Author: 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

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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 🙂

Not All Who Wander…

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As long as we are following God, we are never lost.
As long as we are following God, we are never lost.

J.R.R. Tolkien once wrote, “Not all those who wander are lost.” I have always loved that quote, not because I’m a physical wanderer. I’m quite the opposite. I’ve lived in the same house for ten years now and the one before that for seven. I’ve been a Georgia Girl my entire life.

But, there are different ways to wander, aren’t there? I’ve never felt a deep call to do one specific thing my whole life, like be a doctor, artist, or a singer. I like to sing and I sang in church growing up. I didn’t think about singing again for close to twenty years and last Christmas, I found myself singing in the church choir in a Christmas Cantata. Who would have thought?

Yesterday, my daughter and I went through her sheet music and sang songs together that we plan on singing together on our mission trip in a few weeks. When she pulled out, “Victory and Jesus,” “I’ll Fly Away,” and “I Saw the Light,” for us to work on and proclaimed those as some of her favorites, I had to fight back tears. Those were always some of mine too, growing up, but she has rarely heard them in today’s church.

When we sang them together, I could almost see the Holy Spirit dancing along. The new church services with all of their new and improved music, really have nothing on the old stuff.

Our church won’t have a Vacation Bible School this year because we don’t have the space, but we are likely moving to a permanent home in the fall. This year is the first year I haven’t helped run a VBS in nine years. Next year, our church will probably have a need for someone to coordinate a VBS. I am more than willing.

I suppose when we allow ourselves to be flexible and wander a bit, we are much more available to be used by God. If I were only willing to focus on singing, I would have totally missed out on all my work on various Vacation Bible Schools. If I were only willing to work with young children, I would have missed out on working with youth groups.

Working with youth groups really made me read my Bible because they ask seriously tough questions. Reading my Bible made me tune into and listen to the Holy Spirit which lead me to write and share God with others on my daily walk. Watching for God in the world around us is a Vacation Bible School concept. It all ties together; almost as if there’s some Holy Architect.

I’ve done a fair amount of wandering on my faith journey and though I have been lost at times, for the most part, I’ve really enjoyed the scenery and almost every skill I’ve learned along the way has been put to use to serve in some way, and for that matter, more than once.

I don’t have to have a plan or destination in mind and neither do you. We just have to be willing to follow and maybe wander a bit. Who knows how He will use those skills we are picking up along the way? He will use them; of that we can be sure.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Pentecost Ponderings

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When the Holy Spirit shows up, prepare to be amazed.
When the Holy Spirit shows up, prepare to be amazed.

Last Sunday was Pentecost Sunday on our church calendar. It’s the day that we officially recognize the Holy Spirit showing up on the scene after Jesus ascended into Heaven. I love the Pentecost story. It’s found in the Book of Acts and It’s fascinating stuff.

The Book of Acts tells us that Jesus spent forty days on earth appearing to different people and eating and hanging out with the disciples. Then he tells the disciples that he is going to leave them, but that he is sending someone else. In the Book of John, Jesus calls him “Counselor and the Spirit of truth.”

The part that grabs my attention is that Jesus tell his disciples, “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” Acts 1:4b-5

They did as they were told and gathered as a group along with the women who followed Jesus including his mother, (I so love that she got included in the story because she played such a vital part in his earthly life, like most mamas); and his brothers. According to the text, the number was around a hundred and twenty.

So, all of those people sat there together praying and waited. I would love to know what was going through their minds. Were they afraid or bold at this point? Either way, they were obedient and Jesus fulfilled his promise. Of course, God always comes through when we are obedient.

The Holy Spirit showed up in a very loud wind and dancing tongues of fire rested on each person’s head. The Spirit enabled them to speak in different languages. It was obviously a miracle. I mean, no one snaps their fingers and can speak another language.

However, as is often the case with miracles, the people in the street couldn’t believe it. They accused them of being drunk, like anyone has ever been able to speak a different language when they are intoxicated. But, there will always be those who refuse to believe in the power of God, even when there is no other possible explanation. We still have those people today.

Peter addressed the crowd of naysayers; yes, the same Peter who denied Jesus at the time of his arrest. He explained to everyone in the crowd about Jesus and salvation and grace. About three thousand accepted his message and were baptized. What a comeback!

But, redemption and forgiveness are always available to those who follow Jesus.

When we follow and obey the words of Jesus, the unimaginable can happen. If we want the Holy Spirit to show up, we have to obey. Sometimes we are called to wait. Sometimes we are called to act. Either way, when the Spirit is on the scene, be prepared for the amazing. Pentecost was only the beginning.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Summer’s Calling

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How will you answer?
How will you answer?

As I sit and write this, it’s the first full day of our summer vacation. I’m sitting on the porch with a cup of coffee and there’s a cool breeze. It’s almost cool enough for a jacket out here. The birds are trying to outdo each other as they sing their loudest songs.

My teens are still sleeping. We drove to my parents house the minute school got out and they stayed out at the pool until well after 9:00. Their summer has officially begun the same way mine always did. They are with friends and they are at the pool.

There’s something about a swimming pool that makes time and worry slip away. Hours can pass by as they listen to music and no one even thinks about checking their Instagram or Twitter. They are unplugged and they actually talk to each other and to me. It’s precious and I treasure it.

I have a friend who has struggled with communicating with her teen lately, but when she gets her in their pool, they float and talk and all is right with the world.

I witnessed the same phenomenon at a youth group gathering at a pool last week. They played pool games and they laughed and talked. They were in the moment with the people in front of them. No one was tethered to a phone.

The beginning of summer is always magical time. Our pace slows down. We plan vacations. We head to the lake, or the beach, or the mountains. We eat watermelon and tomato sandwiches. We make homemade ice cream.We grow fresh produce in our gardens and plant brightly colored flowers. We cook out. We spend time on the porch. We camp and spend time around the campfire. We attend family reunions. We gather with friends outdoors for meals and drinks.

It’s the time of year where we spend the most time outside in Creation, God’s personal cathedral, built with His own creativity, to His liking. It’s the time of year, when Creation itself seems to beckon us to slow down and come and sit a while with a glass of tea or lemonade. For a season, we are called to appreciate the slower pace. We all get to live in Mayberry, if we choose.

The teens have awakened and are sitting on the porch swing laughing and talking. They eat breakfast outside and head to the pool. I still see no electronics anywhere.

We can learn a lesson from them if we are wise. We can treasure the long days and the porch and the pool. We can get outside and create quiet space to appreciate all of God’s fabulous gifts in nature. We can unplug and spend less time on Facebook telling the world what a good time we are having and actually get out there and have such a good time with the people in our lives who we have been blessed with, that we don’t even want to stop for a moment to put it on social media. They can’t really get it anyway, if they aren’t there.

The best times have always been with the people in front of us, not the ones in cyberspace. The summer beckons. How will you answer?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂