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The Danger of a Slow Leak

Posted on by Wendy
It's hard to believe that something so tiny can cause so much trouble.
It’s hard to believe that something so tiny can cause so much trouble.

I had just dropped my daughter off at school, when my cell phone rang. I mean, I wasn’t even out of the high school parking lot. I knew it was my daughter because she has her own ring tone. I quickly answered and she informed me that the girl riding in the car behind us told her that one of my back tires was almost flat. Fabulous!

I drove really slowly all the way home. I hadn’t had a shower yet. No way was I going to the tire place looking like I did. Now my mama is enjoying a little snicker as she reads this, because she has always refused to leave home without her makeup on, even if it meant getting up at 5:00 AM. I, alas, haven’t followed in her footsteps.

When I got home, it looked pretty low. I was really kicking myself at this point because I knew it looked low, like a week ago, but I kind of ignored it. I hadn’t had time to get to the tire place and the car was running just fine, so I put it out of my mind. Therein lies the danger of the slow leak. If you have a flat, you have to stop the car immediately and have it fixed, but the slow leak lets you keep driving, deflating a little bit at the time and putting you in danger. It may just be flat when you go to jump in when you are running late or worse, have an emergency. But, it also weakens the tire and sets you up for a blow out which can be catastrophic.

I know this, yet I drove on it anyway. Luckily, a teenager of all people, pointed out that I could wait no longer and I took it in. They fixed it. It was a tiny screw, but that tiny screw made me late to an appointment.

All day long, I pondered the dangers of slow leaks in our lives. They are just as dangerous as the one in the tire. When we get little leaks in our marriages or other relationships, we often ignore them because we are too busy. Like the tire, we know we should address the issue, but we don’t and they always get worse.

It’s the same way with health issues. We can know that something is wrong with us physically, but we ignore it. We just don’t have time to see a doctor or to make an effort to exercise or lose weight or eat better. But, in the history of leaking tires or relationships or serious physical issues, I’ve never heard of a leak spontaneously plugging itself. Nope, that job falls to us, the procrastinators.

Our spiritual lives are the same. We can know that we feel far from God, but ignore it. We can know that we need to be in serious prayer about something, but we don’t make the time. We can know that we should attend church regularly instead of a couple of times a month, but sleep in instead. We can know that the Bible is God’s word, but just can’t seem to make the time to read it. All of those things are slow leaks. They can be easily repaired early on or we can wait for a blowout.

Blowouts are scary and dangerous. They are often recoverable, but why take the chance? I’ve decided to be more vigilant about slow leaks in my tires and my life. Care to join me?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Holes

Posted on by Wendy
This is a hole that chipmunks dug in our yard.
This is a hole that chipmunks dug in our yard.

We have a very wooded backyard. We have lots of oak trees and moss and rocks and very little grass. We like it that way. We kind of feel like we are in the mountains. Our yard is the home to a ton of birds and squirrels and chipmunks. Now chipmunks are notorious for digging holes and we try to fill them back in when we feel they pose a danger of someone stepping in them. But, chipmunks are relentless.

This hole, is at the very end of the walkway off of our deck. It’s right next to our house. As I was cutting okra and pulling a few figs yesterday, I noticed something shiny and black lying on the top of the chipmunk hole. As I went to investigate, I caught my breath; it was a snake, with only its head exposed. I have no idea how long the snake was in the hole, but I do know that I stepped around it several times that afternoon.

After I called my hubby to come check it out, it retreated further. I thought of that snake for the rest of the day and into the next. How big was it? When would it come out? Was it dangerous? My biggest question was, how long had it been there?

As many of my encounters with nature tend to do, this one made me begin to think about the possible holes in my spiritual life. How am I doing with the big three: prayer, Bible reading and worship? I think most of us can claim we do one or two well, but to really be able to put on the full Armor of God, we have to engage in all three. If we are lacking in one area, we leave a hole.

This is what finally came out of that hole.
This is what finally came out of that hole.

Bible reading seems to be where most people fail, but we can’t really get engaged with the Holy Spirit, if we don’t read God’s word. How can we develop wisdom and discernment? How do we know if a calling comes from God or somewhere else if we don’t know what He has to say about the matter.

We need the Holy Spirit to help us develop love, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, self-control and perseverance first in ourselves, and then to share with a badly hurting world. In the Armor of God, the Holy Spirit is the only offensive weapon. It’s a sword. It’s important.

Then there’s prayer. If we want to hear what God has to say, we have to listen intently. That means setting aside some quiet time daily to pray. Believe me, I know how hard that can be, but still very necessary.

Then there’s worship. In worship, we engage with other Christians in lifting up the name of God. The importance of worshiping the Creator of all on a regular basis, is also incredibly important to our spiritual life and spiritual safety. It creates a community that is vital to our spiritual growth.

When we pray about what areas need work, we can make an effort to fix them and plug any holes that we may have.

My hubby plugged the hole with a rock.
My hubby plugged the hole with a rock.

If we leave the holes uncovered, who knows what might move in? Chipmunks aren’t the only thing that is relentless. How do you do with spiritual holes?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

Lessons from a Youth Group Camping Trip

Posted on by Wendy

I have just returned from a weekend in the woods with our church youth group. We spent the weekend camping. I’m ashamed to say that I went kicking and screaming this year. I kind of had a Jonah moment. It’s not that I mind sleeping in a tent or the fact that it always rains. Seriously, it rains every time I camp and this trip was no exception. It’s not that I am even horribly opposed to a weekend with no shower. Of course, the person who sat next to me at dinner on Saturday night might not have been happy with my lack of showering.

No, what I mind the most is the hours and hours of work required when I return home. The laundry alone, turns into a two-day chore, especially when everything you took is wet.

The laundry alone, turns into a two day task.
The laundry alone, turns into a two-day chore.

Then there’s the fact that you have to put up your tent again to let it dry in the driveway and we have two, along with blowing up air mattresses, and taking out folding chairs and cleaning coolers with bleach.

“Why do I always have to go camping?” I questioned God. “Why can’t some other parents go?” I got no answer to that, but I knew in my heart that I was supposed to go. I grudgingly went.

We planned something new this year. My hubby, our youth pastor and I, brainstormed on how to get more families involved and we came up with the idea that perhaps people who didn’t want to camp, might come for a family dinner.

Now, that you have heard my many objections to this trip, let me tell you how blessed I was for being a part of it. This group of kids was amazingly sincere and deep. Pastor Nikki asked them during devotion time on Saturday morning, to go and find something from nature that reminded them of a story or concept from the Bible. I was amazed at what they came up with. There were thirteen kids and each one had something different.

There was a stick that was Moses’ staff to part the Red Sea and a log used to build the Ark and a stone to represent the woman who the religious leaders wanted to stone before Jesus intervened. There was a tiny branch that represented the olive branch that the dove brought to Noah when he was searching for land. Another rock represented the one that took down Goliath. I was stunned at their Biblical knowledge and creativity.

Then there was an affirmation activity where three people had to say something well thought out, about the person standing up. Here again, the comments were just beautiful.

There was a family who I didn’t know very well who showed up to help with everything from meals to making a fire and it was a joy getting to know them. They were so much fun.

We had around thirty-five people for our family dinner and it was fabulous. My hubby smoked two Boston butts. One of the moms showed up and helped me peel potatoes and she brought my hubby a cake for his birthday. It was more than I could have ever hoped for.

When we started a worship time, it began to pour down rain. Everyone moved to the covered pavilion and squeezed in tight to hear the message. After the families left, Pastor Nikki had the kids sing Happy Birthday to my hubby and we all shared cake that another mom brought.

I really was moved by it all and I was ashamed for my reluctance to obey God’s calling. And on Sunday morning, as I trudged to the bathroom, God rewarded me with a gorgeous sunrise.

I would have never seen this masterpiece if I hadn't obeyed God's call to go camping.
I would have never seen this masterpiece if I hadn’t obeyed God’s call to go camping.

To top it off, when we arrived home, one of the dads from the night before who had also come for Sunday morning worship, pulled into our driveway. He hopped out of his car and told us he knew that if he asked if he could help, we would have told him no, so he just came. He helped put together all of that stuff in the driveway. This is the community that I am always writing about, right here.

As I write this, I am humbled by the blessings I received this weekend and moved to tears at God’s desire to bless me as I serve Him, even when I do it kicking and screaming. I hope I will be more willing and enthusiastic next time.

How are you doing with obedience? I’d love to hear from you.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

 

 

Lessons from the Church Parking Lot

Posted on by Wendy
While giving driving lessons in the parking lot, I contemplated the lessons we can learn inside the church.
While giving driving lessons in the parking lot, I contemplated the lessons we can learn inside the church.

My hubby and I recently took our fifteen-year-old daughter to our church parking lot to let her drive her car. She had only been behind the wheel one other time and it was time to get her learner’s permit. Before we let her get on the open highway, we thought it might be a good idea to get in a little practice.

There wasn’t a soul there, so she was free to learn how much pressure to put on the gas and brakes without giving us all whiplash. She got a little practice in going in reverse and using the blinkers. She parked it in one of the many empty spaces. Then she started driving around the church, I pointed out the lines on the pavement and told her she was supposed to keep the car between the lines. With a little practice, she was able to. (Thankfully!)

My hubby commented that people come to our church all of the time to do the same thing. I told him that one of her friends had practiced there too. He said that he often saw people on Fridays, when he cuts grass there, pulling into the parking lot, looking around and changing drivers. They are looking for a good safe place to practice.

The thought occurred to me how going inside the church provides us with safety as well. When we are traveling on our life’s journey, we need a lot of instruction and practice. We need a guide-book. God has provided us with one. The Bible has all kinds of answers and wisdom to deal with life’s crossroads. Attending church can help us decipher it.

We also need the instructions from more experienced Christians. I wouldn’t let a sixteen-year-old teach my fifteen-year-old how to drive. She needs someone with more experience. Church offers the unique opportunity to be around other Christians in various stages of their faith walk. All can offer valid encouragement and advice, but those who have been on the journey the longest, are those who I seek when I really need wisdom.

The church community can also help us to keep it between the lines. Life can get tricky and we can find ourselves in areas of gray. As you know, crossing the lines on the road can be dangerous or even deadly. The lines on our life’s journey can be the same. When we have good friends within our church community, we can counsel each other when the lines get blurred. The Bible tells us, “He who walks with the wise, grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.” Proverbs 13:20

Sometimes we can find ourselves out in the parking lot. We may be hesitant to go in for a million reasons ranging from something in our past to fear of being embarrassed or judged. We need to remember that what goes on inside the church is soothing balm to weary souls, no matter what your story is. Let’s get out of the parking lot and into the church and be sure to drag any stragglers along too.

It’s cool and comforting on the inside and God is waiting with open arms, just thrilled that you stopped by.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Regeneration – Lessons from a Starfish

Posted on by Wendy
I saw this starfish lying on the beach on the first beach walk I took.
I saw this starfish lying on the beach on the first beach walk I took.

I love to walk along the beach. It’s never the same experience twice. I heard this woman ask a lifeguard, “What is swimming today?” He replied, “In the ocean?” She said, “Yes.” He said, “People.” She said, “Are there any critters swimming today?” He said, very politely, “Ma’am, it’s the ocean. There are always critters swimming in it.” I chuckled as I kept walking. We love to go to the ocean, but we don’t necessarily like what may be swimming with us. Sure, there are dolphins, but there are sharks and jellyfish, too. Yet, people return to the ocean  year after year, in droves. Why is that? What about the ocean calls to so many of us? Is it the beauty? Is it the never-ending rhythm of the waves? Some say it reminds us of the womb. Who knows? I am one of those who loves the sea. Big waves, no waves, East Coast or West, I find it beautiful and never the same experience twice. On this day, on the Atlantic, I saw a starfish. (Or a sea star, since they aren’t really fish) Sure, I’ve seen dozens of them in souvenir shops, dried out and perfectly preserved, but I had never seen one in the wild. It was beautiful and shiny and perfect. When my daughter scooped it up to toss it back into the ocean, it had hundreds of tiny little legs. Who knew? I snapped a photo and walked on. When I was a little bit further down the beach, I saw this one.

This one had been damaged with some parts broken off.
This one had been damaged, with some parts of its arms broken off.

I found this one even more beautiful and here’s why. Starfish have the unique ability to drop an arm and get away if a predator is attacking it. It also has the ability to grow a new one. In fact, most of its vital organs are housed in their arms, so some can regenerate an entirely new starfish from just one arm and a portion of its central disc. It takes about a year for the new growth to make it whole again. This starfish was a survivor. It wasn’t perfect or whole, but it would be again, with time. Aren’t we all like that starfish on the inside? No one sails through life without injury, not physically, but emotionally. We all have wounds and scars, but if we lean into Jesus and give it some time, we can heal. The Bible tells us, “For we are God’s masterpiece. He created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” Ephesians 2:10 Healing takes time. Growth takes time. Both take a lot of work and are sometimes not pleasant, but in the end, we can be whole again through faith and trust in God, and like both of those sea stars, I find that very encouraging. Have an awesome day! Wendy 🙂

Even When You don’t Understand…

Posted on by Wendy
Two question marks make a perfect heart.
Two question marks make a perfect heart.

My friend asked me a couple of weeks ago if I wanted to hear a Bo story. The answer was of course, yes. Bo is a charming six-year-old who never fails to crack me up. She told me that he asked her recently what God looked like. She told him she didn’t know, but asked him what he thought God looked like. He told her that he thought God had brown hair and brown eyes. She asked him what else. He told her that God was small. She was surprised by this and asked him why he thought God was small. He replied that He had to be small if he was able to fit inside your heart.

Aren’t children awesome? They are so literal. But, Bo was obviously listening to the various people who have tried to teach him about God and he had given it some thought too. As parents, that’s all we ask; right? We want them to listen and think about it.

Our Vacation Bible School is in full swing this week. Today’s Bible Point was, “Even when you don’t understand… Jesus loves you.” The kids were asked to give examples of situations that they didn’t understand and they were written down on a question mark. As expected, the questions ran the gamut. “Why do people die of old age?” “Why do we have vegetables?” “Why do we have feet?” “Why do we have snakes?”

If you have spent any time at all with young children, their questions are endless, but some are very thoughtful; some will make you smile and some will really challenge you. Some of their questions are ones that we all have.

When we had our closing assembly, we read some of their questions aloud. Then we taped another question mark to the first. Any idea what it made? It made a heart. The point for the day was “Even when you don’t understand…Jesus loves you.” Then, they sang “Jesus Loves Me.”

It was a powerful assembly that brought tears to my eyes. We all have questions for God. I know I do. There are times when we simply don’t understand why things happen the way they do. Sometimes, down the road, we get our answers and sometimes we don’t. There are simply some answers we will never get on this side of eternity. Accepting that, is part of growing our faith, just like we are attempting to do with the kids who are attending VBS this week.

But, if we can remember and hold close to our hearts, that “Even when we don’t understand… Jesus loves us,” we have won the battle with doubt. The Bible tells us that he weeps with us. He’s sad when we are sad. He loves us unconditionally, no matter what, even when we have questions and that my friends, is worth celebrating.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Keeping the Coyotes at Bay

Posted on by Wendy

 

The woods can appear much safer than they actually are.
The woods can appear much safer than they actually are.

My hubby and I were sitting on the porch a few nights ago enjoying the spring air. The sun was getting close to setting, but it was still light out. We could hear sirens in the distance. The high-pitched noise got all of the neighborhood dogs barking and howling. We shook our heads at all of the commotion and then we heard this ear-piercing noise, just off of our yard, in the woods. It was howling just like the other dogs, but their were so many different voices. He and I froze as it dawned on us at the same time. “Coyotes,” we said in unison.

We know that they are back there. We have had neighbors see them from time to time. But, they sounded so very close and there were so many of them. It was truly creepy and it made the hair stand up on the back of my neck. The sounds of the sirens subsided as did the shrill howling. Our dogs continued to bark, safely on their side of the fence. I wondered if  the dogs knew they were there all along or did the howling alert them as well?

Although unpleasant, it was a reminder that we needed. There are predators out there whether we can see them or not and complacency is dangerous. The Bible tells us that we are in an ongoing spiritual war against “spiritual forces of evil.” It tells us to be vigilant. It does not tell us to be afraid, but to protect ourselves.

It’s a lot like our ongoing, “War on Terror.” We’re not supposed to be afraid to live our lives. If we are, then the terrorists win. We are to live our everyday lives with our eyes wide opened and be prepared to act if necessary. Think about all of the hoops you have to jump through these days if you want to fly. You have to take your shoes off. You can’t carry anything larger than a few ounces. There’s a huge list of requirements to get on an airplane. While we grumble about the huge inconvenience of it all, we grudgingly comply because it keeps us safe.

Our spiritual lives are no different. To be vigilant we need to read the Bible. What exactly does God have to say about this issue or that? We need to pray and listen for His voice. (It may take more than five minutes while we are falling asleep at night.) We need to attend worship service somewhere.

Finally, we really need to get connected to some kind of Christian community. Whether it’s a Sunday school class or a small group or even an online community. Christians need each other to grow deep faith roots. “As iron sharpens iron, so one man (or woman), sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17.

We need each other. We need community. God designed us that way. It can help to fill up our hearts and souls. It can help us in times of grief and celebrate with us in times of joy. It can help to keep us safe. There are predators out there just like the coyotes behind my house. We don’t have fear them. We just have to be vigilant. I think the peace of mind is worth it. Don’t you? I’d love to hear from you.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

A Love Story

Posted on by Wendy
Like this flower, a happy ending can always brighten your day.
Like this flower, a happy ending can always brighten your day.

I got a text yesterday from one of my high school friends, inviting me to a graduation party for her daughter. I think I must have gasped audibly when I read it because the man sitting across the room from me looked up from his phone. This child who is graduating from high school is her baby.

Let me give you a little background here. This friend is a part of one of my favorite love stories. She and her husband dated all through high school. The winter after high school, they announced a very quick wedding. We were all kind of stunned. I was away at college and couldn’t quite fathom it all. This was the late eighties. We had choices.

They made theirs. They chose life. They chose love. The support they got from their families was overwhelming. Let me tell you, it was amazing. They moved into a tiny house behind her grandmother’s house. Her parents and siblings and his parents painted it inside and out. They put in carpet and furniture. They made it a home.

They both worked and she had to quit school. Her sister kept the baby during the day. It was hard work for them to keep it together, but they did. They moved into a bigger house. About five years later, they welcomed a second child and one year after that, their third.

For our twenty year class reunion, (It was really 18, but that’s another story.) they invited a bunch of us girls, to stay at their new home, that they had just built. It was a gorgeous house in the country complete with a pool and pool house. Again, their families had helped them build it with the many skills that they had from carpentry to laying tile.

Their story is one of my favorite love stories for so many reasons. Yes, it’s a story of a boy and a girl who made difficult choices and made a commitment to stand by each other, for better or worse. They went on to make a beautiful life together and beautiful children against impossible odds. But, it’s also a story of the possibilities of what can happen when families pull together and support each other. It’s a story of two families who chose life and love too, although it must have been a difficult choice for them as well.

We have so many choices to make during our lifetimes. We make good ones and we make bad ones. Sometimes encouraging and supporting loved ones in their choices are the most important ones we ever make. I was thrilled to attend the high school graduation celebration of my friend’s first child. He has gone on to finish college and has become a delightful young man.

Now, I have been invited to attend the graduation celebration of her youngest child who is also going on to college. I am moved to tears at the enormity of it all. The impossibility of this story just proves that with enough commitment and perseverance, love will find a way and it’s beautiful.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

An Evening With Old Friends

Posted on by Wendy
Visiting with old friends is like a day at the beach!
Visiting with old friends is like a day at the beach!

I just had the delightful experience of spending an evening with some of my oldest friends. I have known these ladies for over twenty years. Most of us went to middle school and high school together. One of the joys of growing up in a small town, is that you know just about everybody. Not only do you know everyone, you know their parents, grandparents and siblings. You know their back story and they know yours.

We did a lot of reminiscing. We talked about our favorite high school teachers. We talked about high school crushes and old boyfriends. We talked about high school pranks and shenanigans. We talked about our parents and what they did and didn’t know about the things we used to do. We talked about the horrors of riding the school bus.

We talked about our children and husbands and shared tons of pictures with each other. We posed for pictures on Instagram like a bunch of high school kids. We laughed and laughed until our sides hurt.

We shared stories of health issues that our parents are facing. We shared our own stories of the inevitable pitfalls that occur after turning forty. We have hormonal issues and weight gain. We have worries and wrinkles, but we also have wisdom.

We are all artists now in some way. We have a jewelry maker and two painters. We have homemakers and some awesome mothers. We all are creating beauty in the lives around us.

We grew up in a college town, and as we looked at all of the college students who were standing around, we all grumbled a little about feeling old. But, as I looked at those college kids,  I have to say, I felt gratitude for my forty-something trips around the sun. Sure, it would be nice to be carefree and wrinkle free again, but it feels pretty good to be comfortable in my wrinkled skin and to know who I am and what I believe.

And truthfully, as I look in the mirror these days at my brown spots and wrinkles, I try to ask myself, if I could trade all of those days lying in the sun with these girls for perfect, flawless skin, would I trade? The answer is an unequivocal, no. I have earned all of these crow’s feet and boy, was it fun!

I am very busy these days, just like everyone else. I had a hundred reasons why I didn’t have time to make the trip to Milledgeville for a visit, but I said yes. I had an aunt who died many years ago, of breast cancer. She always said that if a friend called her to do something fun, she went. She said the mop bucket would be there when she got back. Those were wise words.

Visiting with old friends is like a trip to the beach. It’s fun and refreshing and you can’t wait to go back. They “get you” like no one else can and that is priceless. I am going to make it a point to say “yes,” when friends call, because friends are one of life’s greatest blessings and enjoying them is a way of saying thanks to the One who gave them to us. What do you think? Feel free to comment.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂