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.

Facing Tall Grass Trials

Posted on by Wendy
We often fear walking where we can't see what lies ahead.
The tall grass in our lives can needlessly frighten us. Peace is a choice.

When I walk in my neighborhood, there’s a stretch of road with grass that rarely gets mowed. There’s no way around that area. I simply have to walk by it to get home, wondering the entire time what scary creatures may be lurking in it. I have no trouble picturing a rattle snake coiled up, just waiting to strike as I walk by. Grant it, I’ve never seen one there, but I worry just the same.

I usually choose that little stretch to run. The faster I can get past it, the better. On rare occasions, a car will come flying over the hill and I’m forced to actually walk in that tall grass. If it’s a choice between being hit by a car and the unknown, I’ll take the unknown. But, at that point, my heart rate rises all on its own, no running required, and I get out of the grass as quickly as possible.

We don’t like to walk in areas where we can’t see. Part of that fear of the unknown is justified. It keeps us safe. But, part of it is our need to control our circumstances. The unknown can be unsettling and down right terrifying.

Yesterday, when I took my walk, one of my neighbors was walking his dog in the tall grass. Can you imagine? I told him that I stay out of that grass because of what might be there. He laughed and asked me how many snakes we had seen around our house. I admitted, very few. He said the ones they had seen were king snakes, which are non-poisonous, good snakes. I laughed when I realized that king snakes were the only snakes we’ve seen this year as well.

We chatted a few minutes and I walked on, but I pondered that conversation as I went.

Life sometimes puts us in the tall grass. We are sometimes put into situations and circumstances where we simply can’t see what we’re up against. Whether it’s test results, finances, job loss, relationship worries, family problems or anything else beyond our control, we fear what we don’t know. We fear what we can’t control.

Sometimes God calls us out into the tall grass. It may be a call to participate in or lead a new ministry. It may be some kind of mission opportunity. It may be financial. Whatever it is, if He calls us, He has us covered. He can handle the poisonous snakes.

Whatever our tall grass looks like at the moment, be it spiritual or physical, we can all take comfort in knowing we never walk alone when we walk with Jesus. He said, “I have told you these things, so in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

We are called to have peace of mind and peace in our hearts, no matter the circumstances. We are loved and cherished and God has us covered, no matter what the tall grass looks like.

Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Don’t Neglect the Rehab

Posted on by Wendy
Spiritual healing takes time and work, but the results are life changing.
Spiritual healing takes time and work, but the results are life changing.

A few years back, my daddy had knee replacement surgery. It was a long and painful road for him to get to that point. He had considerable pain in his knee for quite some time, but it was a pain he was familiar with. The surgery was a different kind of pain altogether and it was unfamiliar. So, he waited.

He lived with the discomfort for a long time and limped sometimes which caused other parts of his body to suffer. At some point, he and his doctor finally decided that the time had come and he reluctantly agreed to the surgery.

He was told going in that the most important part of knee replacement surgery is the rehab that comes afterward. When the surgical wounds finally begin to heal, you have to go to regular physical therapy sessions to make the new knee move with the leg like it’s supposed to. The sessions can be grueling.

Many people just refuse to go because they can’t deal with the pain involved with the healing. But, the ones who do go and perform all of the required exercises, feel like brand new people. In time, their new knee works better than ever. They are pain-free and have a new lease on life.

I watched Daddy go through all of that and he came out on the other side like a champ, even though the days in between were sometimes dark.

I was thinking how we have a tendency to carry around old injuries like Daddy’s knee that needed replaced. We sometimes carry anger, resentment, regret, emotional pain and guilt, wrapped securely around our hearts. We know it’s not healthy. We know it’s painful, yet it’s something we are familiar with. We are reluctant to let it go because we don’t know or trust what will be on the other side.

When, at some point, for whatever reason, we are convicted to let these things go and lay them at the foot of the cross, we want to believe that’s the end. While it’s true that we are granted forgiveness, whenever we repent and ask, healing takes some time. True healing is like rehab after knee surgery.

We have to begin our day with prayer about that healing. We can seek out others who are on the same path. We can find a church and a small group within, who will love and support us. We can find a wise, Christian mentor to help us along the way. We can read our Bibles to fully appreciate God’s grace and mercy.

Healing takes time and work, but when it’s done, Jesus heals all of it. Even the most impossible cases can be totally transformed. The key is our willingness. Just like physical rehab, the spiritual rehab has to be done by a willing participant. It can’t be forced.

But, the results, well those are life changing. They even have eternal implications. We have to remember not to neglect the rehab. It’s just too important.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Sea Turtle Lessons

Posted on by Wendy
The crowd cheered over the healing and release of this one sea turtle.
The crowd cheered over the healing and release of this one sea turtle.

While my family was vacationing recently, a shop owner asked us if we were going to attend the sea turtle release. We hadn’t heard anything about it. She told us that a sea turtle had been injured by a boat propeller five years earlier and that she had been in rehab at the Pittsburgh Zoo. They were releasing her back into the ocean where she had been found.

We were intrigued. Five years is a long time for a turtle to be out of its habitat and all the way in Pittsburgh too. We were in Florida. A little more research showed us that at one point she was considered unreleasable. Her injuries were simply too severe. But, someone must have fought for her.

On Thursday around noon, we headed to the spot. We were surprised to see a fairly wide area taped off and a crowd stood on both sides of the tape. There were policemen walking through the crowd. There were very young children and elderly people there. People had cell phones, cameras and camcorders. As the minutes ticked, the excitement grew.

At last, a van pulled up. A group of volunteers climbed out and brought out three juvenile turtles to be released. They walked around the taped off area and let people see them and take pictures and then they walked out into the surf and let them go. When they gave the thumbs up, the crowd went wild cheering and clapping.

The entire process gave me goosebumps and brought tears to my eyes, so much fanfare for these small and seemingly insignificant creatures. My heart was touched.

Then they brought out, Sunburst, the large turtle who had endured so much. For five years she had to go through rehab and although some wanted to give up on her, she survived and was going home. This time the crowd really went wild. We all held our breath has they placed her into the ocean. There was complete silence and then, she too got the thumbs up as she swam away. The cheering and clapping was even louder than before.

I immediately thought of a Bible verse from Luke. “In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.” Luke 15:10 NLT

It comes from one of Jesus’ parables where a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. She doesn’t rest until she finds the missing one.

I think God looks at us like that sea turtle that some considered releasable. He never gives up hope. He never stops working with us to bring us home and when we find our way, I think the angels in heaven cheer for us just like the crowd on the beach.

Every single one of us matter to Him. There is no one who is insignificant and there are no exceptions. We are all redeemable. That fact my friends, makes me smile. What about you?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Little Bitty Pieces

Posted on by Wendy
When we only know little bits at the time, of an enormous plan, we are less likely to panic.
When we only know little bits at the time, of an enormous plan, we are less likely to panic.

My son is going to be a freshman in high school next year. He is taking an honors literature class and the folks in charge of that class have decided that he needs to have a reading assignment over the summer. Don’t even get me started on my feelings about the school’s intrusion into my personal summer family time. Who do they think they are?

To make matters worse, the book is six hundred and thirty pages. It’s four smaller books joined together to make one. As soon as I saw the assignment, I knew I had to take action. He would balk at the size of the book and would likely just give up, thinking that he could never read a book that length.

He does not enjoy reading at all, but he loves to write and he’s good at it. I think he will do well in the class and will likely enjoy it once he gets past the seemingly impossible assignment.

I made a plan. I downloaded the book onto his Kindle. The Kindle is small. He can’t see that the book is actually the size of a “Harry Potter,” novel. He isn’t intimidated by is size. I also have him reading a few chapters a day.

Today, he actually came and found me and started telling me about some things he found funny about the book. He asked me if I knew certain characters were in the book. I didn’t. He went on to explain some things about different legends concerning Robin Hood, unicorns and fairies. He’s actually enjoying the book.

He would never have opened the cover if he knew how much work was ahead of him.

I wonder if perhaps, God does the same kind of parenting with us. I have a friend who constantly complains about not knowing what’s coming next. I always tell her that living and obeying one day at a time builds faith and I believe that.

But, my summer assignment experience with my son, also makes me wonder if God often keeps the magnitude of some our assignments to Himself, because He knows we will balk and lose courage. We will be certain we can’t do it.

He’s probably right. If He would have told Abraham how long he would have to wait to get his promised heir, would he have so cheerfully gone? If He would have told Joseph how he would have to be sold by his brothers or how many years he would have to be a prisoner in Egypt before his dreams came true, and his brothers bowed down to him, would he have shared those dreams in the first place?

The Bible is full of examples like these and I suspect most modern-day, mountain moving, God lead stories have similar scenarios. Human beings have very little grasp on what we are capable of  when God stands behind us. But, God knows.

And because He does know us, maybe He keeps us on a need to know basis when it comes to the bigger stuff. I think that’s probably for the best. Don’t you?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Breaking Free from the Herd

Posted on by Wendy
It takes courage to break out of the herd.
It takes courage to break out of the herd.

My daughter attends a very high achieving high school. It gets ranked nationally each year. The SAT scores are high and there are a huge number of kids who take Advance Placement courses or AP for short. The teachers and administrators really push these classes and harp on the fact that the kids can actually get college credit if they make a certain score on the final test, which by the way, the colleges raise every year. I suspect this has to do with the funds they lose on the kids not having to pay for their classes, but I could be mistaken.

My sophomore drank the proverbial Kool-aid this year and took one of the AP classes. It’s been a miserable and stressful experience for her. Quite frankly, I can’t imagine college being as ridiculously difficult as the questions that she was asked on many of her Work History tests. I’m a fairly bright gal with a college degree myself, and when I can’t understand the question, I’m crying foul, here.

Anyway, when she registered for classes next year, we had some long heart-to-hearts. The choice was hers, but she decided to register for honors classes instead of AP. I totally supported her choice. It’s just high school after all, does it really need to be that stressful? And if it takes her four whole years to finish college, so what?

She was happy with her decision. I was happy with her decision. But, her classmates, well, that’s a different story. You wouldn’t believe the pressure she has gotten to change her mind and register for AP. Her home room teacher, who doesn’t even teach her, has pressured her to change her mind. “Everyone is taking AP.”

Everyone is also talking about how miserably hard junior year always is. Many students have at least two AP classes if not more.

As she and I were talking about it this morning, I talked to her about herd mentality, one of my favorite analogies on being an individual.

First of all, I reminded her that God made us to be individuals. He gave us all different gifts and talents. Secondly, I don’t believe for a moment that His plan is for her to spend a miserable four years in high school because she took ridiculously difficult classes. If all she has time to do is study, how can she serve Him? If she is constantly stressed, how can she ever have time to be still and listen to His voice for guidance? How can she develop the gifts that she has been given?

Then I explained that when people are part of a herd, they all do the same thing. They may be miserable, but they are miserable together. When someone breaks out of the herd and the misery, and makes different choices, the ones who don’t have that desire or the courage, don’t like it. They try to use whatever means necessary to reel them back into the herd. After all, misery loves company. Shouldn’t we all be miserable together?

I don’t think so. I think that God made us all unique. Therefore, we shouldn’t all fit into the same mold as our peers. When we find ourselves in miserable circumstances, it’s usually best to take a time out and listen for His voice and His direction. I often find that He directs me to a different path.

My teenager needed that reminder today. Perhaps you did too. Forget the herd. What is He calling you to do?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Dandelion Faith

Posted on by Wendy
What do you see when you look at a dandelion?
What do you see when you look at a dandelion?

When children see a dandelion, they often see a wish for the making. They will blow on all of those little white seeds and make a wish. When adults see a dandelion, they often see a weed that must be killed at all costs. Beauty, I suppose, is in the eye of the beholder. The truth is, though, that we would usually all be better off if we looked at life through a child’s eyes.

Dandelions were actually prized until the 1800’s. People would pull grass out of their yards to make space for useful weeds. They are useful. All parts of them are edible except for the white seeds. They have vitamin A, C, K, potassium and calcium in them. They can also be dried and made into a tea. They can be used to make dyes and some cultures use them for medicinal purposes. Bees love them and use them to make honey.

Interestingly, when perfectly manicured lawns became the rage, dandelions became a pest to homeowners. People spend millions of dollars each year on herbicides to try to eradicate them. But, the dandelion is a formidable foe.

I think we might have some things to learn from this little weed. First of all, its roots can grow up to fifteen feet deep. Think about that for a moment. No wonder you can’t dig them up very easily. Most of them have about eighteen inch roots, but that’s still pretty deep. The other cool thing about their tap-root is that it’s very brittle and twisted, if you leave any of it at all behind, while digging it up, it will regenerate.

Then there’s the little white seeds. They can travel up to five miles away on the wind and create more dandelions. That’s a lot of dandelions from one original plant.

I have to wonder what our faith would look like if we took a lesson from the dandelion. What if we established deep roots through prayer, Bible reading and faith community? If our roots went deep enough, no adversity could snuff us out. If we came under attack, we would regenerate. The right root system would allow us to do that.

After establishing roots, we could feed many off of our bright yellow flowers. All kinds of people are attracted to bright and cheerful, just like the bees are attracted to dandelions. Just think of the sweet honey-like things that could come from our cheerful invitation to follow.

Then, of course, there are the white seed pods that spread everywhere with a little help from the wind or a whimsical child. There’s a lot of new life that can come from spreading our faith like that.

I think we can learn a lot from the dandelion. I don’t think I’ll look at them quite the same way anymore. Maybe you won’t either.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

The Healing Power of Kindness

Posted on by Wendy
Kindness can help heal.
Kindness can help heal.

We had to have our dog, Sadie, put to sleep on Good Friday. It’s taken me until now to be able to write about it. It wasn’t completely unexpected. She was a hundred fifteen pound dog and she was fourteen years old. She had long outlived her life expectancy. Still, she was healthy and although she could no longer hear or see very well, she seemed to be chugging along just fine, until she wasn’t.

She had some sort of stroke. We called our vet and he was set to be out of town for the week, but would be in for a couple of hours that morning. He had always been Sadie’s vet, so we really wanted it to be him. We beat him there and had to wait for a while, but they got us in a room and checked on us repeatedly, offering us tissues and drinks. Their gentleness and kindness was unbelievably touching.

When the vet arrived, he actually sat on the floor with us as she drifted off for the last time and they made a little plaster footprint for us to keep. While the entire process was pretty gut wrenching, I was so incredibly moved by their kindness.

When we attended a Good Friday prayer service that night, we told our pastor about our dog. He was very sympathetic and was concerned about our kids. On Easter Sunday, I had several church members express their condolences too. I don’t know why I was so surprised. It’s a very small, close-knit community. If you have ever had a dog, you know they become part of the family.

The vet clinic is in a very rural county and they are always busy. They really didn’t have to go out of their way to be so incredibly kind to us, but they did. A couple of days ago, we got a sympathy card in the mail from them and everyone in the clinic signed it. Attached to the card, was an envelope of wild flower seeds. We can plant them in a patch and be reminded of Sadie every spring.

What a beautiful gesture, that again, was certainly not required or even expected from them.

Kindness is one of the Fruits of the Holy Spirit, one that seems in short supply these days if you watch much of the news. It often takes so little from us to extend kindness to others, but that effort can mean the whole world to someone who is hurting.

I feel so blessed by the kindness extended to our family over the loss of our dog and I am reminded to be ever vigilant to extend it to those around me who may be hurting. It really does help.

When my kids ask me if dogs go to heaven, I have to say that I can’t imagine creatures that bring so much love to humanity not being close to the heart of God. So, yes I suspect heaven is full of dogs.

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 🙂

 

 

 

 

A Technology Black Out

Posted on by Wendy
Sometimes life without technology looks pretty good.
Sometimes life without technology looks pretty good.

Last night while we were watching television, our cable froze. It was a riveting show too, a Simpson’s rerun. I went ahead and did all of the troubleshooting tasks, unplugged the box, etc… and still nothing happened. I went upstairs and asked my daughter if her cable was working. It wasn’t. I was going to have to call Charter.

When I picked up the phone, it was dead too and we had no Internet either. Gotta love the bundle. After getting a nice lady named Wanda, on the phone, I learned that we had an outage in the area and they were working on it. Quite frankly, I was kind of happy about it. I find troubleshooting cable and wi-fi to be a huge pain. I have to find where things are plugged in which often requires moving furniture. At least I knew it was on their end not mine.

When I thanked her for letting me know. She paused a minute and told me I had been her nicest customer all night. Really? What would have been the point of yelling at Wanda? She was sitting at a desk somewhere far away. What exactly could anyone expect her to do about an outage? It wasn’t like she could climb a pole and fix it. I answered the annoying survey that followed and gave her all A’s.

Then I hung up my cell phone and something fabulous happened. My son put down his iphone. My daughter came downstairs and plopped down in a chair and we talked.

For whatever reason, my teenagers began reminding each other of learning games they played on the computer as little kids. They remembered little pieces of songs and would sing them. Then they began telling different stories from their kindergarten days. They talked and laughed with each other. We all asked each other questions and we would laugh some more.

This went on for a little over an hour and then the cable came back on. My daughter was done with her trip down memory lane and headed up stairs to watch “Fresh Prince.” My son became engrossed in his laptop while watching yet another “Simpsons,” episode. That show is always on.

I picked my Kindle back up, but I was incredibly thankful for the technology black out. Wanda told me that I could call Charter and get credit for the time with no cable, but I really wanted to call them and thank them for the time. Their failure turned out to be a beautiful little gift for me.

I’m trying to do better at recognizing little blessings along the way and to give thanks for them. I’m trying to do better at treasuring the precious resource of time.

Life these days is loud and busy, so when we are forced to have some black out time, maybe we should seize the moment. It’s fairly rare and usually needed and quite possibly a gift. Maybe we should just say thanks.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Simply Saying Thanks

Posted on by Wendy
Taking time each day to look for all of the small gifts we have been given can lead to a thankful heart.
Taking time each day to look for all of the small gifts we have been given can lead to a thankful heart.

Have you ever had one of those days that was pretty close to perfect, where everything seemed to go right, every light in your path was green? I had a day like that yesterday. I was reminded of the television commercial that was out several years ago where it was a character named Bob’s day. He had a parking spot saved for him everywhere he went and their were literally signs on the road that said, “Yield to Bob.”

I have had a lot going on lately and have prayed a lot for answers and direction. It’s nothing super serious, but I have had some heavy conversations with God and I have patiently (most of the time), waited.

Yesterday was a really easy and laid back day with no chaos. It was beautiful outside and I was loving it. I went into CVS to pick up a few toiletry items for my family along with a prescription, and my bill was $52.00. I presented a few coupons and one was a 25% off card. The saleslady scanned them and was confused with what the cash register was reporting that I owed, so she called her manager who walked her through it. She told the cashier to hit the override button and my bill was .06. The stunned cashier smiled and asked if I would please pay in cash.

I obliged her and thanked her profusely. As I left the store, shaking my head, I climbed into my car and I thought about all of my prayers lately and at that moment, wasn’t really sure what to say. I had been given a great little surprise gift.

And then I knew what to say. I said a prayer of thanks.

I think that when I spend a lot of time praying about specific issues that I need to work out in one way or the other, I sometimes miss the little gifts that God sends me. That morning as I began my day with a walk, I prayed that God would show Himself to me. He did.

I’m glad I had the sense not only to recognize it, but to say thanks. I wonder how often I miss those everyday gifts because I’m so focused on something specific. Maybe you struggle with that too? God is ever-present in the lives of His children whether we recognize it or not.

We have an enemy who would love for us to believe that our prayers don’t matter and that we are alone. Those are lies.

Sometimes God’s presence is super subtle and sometimes it’s like a billboard, like yesterday was for me. Either way, He’s here and it brings great nourishment to our souls not only to remember that, but to acknowledge it and simply say thanks.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂