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.

Hibiscus Wisdom

Posted on by Wendy
“Where flowers bloom, so does hope.” Lady Bird Johnson

It was a gray, overcast day when I arrived home from work. Fall had at last shown up and the air was cool. But, when I went to let my dogs out, I was greeted by some very bright hibiscus blooms.

Hibiscus bushes are tropical. When I see them I think of summer. I planted them last spring in anticipation of the season to come. Now, it’s mid-October and the world has turned orange, with pumpkins everywhere, from our porches to our coffee. Mums and pansies are the flowers of the moment, all the rage, one might say.

But there stood those bright pink hibiscus blooms. They were completely unaware of their surroundings or that they weren’t the color of the moment. They didn’t seem to notice that the days are growing shorter and their time is growing short as well. At best, they will go dormant until spring, but the reality is, they probably won’t survive the winter.

But, there they stood proudly, in their tropical beauty, blooming boldly against the dreary sky, daring to share their gift with anyone who cared to stop and drink it in. Their act of continuing to thrive was not lost on me.

I went and got my phone so I could snap some pictures to capture the moment.

I thought of those hibiscus blooms long after it got dark outside. I thought about how we all have great gifts and graces to share with a world that desperately needs more light and less darkness and ugliness. Like those hibiscus, we need to continue to contribute our unique talents even when the seasons change, even when the skies are dark, even when we don’t know what the future holds.

Because a little light goes a long way, especially when it’s dark. A small act of kindness can change someone’s outlook. A kind word has the capability to soften a hardened heart.

We can all make a difference simply by being who God created us to be and giving that glory to Him . When we intentionally do that, we may find that our own stresses and worries fade away.

Some pink hibiscus blooms reminded me. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

Watching for the Breezes

Posted on by Wendy
Watching for the breezes along the path, reminds us that God is with us.

I was recently taking a walk in the cooler weather. Now cooler for us in Georgia, is the 80’s which by most standards, is still really warm, but it was a nice break from the 90’s. As I got to moving, I began to heat up rather quickly, but every few minutes, there was a light breeze.

It was amazing how quickly the breeze would bring relief from the heat. I thought about that breeze my entire walk and I said a prayer of thanks for it when I finished.

Wind is one of those elements that fascinates me. It’s invisible, yet we know when it’s there. It can provide us respite from the heat or make us colder in the winter. It can also cause devastation in the form of a tornado or a hurricane.

I suppose it’s good example of God’s infinite power and grace.

A breeze is defined as a gentle wind.

I have been in situations where a cool breeze made all the difference, like working with a team on a roof in late June. There were times when the heat felt relentless and like it might get the better of us, but that breeze gave us enough encouragement and respite to keep working. It was almost as if the Holy Spirit himself was cheering us on.

When we look back on our journey, on the path we have traveled thus far, we can all find cool breezes. They come in many forms like a text or a phone call from a friend, or a post-it note left with a kind word from a co-worker. They can be from someone at church just checking in to see how we are or as an invitation of some kind.

I recently received a slice of pound cake on my desk from a co-worker and then some chocolate from a sweet mama of one of the kiddos at my school. Both actions made my day brighter.

Whatever the form may be, these little breezes, while on the surface don’t seem like much, but can make all the difference when we are having a tough day or even a tough season.

They remind us that we are loved and that even though the road may be difficult, that we worship a God who cares deeply about our individual situations. He is in control. He always has a plan and if we keep our eyes open, we can see that He sends us encouragement along the way through those who He has carefully placed in our lives for such a time as this.

A cool breeze reminded me to take note of the many life breezes He sends. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

A Reminder to Keep Doing Good

Posted on by Wendy
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9

When I got home from work yesterday, I was exhausted. It had been a super long week at work. We had constant visitors in our office and very little downtime and even though I had been in bed at 9:00 the night before, I was still bone tired.

The first thing I noticed when I walked in the door and gazed through my window overlooking my backyard, was that my hummingbird feeders needed my attention. One was empty and the other one was full of ants. They had been hanging for a few days and I knew the sugar water had most likely turned sour.

Our hummingbirds have gone from twelve or so constantly fighting for a drink, to around four. The vast majority have headed south for the winter and those left are the stragglers. I debated whether or not I should change the water.

I didn’t see any of the tiny birds; maybe the last ones had flown away too. I had so many other things that needed doing. Would my tiny little labor of love even matter?

But, a little nudge tugged at my heart. What if it did matter? What if those stragglers needed a little boost to get to where they needed to go? What if I could assist them on their journey in some small way?

Reluctantly, I went outside and grabbed one feeder and then the other and washed them out and refilled them.

Almost immediately, I had a customer. A few minutes later, there were two.

I immediately felt guilty that I had thought about not feeding them. They clearly still needed my help. It was completely inconsequential to the remaining hummers, that they weren’t part of the large group who had moved on already.

They were still hungry.

I thought about those stragglers for the rest of the evening. I thought about how we sometimes get weary of doing something that we felt so strongly called to do at one time, that we begin to wonder if our efforts even matter.

Sometimes our big ideas give us big results in the beginning and when they start dwindle, we question the calling in the first place.

We forget that God’s economy is so very different than our own.

But, those two hummingbirds reminded me that we should never stop doing Kingdom work. We should never stop sharing, serving, loving or listening. It doesn’t matter how many we reach. It doesn’t matter if they are young or old. All that matters is that we do our small part and let Jesus do the rest.

Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Appreciating the Hills

Posted on by Wendy
We don’t have to know what lies ahead as long as we know that God does.

I live in a neighborhood that could definitely be described as hilly. When my kiddos were growing up, their friends called it the roller coaster neighborhood. Some of those hills are really steep and I can’t imagine anyone with good sense trying to skateboard on them and I’ve never seen very many people riding a bike on them, but lots of people walk them.

I see people both old and young, out walking. Some people walk dogs. Some talk on their phones. Some walk with others and some walk alone. Some run and some stroll very slowly.

Recently, I was out walking and I came to one of those hills. I remember when we first moved in, over a decade ago, that I used to dread those hills. They took so much extra effort. I had two young children at the times and they couldn’t walk very far at all, before they were ready to give up and go home.

I remember there were times when I longed to live in a nice flat neighborhood with sidewalks where we could easily stroll.

But, on this day, I found myself thanking God for that hill and all of the other ones on my path. Those hills have helped to keep me in shape. They have helped to build stamina and perseverance. They have helped to make me strong.

While sidewalks would have been nice, the nature that I have been gifted with, has been stunning. The huge old trees, deer, squirrels, birds and hawks, that I see almost every time I venture out, are always a treat.

I pondered those hills, long after I returned home, huffing and puffing for sure, but a little more at peace than when I started.

I though about our life’s journey and the hills that we often face. As humans, we tend prefer, easy street, flat roads with sidewalks and manicured lawns, nothing to really challenge us or make us work too hard. If I’m honest, I would have to say I have often wanted that myself.

Yet, I’ve come to appreciate the strength, wisdom and beauty that has come from the hills along the journey. There have been seasons when I have walked and seasons when I have run. There have been season when I barely put one foot in front of the other. There have been seasons when I have walked with others as well as solitary seasons. There have been seasons when I have tried to drink everything in and seasons where I have attempted to tune everything out.

But, whatever the season, there’s always beauty and those hills are an important part of the journey, giving us strength for whatever comes next. We aren’t called to know what that may be, but to trust our God who does and to simply keep moving.

A hill reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

The Fruit That Defines Us

Posted on by Wendy
The fruit we produce remains long after we are gone.

I recently discovered that my fig tree had produced a second round of fruit. Needless to say, I was delighted. We have had that tree for a decade or more and it wasn’t until this year, that it produced a lot of fruit. But, several weeks later, when it produced a second round, I was amazed.

As I popped one of the figs into my mouth, I instantly thought of my cousin Leonard. He had a gigantic fig tree in his yard and he always let my sister and I eat those figs. He went up to heaven years ago, but that fig made me think of the wonderful times I had with him and his wife, Janice.

As I walked a cross the yard to pick up a limb that had fallen, I noticed a muscadine vine climbing on my fence. Unlike the fig tree that I had watered and fertilized, it was wild. I didn’t plant it, but it still had some pretty purple berries on it. I picked a few and took one to my daughter.

As we both ate one, I commented how the taste of muscadines always reminds me of picking scuppernongs with my mama and my sister. We used to spend hours every fall, harvesting them and eating as many as we picked.
My daughter commented how they reminded her of her Mommy Dot, my hubby’s mother. I had forgotten about her huge scuppernong vine, but my grown daughter hadn’t. Mommy Dot had long ago gone to be with Jesus, just like Janice and Leonard, but I’ve no doubt she would be thrilled to be remembered through that sweet fruit.

I thought of hose figs and the muscadines long after my daughter went back to school. I thought about how we often work so long and hard, that we begin to wonder if we will ever see fruit and then sometimes, unexpectedly, we have more than we know what to do with.

But, I was also reminded that sometimes, we get blessed with fruit that we didn’t even plant, like those muscadines. That fruit is something to be thankful for as well.

But, I think what stuck with me most, is that we are remembered by the fruit we help to grow and harvest long after we are gone. Is it sweet like patience, kindness, forgiveness and love or is it bitter like anger, pride and selfishness?

The beautiful truth is, we get to choose. Some figs and muscadines reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

Seasons of Hope

Posted on by Wendy
There is beauty in every season.

When I stepped into my garage yesterday morning, I was shocked at how cool the air was. We may be closing in on Labor Day, but the end of August in Georgia, tends to be steamy. Just a couple of weeks earlier, the teachers at our school, had to keep watch on the temperatures and cancel outdoor recess due to the heat.

The heat in August is no surprise to this lifelong southern gal, but the temps in the sixties yesterday morning, truly were. I even momentarily, second guessed my shoe choice. Would my feet be cold in sandals? But, I knew that it would be hot in the afternoon. It turned out to be in the eighties, warm, but still much cooler than it had been.

When I returned home and let my dogs out, I marveled at how green everything still was. My backyard looked the same as it had since June, yet the subtle breeze and the cooler air reminded me that a new season is coming.

As I took a moment to sit on my porch and drink in Creation, I was filled with a little sadness. I have always loved summer, everything from long days at the pool, to nights swinging on the porch, fill me with happy memories. There’s just a slower pace of life that seems to go hand in hand with summer time and I like it.

But, seasons were always meant to change and summer must at some point, come to an end. A new school year has begun and for me, that has meant an empty nest. Both of my kids are off at college, chasing dreams and finding their way in the world and truthfully, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Because the end of one season, always means there’s a new one beginning and as much as I love summer, fall is pretty spectacular too. The air is cool and crisp and the leaves treat us to daily changing works of art by our creative Creator.

Creation becomes an explosion of color and the trees remind us to let go of the things we no longer need. The trees become bare for a season, yet the internal work goes on, deep in their roots, readying them for complete transformation and restoration in the spring.

As I lingered a little longer, I felt a sense of hope growing. I felt a little nudge reminding me of the beauty found in every season. I remembered the Bible verses about a time and a season for everything and I felt a little excitement.

As long as I’m still breathing, God is still writing my story and I have every reason to believe that this season will be filled with a beauty all its own. Some cooler temperatures reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

When We Fear the Unfamiliar Path

Posted on by Wendy
The unfamiliar can often seem scary, but as people of faith, we ever walk alone.

I work in the front office of an elementary school. Because of where I sit, I get to encounter children from all grade levels and I hear amusing and sometimes inspiring, stories from them all day long. My favorite stories are very often from or about, our youngest students, the kindergarteners.

One of our custodians was buffing the floors out in the hall. The buffing machine is quite large and fairly noisy, but I never gave it much thought. Apparently, one of the kindergarteners did. She marched right up to that custodian, pointed to the machine and told him that she was afraid of it.

Since he’s one of the kindest men I have ever known, he took the time to calmly explain to her that he was just using it to clean the floors and there was nothing to be afraid of. I think she was satisfied because she went on her way.

I thought about that story long after he told it. I have always had a special heart for the kindergarteners at the beginning of each school year. Everything is new to them and they are all so small. heir backpacks are bigger than they are. It’s very easy to see how they can be completely overwhelmed at times.

But, haven’t we all been there? We’ve all been new in some unfamiliar place or situation. Maybe it was a new school, or a new job, or a new church, or even a new relationship of some sort. It could have been facing and then navigating, a serious illness or walking along side someone who we love, who was. It could have been a new chapter of some sort in our own unfolding story.

Like those kindergartners, we have all carried something around that’s bigger than we are and change is hard, no matter your age.

When we find ourselves in the unfamiliar, it’s easy to be gripped with fear. When that happens, we can shrink back and hide under the covers. We can ball up our fists and stomp our feet in anger at the unfairness of it all. We can allow ourselves to drown in sadness, wanting desperately to go back to what was.

But, as Christians, we have another option. We can go to God and cry out for help and mercy. We can pray for strength and courage. We can pray for healing and direction. We can pray for patience. We can pray for peace.

Quite often, the answers are not immediate, but we will get them because the more we lean into God, the more we learn to believe the absolute truth in Jesus’ words, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Sometimes He even sends kindly people to point out that the loud scary thing we were afraid of, was nothing to fear after all. A kindergartener and a wise custodian, reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

The Gift of Now

Posted on by Wendy
My dogs often remind me to be in the moment.

Last spring, I took a yoga class for the first time. I have practiced the poses before, but never actually attended a class. I found it fascinating. The entire focus was on being in the moment and learning to appreciate something most of us take for granted, breathing.

Sometimes we keep ourselves so busy, that we are never in the moment, always focusing on being a couple of steps ahead of where we are. It would never occur to us to think about our breathing. I thought about that class for most of the summer.

My dog reminded me when we were sitting on the porch together. She hits me with her foot when she wants me to pet her. I was checking my e-mail on my phone and she hit me with her foot. I tried asking her to give me a minute, but she was insistent. I remembered the class and I put the phone down.

She and I were both more content as we took in the sound and scenery around us without distraction and appreciated the present.

Later in the summer, when I was struck with a very painful case of shingles, I found myself drawn out to the porch again. Every movement brought about searing pain, even breathing. I definitely found myself in the present. It was all I could focus on.

As I sat there in the coolness of that Sunday morning, remaining very still, I found myself asking God what it was He wanted me to learn from my illness. Although it was excruciating, I knew it wouldn’t last long. My dog snuggled a little closer as if wanting to comfort me, this time not taking, but giving.

I think the answer was not taking a single breath for granted, because each one is a Divine gift. The Bible tells us, that God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

Breathing is important. Maybe we sometimes forget how important. Being in the moment is important. Learning to appreciate where we are and the people we are with right now, is also important because we may never pass this way again.

Learning to be still and honoring that truth, fills our heart and souls and honors our Maker.

A yoga class, my dog and a case of shingles, reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Blueberry Lessons

Posted on by Wendy
Everyday I searched, hoping to find one more ripe one.

Every summer, I attempt to grow something that is edible. My backyard is mostly shade, so I’m very limited, but this year, I have a blueberry bush that was very happy in its spot and it made some serious blueberries. I had my doubts about how well it would do because it was covered in blooms very early in the season and I felt like it may have bloomed too early to actually make fruit.

I watered it and fed it anyway and hoped for the best.

I was rewarded with blueberries for several weeks and I was thrilled. Each day I would go outside with my bowl and search for the ones that were just the right color. It never ceased to amaze me that even though I would look carefully the first time, several trips around the bush would continue bless me with a few I had missed.

I was just as happy with those as I was with the first handful. It didn’t matter whether they were the first ones or the last ones. I treasured each one.

I marveled at how two berries could be side-by-side on the vine, yet one would ripen before the other one, even thought they received the same amount of sun and water. I also found that sometimes the berries on the bottom or on the inside of the bush would ripen before the ones on top, even though they received less sun.

There seemed to be no rhyme or reason as to why some were ready for harvest, but other ones weren’t. Everyday, I persistently looked for more, hoping they were ready.

One of the main reasons I love to try and grow things is that Jesus often reveals Himself to me in the process.

A little heart nudge reminded me that people, like blueberries, bloom and ripen at different rates on our faith journey. Some have the perfect amount of sunshine and rain. Some come close to drowning and get very little light at all, yet Jesus searches for us relentlessly wherever we are in the process.

He never gives up.

I was also reminded that sometimes we may feel that those around us appear to have little chance of bearing fruit, like I did with those early blooms, but we are called to water and care for them anyway.

We don’t get to decide when or how the fruit arrives. We are simply called to do our part and let faith do the rest. For nothing is impossible with God.

Some blueberries reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

The Call to Hospitality

Posted on by Wendy
Sometimes we need reminding that a little hospitality can make a big difference.

A couple of months ago, we had some new neighbors move in down the street. I went out and bought the ingredients to bake them something to welcome them to the neighborhood. That’s what my neighbors did when we moved in and I have always remembered how nice it was to feel welcomed.

Because of their kindness extended to my family, I wanted to pass that on.

This is the deep south, so cooking is how we show our appreciation and respect for just about everything, from new babies, to someone being sick, to new neighbors, and even when someone passes away. Cooking for people is how we show hospitality.

The Bible even talks about hospitality. One of my favorite verses is 1 Peter 4:9, “Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.”

It speaks to me because, I must admit, I sometimes grumble about cooking. It’s just not something I love to do. I do it, but I have been known to grumble about it.

After the moving truck left, I kept looking to see if my neighbors had moved in so I could bring them a treat, but they were never out in their yard and their garage door was always closed. At first, I thought maybe they hadn’t truly moved in yet. But, as time went by, I decided they probably just weren’t friendly folks. They went to work and came home, locked everything up tight and stayed indoors.

I convinced myself that they wouldn’t appreciate my hospitality.

Turns out I was wrong. A couple of weeks ago, I was coming back from a walk, and a car at that house, pulled to the end of the driveway. A woman got out and put something in the mailbox. I went up and introduced myself. She was very friendly. We chatted for a few minutes and I learned they had come from Pennsylvania.

When I told her we were going to bake them something to welcome them to the neighborhood, she seemed very surprised and touched. But, then I told her I couldn’t ever catch them at home because their garage door was always closed.

She told me they always keep their garage door closed even when they are at home. She thought everyone else did too.

Yikes! I had read that situation completely wrong. I just assumed, incorrectly, that they were unfriendly and didn’t want anyone knocking on their door because I held them to my preconceived notion.

I wonder how often I do that.

It’s hard to be the new kid on the block, any block. When we can do a little something to make people feel welcome to our street, our workplace, our school, our community, our family, or even our church, I think we are called to do that.

When we reach out and extend hospitality, like my neighbors did so many years ago, we encourage others to do the same. And couldn’t we all use a little more kindness these days?

A conversation with a new neighbor reminded to always remember the gift of hospitality no matter what our preconceived notions may be. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂