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.

The Boulder Moving Business

Posted on by Wendy
God is still in the boulder moving business.

Last Sunday my family attended Easter church services which under normal circumstances wouldn’t be unusual, but nothing about this past year has been normal. As expected, the pastor preached about the resurrection from the Gospels, something we all love to hear especially at Easter. Jesus defeated death and rose to save all believers from sin. It’s the greatest love story ever told.

But, this year the pastor pointed out a detail I had never really thought about. All of the Gospels report that the stone sealing the grave was rolled away. Mark begins by saying that three women were heading to Jesus’ grave to anoint His body. Mark 16:2-3 says, “Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, ‘Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?'”

There was basically a boulder sealing the tomb. It wasn’t possible for the women to move it, yet they faithfully went to tend to Jesus anyway. These women had seen Jesus die on a cross. They had no physical evidence that God was at work, yet they headed to the tomb to do what they felt called to do and when they walked by faith, not only was the boulder moved, they were the first to witness a miracle.

God is still in the business of moving all kinds of boulders. What boulders in our lives are keeping us from being who we are called to be? Our boulders can be things like shame, guilt, our past, addiction, fear, debt or anything that keeps us separated from God.

As we continue to live as Easter people, maybe we should spend some time thinking of three women who walked towards Jesus despite a giant boulder being in their way. What they found was God is always at work. The same is true for us. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

 

Reaching for His Hand

Posted on by Wendy
Jesus doesn’t just heal us and leave. He takes our hand and helps us back onto our feet.

I have recently been participating in a Bible study on the Gospel of Mark. I always enjoy reading the Gospels because they show Jesus doing what He does, healing the sick, casting out demons, questioning the self-righteous and challenging the people who think they have all of the answers, not to mention dying to save all of humanity and then rising from the dead defeating death for good. The Gospels tell a story that even Hollywood couldn’t dream up; only God Himself could weave such an intricate story.

I also find reading the Gospels to be a bit of a treasure hunt. Every time I read one, I find a different gem to carry with me. This time, I found it in some of His healings.

In Mark 1:31, Jesus heals Peter’s mother-in-law who is sick in bed with a fever. The text says: “So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them.”

In Mark 5:41: In the case of Jairus’ daughter, “He took her by the hand and said to her, ‘Talitha koum!” (which means little girl, get up!) Technically, this was more than just a healing because the child was dead, but she got up.

When I got to the part about Jesus casting out of a demon in Mark 9:26-27, “The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet and he stood up,” a new gem caught my attention.

In three different instances, Jesus not only performed a miracle, but he reached for the person’s hand and helped them back onto their feet.

He didn’t leave them where they were, flat on their backs, to figure out what to do next. He reached for their hands and helped them up onto their feet, presumably to get back to living, doing whatever they were called to do. Peter’s mother-in-law got busy serving everyone around her and Jesus told them to give the little girl something to eat.

When Jesus heals, he doesn’t turn and walk away. He reaches for our hand, pulls us to our feet, no matter how deep the hole is we may find ourselves in, and He invites us to get back to life serving Him. We are all called to make some kind of difference or we wouldn’t be here. We all have the opportunity to reach for His hand and learn what that calling is. He will always help us up. The Gospel of Mark reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

Finding Hope in Remote Places

Posted on by Wendy
Remote places are where Jesus does some of His best work.

I recently read the account of Jesus feeding the 4,000 found in Mark Chapter 8. It’s a familiar story that most Christians know. But, this time, I caught a new detail. In verse two, Jesus tells the disciples that he has compassion for the crowds because they had already been with him for three days and hadn’t eaten anything. He was concerned that they would collapse from hunger if he sent them away.

The disciples asked Jesus, “Where in this remote place can anyone get enough to feed them?” Mark 8:4

They were looking at Jesus’ capabilities on a strictly human level even after all of the miracles they had already witnessed. They were in a remote place, far way from any type of assistance in the disciples’ eyes, so how could they possibly provide for these hungry people?

Of course, they couldn’t, but He could. That was the point.

In the past, I have always focused on the miracle itself, the multiplication of the fish and loaves. But this time their location caught my attention. Where they were was important. It was a remote place and that’s where Jesus wanted them. They couldn’t possibly provide for themselves.

They needed Jesus.

I think the remote places are where we too, most often find ourselves acknowledging our desperate need for Jesus. When we are in waiting rooms, or doctor’s offices, or waiting for a phone call, or lose our job, or when we hit rock bottom, or are weathering a pandemic, when we are completely incapable of providing for ourselves is when we cry out to Him.

And just as in this account, Jesus has compassion on us and He provides. He fills our souls with love, mercy, peace and hope. He redeems us and gives us a fresh start.

Jesus feeding the multitudes reminded me not to fear the remote places because that’s where Jesus does some of His best work. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

 

 

Coyote Lessons

Posted on by Wendy

We are not called to fear, but we are called to be vigilant.

Last weekend, my hubby and I were having coffee at our kitchen table. There are power lines behind our house and we can see the path underneath them from our kitchen. It’s always interesting to see what will walk by. We often see deer. There’s sometimes a really big buck that walks by. We have a neighbor who lets his dog run on the trail. We have another neighbor who runs. There’s a kid who sometimes rides his dirt bike.

The power company only cuts the grass back there every three years or so, so at times it gets very tall.

But, last Saturday morning, a rather larger coyote trotted by in plain sight, just on the other side of our fence. He didn’t seem to have a care in the world. I was stunned. I know we have them around. I have heard them. I have neighbors who have seen them, but I have never seen one so close to my house.

I immediately picked up the phone and called my neighbor. He has a beloved cat who is the self-proclaimed king of the cul-de-sac and that cat didn’t stand a chance against that coyote. Thankfully, he answered on the first ring and told me that the cat was safely in the house.

I found myself truly annoyed at this brazen coyote for strolling around in broad daylight like he owned the place. Didn’t he know he was supposed to be nocturnal? Why wasn’t he following the rules?

What about the safety of all of the people who used that trail?

A little later, when I got over the coyote’s perceived breach of etiquette, I had to admit that what I really didn’t like was seeing such a stealthy predator so close to my doorstep. I have dogs. I have a neighbor with dogs and chickens and of course there’s the cat next door. While I know that coyotes are in my area, actually seeing one is a different matter altogether.

I needed to be more watchful and careful in the future.

When I thought about the incident a little later, I was reminded that our spiritual lives are very similar to our physical ones. We have another predator who is always seeking to cause chaos and as much harm as possible. Like that coyote, he is opportunistic and comes out when he sees the best chance of success.

But, we have better weapons on the spiritual realm. We have prayer and the Bible and we have the Holy Spirit. As people of faith, we have no need to fear him, because what is in us is much stronger than what is in him. Yet, we have to be on guard and keep watch for ourselves and those we love. Loving reminders, like the call to my neighbor along with prayer, can help the people who we care about to keep safe as well.

A coyote out in broad daylight reminded me to be vigilant with my physical and spiritual safety. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

A Call to the Light Bearers

Posted on by Wendy
We are called to be God’s light.

Last week, I watched in complete dismay as our Capitol was overrun and overtaken, not by foreign terrorists, but by Americans. People who’s anger and sense of disenfranchisement boiled over and they felt led to take matters into their own hands. Chaos reigned for a time both in Washington DC and all over social media. The enemies of freedom all over the world cheered.

I’ve no doubt Satan danced in utter delight.

I felt a spiritual darkness deep inside my bones over the next few days. I prayed without ceasing asking for God’s guidance and for His mercy upon our land. I read the Bible and I texted some of my strongest prayer warriors asking for perspective.

On Sunday morning, as I was continuing to pray about it, I felt like I got what I had been seeking.

The Holy Spirit reminded me of the story of Jonah and the city of Nineveh. God told Jonah to go to Nineveh to speak the truth and tell them about Him and His coming judgement. Jonah ran the other way, not because he was afraid, but because he didn’t want God to forgive them. Jonah wanted Nineveh to be destroyed.

But, as evil as the people of Nineveh were, they repented and God spared them.

We can argue all day long about whether God supports a particular political party, but in doing that, I believe we have allowed ourselves to become focused on man and not on God. Let’s be clear here: God can use whomever He chooses to use for His purposes. His hands are in no way bound by someone’s political party affiliation.

As people of God, we need to accept that we are in the middle of a spiritual war here and so our response must be spiritual. We are called to pray for both Trump and for Biden, for the Democrats and the Republicans. We are called to pray that revival will sweep through the halls and streets of Washington DC and on both sides of the aisle.

I watched an interview last week with Mike Huckabee and several other pastors. One of them pointed out that during the ninth plague in Egypt, the plague of darkness, found in Exodus 10:21-23, the darkness was so deep in the land that it could be felt. But, the Israelites, (God’s people) had light in the places where they lived.

1 Thessalonians 5:5 says: “You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or the darkness.”

As children of the light, we are called to spread light not darkness, remembering that darkness cannot drive out darkness only light can.

Now more than ever, we are called to speak truth in love and to pray as never before. The people who walk in darkness don’t know anything, but darkness. We do. Every Christian is here for such a time as this. We may be surprised about what’s going on, but God is not.

We were chosen for this moment. How will we choose to respond?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Blazing a New Trail

Posted on by Wendy
It’s never too late to blaze a new trail!

On a recent walk on my parents’ property, we took our pups and let them roam off leash. It was so much fun watching the pure joy in their wagging tails. They would catch a scent of something and run off a little ways and we would call to them and they would return for a few minutes and then dash off again, following their noses.

I commented to my hubby about how they were always running. I marveled how they didn’t run into trees. He pointed out that they were following deer trails. He said that deer don’t just wander around aimlessly. They have trails that they have made and they tend to stay on them.

I grew up in the country and I don’t know why I didn’t know that little fact, but I was intrigued by the thought that even animals, tend to stick to paths that have already been laid out for them and deer aren’t trail blazers.

As we wind down 2020, we can all agree that this year has been unusual at best. Most of us have found ourselves off of the path we planned in some shape or form. While this off-roading of sorts, has caused many emotions ranging from disappointment, to fear, to anger, to despair; it has also resulted in the blazing of new trails for many.

People have spent a lot of time at home. Relationships have been prioritized. Families began sitting down together for dinner together since all of those sports and extracurricular activities were cancelled. Brides and grooms elected to go ahead and get married without a big, splashy wedding because starting life together was what was important. People moved in droves; many sought quieter, more rural lifestyles. Many lost loved ones.

Calamity has a way of making us refocus on what’s really important. It makes us take stock and take a hard look at where we are and what path we are on. When the busyness gets taken away, we are forced to ask ourselves are we on the path we really want to be on? How did we get here? Are we here simply because it’s what everyone else is doing? Might now be the time to seek the, “Road Less Travelled?”

While we are all anxious for this pandemic to go away, what has it taught us? Do we really want to go back to life exactly as it was? Are there changes that have been made for the good? Should more be made?

The Bible tells us, “And we know in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28

A deer trail in the woods, reminded me to end this tumultuous year with some time in prayer. If God is in the lead, it’s never too late to blaze a new trail. Perhaps you needed reminding too!

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

PS I won’t be posting for the next few weeks, because I will be spending time with family. I pray that you have a Merry Christmas and I hope to meet you back here in 2021.

Barbed Wire Lessons

Posted on by Wendy
So much of what we spend our time on won’t last when we are gone.

On a recent visit to my parents’ house, we were treated to some mild winter weather. We had a cold snap the week before, followed by rain, so when the sun came out on Saturday and the temperature hit sixty degrees, we grabbed the pups and headed out for a long walk. We started out on familiar trails left by loggers from the past and then cut back by my daddy and brother, but eventually we found ourselves exploring territory that hasn’t been cut back in a while.

We ended up in a beautiful, flat area, with tall, majestic oak trees. There were no logging trails or trails from my parents’ ATV. It seemed completely untouched by humanity, but as we walked a little further, my hubby called back to tell us to watch out for the barbed wire. Sure enough, there were two strands of very old barbed wire that two oak trees had grown around.

I was fascinated. The trees were completely unaffected by the wire and I wondered how old they were. My parents nor grandparents, ever had livestock in that area, so it’s been untouched for at least sixty years, if not longer. But, clearly at some point, someone had used that flat area to keep some type of livestock. Someone had used their hands and had likely spent hours in sweat equity building a fence and maintaining some sort of pasture for grazing.

I wondered what animals lived there and how long the former owners farmed there. Was farming their livelihood? Did they constantly worry about their fence and what tomorrow would bring with the weather or what predators lurked nearby? Was it worth it to them? In the end, were they at peace with their life choices and how they spent their time? What happened to them and their farm?

Because, somewhere between 60 and 100 years later, it was almost as if that fence was never even there. Nature reclaimed what was hers and erased someone’s hard work.

That barbed wire remnant really got me to thinking about what we focus on during our short time here and what really matters. We tend to find ourselves focusing on things like our jobs and financial issues or these days, politics and a pandemic. While these things may be serious matters at the moment, these are not eternal matters.

According to the CDC, the average lifespan for Americans is 78.7 years. How much of our time is spent worrying about or working on things that won’t matter in ten or twenty years, much less 100?

We live in a physical world, so we have to spend some of our time working on physical things, but perhaps the answer is to focus more of our time on matters that will last long after we are gone like faith, hope and love. We can share those with people in our lives and send waves that can spread across generations.

Some old barbed wire reminded me to be intentional about how I spend my time. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

A Call to Be Thankful

Posted on by Wendy
We can always find blessings if we intentionally seek them.

My daughter and I were talking on the phone one day this week. She had been sending me pictures of the Christmas decorations that she and her college roommates had been putting up. She was telling me how she normally wants no part of Christmas before Thanksgiving. She has never liked how people just skip over our national day of gratitude and go straight to Christmas. She has always enjoyed the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. She and my dad love the dog show that follows and she’s a big fan of Thanksgiving turkey and cranberry sauce.

But, this year that has been different in so many ways, has her yearning for Christmas. I nodded in agreement as I confessed that I was playing Christmas music on my computer while I worked that day. I was also burning a Christmas candle. Apparently, she wasn’t the only one with Christmas on her mind.

“I think we all need a little Christmas right now,” she said.

I told her what we are all really desperate for right now is Jesus. Our battered hearts are longing for the peace, refuge, comfort, redemption and joy that only He can provide.

She agreed.

After we hung up, I kept thinking about our conversation. It almost seems counterintuitive to be thankful right now when there’s still a pandemic raging, when experts are warning families that it would be safer to stay apart for the holidays, when there’s still unrest in our streets, when an election that should have been decided weeks ago, still drags on. And if you are unfortunate enough to live in the state of Georgia, voices from all over the country are yelling at us at every turn to vote one way or the other.

Yet, as Christians, we are called to be thankful, thankful for the many blessings we have been given, thankful that we woke up this morning, thankful for the friends and family we have been given, thankful that God has given us another day here on planet earth to make a difference. What is counterintuitive for non-believers isn’t for us because we know that we are travelers here on our way to a much greater place where there will be no pain.

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Revelation 21:4

A phone call reminded me that even though our hearts are crying out, Oh Come Oh Come Emmanuel, let’s not forget to be a people who shine with thanksgiving. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

Seeking Heavenly Focus

Posted on by Wendy
Sometimes it’s helpful to stop and check on our focus.

Our neighbors have a cat named Ramsey who likes to torment our dogs. He makes it his business to come into our yard and position himself where my dogs can see him. Sometimes he just comes to the edge of the yard and plops down by the mailbox. Sometimes he comes right up to the windows in the front of the house. When the dogs see him, they go nuts and when that happens he always sits and stays a while.

He is well aware that they can’t get to him. Their barks don’t even make him flinch. Now, when the dogs don’t bark at him because they don’t see him for some reason, like they are sleeping, he doesn’t stay long. It’s their frustration that seems to entice him to stay.

My hubby and I have chuckled about this phenomenon for years. It’s like a Roadrunner cartoon in real time. Why do the dogs allow Ramsey to upset them so much? Why can’t they just ignore that cat? They seem completely incapable of doing so.

Last weekend, we had the grand-puppy, Marshall, and I took him for a walk. When we we neared our house, I caught a glimpse of Ramsey fleeing from us. Apparently he had spotted us and feared young Marshall. Now, Marshall was simply enjoying his walk and didn’t even see the cat.

I laughed at the turn of events and thought about how that cat wasn’t so brave and tough when he was faced with the prospect of a face-to-face encounter with a dog.

I thought about that encounter long after our walk. I thought about how we as humans, allow ourselves to be tormented by so many things unnecessarily. We lament about the negativity of social media, yet we don’t stop scrolling. We grumble about the biases of the news, yet we keep watching. Then there are the recent election results.

Just like my dogs, we tend to refuse to turn away from the things that claim our focus and divert our attention from where it should be.

As Christ followers We are called to remember that we are travelers here. This is not our permanent home. We are called to remember that while earthly leadership will always come and go, we worship the God who will never give up His throne. We are called to remember that the Bible is full of stories of both good and bad kings and God used them both to further His plan whether they were willing participants or not.

The Bible tells us this in both Old and New Testaments. “He controls the course of world events; he removes kings and sets up other kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the scholars.” Daniel 2:21 NLT If you want to see some examples of good and bad leadership, see Daniel. If you want to see what the Christian attitude towards leadership should be, also, see Daniel.

In the New Testament, Paul says, “Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.”

So, from a Christian perspective, how distracted are we at this moment? Are we focused on Kingdom things or worldly things? Are we choosing to allow ourselves to be tormented like my dogs and Ramsey or are we choosing to be like young Marshall, walking with our Master, without a care in the world; knowing that God has the reins? Do we believe God is in control or not?

Three dogs and a cat reminded me the of differences between earthly and heavenly perspective. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

Peace in the Chaos

Posted on by Wendy
We can still find peace in the chaos because we serve the God who has a plan even when we can’t see it.

As I write this post, I am surrounded by chaos. There are two bookcases in the space where I usually write and I finally decided last weekend, after years of being unhappy with their dated appearance, that I would paint them. I’m not usually one to shy away from a painting project, but these bookshelves held over a decade of stuff that had been placed on them. That stuff would have to be stacked and strewn all over a couple of rooms while I worked on my restoration project.

That meant that I would have to live with some chaos for the better part of a week until the paint was completely cured. I am not a huge fan of chaos. I like for things to be in their place especially in my space where I work and create. When I write about seeing God in the everyday, I usually do it from a desk where I have pictures of sunrises and sunsets and quotes that inspire me. I have pictures of people and places I hold dear and two dog beds where snoring pups provide the only noise.

Yes, that’s the scene I usually write in because I can hear God the best when it’s quiet. “Silent Night,” is probably the Christmas songs that resonates best with me.

But, does that mean that I don’t believe that God exists in the chaos? As I look at my sofa stacked with books and albums, I know that isn’t the case. I know from first hand experience that He is equally active in both chaos and in times of peace. I have found myself in plenty of chaotic situations over the years. Some of them were absolutely through no fault of my own. These were situations that just come from living in a broken world.

Some were completely due to my own choices and bad decisions and electing to pursue my own will instead of God’s.

But, the beauty of the loving God who we serve, is that He was with me through all of the chaos both self-created and otherwise. He has always remained faithful to me even when I wasn’t faithful to Him. He has also taught me along the way that sometimes true restoration requires some chaos.

I gaze again at the stacks of books on my floors, but this time I can smile. I know how much I will enjoy the restored and redeemed bookcases. I know that the chaos is temporary and I am reminded the pain and aggravation in the process are always worth it.

Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂