Author: Wendy

Looking Beneath the Surface

Posted on by Wendy
When we take the time to look beneath the surface, we are often able to extend understanding and grace.
When we take the time to look beneath the surface, we are often able to extend understanding and grace.

It can be awfully easy to judge others. When we meet someone for the first time and they are rude or snippy, it’s easy to write them off as, not a nice person. It’s an easy mistake for adults to make and super easy for kids.

We tend to judge people by what we see on the surface. My daughter will come home sometimes and talk about how some girl at school was really mean to someone or said something very inappropriate. It doesn’t take too long in the conversation to figure out that life in that child’s home is often in total chaos. I’m not excusing the behavior, but trying to make an effort to help her to understand.

First impressions are everything to us and changing our minds about someone after they have snubbed us or treated us poorly, often takes some serious thought and more importantly, prayer. Forgiveness is not in our nature. It’s a gift from the Holy Spirit and one most of us, including myself, could use more of.

I recently read in John 7:24, “Look beneath the surface so you can judge correctly.” Those words came from Jesus, himself and he was arguing with the Pharisees about Jewish law. The Pharisees were never ones to look beneath the surface. Laws were laws and everything was black and white. Grace didn’t have a place in their picture of God.

How often do we take the time to look beneath the surface in a situation where we have been wronged somehow or when we perceive that someone has treated us badly? Is there a chance that the person in question, is fighting a battle that we know nothing about? Is it possible that God is offering us the unique opportunity to extend grace to a fellow human being, like He extends daily grace to us?

I can appreciate the need to be right and when we are wronged, we feel that someone should pay. We want justice when we have been injured or slighted. But, do we want justice when we were the ones who were doing the slighting? Ouch! Surely, we can all think of an example when we were in the wrong and hurt someone’s feelings unintentionally due to our own circumstances at the time.

Perhaps we should begin each day with a desire to look beneath the surface in the people around us. We can pray for God to help us in this quest. We may very surprised at what we find.

We may find that the world is full of hurting people who lash out because they simply don’t know any other way to deal with their circumstances. We may find the opportunity to extend forgiveness and grace and maybe even a helping hand.

If we all tried a little harder to look beneath the surface before we rush to judgement, I wonder what our world would look like. We might be pleasantly surprised. What do you think?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Your Mission Field

Posted on by Wendy
Our mission field is the people God places in your path and our mission is building relationships with those people.
Our mission field is the people God places in our path and our mission is building relationships with those people.

We had the district manager of missions come and visit our church last Sunday. He spoke of trips to Jamaica and Belize. He talked about the huge difference that missionaries can make in the lives of others. He talked about building structures, replacing pipes, giving sermons and conducting Vacation Bible School on foreign soil. It was all very interesting and touching. He was very passionate about the topic and was moved to tears more than once.

He pointed out that the most important part of mission work is not the building things or the service that is provided, although it’s much needed. He said the most important part of mission work is building relationships. He said it’s always a mistake to push religion instead of letting others see, God in us.

This concept really struck a chord in me. People need to know that they matter to someone. When people are living in terrible poverty or in bad situations, it’s human nature to wonder if anyone cares about them. When we reach out a hand to the hurting, we let them see a glimpse of God. It’s not about religion. It’s about relationship.

He went on to say that your most important mission field is your children. He said that a mission trip is great, but it’s a week or two a year for most people. How you treat people everyday is true mission work.

A cousin of mine recently sent me an article written about just that very thing. Mission work starts at home. We first minster to and teach our own children. We do that by plugging in to their world and inserting God’s love into it. We can’t do that effectively by dropping them at youth group or Sunday school once a week. We have to be there and be involved in our mission field.

We have to set examples of God’s love for them in how we treat our spouses and how we treat our friends and neighbors. We also have the difficult task of setting examples of God’s love for them by how we treat others who don’t treat us well or don’t show us respect. No one ever said mission work was easy, rewarding at times, yes, but rarely easy. Just ask Jonah.

But, I believe while our mission field may begin with our children, it expands and grows along with them. Every child or teenager at this point, who walks through my door or sits at my dinner table, offers me the opportunity to shine the light of Christ.

Aren’t all Christians missionaries? If we know Jesus and the world around us doesn’t, then our mission field is everyone who God puts in our path. And if true mission work is about relationship, then asking a struggling neighbor or co-worker over for coffee, can be a service for God.

It really doesn’t seem that difficult, does it? It doesn’t even require a passport. But, it does require something we really struggle with these days, our time. Perhaps we should begin to view our time like any other gift from God, a precious resource. Perhaps we should pray about the mission field in our own backyard.

Can you think of someone who is struggling financially, physically or emotionally? Can you think of someone who has suffered a recent loss? If so, you have the opportunity to be a missionary. If you can’t, I encourage you to pray about it. I’ll bet God will send you someone in need of your unique brand of hospitality. It’s never too late to get started. What do you say?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

The Danger of a Box

Posted on by Wendy
Dreams and gifts, like running shoes are useless if we leave them in a box.
Dreams and gifts, like running shoes, are useless if we leave them in a box.

I had to go buy some new running shoes a few days ago. My old ones had a hole in them that rubbed a blister on my heel when I wore them. They were simply worn out. My new ones were shiny and comfortable. When I brought them home, I put them in my closet in their box.

A couple of days later, with the big box kind of cluttering up my closet floor, a little thought began to nag me. The thought was, “the shoes are absolutely useless in that box.” Seems like a no brainer, I know. Running shoes can’t help me get in shape if they aren’t on my feet being put into use.

The same goes for treadmills and fitness club memberships. If we don’t use them, they can’t help us. We tend to put lots of things in metaphorical boxes. How many times have we said something like, “I really want to know more about the Bible,” and yet, we never open it? It’s on a shelf somewhere or still in a box. God’s Word does us no good on a shelf.

What about dreams and plans we had once upon a time. Was there something you really wanted to do or somewhere you really wanted to visit? My mama and I were recently discussing an author we both enjoy. She was a nurse, but always wanted to be a writer. When she retired, she decided to pursue her dream. She’s written six books at this point. She dusted off the box.

It’s impossible to know what plans God has for us when we cram the gifts we have been given into boxes and leave them in the closet. It’s impossible to know the good God can accomplish with dreams we are passionate about if we keep them tucked away and never pursue them.

Sometimes, some dreams or ideas just aren’t meant to be. But, sometimes a seed gets planted within us very early and we just forget about it for a while. Sometimes, we leave it packed away for a long, long while. Life intervenes and we get busy.

A new year seems like an ideal time to pull out some boxes and see what may be inside. If you have always longed to visit Italy, for example, perhaps God has something incredibly important to your faith walk, that He wants to show you there. If you have always wanted to go on a mission trip, perhaps God wants to open your eyes to something new and change your life along with the lives of others. If you have always wanted to paint, it’s possible that God wants to use that gift too. His creativity is limitless.

The point is, if we believe that God made us, and we are trying to walk with Him and follow His will, then we have to believe that He is helping to shape our dreams. He is after all, the giver of our talents and gifts. Maybe 2015 is the year we should intentionally pray about our dreams and gifts we have left in boxes. It could be that now is the time that we can put them to use to shine God’s light to a dark world.

One thing is certain, we will never know unless we remove the lid. It might be a good time to dust off that Bible too. What do you think?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Perishable Things

Posted on by Wendy
While bread is perishable, haven't we made just about everything else in our lives perishable too?
While bread is perishable, haven’t we made just about everything else in our lives perishable too?

I just read through John, chapter six for an online Bible study I’m participating in for the next few weeks. I conducted a study on John last year for Lent, so I always find it really interesting to re-read any part of the Bible that I have read carefully before, because I always find myself focusing on something entirely different each time I read it. I highly recommend trying this approach.

Read a chapter of one of the Gospels and take notes. Wait six months and read it again. You will likely come away with something entirely different the second time around. The Bible is a living, breathing document, like the Mona Lisa’ eyes, it meets you wherever you are.

Today, the verse that really jumped out at me was 26. Jesus has just fed the multitudes with the fish and loaves of bread. The crowd tracked him down the next day because they wanted more food. They wanted to see him do it again.

Jesus immediately calls them out. He’s really good about doing that. He was never concerned about political correctness. He always called an ace and ace and a spade a spade. He told them that they only sought him because he physically fed them. Then he said, “But don’t be so concerned with perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of his approval.” John 6:27 NLT

The word perishable jumped out at me. Jesus was talking about food. The word perishable means liable to spoil or decay. In other words something that rots quickly.

But, in today’s world, aren’t most things perishable? The clothes we purchase this season will be out of style next season and we can’t (or won’t) wear them. The brand new iPhone will be “unusable” to many people this time next year because it’s not the newest thing going. While these things aren’t physically perishable like food, as a society, haven’t we made them perishable?

Our craving and addiction to everything new and shiny has made most of our stuff perishable. We have even made relationships perishable by only focusing on surface things and when we dig deeper and a little time goes by and the going gets a little rough, we bail, making one more situation in our lives perishable.

For the majority of us in this country, perishable food isn’t a huge concern and I don’t want to in any way diminish those who are going without the basic necessities of life, like food. But, for the rest of us, perhaps we should really give Jesus’ words some thought and stop spending our energy on accumulating more stuff that we won’t even want in a year and focus on appreciating what we have and thanking God for providing it as we seek a closer walk with Jesus.

Perhaps we should reevaluate relationships that we are considering throwing away. Relationships shouldn’t be perishable, but it takes work to keep them fresh and vibrant.

Most importantly, we should seek more of Jesus who gives us eternal life. Is there anything really more important to pursue? What will you spend your energy on today?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Living in Faith Not Fear

Posted on by Wendy
What if we chose to live in faith and not fear? What would our lives look like?
What if we chose to live in faith and not fear? What would our lives look like?

We often talk about what we believe. Many of us who are Christians try valiantly to live like Jesus’ example. We try to read the Bible regularly and we try to live in faith and not fear. I came across a story last week that I just had to share. A ninety-two year old woman named Pauline Jacobi, is a shining example for us all. She says she reads her Bible everyday and her faith keeps her going.

She lives in Dyersberg, Tennessee. She had just finished buying groceries at Wal-Mart and got into her car. A man got in the passenger seat and told her he had a gun and to give him all of her money. What would you have done?

She told him no, not once, but three times. She told him if he killed her, she was going to heaven and he was going to hell. She told him Jesus went everywhere she went and he was in the car with her. The surprised man looked around. Tears began to roll down his face. She ministered to him for ten minutes.

He told her he thought he would go home and pray that night. She told him he didn’t have to wait until that night, he could pray anytime. She gave him the money she had, $10.00 and then told him he had better not spend it on whiskey. Can you believe this woman?

He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek and then he left. I have included the link if you would like to see it.

 

I read a blog last week that spoke of living without fear, in fact, her goal this year, was “A year with no fear.” This really appeals to me, especially since I have been reading through the Christmas story where we have three different angelic messages telling various people, “Do not be afraid.”

Pauline Jacobi was living the words that she reads daily in her Bible. I feel like I would be scared out of my mind if an armed man jumped into my car. I probably would have just handed him my entire wallet, even though I rarely carry cash, but this woman didn’t skip a beat. She relied completely on her faith, not on her flesh.

She told him no and witnessed to him. Then, she gave him her money. Can you imagine? I would have probably honked the horn with all of my might when he got out. But, she turned to Jesus for strength and then became the face of Jesus for this lost man.

When she did, not only did Jesus protect her, he gave her the ability to help save a lost soul. How differently could things have gone if she would have chosen another way. What if she gave him the money and said nothing? Would he have robbed someone else? Would he have been caught and gone to jail?

We will never know. But, Pauline Jacobi is living out her faith in a manner we should all strive for. She’s living in faith, not fear and she’s leaning on Jesus when life goes horribly wrong. Maybe we should all pray for faith like hers and the courage to act accordingly. What do you think?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy

The Importance of Epiphany

Posted on by Wendy
Epiphany symbolizes the light for Christ for all people.
Epiphany symbolizes the light of Christ for all people.

Today is Epiphany. It’s a part of the Christmas story, but like Advent, many churches don’t celebrate it. It’s not mentioned in the Bible; it’s church doctrine that was adopted by Eastern Orthodox churches originally. Whether or not your church celebrates it or even mentions it, I believe the idea of Epiphany is definitely noteworthy.

When we celebrate the birth of Jesus in church, the major players are Mary and Joseph, Jesus, shepherds, angels and three wise men, magi, or kings. Every Nativity Set, you purchase will have those figures. Every child’s Christmas pageant you attend, will have those figures. We like to put them all together and tie them up neatly with a bow.

The story of the wise men comes from Matthew 2:1-12. Verse one tells us some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem asking, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose and we have come to worship him.”

Notice that it doesn’t say three wise men; it just says some. Also notice it doesn’t say they were kings either. The scripture goes on to say that they brought three gifts to Jesus and so somewhere along the way, mankind decided that there must have been three wise men. We like for life to be neat like that; don’t we? Three wise men, three gifts, arriving on the scene at the stable right after the shepherds and then we are done. The Christmas story is told, the end.

But, as is the usual case with God, His timing is different from ours and the story hasn’t even nearly reached the end. The Holy Family had left the stable by the time they arrived. Verse 11 says, “they entered the house and worshiped him.”

The wise men were priests most likely from ancient Persia, which was modern-day Iraq. They weren’t Jewish. They didn’t believe in our God. They followed the stars, but they knew the birth of Jesus was significant, so much so that they traveled anywhere from 800-900 miles to pay homage to him with gifts and to worship him.

This was a big deal because this was part of God’s plan to include non-Jews in His plan for salvation. God even warned them in a dream to travel home on a different route than they came and not to return to Herod. The entire experience touched the men enough that they believed and did as God told them. I’ve often wondered what the rest of their story is. How did the encounter with the Baby Jesus change their lives? The Bible doesn’t tell us.

Epiphany celebrates the fact that we are all included. We are all invited to the table. That was a big departure from Old Testament law. I think it’s also a beautiful reminder to us not to try to put God in a box, like we do our Nativity Sets. He is way bigger and more powerful than we could ever imagine and, nothing is impossible for Him or with Him. I don’t know about you, but I think that’s cause to celebrate.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Fresh Starts

Posted on by Wendy
When we involve God in our new beginnings, the sky is the limit.
When we involve God in our new beginnings, the sky is the limit.

Today is the first day of the first entire week of the New Year. 2015 is off and running. People make dozens of resolutions and break them just as quickly. We humans love the idea of changing certain aspects about ourselves or our situations, but the wanting and doing often don’t connect.

God knew this about us, so He sent us help. He became one of us. The Book of John tells us that, “the Word was with God and the Word was God.” John 1:1 It goes onto say, “So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.” John 1:14

Through Jesus, God became one of us. That act changed everything. God always knew the human heart and our tendencies, but with Jesus, He became like us. There’s a huge difference between understanding how someone feels and knowing how someone feels, because we have been there. Jesus bridged the gap.

In Jesus’ time of deep agony, before he was arrested, when he was struggling with his will versus his Father’s, he told his disciples, “Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” Matthew 26:41

Don’t miss this because these are some seriously wise words concerning the nature of humanity. We are often willing to do things to change ourselves, our circumstance or our world. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak. How many times have we promised ourselves we will start exercising or eating better? How many times have we promised ourselves that this will be the year we will read our Bible? How many times have we said that this will be our year? How often do we fail?

Perhaps we fail because we depend on ourselves, our own flesh, to succeed in our quests. Perhaps, if we take Jesus’ advice and, “keep watch and pray,” we will succeed in our endeavors. Maybe we should be praying about everything we try to begin, instead of just some things that we deem important.

And as far as keeping watch, it’s awfully easy to tune out these days. We have a dozen forms of entertainment at our fingertips and tuning out is the norm. Even when we exercise, we blare music to distract ourselves, but what if we were to keep watch as we pray and as we exercise or drive our cars? Would our results be different?

On New Year’s Eve, I took a walk. I had been downright lazy over my kids’ break from school and I felt like a slug. The day was crisp and gorgeous. As I walked, I thanked God for the day. I thanked Him for a good year and I asked for guidance going into the next. I prayed that He would show me His will and help me to follow it. As I turned around to head back up the street, I saw the most gorgeous rainbow right above my head. It was very unexpected because of the position and because the sky was so clear.

I was so stunned that I pointed it out to a neighbor pulling out of her driveway. She had to stick her head our of her car to see it, but she thought it was beautiful and kind of odd as well. We talked a few minutes and it was gone as quickly as it appeared.

I marveled as I walked, but I knew in my heart, where it had come from. Let’s make some changes that matter this year. Let’s begin by covering them in prayer and keeping watch for God. I have a feeling we will have fabulous results. Who’s with me?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

The Day After

Posted on by Wendy
Take a day to relax and reflect on the miracle of Christmas.
Take a day to relax and reflect on the miracle of Christmas.

Well, Christmas has come and gone. The gifts have been unwrapped. All of the paper has been thrown away and bows and boxes have been stacked for next year’s use. Recipes for leftovers have been pulled out. The kiddies are exhausted from all of the excitement and the adults? Well, we are exhausted too, aren’t we?

We have to figure out a time to take back gifts that didn’t fit. We begin to think about taking down all of the decorations. The day after Christmas can be kind of daunting and depressing.

But, perhaps we should think of the day after Christmas like the day after a wedding. A wedding can be beautiful and fun with tons of planning and excitement. But, the day after a wedding, a marriage begins. A lifelong journey hand-in-hand with another human being begins. Real life with a spouse begins.

Another example is all of the preparations that we make for the birth of a new baby. While all of the shopping and getting ready is fun and exciting. The baby is what brings us the joy. The day after Christmas should be a celebration of the life that Jesus offers us if we choose to walk with him.

He offers adventure and excitement as well as rest and peace. He offers hope and unconditional love. He offers joy and life-everlasting. On Christmas Eve, we celebrated the light of the world who came to us in a manger. Today, let’s rest and think of the enormity of that gift and how we might share that light with a dark world that desperately needs it.

Let’s take a little time and enjoy fellowship with friends and family. Let’s take some time to seek true peace. Today is just the beginning of the story of Jesus’ life.

If you are choosing to shop today, remember that light and pray for a way to share it with the many people you will come in contact with. Remember to share peace and love as you search for a deal. There’s always an opportunity to be the face of Christ. Try to find one.

As for me, I’m going to take today and next week to spend some time with family. My kids are out of school and I want to spend some special time with them. I have really enjoyed spending a little Advent and Christmas time with you in this space. Thanks for reading and sharing your comments. I wish you a Happy New Year and I hope to connect with you right back here in 2015.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Merry Christmas

Posted on by Wendy
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas! I hope your day is filled with joy and family and a ton of food. I hope you have plenty of coffee if you had kiddies that woke you up at the crack of dawn. You may be running around from house to house today to visit all of the relatives and you may find yourself frazzled. You may have a very quiet day and yearn for days when you were busier. You may be mourning a loss.

Whatever your day holds, I would encourage you to join me in spending a little quiet time with God today in prayer, even if it’s just a few minutes. Prayer helps so much when we are running on empty, when we are filled with sadness or when we are filled with joy. Prayer is one size fits all, unlike some of the gifts you may have unwrapped.

Take a few minutes to thank God for this day, for His glorious gift to us. Thank God for Jesus. Thank Him for all of your blessings. Then take a moment to pray for those who couldn’t be with their families today. Pray for the men and women in our military. Pray for their families. Pray that they can feel the love of God today. Pray for our members of law enforcement who are working today to keep us safe. Pray for our health care workers who are working to try to heal us. Pray for missionaries who are out in the world sharing the good news of this day. Pray for the protection of Christians out there living in persecution. Pray for those who are really struggling today.

Remember that Christmas joy comes from Jesus. It’s impossible for anyone or anything to take that joy away. Don’t let that truth slip by you. Hang onto it.

I hope you have a fabulous day with lots of turkey and dressing. I hope you have cakes and pies and that you can take a nap after lunch. I hope you get to bask in the company of friends and family and I hope that you remember how treasured and loved you are by the One who made you. May that knowledge alone, fill you with an incredible sense of peace. Merry Christmas Y’all!

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

It’s Christmas Eve

Posted on by Wendy
During tonight's Christmas Eve service, we will light the final candle, the one that symbolizes Jesus' birth.
During tonight’s Christmas Eve service, we will light the final candle, the one that symbolizes Jesus’ birth.

Today is Christmas Eve. Tonight we celebrate the birth of Jesus. You may still have some running around to do today or you may have it all done. Personally, I will be cooking today with my mom and sister. We will play Christmas music and laugh and tell stories and get caught up on each other’s lives. My sister has little ones, so they will be running all over the place, nearly vibrating with the excitement of Santa coming.

But, tonight, we will stop what we are doing, whether we are finished or not, and we will attend a Christmas Eve worship service at my mama’s church. We will sit in silence as we listen to the words of the prophet Isaiah which finally came to pass some 700 years later. We will hear about a virgin who was told by an angel that she would bear the son of God. We will hear about a man who stood by his young wife-to-be, even though the child wasn’t biologically, his.

We will hear a story of obedience to God’s will. We will be reminded that the town of Bethlehem was packed with travelers and there was not one single room for a young woman in labor. We will be quietly reminded and possibly convicted with the fact that mankind continues to struggle to make room for that baby who came to earth to save us all.

We will hear once again, about the baby being wrapped in swaddling clothes and placed in a manger. The son of God made his debut on planet earth in the quietest and simplest of ways. We will be told about shepherds who were keeping watch over their flocks by night who were told of the wondrous event first by one angel ,and then by an entire host singing and praising God.

We will hear about God’s wish for peace on earth through this baby. Through it all, the service will likely be noisy with children, which I find to be perfectly fitting. After all, we a are celebrating the birth of the child who came to save us all. Children should be present to hear the story.

At the end, we will light candles and sing “Silent Night.” I will get teary as I always do during a candlelight service as I contemplate the light that came to the world that night and as I pray that I can share that light in some way with a dark world.

We have been talking about Advent for about a month. We have been talking about preparing our hearts for Jesus. We have looked at hope, peace and joy. We’ve talked about the announcements of angels. I would love to encourage you to find a church service tonight. It doesn’t matter whether or not you attend regularly. Just go. Feel the peace. Feel the joy. Feel the hope. Feel the love.

If we can make room in our hearts for Jesus, we can have all of  the above and more. What do you say?

Have a Merry Christmas!

Wendy 🙂