Category: Building Christian Character

Teenagers often get a bad rap for being impulsive. I’ll be the first to admit that it’s often deserved. Their frontal lobes are not developed, which can lead them to do foolish things that sometimes have dire consequences. They also have the capacity to drive their parents to the edge of insanity when they don’t think their actions through before acting.

But, the other side of their impulsivity is the fact that they often act on feelings and are led by their hearts and not their minds.

I came across a story yesterday about a sixteen- year- old Irish boy named Jamie. It was simply too good not to share. Last April, Jamie was on the way to the store to buy Gatorade when he passed by a man in his thirties, sitting on the ledge of a bridge. He felt that something was wrong and he went over and asked him, “Are you okay?”

The fact that he stopped in the first place, is amazing to me. Would you have stopped? I don’t know if I would have. I could probably have come up with a dozen reasons not to. The man could be dangerous. He could be just trying to trick someone into coming over, so he could abduct them. But, that’s a grown up, fully developed frontal lobe talking.

Jamie stopped. After asking the man if he was okay, the man said nothing, but tears were in his eyes. Jamie knew he couldn’t leave him and begged him to come and sit with him on the stairs. Would I have pleaded with the man? Would you have?

The man finally joined him on the stairs and Jamie spent 45 minutes talking to him. When he had somewhere else to be, he asked the man if he could call an ambulance. The man was reluctant. He said he would be fine. Jamie insisted and the man agreed. Would you have walked away at this point?

Jamie exchanged phone numbers with the man so he could keep in touch with him. They did keep in touch. The man got better and three months later he texted Jamie that his wife was pregnant and they were having a boy. They were naming the baby, Jamie.

Jamie said that those three words have stayed on his mind since that day. “Are you okay?” He told the man later that he couldn’t believe that those three words could save a life. The man told him, “Imagine if nobody ever asked you those words.”

We never know what trials the people around us are going through and unfortunately, we are often too wrapped up in our own lives to care. Adults are creatures of the mind and of intellect, and we need to be to a certain extent, but neglecting to listen to our hearts and care about those around us, is dangerous.

Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Matthew 5:8 He also told us to love one another. I think Jamie is a shining example of both.

Maybe we can all learn something from our teens after all.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

I was recently having a conversation with my pastor about the need to start some new Sunday school classes at our church. We were talking about people who might be good leaders. He named one person in particular, who had said she felt completely unqualified to teach. He said he thought that made her very qualified.

God’s kingdom work has always worked in kind of an upside-down fashion like that. He seems to delight in calling those who seem the least likely in human terms to do His work. The last shall be first thread runs throughout the Bible.

But, when you think about it, it makes perfect sense. Those people who think they know everything or consider themselves invincible, don’t feel the need to call on God. They feel like they can handle anything on their own. Then the plan becomes, man’s plan, not God’s. I think God seeks out the humble and sometimes the least likely to do His work, because they are more willing to acknowledge Him and listen.

I think it’s no accident that some of the greatest modern miracles often come from missionaries who are living day-to-day sharing their faith. They don’t have a 401k or a nest egg and often not even any type of health insurance; yet they often have the most powerful stories of Divine intervention.

I can think of two missionaries right off-hand, who survived Ebola decades apart. Coincidence? Perhaps, but not likely.

My hubby had a missionary visit his prayer group yesterday. He and his wife travel the United Sates, sharing the Gospel. They were far from home and completely out of money, when in a parking lot, they saw a man who was standing alone. The missionary said he felt drawn to the man and talked with him for a couple of hours. He gave him his card and told the man to feel free to contact him if he ever needed him. When he and his wife returned to their motel room, the guy from the parking lot had transferred $1,000 into their checking account. Another coincidence?

The missionary had several other miraculous stories and they all made me wonder if we would all see more of God if we were less worried about our financial security and things that make sense to us and were more focused on following Him.

What would today’s church look like if we all decided to put God first and had faith that all of the rest would be provided. What if we put our insecurities about not being enough, aside and blindly followed where He calls, despite our fears? What would today’s world look like if Christians walked in fearless faith, depending on God and not on self?

We might get to witness a lot more of the miraculous. We might be unbelievably surprised at the outcome. It might be worth a try.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

My hummingbird feeder is right outside my kitchen window. I have had it in the same spot for years. I usually only refill it every few weeks, at most. I just rarely have that many hummingbirds. I have always enjoyed them, but I just haven’t had that many.

This year has been different. I have had at least six dive bombing and squawking at each other for a turn at the feeder. It gets empty quickly. I keep a very close eye on it because I read somewhere that once you hang a feeder, they really depend on it.

I have found myself refilling it at least once a week this year. I have even had to go and buy more sugar for them. I try to keep some sugar water in the fridge, so they never have to be without.

As I was making another pot of sugar water for them today, I began to think about how convenient it is to actually physically see when they are running low. They never have to run out because I keep a watch on the level of water in the feeder.

Wouldn’t it be nice if we kept a close eye on our own emotional and spiritual levels, like the hummingbird nectar? Wouldn’t it be nice if we knew when we were starting to run low on all that we give to everyone around us, so that we could come to a complete stop and refill?

I think the problem is that we so often pay attention to everyone else and all that is expected of us, that we don’t give any thought to our own inner wells and we allow them to run almost completely dry.

We find ourselves frazzled and grumpy and at wits end in general. We snap at the ones we love and find ourselves saying things that we regret. We can apologize later, but once words are out, it’s really difficult to take them back. We can also find ourselves making decisions we might not have made. We can even make ourselves sick from too much stress and busyness.

So how can we keep our wells properly filled like the little hummingbird feeder? I think we have to spend some daily quiet time with God. It can be close to impossible with all of the noise, but I have found that it’s worth it. Even if I have to wake up thirty minutes early, (ugh!), I have always found it to be worth the sacrifice.

Beginning the day with a little Bible reading and a little prayer, really can make all of the difference. If you can’t seem to find the time, I challenge you to try getting up early for a week. I think you will be delighted with the results.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

This weekend is the last weekend before school starts for my kids. (sigh) It’s been a fabulous summer for us and I’m really sad to see it end. School starts entirely too early in Georgia if you ask me. I mean, it’s not even August yet. What happened to starting after Labor Day? But, like it or not, school starts next week.

There’s been a lot said about prayer in schools. I regularly get those posts to “like” and “share” if I believe prayer should be allowed in public school.

The truth is that no one can stop prayer in public school or anywhere else, for that matter. God hears our every thought and knows our hearts. What’s stopping our teachers and kids from saying a silent prayer at the beginning of the day? Christians aren’t required to go to a certain place to pray or to pray at a specific time. God’s hands cannot be tied.

Here’s another question, “Are we praying with our children before they leave our house?”

Government can’t stop God. He can flourish in the hearts of all followers as long as we keep praying. I always encourage my kids to pray before they start their day. I always pray for them after I drop them off. I feel that they are covered. My hubby and I have taught them that they can pray anywhere and anytime. God always hears.

Instead of being annoyed the next time you see the Facebook post complaining about the fact that prayer isn’t allowed in public schools and lamenting that things aren’t like they used to be, I would like to ask you to join me in praying for the students and the teachers. Just stop for a moment and say a prayer.

As Christians, that’s a powerful gift we can offer all of our educators as well as the kids. In fact, maybe we should just add our kids’ teachers to our daily prayer lists. We might find a very different school year ahead.

If parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles all just added a daily prayer for teachers from pre-school to college, as well as for our students, the entire school experience for everyone involved could change dramatically. We may be wonderfully surprised.

I think it’s worth a try. Maybe you do too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

I was taking a walk yesterday and I saw a cicada lying dead on the pavement. But, when I stepped over him, I discovered he wasn’t dead as he flew away. I was really startled and chuckled to myself over how scary those bugs actually look.

As a life long Southerner, they have always been a part of my summer time. My sister and I used to delight in pulling their shells off of the pine trees and putting them in our bicycle baskets. They make a bizarre noise that sounds like  some kind of an alien invasion.

I have no fear of them because I know from my parents’ teaching and life experience, that they are completely harmless. They don’t sting or bite. But, if I didn’t know that, they would fall into one of my granddaddy’s favorite categories, “they won’t hurt you, but they’ll make you hurt yourself.”

We have a lot of situations in life that fall into that category, though, don’t we?

We walk in fear of everything ranging from getting a scary medical diagnosis to financial issues. So often, our fears are completely without merit. They are a bunch of “what ifs?” not even based on fact.

We also fear trying anything new because we might fail. We fear speaking a dream out loud because we are afraid of sounding dumb to others.

But, the Bible is full of far-fetched crazy sounding schemes that worked because He was behind them. Who would have thought that a hot-headed fisherman named Peter would lead the new church after the Ascension? Peter’s faith grew so strong that his shadow alone, could heal people. Who would have thought that a killer of Christians could preach the Good News to the Gentiles and write the New Testament? Paul did just that.

Who would have thought that a ninety year old woman named Sarah, could give birth to the Nation of Israel?

Fear is not only a dream killer. It’s a faith killer. Fear of failure and ridicule do not come from God. They come from our enemy. As Christians, we worship the “God of angel armies.” Should we fear anything?

Perhaps we should prayerfully search our hearts and ask God what is it that He is calling us to do that we are hesitant to do because of fear. It could be something really simple like reaching out to a neighbor or visiting a new Sunday school class. It could be something much bigger like pursuing a lifelong dream. Either way, if He calls us to do it, we should be fearless.

Because, those things that make us hesitate, well those are just spiritual cicadas. They just look and sound scary. We should pay them no attention.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

When I was growing up, going to church was an event. We had to wear special shiny church shoes. We had to wear tights and we always wore a dress. No woman would have dared to wear pants to church. My sister and I had special Sunday bows to wear in our hair as well and little white purses to carry.

Church was a formal place where voices were kept low and children wouldn’t dare to make noise or run in the aisle. Looking back, it seems like we were really big on the law and not so much on grace.

Fast forward thirty plus years and blue jeans are the norm in many churches. People regularly bring their coffee and snacks right into the sanctuary. There’s a very much come as you are attitude. Nowadays, we seem to focus a lot on grace and very little on the law.

I can see both sides of the argument here. Does God really care what you wear to church? But, doesn’t making an effort and wearing your best, show respect? Which side is the right one?

I certainly don’t have the all the answers. But, perhaps the better question is, do we consider Christianity to be a lifestyle or an event?

Do we go to church on Sunday because it’s a requirement in our minds, (that’s the law talking); or do we go because we want to spend some time with other Christians in worship? (that’s grace) Do we come hungry for knowledge and grace and leave so filled that we just have to share with others, or do we show up so we can feel good that we checked going to church this Sunday, off of our to do list?

Do we come in comfortable clothes because we are comfortable with God and our walk with Christ or do we wear blue jeans because we just don’t care to get up early enough to iron?

It seems to me, like most things involving Jesus, that it’s a heart matter. Every individual will have a different answer and while I love that the modern church has embraced grace, the law is still in play. We are still supposed to follow the Ten Commandments. The Bible is still God’s word.

Grace simply acknowledges that we will fail and can ask for forgiveness. Grace doesn’t allow us to go out and keep on sinning, just because we can. I think maybe we have come to see Jesus’ sacrifice as a “get out of jail free card.”

If Christianity is a lifestyle and not a weekly event, then we will try to honor God and love others everyday, not just when we sit in church. We will try not to break the Commandments and live like the Bible tells us to, not out of fear of the law, but out of respect for grace.

Of course, we will fail, but not because we didn’t try, but because we are human. That’s when we can truly embrace grace. I think it really takes both the law and grace to see the entire picture.

What does your heart say?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

I have had an all out war this summer with ants on my humming bird feeder. The feeder hangs on the edge of our house and it has been covered with them. I have no interest in feeding ants. The feeder is for the birds and the ants were interfering.

The problem is sugar water draws more than one type of creature. Sure, it draws the birds, but it draws ants and yellow jackets too. I figured I couldn’t do much about the yellow jackets, but I felt like I could get rid of the ants.

I thought maybe the ants were living in the gutters, so I had them cleaned. It made no difference. The ants kept coming. I told my hubby that I read in several places, on the internet that I could grease the wire holding the feeder and keep the ants off. He didn’t think that would work.

Exasperated, I tried it anyway, and as a further measure, I wrapped it with packing tape, sticky side out. I also read about that online. I filled it with fresh sugar water and waited. The birds didn’t return for a little while, but then one came, and then the others followed and guess what? There were no ants.

I was just tickled with my low tech success. I was so grateful that different people had shared their success with the ant battle. The fact that they took the time to share helped me with my own little battle.

Now, I’ll be the first to admit, that we live in a world with a lot of over sharing. I mean, there are folks who insist on taking pictures of their lunch for Facebook and Instagram as well as keeping us all updated on their recent trip to the grocery store.

But, wouldn’t it be great if people shared more of their success stories, like how they beat cancer or how they were able to save a hundred bucks on their grocery bill? What about if we shared more praises and less complaints?

What about if we shared our faith? I often see prayer requests on Facebook, but I don’t see the thank-yous for prayers answered, nearly as much.

Cyberspace is a busy and noisy place. We all have the ability to bless people who are surfing the internet or checking their social media. Just as in the real world, we have the ability to let our light shine and we also have the ability to rant and spread negativity.

The choice is ours. Now if I could just get rid of those yellow jackets!

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

This is that time of year when many of us have a tiny lull before life gets crazy. Summer break is winding down and school never starts gently and peacefully. Nope, school starts like a freight train. From that very first open house event, everyone wants your time and money.

PTO wants you to volunteer to help with a dozen events. Sports teams want volunteers to man the concession stand or sell something. I have seen three posts already in the past week for sports teams fund-raisers. There are committee positions that need to be filled too. The teachers ask for help with supplies in their rooms and volunteers for various celebrations and events.

And that’s just the schools. Many churches take a summer break too and when school starts, so do all of their programs. They need volunteers to teach kids from ages four to eighteen and volunteers to help with youth groups. They need volunteers to lead adult Sunday school classes. They need volunteers to help organize various events. They need volunteers to sit on committees. They need volunteers to visit people, to greet people and to make meals.

Let’s face it, churches and schools, need lots of volunteers. I was thinking about all of the entities that need assistance this time of year. They are all good and worthy causes. We would often love to help them all, but truthfully, we can’t.

I came across this broken branch of my tomato plant that illustrates this perfectly.

This tomato plant had huge, bright red tomatoes growing on it. I kept giving them just one more day to get a little bigger and a little redder, but while some of the large tomatoes were ripening, smaller ones began growing bigger and the weight on the branch became too much. Something had to give and it broke.

The same can happen to us when we say yes to everything we are asked to do, or that we feel we should do. All of the opportunities I listed above were good, but one person can’t do all of them. God calls each of us to do different tasks because we are all gifted in different areas.

Jesus said, “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” John 15:4

It seems to me that this is a really good time to spend some quiet time in prayer before the chaos starts. We can ask God for direction in the coming school year. What should we say yes to? What is He calling us to do? What things are just going to frustrate us and eat up our time and peace?

We should also remember that sometimes when we say yes to things we aren’t called to do, we are taking someone else’s place who was called to do that task. We can’t do it all and the call to follow Jesus isn’t to stay as busy as possible.

He says he will give us rest, not make us run a rat race. When we are too busy, we can’t hear God’s voice. Maybe we should hold that truth a little more closely. Let’s choose wisely and intentionally this year.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂