Category: Building Christian Character

As Christians, people should be able to look at us and see Christ. People should be able to see who we serve in the way we act.

The Ultimate Water

Posted on by Wendy
Wherever we may be on the journey, God will never stop providing what we need to grow.

My hubby and I built raised beds back in the winter. We wanted to try to grow more of our own food and we wanted them to be at a height where my parents could enjoy working in them without having to bend over too far and risk injuring themselves. They still aren’t finished, but we planted anyway. We plan to install drip irrigation and ordered all of the components. Unfortunately, we have not had the time to install it.

But, God has been so good to us during this season of transition and we have had one of the wettest and coolest summers we can remember. We haven’t been required to do too much watering because of all of the rain and yet, we have been blessed with abundance. We have been cutting lettuce and picking cherry tomatoes to eat in our salads all summer. Daddy and I share stories almost daily, of the new growth we witness.

Our latest find has been tiny watermelons. The vines have been all over the place, but they are finally bearing some melons.

Our garden, even unfinished, has been a blessing.

When we have had to water, my Daddy has set up the perfect sprinkler system. He figured out just where to place it to hit most all of the beds without having to readjust much.

Last week, the typical Georgia summer appeared. It’s been dry and we have hit temperatures in the 90’s. As I was walking through the garden a couple of days ago, after work, I was alarmed to see that everything looked wilted, especially the watermelon vines.

Since Daddy had plans for the day, I set out a plan to get everything watered early the next morning. First, I realized I needed a 2nd hose. After I finally got the water going, I found that the boxes in the back weren’t getting water. When I moved the sprinkler, I still found dry spots. But, I was determined to get the much needed water on all of those wilted plants that were depending on me.

As I struggled with the hose, I was reminded that God does the same for us. When we belong to Him and are doing His work, He sends us what we need. Sometimes it’s more encouragement and blessings than we could ever hope for and sometimes we end up feeling a little wilted, but even then, He will keep reaching out to us until we have what we need to continue to grow.

After all, He sent us the ultimate living water, when He sent us Jesus. His love and provision never fails.

My garden reminds me that God will always send us what we need to thrive doing His work and that we will never be truly complete on this side of eternity. That has always been part of the plan. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too!

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

For my regular readers, I apologize for my sporadic posts. I started a new job in June and my husband and I are trying to move. I have not had much white space to write. I hope to be more settled soon!

The Desire to Be Known

Posted on by Wendy
Jesus knows your story.

We live in a society where everyone wants to be known. One quick scroll through social media and we find everything from people’s vacation photos to what they cooked last night for dinner. There’s certainly nothing wrong with sharing photos and milestones on social media; I love keeping up with the happenings of friends and family when I can’t see them in person.

Sometimes though, the sharing becomes a comparison game. We want the world to see and acknowledge our perfect spouses, houses, children and lives. There seems to be a deep need for recognition from people.

The Gospel of Matthew shows us another way.

In Matthew 28:1, the text says that, “After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.”

How would we react today at being referred to as “the other Mary” in an important news story?  Did the writer not know her last name, or did he just not care?

Was it because women didn’t matter much during that time?

While that could be the case, I don’t think it was.

Maybe omitting her last name was on purpose because her last name truly didn’t matter. The story was not about either of the women. It was about the Resurrected Christ.

In Matthew’s account, in ten short verses, these two women encountered angels, saw an empty tomb and then encountered a very much alive, Jesus. When they saw Him, “they clasped his feet and worshiped him.” Matthew 28:9b.

Jesus told them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.” Matthew 28:10

Why would Jesus choose to appear to women first if they had no worth?

The Gospel shows us repeatedly that Jesus valued women and that women freely and openly worshiped Him.

Perhaps that humility is why He chose to appear to them first. When they saw Him, they immediately worshiped Him.

These two women literally got to be the first. They were clearly both known by Him and I’ve no doubt that they are now spending eternity with Him.

I suppose we have all felt like the “other Mary” at one time or another. We all know Mary Magdalene’s story. We know nothing about the “other Mary,” but we should be encouraged because the truth is that Jesus knew everything about her.

Another truth is, He knows your name and your story too and in the end, that’s all that matters. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 😊

The Power of Prayer and Praise

Posted on by Wendy
Prayer and praise together are powerful.

I’m participating in an online Bible study on the books of Chronicles. They are the history of God’s relationship with His people. There are examples of both good and bad kings and lots of examples of the downright failure of humankind to stay faithful to God. King Jehoshaphat was one of the good kings and the account of one of his battles in 2 Chronicles, really stood out to me.

Some of his enemies had decided to fight him for no good reason and he went to God to beg for His intervention. He first praised God’s mightiness and faithfulness, by listing the many ways God had saved them before. Next, he openly acknowledged that they were powerless against the great armies that were coming against them. He said they don’t know what to do so they were asking God for help.

God answered the king through a prophet, “This is what the Lord says to you: Don’t be afraid or discouraged by this great army because the battle isn’t yours. It belongs to God! 16 March out against them tomorrow. Since they will be coming through the Ziz pass, meet them at the end of the valley that opens into the Jeruel wilderness. 17 You don’t need to fight this battle. Just take your places, stand ready, and watch how the Lord, who is with you, will deliver you, Judah and Jerusalem. Don’t be afraid or discouraged! Go out tomorrow and face them. The Lord will be with you.” 2 Chronicles 20:15-17

My favorite part was what happened next. They decided to trust God.

“21 After consulting with the people, Jehoshaphat appointed musicians to play for the Lord, praising his majestic holiness. They were to march out before the warriors, saying, “Give thanks to the Lord because his faithful love lasts forever!” 22 As they broke into joyful song and praise, the Lord launched a surprise attack against the Ammonites, the Moabites, and those from Mount Seir who were invading Judah, so that they were defeated.” 2 Chronicles 20:21-22

Since they trusted that God would provide, they went out singing and praising Him with both their voices and instruments. They didn’t even lift a sword.

The account made me ask myself about my own prayer and trust. When I take something to God in prayer, do I drop my anxiety and trust Him? Do I truly believe that He will deliver me like He has countless times before?

Later in the week, I needed to have a hard conversation. As I was praying about it, a song came on the radio about fighting on our knees. I could totally relate. But then, “I’ve Got Joy,” by CeCe Winans came on and I found myself singing to the top of my lungs. “I’ve got joy in the struggle. I’ve got peace in the storm…I’ve got joy cause I’ve got Jesus.”

I felt at perfect peace when I had that conversation. I was not the least bit surprised when it went well.

A biblical king reminded me to never forget the power of both prayer and praise. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Why We Come Together to Worship

Posted on by Wendy
Worship is about celebrating God’s love for us.

My hubby and I visited a church for the first time last week. We didn’t know a soul there which was part of the reason why we chose it.  It was housed in an old warehouse with exposed brick. As we waited for the service to begin, I marveled at how the congregation elected to redeem something old and fairly dilapidated for a brand new purpose.

As we sang a worship song about coming to Jesus as you are and about no one being too far past redemption, we got to the chorus about earth having no sorrow that heaven can’t heal. A little boy around three or four went dancing up the aisle and across the front. I smiled at him thinking about how the hearts of little ones are always the ones who seem to find it easiest to worship without reserve and how the truth in that song was worth dancing about.

In modern day church, we simply don’t do that kind of thing. Although the Bible tells us that King David freely danced before God, not caring what anyone thought.

The young often have more to teach than we think.

The sermon was on Nehemiah, interestingly enough, an Old Testament book about rebuilding a wall and consecrating it to God, looking at the walls around me, these people appeared to have done the same.

The focus was on why Christians come together to worship.

It’s a legitimate question. Some of us have gone to church every Sunday since birth. I suppose each of us could list a dozen reasons why we go, some of them better than others.

The speaker gave a single reason. He said we worship together to celebrate, to celebrate who God is and what He has done for us. That alone he said, was why we come together, because whatever may be going on with us on a personal level, we have still been redeemed and saved and because of who God is, we are destined for a glorious future and that is worth celebrating.

For the people among us who are struggling, our celebration should remind them of hope and encourage them to hope for something better.

At the closing songs he had everyone in the room come together in the middle of the room as a people of God. He said he knew some of us would be uncomfortable, but to do it anyway. Everyone complied and the college student that I ended up touching shoulders with just smiled at me as we lifted our voices  together.

I left that service with a light heart and a new perspective. I was reminded that the Church is truly universal and when we come together with other people of faith to worship, the where is of no consequence, but the why is. In the end it’s really only about the Who we worship. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day! 🙂

Wendy

Jesus Knows Your Name

Posted on by Wendy
We all have a part to play in kingdom work.

I recently heard a sermon where the pastor talked about the account in Matthew 26, where the woman pours very expensive perfume, Nard, on Jesus. While the disciples were appalled at what they considered a waste of precious resources, Jesus praised her.

“Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.” Matthew 26:13

The pastor pointed out that she has no name in Matthew’s Gospel. We learn in other accounts that her name is Mary, but in Matthew’s account she isn’t named, yet Jesus predicted that wherever the Gospel is preached, we would be talking about her selfless act. Over, two thousand years later, we are still talking about her.

Was the Gospel writer led by the Holy Spirit to know that humanity has a tendency to make idols of just about anything and so decided to leave her unnamed? We may never know.

In the end, it doesn’t matter whether or not we know her name. All that matters is that Jesus knows her name.

That sermon got me to thinking about the countless other people in the Bible who were doing kingdom work but weren’t given a name. There’s the woman at the well who may have been the first evangelist. There’s the boy who gave up his bread and fish to Jesus, all he had, and watched it feed thousands.

Are their stories any less powerful because they aren’t named?

There are the men walking to Emmaus. One of them is named and one was not. Was the encounter any less lifechanging for the traveler not named? Was he less of a disciple of the Gospel going forward?

What about the four friends who lowered their paralytic friend through a roof to get to Jesus? Jesus told them that their faith healed their friend. They too, weren’t named, yet they too, continue to serve as a powerful example of the power of faith.

In today’s society, we can bet the name of the boy with the fish and loaves would be plastered all over Facebook by his parents.

The four friends would likely be on Instagram or Tik-Tok.

We don’t like the idea of obscurity. We want the world to know when we do something we consider important. We crave the praise of others.

Yet, we worship a God whose kingdom has always been contrary to ours. It’s an upside-down concept to for us not get credit. We tend to forget that the only credit we should seek is the heavenly kind.

All of the countless unnamed people in the Bible, remind me that we each have a part to play in kingdom building and there truly are no small parts when we are working for Jesus. Whatever our gifts and talents are, we are called to use them generously, knowing that ultimately the only praise that really matters is getting to one day hear Jesus say: “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” Matthew 25:23

Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 😊

Daffodil Reminders

Posted on by Wendy
The days may be dark now, but spring is coming.

I am not a fan of winter. I don’t like cold weather. I typically have no energy in January and February. All I really want to do is sleep. One year, I was so winter tired, I had my thyroid checked because I knew I must have had a physical issue. My thyroid was fine. I’m just not a winter person.

Everything in nature appears dead during the winter. Add in all of the rain we tend to get and the world becomes downright dreary. I am well aware that the rain is good in the long run. I am also aware that winter is part of the seasons that God put into place from the very beginning.

Winter has a purpose even if I don’t enjoy it.

One day this week I was driving into work, running a little late and annoyed at the gray skies above. We were expecting rain for the remainder of the week.

I had been praying that God would show Himself in a way I could reflect back to others. When I arrived,  I took a different path than I normally take when I came upon a patch of daffodils. They looked so bright and cheerful against the gloom. They pointed almost defiantly to better days ahead and even though I was running late, I stopped to take a picture.

I’ll have to admit my spirit felt a little lighter as I said a prayer of thanks for the God wink.

At lunch, for the first time in days, the sun was out and it was warm and so I took a walk through campus. I was delighted to see a tree full of pink blooms standing out against all the other bare trees. As I continued on my way, I caught small glimpses here and there of the coming spring.

In some cases I had to seek them out, but each time I saw one, I felt encouraged. This dark season would not last forever.

The rain is supposed to move back in tonight and last for another couple of days. This weekend’s forecast calls for more cold weather. Winter is not done with us yet, but it won’t last forever.

In life, our winter seasons never last forever either. Even during our darkest times, there are always glimpses of hope if we dare to look hard enough for them. If we seek, we shall find.

God is always with us even when it appears that He is not. Spring will always come. A patch of daffodils reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 😊

Trusting God with Prayer

Posted on by Wendy
“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” 2 Corinthians 5:7

 

As someone who enjoys writing, I try to keep a notebook close by most of the time. I never know when a phrase or conversation might inspire me and I know if I don’t jot inspirations down immediately, I will likely lose them.

I have often read about people keeping prayer journals, but I have never really done that. I try to talk to God all day long about even trivial things and it would simply be too time consuming to write it all down.

But, for some reason, I was led to write down a prayer on New Years’ Day 2020. It was a prayer of hopes and dreams for the future. Both of my kiddos were in college and I felt I was at a bit of a crossroads regarding my next chapter.

Keep in mind that we had never even heard of Covid 19 before March of 2020.

I was flipping through one of my old notebooks and I found that prayer. I was a little stunned as I read through it.

God has been amazingly faithful and answered those prayers in so many unexpected and beautiful ways. When I look at that written prayer on the other side of Covid, I find it particularly timely. I recently listened to a sermon about how God holds time. He is never surprised by what is coming. That’s why Biblical prophecy is always correct.

When I was led in 2020 to write down a prayer, the Holy Spirit was at work. I had no way of knowing then that seeds were being planted in my heart, but God knew. God knew about the chaotic chapter that was about to come for all of humanity and He got busy on changing my focus way before I even knew it needed to be changed.

Finding that prayer reminded me that God is always listening and always working. He is also always planting. We get to choose whether or not we are receptive to the seeds. Do we provide fertile hearts and souls? Are we open to His plans? Are we brave enough to trust that they are better than our own?

Finding that prayer was like finding an old black and white photo. It lets me compare where I was to where I am and it fills my heart with both hope and joy. Writing prayers down allows us to look back and see how very faithful God is in our lives. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an Awesome Day!

Wendy 🙂

Evident Signs of a Devoted Faith Walk

Posted on by Wendy
A close walk with Jesus should be evident to those around us.

I recently met a friend of mine for a lunch time walk. She commented on how much she liked my running shoes and asked me if they were new. I told her they were not. I think I have had them for about a year. She asked the brand and said she would have to try it because she has to get a new pair of running shoes every six months.

I laughed about that. I normally have to get a new pair of running shoes every January. The ones from the year before usually have become smooth on the bottom from use.  The truth is I have done very little running in those shoes over the past year. We adopted two new pups and we did some casual walking, but not a lot of running. The shoes still look pristine likely not because of the quality, but because they haven’t been used like they should have been.

A few days ago, I pondered that idea as I was actually using them as they were intended. On this side of Eternity, things tend to show wear with use. A child’s favorite toy will get ragged. Our favorite shirt will fade. Our favorite jeans will get a hole in them. And yes, our running shoes will wear out.

If we live long enough, our bodies will eventually wear out too.

However, wear doesn’t have to be a negative thing. A well used Bible should have highlighter marks and notes written in the margins. A prayer journal should run out of paper from all of the writing. Both can serve as maps for where we have been and where we are going. They remind us of God’s faithfulness in the past and the present. They can serve as hope for the future.

A good leather chair gets more comfortable with every passing year. Its marks and scars soften it and give it character. People of faith should be the same. The longer we walk in faith, the softer our hearts should become. We should become slow to anger and quick to forgive. We have made mistakes and have received mercy and grace. That should make it easier for us to offer them to others. Our hearts have inevitably been broken at some point and so we should be able to offer comfort to the brokenhearted.

With every passing year, the fruits of the Holy Spirit should become more evident in us because they are a guaranteed byproduct of a close walk with Jesus. If we are struggling with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, then maybe we need to lean in closer to Jesus.

The beginning of a new year tends to motivate people to go to the gym. Maybe it should motivate us to work on our faith walk too. A pair of pristine shoes reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Choosing to See Through the Lens of Thankfulness

Posted on by Wendy
When we take the time to look, we usually find that blessings flow freely.

As Americans prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving, we are living through historic levels of inflation and economic uncertainty. Last year, we were still living with the multi-year threat of a seemingly never-ending international pandemic. Some people were still afraid to travel. Social media was still overrun with arguments about wearing masks or not and I won’t even mention the ongoing political arguments.

Many families chose not to gather and break bread over fear or anger or both.

Fear and anger are great dividers.

We all hoped this year would be better. While the pandemic threat has subsided for most, flu is running rampant and now, so is inflation.

The country is just as divided on how to fix the economy as we were on how to handle the pandemic.

At street level, there’s a lot to complain about and the situation looks rather hopeless, yet those of us who hold dual citizenship with heaven and earth are called to take a different view. We are called to remember that life on earth will always be a mix of calm and chaos and if we spend our days longing for better ones, then we will always miss the many blessings that are daily rained down upon us.

We are called to remember that we are travelers here and our King is not the least bit concerned about the economy or the flu.

With Thanksgiving less than a week away, people of faith, have the opportunity to show a dark world what Christian living is supposed to look like. We can live and act in such a way that draws others to Jesus. That includes our social media presence.

The Bible says, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” Romans 12:18

We can choose to share our blessings with others both physically and virtually. We can choose to share Jesus.

We are called to love one another. “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8

While fear and anger are great dividers, the fruit of the Holy Spirit fills us with powerful tools of reconciliation like peace, patience, joy, love kindness, goodness, gentleness and self-control.

Jesus’ last supper with His disciples reminds me of the importance of breaking bread together. Thanksgiving reminds me that despite what the world tells us, there is always much to be thankful for. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Be The Church

Posted on by Wendy
The Church was never meant to be a building.

One of my favorite pastors always ends his sermons by saying, “Go be the church.” That doesn’t seem like a particularly innovative or groundbreaking statement unless you really think about it.

As Americans, we tend to go to church. If I were to ask you about church, my question would likely be, “Where do you go to church?” Church has become a place. It’s a building with carpet, windows, electricity, and water. It’s a place to congregate and worship.

When we think about being the church, what does that look like?

I have a co-worker who is a woman of deep faith and she and I bear witness to one another often about God working in our lives. This week, she sent me a sermon she wrote, years ago, when she was working in a prison ministry. She didn’t go to seminary. As far as I know, she has no special Biblical training, but the Holy Spirit was clearly at work, because her message was absolutely awesome, timely and it touched my soul, not to mention she was sharing it with women who were in jail.

She clearly knows how to be the church.

I have a cousin, who is also a woman of devout faith, who has suffered deep tragedy and loss in her life. Yet, almost every day, she boldly posts on social media a beautiful picture of something growing in her garden along with an intricate story that anchors it to Jesus.

She knows what it means to be the church.

I have a friend who is a sheep farmer. I haven’t seen her in couple of years now, but almost daily, she posts pictures from her farm on social media. Sometimes there are Bible verses. Sometimes there are short inspirational stories, but always they are a reflection of the God who she worships.

She also knows what it means to be the church.

On Election Day, I sent my mom a blog post I read about intentionally making a choice to add fuel to the dumpster fire of politics and social media or becoming a fire extinguisher. She shared the post to her Facebook page.

She knows what it means to be the church.

As we enter into a season of thanks alongside a season of runoffs, some Godly women in my life, have reminded me that as Christians, the call to be the church is every bit as important as the call to go to church. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do to.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 😊

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