light breeze. If I were ordering my ideal weather, it would have been yesterday.

As I prayed about what I would write, as I sought out God to share in this space, I could almost feel the tapping, encouraging me to look around and then I saw it.

While our lives are so often captured in photos, in those big moments, like weddings, job offers, birthdays, special trips, or the birth of a child, it’s the everyday that shapes us the most. We spend most of our time there, contrary to what social media would have you believe.

It’s the doing the laundry, and buying the groceries, and cleaning our houses that allow us to embrace our blessings. Are we thankful for the money to buy groceries or the fact that we have plenty of food available? Are we thankful that we have clothes to wash and water to wash them with, or that we have a washing machine? Are we thankful for the people God has put in our lives that created all of that laundry? Are we thankful that we have homes to clean? There are many who don’t.

What about our people? Are we thankful for one more meal with them? Are we thankful when they are close by? Are we thankful for their health? Are we thankful for our own health?

As I thought about it, I had seen God in dozens of ways all weekend, with the many blessings He has bestowed on me and my family. I was reminded that while the mountaintop moments are wonderful, the daily stuff is just as good and I should be thankful for the everyday since that’s where I spend most of my time.

One day, I hope to hear Jesus say, “Well done good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” Matthew 25:23

Being thankful and diligent with the everyday, is a way to be faithful to our God who has given us those blessings that we too often take for granted.

An uneventful weekend reminded me of my many blessings. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

 

Lessons from a Leper

Posted on by Wendy
When they followed Jesus' command, they were cleansed.
When they followed Jesus’ command, they were cleansed.

Last week, our sermon was on the ten lepers that Jesus healed. Lepers, in the Bible, lived on the edge of society. They had to call out to anyone who came near them, to warn them they were unclean.

Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem for Passover when the lepers cried out to Him. He was on a mission. He knew His time had come, yet even though He had important plans, even though He knew the brutality that was coming to Him in a very short time, He still took time to heal them.

That’s the love and compassion that Jesus has for humanity.

But, what my pastor pointed out this time that caught my attention, was that, Jesus didn’t have a long conversation with them or go through any long ritual. He simply gave them a command. “Go, and show yourselves to the priests.”

And the next sentence is the headline. “And as they went, they were cleansed.” Luke 17:14

The lepers were not healed until they obeyed Jesus. Their obedience led to their healing. Jesus said, “go.”

How many times does Jesus tell us to go? Go and apologize. Go and forgive. Go and share. Go and tell.  Go to the meeting. Go to the worship service. How many times do we just stay in the comfort of our own little world and stay? Stay and be angry. Stay and live with the hurt. Stay and hold on tightly to all we perceive as ours. Stay and be quiet. Stay and do our own will.

What would our lives look like if we simply went in obedience wherever He tells us go or did whatever He tells us to do? All ten lepers were healed. They were cleansed of all that had kept them separate and isolated. They were free.

We can be too. One of those ten lepers was so overwhelmed with thanks that when he realized what Jesus had done, he turned around, ran back, and threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. That particular leper, was the wisest of all. Not only did he obey, when he understood that his obedience had healed him, he couldn’t help, but to give thanks.

That leper, like Martha’s sister Mary before him, understood that at the feet of Jesus is where we should all be, when we are in need, but when we have been blessed as well. It’s easy to find ourselves at the foot of the cross when things are bad for us, when we are worried, sick, or scared. It’s another thing to understand that our thanks for our many blessings go there too.

One leper out of ten got it right and Jesus told him so. Jesus told him to”Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”

May the one guy who got it right, serve as a shining reminder for us all. When we live in obedience with thankful hearts, our lives are permanently changed.

Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you needed reminding today.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Acorn Inspiration

Posted on by Wendy
Every mighty oak tree began as a tiny acorn.
Every mighty oak tree began as a tiny acorn.

As Fall attempts to show itself in my neck of the woods, the mornings are much cooler. Some of the leaves are turning colors, but at the moment, most of our trees are stubbornly holding onto them and most of them are still green.

But, one of the biggest signs for me that Fall is indeed here, is the acorns. My backyard is full of oak trees and long before the leaves turn their brilliant fall colors, the acorns begin to fall by the dozens.

The squirrels are busy gathering them up for the winter and they are almost everywhere I step. I love acorns and all they represent. They remind me of the possibilities we all have access to, when we put our faith in God.

On one level, they provide food for hungry animals. They have a real immediate use.

But, on another level, they are capable of almost unfathomable greatness. Each tiny acorn has the possibility of becoming a mighty oak tree. Oak trees are hardy. They provide shade. They provide homes for wildlife and they provide beauty that only God can create, in the fall. Some of them live for hundreds of years and they each began as a tiny acorn.

We too, have the ability to feed those around us. We can use words and acts of encouragement and love to shine the light of Christ into our often dark world.

We also have the choice to lean in close to Jesus and to trust God to do something big with our lives. We can choose to dig deep and be patient and wait on His timing and we too, can stand tall and mighty like the oak tree and point others to our awesome God.

Oak trees are strong. Some can even withstand hurricanes. We too, have that capability when we stay close to God.

All, of that amazing strength begins as a tiny acorn. Acorns always give me hope and inspiration and there are days when I really need them both. Perhaps you needed them today too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Trust and Obey

Posted on by Wendy
Obedience to God, changes everything.
Obedience to God, changes everything.

Our Old Testament reading in church last week, was on Naaman. I have always appreciated that story and found myself reading through it again. It’s found in 2 Kings 5.

Naaman was a valiant warrior and the Bible says that through him, the Lord had given victory to Aram. We might want to take note here that Aram was not Israel. The Bible is clear that God doesn’t only control the destinies of His people; He controls the destinies of all nations. That’s a fact that as people of God, we might want to hold close at the present moment.

Also, take notice that, the Bible says through him, the Lord had given victory. God has always been in the business of using people to have His plans accomplished.

But, Naaman had a problem. He had leprosy. A servant girl, who was a captive from Israel, told her mistress, Naaman’s wife, that there was a prophet in Israel, Elisha, who could cure him.

I wonder if that lowly servant girl had any idea what part her faith would play in Biblical history. Her faith, her courageous testimony, encouraged Naaman to go and seek the man of God. There are no small parts in Kingdom building.

Naaman went, all puffed up, I suspect, bearing gifts. He was a proud warrior, after all; surely Elisha would be so thankful for the gifts, that he would be honored to cure him. Naaman certainly was not a picture of humility, a trait sorely missing in our own world too.

Elisha did not rush out to greet him. He sent a messenger to tell him to wash himself seven times in the Jordan River and he would be cleansed.

Naaman was insulted. How dare Elisha not come out and meet him! He wanted Elisha to wave his hands over his skin and heal him. Naaman wanted to be healed in the way that he chose.

But, God’s ways and man’s ways are rarely the same. God does not serve man. Man is called to serve God. God was willing to heal Naaman just as God is willing to heal us, but it’s rarely with the snap of fingers. Healing takes time and often effort on our own part and oh yeah, obedience.

Elisha told Naaman to wash himself seven times in the Jordan and he was so angry about the instructions, that he almost walked away sick. How often do we do the same? How often do we have the promise of healing within our grasp if we will only humble ourselves and obey God?

How often do we choose to walk away because of our own pride and stubbornness?

Naaman almost missed it. He stomped away angry, but his servants intervened. God had placed faithful people in his life, even though he didn’t have the faith required; the servants did.

Naaman grudgingly did it God’s way and he was immediately healed. Even though he wasn’t happy about it, he did eventually follow Elisha’s instructions.

Do we find ourselves, like Naaman, grudgingly following God’s instructions or do we find ourselves not obeying at all? Do we find ourselves with faithful friends who can encourage us to get on the right path when we are willfully following our own way?

Naaman’s story has so much to teach us about ourselves. It teaches us about the dangers of pride and about the rewards of humility and obedience. It teaches us about the value of faithful friends. It teaches us about the love and patience of our God. It teaches us to trust. It teaches us faith.

Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you did too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Open the Eyes of My Heart

Posted on by Wendy
We can see God, if we are willing to look.
We can see God, if we are willing to look.

Last Sunday morning, our praise and worship team lead us in the song, “Open the Eyes of My Heart.” The song asks God to, “Open the eyes of my heart Lord, I want to see you.” It continues to a chorus of, “Holy, holy, holy, I want to see you.”

I love that song. I try to daily seek God in the everyday and share it here. So, that song is kind of like an anthem for me and when I sing it, I really mean it. As always when I ask God to show Himself, He does.

On Sunday, a young mom walked in, right past me, with her precious baby and there He was. It’s difficult not to see God in the miracle of a baby.

As our musical worship continued, I watched the woman who was sitting beside them look over and smile at the infant. I don’t know that I have ever seen that woman smile, yet every time she looked at the baby, she smiled. Yep, God was showing Himself.

At one point during the music, the baby began to fuss and his grandmother took him out for a few minutes. When she returned, she had him snugly wrapped in a blanket. When she walked back in, she stopped at my pew for a few seconds, so that I could see him.

I think my hubby thought it was a little strange, but I knew why. God was showing Himself, just as I had asked.

When we sing in church, it’s a form of worship. When we truly open our hearts and allow the words to wash over us, our song becomes a prayer and like any prayer, God answers us. He sometimes answers us in ways that only we can understand because He knows ours hearts that well.

The Bible tells us, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” Psalm 139:13

Our lives are not by chance. Our circumstances are not by chance. We were planned with a purpose.

That baby in church, was planned with a purpose. His sweet face is a reminder to all of us that God is still at work, contrary to what the media would have you believe. He’s not done with us yet.

In the next few weeks, as God shows up in such a huge way in the brilliance of fall, I pray that as a nation, we all seek to see Him, that we all seek to do His will, that we all open our eyes and watch for Him.

He has a plan. He’s still in control. May we all remember.

A baby reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

I have included a link to the song, in case you would like to hear it.

Happy Fall

Posted on by Wendy

My kids have the day off today. We have a very short fall break, so I’m taking this day to enjoy my family and soak up the beauty that only comes this time of year. We certainly have a creative Creator.

I hope you have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Answered Prayers

Posted on by Wendy
Prayer works. It's the only thing that really does.
Prayer works. It’s the only thing that really does.

On September the 10th, I wrote about my friend, our school nurse, Ivy. I shared that she has ALS and that she was on medical leave. I shared that she’s a woman of very strong faith, a true prayer warrior. I wrote about her sharing with me that she believes that she will be healed.

I asked my readers to please pray for Ivy. I reminded the other prayer warriors who pass through here that we do not fight against flesh and blood enemies, but against the unseen ones who wish to harm us. We are spiritual beings as well as physical ones.

Since that original post, 2,676 people have read it in 19 countries and I’m happy to report that it’s working.

Ivy is back at work doing what she loves, healing and sharing kindness and love with the children who come to the clinic. She is the first person I see each day in the office and she always greets me with a smile. We still begin our day with a quick prayer, before we turn on the lights.

I am learning so much from her and I am blessed to know her. I am constantly amazed and inspired by the regular flow of  parents who stop in the office and tell her they are praying for her. Our prayer warrior has the same response every time. “Thank-so much!” she always says with a smile. It’s the only thing that really works.

Earlier this week, she shared with me that she has movement in her feet that she didn’t have a few weeks ago. I was so excited for her and we shared in a prayer of thanks. ALS is degenerative. It doesn’t get better.

But, it seems God has other plans for Ivy. He is not after all, bound by any human understanding.

I share all of this with you now for a couple of reasons. First of all, I want to ask you to continue to pray for Ivy and for God to continue to show Himself through her and to heal her. But, I also want to encourage you to really try to wrap your brain around and embrace the phenomenal power that God’s people have in prayer.

It works. It will work in your life, in your relationships, in your situation. As Ivy says, it’s the only thing that really does.

Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Puff Ball Wisdom

Posted on by Wendy
As long as we stay focused on Jesus, we know we are treasured.
As long as we stay focused on Jesus, we know we are treasured.

A couple of days ago, during our morning rush in the office, a little kindergartener came in and tossed a medium sized puff ball on the counter. “This is not my puff ball!” he said angrily.

I took it from him and chuckled to myself wondering why he was so offended by a small fluffy object. It looked almost like one of those puff balls we used to tie on our roller skates when I was growing up.

The little boy went on his way and I placed the puff ball in a drawer where I figured it would remain forevermore. I couldn’t imagine why anyone would come looking for it. What could they possibly do with it?

A little while later, a little girl came into the office and asked me if I had seen a gray and teal puff ball. I was stunned. I could not imagine anyone looking for it. I told her, “yes,” and I pulled it out of the drawer and gave it to her.

Her eyes lit up and she smiled. She pulled a part of a key ring out of her pocket and carefully reattached it to a small loop on it, that I hadn’t seen earlier.

“Oh,” I thought, it was a key chain. It did have a use and it was in fact, precious to someone.

I thought about that puff ball over the next few days. I thought about how easily we sometimes tend to dismiss ourselves as useless in the world around us. We feel we’re not smart enough, or funny enough, or clever enough, or talented enough, or maybe strong enough.

We’ve all been that puff ball, thrown to the side by someone who didn’t want us. That someone could have been anything ranging from a boss, to a spouse, to friends or even family. If we’ve been a part of the human race long enough, we have at some point, been rejected by someone who didn’t want us or see our potential.

But, if we walk with Jesus, we know there’s a better way. If we reach out to Him, Jesus picks us up from the spot we have been tossed and lovingly dusts us off. He calls us by name and finds our own little inner loop that the casual observer may not see. He turns us into something useful, into something treasured.

Just like the little girl was thrilled to find her lost puff ball, Jesus is thrilled to find His lost sheep. It doesn’t matter if people have branded us useless or not good enough. Jesus gets the last word. I find that very comforting.

A gray and teal puff ball reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Mustard Seed Perspective

Posted on by Wendy
When we look at the actual size of a mustard seed, it changes everything.
When we look at the actual size of a mustard seed, it changes everything.

Our sermon last Sunday, was about Jesus and the mustard seed faith discussion found in Luke. I have always enjoyed that part of scripture because I knew that mustard seeds are small, but a few years ago, for a middle school Sunday school class, I actually went out and bought some mustard seeds so the kids could see them.

I’ll have to admit that I was stunned. Those seeds are seriously tiny and Jesus talks about them in more than one instance.

In Luke 17, Jesus tells the disciples that if they had faith even as tiny as a mustard seed, they could tell a mulberry tree to uproot itself and throw itself into the sea and it would. That seems like an extravagant gesture.

But, our pastor pointed out the verses before it where Jesus tells the disciples to forgive their brothers if they ask for forgiveness and repent, even if they do it seven times in a day.

The mulberry tree begins to look a little bit easier, doesn’t it?

Forgiving someone repeatedly, goes against our human nature. Forgiving someone one time is hard enough, twice is even more difficult, but at some point, our go to, is to write them off and be done with them and to remain angry.

And therein lies the problem. Carrying around anger and unforgiveness damages our souls. It weighs down our hearts. It separates us from God. It also leads to a host of physical problems from anxiety, to high blood pressure, to stomach issues.

Walking away from people who wish us harm, is perfectly fine, but our souls need for us to forgive.

How is that possible when someone has wronged us over and over?

Jesus says if we have the faith as tiny as a mustard seed, that will be enough. Refer to the picture of the mustard seed and the penny.

If we have just the tiniest bit of faith, Jesus can do the rest. If Jesus is within us and we pray about forgiveness with open hearts, the Holy Spirit will make a way.

So, our excuses of not being strong enough to forgive, don’t work because it’s not about us. It’s about Jesus and He says with God all things are possible and He says that we only need faith the size of a mustard seed to succeed in what He asks us to do.

Sometimes the next step is to ask ourselves if we believe Jesus is true to His word. If the answer is yes, then we know we have all we need to move forward.

A tiny mustard seed reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Watching for the Flags

Posted on by Wendy
The flags on the stairs give us a warning of where we shouldn't step.
The flags on the stairs gave us a warning of where we shouldn’t step.

On Sunday after church, my family decided to go for a walk at the Botanical Gardens. We all had individual projects to work on, but the weather was so wonderful, that it felt wrong for us not to get out an enjoy it.

We are big believers that God has His fingerprints all over nature and for us, enjoying Creation as a family, is a form of worship.

We meandered a while by a creek that eventually lead us to the river. We walked along the river for a while, taking photos and breathing in the cooler fall air. We eventually followed a trail that lead us back up to civilization. There were lots of flowerbeds and some sculptures and fountains. Some areas had lots of steps.

The last steps that we headed up, had yellow flags in some places. Those flags warned us not to step in those areas because the bricks were loose and a fall could happen that could lead to injury.

My daughter and her daddy had the discussion about what would happen if one were to step on those steps anyway and fall. Could that person sue? My hubby told her he didn’t think you could sue the state of Georgia.

I thought about those flags and that conversation long after our little hike.

I thought about how nice it would be if we had little caution flags in real life, warning us of the places where we should not tread.

Almost as soon as I thought it, a little voice in my head reminded me that we do have those warnings.

When we are in regular prayer, and we read our Bible, the Holy Spirit is really good at warning us of the places we should not go and about the decisions we should not make.

When I think back on my own life and some of my own biggest mistakes, I knew on some level, that they were wrong before I made them. But, I made them anyway. Sometimes the consequences were disastrous.

And as I found myself in a pit of my own making, was it right for me to blame God? After all, I had been warned.

Ummm, no.

What about as a society and as a country, do we get those flags? Of course we do. God is not a Sunday God. His rules and plans don’t just apply to us on Sundays sitting in the church pews. They apply to our everyday lives as well.

When we make decisions contrary to His teachings and there are consequences, do we have the right to be angry? Can we sue God?

It’s so easy to “lean on our own understanding.” After all, we tend to believe that we know best.

But, the Bible tells us differently. We are warned not to do certain things. There are flags.

Sometimes we don’t understand why, but trust and obedience are part of our faith, no matter how difficult that may be at times. We can choose to avoid the flags or not.

I’m learning in my own walk, to watch for those flags. Some stairs in need of repair, reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂