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.

Removing the Buildup

Posted on by Wendy
True transformation requires some prep work.

Last week the school that I work in, had spring break. My hubby and I, used the time to paint our kitchen cabinets. It just so happened, that the week also marked thirteen years in our house, so an update was badly needed.

The cabinets were a dark oak finish and my first instinct was to slap some white paint on them as soon as possible to lighten everything up, but I had done my research, there was some prep work required.

The very first step was to clean the cabinets with a degreaser. While this seemed like a simple step, it turned out to be incredibly time consuming. I would spray the cabinets and wipe them with a cloth. An amazing amount of built up gunk would come off of them. This wasn’t that surprising.

But, what was surprising, was that after spraying them a second and third time, I was still getting dirt off of them and then there were the corners. I would spray and scrub and spray and scrub with a toothbrush. It took hours to get them ready for the next step.

It was tedious and boring work, yet totally necessary if I wanted to truly transform my cabinets. If I didn’t take the time to remove all of the old grease, the new paint, no matter how pretty, or different, or expensive, would never stick. It might stay on them for a little while, but with regular use, and let’s face it, kitchen cabinets get regular use, it would bubble up and come off, leaving a bigger mess than I started with.

As I scrubbed those cabinets, I thought about how we can let all kinds of gunk build up in our hearts over time. We can let things like past hurts, disappointments, anger and frustration, form an invisible coating that keeps us from moving forward into new opportunities, new relationships, and fresh starts.

The problem is, that often, just like the invisible coating that was on my cabinets, we don’t even know it’s there. The only thing that truly removes that buildup is to prayerfully turn our hearts over to God and ask for strength and healing. Sometimes we need strength to forgive, and to forgive is the only way to heal. Sometimes we need strength to take the next step. Sometimes we need peace.

Thankfully, God knows what we need, even when we don’t and if we are patient, He will provide it and the outcome will be stunning.

Some old cabinets reminded me to be mindful of the buildup that can accumulate in our hearts. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

There’s Beauty in the Story

Posted on by Wendy
There’s beauty in every chapter of your story.

Last weekend, I took a walk. I was thrilled that it was at last warm enough to get outside and walk. I was not disappointed. The trees, bushes and flowers, in my neighborhood had burst into life and there was color everywhere.

On my way back home, my new neighbor was pushing her child in a swing. I commented on the design of the swing and how it looked like a lot of fun. We chatted a few minutes. Her oldest daughter is getting ready to start pre-kindergarten and we talked about the area schools.

After a little while, her little girl grew impatient and so I directed my conversation to her. I asked her if she had an Easter dress and if she was going to any egg hunts. She was and she happily told me about them.

When I said goodbye and went home, I marveled at how quickly the time had passed. When we moved into our house, my kids were four and six. Our next-door-neighbors were empty-nesters. Now I have a sixteen-year-old and a college freshman. Those empty-nesters retired to the lake and a young family moved in.

We are no longer that young family.

But, as fun as Easter dresses and egg hunts were, I have to say, that I’m enjoying this chapter too. My daughter is coming home from college for Easter and she’s bringing a friend. We went Easter dress shopping while she was home for spring break and it was much easier than it was when she was little. We had a lot of fun.

I can simply buy a new shirt for my son for Easter; his presence isn’t even required.

We will attend church together and we will go out to eat and actually enjoy the conversation. I find it exciting to see the young adults that my babies have grown into.

Sure, I sometimes miss having littles, but I’m embracing this chapter too. I’ve come to learn that when we walk with Jesus on our journey here, there’s grace and beauty in every chapter. The best is never behind us because we don’t even get to the best on this side of Eternity.

Everyday that I wake up means God is not finished with me yet. There are fresh assignments and adventures, and new ways to learn and grow.

A conversation with a young mommy reminded me that every chapter matters because the Divine Author isn’t finished writing my story. Perhaps you needed reminding too!

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Childlike Faith

Posted on by Wendy
Childlike faith is something we should all strive for.

Yesterday, we celebrated Palm Sunday at our church, just as many churches did around the world. It’s the beginning of Holy Week that ends with the celebration of Easter. I’ve been in churches where the children walk in carrying palm branches and somehow we always sing a song with, Hosanna in it.

After church, out of mere curiosity, I did a little research an the term Hosanna, because I never knew what it meant.

The word hosanna was only used one time in the Old Testament. It can be found in Psalm 118:25. The root word in Hebrew is hoshiya na. It means, “Save us or deliver us.” Over the years, it’s meaning changed to, “Salvation or deliverance has come.”

The Book of Matthew tells us When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the crowds were shouting, “Hosanna!” and placing their cloaks on the ground as well as cutting branches for Jesus, who was riding on donkey to walk on. Jesus didn’t stop. He went straight to the temple where he first, drove the money changers out because they were not there for any type of holy pursuit.

But, right after he cleared out those who were there for the wrong reasons, He welcomed those who came to Him with needs. He healed the blind and the lame. Apparently it didn’t take physical sight to know that salvation had come and those who sought Him out that day were healed.

But, as the healing went on, there were children shouting, “Hosanna!” in the temple courts.

I am always astonished at how the Holy Spirit uses children to speak to us, when we take the time to really listen. The voice of a young child can both praise and convict us. It’s as if babies are born with the wisdom and faith of heaven that they lose a little bit of with each passing year. It usually takes years of prayer, worship, and study to get it back.

On that particular day, I don’t know whether they were begging for salvation or giving thanks for it. I suspect they were giving thanks and if so, how did they know? How did young children know that they were in the presence of salvation when the religious people in charge, had no clue?

Jesus had already told His disciples, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:3

Palm Sunday reminds me of the importance of childlike faith. As Christians, we don’t live by sight. We sometimes forget that. The blind sought Jesus even thought they couldn’t see Him. It also reminds me that Jesus is still in the healing business. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Kindergarten Logic

Posted on by Wendy
What if we were willing to extend grace to others like God so willingly extends it to us?

There’s a clinic in the office in the school where I work. There’s a little boy that comes in a couple of times a day for medical reasons. When he comes in in the morning, he often asks me to walk him to activity. I will find out where he needs to go and we walk and chat.

Sometimes it’s just down the hall and sometimes it’s all the way at the gym. When it’s at the gym, I will tell him that there aren’t many people I would walk outside for in the freezing cold. He always just grins.

A couple of days ago, I was walking with him and he spotted his class coming up the sidewalk. As soon as he saw them, he told me I could go.

I chuckled all the way back to the office. I had been dismissed by a six-year-old.

I thought about that precious child even after I got home. I thought about how special he was to me and how I enjoy walking with him. I also thought about how it would never occur to me to get my feelings hurt by his dismissal. He didn’t mean anything by it. He had found his class. He no longer required my assistance.

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could all live with the clarity of kindergarten logic?

It really made me think about other situations where I may have gotten my feelings hurt by someone who had no intention of hurting them. I really don’t believe for the most part, that people go out of their way to hurt each other. I think for whatever reason, they are focused on themselves at the moment instead of the other person.

I think oftentimes we can either choose to have our feelings hurt or choose to believe that someone’s words or actions really aren’t about us, but about them.

There are certainly times where someone does go out of their way to hurt us and that’s not okay, but I’m not thinking about those times. I’m thinking about a careless word or comment that we can allow to snowball into a giant boulder, when we could have chose to simply overlook it.

As parents, we do that for our children all of the time. There’s a certain amount of grace required to be a parent. But, what if we were willing to extend that grace to others? What would our lives look like if we were willing to let the unintentional stuff go?

What would our relationships look like? What would our workplaces look like? What would our churches look like?

Maybe living in peace and not in constant turmoil, is a conscious choice that we must make daily. I think it’s probably worth it.

A kindergartner reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Never Count God Out

Posted on by Wendy
“But with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26

We were recently discussing the Book of Exodus in my Sunday School class. We were at the part where Moses went to Pharaoh and told him to let God’s people go. Pharaoh refused. He probably knew of the God of the Israelites, but the Egyptians had many gods.

He counted their God out.

It turned out to be a huge mistake on his part. There were plagues and death and God showed up for His people in a huge way. Pharaoh did in fact, let the Israelites go.

A few day’s later, I was reading a daily devotion on Esther. It pointed out that God is not even mentioned in the book and there was evil everywhere. Yet, God was at work for His people even when they couldn’t see Him. The evil Haman, counted God and His love for His people, out, just as Pharaoh had generations before.

It turned out to be a huge mistake that ended up costing him his life.

Last weekend, I came across an article on a new movie called, “I Can Only Imagine,” that made me think of both Moses and Esther.

The movie is based on the song of the same name, by the Christian group, Mercy Me. When it was released, it became the most played contemporary Christian song of all time.

The movie is about a boy who grows up with an abusive father. But, it’s about the redemption that comes from knowing God. It’s core is the premise that God can redeem any situation for good. There really are no exceptions.

The critics hated it. Metacritic gave it 27 out of 100. Rotten Tomatoes critics gave it 5.7 out of 10 or 63%. It was expected to make between $2 and $4 million on its opening weekend.

Once again, they counted God out. Once again, it was a mistake.

After making $6.2 million on its first day, estimates were increased to $14 million. It ended up making $17.1 million opening weekend. The average reviewers, (people who went and saw the movie) on Rotten Tomatoes, gave it a 4.8 out of 5, of or 96%. The film received a rare A+ Cinema Score.

As I read the story, I just had to smile. An independent film company made a film that tells the story of hope and forgiveness that glorifies God. The mainstream media critics snubbed it. But, people came out in droves to see it.

Why? How could the “people in the know,” be wrong?

They counted God out.

It frankly comes as no surprise to me that people are thirsting for a story of hope and redemption. Don’t we all need that in our lives?

The success of, “I Can Only Imagine,” is a tangible reminder that all things are possible with God and we should never count Him out. Perhaps you needed reminding today.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Intentional Resting

Posted on by Wendy
It’s impossible to overestimate the value of intentional rest.

It was a beautiful day on Sunday. Out pastor even joked that it was the second sunny Sunday we have had since January. Although I’m sure that’s not accurate, it certainly felt that way. It was in the seventies and I felt myself longing to get outside. I can always hear God best outside.

I stifled a grumble when I opened the door to my porch. Everything was coated in a blanket of yellow pollen. There were spiderwebs everywhere too. The porch has not officially opened for spring time business and was in desperate need of some bleach and a scrub brush, but I resolved myself to see past the winter grime and just sit and be thankful for the weather.

I had other senses besides my eyes and I was determined to use them. There was a breeze, but it wasn’t cold. The birds were singing. I could hear my neighbor’s chickens clucking and I was reminded of the chickens in my childhood. I smiled and gave a prayer of thanks for the convenience of grocery stores. I do not miss having chickens roaming around.

It wasn’t long before I heard the little girls next door riding around in their Power Wheels tractor. I smiled again remembering my own children’s Power Wheels Jeep and four wheeler. I said a prayer of thanks for my kids and all of the memories of their childhood.

A little while later, I heard a hawk calling. I never saw him, but I knew he was near. I said a prayer of thanks for the wonder of nature. When I heard a bee buzzing, I was thankful that my porch is screened.

I found it interesting that the longer I sat, the more relaxed I became and the more thankful I became. It wasn’t like my to-do list had become any shorter. My daughter had been home from college for a few days and I chose to spend every minute of quality time with her instead of cleaning the house, so the house was as big a mess as the porch was.

Yet, the more time I spent intentionally relaxing, intentionally seeking peace and the presence of God, the less it mattered.

I suppose God knew this when He prescribed for His people a day of rest, a day of reflection, a day of thankfulness, a day of worship. When we take the time to be still and listen, He always makes Himself known and when He makes Himself known, we can’t help, but be filled with peace that can only come from Him.

The dust will continue to pile up long after we’re gone, but the peace and love that we can pass on after spending time with Him, has the potential to change lives. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you needed reminding today.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

The Call to Lifelong Learning

Posted on by Wendy
If you woke up today, God has something to teach you.

I’ve been reading a daily devotional by Jonathon Cahn, called, “The Book of Mysteries.” It’s a fascinating read that often explains the fact that many Hebrew words have double meanings.

Cahn wrote, “that the word for disciples in Hebrew is, “talmidim.” It comes from the root word, “lamad,” which is linked to teaching or learning, so the disciples were the taught ones or the learners.”

He went on to say that our lifelong mission here on this side of eternity is to learn something about God everyday.

I found this idea fascinating and did a little research of my own. Of the 90 times Jesus was addressed directly in the Gospels, He was referred to as, “Teacher,” 60 of those times.

The people who were blessed to walk with Him physically, seemed to understand that He had something to teach them every single time they saw Him.

So, what is the significance of that information for believers today?

I think as Christians, we often tend to fall back on what we already know. We went to Sunday school as kids. We attend regular worship service as adults. We may even teach the basic stories of Jonah and the Whale and David and Goliath to youngsters.

But, what are we doing to actively learn ourselves?

I work in a school, so I’m surrounded by teachers. They are always going to professional learning classes. They are always seeking new ways to disseminate information. They are always looking for ways to connect with their students.

If Jesus is the ultimate Teacher, then shouldn’t we expect Him to do the same? Shouldn’t we expect Him to be looking for ways to connect with us in deeper ways to show us His nature, His plans, His ways?

Are we willing learners or do we feel like we know all there is to know about God? Are we just sitting around ready to graduate?

If we call ourselves Christ followers, then we call ourselves disciples, which means we have to be active learners and seekers of God’s Word and God’s Will.

If you woke up this morning and are reading this, God is not done with you. He still has something to teach you and you still have something to learn. The question becomes how do you go about learning and listening?

Is a once a week worship service enough? Are we involved in daily prayer and devotional time? Are we reading the Bible? How can we be better learners? Thankfully, like all good teachers, our Teacher, never gives up on us and He expects the best.

So, wherever we are in the learning process, He will happily meet us there. A daily devotional reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have a awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Seasonal Decisions

Posted on by Wendy
Sometimes we have to participate in removing the dead things to reveal the beauty that lies underneath.

I woke up on Sunday morning with a headache and a sore throat. My ears were popping. My head and nose were completely stopped up. I was miserable and I knew why.

There’s a very specific time of year for me, when my seasonal allergies are at their worst. I can pin-point it down to a couple of weeks. I can use antihistamines, decongestants and nose sprays, yet it happens anyway. I sometimes even lose my voice.

You would think that I would come to dread this time of year. You would think that I would follow recommendations and stay indoors. You would be wrong.

Nope, on Saturday, I was outside with my hubby raking leaves and deciding what we should plant in front of the house. I simply can’t help myself this time of year. The temperatures are warming up and the earth has burst into life after its winter slumber.

While I could leave my hubby to rake all by himself, I want to be a part of it. There’s something almost spiritual about removing piles of dead leaves and discovering new green growth underneath. Those leaves had a purpose at one time and then they turned brilliant colors, but their season has passed and they need to be removed from the fertile ground that they cover.

So, every year I subject myself to the misery because I know the change that is coming. I know this because it happens every year. It’s part of life here on planet earth. it’s part of the seasons. If I don’t do some work now, I will miss out on the growth and beauty that is coming.

Jesus often used the environment when talking to the crowds. They were farmers, and fisherman, and tradesmen. They were people who worked with their hands and so His message connected with them.

God told Noah after the flood, “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.” Genesis 8:22

Sometimes misery is part of change. Sometimes we become emotionally or spiritually uncomfortable before something brand new and beautiful happens. This is God at work in our story. It builds trust. It builds faith.

Every year during the spring, in mid-March, I have the choice to be a part of the change or to play it safe and stay indoors. While there are some days of discomfort that come from the decision to participate, they will pass. The pay offs are well worth it. My work is always rewarded.

Some seasonal allergies reminded me that change and beauty are on the way. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Dance Party Lessons

Posted on by Wendy
Comparison can be a true joy killer.

The school where I work, has a behavior system in place, where the children earn bucks for all types of good behavior. When they earn enough, they can redeem them for different prizes. One of those prizes is a quarterly dance party. They really have to save their bucks to earn it.

This week, we had the dance parties. On Monday, the little ones, in grades kindergarten through second grade, got to attend. There weren’t a lot of kids who chose the dance, but the ones who did, had a blast.

When I peeked in and watched them, I don’t know when I have seen more joyful souls. They were playing everything from the oldie “Celebration,” to the “Cha Cha Slide,” and those children loved every minute of it. There was even a Conga Line. They danced like no one was watching and didn’t seem to care even if somebody was watching.

There were two kindergartners, in particular, who caught my eye. They stood in the very front, right beside each other, but not paying any attention to what the other was doing as they did their own creative moves. Those little guys never stopped moving or doing their own thing.

They danced simply for the joy of dancing.

That dance party stayed on my mind long after the music stopped playing. There’s such a tiny window in our lives where we can dance like no one is watching, or sing like we are rock stars, or paint like we are all Picasso’s. We believe that we are good at everything because the world hasn’t convinced us that we aren’t and we aren’t afraid to be different.

When two kindergarteners are told to draw a picture of a house and one is completely different than the other, they don’t tear each other down. In fact, they will often compliment one another and move on. They do their own thing and aren’t so interested in swaying others to do the same.

But, it doesn’t take long before we become self-conscious about our dance moves, or our singing voices, or are artistic abilities, or quite frankly, just about everything. Our creative sides so often become completely stifled by the opinions of others, so much so, that at some point, we stop trying.

I’m not sure if there’s anything more harmful to our happiness than comparison. Those kindergartners reminded me the beauty of doing your own thing in the way that you feel called to do it. They reminded me that we were never called to please other people in the first place. We were called to please our God who created us.

So, we should feel free to dance, and draw, and sing. It really doesn’t matter who’s watching. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Road Trip Reflections

Posted on by Wendy
We won’t really reach the top until God calls us home.

Last Sunday, my hubby and I traveled to south Georgia to see my daughter get an award. It just so happened that we had a college visit the day before, for my son, which was north of Atlanta. Needless to say, we spent lots of time in the car last weekend.

On the trip south, I commented to my hubby, who used to cycle a lot, how it seemed like the rolling hills went on forever and how difficult that must be to do on a bicycle. He told me the hills themselves weren’t all that difficult, but it was the fact that they went on and on that was the problem. He said at some point you would ask yourself if they would ever end.

He said it was a lot like hiking in the mountains. When you hike a mountain, the path is never straight to the top. You hike through switchbacks, which are like giant zigzags. You get all the way to the end and then move up a level and walk all the way to that end.

He said that he could see the mountain top from the distance as he hiked the switchbacks, but when he finally reached the top, he would find it was a false top and the true mountain top was even further up.

I thought about our conversation on our very long ride and two things popped into my mind. I’ve hiked a little myself and switchbacks can be maddening, but inevitably, they are part of the journey. There’s beauty in them if we care to look, like flowers we might have missed along the way.

The secret of a good hike is to enjoy the scenery and not race to the top. The switchbacks are part of the journey.

The second thing that occurred to me is that on this side of Eternity, all of the mountains will be false tops. We will never be completely satisfied in the journey. We will always be drawn to something higher because God is always drawing us to Him.

The hills and switchbacks will eventually end when God calls us home. Until then, we have to remember to rest when we need to, but to enjoy the journey. Yes, it can sometimes be filled with frustration and pain, but it’s filled with wonder and beauty too, that we can miss if we try to race.

A car ride reminded me to appreciate what’s in front of me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂