Author: Wendy

Community at Work

Posted on by Wendy
We are all a part of some type of community. The part we play, is entirely up to us.
We are all a part of some type of community. The part we play, is entirely up to us.

My daughter just returned from her first mission trip. She went to Eastover, South Carolina with a small group from our church to help repair houses that were in terrible shape. There were so many ways that God had His hand in this trip, from the people who went, to the group she ended up with. I will share that in a later post, because as I’ve said before, when you really look for the hand of God, you will see it almost everywhere.

On her very first evening there, she was playing around on her guitar with a college chaperone, Caitlyn, who went and brought her guitar too. Another chaperone for the camp, just happened to be walking by and insisted that they lead worship every night.

Let me give you a little back story here. My daughter has played guitar  for a little over five years now. She has the most wonderful guitar teacher on the planet. Her name is Vanda. Vanda is a Godly woman who helps lead a praise and worship service at the local chapter of the Salvation Army. She always has a smile on her face. She encourages my daughter to believe in herself. She witnesses to her about her own faith. She has suffered a terrible tragedy in the loss of her son, Jon. She has had ongoing heart problems. Yet, week after week, for over five years, she greets us and all of the other kids who are lucky enough to have discovered her, with a smile. I see the face of Jesus, every Monday afternoon, when I see her. She is a light to all who know her.

Then there’s our youth pastor, Nikki, who has always encouraged my daughter to play her guitar at church. She insisted that she bring her guitar on this trip.

So, now you are caught up.  Whenever my daughter has ever had a performance, she practices for weeks ahead of time. She has never been confident enough to just go with it. That changed last week when she was unwittingly recruited to play. (Which is impossible to have been a coincidence)

She had to get up each evening and play in front of people she didn’t know. She had to play songs she didn’t know. This would never be something she would have normally agreed to. But, with Vanda’s years of encouragement and coaching, along with Nikki’s years of encouragement, and let’s not forget a healthy dose of the Holy Spirit, she played every night, alongside Nikki or Caitlyn.

She got to participate in leading worship of around thirty people. She got to use her talent to praise God. Vanda got to reach people she had never met, in another state, because she shared her gifts. Community came together to make beautiful music.

As the mother of a teenager, I am more thankful everyday for the people who help my children in their faith walk, from Sunday school teachers to school teachers, to church volunteers, to a very special guitar teacher. God has blessed us with so many wonderful mentors and so often they never know what a difference their contribution makes.

To all of you who have ever shared your wisdom, talents, gifts, or love with a child, let me assure you, that God sees your service. Even if you don’t get thanked for it here, on this side of eternity, there is rejoicing in heaven over your willingness to share what you have been given. God is pleased and in the end, isn’t that all that really matters?

When has a mentor made a difference in your life or in the life of your child? I’d love to hear from you.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Life’s Tides

Posted on by Wendy
This was high tide at the little inlet close to our rental.
This was high tide at the little inlet close to our rental.

A really beautiful phenomenon at the beach was the changing of the tides. This inlet was gorgeous at high tide. I wanted to get a picture of it every time we passed over it, which was a lot. It was different every time because the tide was different every time. People who live in this part of the country live their lives around the tides.

The fishing, shrimping and crabbing industries are heavily dependent on the tides. The kayak industry is as well. We rented kayaks one day on the trip. Paddling against the current is really hard, but going with it is tricky too because you can sail right past your intended destination.

The same little inlet at low tide.
The same little inlet at low tide.

It’s amazing that this is the same little inlet isn’t it? It went from gorgeous to ugly and muddy. Kayaks went down it earlier in the day. Now it’s barren; or is it?

My son and I went in for a closer look at low tide and were kind of surprised at what we found. It was teeming with life. There were tiny crabs everywhere, hundreds of them, ducking in and out of little holes. There was a giant conch shell walking around. I didn’t even know they had legs! There were water birds feasting on unseen critters near the rocks. What was seemingly an ugly wasteland was not. It actually had a beauty of its own.

This bird is enjoying low tide.
This bird is enjoying low tide.

I began to think of the tides in our lives. Sometimes they are high and the sailing is easy and smooth. We don’t hit bottom. We are surrounded by goodness and beauty.

But sometimes the tide is low. Life can look desolate. Maybe it’s due to sickness, death, the loss of a job, broken relationships or betrayal of trust. Sometimes we feel devoid of all that is good and growing, like this inlet looks from road.

But, upon closer inspection, it’s often during those times, that we feel closest to God. It’s during those times that friends come out of the woodwork to help us and show us love, to stand by us. It’s during those times that we experience the most growth.

Remember the story of the footprints in the sand, where the man asked God why during the worst times in his life there was only one set of footprints? He wanted to know why God abandoned him when times were the toughest. God gently replied, “That’s when I carried you.”

And so it is with the low tides of life. When things look bleakest, we need to take heart. There is work going on. There is life. We are loved more than we know and God has a plan even when we can’t see it. The tide will rise again and so will we. That is a promise from the One who created us.

Nothing is ever wasted and we are not alone even when the tide is low. That’s when we should seek God the most.

What do you think about life’s tides? I’d love to hear from you.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Enjoying the Moment Even Without the Pictures

Posted on by Wendy
There was a mama dolphin and her baby swimming right in front of us.
There was a mama dolphin and her baby swimming right in front of us.

When we first arrived in Hilton Head, we walked down to the dock at Harbor Town and were rewarded with a mama dolphin swimming with her calf. They were side-by-side and super close to us. Everyone around was ooohing and ahhing. I snapped and snapped, but I couldn’t get the shot. They would disappear almost as soon as they appeared. It was beautiful. You just have to take my word on it.

The next day when we arrived at the beach, there were two dolphins swimming, not a hundred yards from us.

These people are pointing at the two dolphins close by.
These people are pointing at the two dolphins close by.

I grabbed my camera again, and again, was unsuccessful at capturing them on film. It struck me, after a few tries that I was missing the wonder of it by trying to take a picture. This was a huge revelation.

I like to think of dolphins as the dogs of the ocean. People are fascinated by them and they seem to share the same fascination with us. There are stories of them saving people at sea after they fall overboard or are shipwrecked. People will pay hundreds of dollars for the chance to swim with them. Yet, here they were in all of their glory, swimming in the wild.

Adults and children alike, couldn’t take their eyes of them. When I gave up trying to “get the photo,” I too, was mesmerized by their close presence. They swam close by for a long time among the diving pelicans, before they finally swam away.

I pondered the whole, “photo-op idea,” for a good, long while after that. I love a good photo. I especially love candid shots and nature shots and I surround myself with many of both. But, sometimes I think we take, “taking pictures” way too far.

If we have to stop having fun on our trip every few hours to post that fun to Instagram or Facebook, then we might be taking photos to the extreme. That’s a regular conversation, I have with my teen daughter. Everyone else is having so much fun. It’s all over Instagram. My reply is always the same. If they were having THAT much fun, they wouldn’t have time to put it on Instagram. Trust me on this one.

Last summer, my kids, my sister and her kids and my mom, visited this really cool place called Noah’s Ark. They have a bear, a tiger and a lion all living in peace together. They are friends. It was a fabulous thing to see. I simply couldn’t get a good picture. Does that make it any less awesome?

I also have a vivid memory of this woman screaming at her kids and their friends about sitting still and smiling for a photo. I cringed at her tone and whispered to my sister, “I wonder what they will remember from this trip.”

My point is, we have become a heavily visual culture. Newspapers have gone by the wayside. They have tried to put the Bible on video. We don’t want to read an e-mail over five sentences long. We are obsessed with taking pictures. Every man, woman and child carries around a phone with a camera.

While there’s no harm in that on its face, I think it’s important to remember that life is really about our journey and our experiences. Pictures are great, but sometimes the memories are just as good without them, like those dolphins. When I was growing up, film was expensive. Mom took a lot of pictures, but not hundreds and hundreds. And you know what? My childhood memories are just as great.

We should strive to enjoy this moment, this day, whether or not we have the pictures to prove it was fun. What do you think?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Being Mindful of Danger

Posted on by Wendy
Alligators are very good at hiding.
Alligators are very good at hiding.

While biking on the many trails on our recent beach trip, we encountered several of these guys. The American Alligator is a really a sight to behold. They are direct descendants of the dinosaurs and were close to extinction a couple of decades ago. Through laws to protect them, they have made quite a comeback. They are everywhere there is freshwater, in South Carolina and Florida. They even make their way to swimming pools from time to time.

I wouldn’t have seen this guy if I had been in a car. As it was, I wouldn’t have seen him if I hadn’t really been looking for him. Just after I snapped the photo, he disappeared under the water and was completely invisible. That’s a little bit frightening, if you think about it. He was close to six feet long and he has the ability to be invisible.

This one was hard to see when you stood across the pond from it.
This one was hard to see when you stood across the pond from it.

Then there was this one. Any blind man could see him, right? Well, not really. I had the zoom function on my camera. He was actually completely on the other side of a large pond. There were people pointing at it, when I stopped to investigate. My son kept saying, “I don’t see it.” Until he saw it and then he was floored like I was. I repeat, gators are good at hiding.

When we walked down the beach, we saw quite a few of these.

This jellyfish looks shiny and harmless.
This jellyfish looks shiny and harmless.

It’s small and shiny. If you didn’t know better, you would pick it up. You would make an unpleasant discovery. It stings. Jellyfish are beautiful. Some have gorgeous, long tentacles. They almost glow, but they sting and it’s quite painful. It’s always an effort to avoid jellyfish when I’m in the ocean. They too, are almost invisible in the water.

So what do jellyfish and alligators have in common? When they are in their natural habitat, they are almost invisible and dangerous. They can be harmful to humans who aren’t looking for them and taking care to avoid them.

The earth is full of dangerous things and choices that can harm us. We can easily be stung or harmed or worse, if we don’t keep a watchful eye and guard ourselves. The Bible tells us, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.” Proverbs 3:5

It is popular in our culture to act on our understanding or our emotions. But, the Bible teaches us differently. We have a guidebook for life that will not only keep us safe from the likes of gators and jellyfish, but it will also give us the ability to “soar on wings like eagles,” IF we trust the Lord. Isaiah 40:31

Trusting in God and not in popular culture, gets harder everyday, but it’s something Christians must strive to do. We have to trust that God knows best and know that gators and jellyfish lurk nearby. We don’t need to live in fear, but we have to be watchful and we have to trust in God.

What do you think about not leaning on our own understanding? I’d love to hear from you.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

Regeneration – Lessons from a Starfish

Posted on by Wendy
I saw this starfish lying on the beach on the first beach walk I took.
I saw this starfish lying on the beach on the first beach walk I took.

I love to walk along the beach. It’s never the same experience twice. I heard this woman ask a lifeguard, “What is swimming today?” He replied, “In the ocean?” She said, “Yes.” He said, “People.” She said, “Are there any critters swimming today?” He said, very politely, “Ma’am, it’s the ocean. There are always critters swimming in it.” I chuckled as I kept walking. We love to go to the ocean, but we don’t necessarily like what may be swimming with us. Sure, there are dolphins, but there are sharks and jellyfish, too. Yet, people return to the ocean  year after year, in droves. Why is that? What about the ocean calls to so many of us? Is it the beauty? Is it the never-ending rhythm of the waves? Some say it reminds us of the womb. Who knows? I am one of those who loves the sea. Big waves, no waves, East Coast or West, I find it beautiful and never the same experience twice. On this day, on the Atlantic, I saw a starfish. (Or a sea star, since they aren’t really fish) Sure, I’ve seen dozens of them in souvenir shops, dried out and perfectly preserved, but I had never seen one in the wild. It was beautiful and shiny and perfect. When my daughter scooped it up to toss it back into the ocean, it had hundreds of tiny little legs. Who knew? I snapped a photo and walked on. When I was a little bit further down the beach, I saw this one.

This one had been damaged with some parts broken off.
This one had been damaged, with some parts of its arms broken off.

I found this one even more beautiful and here’s why. Starfish have the unique ability to drop an arm and get away if a predator is attacking it. It also has the ability to grow a new one. In fact, most of its vital organs are housed in their arms, so some can regenerate an entirely new starfish from just one arm and a portion of its central disc. It takes about a year for the new growth to make it whole again. This starfish was a survivor. It wasn’t perfect or whole, but it would be again, with time. Aren’t we all like that starfish on the inside? No one sails through life without injury, not physically, but emotionally. We all have wounds and scars, but if we lean into Jesus and give it some time, we can heal. The Bible tells us, “For we are God’s masterpiece. He created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” Ephesians 2:10 Healing takes time. Growth takes time. Both take a lot of work and are sometimes not pleasant, but in the end, we can be whole again through faith and trust in God, and like both of those sea stars, I find that very encouraging. Have an awesome day! Wendy 🙂

Vacation Reflections

Posted on by Wendy
Lighthouses were built to keep ships safe fro crashing into rocks.
Lighthouses were built to keep ships safe.

My family just returned from a week long vacation on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. This was a first for us. We are usually Florida people, but we were looking for something different this year. Now before you Gulf of Mexico purists start shaking your heads, I get it. The Atlantic is not nearly as pretty as the Gulf of Mexico. However, we discovered a natural beauty there, that is stunning in its own way.

Before going, I prayed that God would show himself to me on our trip. As usual, I found that when I earnestly pray with an open heart, for God to speak to me, He always does. There were so many ways that I experienced the beauty of His creation last week and I would like to share some of the life lessons that I learned with you.

First of all, I found it really appropriate that we were staying right across the street from a lighthouse. Lighthouses were built for two reasons, to aid in the navigation of ships, (in other words, here is safe harbor) and to warn of dangerous places, (in other words, there are dangerous rocks here; be careful!)

In spiritual terms, God is definitely a lighthouse for me. When I keep my eyes focused on Him, He will guide me and keep me safe. Seeing the lighthouse  was a pretty cool start for our trip.

Second of all, we spent the week on our bicycles. The place where we stayed was covered in bike trails. Whenever possible, we rode our bicycles. We biked to the beach, a few miles away. We biked to dinner. My hubby figures we rode close to a hundred miles over a week. I have no idea whether or not that is true, but it was flat and shady and everyone else was biking too.

There were older people. There were parents dragging carts with kids in tow. There were kids riding with training wheels. We saw families of ten or more and we saw singles. Large and small, everyone was on a bike. They even had three-wheeled bikes, trikes for grownups, I suppose. Everyone smiled and no one was in a hurry.

Here’s the coolest part, you see things on a bike that are impossible to see from a car.

We would have missed this guy if we were riding in a car.
We would have missed this guy if we were riding in a car.

I was lagging behind when I spotted him on a trail. I like to piddle when I pedal. My hubby and daughter had left me behind, but I called to my son as I burst out laughing and stopped to take a picture. Who knows who took the time to glue googly eyes on a tree, but it was hysterical. I love a little whimsy and there among the stately live oaks, stood a tree face. I was so thankful I was on a bike.

I thanked God for allowing me to see it. I pedaled on, thankful for this beautiful world that He created and ever watchful for more. I was not disappointed. When have you experienced whimsy in creation? I’d love to hear from you.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

 

Enjoying Family Time

Posted on by Wendy
Sometimes, it's good to take a break.
Sometimes, it’s good to take a break.

I often write about treasuring the people in our lives. I try very hard to be present for the ones I hold dear, realizing that each day is a gift. With that in mind, I’m going to take this week off to enjoy a vacation with my family. I’m sure I’ll be inspired as we relax and I recharge. I hope to have new and uplifting posts when I return next week.

Have an awesome week!

Wendy 🙂

The Joy of Seeing the Fruits of Our Labor

Posted on by Wendy
As VBS comes to a close, this one will go down as one of my favorites.
As VBS comes to a close, this one will go down as one of my favorites.

I know I have been talking about Vacation Bible School a lot this past week, but honestly, it has consumed the vast majority of my physical and emotional energy. I’m exhausted, but my heart has been touched in so many ways. If you read this blog very often, then you know how strongly I feel about community and there’s nothing that brings a church community together like VBS.

It takes a village to minister to sixty kids for a week and our church didn’t disappoint. I got to talk to some of my favorite senior church ladies that I rarely get to see. They always feed the children with such enthusiasm. We had a family that hurried back from Germany in order to participate this year. I haven’t seen them in two years. It’s good to have them back. We had grandparents and teenagers all pitching in together like community does.

It’s been a beautiful sight to behold. We have had twenty-one youth helpers this year and they have been amazing. In past years we have had issues with texting or the youth interacting with each other and not the children. We have had youth that simply had no interest in being there.

But this year, well this year was a shining moment for our youth program. It didn’t look like it was going to turn out this way. Up to the week before we started, we only had thirty-five children signed up and very few volunteers. Now, God has always used Vacation Bible School to give me a small taste of His spectacular abilities. It’s always been a fish and loaves story for me. There never looks like we will have enough. Sometimes it’s supplies. Sometimes it’s volunteers. This year it was children and volunteers. He usually waits til the last minute, because that grows faith, but He always delivers in a unique way that changes every year.

This year, He has allowed me to see Him working through our youth. I remember when most of them came through our VBS program, when we hatched the idea of graduating them in fifth grade to the youth group, when we created staff shirts for them. We’ve been working on that idea for over six years now, waiting on God’s timing and praying for results.

This week, we hit pay dirt. We have a young youth minister now and she rolls up her sleeves and jumps right into VBS and our youth have followed her. They have been real leaders this week. They arrive everyday with a smile. They play with the kids. They take pictures with them. They are respectful. They are leaders and mentors. They have made the little ones want to be like them.

The fact that I have had a tiny part in planting the seeds that have produced this awesome fruit humbles me and makes me burst with pride at the same time. A few of us listened to a quiet voice that said, “Let’s build this program” and we tried to comply and this week we have been rewarded with beautiful results.

As I often tell my own children, God is good and Jesus loves Vacation Bible School. Can I get an amen?!

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Even When You don’t Understand…

Posted on by Wendy
Two question marks make a perfect heart.
Two question marks make a perfect heart.

My friend asked me a couple of weeks ago if I wanted to hear a Bo story. The answer was of course, yes. Bo is a charming six-year-old who never fails to crack me up. She told me that he asked her recently what God looked like. She told him she didn’t know, but asked him what he thought God looked like. He told her that he thought God had brown hair and brown eyes. She asked him what else. He told her that God was small. She was surprised by this and asked him why he thought God was small. He replied that He had to be small if he was able to fit inside your heart.

Aren’t children awesome? They are so literal. But, Bo was obviously listening to the various people who have tried to teach him about God and he had given it some thought too. As parents, that’s all we ask; right? We want them to listen and think about it.

Our Vacation Bible School is in full swing this week. Today’s Bible Point was, “Even when you don’t understand… Jesus loves you.” The kids were asked to give examples of situations that they didn’t understand and they were written down on a question mark. As expected, the questions ran the gamut. “Why do people die of old age?” “Why do we have vegetables?” “Why do we have feet?” “Why do we have snakes?”

If you have spent any time at all with young children, their questions are endless, but some are very thoughtful; some will make you smile and some will really challenge you. Some of their questions are ones that we all have.

When we had our closing assembly, we read some of their questions aloud. Then we taped another question mark to the first. Any idea what it made? It made a heart. The point for the day was “Even when you don’t understand…Jesus loves you.” Then, they sang “Jesus Loves Me.”

It was a powerful assembly that brought tears to my eyes. We all have questions for God. I know I do. There are times when we simply don’t understand why things happen the way they do. Sometimes, down the road, we get our answers and sometimes we don’t. There are simply some answers we will never get on this side of eternity. Accepting that, is part of growing our faith, just like we are attempting to do with the kids who are attending VBS this week.

But, if we can remember and hold close to our hearts, that “Even when we don’t understand… Jesus loves us,” we have won the battle with doubt. The Bible tells us that he weeps with us. He’s sad when we are sad. He loves us unconditionally, no matter what, even when we have questions and that my friends, is worth celebrating.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Extending Hospitality

Posted on by Wendy
My parents always have dozens of hummingbirds. They keep four large feeders filled.
My parents always have dozens of hummingbirds. They keep four large feeders filled.

I recently attended a luncheon hosted by a delightful neighbor of mine. We have two families on our street who are moving. One is moving just one town away and the other is moving all the way home to Germany. My neighbor thought it would be nice to gather the ladies on our street together to say goodbye.

I was crazy busy that day. I was at the end of planning for Vacation Bible School and the house was a mess, but I stopped what I was doing in the middle of a Saturday and went across the street for lunch. Boy, was I glad I did. She had appetizers, (made herself, not the frozen ones.) She had Prosecco, tea, and lemonade. She had a table set with beautiful linens and she was using her good china.

The food was delicious and the company was superb. We were all mixed ages and backgrounds as neighbors tend to be, but we found plenty to chat about over lunch. We laughed at each other and with each other. We participated in community.

One of the ladies who relocated here from Las Vegas, was asking about hummingbirds. She wanted to know if any of us had any. I asked her if she had a feeder out. She said no. That lead us to talk about all of the squirrels that raid our bird feeders if we attempt to have one, but her question got me to thinking.

When I put a hummingbird feeder out in the late spring or early summer, I always have hummingbirds, always. If I put it out too early, I won’t get any, but that’s because it’s not the right season, not because they don’t appreciate the feeder.

How often are we like that? We complain or feel badly that we don’t have close friends or that we don’t know our neighbors, but do we ever extend an invitation or open our doors to strangers to make them friends?

If we have extended an invitation and we were turned down, perhaps it wasn’t a rejection. Perhaps it just wasn’t the right season. If I put out a hummingbird feeder in December, I won’t get any hummingbirds. It doesn’t matter how beautiful the feeder is. The birds just aren’t around in December. But, if I put it out during the right season, I always have visitors.

I will never have hummingbirds if I don’t put out a feeder. By the same token, I won’t get to know my neighbors if I don’t accept or extend invitations to or from them for lunch or dinner.

A little hospitality is an amazing thing. It can be as small as a plate of brownies to welcome new neighbors or an elegant luncheon using the good china. It’s almost always appreciated and I am always blessed when I accept invitations or extend them.

I think I’ll make an effort to be less busy and extend a little more hospitality this summer and see what happens. I’ll bet it will be a lot like the hummingbirds at the feeder. What do you think about hospitality? I’d love to hear from you.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂