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.

Copperhead Reminders

Posted on by Wendy
We sometimes become complacent and forget to be thankful for all of the blessings we have been given.

I was cooking dinner a couple of weeks ago, when my hubby approached me with his phone. He had a picture of a snake pulled up on it. He had just taken down the trash and found a small snake underneath it, he thought about killing it, but didn’t think it was poisonous, so he let it go.

But, after coming back into the house and finding pictures online, he knew it was definitely a Copperhead. They are poisonous and the little ones are supposed to be particularly dangerous because they don’t give a warning bite. They just release all of their venom when they strike.

We had a conversation with each other and our kids about being extra careful outside and not wearing flip flops or sandals in the yard. We talked about wearing closed toed shoes and watching carefully where we step. We talked about the importance of vigilance.

Over the next few days, every time I was out in the yard, whether picking blueberries or cutting hydrangeas, I was hyper-vigilant about where I walked. I didn’t zone out. I was constantly watching for the danger that may be lurking near.

At some point though, it occurred to me that I was in no more danger after the snake sighting than I was the day before. I was just no longer unaware.

Of course, I shouldn’t have been unaware to begin with. One of our dogs had been bitten by a Copperhead years before. She was thankfully okay, but it was in the fenced backyard. I had just chosen to become complacent. My hubby killed a really large one in our neighbor’s driveway.

How had I forgotten?

As the days went by, my fear of being bitten by a dangerous, ninja snake, every time I stepped out of my garage, morphed into a paying close attention stance. I stopped expecting danger at every turn, but didn’t walk around blissfully unaware either.

I was living in the moment, appreciating, but also respecting, my present circumstances. It turned out to be a gift because I began to truly appreciate the beauty around me.

I began to think about how tragedy or near tragedy, makes us take stock and really appreciate what we have, for a time. Sickness, loss or even death of someone we love, makes us savor and hold extra close, the many blessings we have been given. We become extra thankful, but life steps in and we get busy and we forget.

That Copperhead reminded me to live in thankfulness, perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

Hydrangea Wisdom

Posted on by Wendy
We are all meant to bloom and contribute in our unique way.

A few years ago, I started a new job; at the end of that year, a sweet family gave me a hydrangea plant as a gift. I was so excited. I’ve always loved hydrangeas, but hadn’t really been able to grow them for a long time. I had a huge one at my last house, but when we moved, I just couldn’t make them grow even though I tried a variety of spots.

They either didn’t get enough sun or got too much sun and not enough water. I could only plant them in my backyard that’s fenced, because the herd of deer that resides in my neighborhood would eat them to the ground if they had the chance.

After trying numerous times, I gave up on hydrangeas. I just planted something else.

But, when I received one as a gift, I gave it another shot and it lived. It didn’t bloom, but it lived. The following year, they gave me a different variety and I planted it as well. It also lived. Once they gave me a third one and they all lived and I got a few blooms, I was inspired to buy one myself.

I put them all in raised beds and I watered them and fed them and waited. I was thrilled when I got a few blooms. It wasn’t what I hoped for, but at least I seemed to be on the right track.

Well, this year, three years after I started, my hydrangeas are bursting forth with blooms. They are the first thing I see when I drive up into my driveway. I have so many that I have been able to cut some to bring inside while still enjoying the ones outside. And to my delight, the ones I bring inside stay fresh and pretty for well over a week.

Each time I pass a vase of them, I stop and appreciate their beauty and I am reminded at how long it took for me to have them.

There was a decade of complete failure that caused me to give up completely, but then the kindness of someone else, encouraged me to try again. When I did, I didn’t get the blooms I wanted right away, but I got growth, so I kept trying and waiting patiently with hope and a little faith.

The combination proved to be enough.

Those hydrangeas remind me of our faith walk. Sometimes we and those around us, can get discouraged and sometimes give up completely. After years of disappointment, frustration and discouragement, we can decide that we will never bloom, yet God is always at work. He often sends someone to encourage us and remind us that it’s never too late to try again.

Sometimes we need to be encouraged and sometimes we are the one who encourages and we need to remember that both sides are vital to Kingdom work, because in the end, we are all meant to bloom and contribute in our own unique way.

Some hydrangea blooms reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Piper Lessons

Posted on by Wendy
Piper often misses out because she overestimates her size.

When I leave my house in the mornings, to go to work, I put a baby gate on the stairs. If I don’t, our big dog, Sandy, will go upstairs and scratch on my kids’ bedroom doors, until he wakes them up. I have no idea why he does that, but my teenagers do not appreciate being awakened before 7:00 A.M. on days they don’t have school, and so to keep peace among all of the living creatures in my home, I use the gate.

Interestingly enough, there’s usually a pretty large gap between the gate and the wall and our smaller dog, Piper, could easily squeeze through it if she chose too, but she doesn’t. One of her favorite things to do is to go back to bed, but she misses the opportunity because Piper thinks she’s much bigger than she really is.

She will sometimes growl at the bigger dog for no good reason. She seems totally unaware of their size difference. She will sit at the door on the porch indefinitely, waiting for someone to open the door a little wider for her although she could have easily walked through the opening that was already there.

On Piper, her overestimation of her size and the limitations she places on herself are comical. She’s such a silly dog.

But, I sometimes ask myself if I do any better. What opportunities do I pass up because I’m too old, or not qualified enough, or smart enough?

Sometimes God opens a door for us, just wide enough for us to step through. But, we don’t walk through it because we would prefer it to be wide open with a neon sign pointing the way and great fanfare leading us on.

More often than not, I have found that, that is simply not His way. When we take quiet time and pray, we are able to see the open doors around us and the different paths that become lit up. We become more comfortable stepping out into the spaces He provides instead of insisting on our own preferences of wide, bright, and loud.

We begin to understand that man’s ways and God’s ways have never been the same. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9

And when we see an opening, we aren’t afraid to take it. My dog, Piper, reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

Binoculars Wisdom

Posted on by Wendy
When we slow down and listen, we are often surprised at the beauty we find.

At a recent visit to my parents’ house, I found myself in the kitchen. Daddy was there too and he instructed me to go to the end of the table and pick up the binoculars that were lying there.

I smiled as I did as I was instructed. My parents have recently installed new bird feeders and have been using different kinds of seed. They have been blessed with all kinds of different varieties of birds, so much so, that they keep a couple of sets of binoculars handy to get a closer look.

When I picked up the binoculars, Daddy instructed me to aim towards the pool. I did as I expected to see some exotic bird, but he surprised me when he asked if I could see the beautiful hibiscus bloom. I chuckled. It was not at all what I was expecting, but it was truly stunning.

Mama and Daddy had overwintered their hibiscus plants, nurturing them inside their home all winter long. Since they had moved them back outside, they had watered them and fed them and waited patiently for them to bloom and one of them finally had.

Daddy was like a new proud papa admiring the first bloom of the season.

I’ve often compared the wisdom of young children and older folks. Both groups seem to instinctively know that the simple things in life often provide the most beauty and joy. They allow things like new blossoms, birds, puppies and frogs, to delight them. Both walk a little slowly, allowing them to drink in their surroundings. Neither are always hurrying so much that they miss important stuff like listening to a loved one share a story.

They appreciate the details and the little miracles that many take for granted.

I thought about those binoculars and that blossom long after that day. I thought about how much beauty we are able to see when we simply stop and look closely. I thought about how God often surprises us with something completely different than we thought, when we simply obey Him, like I obeyed Daddy that morning.

“Pick them up and look in that direction.”

The bloom wasn’t at all what I expected, but it was beautiful.

I was reminded that many of us live in the in-between, hurrying stage of life. We aren’t children, but we aren’t older and wiser yet. On our quest to succeed and get everything done, we forget to look around. We forget to slow down. We forget to listen.

Yet, when we do, what we find is often stunning. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

Saying No to Fear

Posted on by Wendy
From across the pool, something completely harmless, appeared threatening.

Over the Memorial Day weekend, my family was blessed to spend the weekend with my parents. More specifically, we spent the weekend at their pool and with a record breaking heat wave, we were especially thankful.

My first day in the pool, I checked the skimmer carefully, like I always do. Anyone who has ever owned a pool, knows the importance of that task. On most days, a skimmer will have leaves and dead bugs in it. But, sometimes there are dangerous critters like snakes, that aren’t really trapped and can get back out into the pool.

After my skimmer check, I hit the water. I was floating along, minding my own business, when something in the skimmer, caught my eye. Something blue was hanging down behind the face of the skimmer. I couldn’t see it when I looked inside from outside the pool. It was only visible from the pool. It looked like the tail of something and I immediately reported it to my parents as I paddled a safe distance away.

My Daddy, the reliable slayer of unwelcome skimmer intruders, got on his knees on the scorching hot cement and attempted to investigate. He couldn’t see anything. I kept telling him he had to be in the pool to see it. He tried to splash the area,but it didn’t move. He finally informed me I would have to get closer to direct him to the interloper.

I reluctantly obeyed. I paddled over timidly, just waiting for a ten foot python to come coiling out of the skimmer. But, as I got closer, I realized it was something else entirely.

The intruder that had filled my heart with fear and had Daddy on his hands and knees, was a sliver of their new pool liner that hadn’t been cut closely enough.

At first, I was filled with relief and then I felt incredibly foolish. Daddy was a good sport about the ordeal and moved on to other projects he had to work on.

But, the skimmer incident stayed on my mind long after I got out of the pool. We have become a society obsessed with safety. From helmets, to seat belts, to car seats, to cell phones, to cameras on our front porches. We seem to live with a certain amount of fear on the edge of all we do.

What opportunities are we losing due to our safety obsession? What trips do we pass up? What job opportunities do we turn down? What dreams do we pack away? How many opportunities to serve God do we turn down because of fear?

Sure, a certain amount of fear is useful, but there’s a reason that the Bible tells us over and over to, “Fear not.” When we walk with Jesus, we are called to walk with courage, not with fear.

A pool skimmer reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

Making a Difference to Someone

Posted on by Wendy
Every act of faith and kindness matters.

Last Christmas, I received a bracelet from the people I work with. It was engraved with the words, “it made a difference to that one.” It came with a starfish charm and was attached to a card with The Starfish Story.

I love that story. I remember vividly the first time I read it. It was part of a collection of stories found in the book, “Chicken Soup for the Soul.” It was over twenty years ago and a very dark season for me. My soul was in desperate need for some light and that story really resonated with me.

It’s about a little boy walking down the beach. The tide is going out and there were starfish stranded on the sand. He would pick one up and throw it out to sea and move on to the next one. A man asked him what he was doing and he told him that if he didn’t throw them back they would die. The man told him there must have been tens of thousands of them and that he wouldn’t be able to make a difference. The boy bent down and picked up one and threw it as far as he could and looked at the man and smiled and said, “I made a difference to that one.”

There’s nothing like the faith and enthusiasm of a child. It’s something that we are gifted with when we are young, but tend to lose as we grow up.

Jesus recognized and appreciated it. “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:3

What things do we not even bother to do or try because we don’t think we can make a difference? Things like the giving of our time or money to a cause that really touches our hearts, might not fix a problem, but will it a help a person? We might not be able to stop world hunger, but can we feed one child? Can we educate one mother? Can we offer to assist one elderly person in need? Can we give to a stranger in need?

Christianity teaches us that our faith is individual. Jesus cares about the person. So if we can help one person along the way either physically or spiritually or both, then we have followed Christ’s example.

We may never be able to completely grasp God’s economy. It’s just so different than our own, but we do know that all things are possible with Him and that every soul matters, so every person matters.

A treasured story reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too. Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Watching for Faith Lessons

Posted on by Wendy
I fill it up because I want to, not because the birds do anything to earn it.

This time of year, I have to replace my hummingbird feeder nectar about once a week to keep it fresh. I don’t have a lot of hummingbirds right now and they aren’t drinking that much. The weather isn’t very hot yet and they haven’t established nests. When the sugar water sits in the sun for a week, it gets cloudy and sour and so I replace it with fresh sugar water.

My son always picks at me and tells me that I’m just feeding freeloaders. They have done nothing to earn my time and care. I chuckle and continue doing it anyway.

He’s right of course, but the little birds delight me and I feel led to feed them.

I was thinking about his words last weekend while I was refilling my feeder when I was reminded that refilling them regularly just because they make me happy, is a tiny bit like grace.

We can do nothing to earn God’s grace even on our best days, yet He gives it to us freely. He fills us up over and over as often as we come back to Him, with hearts and souls thirsting for more.

Ideally, we in turn, give thanks for it and extend the love and grace that we are given to those around us who desperately need it. That’s how the Kingdom grows and how we can delight our Maker just as those little hummingbirds delight me.

I smiled as I turned the concept over in my mind, thankful for the faith lesson. Turns out, they weren’t freeloaders after all. They were put in my path to teach me something.

I was glad I was paying attention and didn’t miss it. Perhaps you needed a little faith lesson today as well.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

Wherever You Are

Posted on by Wendy
Jesus meets us wherever we are on our journey.

Last Sunday, our sermon was about seeing Jesus in the world around us, which is one of my favorite topics. Part of the sermon was about the travelers on the road to Emmaus found in Luke 24. Most people who are familiar with the Gospels know the story.

Two men are walking along and talking after witnessing the Crucifixion and hearing rumors about the Resurrection. The Crucifixion was real to them. They saw it. It was tragic, but it made sense on a physical level. When a body dies, it stays dead, to believe anything else would have been a giant leap of faith.

But, Jesus joins them and begins explaining scripture to them, yet they don’t recognize Him. Our pastor noted that they didn’t really recall if He caught up with them from behind or they joined Him walking ahead, but He fell in step with them.

That little detail stayed on my mind long after Sunday. Jesus met them where they were. The Resurrection was supernatural and so Jesus could then be anywhere at anytime. He was no longer hampered by His human form. The glory of grace is what He chose to do with the power.

He could have chosen to stay right there at the tomb and wait for everyone to come to Him. He could have gone to the temple to show everyone that He was who He said He was, but He didn’t do either of those things.

He went and met the people who had earnestly sought Him all along. He found them where they were, cowering behind locked doors, walking along the road, in the cemetery and fishing, to name a few mentioned places. He appeared to men and women and to people who were doubters. He encouraged and He forgave.

He still meets those who seek Him, right where we are. Whether we are traveling or settled, bold or cowering, rejoicing or mourning. It doesn’t matter if we have walked with Him for many years or are brand new to the faith, or whether we have stumbled somehow.

Jesus walks with those who love Him regardless of where we are on this earthly journey. A Sunday sermon reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

Remembering to Pray

Posted on by Wendy
A bad day got immediately better as soon as I remembered to pray.

Earlier this week, I had to get my son registered for freshman housing college. He’s going to be attending a really big school and the housing registration process was in three parts. We got started the very first day available and he was really not very interested. But, he was much more enthusiastic a few months later, for the second phase, when he got to choose roommates. It didn’t take him long to be a part of a group of four and they were all set.

When he finally got issued a time for the final phase, when they would pick out their unit, he got issued an early slot, but it was during his school day, so I had to do it. I carefully got all of the information on what they wanted and logged on with no problems. I chose the complex they wanted and hit submit.

I was really proud of myself until I saw the term chosen was summer. Had I really just signed my son and three strangers up for summer housing? There was no way to back up or cancel. I called the school and was told someone would call me back. I sent an email and I stared at my phone all day. I waited from 10:30 until 3:00 and heard nothing.

I was panicked. What if I had messed up their housing? What if they got a bad dorm because I did something wrong? Would the other boys be angry at my son for my mistake? I felt helpless and stupid. I don’t know why I didn’t stop to pray in my panic, but when I got in my car to drive home, I literally cried out to Jesus and asked for help.

When I arrived home, I sat down at my computer and logged in again, then I picked up the phone and called again. I was on hold for a long time and as I waited, I got a notification that someone had commented on my blog post from Monday, which was interesting because it basically said, I had been so busy with family over the weekend, that I was too tired to post.

But, this sweet woman, who was clearly an answer to my prayer, wrote that she appreciated my honesty and transparency and my balancing priorities and love for family, friends and celebrating young people and that it was a great reminder for a Monday.

Tears slid down my face. My honesty about being completely wiped out had meant something to someone.

When I finally got to talk to the nicest person I have ever talked to, when I have called the school, she checked on everything and assured me all was well, that my son was in fact registered for fall not summer. She wasn’t sure why it said summer, but the dates that were listed were correct. I thanked her several times and we hung up.

I immediately said a prayer of thanks which was where I should have started to begin with.

A long stressful day, reminded me that prayer is where I should always start. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

5K Lessons

Posted on by Wendy
I learned a lot more from participating in a 5K than I bargained for.

Last weekend I participated in a 5K. It was a fund raiser for our school’s STEM program and lots of people I work with were participating, so I reluctantly signed up. I’m not a runner. I like to walk for fitness and I run a little, during my walks, but I would never consider myself a runner.

The thought of a race was definitely not my cup of tea. I’m just not competitive that way, but I signed up anyway.

It turned out to be cold, in the forties and there was a small chance of rain, but there was a carnival atmosphere when I arrived. Everyone was pumped up and smiling. There was music playing. I wasn’t really sure what the excitement was about, but it was infectious.

Once the race began, I ended up walking alone and keeping my own pace. When I would see people I knew, they would smile and speak. Sometimes they were way ahead and on their way back when we crossed paths and sometimes I would pass them.

Either way, everyone was very encouraging, “Go Wendy!” they would call. When it began to rain, I began to run more than walk. I got a few good natured call outs, “thought you didn’t run!” I would laugh and reply that I don’t.

I never said I couldn’t run; I said I don’t run. Turns out, when it’s freezing and raining, I can run quite a lot.

But, the encouragement was contagious and I found myself cheering others on when I passed by them as well. When I crossed the finish line, a friend of mine was videoing and cheering me on.

I was so grateful to be done. I was cold and wet and ready to head home, but another friend told me I couldn’t leave because I was going to medal. How could that be possible? Little kids had passed me.

She explained that the race was broken down into age groups. There weren’t many people in my age group. I found it hysterical that just being old and finishing, made me eligible for an award, but I stayed and I got a medal. She did too and everyone cheered for each other.

I thought about that race long after I finally got home and got warm and dry.

It really is a parallel of how we should live our lives, going at our own pace, joining with others sometimes, walking some and running some, continuing forward even when the weather is bad and maybe most importantly, encouraging others in their race.

As a dear friend of mine says, “It doesn’t matter when you cross the finish line, as long as you finish. The only ones who lose are the ones who don’t try at all.” Perhaps you needed reminding today.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂