Author: Wendy

Don’t Miss the Headline

Posted on by Wendy
As long as we follow Jesus, love wins.
As long as we follow Jesus, love wins.

I have been on a hiatus for the past month and I still may not be back full time. I went on a mission trip and then spent lots of time with out of town family. My daughter had dental surgery that went well. I simply have had very little time to breathe and compose my thoughts.

When I have had time to check Facebook, a war seems to have broken out. From flags to Supreme Court decisions, everyone has an opinion and as near as I can tell, there’s little tolerance on either side for the other guy’s views. Social media has become a noisy place and I find myself tuning out more than in. I suppose I took a bit of a hiatus from Facebook too.

I happened to have been in South Carolina on a mission trip when Dylan Roof shot those nine Christians. That’s the headline, by the way, they were Christians first. As believers, we know that the soul is what lives eternally. Skin color is secondary. God doesn’t care that they were black Christians and neither did Jesus when he welcomed them home with open arms. We shouldn’t care about their skin color either. Christians were gunned down in their house of worship by someone under Satan’s influence.

Who else would kill Christians? Hate does not come from God.

Merely two days later, many of the families of the victims forgave Dylan in open court and openly told him they were praying for his soul. Could they have humanly done that? Nope, but the Holy Spirit was clearly on the scene. He doesn’t care about skin color either. One by one, family members addressed the killer. One even said, “Hate won’t win.”

There have been some serious race riots going on in this country lately when a black person was killed by a white police officer. As the country held its collective breath to see what would happen in Charleston, I believe Satan danced with joy expecting the worst. After all, nine black people were killed a white guy.

But, those nine people were disciples of Jesus, the “Prince of Peace.” A mere four days later, organizers in Charleston put together a walk to the Ravenal Bridge called the “Bridge of Peace.” Would anyone show? Would there be riots and looting as in other cities?

Police estimate anywhere from 10 to 15 thousand people showed up and held hands for peace many singing hymns along the way. There was a nine minute moment of silence for the nine victims. I imagine Heaven rejoiced.

But, peace and unity have never made for big headlines. In no time flat, the news media as well as social media began to focus on South Carolina’s flag. Hackles went up and insults began to fly. Who do you think loves division? Who do you think was laughing with delight?

God is still at work here. The earth has always been a dangerous place and for Christians in particular, because we are not of it, but live in it. The nine people who died were saints. Their families and fellow church members are the very picture of Christ, something we should all strive to be. On the day of the peace march, the city of Charleston shone like a beacon in the darkness.

That’s what we should all focus on. That’s the headline. Don’t miss it.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Taking a Break

Posted on by Wendy
Sometimes taking a break fills us with brand new energy for the journey.
Sometimes taking a break fills us with brand new energy for the journey.

I will be on a youth mission trip this week with three awesome teenage girls. I will be completely out of my element and I have no idea how I will serve, but I do believe that God will let me know, since He called me. I’m all set to listen. Because of my trip, I won’t be posting this week. When I return, I’m going to be helping my parents wrangle my sisters’ babies for a few days so she and her sweet hubby can take a little break. It takes a village. Families are a village of sorts, aren’t they?

I’m taking a short hiatus to follow God and enjoy my family and totally soak up all of those blessings. I can’t wait to see how God will show His face and I can’t wait to share it here on Gracefulgaines.

I would really appreciate your prayers for me and my girls on our trip. I’ll be back soon.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Treasure Hunters

Posted on by Wendy
Treasure hunters are relentless in their pursuit of lost treasure. God is relentless in His pursuit of us.
Treasure hunters are relentless in their pursuit of lost treasure. God is relentless in His pursuit of us.

On a recent trip to Florida, my family visited a maritime museum. It was filled with really cool artifacts that had ties to the ocean, but by far the most interesting part was the curator. He was a veteran of Vietnam, a former dive shop owner and a treasure hunter.

There’s a shipwreck right off of the Florida coast called the San Miguel. It’s been there since it sank in a hurricane in 1715. It’s in very deep water with very low visibility. What’s a treasure hunter to do? They built a special boat, of course.

Treasure hunters are an interesting breed of people. They are relentless in their search. They study history and maps and then they search for clues in the ocean. Another amazing thing is that when they pull something up from the ocean floor that’s been there for over two hundred years, it looks more like a rock than treasure. I don’t think I could tell the difference. I could be holding a gold coin and think it’s a shell. But, they know.

Treasure hunters have an eye for shape and size and weight. Then they painstakingly clean all of the layers of debris that have covered it over the years. The process is not simple or quick, but when they are done, the treasure shines like new.

As I thought about the enthusiasm that the curator had when he shared his story and how he was incredibly excited about getting started on the actual excavation this summer, I was reminded God’s relentless pursuit of us.

He is truly the ultimate treasure hunter. He seeks us out when our hearts are all crusted over with years of sin and bad decisions and He slowly and gently strips it all away. He can see the beauty underneath and He knows what we can be with time, healing, love, and faith. When He works with us, we shine more brightly than any gold ever could.

I am also reminded that as Christians, we also have the opportunity to look for treasure in others. We have the opportunity to look past gruff exteriors, anger, hurt feelings, hopelessness, and apathy and see something different. We can share the love of Christ and we too, can watch those heavy heart layers slip away.

It takes time and perseverance. Years of disappointment and unbelief won’t disappear instantaneously. Luckily, patience is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, who is always willing to help us help others along their faith journey. We too, have the Bible to use for history and a map. God has equipped us well.

I like the idea of being a treasure hunter. What about you?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

Pray Out Loud

Posted on by Wendy

I recently came across a story of a miracle that’s simply too good not to share. It was shared by a friend of mine on Facebook. Back in the summer of 2013, a Tulane college student named Katie Lentz was on her way to church in Missouri. She was doing an internship there.

A drunk driver hit her car so hard it flipped and she was trapped. The car was on its side and her face was on the pavement. When help arrived, they worked over 45 minutes and couldn’t free her. Their equipment kept failing. A helicopter waited to air lift her to a trauma center. All reports say Katie remained calm.

A priest appeared out of nowhere and asked rescue workers if he could anoint Katie. The officer in charge was concerned that it would send her the wrong message, that they had given up and called in a priest. Another rescuer concurred.

Isn’t that our human nature? We so often second guess the work and abilities of God. Their hearts were in the right place, but they were afraid.

Meanwhile, Katie’s vital signs began to fade. Something had to be done to get her out or she wasn’t going to make it. The rescuers decided to make a risky move and flip the car back over. The move could have been fatal for Katie, but they were out of options.

But, before they proceeded, Katie asked if someone would pray out loud with her. The priest stepped forward and said, “I will.” He did and he anointed her head with oil. Her vitals immediately stabilized. The priest stepped back.

They flipped the car. A new rescue crew appeared. Everything worked beautifully and she was removed very quickly and life flighted out. The priest disappeared. It was a miracle.

For several days, there was a search for the mystery priest. He didn’t turn up in close to 70 pictures at the site and the traffic was blocked off for two miles. How did he get there? Was he an angel?

Perhaps one of the rescuers said it best when he said, “Whether he was an angel dressed as a priest or a priest who became their angel, he was good with it either way.”

The priest did come forward. He was Father Patrick Dowling who was filling in that day for a sick priest. He said he never leaves the scene of an accident because he has the power to help. He gives all of the glory of that day to “the Almighty God.”

Katie’s rescuers said they had never seen such a horrific accident and couldn’t believe she survived it. Katie had many broken bones, but felt blessed to be alive.

And the take away? Prayer works. Maybe praying out loud works even better. We certainly know there is great power in praying in numbers. There are miracles that happen everyday. Maybe as Christians we should seek them out and share them with others. The world needs to see them.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/09/20/mystery-priest-to-reunite-with-miracle-car-crash-surviver-katie-lentz/

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

A Cautionary Tale

Posted on by Wendy
Once we got on the right path, why look back?
Once we got on the right path, why look back?

I’ve been following along with a study on women in the Bible on the website #SheReadsTruth. A few days ago, the post was on Lot’s wife. I’m sure she had a name, but the Bible doesn’t tell us what it was. Her story was always kind of strange and fascinating to me.

It’s found in Chapter 19 in the Book of Genesis. These angels were in town to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. God had planned on destroying the cities and everything in them, but Abraham had intervened and asked God to save any righteous people there and God agreed. Those people turned out to only be four, Lot, his wife and their two daughters.

I love the fact that Abraham was able to intercede for Lot. Abraham appealed to God and God listened. Isn’t that what we do for friends and loved ones when we pray? God listens to our prayers, just as He listened to Abraham.

So, the angles told Lot to hurry and he hesitated. They finally took his hand and the hands of his wife and daughters and lead them safely out of the city. They were then told to flee and, “Don’t look back!” Genesis 19:17b

Here’s where it happens. “But, Lot’s wife looked back and she became a pillar of salt.” Genesis 19:26

I always found that to be strange and harsh. I mean, God was raining down sulfur and there was smoke everywhere. Wouldn’t it be natural to be curious about what was happening?

Of course, angels are messengers, so when the angel said, “Don’t look back!” it came straight from God.

But, the writer at #SheReadsTruth took it a step further and said that possibly the greater lesson was our tendency to look back and then go back to our sinful lives even after we have been given mercy and forgiven. Is Lot’s wife a reminder that looking back, leads towards sin and to going back the route where certain disaster will occur?

As I play that scenario out in my head, I’m also reminded of our stubborn refusal to look back after we have been forgiven. Perhaps she is also a reminder that once we have asked for forgiveness and walked away from a bad choice, we are supposed to walk face forward. That can be a tall order can’t it?

When we make decisions for ourselves outside of God’s will for us, disaster inevitably occurs. Divorces, addiction, and all types of emotional pain, along with a host of other human misery, can often be traced back to wrong decisions in the first place. But, once we admit the sin and repent, we are giving it to God and placing it at the foot of the cross. When we look back and lament on it, we are saying we don’t believe we are forgiven. We are saying Jesus’ sacrifice wasn’t enough.

Those thoughts don’t come from God. They come from the enemy. Perhaps Lot’s wife is a reminder that we are supposed to keep our eyes focused on God and journey forward, not backward, into the arms of Jesus.

What do you think about Lot’s wife?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

Sea Turtle Lessons

Posted on by Wendy
The crowd cheered over the healing and release of this one sea turtle.
The crowd cheered over the healing and release of this one sea turtle.

While my family was vacationing recently, a shop owner asked us if we were going to attend the sea turtle release. We hadn’t heard anything about it. She told us that a sea turtle had been injured by a boat propeller five years earlier and that she had been in rehab at the Pittsburgh Zoo. They were releasing her back into the ocean where she had been found.

We were intrigued. Five years is a long time for a turtle to be out of its habitat and all the way in Pittsburgh too. We were in Florida. A little more research showed us that at one point she was considered unreleasable. Her injuries were simply too severe. But, someone must have fought for her.

On Thursday around noon, we headed to the spot. We were surprised to see a fairly wide area taped off and a crowd stood on both sides of the tape. There were policemen walking through the crowd. There were very young children and elderly people there. People had cell phones, cameras and camcorders. As the minutes ticked, the excitement grew.

At last, a van pulled up. A group of volunteers climbed out and brought out three juvenile turtles to be released. They walked around the taped off area and let people see them and take pictures and then they walked out into the surf and let them go. When they gave the thumbs up, the crowd went wild cheering and clapping.

The entire process gave me goosebumps and brought tears to my eyes, so much fanfare for these small and seemingly insignificant creatures. My heart was touched.

Then they brought out, Sunburst, the large turtle who had endured so much. For five years she had to go through rehab and although some wanted to give up on her, she survived and was going home. This time the crowd really went wild. We all held our breath has they placed her into the ocean. There was complete silence and then, she too got the thumbs up as she swam away. The cheering and clapping was even louder than before.

I immediately thought of a Bible verse from Luke. “In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.” Luke 15:10 NLT

It comes from one of Jesus’ parables where a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. She doesn’t rest until she finds the missing one.

I think God looks at us like that sea turtle that some considered releasable. He never gives up hope. He never stops working with us to bring us home and when we find our way, I think the angels in heaven cheer for us just like the crowd on the beach.

Every single one of us matter to Him. There is no one who is insignificant and there are no exceptions. We are all redeemable. That fact my friends, makes me smile. What about you?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Sacrifices and Rewards

Posted on by Wendy
Let there be light.
Let there be light.

I recently took a family vacation to the beach. When I was growing up, my family vacationed every year on the Florida panhandle. I love the Gulf of Mexico and the sugar white sands there. My hubby’s family vacationed on the Atlantic side of Florida. He loves the waves in the Atlantic Ocean.

Now that I have my own family, we have visited both and I find incredible beauty in both. I believe that the seashore is some of God’s best work. I have so many fabulous memories of visiting beaches, wherever they may be. There’s something about the vastness of the ocean that I find incredibly calming and inspiring all at once.

However, what I really miss the most about the Gulf side of Florida are the sunsets. The sun doesn’t set over the beaches on the Atlantic. I have watched countless breathtaking sunsets over the Gulf of Mexico and I commented to my hubby on this trip that I really missed them.

He told me with a twinkle in his eye, that we could watch the sun rise over the Atlantic. Did he seriously think I wanted to get up by 6:00 AM on our vacation to watch the sunrise? Aren’t vacations for resting? Did I mention that he’s a major morning person?

He asked me every night before we went to bed, if I wanted to get up and watch the sunrise. I told him each night, maybe the next day. Still, I have to say I was curious. I’ve never seen the sun rise over the ocean. I knew if it was anything like a sunset, it would be spectacular.

When Friday came, I knew I had to make a decision. We were leaving on Saturday. We set the alarm to get up early.

When we arrived at the beach, we weren’t alone. It was by no means crowded, but there were other people there. Some were exercising, but others had cameras or were sitting on towels or chairs waiting.

The sky was tinged a beautiful pink and we quietly waited. And then, my hubby whispered, “There it is!”

It truly was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. It wasn’t gradual. The sun wasn’t there and then, “Pop!”, it was. I felt like I was in Genesis, when God said, “Let there be light.”

I sat in complete awe of creation and of our Creator. It struck me at that moment that to see the face of God, we sometimes have to make sacrifices. We have to get up early to spend some time with Him or to read the Bible, or we have to go to bed early on Saturday to make a Sunday worship service. Sometimes we have to say “no,” to something so we can say “yes,” to Him.

But, the sacrifices are always worth it, if they draw us closer to Him. Sunsets are beautiful, but easy. They take little sacrifice to observe. That sunrise was purely spiritual. I am thrilled that I didn’t miss it and I am reminded that sacrifices often bring us rewards beyond measure. I will try to remember that the next time I’m trudging uphill. Maybe you will too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Taking a Break

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I’m going to take a break this week and spend some vacation time with my family. I hope you have a fabulous God-inspired week this week and I hope to return with lots of things to write about. Blessings.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Little Bitty Pieces

Posted on by Wendy
When we only know little bits at the time, of an enormous plan, we are less likely to panic.
When we only know little bits at the time, of an enormous plan, we are less likely to panic.

My son is going to be a freshman in high school next year. He is taking an honors literature class and the folks in charge of that class have decided that he needs to have a reading assignment over the summer. Don’t even get me started on my feelings about the school’s intrusion into my personal summer family time. Who do they think they are?

To make matters worse, the book is six hundred and thirty pages. It’s four smaller books joined together to make one. As soon as I saw the assignment, I knew I had to take action. He would balk at the size of the book and would likely just give up, thinking that he could never read a book that length.

He does not enjoy reading at all, but he loves to write and he’s good at it. I think he will do well in the class and will likely enjoy it once he gets past the seemingly impossible assignment.

I made a plan. I downloaded the book onto his Kindle. The Kindle is small. He can’t see that the book is actually the size of a “Harry Potter,” novel. He isn’t intimidated by is size. I also have him reading a few chapters a day.

Today, he actually came and found me and started telling me about some things he found funny about the book. He asked me if I knew certain characters were in the book. I didn’t. He went on to explain some things about different legends concerning Robin Hood, unicorns and fairies. He’s actually enjoying the book.

He would never have opened the cover if he knew how much work was ahead of him.

I wonder if perhaps, God does the same kind of parenting with us. I have a friend who constantly complains about not knowing what’s coming next. I always tell her that living and obeying one day at a time builds faith and I believe that.

But, my summer assignment experience with my son, also makes me wonder if God often keeps the magnitude of some our assignments to Himself, because He knows we will balk and lose courage. We will be certain we can’t do it.

He’s probably right. If He would have told Abraham how long he would have to wait to get his promised heir, would he have so cheerfully gone? If He would have told Joseph how he would have to be sold by his brothers or how many years he would have to be a prisoner in Egypt before his dreams came true, and his brothers bowed down to him, would he have shared those dreams in the first place?

The Bible is full of examples like these and I suspect most modern-day, mountain moving, God lead stories have similar scenarios. Human beings have very little grasp on what we are capable of  when God stands behind us. But, God knows.

And because He does know us, maybe He keeps us on a need to know basis when it comes to the bigger stuff. I think that’s probably for the best. Don’t you?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

What God Waters

Posted on by Wendy
When God waters it, we can expect big results.
When God waters it, we can expect big results.

My little garden has been growing slowly. We haven’t had much rain, so I have had to water it fairly frequently. Last night we had a huge storm. It rained for a long time and almost overnight, my squash doubled in size. The plants are huge and healthy. My tomato plants went from flowers to fruit. They are covered in tiny tomatoes.

I don’t know why I’m surprised. Growing a garden always keeps me in awe of God’s work. When I water my plants, they come along slowly. They grow a little bit, but when God waters them, it’s an entirely different story. Their growth explodes.

My veggie plants remind me that life is the same way. We can work as hard as we possibly can to make something successful and sometimes it barely survives, but when we add God to the mix, it changes everything. Struggling marriages can miraculously heal and flourish. Family relationships can grow strong and beautiful.

Even churches can have a revival. Sometimes, we can begin to treat our churches as more of a social club than a house of worship. We can begin to worship the building or the people in it. Sometimes our ministries become more of a routine than a calling. At some point, we have forgotten who we serve and why we are really there.

I saw on Facebook recently a quote that said, “Christians are called to worship Christ. We aren’t called to worship other Christians.” When we forget that, we forget to put God at the center of our church. When that happens, we can’t flourish. We aren’t covered in blessings, because we are trying to succeed on our own. When we do that, we are doomed to fail.

But, the good news is that God wants to bless our churches, ministries, families and relationships. We simply have to give them back to Him and put Him at the center.

The Bible says, “Therefore tell the people: This is what the Lord Almighty says: Return to me says the Lord Almighty, and I will return to you says the Lord Almighty.” Zechariah 1:3

The verse applies to Israel who had gone astray and turned away from God, but I think it definitely applies to us too. If we give our lives to God, we don’t have to struggle to make our relationships grow. We don’t have to struggle to make our churches and ministries grow.

We do our best and then let God do the watering. The results can be amazing, just like my little garden. Maybe you’d like to give it a try?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂