Month: November 2018

Table and Chairs Lessons

Posted on by Wendy
If this was my first project, I might have given up.

This past summer, I refinished several pieces of furniture for my daughter’s college apartment. I found that I really like creating with my hands and that there’s something incredibly rewarding about bringing new life to something just sitting in storage and gathering dust.

One of my daughter’s roommates decided to move out and another girl is moving in, so they needed a table. Naturally, I knew right where one was. It was sitting in my parents’ barn just waiting for me to give it new life. I gleefully went with my hubby in the freezing cold to pick it up.

It’s interesting that this particular project happened to be last of the apartment projects. First of all, it was a table and six chairs. It took up a lot of space and a lot of time. Secondly, all of my other projects were done during the summer. There was lots of light and I could store everything in the garage.

This time, most of it had to be done in the house and I didn’t have much light to work with. I had to step over or around chairs for weeks. To top it off, most of it wasn’t solid; it was veneer which is particularly difficult to work with. The chairs and base took a primer coat and three coats of paint. The top had to be sanded carefully, yet repeatedly and took several coats of stain as well as polyurethane.

If this would have been my first project, I might have given up. I might not have even tried all of the other ones out of sheer frustration, but it wasn’t my first. I had created and seen too many before and afters and I was simply too stubborn to give up.

In the end, it turned out just fine. My daughter was happy and she and her roomies have a place to gather to eat, or talk, or work on projects that require them to spread out.

I don’t know what it is about a kitchen table that calls us to sit and stay a while. There are far more comfortable places to sit in most homes, yet time and time again, I have found myself sitting either at my own kitchen table with friends and family or at someone else’s.

What is it about a kitchen table that calls us to sit and stay a while?

My table adventure reminded me that everything we do in life, is preparing us for the next step, the next project, the next calling. It’s part of the Divine Design. God always has a plan and is always working even when we can’t see Him. Nothing is by chance and nothing is trivial. We don’t have to know how it will turn out because He does. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Christmas Tree Adventures

Posted on by Wendy
Every chapter in our lives has a beauty all its own.

On Thanksgiving Day, after the meal was eaten and the dishes were put away, my mama and I were sitting at the kitchen table, looking at the pictures we had taken. We were appreciating a little break after a day of cooking, when my college student came in and announced that she, her brother and her daddy, were going out to find a Christmas tree and asked if we wanted to go.

I had serious doubts about the success of this venture, but I was game and so was Mama. We piled up into the truck, found some Christmas music and away we went. We did eventually find a tree, but we couldn’t find a tree stand, and no one was willing to brave the Walmart madness. We went to six places from one end of town to the other and eventually gave up and went home.

But, we had fun and we made some new memories.

We did go the next day and picked out a tree and a stand. We have always used an artificial one, so this was an entirely new experience for us. When we began decorating, my daughter decided we needed a new garland, so she and Mama and I, pulled up Pinterest and got some ideas. Then we grabbed my son, and we piled into my car, turned on the Christmas music and went to Hobby Lobby. It was complete Black Friday chaos, which I usually avoid at all costs,but we got in and out without a scratch and a couple of rolls of ribbon.

Once again, we made some new memories.

We got home and my daughter and I, finished decorating our new real tree, with our new garland. We laughed a lot and my son threw in his two cents worth from time to time and we made more memories.

I share this story because my son is a senior in high school and my daughter attends college a few hours away from home. This time next year, my hubby and I will be empty nesters. Gone are the days of little ones and milk and cookies left for Santa. Those days were fun and magical, to be sure.

But, this chapter is turning out to be fun as well. We can be more spontaneous and there are no bed times. We can start new traditions. I get opinions from my mostly grown kids on things like garland and I have to say, I’m enjoying the input.

My family Christmas tree adventure, reminded me that every chapter in our lives has a beauty and magic all its own. Looking back can be fun, but longing for the past robs us of the present and there are still so many memories to make. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Celebrating Anne

Posted on by Wendy
The love and kindness we share, remain long after we are gone.

The Sunday before Thanksgiving, I attended a funeral. It was for one of the most influential women in my faith walk. Her name was Anne. She came in every Sunday morning, when I was a child, carrying a black flannel board and little cut out paper characters to introduce a new Bible story.

She began each Sunday morning with songs, that are forever etched into my heart. One of her daughters would play the piano and we would sing, “This Little Light of Mine,” or “Jesus Loves Me,” or “Deep and Wide,” or “Zacchaeus Was a Wee Little Man,” or “Joy, Joy, Joy, Down in My Heart,” (she would always pause during that one and ask us where and we would loudly sing it back.”

She taught kindergarten and she happily used her gifts, week after week, and year after year, to teach Sunday School as well as Vacation Bible School. I don’t think she ever had to be asked, she just did.

She taught me and my sister, and there’s no telling how many other children over the years, about the Bible giants. I have vivid memories of Jonah and the Whale, Noah, Joseph, Moses, Paul and of course Jesus, and countless others, marching across that black felt board.

She laid a foundation that would one day encourage me to dig deeper and learn more about God’s Word. She was a seed planter.

There was another lady in that tiny country church, who was also as influential for me as Anne was and she went home years ago to be with Jesus. She was definitely a Martha. As I was praying for comfort for Anne’s family, God reminded me that my sweet Anne was a Mary, spending countless hours at the feet of Jesus and then sharing what she learned with everyone around her in the kindest, gentlest way possible.

My daily devotion two days later just happened to be about those two sisters and I was reminded how both are needed to do Kingdom work. My personal faith walk was influenced by women with both of those gifts and I learned so much from them both.

From one, I was encouraged to plan and direct Vacation Bible School for almost ten years. From the other, I was encouraged to dig into the Bible and write about and share Jesus with others.

As I stood at Anne’s graveside, the day was spectacularly beautiful. The sky was a brilliant blue and the temperature had risen to close to seventy. It was as if nature was rejoicing that she had moved onto a better place, out of the sickness and pain where she had been.

I’ve no doubt, heaven was rejoicing at the addition of a new saint and I’m sure she heard the words: “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful in a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” Matthew 25:21

Remembering Anne reminded me that we should keep planting and using our gifts, whatever they may be. We just never know what might take root. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Happy Thanksgiving!

Posted on by Wendy

My daughter is home from college for Thanksgiving this week. My senior is off this week as well. I’m taking this week off to spend as much family time as possible, so I won’t be posting anything. I hope you find this holiday full of things to be thankful for. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Advent Kindness

Posted on by Wendy
Sometimes the simplest kindness can inspire others to do the same.

Yesterday was a really busy day at the school where I work. It was our annual Thanksgiving Feast celebration and we had close to a thousand people signed up to come and eat. There were people checking in and out all day long with very little down time.

On top of that, it had been a long week. It had rained all week long, pouring rain, and we had flash flood watches and river flooding watches. I hadn’t seen the sun in days. By Thursday, I really just longed to be home on my couch, underneath a blanket.

On that previous Sunday, when we returned from church, there had been a gift leaning up against my garage door. It was an Advent Calendar with a big Santa Clause on it. I knew immediately who it was from, but I wondered how it got there.

An elderly widow lived across the street from us from the time we bought our house until last summer, when she announced to us she was moving into a retirement community. She had shared with that me she was lonely and she was ready to move. She told me with a twinkle in her eye that she had heard that place was just like living in a sorority house. I was so sad to see her go, but really happy for her.

She bought my kids Advent Calendars our very first Christmas in our new home and continued every year well into their teenage years. I hadn’t thought much about this year until I saw it and the card she included brought tears to my eyes. She said she thought my son might enjoy one last Advent Calendar before he went off to college.

Her thoughtfulness and kindness really touched my heart and I gave thanks for her influence on my childrens’ lives. She certainly didn’t have to be so kind to them, but she always was. She was an inspiration to me and I prayed that God would show me opportunities to show kindness to others when I didn’t have to.

Yesterday, at the end of the day, I walked down to a classroom to get some kiddos to check out. The office was packed and there were some classes in transition and I was grateful for the escape. I walked purposefully to my destination holding a radio in my hand and after I found the teacher, I headed back.

But, as I headed towards the office, a kindergartener stopped me. She was at the water fountain trying to fill her water bottle. She asked me if I could loosen the top for her. That Advent Calendar blazed across my mind as a teacher came down the hall and offered to help her. I smiled, put the walkie underneath my arm and told her that was okay, I loosened the top and handed it back to her. The little girl beamed and thanked me as she walked back to the fountain.

God has often spoken to me through children. I think they are sometimes beacons for Jesus. It didn’t occur to the little girl that I was tired, or in a hurry, or that I had something in my hand. She was thirsty and she needed assistance, so she asked and I was given the opportunity that I had prayed for.

I was humbled and thankful. A little girl and an Advent Calendar reminded me that as we travel through Thanksgiving and head towards Advent that our aching world is filled with opportunities to be kind, and that if we prayerfully keep watch, God will show us the way. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Early Thanksgiving Blessings

Posted on by Wendy
May our early Thanksgiving remind us to stop and give thanks.

Thanksgiving is early this year. The latest it can be is November 28th and the earliest is November 22nd. I don’t know what makes it fluctuate, but since I am someone who looks for God’s fingerprints in the world around me, I suspect this year’s early arrival was Divine intervention.

This year’s little midterm elections which are usually a blip on the screen, were particularly ugly and contentious with an extra helping of accusations of cheating from both sides of the aisle. There are several states who have people in key races who have refused to concede, including my own, and once again, the state of Florida has some major voting issues, leaving the country in limbo.

We are clearly divided as a nation, yet there are some things that tend to bring us together. Thanksgiving is one of them.

It’s a uniquely American holiday that calls on us to stop what we are doing; this means working for most of us, but maybe specifically this year, fighting with each other, come together, and give thanks for all we have and let’s face it, we have a lot.

The vast majority of us have electricity, roofs over our heads, clean water and plenty to eat. Even our poorest, have more than those in other parts of the world. Sure, we can absolutely do better and we should definitely strive to do so, but we have no doubt, been blessed.

We have the goal of educating every child in this country, regardless of their sex, race or religion. The American dream is still a shining beacon to those who seek to work for it.

We are free to worship in the way that we see fit here, something that we tend to take for granted. It’s easy to forget that Christians in some parts of the world are killed or tortured everyday for acknowledging their belief in Jesus.

Division has often been a part of American life. From our nation’s birth, with the Loyalists and the Patriots, to the North verses the South, to the Civil Rights Movement that rocked us, but eventually made us stronger, we have always disagreed with each other.

But, in the end, we have always come back together. May this early Thanksgiving remind us how much we actually have in common and Who we have to thank for it, because in the end, acknowledging the Who, can unite us all.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Veteran’s Day Prayers

Posted on by Wendy
Let’s take a moment to say a prayer of thanks and healing for those who have fought to keep us safe.

Today we observe Veteran’s Day in the United States. It was first commemorated on November 11, 1919 because of an armistice, or cease-fire in World War I, occurred in the eleventh hour, on the eleventh day, in the eleventh month. World War I was known as the war to end all wars. The day was set aside to honor the soldiers who fought in that war as well as to honor the peace that had been secured.

There are other allied countries who also celebrate Armistice Day, most notably France.

Sadly, in 1939, World War II began and the Korean Conflict occurred after that. Next there was Vietnam and most recently, wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. World War I was clearly not the war to end all wars. In 1954, President Eisenhower designated November 11th as Veteran’s Day, a day when all Americans of all wars, would be honored for their service to our country.

According to the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs, there were 20.4 million veterans living in the United States, as of 2016. That’s less than ten percent of the adult population. That’s a very small amount of people who have done a huge amount of work and made great personal sacrifices to guarantee our everyday freedoms and safety that we all too often take for granted.

According to the Census, in 2014, 3.8 million had a service connected disability. Another estimate of the Department of Veteran’s Affairs, is that 31% of Vietnam Veterans, 10% of Gulf War Veterans and 11% of Afghanistan Veterans suffer from PTSD. These men and women are carrying around emotional scars with them that others can’t even see, that can interfere with their jobs, relationships, health and their well being in general.

As I read all of these statistics, I feel particularly humbled at the thought that our military is strictly volunteer. We haven’t had a draft since 1973, yet these brave men and women, volunteer their lives to serve and possibly fight and die, for an ideal so precious and so much bigger than they are.

As we take this day to remember our veterans, let’s say a prayer of thanks for their service as well as for the sacrifice of their families and loved ones. But, let’s also pray for healing. For some of them, their physical service may have ended, but their emotional war continues.

We are so very blessed in this country. Let’s pray that those blessings will extend specifically to those who have fought to insure all that we have.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

First Grade Logic

Posted on by Wendy
How we view failure can determine our success.

One of my favorite first graders came into the office today. I turned around in my chair and he was standing there in front of the clinic. The nurse had stepped out for a minute and I asked him what he needed. He told me his clothes were soaking wet.

Now, I love to hear this kid tell a story, so I asked him what happened. I was not disappointed. He went into a long narrative about how he had been on the slide, not the little kids’ slide, but the one for the upper grades. Everything was really wet, so he was sliding very slowly, and when he reached the bottom, he tried to turn to the left really quickly, but he wasn’t fast enough and fell into a puddle.

There are some kids who would have come into the office crying about being all wet. There are some who would have been mad. But, this one just wanted to change into some dry clothes so he could get back to the business of playing, and as soon as his story was done, he wanted to move quickly.

I helped him find some pants and then the nurse returned and she helped him with a shirt. He was out of there in no time flat, headed back to the playground.

I thought about that first grader for the rest of the day and I smiled every time I thought of him. I thought about how he openly told me about his failed attempt on the slide. He wasn’t embarrassed. He wasn’t mad or sad. It was simply a miscalculation and I suspect he would try it again. I also thought about how playing was his intent and he wasn’t going to let anything get in his way.

We can learn a lot from first grade logic.

We all try things that we fail at. They can be anything from a class, or a new business, or baking, or even relationships. We sometimes fail miserably, but even when we get all wet and covered with mud, are we willing to dry off and try again or are we too embarrassed and just give up? Do we see failure as a simple miscalculation or do we see it as a commentary on our character? How often do we let pride get in the way of our success?

As people of faith, we can pray for guidance and if we get a green light, try again, always remembering nothing is impossible with God.

A first grader reminded me we should always keep trying, if it’s important. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

A Time for Everything

Posted on by Wendy
There’s a season for everything and they can all be beautiful.

Yesterday morning, my daily devotional was about the sunrise. It posed the question, that if you had spent your entire life in darkness and finally saw a sunrise, wouldn’t you believe it was a miracle? It went on to point out that, we experience brushes with the miraculous everyday, but we shrug them off because they have become everyday and mundane to us.

I was determined to take those words to heart as I headed off to work. Unfortunately, it was raining, but I kept my eyes peeled. The skies were gray for most of the day and at one point it was pouring, but in the afternoon, it began to clear and the sun came out.

When I walked out of work, it was a gorgeous warm afternoon. I knew I had to take a walk when I got home, even though my to-do list was a mile long.

When I got outside, my heart felt light for the first time in days and I marveled at the fall leaves. It seemed that they had turned colors overnight. How had I missed that little miracle?

As I continued to walk, I really took in all of the different colors and thought about how creative God is. Spring has always been my favorite season. I love to see life and beauty burst forth from what had previously been dormant. But, the leaves around me were just as stunning as the spring flowers are.

As I continued to walk and appreciate the miraculous, and give thanks for it, I felt a truth bubbling up in my heart.

Letting go can be beautiful. Just look at the leaves.

We tend to hold onto so many things we don’t need. My pastor recently said that Americans use two billion square feet for storage in forty thousand storage facilities and that doesn’t even count attics and basements. We used to have megabytes. Then there were gigabytes. Now we have terabytes.

We hold onto a lot of stuff both physically and virtually. We also tend to hold onto a lot of emotional baggage too. But, maybe we should all learn a lesson from the leaves and let some things go. We may find that something beautiful happens.

A seasonal miracle reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Prayers for Peace

Posted on by Wendy
When peace seems out of reach, prayer is the answer.

When this is published, it will be the day before election day. I am bone tired of hearing about it as I’m sure you probably are as well. Unfortunately, the Peach State, which happens to be where I’ve been a lifelong resident, has become the focus of the entire country.

Normally, no one cares about who our governor is, but not this year. This year millions and millions of dollars have been poured into our state to influence our election, by folks who don’t even live here. I wonder how many hungry kids could have been fed with that money, or how many veterans could have received much needed benefits, or how many struggling citizens could have received job training?

I can’t turn on the television, or the radio, or scroll through my Facebook page without someone giving their two cents worth about this election. At this point, is there seriously anyone who is on the fence about their vote, yet the barrage on weary Georgians continues.

My hubby and I were discussing it on the way to church and I told him if I could crawl into a cave somewhere and sleep for the next few days, I would. He agreed.

But, our pastor addressed the issue at church and she had a better solution. She acknowledged the negativity and the weariness and she reminded us that ultimately, whatever the outcome, God is in control and she recommended a prayer to deal with all of the negativity. Though it was familiar to me, I hadn’t prayed it in quite a while.

But, as we prayed is as a church, I felt some peace seeping into my weary soul. It’s the prayer of St. Francis:

“Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon, where there is doubt, faith, where there is despair, hope, where there is darkness, light, and where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console; to be understood, as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.”

As a people of God, this election is a huge opportunity to pray for our nation as well as our individual states. May we ask for God’s continued guidance and grace and that His will be done. The Bible tells us that He hears all of our prayers. Let’s choose to remember that.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂