Category: Choosing to See the Bright Side

Optimism is a discipline that can be learned. Choosing to see the best in all situations makes us happier and healthier in the long run. Optimists live longer than pessimists.

Gray Hair Blessings

Posted on by Wendy
If you woke up today, make it count.

I have reached a point in my life where gray hairs are ongoing participants. There are no longer one or two that I can pull. They are everywhere. At the moment, I make regular appointments with my hairdresser, who is also a sweet friend of mine, to keep them covered. I have grown to prefer her artistry over the artistry of time.

I have often thought that I wouldn’t mind the gray so much if they didn’t come in standing straight up. I mean, seriously, they will fight any amount of product that I put on them to make them fall in line with the rest of my hair. They seem determined to demand my attention.

Recently, as I was praying while getting ready for work, a new one caught my attention. It was standing straight up, almost defying gravity and daring me to pull it, but as I zeroed in on it, I felt a little nudge in my heart asking me why it bothered me so much. It’s existence was simply proof of my time on earth.

When did getting older become so taboo?

In the Bible, the Book of Proverbs, (which happens to be one of the Books of Wisdom), tells us, “Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life.” Proverbs 16:31

The appearance of gray hair means that we have been blessed with a certain amount of longevity and I immediately thought of a friend of mine who was lost to ALS who didn’t have her first gray hair yet. What would she have given to live long enough to worry about something as trivial as gray hair?

As I continued down that thought path, it occurred to me that maybe they stand straight up because they are supposed to serve as a reminder of our limited time here on earth. Everyday that we wake up is a gift. Everyday we wake up is proof that God isn’t finished with us yet and we still have a mission on this side of eternity.

The gray serves as a reminder to make each day count. It also serves as a reminder that we have attained a certain amount of wisdom that comes from living. Are we sharing that wisdom? It seems like today’s world could definitely benefit from some wisdom, especially wisdom from long time Christ followers.

As I finished doing my hair, I felt a lot less annoyance over the gray. I don’t have to love them, but I can learn to appreciate their message. After all, I can always use reminders of my many blessings and that everyday should count. Perhaps you can too!

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

 

Epiphany Lessons

Posted on by Wendy
If we want to see more of Jesus, we need to stay close to Him like the servants did.

As I was driving to work yesterday, which happened to be Epiphany, I was bone tired. My week had started off with a power outage on the coldest night of the year so far and while everyone in surrounding neighborhoods got their power back, we went overnight without ours. We were incredibly blessed to have gas logs to keep us warm, but my first day back to work after the Christmas break began with a two minute cool shower and putting makeup on with the light of a flashlight.

I counted my many blessings all the way to work and thanked God that the situation was temporary.

But, as the week went on, one thing happened after another, with unexpected stress and projects and I began to think that 2022 was not starting out well at all.

Yesterday, before I left for work, I read in my daily devotional the story of Jesus turning water into wine found in John 2. I love that story for so many reasons, but this time, the focus was on verse 9 where it said that the headwaiter didn’t know where the wine came from, but the servants knew. The ones who were walking the closest to Jesus, the servants, knew that a miracle had happened.

The people at the wedding party were oblivious, but the servants knew.

So as I drove to work, on the day that we celebrate the Three Wise Men honoring and worshipping Jesus, I was utterly exhausted and not really looking forward to the rainy day that my weather app predicted was coming. I had tried so hard all week to be positive; I had so much to be thankful for, but I was struggling.

Then I turned onto to the last part of my trip and was greeted by a beautiful display in the sky. Even thought skies were cloudy, the sun found a way and I just had to smile as the words from my morning devotional ran through my head. I stopped and took the time to snap a photo. I’ve no doubt there was a scientific explanation for the display at the very moment that I was praying, but I knew.

I knew it was encouragement and a reminder that God has a plan, that I never walk alone and He always hears me.

Epiphany is about the truth of Christ being shared with all people. It’s about a group of foreign men following signs in the sky that led them to the newborn Messiah. Even thought they weren’t Jewish, even thought they had traveled far, they knew they should try to see Him and worship Him.

A sunrise on a cloudy morning reminded me to do the same. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

The Gift of Perspective

Posted on by Wendy
Sometimes messy, is just evidence of a life truly lived.

Last week, I hosted Thanksgiving dinner for my family, just like I usually do. It was a small, informal affair. My parents came. Mama came a day early and made her sweet potato and macaroni and cheese casseroles like she usually does. Daddy drove up on Thanksgiving Day with my brother, like he usually does. My hubby smoked a turkey. I made the dressing and dessert.

My son sat next to my brother. My daughter set next to my mother. We bowed our heads and gave thanks and shared a feast together.

It was all extraordinarily ordinary, except this year, it felt so special. In a world turned upside down by a virus we can’t even see, the beautiful familiarity of it all, felt like a gift from above. We lingered at the table long after we were finished eating, each of us sharing old and new stories along with lots of laughter.

When we finally did move into the kitchen for cleanup and I saw the pile of dishes, I had to smile and take a picture. I don’t know if I have ever considered dirty dishes a blessing, but this year was different. This year, each of those plates and glasses represented someone who I deeply love, who was able to share a Thanksgiving meal. They also represented the provision of food to put on those plates. This year the post meal scrubbing of casserole dishes and handwashing of the “good” glasses made me pause and give thanks.

A little bit later, when we went outside to take the annual family picture, the light seemed a little brighter than usual. The leaves seemed a little more vibrant and no one complained about smiling for forty pictures, because that’s how many it took for seven people and two pups, both sharing their first Thanksgiving, to look at the camera.

It was a very busy few days, involving lots of cleaning and cooking. The two young pups had a ball, chasing each other, leaving muddy footprints all over the porch, that I also found myself saying a prayer of thanks for as I wiped them up. Those dogs have brought much light and joy into our homes this year and those muddy footprints were simply part of the package.

2020 will be remembered for a lot of things and I suspect that most of them will not be good. There has been so much death, loss, unrest, despair and division. But, perhaps it will also be remembered as the year that put things in perspective for many of us.

Everyday we wake up, is a gift. For most of us, this Christmas season will look different than in years past, but as we ease into the season of Advent and prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ, may we remember to focus on the many blessings that we so often overlook. When we do that, we may find a new sense of peace that we haven’t had before, one that passes all understanding.

A pile of dirty dishes and some muddy pawprints reminded me how many blessings we often overlook. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

Removing the Weeds and Briars

Posted on by Wendy
In times like these, we have to be especially vigilant about what we allow into our hearts.

I was recently working in my iris beds. They had been overtaken by weeds. It’s been a hot summer and I have needed to work on them for quite some time, but the heat and my busy schedule have given me every excuse to let them go. Plus, I rationalized that they won’t bloom again until the spring, so there’s plenty of time.

But, the weather finally cooled off and fall is the time to divide them, a task I could never do if they were covered in weeds. I put on some good shoes and gloves and went to work. Unfortunately, they were everywhere in every single bed I had, but as I got busy, I was pleasantly surprised at how easy they were to pull up. Their roots were so shallow. I removed them by the handful and the beds showed improvement very quickly.

I marveled at the difference and I was little annoyed with myself for letting the weeds get so out of control to begin with when it required such a small effort on my part, to remove them. I congratulated myself on my progress, when I encountered a briar. Briars are an entirely different kind of weed. They aren’t just ugly and annoying. They climb and wind themselves around the things we plant. When you try to pull them, they have tiny thorns that will tear your skin. Furthermore, when you pull hard, they break off, leaving the root in tact, just biding its time to return.

As I looked at my cleaned up beds, I was reminded of how easy it is to let things enter into our hearts that cause clutter like those weeds, things like doubt, fear, despair and hoplessness can rob us of our joy and the beauty our lives can hold. We need to be vigilant about keeping our eyes focused on Jesus so He can remind us to be at peace and trust in Him and His plan. We can do this through prayer and and reading the Bible where we find countless stories to remind us. When we walk with Jesus, He can help us sweep those things away on a regular basis.

But, there are other things that we can allow to take root like anger and hate that are like briars. They have the power to wrap around our hearts and cause serious damage. Ephesians 4:26-17 says, “In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.”

There seems to be a lot of anger these days. Just watch a newscast or scroll your social media feed. The venom spewing from peoples’ mouths shows the poor condition of their hearts. Many have allowed anger to get a foothold and hate and chaos have resulted.

As God’s people, we are called to first love God and then one another. If we harbor hate, can we love one another? Can we truly love God with a heart that harbors hate?

As a very important election draws near, perhaps now more than ever before, people of faith are called to stop scrolling and start asking God to root out the hate in our own hearts as well as the hate in our neighbor’s. Maybe then, we can with pure hearts, pray for healing, peace and reconciliation and He will hear our cry and heal our land.

Some overgrown iris beds reminded me to be vigilant with what we allow into our hearts. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

Pond Lessons

Posted on by Wendy
Sometimes the things we see as damaged can transform into something amazing.

This past spring my family, like most families, had a lot of extra time on our hands. We were all stuck at home for days on end and we needed a project to keep us busy. Our backyard had a big wide hole in it since we moved in caused by erosion. My hubby talked about bringing in dirt to fill it, but I thought we should work with what we had and convert it to a fish pond. The years passed and we never got around to it. We never had the time. All of a sudden, we found ourselves with time.

My daughter and my hubby spent time measuring and digging and picking out the right size liner. We spent time combing the internet for the right plants to buy. We wanted to create an ideal ecosystem where the fish and the plants would feed each other. We dug up and moved around countless rocks to line the pond. When we finally filled it with water, we waited anxiously for the plants to arrive. They were very small and we weren’t sure how they would do, but we carefully transplanted them and hoped for the best.

We were delighted to see how quickly they took root, grew and multiplied. When we added fish, they hid under a big rock for over a week and it was hard to see them. The water was murky and we were a little disappointed. Everyday we would go to see if we could catch a glimpse of the shy fish. In the beginning, they were hard to find. As the days passed, the water got clearer and both the plants and fish grew.

A couple of months down the road, the fish and plants have tripled in size and the water has cleared up. We find ourselves spending hours listening to the waterfalls and watching the fish. They now know that we feed them, so they come to the surface instead of hiding when we they see us.

Our latest development has been hundreds of tadpoles added to the mix along with some snails and of course, frogs. I find myself amazed when I remember that our vibrant little ecosystem that is sustaining so much life, was just a barren crater, essentially damaged goods caused by the elements, seemingly useless at first glance.

With a little hard work, patience and faith, amazing things can happen.

Recently, as I was sitting by our little pond I reflected on the lessons it has taught me. The first is to work with what we have been given. Instead of filling in that hole with dirt to make it like the rest of the yard, we took what made it different and turned it into something unique. The second is patience. Even with all of our planning, a certain amount of waiting was required. We had to wait for the water to clear, and for the plants to grow. We had to wait for the fish to trust us. The third is faith and wonder, faith that change was coming and a sense of wonder when it did.

In times like these, I needed those lessons. Perhaps you did too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

Sunshine Wisdom

Posted on by Wendy
When our lives have been flooded with rain, the wise see even a moment of sunshine, as a gift.

My hubby and I, recently took a trip for our anniversary. We have rarely been away without our kids and in our new empty nest season, it seemed like it was time. We decided to go to Jekyll Island where we could park the truck for the entire weekend and ride our bicycles.

When we awoke on Saturday morning, the weather was beautiful. I couldn’t stop commenting on the color of the sky. It didn’t occur to me until later, that blue skies have been rare here lately. One of the Atlanta news stations reported that we have had 14.75 inches of rain this year and it’s only February. We are currently beating Seattle by like two inches!

No wonder my heart and soul longed for the blue sky and sunshine.

As we made our way towards the beach where the bike path runs, the wind was really gusty, I mean we had to fight the wind to ride, and it was hurting my ears. My hubby had a hoodie, but I didn’t. Undaunted, we hit the shops until we found a hat and gloves I could purchase.

Life was good and we got back on the trail, soaking up the sun and pedaling away. I remember sending up a prayer of thanks for the beautiful day and the new season we were in. Life was different without our kids, but still fun. We made it for 5 miles, but right at Driftwood Beach, my back tire went flat.

Determined to enjoy our day, we pushed the bikes out of the way and walked on the beach for a while. Then we got back on the trail back to our hotel. The further we got away from the beach, the more the wind died down. We laughed and joked about how our kids would have viewed the wind and the flat tire as hardship. We viewed them as an adventure.

We talked and walked the four plus miles back to the hotel, greeting all the cyclists we passed along the way, growing a little weary, but never discouraged, always enjoying the gorgeous sunshine. When we reached the hotel, we got in the truck, retrieved our bikes, got some lunch and then a nap followed some coffee, and we went off to explore again.

We soaked up just about every drop of sunshine we could and watched the sunset over the water.

As I write this, it’s been raining for the past four days and now I realize why we were so enamored with the blue sky and the sunshine. But, I am also reminded that change is hard. Starting a new chapter is both sad and exciting at the same time. It’s a tension that comes from living on this side of eternity. If I’m honest, about my current season, I will have to admit that there have been times that I have wanted to just go back to how things used to be.

But, the sunshine coupled with the mishaps last weekend, reminded me that happiness is in fact, a choice. We could have let the wind stop us. We could have given into frustration over the tire or the long walk. Our younger selves may have. But, there’s a measure of wisdom that comes from living and that wisdom told us that every moment together with the people we love is a gift from God and every drop of sunshine is precious and those who are wise, don’t take even a moment, for granted.

A sunny day reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

Giving Thanks for the Rain

Posted on by Wendy
Although rain is often inconvenient, it’s essential for growth.

I’ve been thinking about the rain a lot lately. We have been in months of drought with no end in sight. Everyone I work with has been diligently checking the weather hoping for a pop up storm. Even the tiniest chance of rain gives us hope, but the rain hasn’t come for a long time.

Then a couple of weeks ago, I went to an engagement party of the son of a dear friend. Most of the affair was planned outside. It began raining during the night. It rained buckets and it was cold. Plans were rearranged and the festivities were moved inside. It was a huge inconvenience.

After months of prayer, did we welcome the rain?

A week later, my hubby, my mama and I, attended a football game at our daughter’s college. We planned it a month ahead of time. The weather was supposed to be cloudy with a thirty percent chance of rain and mild. It poured for hours. We couldn’t even attend the game and the drive home was a miserable crawl.

This was the rain we had been praying for, but how did we feel about it when it ruined our game day plans?

My hubby was out of town for a few days for work this week and when I returned home from work the day he left, my garage door wouldn’t work. While not a huge deal, it began raining the next day.

I’ll have to admit that I wasn’t super happy to see it as I walked to my car in the dark rain at five in the morning holding a flashlight.

As I write this, the forecast for rain on Halloween is 100%. I’ve no doubt there are some stressed out mamas and daddies wondering what to do with their kiddos for trick-or-treat.

Like everyone else, they know we need the rain, but would likely prefer that it come at a more convenient time.

Most of us simply don’t like to be inconvenienced. Our culture has done a fabulous job at convincing that we should have everything we want the way we want it, when we want it.

But, God’s way is different and nature belongs to God.

Rain is important. The earth needs it to sustain life and to grow things.

The rain that falls in our personal lives is much the same. It often inconveniences us. It slows us down. It changes our plans, our priorities and often our perspective. Most importantly, it grows us.

We have to remember when we are in a period of growth and change that there’s usually rain involved. We need it to be transformed into something stronger and brighter. We need it to grow closer to Jesus on our journey here.

In the end, rain is life giving whether we welcome it or not. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

Hibiscus Wisdom

Posted on by Wendy
“Where flowers bloom, so does hope.” Lady Bird Johnson

It was a gray, overcast day when I arrived home from work. Fall had at last shown up and the air was cool. But, when I went to let my dogs out, I was greeted by some very bright hibiscus blooms.

Hibiscus bushes are tropical. When I see them I think of summer. I planted them last spring in anticipation of the season to come. Now, it’s mid-October and the world has turned orange, with pumpkins everywhere, from our porches to our coffee. Mums and pansies are the flowers of the moment, all the rage, one might say.

But there stood those bright pink hibiscus blooms. They were completely unaware of their surroundings or that they weren’t the color of the moment. They didn’t seem to notice that the days are growing shorter and their time is growing short as well. At best, they will go dormant until spring, but the reality is, they probably won’t survive the winter.

But, there they stood proudly, in their tropical beauty, blooming boldly against the dreary sky, daring to share their gift with anyone who cared to stop and drink it in. Their act of continuing to thrive was not lost on me.

I went and got my phone so I could snap some pictures to capture the moment.

I thought of those hibiscus blooms long after it got dark outside. I thought about how we all have great gifts and graces to share with a world that desperately needs more light and less darkness and ugliness. Like those hibiscus, we need to continue to contribute our unique talents even when the seasons change, even when the skies are dark, even when we don’t know what the future holds.

Because a little light goes a long way, especially when it’s dark. A small act of kindness can change someone’s outlook. A kind word has the capability to soften a hardened heart.

We can all make a difference simply by being who God created us to be and giving that glory to Him . When we intentionally do that, we may find that our own stresses and worries fade away.

Some pink hibiscus blooms reminded me. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

Seasons of Hope

Posted on by Wendy
There is beauty in every season.

When I stepped into my garage yesterday morning, I was shocked at how cool the air was. We may be closing in on Labor Day, but the end of August in Georgia, tends to be steamy. Just a couple of weeks earlier, the teachers at our school, had to keep watch on the temperatures and cancel outdoor recess due to the heat.

The heat in August is no surprise to this lifelong southern gal, but the temps in the sixties yesterday morning, truly were. I even momentarily, second guessed my shoe choice. Would my feet be cold in sandals? But, I knew that it would be hot in the afternoon. It turned out to be in the eighties, warm, but still much cooler than it had been.

When I returned home and let my dogs out, I marveled at how green everything still was. My backyard looked the same as it had since June, yet the subtle breeze and the cooler air reminded me that a new season is coming.

As I took a moment to sit on my porch and drink in Creation, I was filled with a little sadness. I have always loved summer, everything from long days at the pool, to nights swinging on the porch, fill me with happy memories. There’s just a slower pace of life that seems to go hand in hand with summer time and I like it.

But, seasons were always meant to change and summer must at some point, come to an end. A new school year has begun and for me, that has meant an empty nest. Both of my kids are off at college, chasing dreams and finding their way in the world and truthfully, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Because the end of one season, always means there’s a new one beginning and as much as I love summer, fall is pretty spectacular too. The air is cool and crisp and the leaves treat us to daily changing works of art by our creative Creator.

Creation becomes an explosion of color and the trees remind us to let go of the things we no longer need. The trees become bare for a season, yet the internal work goes on, deep in their roots, readying them for complete transformation and restoration in the spring.

As I lingered a little longer, I felt a sense of hope growing. I felt a little nudge reminding me of the beauty found in every season. I remembered the Bible verses about a time and a season for everything and I felt a little excitement.

As long as I’m still breathing, God is still writing my story and I have every reason to believe that this season will be filled with a beauty all its own. Some cooler temperatures reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

The Gift of Now

Posted on by Wendy
My dogs often remind me to be in the moment.

Last spring, I took a yoga class for the first time. I have practiced the poses before, but never actually attended a class. I found it fascinating. The entire focus was on being in the moment and learning to appreciate something most of us take for granted, breathing.

Sometimes we keep ourselves so busy, that we are never in the moment, always focusing on being a couple of steps ahead of where we are. It would never occur to us to think about our breathing. I thought about that class for most of the summer.

My dog reminded me when we were sitting on the porch together. She hits me with her foot when she wants me to pet her. I was checking my e-mail on my phone and she hit me with her foot. I tried asking her to give me a minute, but she was insistent. I remembered the class and I put the phone down.

She and I were both more content as we took in the sound and scenery around us without distraction and appreciated the present.

Later in the summer, when I was struck with a very painful case of shingles, I found myself drawn out to the porch again. Every movement brought about searing pain, even breathing. I definitely found myself in the present. It was all I could focus on.

As I sat there in the coolness of that Sunday morning, remaining very still, I found myself asking God what it was He wanted me to learn from my illness. Although it was excruciating, I knew it wouldn’t last long. My dog snuggled a little closer as if wanting to comfort me, this time not taking, but giving.

I think the answer was not taking a single breath for granted, because each one is a Divine gift. The Bible tells us, that God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

Breathing is important. Maybe we sometimes forget how important. Being in the moment is important. Learning to appreciate where we are and the people we are with right now, is also important because we may never pass this way again.

Learning to be still and honoring that truth, fills our heart and souls and honors our Maker.

A yoga class, my dog and a case of shingles, reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂