Author: Wendy

Spreading the Fragrance of Christ

Posted on by Wendy
Don't be fooled by these little, unassuming blooms. Their scent is incredible.
Don’t be fooled by these little, unassuming blooms. Their scent is incredible.

I recently visited my parents. They have a huge yard and a ton of really beautiful things were blooming, but my daddy couldn’t stop talking about the tea olive bush. When he pointed it out, I was unimpressed. With all of the bright, showy things blooming, it wasn’t much to look at.

But, he just couldn’t stop talking about its smell. I reluctantly gave it a sniff. My mind was immediately changed. He was right. Those tiny, unassuming flowers were intoxicating and I just couldn’t get enough. Every time I walked by it, I could catch their glorious scent. How had I missed it before?

I was reminded of an incident as a teen involving a plant and my parents. They had this ugly plant called a Night Blooming Cereus, that sat in the corner of our family room, but they tended it lovingly. It only bloomed in the dead of night, once a year and they often missed it. Yet, they still cared for it.

My daddy often went on about the fragrance it gave off and said that he could tell the minute he walked into the room, that it had bloomed.

Well, one magical evening, it bloomed while we were all awake and you would have thought that my mama had just given birth. She must have taken twenty pictures of it.

As a teen, I didn't get it, but now I totally do.
As a teen, I didn’t get it, but now I totally do.

I had a friend over that evening and we laughed and thought my mama was nuts. We really didn’t get her excitement. But, some twenty plus years later, I do.

Just like that tea olive in the front yard, there’s way more to this seemingly unassuming plant than meets the eye. With nurture and love, it produces a beautiful bloom and an intoxicating scent. Those who don’t pay close attention will miss it.

I wonder how many blessings I have let pass me by, because I didn’t take a closer look. I wonder how many people I could have helped bloom if I had have been more persistent in prayer and with nurture. I wonder how many people have a beautiful scent to share if I were to lean in a little closer.

I wonder if I give off an inviting fragrance for Christ. When people lean in a little closer to me, are they pleasantly surprised? What about you? What kind of scent are you giving off?

The Bible tells us, “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him.” 2 Corinthians 2:14

That tea olive reminded me to not only lean in a little closer to those around me, but to also ask myself how I’m doing spreading the fragrance of the knowledge of Him. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

 

Soul Wellness

Posted on by Wendy
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1Thessalonians 5:16-18
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

My kids just had a week off from school for spring break and being a mama who wants to soak up every minute possible of these fleeting years of them at home, I happily took the week off with them.

The first part of the week was fabulous. We went down to visit the grandparents. My hubby and I visited a college with my daughter. My daddy took my son fishing. On Sunday, my mama joined us for a long hike along the river, followed by ice cream downtown.

We spent a couple of days out by their pool  basking in the warm, beautiful spring weather.

My hard to please sixteen-year-old, even commented about how relaxing her spring break was and how much she was enjoying it. I was feeling incredibly thankful and blessed. In my mind, there’s nothing more precious than time spent with family in the beautiful outdoors.

Then, Tuesday night, I started feeling bad. By Wednesday, I had a full-blown cough and a pounding headache. To top it off, the weather turned cold. After driving home, I didn’t want to do much more than sit in a chair and nap.

Even so, I still felt thankful for the first part of the week. My family really needed that break.

But, as I got ready for bed Saturday night still feeling crummy, a little voice reminded me to be thankful for the second half too.

While on the surface there didn’t seem much to be thankful for when I felt so bad, I was reminded that I normally feel great, wasn’t I thankful for my normal state of health? What about the little wonders of ibuprofen and cough medicine? Wasn’t I thankful for some relief of my symptoms? What about the fact, that the best thing to do when you are sick, is to drink and rest? Did I have any idea how fortunate I was to be able to simply walk to the sink and fill a glass with clean water? Over half of the world can’t. I also had definitely had the luxury of resting.

And what about my hubby who happily made dinner when I was not feeling up to it?

By the time I actually climbed into bed, I felt an incredible amount of peace and believe it or not, joy. Although, I still felt physically unwell, I was reminded that all was well with my soul.

And that’s a truth that I often lose sight of in this ever turbulent world. Our circumstances, things like health, and finances, and relationships, can change in the blink of an eye. But, when we build our foundation on Jesus and our hearts belong to Him, then no matter what, all is well with our souls.

And that is always worth giving thanks for. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Locked Doors Can’t Stop Him

Posted on by Wendy
Locked doors cannot stop Jesus; only locked hearts can.
Locked doors cannot stop Jesus; only locked hearts can.

I wrote a post a couple of days ago about how Mary Magdalene was so distraught when she couldn’t find Jesus’ body in His tomb, that she missed Him standing right in front of her. Even thought she was looking for Him in the wrong place, He came to her where she was and called her by name. Then, she knew.

I wrote about how we often miss encountering Jesus because we look for Him in the wrong places. But, what about when we don’t look for Him at all? What then?

The Gospel of John tells us in chapter twenty, that later on that same day, which would be night time on that very first Easter, the disciples were gathered together behind locked doors, in fear of the Jews. They weren’t searching for Jesus at all. They were hiding.

Mary had told them what she had seen. Did they believe her? The text doesn’t say. Did they think she was just some hysterical woman? Maybe. Whatever they were thinking, they weren’t out looking for the Risen Jesus. They were hiding.

They still feared man more than they trusted God.

But, then Jesus appeared among them. A locked door was no deterrent to the Son of God. He had just defeated death. There was no physical way to keep Him away from the friends that He loved.

My pastor once said that the only thing that can keep Jesus out is a locked heart. It’s not the physical realm that presents any kind of obstacle to keep Jesus from us, it’s the spiritual. It’s the human heart. That’s a lock that He won’t pick. We have to open our hearts to Him willingly and then prepare to be amazed.

The disciples certainly were. They were afraid at first. I probably would have been too. They deserted Him in His greatest hour of need and even though Mary had reported that He was alive, they still cowered in fear. They were not searching or Him.

But, He was searching for them. Let that sink in for a moment.

He wanted to forgive them and for them to know that they were forgiven. He wanted to cover them in grace. He wanted them to know that they were redeemed.

His first words to them. were, “Peace be with you!”

Even thought they weren’t looking for Him, He found them and told them to be at peace.

And so it is with us. For most of us, there are times in our lives when we search for Jesus, but there are also times when we don’t look for Him at all, but this Biblical account is clear.

It doesn’t matter why we are hiding, or what kinds of doors we have locked, whether it’s fear, or shame, or unbelief, if our hearts are open to Him, He will find us, wherever we are.

Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

PS: Next week is spring break for my kids. I’m going to take break and enjoy them. I hope to meet you back here with new inspiration to share in early April.

 

Worshipping The Rainmaker

Posted on by Wendy
The God of all Creation can certainly send a shower.
The God of all Creation can certainly send a shower.

A few Sundays back, after church, and after lunch, and after I got my ducks in a row for Monday, I tiptoed out to my back porch. My hubby was out on a run and both of my teens were occupied. I had my laptop in hand and I had prayed that God would meet me at my keyboard, so I could write my next blog post.

The weather had turned warm and I was excited about a little peace and quiet out in nature. But, as soon as I stepped outside, my heart sank. My neighbor was burning leaves and the smell of smoke was strong. I knew it would give me a headache in no time.

I plopped down on the futon anyway, aggravated, as I began to type. It wasn’t long before a light rain began to fall. It didn’t rain for very long, but long enough to wet everything outside and to put the fire out.

It cleared out almost as quickly as it started and then the sun came back out. The smoke was completely gone and the air was clear.

I marveled at God’s timing. I’m not saying that He made it rain for me. Maybe He did and maybe He didn’t. The point is that I know and respect that He can make it rain. The Bible gives us proof of that. Check out Elijah’s story.

I didn’t pray for rain. I prayed for Him to meet me at my keyboard and to give me truth and inspiration to share with others. I prayed for Him to show His face. It rained and I was inspired.

The Bible tells us, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28

I find that when I am trying to do His work, when I am trying to glorify Him with my life; He always makes a way. After all, I worship the Rainmaker.

A little shower reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

Seeking and Finding

Posted on by Wendy
Those who truly seek Him, can still find Him.
Those who truly seek Him, can still find Him.

I recently read the resurrection account in John where Mary Magdalene was searching for Jesus. In John’s account, she is the very first one to the tomb and the first to see the stone was rolled away. She frantically ran to find Peter and John to tell them what had happened.

Then they ran to the tomb to see for themselves. The men checked out the empty tomb and went home. Mary stayed and cried. She turned around and glanced back inside and saw two angels sitting there and still continued to sob. They asked her why she was crying.

Now, most people who see angels are filled with fear; not Mary. She had been in mourning for three days and at this point, she must have been inconsolable. Why didn’t she ask the angels where Jesus was or who they were? Wasn’t she curious? They are messengers from God. They probably would have told her. But, she didn’t ask. She told them why she was crying and turned around to go.

Now, here’s the really interesting part. She then stood face to face with Jesus and He asked her why she was crying. She proceeded to tell Him and He said one word to her. “Mary” He called her by name and she knew.

Mary was so frantically looking for Jesus in the place where she thought that He should be, that she missed Him where He was.

Let’s ponder that concept for a moment. How often do we miss encounters with Jesus because He’s not where we “think” He should be?

The Bible tells us we may see Him in the face the hungry, or the thirsty, or the stranger, or the sick. In fact, we should probably look for Him wherever there are people in great need, which is quite often not at church, or places that are clean and shiny. The Savior born in a manger, never chose to live in a palace. He chose to live among the common people.

He also chose to hang out with some questionable characters and shared the truth with them. What does that say to us? Where should we seek to serve Him?

Most of us have also at one time or another, found ourselves like Mary, frantically searching for Jesus, wondering where He has gone. We wonder why He doesn’t answer our prayers or reach out to us. We may even miss angels in our lives pointing the way and in our own self-absorbed, panic, we rush right past Him.

But, if we can force ourselves to be still, He will call our name, just as He said Mary’s name. He is here. He is reaching out. We only need to still our minds and hearts and listen.

He still has important things to say.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

No Small Parts in Kingdom Building

Posted on by Wendy
It takes many small things coming together, to make a flower grow and bloom.
It takes many small things coming together, to make a flower grow and bloom.

My daughter was recently asked to be the stage manager in her high school’s production of “High School Musical.” She is really interested in the behind the scenes of the entertainment industry, so she enthusiastically agreed.

When I told her that her daddy and I wanted to come and see the show, she couldn’t understand why. She asked me if I understood that she would be backstage at all times and that we wouldn’t see her. I told her that I understood, but that I also knew that her doing her part in the play would help to make it a success even if I couldn’t see her.

She still couldn’t understand why we would want to come. When I told my mama about the production, she wanted to come too. My daughter once again, couldn’t understand why. But, my mama knew just as I did, that the behind the scenes stuff can make or break a production and that my daughter’s part mattered.

The activities that go on behind the scenes can help make a performance flawless or complete chaos.

The Bible is full of those nameless characters that did their seemingly small part, but made a huge difference in the outcome. We have no idea the name of the innkeeper who offered Mary and Joseph his stable, to shelter the Baby Jesus. We have no idea who the shepherds were who just happened to be doing their jobs when angels visited them to tell them the news of Jesus’s birth. We have no idea who the man was who willingly gave his donkey for Jesus to ride on, thus fulfilling prophecy.

What about the servants at the wedding at Cana who did exactly what Jesus instructed and got to witness His first miracle? What about the friends who cut open a roof and lowered their paralyzed friend down to see Jesus, who then healed him because of their faith?

There are countless, nameless people who played what must have seemed a small, insignificant part in the life of Jesus, that actually made a big difference. Some of them unknowingly fulfilled prophecy. Some of them helped others grow their faith. All of them had a part to play whether big or small and all of them mattered to God.

And so it is with us today. Every part we play in helping others to know Jesus, matters. It can be a prayer, an invitation to church, teaching a class, sharing a pin on Pinterest, or a blog post that touched our hearts somehow. Our actions and efforts to love our neighbor matter.

We all get to play a part in building the Kingdom.

My stage manager reminded me of that. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Easter is a Way of Life

Posted on by Wendy
For Christians, it's always Easter.
For Christians, it’s always Easter.

Yesterday was Easter Sunday. It’s the holiest of holy days for Christians. It’s who we are and what we stand for. After a very gloomy, cloudy Good Friday and a wet and cloudy Saturday, I was hoping for a gorgeous, sunny Easter. But, alas, I woke up to more cloudy weather.

I knew the weather report called for rain, but I figured those guys are just guessing about half of the time.

When I opened the door to let my dogs out, I was pleasantly surprised. The sky might not have been celebrating Easter, but the birds were. They seemed to be engaged in their own symphony of praise.

When I went to get my cup of coffee, I pondered about the women going to the tomb on that first Easter morning. It was just before dawn, so probably kind of dark and gloomy like my weather happened to be at the moment.

Right outside my kitchen window, something caught my eye. It was a white iris that seemingly sprung up with a few others overnight. It was such a deep contrast to the dreariness that surrounded it. The damp gray weather, made it pop. I just had to grab my camera and take a closer look.

The delicate perfection reminded me that grace is always available.
The delicate perfection reminded me that grace is always available, if we only ask.

I was greeted by six irises standing straight and tall, almost as if they were saluting heaven in the only way they knew how. No, the sky wasn’t sunny and beautiful, but the earth was celebrating Easter anyway and so did I.

Those irises reminded me of the many blessings that we miss along the way when we are intently searching for a specific blessing. I wanted sunshine, but I didn’t get it. God sent me something even more beautiful. I might have missed it, if I wasn’t looking with an open heart.

Those irises reminded me that grace is always available to us if we only ask. That’s the miracle of Easter. They reminded me that Easter is not a day on the calendar. Easter is everyday for those of us who believe. Those irises reminded me that Easter should be a state of mind a daily, lifelong celebration of the truths that we are loved, treasured, and redeemed, and that God wins.

Those irises also reminded me that we can stand tall and point to heaven no matter our current circumstances. I thanked God for the reminders. Maybe you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Good Friday Musings

Posted on by Wendy
To truly appreciate Easter, we have to walk through Good Friday.
To truly appreciate Easter, we have to walk through Good Friday.

Today is Good Friday. It’s the day Christians remember the crucifixion of Christ. It’s a somber day, an ugly day. People don’t like Good Friday or to talk about Good Friday. Many churches don’t do Good Friday church services because they are so poorly attended.

The events of Good Friday are so unfair. Jesus was first betrayed by a friend, then given a mock trial. He was beaten, ridiculed and spat upon. No one stood up for Him. Then He suffered an unimaginably horrible death, trading His rightful crown of glory for one of thorns and finally nailed to a cross.

It’s difficult for us to think about. It’s even more difficult to admit that our sins put Him there. We would all like to believe that we are good people and that our sins aren’t that bad. But the truth is all sin is bad. It really doesn’t matter what flavor our particular ones are. Jesus died for my sins and yours. We all had a hand in it.

He was blameless, yet died willingly. He told His captors to put away their swords, “Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?” Matthew 26:45

He also told the chief priests, “But this is your hour when darkness reigns.” Luke 23:53b

Jesus was right. Darkness did reign for a time. I encourage you to read one of the Gospel accounts of the crucifixion. You can find it in Matthew 27, Mark 15, Luke 23 and John 19.

But, that’s not the end of the story. God always has a plan and God had a plan for Jesus and ultimately a plan for us. The beauty of the Gospels is that there is also a Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24 and John 20.

While Good Friday is painful and sobering, the next chapter begins Sunday, Easter. Easter is about resurrection, brand new life and redemption for all of us who believe. It’s about forgiveness, grace and new beginnings. It’s part of the greatest love story ever told, the story of God’s love for His people, the story of a savior’s love for us.

Easter Sunday is a reminder that we can begin each day with a clean slate and another chance. It’s like a happy new year every single day.

But, to be able to truly grasp it and fully appreciate it, we really have to walk through Good Friday. I know it’s difficult, but let’s try to spend some time today contemplating the enormity of Jesus’ sacrifice. Let’s spend some time in prayer and ask for forgiveness, keeping in mind in these dark hours, that Jesus is coming back.

He is risen! He’s alive! Hallelujah!

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Woodpecker Perseverance

Posted on by Wendy
The woodpecker is relentless on its quest.
The woodpecker is relentless on its quest.

I was taking a walk recently and praying for some guidance. It seemed like nothing I was trying to accomplish was succeeding. From financial plans, to job plans, to spiritual issues.

I’m not one of those people who believes that you just pray for something and sit back and wait for God to make it happen. There is certainly a time to be still, but we also have to remember that God is not a genie. We have to do our part too. I was praying and I was trying, but I felt like nothing was working.

I asked God to show me His face, to let me know He was listening and working. I’ve often shared in this space that God sends me hawks when I’m deep in prayer. It has happened too often to be a coincidence and I don’t believe in coincidences where God is concerned anyway.

The atheist sees God in nothing. The believer sees God in everything.

I didn’t see a hawk on my walk, but I wasn’t surprised. I knew God would show Himself in some way that I could understand and He did. When I went to the sink to get a glass of water, a very large red-headed woodpecker, was right outside my window, pecking on a tree. He was way to close for me to miss him.

I smiled and said a prayer of thanks.

Woodpeckers are relentless in their pursuits. If you have ever heard one pecking on a tree, you know they rarely stop to rest and if that tree doesn’t produce, they move on to the next, working just as hard.

My cousin Kay, will also attest that if you get one going after the cedar siding on your house, it’s next to impossible to stop them. They are single-minded when on a quest. They are also protected.

I rarely see woodpeckers in my yard, but I often hear them. I was pondering the nature of the woodpecker as I went upstairs and as I looked out the window across my deck and there the woodpecker stood on the ground, still pecking. It was as if God went out of His way to be sure I didn’t miss it.

I didn’t. That woodpecker reminded me to never give up, to never stop trying my best, to never stop praying, to not get discouraged, to move on to a different pursuit if what I’m working on isn’t producing results, and to persevere no matter what. It also was a gentle reminder that as a child of God, I am protected by my heavenly Father who always has a plan.

The same is true for you. I felt a weight lifted off. I really needed reminding. Perhaps you did too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Victory in Jesus

Posted on by Wendy
To truly defeat evil we must pray without ceasing.
To truly defeat evil we must pray without ceasing.

Yesterday in Brussels, a terrorist attack killed, at this writing, thirty people and injured dozens more. The Islamic extremist group called ISIS, once again, took it upon itself to murder innocent civilians in cold blood.

Those of us in the Western world weep for the victims and for the loss of life. We weep for their families. We scratch our heads as we so desperately want to understand how any member of humanity can act so cruelly towards other humans. What could possibly cause that kind of hate and indifference to life?

French Prime Minister Manuel Valls was quoted as saying, “We are at war.” I suspect he was speaking of France or possibly Europe as a whole. He may even have been including all of the West in his statement. He was right, but this war is not new, not really.

The war with Radical Islam specifically, may be a newer concept to us, but God’s people have been at war from the very beginning of humanity. From the moment God created man, Satan has tried to turn us against Him and we have far too often obliged. It didn’t take him long to get us tossed out of Eden.

God created us with free will, something that has gotten us into trouble since day one. We are fallen by nature. But, God sent us a Savior and this is the week that we are getting ready to celebrate Easter which gives us the opportunity to be free from the wages of sin.

Is it a coincidence that the bloody attack happened this week? I seriously doubt it. The enemy that we fight, has to hate Easter and all that it represents, so he will spread fear and chaos and shed blood if possible, because that is what he does.

Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.” John 10:10

That looks exactly like what Satan is doing in Europe through ISIS and our reluctance to call it evil and recognize where it truly comes from has only hurt us.

I am reminded of a quote I read recently from, “Lord of the Rings.” Aragorn was desperately trying to get a king, Theoden, to stand up and defend his people, but he didn’t want to fight. He didn’t want war.

Theoden: “I will not risk open war.”

Aragorn: “Open war is upon you, whether you would risk it or not.”

Satan is at war with all Christians. We have no choice in the matter. We do, however, have a choice of whether or not we will defend ourselves and perhaps more importantly, go on attack.

We are not called to live in fear. The Bible tells us repeatedly to “fear not.” We are called to live in prayer. If we really want to win the war on ISIS, the war on terror, the war on evil, the war with Satan, we have to begin on our knees.

We have to read scripture and pray it. We have to pray without ceasing. The Bible assures us that God wins. The question for us is do we want to be a part of that victory?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂