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.

When the Rain Stops

Posted on by Wendy
While we eagerly curse the rainy days, do we remember to give thanks for the sunny ones?
While we eagerly curse the rainy days, do we remember to give thanks for the sunny ones?

It has rained in Georgia a lot this Fall and close to non-stop over the past two weeks. To add insult to injury, it turned cold over the weekend. I’m well aware that it’s November, but when it goes from the seventies to the forties overnight, it’s a shock to the system.

Everyday last week, the Weather Channel only had a forecast of like 20% chance of rain. Yet, everyday it continued to rain. The general mood of everyone has been kind of low. And you haven’t really ever lived on the edge, until you are a substitute teacher in an elementary class that hasn’t been allowed to go outside for two weeks. They were stir crazy to say the least.

Miraculously, on Tuesday, the sun came out in the afternoon. It was glorious. When it was shining straight into my eyes, as I drove to pick my son up from school, I didn’t even flinch. I didn’t dare complain. It was too precious.

On Wednesday, I had a meeting with my pastor and associate pastor, about ordering new curriculum for Sunday school. We sat outside. It was a little cool, but well worth it.

By the time I returned home, the sun was shining brightly and the temps had climbed into the seventies. I had a ton of things to do, but the day was so beautiful…

I prayed about my to do list and it was almost as if I could feel God beckoning me outdoors where He and I always have the best talks. I gave in and went out. I planted some pansies that had been wilting in the garage, waiting for the chance to break out of their tiny pots.

I blew some leaves off of the driveway, that had piled up in slick layers. I found myself thanking and praising God continuously for the magnificent day.

Then it occurred to me. Life is sometimes bleak and rainy. I mean, it sometimes feels as if the rain will never stop and then, when we think it can’t get much worse, it turns cold. We trudge on through the mud and muck and then when we think our situation will never change, the sun breaks out from the clouds giving us a little hope. Then, often fairly quickly, the sky turns a brilliant blue.

Do we keep on living life as we have been in a state of drudgery and ho-hum, or do we drop to our knees and give thanks for the change? I think if we’re honest, we often are momentarily thankful, but then go right back indoors to business as usual, allowing the answer to our prayers go by, almost unnoticed.

A beautiful sunny day, in the seventies, in November, is a gift. Yesterday, I had enough wisdom, to thank and praise God for making it. I’m not always that observant or grateful, but He gently reminded me.

The rain will eventually return and it will turn cold again, but I think it’s really important to be thankful for the sunny days. I sometimes need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

A Tempest in a Coffee Cup

Posted on by Wendy
If Christians want the world to know the true meaning of Christmas, it's up to demonstrate it, not corporate America.
If Christians want the world to know the true meaning of Christmas, it’s up to us, not corporate America, to demonstrate it.

Social media has been abuzz over the past couple of days over Starbucks new holiday cup design. Instead of adorning their overpriced coffee cups with reindeer or snowflakes like they did in the past, the have apparently decided to go with a simple red cup with a green logo. Gasp!

It’s scandalous, I know. An entire campaign led by some conservative Christians, (the key word here is SOME), has been started, bashing corporate America’s war on Christmas and Starbucks is accused of leading the charge.

Let’s all pause a moment and ask a few questions. Are snowflakes or reindeer considered Christian in nature? I don’t think so. It’s not like they ever adorned their cups with Nativity scenes. Furthermore, Starbucks has made it clear they are a fairly liberal leaning company with many of their policies. Is anyone truly surprised that a very secular company would choose a secular design for the holidays?

I would never really expect anyone at Starbucks to wish me a Merry Christmas. I would assume they would say Happy Holidays, which in no way offends me. As a Christian, I can always say “Merry Christmas.” I don’t expect corporate America to believe or act the way I do.

There’s plenty going on in the world and in this country for Christians to be offended by. The high school coach who was put on administrative leave for praying after a football game, that’s offensive. A gunman who gunned down Christians during worship service in Charleston, that’s offensive. A small business being put out of business for refusing to bake a cake for an event that is against their religion, that’s offensive. The forced removal of the Ten Commandments from public places, that’s offensive.

Christians being killed all over the world, simply for professing Christ as their savior, that’s offensive.

Starbucks’ cup design shouldn’t even register on our radar.

As Christians, I really feel like we need to do better. We should come together and support what we feel is righteous in the eyes of God. We also have the right and the duty to stand up against what we feel is government infringing on our rights of freedom of religion.

But, before we go of the rails and protest a Nativity Scene being removed from the public square, maybe we should ask ourselves if we have one in our own front yard. Would there be a stronger statement than every Christian home in the country having one on display for all to see? What about every Christian business?

Perhaps we should stop looking at the secular world around us and bemoaning the fact that they have lost the true meaning of Christmas, and start demonstrating the true meaning of Christmas ourselves.

We can say Merry Christmas. We can give to the needy. We can love our neighbor. We can show the world who we are by how we live and act.

I’m sure if you feel the need to proclaim the message of Christmas on your coffee cup, you could purchase a Christmas tumbler and that would be more environmentally friendly anyway.

I have no idea if Jesus was a coffee drinker or if He would shop at Starbucks, but the Bible lists lots of things that were close to His heart. I can think of many things going on today that would very likely offend Him. I can’t imagine coffee cups making the list.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

 

“You Be the Neurosurgeon”

Posted on by Wendy
Dr. Ben Carson reminds us to live our faith out loud.
Dr. Ben Carson reminds us to live our faith out loud.

I recently read a fascinating article about Dr. Ben Carson. He said he once prayed, “God, you be the neurosurgeon; I’ll be the hands.” His strong faith in God clearly worked during his medical career. He has story after story of following God’s lead and lives being saved because of it.

There was one instance in particular, where a couple brought in a child with a malignant brainstem tumor. He was lethargic and foaming at the mouth. Other doctors told them to take the child home to die. Carson looked at the CAT scan and MRI and agreed. The couple kept telling him that, “the Lord is going to heal our son.”

He performed a biopsy and told the couple that the child was going to die. The couple was insistent that, “the Lord is going to heal our son.” Carson reluctantly removed the tumor and the child improved immediately. He grew up to be a minister. A radiologist involved in the case, later found Carson and told him that he had been an atheist before the case, but no longer was. That’s what happens when we allow God to use us.

Whether or not you believe Carson should be president, it’s next to impossible not to be inspired by his faith.

What if all of us who call ourselves Christians, said, “God, you be the nurse, teacher, mother, father, fireman, police officer, real estate agent….; I’ll be the vessel.” What would our society look like?

I’ve heard it said, if God is your co-pilot, then you need to switch seats. Perhaps it’s time for us to switch seats.

Christians seem to have the strange ability to completely separate our faith from the rest of our lives. We are Christians on Sunday morning, but are something completely different on Monday. While the world is a secular place, that doesn’t mean that we have to be secular. We are called to be in this world, but not of it.

I’m not saying that we should run around quoting scripture to our co-workers who may or may not appreciate that, or stand on the street corner warning people to repent or else.

But, we could attribute any of our work-place successes to God. We could bow our heads and say say a silent blessing before we eat our lunch. We could refuse to participate in office gossip. We could be open about our faith. We don’t have to necessarily preach it with our words to live it with our actions, but we can share openly, if we have the opportunity.

Dr. Carson is a shining example of what can happen when we not only allow God to use us, but also give Him the glory for all of our successes.

Whatever your political leanings may be, the world could use more people like him. He inspires us all to live out our faith out loud.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

Let the Children Come to Me

Posted on by Wendy
Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

Yesterday, we had a couple visit our church, with a baby. He was fifteen months old. They sat on the very back row. The baby made some noise from time-to-time and I could hear the parents trying to quiet him with gentle hushing. Personally, the baby sounds made me smile.

Is there anything much closer to the heart of Jesus than a very young child? Children weren’t very well thought of back in Jesus’s day. Yet, three out of the four Gospels record the incident of parents trying to bring their children to Jesus to be blessed. The disciples tried to stop the parents, but Jesus intervened on their behalf.

He said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Matthew 19:14 It then goes on to say he placed his hand on them.

Many churches now have the much sought after children’s church. Parents want to worship in peace and quiet and not be bothered by squirmy, noisy children. There are also people within many congregations who have little tolerance for noisy children. They want their worship experience to be completely without the distractions that young children can cause.

The result is some churches have no children at all in their worship service. I find myself asking once again who worship has become about. Is it about our comforts and preferences or is it about glorifying God?

Young children can certainly be noisy, but is excluding them from worship the right thing to do? They usually love children’s church where they often color and sometimes get a snack, but isn’t there something sacred about a family sitting on a pew and worshiping together?

How will they learn hymns? How will they learn that they are part of a family, part of the Body of Christ, if they are always whisked away, right after the singing? Isn’t there something to be learned from seeing everyone around them quietly listen to the pastor reading the scripture, or better yet, see the people around them pulling out their own Bibles?

There are times when a child is screaming, that certainly calls for removing them. But, in a society where we watch television, listen to music and play on our smart phones all at the same time, can the little sounds that a child makes be that distracting?

I went and introduced myself to the parents and the precious little boy after service. They were a little apologetic. I told them not to be. I found others in my church family, saying the same. They made me proud.

A church with children present, whether noisy or not, is a church where parents are trying to introduce their offspring to Jesus. They are trying to teach them about the importance of worship. These parents know that children always learn best by example.

A church who welcomes children in their midst has their eyes on Christ. As followers of the One who said “let the children come to me,” who are we to get in the way?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

Who We Worship

Posted on by Wendy
Are we self-focused or God focused when we worship?
Are we self-focused or God focused when we worship?

Our church has just moved into a new building, well, new to us. It was built some time in the sixties and was in need of extensive renovation. God blessed us with the funds and the resources to renovate and remodel and it looks like a brand new church. The sanctuary even has beautiful new gray carpet.

The question has now been raised, if it’s okay to post a sign in the fellowship hall asking the people who worship there not to bring food and drink into the sanctuary.

Predictably, the responses have been on both sides, ranging from, “Of course we can’t eat and drink on that new carpet;” to, “Visitors may be turned off if they can’t bring their coffee with them to worship.”

Personally, I think there’s a deeper issue that’s going on here.

In the past couple of decades, churches have done a lot of changing to accommodate young believers who were leaving the church and to draw in the masses of unchurched.

The music has changed. Many churches offer what comes very close to a rock concert complete with a light show. The dress code has relaxed. Blue jeans and shorts are completely acceptable at many churches. Video screens are sometimes employed to show movie clips or sometimes the entire sermon. Some churches have even changed their doctrine as well, going along with what society thinks at the moment.

Yet, a recent Pew Poll from last May, shows that from 2007 to 2014,  Americans who call themselves Christians, have dropped from 78.4% to 70.6%.

Could the church’s quest to remain relevant be backfiring?

The definition of worship is: to show reverence and adoration for a deity, honor with religious rites.

It seems that worship has shifted from focusing on God to focusing on self. We ask questions like; “What do I get out of the sermon?” But, if worship is supposed to be God focused. Shouldn’t the question be, “What can I learn about God?” or “How can I demonstrate my adoration of God?”

Was worship ever supposed to be centered on what I can learn about me?

If the worship service is God focused, shouldn’t the question be, “Is the music pleasing to God?” rather than, “Is the music pleasing to me?”

If the hour of worship is God focused, shouldn’t we be emptying our minds of all distractions and opening our hearts and souls up to the Holy Spirit? Is it acceptable to God, for us to balance a coffee cup and have a snack during the sacred time of prayer?

Is it considered out of line or judgemental to ask those who worship to fast for sixty minutes a week, on Sunday mornings?

While this little debate rages on in many churches, the answer may need to come from the heart. The answer should have nothing to do with the color or condition of the carpet in the sanctuary.

Perhaps the answer should simply be, “What is pleasing and acceptable to God?” Does anything else really matter?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

The Quest for Thanksgiving

Posted on by Wendy
Let's intentionally be and live like people who are thankful.
Let’s intentionally be and live like people who are thankful.

When I think of Thanksgiving, I think of eating turkey and dressing with the people who I hold most dear. We cook together and spend the day together. We watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade together. We enjoy each other.

There have been years when I have participated in really large gatherings and years where I have spent the day with only immediate family.

My Thanksgiving Day has never included shopping. For many years, the day after Thanksgiving, known as Black Friday, was the first official shopping day of the Christmas season. But, a few years back, some enterprising retailers decided to open on Thanksgiving Day.

Those poor employees who worked at those stores, had to give up Thanksgiving with their families. I’m all for free enterprise, but seriously, I’ll bet the CEO’s didn’t work. I’ll bet they were with their families enjoying the holiday. Thankfully, there has been a lot of push back from consumers and there is a decent list of retailers who are staying closed on Thanksgiving this year.

Some of the larger names include Costco, Sam’s, TJ Maxx, REI, Staples and GameStop. I’ve included a link if you would like a more complete list.

http://fortune.com/2015/10/27/thanksgiving-day-stores/

I remember a time when the stores were closed on Sunday too. I truly admire Chick-fil-A and Hobby Lobby for continuing to stand by their Christian principles and refusing to open on Sunday, even if the practice costs them money.

A recent extensive Pew Poll, found 70.6% of Americans claim to be Christian. We are still the majority here. Perhaps it’s time that we become a little more vocal and active regarding our beliefs.

It’s a well-known fact that strong families are the backbone of a strong society. Having a parent miss out on Thanksgiving Dinner to run a cash register at a retail store, is not something that we have to support with our dollars.

We could also make it our business to support those retailers who have chosen to stay closed on Thanksgiving and allow their employees to enjoy the holiday. We have the numbers to make the difference. Maybe we should.

Thanksgiving is a uniquely American holiday. It’s a day to take a pause and be truly thankful for all that we have been given. Just being an American citizen is a huge gift to be thankful for in itself.

Most of us have so much to be thankful for, even if we forget sometimes. One of our greatest freedoms is freedom of religion. Perhaps, it’s time for Christians to send a message to corporate America that there are some things that we hold dear. Time with our families is one of those. Giving thanks and setting aside a time to do so, is another part of our core beliefs.

Thanksgiving Day is three weeks from today. What if we all took the next few weeks to not only be intentionally thankful for all we have been given, but also to pray that the world around us would be convicted to feel less entitled and more thankful for their gifts too?

True change begins in the heart. Who knows what kind of difference we can make?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

Listening Quietly

Posted on by Wendy
Desperately seeking quiet
Desperately seeking quiet

I live near a town which is home to a large university. It never ceases to amaze me when I go into a coffee shop, how many students are working on homework on their laptops. It’s often noisy. Sometimes there’s even live music, yet they tap away on their keyboards. Sometimes they even have ear buds in their ears too.

It’s not as if their isn’t a library or any place, quite frankly, that would be quieter than a noisy coffee shop. Can they really be learning anything?

I’ve witnessed my son attempting to do his homework in front of the television. It never works out very well and I always make him turn it off, much to his dismay.

It’s amazing how noisy our society can be. When I was a kid, there was children’s programming on Saturday mornings. That was pretty much it. We could catch a daily hour of Sesame Street, but the 24/7 extravaganza of kid’s shows was nonexistent.

We have raised a generation of kids who are literally uncomfortable with quiet and in doing so, many of us have become the same way ourselves. We have to have the radio or television on for background noise. If we go outside to rake leaves, we bring our music with us. If we cut the grass, we take our music with us.

It seems like we will do just about anything other than be alone in a quiet place.

Why is that? For one thing, we get bored very easily these days. Thanks to laptops and smartphones, we have endless entertainment. There’s always something funny on Youtube, Facebook or Instagram. Why should we ever be bored?

But, when we ask ourselves when we make time to talk to God, the response is often when we lie down at night, or when we are driving, or maybe when we are in the shower. Those are all fine times to talk to God. The Bible tells us to pray without ceasing.

However, when we lie down to go to sleep, they day is done. We can’t really ask for guidance on a day that has already passed, and if we’re honest, we will likely go to sleep before we get any of the answers we may be seeking.

When we are driving, we are still doing something. We are watching for other cars, or for our turn, or for a red light.

We often complain that we don’t hear from God. Could the reason be that we don’t stop and listen? I mean sit quietly somewhere with no music, television, cell phone, etc…, and actually talk to God and listen for His response.

Elijah was one of the greatest prophets in the Old Testament. He communicated with God regularly. In one instance, there was a powerful wind, but God was not in it. Then there was and earthquake, but God was not in it. Next, there was a fire, but God was not in the fire either. Finally, there was a gentle whisper and at last, Elijah heard God.

Perhaps, being quiet should be more active than we think. Perhaps if we were to seek more quiet, alone time with Him, where we just sit and listen, we could hear Him too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Calling All Athletes, Brainiacs and Artists

Posted on by Wendy
Jesus tells us to bring whatever we have. He will do the rest.
Jesus tells us to bring whatever we have. He will do the rest.

When I subbed in an art class a couple of weeks ago, I noticed that some of the kids who were at the top of their class academically, seemed to struggle with art. On the flip side, some of the kids who struggled in the classroom, created some of the prettiest and coolest fall creations, in their class.

I also observed that the kids who struggled with art, were quick to not try to do their best. If they couldn’t be the best at something, they didn’t really want to try.

Kids like to do the things they are really good at and tend to discount the rest. Athletes have historically looked down on the kids in the band. Yet, if you’ve ever been to a high school football game, the marching band plays a huge part in rallying the fans. The game is better because each group brings their own talent and shares it.

The Church could learn a lot from kids. Are adults really much different than they are?

We all have unique gifts and talents that we are meant to share. Administration may seem incredibly boring and not very spiritual at all, but it’s impossible to run a church without strong administrators and planners. Someone is behind the scenes baking goodies for Sunday morning fellowship. That also may not seem very spiritual, but friendships are often sparked and community gets built over coffee and refreshments on Sunday mornings.

The people who greet newcomers have just as big a part to play as the pastor and his sermon. We are all a part of the Body of Christ and we are all needed.

The Church needs the artists and the thinkers, the right and left brainers. We all have something special to contribute to the church, and also to the world at large.

Each of us has an individual ministry of some kind. There really are no small players in God’s plan. The entire idea of not being “good enough,” to contribute, comes from us comparing ourselves to each other. When we focus on Jesus, then we know that we simply bring what we have, no matter how small or insignificant we believe it to be, and place it at His feet.

Then something miraculous happens. Like the fish and loaves, He multiplies it and it becomes way more than we could have ever conceived on our own.

All we are asked to do is willingly share whatever gifts we have been given. He will do the rest.

Sometimes I need reminding. Maybe you do too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Battling Entitlement Issues

Posted on by Wendy
The opposite of entitlement is humility.
The opposite of entitlement is humility.

There’s a lot that has been said lately about entitlement. Our kids feel like they are entitled to everything from the newest electronics to straight A’s without having to do anything to earn them. A large portion of our population has decided that they shouldn’t have to do anything to earn a paycheck. They feel like the government should just give them one.

And before we get to feeling  too self-righteous and looking down on those we feel have their hand out, I have to ask how Christians are doing with our own entitlement issues.

You know how it is; we say a prayer for something that is really important to us and we feel that God should answer it immediately, in a way that suits us, thank-you very much.

There’s a great story in the Bible that illustrates humanity’s ongoing struggles with entitlement issues.

In 2 Kings, there was a commander named Naaman. He was a very good soldier and apparently well liked by all who knew him. Unfortunately, he had leprosy. That was a big deal back then. He desperately wanted to be healed.

A young girl from Israel, who happened to be a slave, told Namaan’s wife that there was a prophet in Samaria who could heal him. Her faith is noteworthy in this story as well.

Namaan went to see Elisha, the prophet, at his house. Elisha sent out a messenger to tell him to go wash himself seven times in the Jordan river and he would be healed. Wow! Healing was right around the corner, within his grasp. Was Namaan thankful or excited?

Nope. He was angry. He wanted Elisha to come out and wave his hand over him and heal him. He didn’t want to do any work and he wasn’t going to either. He was willing to ride away in his chariot angry and sick, rather than follow the steps to being healed.

Does this make you squirm at all? It makes me kind of uncomfortable. How many times do we have the opportunity to be healed and whole, but we aren’t willing to do the work? We don’t want to exercise. We don’t want to give up sugar, or drinking, or smoking. We don’t want to extend forgiveness and grace to heal broken relationships.

We also don’t want to do what it takes to receive true healing from God, which can only come from surrendering to Jesus. Then a closer walk, requires sustained daily prayer and the study of the Bible. Like Naaman, we have so much freedom and power in our grasp, but we have to be willing to do the work.

Luckily for Naaman, his servants stepped in and begged him to go to the Jordan and do what he was told. He was healed, just as he was told he would be. At last, he was thankful.

It seems that the best way to keep ourselves from feeling entitled, is to walk closely with God. When we keep our eyes on Him and try to answer His call instead of following our own whims, we can walk in humility. Humility is the opposite of entitlement.

We can also surround ourselves with Godly people who will help point us in the right direction when we stumble, like Naaman’s servants did. In the end, their love and support put him on the right track.

Entitlement issues can be hard to tackle. They seem inborn on some level, but with God at the center of our lives and a little help from our friends, we really can defeat them.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

Just One

Posted on by Wendy
Who knows what kind of difference just one Bible can make?
Who knows what kind of difference just one Bible can make?

Last Sunday, a representative from Gideons International came and spoke at our church. I always enjoy hearing them speak because they always have inspirational stories to share. This time was no exception.

He started off by giving some amazing statistics about the work of the Gideons. Last spring they reached the two billion mark on Bibles they have distributed. He also shared that a few weeks earlier, they handed out nine thousand Bibles on the University of Georgia campus, also an impressive number. He told us that the Bibles they distribute have been translated into ninety languages.

All of those numbers are a really good indicator of the work they do, but our speaker said that he wasn’t there to talk about the numbers. He wanted to talk about just one person that a Gideon placed Bible had helped.

Part of the Gideon ministry is to place Bibles in motel rooms across America. There was a man who checked into a motel with a gun and the intention to kill himself.

When he walked into the room, there was a Bible lying open, on top of the television. It made the man angry, just seeing it, so he took his hand and knocked it onto the floor. It landed opened. Angrier still, he kicked it underneath the bed. Motel beds are built on platforms, so it bounced out, still opened.

In exasperation, he picked it up off of the floor and read the scripture that it was turned to. He expected it to be something about condemnation. He was angry with God and fully expected God to be angry with him.

What he found was John 14:27, which reads: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

At his lowest point, God didn’t condemn him. He reached out in mercy and extended grace through Jesus.

The man spent three days in that motel room and left there changed. He went home to his wife, who had locked him out of the house. She had been raising their children alone, while he was out chasing his own selfish pursuits. She was reluctant, but eventually agreed to go to church with him.

He is now a pastor in North Carolina. Our speaker asked us, “How many lives has that man’s ministry touched?” “How many lives has that one Bible made a difference in?”

It’s not about the numbers; it’s about real people being changed by the Gospel. Every lost soul matters to God.

God is always at work reaching back for us, when we reach for Him and sometimes when we don’t reach for Him. Every effort we make to serve Him has the possibility to make a tremendous impact on someone else.

Our speaker shared just one example of one Bible making a difference. What can I do today to make a difference? What can you do?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂