Author: Wendy

Learning to Listen

Posted on by Wendy
When you cast a stone, you never know how far the ripples will go.
When you cast a stone, you never know how far the ripples will go.

My church has been going through some rocky times lately. While this is not uncommon, it still can be kind of miserable when it happens at your own church. The thing about churches is that they are run by people; they are people trying to serve God, but still people. People are broken by nature. Think about what a glass looks like when it’s broken; it has sharp edges. Broken people are like that as well. Most of us have certain parts of us that are sharp and we can cut others as well as get cut ourselves. Feelings sometimes get hurt and people leave the church altogether.  Who wins then?

I was recently talking to a dear friend of mine about our church and its current troubles. She had become very frustrated and was wondering what she should do. (Just for the record, we take turns encouraging each other and that day just happened to be my turn.) We talked for a little while and then we hung up. But, this particular day, I felt like God was in my ear and was putting the idea of pruning in my head, so much so, that I had to call her back and share it with her.

When you prune a tree or a bush, it’s very ugly for a time.  Sometimes you prune way back and sometimes just a little; either way, there’s a season where it looks bare and sometimes, it looks completely dead. But, then something amazing happens. The season changes and that ugly little tree or bush will burst out in growth and bloom more beautifully than it ever did before.  Jesus tells us in John 15 that the Father is a gardener who cuts off every branch that bears no fruit and he prunes every branch that does so that it can be even more fruitful.  She thanked me for calling her back and agreed that maybe I was right.

That was a couple of weeks ago. Yesterday, she sent me a text and told me how a good friend of hers was going through a really  bad divorce. The friend called her late one evening for some encouragement. She shared the pruning story. She said her friend began sobbing and told her that was exactly what she needed to hear.

When I read the text, the hairs stood up on the back of my neck. God gave me a message and told me to share. I did. My friend then shared it with her friend and was able to bring her some comfort. I think this is part of  God’s plan for us while we are on this side of heaven. I think we are supposed to bring comfort when we can and show kindness and encouragement to our fellow humans.

Jesus told us that the most important commandment was to love the Lord your God with all of your soul, mind and strength and then he said the second most important was to love your neighbor as yourself. He said there was no greater commandment than these two. (Mark 12:28-30) That seems simple enough, right?

Apparently not, just turn on the news. I have to ask myself, how am I doing with loving my neighbor and I have to admit I have a ways to go, but I’m really trying to listen to God’s voice and to take my direction from Him. I probably miss way more opportunities than I take, but that particular day, I think I got it right and I’m so thankful, that my friend listened as well and was able to share a positive outcome. Sharing the love of Christ through loving your neighbor is like tossing a pebble in a lake; you never know how far out the ripples will go. Let’s all toss in a pebble and see how much of a splash we can make today.

Have an awesome day.

Wendy 🙂

Children of Light

Posted on by Wendy
How can you be a light in someone's darkness?
How can you be a light in someone’s darkness?

I recently re-read the creation story. The thing that’s so cool about the Bible is that it speaks to you wherever you are in your faith walk, wherever you are in your life. When I read one of the books or stories  of the Bible and then wait a few years and read it again, it speaks to me in an entirely different way. It meets me where I am. How awesome is that? It’s like a Mona Lisa with words.

What jumped out at me this time I read it was God’s very first command. He had created the heavens and the earth and it was covered in darkness and God said, “Let there be light.” We all remember this story, but do you remember what scripture says next? He saw that the light was good. What does this tell us about the nature of God? God creates good things. He loves light; it made it to the top of the list and what He creates is inherently good.

If we skip forward to the New Testament, Paul tells us that “You are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night. 1 Thessalonians 5:4 NLT  Jesus, himself said, “I am the light of the world; if you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life. ” John 8:12 NLT

When I Googled the word light and the Bible, my search turned up 102 verses. God seems very concerned with light verses darkness. Guess what? Light wins every time. This notion gives me great hope. Life can be pretty dark at times. Sometimes it can be pitch black, but our faith can help us overcome the darkness. Have you ever been in a completely windowless room with no light at all coming in? If you haven’t I have an experiment for you. Step in a closet or somewhere totally dark. Stay there a couple of minutes and then turn on a tiny amount of light, like a small flashlight or a led candle. It’s amazing how that little amount of light can cut through the darkness.

So as children of light, how can we combat the darkness of our world? I think we begin by lighting our own way with prayer and worship and then we share our light with others. This is the really cool part where we get to use our individual gifts that God has given each of us. Yours may be a kind word or a smile. You may be able to invite someone to dinner at your house or to church or to a Bible study. You may be called to take someone a meal. You may be called to share light through your art or on Facebook. I feel like so many of us freeze when we are asked to share the love of Christ. We cringe when we think of those folks who run around quoting scripture and  we don’t want t be labeled “one of those people.” But, we need to remember that those people are following their calling which may be entirely different than yours and that’s okay. There are so many different ways to share light; the list is possibly endless. I think God designed it that way.

You are the only one who can share light in your own wonderful, unique way. How will you share it today? Ready, set, go!

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Fences

Posted on by Wendy

My family has always had dogs. We love them and just can’t live without them. They make us happy. Because we have dogs, we have always had  a fence around the yard. Not only does the fence keep them in and safe from being run over by a car, it also keeps predators like coyotes out. Our fence also keeps deer from eating my hydrangeas and hostas. When you put work and money into growing something, you don’t want just anything coming along and destroying it, right?

Our current fence is a simple field fence. When we put it in, it was really plain and ugly, but over time, parts of it have been covered with honeysuckle vine that smells wonderful in the spring. Other parts have been covered with wild muscadine vine that produces very sweet, edible grapes in the fall. We didn’t plant these vines; they just grew. We can hardly see the fence itself anymore.

As I was checking out the fence the other day, it reminded me of the Bible in our lives. When we first start reading it, it can seem confining like a fence to keep us in. There are rules and things we as Christians, are not supposed to do. But if we keep reading it, we find that the rules are meant to keep us safe inside God’s plan and will for our lives and just as importantly, it keeps predators out, not just the really scary kind like coyotes, but the kind that seem gentle like deer, but still want to harm or destroy the good things we have planted. When we read the Bible regularly, the fence starts to fade and we no longer see it because it’s covered with the fruits of the Holy Spirit.

Those are found in Galatians 5:22 if you want to look them up. They are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. What would the world look like if we all produced that kind of fruit? I think it has to start with reading the Bible. If we want to be at peace, live in joy, have patience with our kids, spouse, co-workers, neighbors, if we want to learn to be faithful in all that we do, if we want to learn self-control (this includes no extra piece of cake after 9:00, otherwise known as will power!), if we want to learn to be a gentler person or a kinder person or even a better person, the Bible is a great place to start.

I know, it’s easy to get bogged down and can be difficult to read, but try an updated version like the NLT or The Message. Try for just one chapter a day. Get a buddy to commit to read it with you. That’s what I do. Keep at it and watch the fruit grow!

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Valley Times

Posted on by Wendy

My hubby and I teach a middle school Sunday school class. Yikes! Right? Our son is in the class, so it’s not quite as scary as it sounds. We were recently talking about Joseph. You remember him; the coat of many colors guy. As we were preparing the lesson, it struck me that this kid went through some really tough times. Yes, he was a bit of a brat in the beginning, but at 17 he was sold by his brothers and sent to a foreign land where he didn’t speak the language or know the customs. Then he was put in charge of a high official’s house. Things were looking up. He was comfortable and cared for, then the man’s wife tried to seduce Joseph. He did the “right thing” and turned her down. She falsely accused him of attacking her and he got thrown into prison. This guy couldn’t catch a break.

As I re-read the Joseph story, I thought of how often bad things seem to happen for no good reason. I thought about how sometimes when life is dark, we pray and pray for deliverance, but God doesn’t appear to be listening. He doesn’t get us a better job, or change our spouse, or change our financial situation; I’m sure you have your own blank to fill in here. The point is sometimes, when we are in a valley and we find ourselves praying diligently for a way out, God leaves us where we are, just like Joseph, but it turns out that he is listening. He throws us a lifeline.

In Genesis 39:2 NIV, it says, “The Lord was with Joseph so he succeeded in everything he did as he served in the home of his Egyptian master.” Then when he was in prison, “But the Lord was with Joseph in prison and showed him his faithful love. And the Lord made Joseph a favorite with the prison warden.” Genesis 40:21 NIV God didn’t rescue Joseph because he needed him to be right where he was. He didn’t remove him from the situation, but he helped him. He intervened.

Joseph was a piece in a huge puzzle of God’s making. He went on to save what was to become the entire nation of Israel from starving to death. He didn’t know it at the time and it couldn’t have been easy for him. Joseph’s story makes me re-evaluate my valley times. How do I do during these times? Do I pray and keep the faith? Do I get angry and give up? Do I feel sorry for myself? Do I feel that God has abandoned me?

In hindsight, I can see that I have never walked alone, even though it may have felt that way at the time. In the future, I pray that I can remember Joseph’s story and that the Lord is always with me, no matter where I am or what I am going through. How do you do in your valley times?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Life’s Seasons

Posted on by Wendy
The creek is beautiful in every season.
The creek is beautiful in every season.

I took a walk today and definitely felt the nip of fall in the air. I have already heard my daughter say “I can’t wait for fall.” Initially, I found myself agreeing with her. Then I started thinking about how we are always in a rush to get to the next season. You know what I’m talking about. When you are in middle school, you can’t wait to get to high school. When you are in high school, you can’t wait to get to college. When you are in college, you can’t wait to get out and get that first job. When we date, we can’t wait to get married; then we can’t wait to have a baby. The list is endless about how we like to rush life or try to speed up time.

Now there’s a difference between looking forward to the next season with optimism and missing out on the current one because we are obsessed with the next one. I have always struggled with this issue. I’m a planner and I love to plan all of my next steps. There’s a plaque I once saw that read, “We plan; God laughs.” I feel like whoever wrote it, had my name on it. I have learned that planning gives me a sense of control and therein lies the rub. I like to control my surroundings and my future.

God has a different plan. He says, “Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10 NIV  He says, ” For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 NIV  Is he saying I need to stop worrying about what’s coming next and start enjoying the season I am in right now? Is he saying that he has his own plans for me? I believe that is exactly what he is saying. I think he’s saying, “I’ve got this. You just worry about doing what is in front of you today, in this season, in this moment.”

Well, that’s a load off, but focusing on today is easier said than done. So I am asking myself, what season am I in and I’m asking you, what season are you in? Is it one of growth? Is it one of rest? Maybe it’s a really tough season, a valley time. Maybe it’s an exciting time or a frightening time. Maybe it’s a bone crushing painful time. Whatever the season we are in, I think we should stop and take a deep breath, look around and recognize where we are. If it’s a happy season, give thanks for it; enjoy it. If it’s a painful or sad season, ask for continued strength and know that God is with you and no season lasts forever. If it’s a season of rest, savor it; because there may be mountains to climb up ahead.

Being still is difficult for me, but something I’m really working on. Living in the moment and appreciating this day without looking forward is also tough, but with God’s help, I’m learning. How are you doing with your current season? Think about it and then go enjoy the last blast of summer as fall edges in. It will be Christmas before you know it.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

You Really Do Have a Choice

Posted on by Wendy

Someone pulled out in front of me while I was driving my kids to school this morning. I mean like I had to slam on brakes to miss them. “Blow your horn!” my teenager said. I didn’t. I wanted to, but I didn’t. There was a time when I would have. I mean, the nerve of someone to pull out in front of me. How dare they! Didn’t they know I had children in the car with me? (They probably didn’t.) Didn’t they think about the consequences? There could have been an accident. Were they trying to kill me? (They probably weren’t.)

They most likely weren’t giving me or my kids a second thought. Their thoughtless act most likely had nothing to do with me. It had to do with their own self-focus. Huh? What I’m saying is, I believe that the vast majority of times when someone cuts me off in traffic or is rude to me at Wal-Mart, it is not personal. They aren’t being rude to me; they are just being rude. You are probably agreeing with me at this point. It’s perfectly logical. Right? But, here’s the catch.

If  I know that people who act rudely are doing so because of their own issues not mine, why should I give up my peace and get angry? I mean if I’m driving along in my car, minding my own business, singing along with the radio (oh yeah, I’m that girl :)) and someone cuts me off and makes me slam on brakes, should I give up my happy, give into anger, give them the finger and be angry the rest of the day? If  someone steals the parking spot at the mall that I was patiently waiting for with my blinker on, should I take it as a personal insult, seethe inside and ruin my trip? I say no. Happiness is a choice and anger is too.

I believe that the key here is to be less focused on myself. I need to remember to let the person who has offended me own their act and they can keep the negativity that comes from it. Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:16 to “Always be joyful.” If I get angry over inconsequential acts, then I am choosing to let someone steal my joy. Why would I want to do that? When we are walking around angry all of the time, we can’t let our light shine.

I’m working hard on this concept. I like to be treated the way I treat others and it sometimes just doesn’t work out that way. Still, I think holding on to joy is worth the struggle. Light is always better than dark. There seem to be a lot of angry people out there right now and the world is awfully dark. Let’s hold onto our personal peace and joy and not give into anger without a fight. Are you with me? How do you do with anger?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy

Can One Person Make a Difference?

Posted on by Wendy
God remembered Noah.
God remembered Noah.

We live in a world that is pretty bleak at the moment. Just turn on the news and in the first five minutes, there will be reports on school shootings, a bad economy, random acts of violence, corrupt leaders and the Middle East is in turmoil, again. With the situation looking so dark, we may sometimes wonder if anything good that we may do is even worth it. Is it possible for one person to make a difference in this crazy mixed up world? What’s the point? Let’s take a look at Noah. Genesis 6 tells us that the world was filled with corruption and violence. Hmmm, does this sound familiar? God was done with mankind and was sorry He even created us. He was prepared to wipe us off of the face of the earth, but… But is such a tiny word with huge meaning. Verse 8 says, “But Noah found favor with the Lord.” Way to go Noah! It goes onto say that he was a righteous man and the only blameless person living on earth at the time and he walked in close fellowship with God. So even in His anger, God was looking for one good man (or woman). God wanted to find good in humankind and He did. That one good man, just one, gave God hope for the rest of us. Noah gives me a tremendous amount of hope. Noah tells me that God looks for the good in everyone and if we walk in close fellowship with him, we are pleasing Him. How can we do that? I think prayer is a good start. If we are praying regularly, then we can hear Him. Then we should follow His example and search for the good in everyone. As I write this, I know I have a lot of work to do, but I can make a difference and so can you.  Seeing good in everyone is a tall order. Thanks to grace, I can fail. All I have to do is try my best and let God do the rest. How can you make a difference to someone today? Have an awesome day! Wendy 🙂

The Fog

Posted on by Wendy
Sometimes some fog can produce beautiful results.
Sometimes some fog can produce beautiful results.

It was foggy when I was driving my kids to school this morning. The sun was up and burning through it and it was quite beautiful. I live in a rural area, so there were pastures and ponds covered in it. I could make out shapes, but I couldn’t see clearly. I remember, when I was growing up that my mother always gave us a “fog warning” on days we were expecting fog. “We have to leave early this morning; it’s foggy out.” As a child, I never understood that. Why were we supposed to dislike fog?

As an adult, I get it. Mornings are always crazy and as a mother of two, I know that they will push the time to leave the house for school til the last second. It’s rush, rush, rush! We are in a hurry and the fog slows us down. We don’t like to slow down. We like to go, go, go! We like to know what lies ahead of us on the road. The fog obscures our view.

Sometimes, our lives get covered in fog. We are in a season where we just can’t see what is in front of us. We can’t see what lies around the next curve. It frightens and frustrates us and we don’t like it. I have come to understand, that there are times when God wants us to focus on Him, not on the road, but on Him. Sometimes, He has to slow us down to a crawl to get us to focus on what is important or to hear what He is trying to communicate to us. These are the times when I really have to take it one day at a time, which is very difficult for me because I like to plan everything months in advance. I also prefer megaphone moments, but God’s way is often a whisper. Sometimes the fog is a short season and sometimes it seems to linger for years. I think the key is to learn to embrace the fog.

The fog is God’s way of growing our faith. We don’t have to know what’s coming next because our Heavenly Father does. We don’t have to fear because He has our back. And when we get really brave, we give Jesus the wheel. That’s when we really have to fasten our seat belts  because wherever He takes us, it will be a wild ride, but one so worth taking. Have you had any fog in your life recently? Please feel free to share.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

Enough

Posted on by Wendy
Birds always seem to have enough.
Birds always seem to have enough.

When do we have enough? I was sitting at the kitchen table on a Saturday morning while my husband was paying the bills. He was commenting about having enough left over to live on. I found myself praying once again, about money. We always have enough, but rarely any extra. For some reason, the story of manna and the Israelites kept popping into my head. I decided to go and look it up.

I hadn’t read the story in a long time and I found the details fascinating.  In Exodus 16, God tells Moses that he is going to rain down food from heaven. The people are to gather up as much food as they need for the day. He tells Moses that he will test the people on this. Of course, being humans and doing what humans do, there are some who break the rules and gather more than they need. In the morning, it has a terrible stench and is filled with maggots. Yuck! Verse 18 tells us that everyone had just enough, no leftovers.

This idea of enough really got me to thinking. When do we have enough? If I have plenty to eat at every meal, is that enough? If I have clothes and shoes to wear each day, is that enough? I really struggle with that one. I always long for a new wardrobe when the seasons change, but as I am doing my family’s laundry, I can never find enough hangers for the clothes I have. Surely, I have enough. What about cars and electronic gadgets? If I have a reliable vehicle to pick my kids up from school with, does it need to be new and shiny? What about my cell phone? Does is really need to be “smart” or will something to make and take calls suffice?

I could go on indefinitely about the many material blessings I have been given. Still, I often find myself longing for more. Maybe it’s my nature or maybe it’s because our fallen world teaches us we never have enough. Maybe it’s a little of both. Either way, I always find instruction when I go back to the Bible. God’s command to the Israelites, was to take as much as they needed, not as much as they wanted. Uhoh! I think I have some work to do.

My granddaddy always said,  “You are old enough, where your wants won’t hurt you.” I never liked that phrase, however, I think he was onto something. He was paraphrasing God’s command to the Israelites. I think I really need to work on my wants versus my needs. How about you? How do you do with wants and needs? How much is enough? Feel free to share.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

In Remembrance

Posted on by Wendy
God Bless America!
God Bless America!

September 11th is still a tough day for me. It’s hard to believe that it’s been twelve years since our country was attacked. It seems just like yesterday. I suppose, for those of us who are old enough to remember it, it will be just like when the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded or for my parents, when President Kennedy was shot. In moments like these, when unfathomable tragedy strikes, time seems to freeze. We are paralyzed with fear and  shock.  We all pull together as a nation. We are kinder to our neighbors or a stranger on the street. We drop down on our knees and pray. We go back to church. Life becomes more precious, for a time.

As life goes on, and even after the darkest times, it does, we forget. We forget the shock and pain. We forget the things in life that really matter most: faith, family and friends. We forget to take time to be kind to that stranger or our neighbors. We forget to pray. We get busy again with work, schedules, practices, kids, you fill in the blank. We get busy with life and we forget, until the next tragedy occurs.

Whether it’s a national or personal tragedy, we promise ourselves once again, to do better with balancing what matters the most and everything else. We make promises to turn back to God where we get our strength and peace. I am going to take this day to thank God for the blessings He has bestowed upon our country. I’m going to thank Him for freedom and peace here in our homeland. I’m going to pray for our leaders and that He will grant them wisdom to lead us in this deeply divided world. I’m going to ask Him to help our nation turn back to Him. I’m going to ask Him to be with those who lost someone precious to them on that day. I’m going to thank Him for my husband and my children, for my friends and my family. I’m going to ask Him to help me remember that everyday on this planet is a gift.

Then I’m going to go hug my children, kiss my husband, pet my dogs and take a walk and soak up His creation. I think I will have ice cream for desert. Because this is the day that the Lord has made and I will rejoice and be glad in it. Let’s make every minute count. How will you remember 911?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂