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.

Power Outage Inspiration

Posted on by Wendy

http://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/stranded-traveling-football-player-gets-help-from-total-strangers

Last Sunday, the Atlanta airport lost power for eleven hours. It happens to be the busiest airport in the world. You can imagine how crowded it was. You can also probably imagine thousands of angry and frustrated, stranded passengers. Keep it mind they couldn’t even buy so much as a bottle of water because all of the cash registers at the shops were down too.

This story reads like a recipe for disaster. I mean this is a apocalypse, movie type of scenario, but as I was reading about it, not one, but two stories jumped out at me that I just had to share.

The first one was that at about 10:00 pm, that evening, the mayor of Atlanta reached out to the management of Chic-Fil-A and asked for assistance. This company is well known for being closed on Sundays so that its employees can worship with their families. Their management is also known for being strong in their Christian faith and values.

I wonder why the mayor reached out to them.

They sprang into action asking employees who worked or lived near the airport to help. They ended up handing out over 5,000 sandwiches to hungry passengers. Corporate America rarely does much worth bragging about when it comes to helping others, but Chi-Fil-A continues to impress me because not only do they talk the talk; but they walk the walk.

My heart was already warmed as I read the next story. It had tears rolling down my cheeks.

There was a freshman football player, Luis Lebron, for Colorado State University, who was one of the stranded. After he waited for close to seven hours, he began walking, looking for a place to stay and something to eat. He had been to seven hotels that were completely booked. Does that remind you of any other people who were weary travelers and could find no room at the inn?

Luis just happened to come upon a live local newscast and he told his story. Within minutes, people began to show up to help him. He was offered food and a place to stay. He was so very thankful to the people of Atlanta. The newscaster said in all of his years doing the news, he had never seen anything like it.

As we journey through Advent, awaiting Christmas and what it means to us, may we seek out Immanuel, which literally means, “God with us;” and may we remember that He is always with us. May we be inspired to share the light when all seems dark.

A power outage inspired me. Perhaps you needed a little inspiration too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

A Gift from the Heart

Posted on by Wendy
I will never forget the two little girls who presented me with this ornament.

Last Friday was our last day of school for the year. I work in a school office where we have lots of generous parents, and my coworkers and I got little gifts all day long. We got lots of homemade goodies. We got gift cards. We got Christmas cards and handwritten notes. All of the kind wishes and tokens of appreciation were all very heartwarming.

But, I suspect the gift I will always remember the most, was a little handmade paper ornament from two sisters. They have had a rough year. They lost their dad and they come into the office on the way to the clinic, frequently. They usually seem to be looking for just a little extra attention, which our nurse is more than happy to give.

My Friday morning began as it often does, with an early morning visit from them. But, when I saw their little stack of ornaments, I had to fight the tears. Each one was decorated specifically for the recipient and had a hole punched in it with a carefully tied gold chord through it.

They had quite a stack and I’m sure it must have taken them a while to get them all made. When they proudly presented mine to me, I felt like I had received a true treasure.

I immediately thought of the Christmas song, “The Little Drummer Boy.” The child had no expensive gift to bring to the Baby Jesus, so he brought what he had, his ability to play his drum.

A grown up Jesus told His disciples when He witnessed a widow giving only two small copper coins, that her gift was greater than anyone else’s there, because she gave all she had.

In God’s economy, it’s never been about the size of the gifts we bring. It’s about the place they come from. It’s about the hearts who are giving them.

May we take this time in Advent as we await the coming of Christ, to purify our hearts and give to Jesus from that place. In the “Little Drummer Boy,” Jesus smiles at the little boy, showing approval of his gift. When we give what we have, no matter how big or small, with a pure heart, I know that He smiles on us too and blesses us as well.

I saw Jesus in the faces of two little girls and a homemade paper ornament. They reminded me of the true meaning of Christmas. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Unexpected Gifts

Posted on by Wendy
The best gifts rarely come wrapped or from underneath a tree.

Last Sunday morning, when my hubby and I were running out the door to go to church, my car wouldn’t start. We assumed it was the battery and took his car instead. After church, he went and got a new battery. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the battery. It was the starter.

The minor, easy to fix car repair, had quickly turned into a tow truck call and a much pricier fix, right at Christmas time.

But, this Advent, I have been determined to see all of the many gifts that I so often miss. My sixteen-year-old son volunteered to drive me to work. My daughter, who is home from college for the Christmas break, volunteered to pick me up. Just like that; I had transportation.

I can’t really fully express how much I enjoyed being driven by my children. I’ve come to a point in my life where I realize that time and people are the most precious gifts we are given on this side of eternity. I enjoyed our conversations. I enjoyed their choices in music. I enjoyed seeing my children happily helping out in adult roles.

When I discovered that the starter was covered under a warranty, it also meant it took another day to get it repaired. I saw it is a gift all of the way around.

And when my daughter dropped me out at the mechanic’s to retrieve my car and I told her that I didn’t know what I would do without my kids chauffeuring me around, she said, “How many times did you chauffeur us around?” I immediately felt the sting of tears in my eyes.

I gave thanks on my drive home for my what initially seemed like misfortune. God, in His timing and wisdom, gave me not only the unexpected gift of extra time with my children, but also the gift of allowing them to serve me. Now, I’m not one who likes to be served. I like to be the one who does the serving.

But, when we allow others to serve us, we allow them to be a blessing. I wouldn’t trade the time with them for anything, but if I hadn’t been looking for it, I would have missed it.

I could have easily been angry, discouraged or frustrated about my car. I could have chosen to feel inconvenienced. Instead, I chose to look for the blessings in my situation. I was not dissappointed.

But, then again, when I’m truly seeking God in what I do, I never am. Car trouble reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Teen Widsom

Posted on by Wendy
“But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'” 2 Corinthians 12:9a

This past Saturday, my son came home with a story he wanted to share. He had been out to dinner with some friends. It was dark and very cold and he noticed an elderly couple in the parking lot with car trouble. The hood was raised and their car wouldn’t start.

He said he didn’t know what he could do for them, but he felt compelled to help them.

He discovered right away that English was their second language and that they didn’t know that much about cars. They were also hesitant to talk to him. I suppose teenagers don’t have the best reputation these days. But, he was persistent. He fought his way through the language barrier and he found that they thought it was a dead battery.

He didn’t have jumper cables but, there was an AutoZone just up the hill. He offered to call and they agreed. The guy who answered the phone was very nice and they talked about the model of the car and the battery it would need. My son was planning to offer to drive them, when out of the blue, the car started.

He kept the AutoZone employee on the phone for a few minutes and gave them directions. They were extremely grateful and they got in their car and drove away.

I’m sharing this story not because I’m proud of my son, although I am, but because he felt compelled to help and he did. My son knows nothing about cars. He will proudly tell anyone who asks that he’s a band nerd and a computer geek. He loves technology and thrives in that world.

Yet, when he saw someone in need, even though they required a skill he didn’t have, he figured out a way to help anyway. He used his beloved iphone and called someone who could help and who happened to be very close by.

I don’t think I would have thought of that.

I think many times, our go to, is to walk away because we don’t know how to help. We want to help, but the situation can seem so dire, that we just do nothing. Our hearts are often in the right place, but when it comes to action, we miss the mark.

Yet, as Christians, we are called to be His hands and feet. We are called to the physical as well as the spiritual.
Perhaps, the next time our hearts are compelled to help, we should simply offer our help in whatever capacity we have. Perhaps we should stop worrying that we don’t have enough and trust in the One who does.

For He can take our tiny offering and feed the multitudes or even start a car. Our lack has never limited His abilities.

A teenager reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Finding Him in the Ordinary

Posted on by Wendy
His footprints are everywhere.

As I sat down to write today’s post, I had no idea what I would say. I always attempt to see God in my daily life and share it here in this space, in ways to hopefully, inspire others to do the same. The only problem is that I always require some downtime to sit and reflect and the past couple of days have given me very little downtime.

Monday, I had to run to a store right after work for a great deal on some Christmas shopping. I did get exactly what I was looking for, but the lines were long and it took a while.

When I got home, my son wanted some input on a fairly lengthy paper he had written for school. It went on way past dinner, and I had to help him with lots of grammar, but the story was fantastic and he ended it with a Bible verse from Proverbs. I was thoroughly surprised and impressed.

I was also too tired to write.

Yesterday, I spent my afternoon texting back and forth with my daughter in college, about an opinion piece she wrote for a class. She also wanted my input and when we found that our opinions differed a bit, we texted back and forth about that. It was an intelligent and respectful exchange and I was impressed by the adult that she has become.

Then, my son came home and told me about his day. Then there was dinner. Then I had choir practice for our Christmas Cantata which is this Sunday.

Once again, I had no down time, but even so, God was there whether I saw Him or not.

As I write about the past two busy, yet ordinary days, I can see the hand of God everywhere. He was there when my son asked for my assistance, respecting my opinion. He was certainly there when a Bible verse showed up unexpectedly in his paper.

He was there at the store when I found the very item I was looking for at less than half the original price.

He was there when my daughter and I effectively and peacefully communicated with each other over differing opinions.

He was there when I joined with others in choir practice, to lift my voice to praise His son.

So, today, I don’t have a special moment or one single instance that points to God to share. But, I do have the past couple of days where He was constantly at work in the background. I can see Him there when when I actively look. For me, that makes the ordinary extraordinary.

I’ll bet if you think about it, you can say the same about your seemingly mundane day.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Spreading Positive Tidings

Posted on by Wendy
Perhaps we should be the change we seek.

On Saturday night, the Georgia Bulldogs played the Auburn Tigers, for the SEC Championship. The stakes and the tensions were high because so much was riding on the game, not to mention that Georgia had lost to Auburn just a few weeks earlier.

After that loss, I ran into a friend of mine from work, buying groceries at Walmart. She’s a big Auburn fan. We talked a few minutes about their big win and I congratulated her. We talked about how wearing the orange and blue Auburn colors might be dangerous in a Walmart in Athens, Georgia. We are after all, in Bulldog country. But, we also laughed about it being just a game.

She shared with me that a friend of her teenage daughter, had been really ugly to her after the win. We both kind of shook our heads, wondering why friends would be so petty about something like a football game.

She wore her Auburn colors loud and proud, to work on Monday morning and we all, (most of us Bulldog fans), congratulated her and maybe picked on her a little, but it was all in good fun. She knew it and we knew it.

On Saturday night, the Bulldogs won the rematch and Auburn lost. As I scrolled down on my Facebook feed covered with many, “Dawgs win!,” messages, I came upon a post from my Auburn friend. She simply said, “Win or lose, it’s great to be an Auburn Tiger!! Congrats Georgia!”

I was stunned and incredibly impressed. She didn’t have to say anything, but she did.

I remember when football games were merely games and at the end of the day, winners and losers were good sports, no matter the outcome. I remember when politics was simply politics and if your guy won and mine lost, were still friends. It was after all, just politics. I remember when we were told that everyone’s opinion mattered and when we differed that was okay, because the differences of ideas and opinions, helped to make our country great.

I don’t know what has happened in the past decade or two. We have become so serious and self-focused about everything we do. Somehow, things like sporting events and political races have become ways to spread hate. We have become thin skinned too. We have become completely intolerant of people who don’t think like us.

If they don’t agree with us, then they hate us. Where has our self-control gone? Where has our patience and integrity gone? What happened to our sense of humor? What has happened to our focus?

If the answer to those questions is social media, then maybe social media can be part of the solution. I replied to my friend’s post as soon as I saw it and told her she was my favorite Auburn Tiger. There were a few others who replied positively as well.

If we all followed that example and decided to spread humility, graciousness and love on social media, could we make a difference? Could we stem the tide of anger and hate? Seems to me that Advent might be the perfect season to give it a try.

It simply begins with a single keystroke.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Thankful Hearts

Posted on by Wendy
The spirit of Thanksgiving should stay with us long after the meal.

As I was driving down the road yesterday, I passed by a sign out in front of a church that read, “Are you thankful or just full?” It was a simple play on words, but they stayed on my mind for the rest of the day.

Last Thursday we celebrated Thanksgiving; where we were supposed to pause and give thanks for the abundance that most of us have, but before the table could be cleaned up and the leftovers put away, the Black Friday frenzy began, leaving in its wake some horrible stories of humanity acting badly.

Many of the stores actually opened their doors on Thanksgiving Day and I’m told there were lines out to the street.

Now, I’ve never expected Corporate America to have much of a conscience, but as a society, I think we are robbing our souls when we aren’t willing to take a day to pause and be thankful for what we have instead of rushing right into what we want.

I recently read a quote from Cicero. He said, “Not only is gratitude the greatest of virtues, but it’s the parent of all others.”

I find this statement to be unbelievably profound.

Gratitude is a choice and when we choose it, we refuse to be bound by what we don’t have. We refuse to be controlled by what we want. We refuse to be held captive by constant comparison to other people.

When we choose gratitude, we are actively thanking God for what He has given us and acknowledging His plan over our own. We are acknowledging His goodness and sovereignty even when we don’t understand.

Because no matter how dark our days may be, there’s always something to be thankful for and that insight can change everything.

The Bible tells us, “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

It seems to me as we get ready to head back to work and start our diets attempting to lose all of the weight we put on at Thanksgiving, that it would be a good time to ask ourselves if we are thankful or just full, because the answer to that question has a huge impact on how we celebrate Advent.

Advent calls us to make our hearts ready for the coming of Jesus. Surely those hearts should be joyful and thankful. If not, perhaps we should make some changes.

A sign reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Choosing Peace

Posted on by Wendy
Jesus will always get us safely to the shore.

Yesterday my daddy was scheduled for a heart procedure. Between him and my mama, my family has been through a lot of heart procedures. He had a minor heart attack over twenty years ago. My mama’s and my daddy’s hearts have taught me a lot about faith. They have taught me not to panic.

Interestingly enough, Mama sent me a text yesterday morning that included her daily devotion. She felt that it was a message straight from the Holy Spirit and felt led to share.

The verse was Isaiah 41:13, “For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.”

The writer then went on to recount a conversation she had with Corrie Ten Boom. She said, “There is no panic in heaven, only plans. The Holy Trinity has never met in an emergency session; God has not stepped down from His throne; Jesus has not left his right hand and the Holy Spirit has not stopped interceding for you.”

The devotion went on to say that anything contrary to that truth was lies.

I thought about those words all day long. When my children were little, before they could swim, we had a pool in the backyard. I always told them if they fell in, not to panic. The pool was not that big. All they had to do was get to the side. They could dog paddle or open their eyes and walk, but never panic. Panic would make them drown.

Perhaps I knew that truth because it had been shared with me. My great uncle used to come and visit us in the summer for a few weeks. He loved to fish in my parents’ pond, but he didn’t know how to swim. One day he was fishing and he fell out of the boat. He told my mama about it long after the fact. I think she almost passed out herself, before she weakly asked him how he got out.

He told her, “Hon, I got on my hands and knees and crawled to the shore.” The man clearly did not panic.

I always remembered those words, so much so, that I passed them on to my own kids.

If we remember not to panic, Jesus will always get us safely to the shore. We have an enemy who will desperately try to steal our peace, but we are called to remember that peace is a gift from the Holy Spirit. It’s ours to guard or to forfeit.

We always have a choice.

A later text from Mama told me that when the doctor came to see Daddy, his heart was actually back in rhythm. They didn’t have to do anything after all. I could have worried all day, but what would that have accomplished?

I might have missed a blessing. We are called to choose peace. A text reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

PS My daughter is coming home from college next week. I’m going to spend every moment possible with her so I won’t be posting. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Hope Wins

Posted on by Wendy
As long as we walk with Jesus, hope wins.

Last week, I got to watch the annual country music awards. Being a country music fan, I usually watch at least some of the show. This year I was very interested to see how they the stars of country music would deal with the tragedy in Las Vegas. As a rule, country music artists tend to be a people of faith who regularly talk about and sing about Jesus.

How do Christians respond to tragedy?

I knew I was in the right place when the very first performer, Eric Church, sang “Amazing Grace.” What other genre of music would do that? Then they led into the 90’s song, “Hold My Hand,” by Hootie and the Blowfish, but they all came together.

They sang of peace, love and harmony and holding hands.

I don’t know that any genre of music has ever taken a blow like country music took. I wrote in an earlier post about how amazing the response was from the fans at the Las Vegas shooting, how they fearlessly rescued and cared for one another. Surely Jesus was among them.

Carrie Underwood began the monologue by acknowledging the tragedies that have struck the country music family this year. She then said,”So tonight, we’re going to do what families do: come together, pray together, cry together and sing together too.”

What would our world look like if all of our families did that?

Later in the show, she sang a tribute to all of the fallen and the song chosen was an old hymn; “Softly Tenderly Jesus is Calling.”

As a society, we like to use terms like, people of faith, or believers. We don’t talk about Jesus nearly as much as we talk about the church and all of its failings. We tend to equate the church with Jesus. We forget that it’s made up of broken people. Jesus is perfect.

The Bible tells us there is power in Jesus’ name.

As I watched Carrie Underwood singing the hymn I sang in church as a child, and all of the audience standing up in silence as she sang, “Ye who are weary come home,” I was reminded of the hope we have as Christians.

Yes, this past year has been rocked by tragedy all over our country and our world, yet as always, Jesus is calling us home. He’s calling us to rest in Him and walk with Him while on this side of eternity and then invites us to stay with Him forever on the other side.

This year’s award show reminded me that no matter what, if we walk with Jesus, hope wins. Perhaps you needed reminding today.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Leaf Lessons

Posted on by Wendy
The fall leaves are a beautiful reminder that God is with us.

As I was traveling down the road yesterday, a little grumpy, because I had to drive all the way to another county to pick up some medication for my dog at the vet, I was delighted to see the leaves changing color. I remember wondering just recently, if we would get any bright fall leaves this year. Had it been too warm? Did we not get enough rain?

Our news has consisted of one horrific story after the other lately, so much so, that my first impulse is to tune out. It’s sometimes hard to find the beauty when there’s just so much wreckage. We sometimes wonder if God is still here.

To add to that, my schedule has been incredibly busy, with too much noise and not enough quiet time.

But, as I drove along on my unplanned and quite frankly, unwelcomed detour, I began to sense that God had called me to a time out. It was just me and Him in the car and I had no busy excuse not to talk to Him or to listen. I had no excuse not to reflect.

Those pretty fall leaves reminded me that God is in control no matter how dark the season may appear. He could have created trees to simply drop their leaves with the seasons, but no, our creative Creator, made trees with leaves that turn all kinds of beautiful and vivid colors.

Why?

Because He enjoys beauty, just like we do and He seeks to share it with us. We only need to be willing to see it.

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

The seasons are changing; just as the Bible said they would. God is still here among the chaos, He’s still in control and He still seeks us. The question for us to consider is, do we actively seek Him?

When we do, we will find Him. Sometimes we simply have to look around. An unplanned drive and some leaves reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂