Author: Wendy

Daffodil Encouragement

Posted on by Wendy
It takes strength and grit to stand tall and spread joy when the world around you is bitter cold.

Yesterday, on my ride to work, I marveled at the beautiful sky. There were clouds, but the sun was shining through them in a stunning way that I couldn’t help but notice. I thanked God for the morning show and I asked Him to show His face to me that day and to give me the wisdom to see it.

When I arrived at work, it was really cold outside, but I couldn’t help but notice the cheerful yellow daffodils that were standing proudly as if somehow in defiance, of the cold snap we were experiencing. They encouraged me to do the same.

But, the day turned out to be crazy. It was spring picture day at our school. The photographers set up in the wrong place. The phones rang off the hook with questions about picture day. Parents kept showing up to pay for pictures without the correct change. The photographers ran behind and the classes were having a long wait in the hall.

By lunch time, everything was ironed out and running smoothly, but a headache had set in at that point. By the end of the day, I couldn’t get out of there fast enough. I desperately needed some peace and quiet. It was also kindergarten registration and so a new round of noise and questions was just starting.

But, when I walked out of the door, I was met once again by those daffodils. They were still standing tall, doing what they were called to do and I remembered then, my resolve to do the same. I wondered how well I had done at standing tall and spreading cheer that day.

With that thought still stuck in my mind, I encountered a mama and a daddy bringing their little girl to register for kindergarten. She was walking in the middle and holding one of their hands with both of hers. She was dressed in pink and grinning from ear to ear.

How could I not be moved? This child and her parents were beginning a brand new exciting chapter. I fought back tears, remembering bringing my own children to kindergarten registration. Where had all of the time gone?

I stopped and asked her if she was excited and she happily told me she was as her parents smiled with pride. I told her we were excited to have her and she smiled as she skipped along with her parents.

I took a moment as I got to my car and I looked back at the school and those daffodils and I thanked God for showing Himself not once, but twice in the five minutes before. He was there in the flowers and He was there in the child’s face.

I thought back to my morning prayer and I was once again, moved to tears. Some daffodils and a child, reminded me when we really seek God, He will always show Himself. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Dance Party Lessons

Posted on by Wendy
Comparison can be a true joy killer.

The school where I work, has a behavior system in place, where the children earn bucks for all types of good behavior. When they earn enough, they can redeem them for different prizes. One of those prizes is a quarterly dance party. They really have to save their bucks to earn it.

This week, we had the dance parties. On Monday, the little ones, in grades kindergarten through second grade, got to attend. There weren’t a lot of kids who chose the dance, but the ones who did, had a blast.

When I peeked in and watched them, I don’t know when I have seen more joyful souls. They were playing everything from the oldie “Celebration,” to the “Cha Cha Slide,” and those children loved every minute of it. There was even a Conga Line. They danced like no one was watching and didn’t seem to care even if somebody was watching.

There were two kindergartners, in particular, who caught my eye. They stood in the very front, right beside each other, but not paying any attention to what the other was doing as they did their own creative moves. Those little guys never stopped moving or doing their own thing.

They danced simply for the joy of dancing.

That dance party stayed on my mind long after the music stopped playing. There’s such a tiny window in our lives where we can dance like no one is watching, or sing like we are rock stars, or paint like we are all Picasso’s. We believe that we are good at everything because the world hasn’t convinced us that we aren’t and we aren’t afraid to be different.

When two kindergarteners are told to draw a picture of a house and one is completely different than the other, they don’t tear each other down. In fact, they will often compliment one another and move on. They do their own thing and aren’t so interested in swaying others to do the same.

But, it doesn’t take long before we become self-conscious about our dance moves, or our singing voices, or are artistic abilities, or quite frankly, just about everything. Our creative sides so often become completely stifled by the opinions of others, so much so, that at some point, we stop trying.

I’m not sure if there’s anything more harmful to our happiness than comparison. Those kindergartners reminded me the beauty of doing your own thing in the way that you feel called to do it. They reminded me that we were never called to please other people in the first place. We were called to please our God who created us.

So, we should feel free to dance, and draw, and sing. It really doesn’t matter who’s watching. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Road Trip Reflections

Posted on by Wendy
We won’t really reach the top until God calls us home.

Last Sunday, my hubby and I traveled to south Georgia to see my daughter get an award. It just so happened that we had a college visit the day before, for my son, which was north of Atlanta. Needless to say, we spent lots of time in the car last weekend.

On the trip south, I commented to my hubby, who used to cycle a lot, how it seemed like the rolling hills went on forever and how difficult that must be to do on a bicycle. He told me the hills themselves weren’t all that difficult, but it was the fact that they went on and on that was the problem. He said at some point you would ask yourself if they would ever end.

He said it was a lot like hiking in the mountains. When you hike a mountain, the path is never straight to the top. You hike through switchbacks, which are like giant zigzags. You get all the way to the end and then move up a level and walk all the way to that end.

He said that he could see the mountain top from the distance as he hiked the switchbacks, but when he finally reached the top, he would find it was a false top and the true mountain top was even further up.

I thought about our conversation on our very long ride and two things popped into my mind. I’ve hiked a little myself and switchbacks can be maddening, but inevitably, they are part of the journey. There’s beauty in them if we care to look, like flowers we might have missed along the way.

The secret of a good hike is to enjoy the scenery and not race to the top. The switchbacks are part of the journey.

The second thing that occurred to me is that on this side of Eternity, all of the mountains will be false tops. We will never be completely satisfied in the journey. We will always be drawn to something higher because God is always drawing us to Him.

The hills and switchbacks will eventually end when God calls us home. Until then, we have to remember to rest when we need to, but to enjoy the journey. Yes, it can sometimes be filled with frustration and pain, but it’s filled with wonder and beauty too, that we can miss if we try to race.

A car ride reminded me to appreciate what’s in front of me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Spreading Kindness

Posted on by Wendy
“Let us not grow weary of doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9

A few days ago, an elderly lady came into the school office where I work. She wanted to purchase a couple of tickets for a charity dinner that our school is participating in. I got her a form and we discussed the time slot that would be ideal for her. She chose one and then changed her mind. Then, I explained to her how the dinner worked.

I had never seen this woman before and really had no idea how she even knew about the event, but when we finished with her paperwork, she handed me two bags of goodies from a local bakery. She said that she knew that the schools had, had a rough time over the past couple of weeks and she wanted to bring in a little treat for the teachers and staff at our school, as a pick me up.

I’ll have to admit that I was stunned. It had been a stressful couple of weeks, I’m sure for anyone working in a school or who has children in school. An act of terror in Florida, by a deranged teenager has put the entire country on edge and caused even more division among us.

Who would have even thought more division was possible?

Yet, I’ve always been amazed at how far a little kindness can go, especially the kindness extended by a complete stranger. The woman said goodbye and shuffled out the door, but her act of kindness remained all day and we offered every staff member who came through the office a taste of her treats as we shared her gift and her words.

Each person who came through was equally touched.

I thought about that woman long after I went home. I thought about how someone who was already coming in to contribute to a charity that feeds kids, also went our of her way to feed some adults who might be struggling a little too. Sure, we really enjoyed the treats she brought, but the thought behind them fed more than our tummies. It fed our souls.

The Bible tells us that kindness is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Maybe we should all be practicing a little bit more of it, especially when times are dark and maybe even go out of our way to extend kindness to strangers.

I can attest that her simple act meant a lot to me. She inspired me to want to be better and do the same. The Bible says: “Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds;” Hebrews 10:24

That lady inspired me to do just that. Perhaps you needed some inspiration too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Spring Inspiration

Posted on by Wendy
Hold tightly to your faith. Spring is coming.

As my hubby and I were driving home from church on Sunday, I commented on how beautiful the blooming trees were. It was as if overnight, the sleeping earth sprang to life.

It’s the very last day of February as I write this and it’s been a long cold winter. I mean seriously cold. We’ve had temperatures in the teens and for Georgia, that’s cold.

Most of the trees still look like skeletons around here, still in their winter dormancy and completely bare. If you would have told me a couple of weeks ago, spring was about to appear, I would have argued with you. It’s been so cold and our little state groundhog, famous for his correct predictions, predicted another six weeks of winter.

Yet, the daffodils, yellow bells, tulip trees and Bradford Pear trees are telling a different story.

In some spots, you really have to look for the signs of life. A single small flower will pop up or just a few buds have appeared. In other spots, everything seems to be blooming and there’s no way to miss it. But, it all seemed to have happened almost overnight.

Of course that wasn’t the case. The earth has been at work all along. The soil, the rain, the sun and the plantings, have all been hard at work beneath the surface, doing things that we can’t see. Spring doesn’t actually come overnight.

This season is always such a beautiful reminder to me that God is always at work whether we can see Him or not. There are times when the season of winter in our lives, seems to be endless. We can wonder if there will ever be warmth and beauty again.

But, if we are patient, if we keep praying, if we hold onto faith, then sometimes out of the blue, we will see a bud. Sometimes it’s actually a single bloom and sometimes it’s as if a switch has flipped and everything around us seems to spring to life at the same time.

However it happens, we have to hold on to our faith in the process. God is always at work, though often unseen and when we prayerfully wait on Him, the results are phenomenal just like spring time.

Some late February blooms reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Divine Timing

Posted on by Wendy
God’s timing is always perfect.

I often think about God’s timing. There are things that I pray for regularly that I sometimes wonder if God is even listening. Yet, time and time again, He shows me that He is.

For example, at the end of my daughter’s kindergarten year, we moved into a new house and a new school. I prayed for years that a family with a little girl would move in and that they would become besties. A the beginning of fourth grade, that prayer was answered. A little girl moved in down the street, and she and my daughter are now freshmen in college and still best of friends. My daughter loves her like a sister and I have come to love her as if she were my own child.

God’s timing may be different than ours, but it’s always perfect.

Last week, He showed His timing in such a brilliant way, it has stayed on my mind for days.

We had a child in our school with a birthday and her mama and grandfather came at lunch time to bring cupcakes for her class to celebrate her birthday. The grandfather rarely comes to the office but he is always very kind when he does. He speaks very little English so it’s always challenging to communicate with him.

When they were checking out, the grandfather picked up a flier that we had on the counter from a local church offering English as a second language classes, free of charge, at night. When the daughter asked me about it, I had very little information. Quite frankly, I didn’t even know they were up there.

I was reading over it with them, when an older lady, who serves as a mentor to one of our students, was checking out. She overheard what we were talking about and she told them that she attends that particular church and had all of the information that they needed. She answered all of their questions.

The grandfather seemed so excited when he left. I suspect he had a prayer of his own answered. The mentor, who was already doing a good deed by volunteering her time, got to do a second one that day.

I’ve often said that with God there are no coincidences. That mentor is only in our school one day a week. That child only has a birthday once a year. Those flyers hadn’t been in place for long and that grandfather is rarely in the office.

I was treated last week, to a front row seat production of God’s timing at work. All of the tiny puzzle pieces fell into place perfectly.

I sometimes need reminding. Perhaps you did too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Walking in Peace

Posted on by Wendy
“I have told you these things, that in me you might have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heat! I have overcome the world” John 16:33

Back in my early twenties, I was on a flight home. There were three of us flying that evening and we were all split up. I was sitting next to a complete stranger. Those of you who have ever met me before, know that I rarely meet a stranger. It usually doesn’t take me long at all to make friends with new people.

On this particular night, my seatmate was an air traffic controller. I’ve always found that to be a fascinating if not stressful, job. I had dozens of questions for him and he politely answered them.

When I say that we ran into some turbulence later that evening, I am not kidding. It was like riding a roller coaster. The aircraft bumped and dropped repeatedly. The flight attendants strapped themselves in. One of them even threw up. It was that bad.

I’ve never really loved to fly. The loss of control has always unnerved me a little. But, that night, my new air traffic controller friend, talked to me the entire flight. We talked about how most crashes are survivable. We talked about finding the exits if we needed them. We talked about how most people ignore the safety video which has important information on how to get off of a disabled airplane.

He was perfectly calm, which led me to be as well.

When we finally landed and I secured some ginger ale for my own queasy tummy, I met up with my group. The first thing my friend asked me in an exasperated tone, was how was I so calm? He pointed out that all of the passengers on board were silence in white knuckled fear while me and my new friend never stopped talking, acting like it was no big deal.

I laughed. He didn’t know who I was sitting with. I told him that I was with a seasoned air traffic controller and he wasn’t worried, then why should I be? It really never occurred to me to be frightened.

I’ve thought of that night many times over the years and what it taught me.

Sitting next to the air traffic controller in the storm, reminds me of walking with Jesus in the storm. There are things that happen to us and situations that we find ourselves in, that can absolutely terrify us like the rest of the passengers on that airplane that night. We can surrender to the fear and stress and hang on tightly with white knuckles, or we can lean into Jesus and know that He’s got this, whatever it is and we need not fear.

God is never surprised and when we really wrap our brains around that notion, we can always walk in peace. Perhaps you needed reminding today.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Jonah Wisdom

Posted on by Wendy
When we’re afraid of what lies ahead, we can call out to God.

A few weeks ago, my pastor gave a sermon on Jonah. It’s a fascinating story for reasons much deeper than Jonah being swallowed up by a giant fish. It’s a super short book, only four chapters long, but full of lessons for those who want to seek them.

My pastor pointed out that when Jonah finally decide to obey God’s call, he basically walked, (or I kind of picture him stomping,) through the streets of Nineveh, saying you’re all going to die in forty days. It was by no means an eloquent sermon. Jonah didn’t want it to be. He was kind of hopeful that Nineveh would be destroyed.

But, God used it anyway. Isn’t it amazing how he can do that? When Jonah told the Ninevites, they were going to die and gave them a timeline, they changed their ways and turned to God.

Does this story in any way sound familiar to the modern reader? What happens when we receive a bad medical diagnosis, or when we lose our job, or when a marriage falls apart? What about when we have been attacked in some way?

Someone once said, “Their are no atheists in foxholes.” While I’ve never been in physical combat, I can attest that when life’s battles come at me, I find myself in prayer.

When we come face to face with the frailty of our human existence, we find ourselves turning to God.

Last week, after the school shooting in Florida, someone wrote in a bathroom at my son’s high school that they were going to blow up or shoot up the school. I don’t know what the exact words were and quite frankly, it doesn’t matter. I knew it was most likely a prank, but still, I prayed.

The thought of those parents mourning their lost children, filled my mind.

I contacted some of my strongest prayer warriors and asked them to pray for the safety of my son and his school and I felt some peace. When he walked through the door after school, I hugged him extra tightly, so very thankful for his safety and for the warriors who prayed on his behalf.

When faced with things like school violence, I have come to understand that the war is probably more spiritual than physical. Like those soldiers in foxholes, or even the Ninevites, we are terrified of what we see coming and we call out to God.

Maybe now more than ever, we should do just that. The king of Nineveh once said, “Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. Who knows? God may relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.” Jonah 3:8-9

That’s exactly what God did. Nineveh was spared. Jonah’s story reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Turning Back to God

Posted on by Wendy
If we truly want to stop the violence, we have to turn back to God.

Last week, there was another horrific school shooting in our country, that left seventeen people dead. Before the dust settled the blame game began. The gun control advocates got out their bull horns. The mental health reform folks got on their soap box. Everyone wanted to lay blame on someone for the tragedy.

When our sense of justice is shaken to the core, along with our sense of safety and that of right and wrong, we demand answers. Then, we demand change. We want assurance from those in charge of our safety and the safety of our children, that this type of thing will never happen again and especially not in our hometown.

As Americans, who live in a land of laws that are designed to protect us, we naturally look to the government to fix issues like this that seem to be spiraling out of control. We want to believe that the answers, along with the blame, lies with those who govern.

I think we are wrong.

While the government can offer some protection against these types of attacks, the more serious evil is at the source of the violence. The violence is merely a symptom of something much deeper and as we tend to do with everything in our society, we tend to gravitate towards treating symptoms, not the sickness.

Just walk into a pharmacy and look at all the treatments for stomach issues. There are hundreds and that’s not even counting prescriptions. Yet, if we would simply change our diets, we could fix the majority of our stomach aches.

Violence in our schools has been on the rise since God was escorted out. At every turn, there are groups who fight to keep prayer out, even if it’s simply cheerleaders praying before a football game.

We also used to be a people who feared God and we taught our children to do the same. Now, we teach our children to fear no one. They don’t fear their parents. they don’t fear their teachers. They don’t fear authority period. They don’t fear God and many have never even heard of heaven or hell, so they don’t fear death either.

The violence can be stopped, but it’s not by man. If you are reading this, you woke up this morning; God is not finished. The Bible says, “If my people who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14

Now, more than ever, we need to pray as a nation and we need to teach our children to pray, but we also need to teach them to respect the only authority who can drive out evil.

We need to turn back to God. He’s truly the only One who can end the violence.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Life Changing Choices

Posted on by Wendy

Last Sunday, my daughter, sent me a text asking me to read her blog. It’s a requirement for her English class. A rather brilliant teacher, has required her students to spend an hour each week outdoors and then blog about it.

Last week’s prompt was a little different, “Share with your readers one of your favorite memories that took place outdoors in your life. It may be an everyday moment, or it might be one of the most transformational events in your life. Take us there and tap into our senses with vivid details. Additionally, I would like for you to make a connection between this memory and your current life/self.”

When I read it, I got goosebumps. I had just written on my own blog about the angels and prayer warriors God has put in her path and she felt lead to write about some of them herself.

God is always at work in our lives. Often, we can’t see it at all. But, when we do get to see it, it’s truly amazing. I’ve included a link to her blog. I hope you enjoy it.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂
You will need to copy and paste the link! Sorry!

https://carolinegainesnatureblog.wordpress.com/author/carolinegainesnatureblog/