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.

Obedience and Blessings

Posted on by Wendy
Obedience leads to beautiful blessings.
Obedience leads to beautiful blessings.

Last night our church improv group did a Sunday Night Live show. It was a variety show with short comedy skits and some music played in between. My family participated in one at Christmas time and we enjoyed it, but this one was an entire different story.

My hubby and kids worked together and wrote several of the skits for this one. We had a group of nine teenagers as well as adults. We had very few practices and many last-minute script changes. It was incredibly stressful. I found myself praying last week that God would calm my nerves and help me to see His plan through all of the chaos.

I had worked with young children and plays many times, but teens are an independent sort. Would they learn their lines? Would they even show up? Comedy is also a different animal than other plays. Would the show be funny?

Sunday morning came and one of our adult cast members had a fever. Would she be able to make the show?

Sunday afternoon everyone showed up on time. The rehearsal was horrible. We didn’t know our lines. We didn’t have the right props. We had technical difficulties. We all hoped to run through our show twice, but only had enough time to do it once.

Now I knew from every single play that I have ever worked with that a horrible rehearsal often leads to a beautiful performance. The other thing that we had going for us was that we had spent the past five months or so, learning to improvise, so when we flubbed our lines, we could often just work with each other. That’s what improv is.

But, probably the most awesome thing that God let me witness through the entire experience was a few minutes before the show started. The pastor wanted to round up the cast for a prayer, but when we went to find the kids, they were already joining hands for a group prayer of their own.

I was moved to tears. A group of teens pulling together on their own, to pray for a common goal is an awesome thing to witness. The adults joined the kids and one of the girls lead the prayer.

Of course, the show went beautifully. The audience laughed loudly at our shenanigans. The music was beautiful and the kids worked together like well oiled machinery.

God was there, just as I knew He would be. He was at work. He was at work as people laughed who desperately needed to laugh. He was at work as we all worked together. He was at work within the hearts of the teenagers who knew the importance of prayer. I’ve no doubt He was at work in countless other ways too.

As is usually the case, when I watch for God and I am obedient, even when it’s hard, He always shows Himself in unmistakable ways and I always end up feeling incredibly blessed. I’ll try to remember that the next time obedience seems hard.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

And a Child Shall Lead Them

Posted on by Wendy
There may be no more fertile ground on earth for the love of Jesus than the heart of a child.
There may be no more fertile ground on earth for the love of Jesus than the heart of a child.  Photo Credit: Bishop M. Cromartie

Facebook has been all abuzz with news of the rioting in Baltimore, Maryland. A suspect died in police custody and the streets filled up with angry protestors bent on revenge and violence. Houses and businesses were destroyed. Buildings were burned. Rocks and bricks were thrown at the police who were trying to keep order.

Monday night was a scene of complete chaos. All of the citizens of Baltimore were completely out of control. The city was being run by evil forces bent on destruction. But, then the sun rose as it always does and light broke through the darkness.

It’s amazing how the tiniest bit of light can shatter complete and utter darkness. It’s true; there are dark forces that are thriving in Baltimore at the moment, but there’s plenty of good as well.

The little boy in the picture above was at the local CVS that was burned. His parents and other volunteers, yes volunteers, were trying to assist in the clean up. The little boy completely unprompted, went to officer after officer and offered them water. This child was clearly not filled with hate or anger, not for police officers or white people, or any people. His heart was filled with love and kindness.

There are countless other photos out there of citizens getting between the police officers and protesters. There are stories of other citizens offering the police water as well as pizza. There are dozens of pictures of everyday citizens assisting in the cleanup, the cleanup of a mess they didn’t create. There is good going on in Baltimore. God is present. He is at work. There are pastors out there who have asked that we share photos and news of the community that is pulling together. I say that we oblige them.

I think we need to remember that chaos and hate do not come from God. They come straight from Satan. Righteous anger is one thing. There’s nothing wrong with being angry at injustice, but hate is something completely different altogether. When we take to social media and spread chaotic and hateful messages, whose side are we on?

There was a mama who was standing on the side with the police on Tuesday, when she realized that one of the hoodie-clad rioters was her very own teenage son. She stunned the world when she went stomping over into the group of rioters who were carrying bricks and rocks and she let him have it. She went off on him on national television and drug him away. Who knows what kind of evil her intervention stopped?

What would our world look like if all of the mamas and daddies out there weren’t afraid to call their kids out when they catch them doing wrong? Isn’t that our job as parents?

Please join me in praying for the citizens of Baltimore. Pray that peace will be restored there. Pray that evil will be crushed and let’s give a special thanks for the little boy who followed his heart and the mama who had the courage to do what was right on national television. May God fill our country with more people like them.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

 

 

 

Shepherds and Cowboys

Posted on by Wendy
Leading can be much more effective than pushing.
Leading can be much more effective than pushing.

My pastor was discussing shepherds on Sunday and how there were many shepherds out there, but only one Good Shepherd. Then he said that sheep don’t like to be pushed. Sheep like to follow. He said if we were cows and Jesus was a cowboy, he could just herd us wherever he wanted to. He could lasso us and bring us down and make us join his herd.

I found that analogy fascinating. Humans are referred to as sheep all through the New Testament. I don’t recall the Bible saying anything about cows. I’m sure sheep can be herded, but I can’t remember hearing about any big sheep drives from one place to another. I have been to a rodeo and they didn’t lasso any sheep or ride a bucking sheep.

Cowboys get their work done by physical grit and force. They push the cattle where they want them to go. A shepherd wants the sheep to follow him.

Isn’t that a huge part of what sets Christianity apart from other religions? It’s not about fear or force. Jesus invites us to follow him, not out of fear or obligation, but because of love and trust. We have promises like green pastures,  restored souls and light yokes. So, why don’t more people get on board?

I certainly don’t have an answer to that question. I find that a lot o the people who I talk to about church carry around negative childhood memories of hell, fire and brimstone preachers, banging on a pulpit. Those guys tried to act like cowboys instead of shepherds. They tried to push and not lead. Sheep don’t like to be pushed.

As Christians, we are all sheep who are called to be shepherds in our own way. If you talk to any single person about God, even if it’s a family member, you are a shepherd of some sort.

Yet, many of us are uncomfortable with the shepherd role. We are terrified of coming across as pushy, but what we are really concerned about is being cowboys, not shepherds. We can lead without pushing and we can do it in dozens of ways.

We can invite others to worship or to a program at church, not hound people, just invite. We can volunteer our time, so that others can benefit and see us doing the work of Christ. They may feel called to do the same. We can extend kindness to a stranger or take a meal to a neighbor or send a get well card to someone who isn’t doing well.

We don’t serve because people are watching. We serve because the Good Shepherd serves, but when we do serve, others may feel lead to follow and when they do… what do you know? We are shepherds after all.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

The Gift of Age

Posted on by Wendy
Growing older means growing wiser. Wisdom is a gift that the world needs.
Growing older means growing wiser. Wisdom is a gift that the world needs.

Yesterday at church, we gained a new member. Her name is Debbie. She is just about to finish her seminary training and has served as a pastor for four years. That information on its own doesn’t sound particularly interesting does it? But, then she took the microphone and shared a little of her story.

She said she got called into the ministry late in life. She has been a nurse for forty-two years, a profession that already willingly serves others. She has grown children who are married and six grandchildren. She glowed with peace and joy when she shared the next part of her story.

She said when she got called to serve in the ministry that she asked God if He knew how old she was. She said as she laughed, that He wasn’t the least bit concerned.

I thought about her all day. She really was an inspiration. Of course, she’s the exception of how we like to plan out our lives. We work for a certain amount of years, raise our children, and build up a 401K and retire as soon as possible and live the easy life. We may plan on traveling or just relaxing in our twilight years. Not many of us plan on serving and certainly not beginning an entire new career where we are called to serve.

Does getting older mean we get take it easy and slow down? Maybe others should serve us for a change. Maybe it’s a matter of our attitude. But, more likely, it’s a matter of the heart and who our heart belongs to.

The Bible has many examples of God using ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things and age never seems to matter. Sarah was way past childbearing years when she bore Isaac and the nation of Israel began. Elizabeth was way too old to have children when God blessed her with John the Baptist. Moses was eighty when God sent him to talk to Pharaoh.

Mother Teresa served all of her eighty-seven years here on planet earth, even after a heart attack and a pacemaker and later heart issues. She never stopped serving.

Now I’m not saying that we are all called to foreign countries to be missionaries or to be nuns. Most of us aren’t called to go into professional ministry either, but age is simply not a factor when we are following Jesus. If God calls us, then He equips us. He made each and every one of us. He’s well aware of our strengths and weaknesses. He’s certainly aware of our age. He clearly doesn’t care.

Instead of looking at getting older as the end of the road or a time to wind down, perhaps we should think of it as a life with less responsibility that allows us to serve more freely. It could be if we open our hearts to the possibility of a new journey with God, but with all of the wonderful wisdom we have gained along the way, we may find that we are in for the time of our lives.

It might be something to consider.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

 

Being Faithful With a Few Things First

Posted on by Wendy
Being good stewards of what we have been given is always pleasing to the Giver.
Being good stewards of what we have been given is always pleasing to the Giver.

My family just purchased a new car. Well, it’s used, but it’s new to us. Our 2001 minivan just died, so it doesn’t take much for us to be oooohing and ahhhing over “new” technology. It’s nothing fancy, but we all love it. It’s been less than a week and my fifteen-year-old has began requesting to drive it.

Now, we got her, her own little, easy to control, easy to stop car, last summer and she’s coming along well with it. By, her birthday, I’m sure she will be ready to take the keys and go. But, right now, I’m not so sure I want to hand her the key to our newest vehicle. I wonder why she never asked to drive the minivan.

She is not alone in her quest for more and better. It seems we would all like a little bit more, a little bit newer, a little bit shinier, than what we have. I have definitely at times found myself praying for more, when I wasn’t necessarily making the best use of what I had.

I am reminded of the Parable of the Talents found in Matthew, Chapter 26. A wealthy man who was going on a journey, gave three of his servants different amounts of money to keep for him. Two of them used what they had to make more money for their master. One just buried what he had been given. When the master returned, he was pleased with the first two. He said, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness.” Matthew 24:21

The third guy didn’t do so well. The master was very angry with him and threw him out into the darkness.

I’ve heard this parable explained in many different ways and as most of Jesus’ parables, I think it likely has several layers and meanings. One of them may be that we shouldn’t ask for more, if we don’t look after and do our best with what we have.

Would you buy your kid a new bike if he always left his old one in the rain? If he didn’t take care of what you had given him, why would you spend money on more? If you were late to work every day or spent most of your day at work, playing on the internet, would you expect a promotion? If you were the boss, would you give yourself a promotion?

Perhaps if we want more of anything, we need to take care of what we already have. Are we faithful stewards of what we have been given? Are we thankful for what we have been given? More of anything could include material things; but it could also be our gifts and talents.

Maybe if we find ourselves desperately wanting more, we should take stock of what we already have and truthfully ask ourselves how we are doing with that. What do you think?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

A Message from the Hummingbird Feeder

Posted on by Wendy
What is cute on hummingbirds, doesn't look very good on people.
What is cute on hummingbirds, doesn’t look very good on people.

A friend of mine, Patti, posted on Facebook last week, that she had two hummingbird feeders outside her breakfast window. She said there were four hummingbirds all buzzing around one. None of them were stopping to eat the free nectar that she had so generously provided. Instead, they wanted to make sure none of the others got to eat. In fact, there was one who sat on the top of the feeder, making it his mission to chase all of the others away. One perfectly good feeder, sat close by, completely untouched.

She was amused by their antics and challenged me to find a message in their behavior. I thought about it for a few days. My parents keep several feeders on their porch and they have close to a flock at times. They are just as aggressive as Patti’s. There’s always plenty, yet they refuse to share.

Human children are not much different. One of the most used words in the vocabulary of mamas with toddlers is share. If I had a nickel for every time I told my own kids to share, I’d be a rich woman. Sharing is definitely not an inborn trait. It has to be laboriously and lovingly, (most of the time), taught.

Young children not only want to keep all of their toys for themselves; they also seem to instinctively want whatever the other child has. Their own possessions are rarely enough to keep them satisfied.

Good thing we all grow out of that, right?

On second thought, Black Friday sales look a lot like the hummingbird feeder in question. Another example also pops into mind. A few years back, when oil shipments were disrupted in our area, we had a minor gas shortage. Do you think people simply got what they needed, knowing it would all work out? Nope, they headed to the gas pumps to fill up their cars and as many gas cans as their cars would carry. The gas stations had to end up putting a limit on the gallons that could be purchased. The shortage didn’t last long, but for a short time, people acted kind of like those greedy hummingbirds.

Greed is at the root of all kinds of bad stuff. And at its core, it seems to me, is a basic distrust of God and an insistence on relying on ourselves and focusing on ourselves. I know; self-reliance is a good thing to a point. We are supposed to work hard and support ourselves and our families.

But, we are also supposed to trust that God will provide for us. When He rained down manna on the Israelites, He commanded that they get enough. They weren’t supposed to stockpile. He wanted them to trust that He would provide daily, and He did.

How much of our time and efforts are spent stockpiling things we don’t even need? How much stuff can we accumulate? How much stuff do we actually need? How much time and money do we waste collecting all of that unnecessary stuff? Could our time and money be put to better use? Where is our focus? Where should it be?

Perhaps we should all give those greedy little hummingbirds some thought. While their behavior is amusing on them; it doesn’t look very good on us. We could all probably share a little more and learn to appreciate what we have. I know I could. What about you?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

In Pursuit of Peace

Posted on by Wendy
Living in peace is active.
Living in peace is active.

The world is far from peaceful at the moment. I don’t really even watch the news much anymore, but social media and my internet homepage is more than adequate to keep me up to date on the gory details of daily events. It’s sometimes difficult to remember that chaos is not God’s will for us.

In John and Luke’s Gospels, when Jesus appeared to the disciples, his closest companions, the first thing he said was, “Peace be with you.” In fact, in John, he said it twice. I find that particularly relevant considering the horrific, violent death he endured. There was nothing peaceful about the cross.

And his closest followers deserted him. Did they deserve peace? John’s Gospel says they were hiding behind locked doors after the crucifixion, hiding from Jewish authorities. They were terrified of worldly retribution. Would they be next in line for execution?

But, then Jesus showed up out of nowhere and tells them to be at peace. Not only was he letting them off the hook for not doing anything to stop his death; he was giving them the responsibility of spreading the Good News. The men in that room went from feeling like terrified losers to the specially and carefully chosen ones to share the unique story of grace.

Jesus promised them the Holy Spirit; and after he appeared, those disciples were truly fearless. They had a unique peace that came from knowing that Jesus spoke truth when he said: “I am leaving you with a gift-peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. John 14:27

Peace seems to be far from us in the world we live in. Our desire to have more material things keeps us in constant turmoil. Buying all of those things keeps us working long hours and very often in deep debt. We worry about finances. We worry about our jobs. We worry about the economy. We worry about our health and the health of our families. We have so many worries and concerns that keep us from being at peace and those are just local examples.

Globally, the chaos is much worse. Last week, twelve Christians seeking an escape from war-torn Libya and work in Italy, were tossed overboard and left to drown by Muslim aggressors. The reason was simply that they professed their Christian faith.

That kind of hate seems almost unfathomable to Westerners. However, last week, many parts of the world commemorated Holocaust Remembrance Day. It’s only been seventy years since the end of World War II. Hate was alive and well then.

But, hate was alive and well when Jesus was nailed to a cross too and yet, his message to his disciples and to us is to be at peace. God does have a plan.

Does that mean we should stand idly by and watch evil spread? No, I don’t think so. I think first and foremost, we are to pray for peace and protection of all Christians and Jews worldwide. I think as a nation, we should intervene where we can, to protect the innocent.

Perhaps as we begin a new election cycle, we should pray for discernment on who God would like to lead our country. Make no mistake, there will be plenty of hate to go around there as well.

But, in the end, after we have done what we can spiritually and physically, we need to lean into Jesus and seek and experience his peace. Fear and worry don’t come from him, so how can surrendering to it be his plan?

Seeking peace is active not passive. I realize that this is much easier said than done, but the outcome will be well worth it. Peace be with you.

Have an awesome day.

Wendy 🙂

The Spirituality of Sharing Meals

Posted on by Wendy
What if sharing meals together actually touches the spiritual?
What if sharing meals together actually touches the spiritual?

Last night my small community group had a pot luck meal together. Up until then, we watched a video and discussed ideas and personal triumphs and struggles. Last night was simply about breaking bread together. It was a wonderful evening with different stories being shared. We are all different ages with very different backgrounds, but our love for Jesus and a desire for strong community has brought us together.

After we all said goodnight, I found myself pondering the bonds that get stronger by simply sitting with people and sharing a meal. I don’t know what it is about eating together that brings people together, but it’s a timeless ritual that almost always produces results.

Jesus often ate with friends. The Last Supper was shared with his closest friends, the disciples. Even after the resurrection he shared a meal with his disciples. The breaking bread together seemed to be a part of the deep relationship they shared.

There’s a story in the Gospel of Luke, where two of his followers were walking along the road to a place called Emmaus. They were sadly discussing all that had happened with the crucifixion and the women reporting that Jesus had risen. As they were talking, Jesus came up and walked and talked with them. The two men didn’t know it was him.

Even as he explained all that had happened was foretold in the scriptures and how it all came together, they still didn’t know it was Jesus. When the men stopped for the evening and Jesus attempted to keep walking, they “urged him strongly,” to stay with them. He agreed.

“When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight.” Luke 24:30-31

Who knows how long they walked together, most of the day, maybe? What was it about sitting together, giving thanks to God and eating together, that opened their eyes?

Perhaps it has to do with the fact that we all have to eat. Our bodies need food to survive. When we eat together; maybe we are acknowledging a need together. When we bow our heads and give thanks together, we are acknowledging that God meets our needs.

Maybe when we take time to sit together and eat together, we share thoughts and feelings. We share our stories and therefore, some of ourselves. Maybe in the sharing, others are able to have their eyes opened and see Jesus in us and we can see Jesus in others.

I don’t have the answers. But, even researchers agree that families who eat meals together are stronger. The kids are less likely to get into trouble and do better in school. What if the answer is actually spiritual? What if the reason that family meals are so important, is that breaking bread together and giving thanks, goes beyond the physical realm and touches the spiritual?

Whatever the reason, maybe we should all make a point to sit with others when we eat and give thanks, instead of eating drive through food in our cars or mindlessly eating in front of the television. We might find that we are pleasantly surprised with the results.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Doubting the Miraculous

Posted on by Wendy
Miracles still happen, whether we believe in them or not.
Miracles still happen, whether we believe in them or not.

I’m still basking in the glory of the Easter story. I spent the forty days of Lent attempting to draw closer to Christ and to remove things that hinder my faith walk. That is after all, the purpose of Lent. But, I also feel like Easter should be celebrated and reflected upon for more than just one day.

It’s only been a week since Easter and the The Easter baskets have all been plundered and the candy has long been eaten at this point. But, the miracle of the empty tomb, well it’s still glorious. I find myself once again, drawn to those three women who visited the tomb that first Easter. This time, the Gospel of Luke has grabbed my attention.

Luke’s version tells us that after that the women arrived at the tomb and found it empty, that two angels told them that Jesus had risen just as he had said. The women went at once and reported what they had seen to the apostles.

“But they did not believe the women because the words seemed to them like nonsense.” Luke 24:11

The entire idea of Jesus rising from the dead seemed like nonsense to the ones who had seen Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead. They had seen him heal countless people and cast out demons, but the testimony of three women who they knew well, seemed like nonsense.

But, isn’t that always the case with a miracle? Miracles themselves stand on the edge of impossible. More often than not, they defy explanation. Very often, modern humanity refuses to believe, just like those apostles did.

Even so, miracles happen everyday. People survive car crashes that are deemed unsurvivable. Sometimes a medical diagnosis leaves a family little hope, yet the patient is cured. No one knows why these things occur; although many desperately need to explain them.

Back in March in Spanish Fork, Utah, four police officers were attempting to rescue the passengers in a car that was upside down in a river. The rescuers all heard a woman’s voice calling “Help!” She called out more than once and one of the rescuers even yelled into the car that they were trying the best they could to get in there.

When the flipped the car over, the mother, who was driving, was dead, and had been for hours. Her 18-month-old child, Lily was alive, but unconscious. She survived, although they don’t know how. She was upside down, strapped in her seat for nearly fourteen hours, while the temperatures dipped well below freezing.

Did all four of those police officers make the story up? No doubt, some will say they did. They believe they heard the voice of an angel. I agree with them.

Perhaps, when we experience the miraculous, we should take a cue from those women on that first Easter. Even though they were scared and shaken, they unashamedly told others what they saw. Those police officers did the same.

We don’t have to have all of the answers and we don’t have to figure it all out. Faith isn’t about understanding all of the tiny details. Faith is about believing that a God who is so much bigger than we could ever imagine, is in control and nothing is too big for Him. Miracles still happen. Just ask the family of little Lily.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

You’re Not Done Yet

Posted on by Wendy

My son and I spent a few days at my parents’ house for spring break. My mom has always loved to take pictures and she had taken a bunch in her yard that she thought I could use in my blog posts. She did a great job and she had lots of good ones, but there were two in particular, that she wanted to show me. She said she thought maybe I could write something about them.

This red bed tree was cut down and left for dead.
This red bud tree was cut down and left for dead.

When she and my dad had some trees cut around their house, this red bud tree was cut down. They assumed it was dead. There was nothing but a trunk left. It remained in the same spot for a few seasons and moss began to grow on it. They gave up on the little tree.

They gave up on the tree, but the tree wasn't done.
They gave up on the tree, but the tree wasn’t done.

But, the tree wasn’t done. It was dormant for a little while, but then it burst forth into bloom. It wasn’t the same as before, but thriving and blooming, just the same.

I was thrilled with her pictures and she was right. I knew immediately I would write about the little tree. I was thrilled that she was watching for God in the world around her. Did she learn that from me or did I learn that from her? Maybe it was both.

Either way, I am reminded that we often give up way before we should. We find ourselves believing that the best of our years have gone by. We believe that we have little left to contribute. Maybe we’re too damaged, or too inadequate, or too old. Sometimes we sit for a period, believing those lies and let moss grow on us wondering who could ever benefit from our talents or our time.

We could spend the rest of our days as a stump of some kind, just sitting out and missing, out or we could choose another way. We could lean into the truth that comes from God.

We are each special, and loved, and unique, and as long as we are drawing breath here on planet earth, God is not done with us, nor should we be done. We each are called to fill our world with our unique gifts. Those gifts and talents don’t have an expiration date.

There is a time for rest. But, there is never a time to just give up on serving. Maybe you have been sitting out for a while. Maybe you have allowed a little moss to grow, but it’s never too late to burst forth in bloom. It’s never too late to answer God’s call.

Let’s make every moment count. Who’s with me?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂