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.

Antioxidants for the Soul

Posted on by Wendy
Maybe our souls need antioxidants just like our bodies do.
Maybe our souls need antioxidants just like our bodies do.

I can hardly turn on the television anymore without hearing something about antioxidants and their importance to our health. Fruits, vegetables, tea and wine are all chock-full of magic cells to keep us healthy and new things get added to the list daily like coffee and beer. In the shower this morning, I noticed that my hair conditioner claims to contain antioxidants.

So I began to wonder, what are antioxidants exactly? I Googled it and turned up way more scientific jargon than I needed. The short version is that our bodies produce free radicals which are bad as well as antioxidants which are good. Unfortunately, we produce more bad than good especially as we age. Furthermore, things like pollution, the sun, smoking and x-rays also produce free radicals. That’s why we need to take in antioxidants to counter their effects. It’s like a constant cell war going on inside of our bodies.

So, I began thinking that if we need antioxidants for our bodies, surely we need them for our souls. Isn’t there a constant soul war going on too?  But what would they look like and where would they come from?

The free radicals are everywhere. They would be stress, anger, the media, societal pressures, the need to compete, the inability to ever be satisfied with what we have or where we are or who we are. I think I could come up with a never-ending list of free radicals for our souls.

But, what about the antioxidants? What should we do to soothe and strengthen our hearts and souls against the free radicals? First of all, we could take time to rest. We can never hear God if we don’t listen. In my experience, He’s not a yeller. We can pray as we seek peace and downtime. We can actively seek peace. We will never find it if we don’t rest and get quiet. Peace won’t chase us down and seek us. We have to seek it.

We can have a positive attitude to the people God has placed in our lives. They are here, just like we are here, for a reason. We can adopt an attitude of thankfulness. Whatever the circumstances, there is always something to be thankful for.

We can read the Bible. It’s full of examples of people who lived in trying times. It’s full of people who made mistakes. It’s full of people who turned away from God as well as those who turned towards Him. It’s full of forgiveness and grace. It’s a story that’s so much bigger than we are, yet we are part of it.

We can attend worship service. A good worship service is always medicine for weary souls.

We can get outside and enjoy this beautiful world that God has created for us. We can watch a sunrise or a sunset or a thunderstorm.

As it turns out, I was able to think of way more antioxidants for the soul than free radicals. Hmmmm, why does that not surprise me?

God is good!

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Turtle Mode

Posted on by Wendy
This turtle always makes me smile.
This turtle always makes me smile.

It’s July and I feel like my summer has been a whirlwind so far. My extended family and my two teens have kept me on the run. As I was stealing a moment this morning on the porch, a moment before 7:00 AM, when the earth is still and quiet and the kids aren’t awake yet, I was thinking about a child I worked with last year when I was subbing.

He was famous for not wanting to walk from one side of the building to the other. He would want to stop and get a drink of water or sit down to rest. These were all just stalling tactics, but it drove the teachers crazy. (which was likely part of the reason he was doing them). I told him one day that he was in turtle mode, that turtle mode was slow and boring. I told him he needed to switch to rabbit mode. How fast could we get to where we were going?

He took the bait. He loved switching to rabbit mode and I would count how long it took us to get to the next class.

I feel like I am in rabbit mode most of the time. I remember thinking when I was on vacation, that one of the beautiful things about vacation, is not having to constantly be in a hurry. I am trying to make a concerted effort to switch back into turtle mode for July.

It’s hot. Our summer travels are done. Why not?

I started out this morning by piddling around in my garden, cutting things that needed to be cut, watering and taking my time. I had a second cup of coffee on the porch and read a little.

Of course, when my daughter arrived home from her sleepover, it was ninety miles a minute talking. Then my son came running downstairs with his backpack telling me that I had to run him over to his friend’s house at that very moment. Never mind that he hadn’t brushed his hair or teeth or had breakfast, and it was lunch time.

I calmly told him to make a sandwich and then, to brush his teeth. I sent my daughter upstairs to take a shower and work on her summer AP assignment. I got some watermelon out of the fridge to snack on, until my son was finished. We can still get everything done, but do we have to hurry? I delivered him to his friend’s house and all was well in his world.

The Bible tells us there is “a time for every activity under heaven.” Sometimes we need to rest and sometimes we need to simply slow down, remembering that we will get it done eventually and if not today, then tomorrow is another day.

I’m aiming for turtle mode for the remainder of July. It’s too hot to hurry in July anyway. Anyone want to join me?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Learning to Enjoy the Climb

Posted on by Wendy
It's really not about the destination. It's about the climb.
It’s really not about the destination. It’s about the climb.

My kids’ friends call our neighborhood, “the roller coaster neighborhood.” We have some crazy hills. When you are driving through in a car, you can get those butterflies in your stomach, like when you ride a roller coaster. It’s very tough to ride a bicycle on; but it can be fun as well. The pedaling to get to the top is grueling, but the ride down is like flying.

I walk for exercise and it’s really quite the work out. But, I was noticing the other day that as I was struggling to make it up one of those monster hills, when I finally made it to the top, the sun was really hot up there. As I made my way down the hills, the little valleys were shady and cool. They were momentarily refreshing before I started the next climb.

It struck me how similar our physical walk can be like our life walk. We get out there and we work so hard to get to the top. We sometimes ignore the scenery along the way. We sometimes ignore the people along the way and neglect the ones closest to us in our single-minded focus on making it to the top.

And what happens when we make it there? (if we actually do) What all, and more importantly, who all, did we sacrifice along the way? What does life look like at the top? Is it worth it?

I think maybe, we need to learn to focus on the journey instead of the destination. Maybe we need to learn to appreciate the scenery along the way and more importantly, the people who we are traveling with on life’s journey. The valleys may prove to be shady and quiet. The climb itself may prove to be spectacular.

I sometimes have a hard time remembering that we are all just travelers here. We have a finite time here on earth. If you knew when your last day would be, would you have chosen to spend today differently? Would you choose to laugh more and cry less? Would you choose forgiveness over anger? Would you pray more and worry less? Would you get busy working on that bucket list? Would you be more thankful for your many blessings?

I think our human nature is to be task oriented. I know mine is. If I’m going on vacation, I want to get there the quickest route possible, so I can start having fun. But, what if I were to embrace the fact that if I’m traveling with my family to a vacation destination, from the moment we wake up, until the time we arrive to where we are going, should be fun, because it’s about an adventure together. Those family adventures don’t last forever. Children grow up. Family time with our children is finite.

I want to really learn to embrace the journey, the journey with my family and the journey with God. I want to start each day  knowing that it will lead to some kind of adventure that God has ordained for me in advance. I want to appreciate it and enjoy it and be thankful.

That’s a tall order for this task-oriented, list- making, got- to- have- a- plan girl. But, I think it’s an idea worth pursuing. Care to join me? What do you think about enjoying the journey? I’d love to hear from you.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Dirty Dish Moments

Posted on by Wendy
The breakfast mess on Mother's Day is one of the memories I will treasure the most.
The breakfast mess on Mother’s Day is one of the memories I will treasure the most.

I spent a lot of time Saturday working out in the yard. Spring has been a long time coming this year and there’s always much to be done when the earth finally wakes up from its winter slumber. One of my tasks was doing some serious cleaning on my back porch. Besides the regular crud that accumulates during the winter months, those of us who live in Georgia, have this fabulous yellow-green pollen that blankets everything like a layer of snow.

I got the hose and some Comet and got on my hands and knees and scrubbed. Then I swapped out winter plants for summer ones. Finally, I put down my new rug I purchased, and my porch was Pinterest-worthy. I couldn’t wait to get up the next morning (which happened to be Mother’s Day) and have a cup of coffee on my newly cleaned porch and enjoy my new rug and my new plants.

I mean, I was like a kid on Christmas Eve, so excited to enjoy the fruits of my labor. I did get up Sunday morning and have that cup of coffee on the porch. I listened to the birds as I watched nature come alive. I read my Bible and wrote in my journal. I stroked my dog, who snuggled next to me. I prayed and thanked God for this glorious morning. I felt completely at peace.

Then, my hubby, joined by our daughter, came out carrying a huge tray of food with a card on it. We talked and enjoyed our breakfast. Next, my son came stumbling in with his breakfast. We all sat and talked for quite a while, soaking up the morning and basking in each other’s company.

As we reluctantly, got up to start our day, I ran and got my camera. My son grabbed a plate when he saw me aiming at the table full of dishes. I told him to put it back down. He looked very puzzled as he complied. I told him I had a post idea. My family is used to this by now. They don’t even ask what in the world I must be thinking anymore.

The table full of dishes told a much more beautiful story than the Pinterest-worthy porch ever could. The dishes were evidence of a family coming together for a meal. The dishes represented a family communing together out of desire, not duty. Everyone is expected to come to the dinner table every night. But, breakfast is looser. It’s optional on the weekends.

They didn’t have to come to the porch. They could have eaten in the kitchen like they do every morning. My kids and my husband, chose togetherness. Those dishes were like trophies to me.

Life is so short and the one thing we all wish we had more of, is time. It’s the one thing that is finite. The people in our lives are gifts from God. A meal and time with those people we hold dear, is something to treasure and the dirty dishes, well they are just a reminder of time well spent.

I’m going to try to embrace all of the dirty dish moments in my life. Care to join me? I’d love to hear from you.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

What is Your Song?

Posted on by Wendy

 

If you had to pick a song to describe your life, what would it be?
If you had to pick a song to describe your life, what would it be?

I love music. I suppose I always have. I don’t play an instrument, but I have great appreciation for those who do. When my hubby and I first wed, we played music all of the time. We liked all genres. We were never getting cable. (Okay, so we changed our minds about that.) I was raised on Country and Western; think way back like Conway Twitty and the Statler brothers. I hated it as a kid, but I love it now.

I’m an eighties’ child, so I still love Michael Jackson and Madonna, (her early stuff.) Of course, being raised in rural Georgia, Southern Rock is also one of my favorite types of music.

Being raised in the Deep South also means going to church every Sunday, so I have a deep love for the old hymns like Amazing Grace and I’ll Fly Away.

Music has the unique ability to transform us back to another time. Certain songs are like time machines that can stop us in our tracks and remind us of a particular vacation or place or person. There are some songs that I always link with specific people in my memories.

Then, some songs always bring comfort. Hymns like Amazing Grace, always soothe my soul when it’s troubled.

Music has the ability to calm a crying baby and most moms seem to instinctively know to hum or sing while trying to quiet a fussy infant.

Human beings seem to be born to appreciate and create music. There are records of musical instruments in Egypt as early as 3,000 B.C. There are records of music throughout the Bible especially in the Book of Psalms. David played a harp to soothe an evil spirit that tormented King Saul. The Hebrews sang to praise God.

I think music is a gift to us from God. It can make us laugh and it can make us cry. It can be a form of praise. It can be a form of protest. Remember the sixties? Music has the ability to move us.

If your life had a soundtrack, what would it sound like? Would it be upbeat and happy? Would there be a lot of love songs? Would it be dark and angry? Would there be a lot of sad songs?

As you ponder those questions, ask yourself, if you had to pick one song to describe your life today, at this moment, what would it be? What about one song to describe your relationship with your spouse or your kids? What song would you choose to describe your relationship with God?

After thinking about your song choices, are you happy with your soundtrack? If so, that’s awesome. Rock on! If not, you have the ability to change it. Life is ever-changing and God will meet us wherever we are. We can’t hit rewind like on a cassette tape, but we can hit the search button and create an entirely new song. After all, the beat goes on!

At the moment, I love the Happy song. Care to share your soundtrack choices? I’d love to hear from you.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

The Opportunity of the Nones

Posted on by Wendy
Everyday presents new opportunity.
Everyday presents new opportunity to share the love of Christ.

Our sermon on Sunday was about the decline of the American church. The pastor shared about being in a group with other pastors from around the world and how the Christian faith was growing in other parts of the world against all odds, but diminishing here in America. I decided to go home and do a little research on this matter.

Somewhere between 77% to 79% (depending on the poll), of Americans consider themselves to be Christian, not too shabby. The big headline has been the rise of the Nones. The Nones are the people who have no affiliation to any religion. But, these people weren’t asked what they believed. They were asked what religion they were affiliated with. 20% of American adults said “none.” That’s kind of depressing, but there is a bright spot. You knew there would be, right?

Among the Nones, 68% said they believe in God. That’s a pretty nice chunk. They just don’t consider themselves affiliated with a particular church. 21% said they pray everyday, also promising, and 32% are under the age of 30.

I also read in an article online that people used to attend church because of societal pressures. They went because it was expected. If you didn’t go, you may be looked down upon by your neighbors or people may decide not to frequent your business. While we may lament that a large part of society no longer cares whether or not we attend church, it’s really kind of refreshing to know that the people who do attend really want to be there. I suspect that God would rather have motivated and interested people in church than people just sitting in pews because they felt forced to. God has always been big on free will.

The great news about the Nones is that most of them are believers and that means those of us who do attend church have the awesome opportunity to invite them in and share the beauty and comfort that Christian Community can provide. I mean, they already believe. They may just need an invitation.

The fact that a third are under the age of thirty is also promising. They are still young. I know an awful lot of people who start attending church regularly once they have children, which brings me to my final point.

According to a Notre Dame survey, those young adults who were raised within a strong Christian family, have stayed with their faith. So, if you are taking your kids to church, keep doing it. It’s working.

I have always been a glass half-full kind of gal and truly believe that Jesus was an optimist. Why else would he have willingly given his life for us? I think he cheers us on in getting it right and encourages us to look for opportunities to share. Easter isn’t very far away, let’s think about some of these “Nones” and invite them to be part of our church community.

And if you are a None, I invite you to check out a church. It may be just what you have been searching for.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

The Eye of a Needle

Posted on by Wendy
Icy limbs and power lines don't mix well.
Icy limbs and power lines don’t mix well.

The Deep South was struck by yet another snow and ice event last week. A good chunk of the entire state was shut down for days and thousands upon thousands of people were without power for days as well. My parents had no electricity from Wednesday until Sunday. These events happen from time to time. The power companies called in reinforcements from Texas, Ohio, Tennessee, Florida and Mississippi just to name a few.

What really surprised me about this particular outage was the anger that I saw expressed on Facebook. By all accounts, these power company employees worked throughout the days and nights with little sleep. They were doing their best. I didn’t hear any reports of them sitting around at doughnut shops on extended coffee breaks.

When I was a kid and there was a snow storm, we lost power. It wasn’t a question of if, it was a question of when. We sat around the fireplace at night and ran around during the day. We were on well water so when the power went out, there was no water either. We were also usually the last ones to get turned back on, too. We dealt with it.

It’s amazing to me at how just twenty-five years or so later, the power going out has become catastrophic and the power companies working to restore it are somehow agents of evil. What has happened to our can-do attitude?

My dad is in his seventies and he says he remembers his family getting their first light bulb. How in the world did they survive?

As I was contemplating all of this, a verse from the Bible kept playing through my mind. “In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!” Mark 10:25. Those are red-letter words, spoken by Jesus himself, so we had better pay attention.

What is he talking about? Does God hate rich people? I don’t think so. I think that when you have to depend on God for your “daily bread,” and He provides it, it’s easier to grow your faith. When every one of your physical needs is met and taken for granted, like we always have plenty to eat and a roof over our heads and heat and electricity, we have to make a sincere effort to believe in something greater than ourselves.

Our souls need feeding either way, but it’s easier to neglect our souls than our physical bodies. We are so blessed in this country and when compared with the majority of the world, we are all wealthy here. Christianity is growing fastest in Asia, Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. The people in these countries have far less material possessions than we do and their basic needs often are not met. Is this a coincidence? They know their need for God because they must depend on Him daily.

No one wants to be cold or inconvenienced and being without heat can be dangerous. But, this may be the ideal opportunity to take stock of who we are and decide who we want to be. The temporary days of uncomfortable inconvenience for us are what life looks like everyday for a huge population of the world.

We are so blessed that we sometimes forget to be thankful. Our abundance may be like the eye of that needle. Let’s remember to give thanks. What do you think? I’d love to hear from you.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

A Love Story

Posted on by Wendy
Like this flower, a happy ending can always brighten your day.
Like this flower, a happy ending can always brighten your day.

I got a text yesterday from one of my high school friends, inviting me to a graduation party for her daughter. I think I must have gasped audibly when I read it because the man sitting across the room from me looked up from his phone. This child who is graduating from high school is her baby.

Let me give you a little background here. This friend is a part of one of my favorite love stories. She and her husband dated all through high school. The winter after high school, they announced a very quick wedding. We were all kind of stunned. I was away at college and couldn’t quite fathom it all. This was the late eighties. We had choices.

They made theirs. They chose life. They chose love. The support they got from their families was overwhelming. Let me tell you, it was amazing. They moved into a tiny house behind her grandmother’s house. Her parents and siblings and his parents painted it inside and out. They put in carpet and furniture. They made it a home.

They both worked and she had to quit school. Her sister kept the baby during the day. It was hard work for them to keep it together, but they did. They moved into a bigger house. About five years later, they welcomed a second child and one year after that, their third.

For our twenty year class reunion, (It was really 18, but that’s another story.) they invited a bunch of us girls, to stay at their new home, that they had just built. It was a gorgeous house in the country complete with a pool and pool house. Again, their families had helped them build it with the many skills that they had from carpentry to laying tile.

Their story is one of my favorite love stories for so many reasons. Yes, it’s a story of a boy and a girl who made difficult choices and made a commitment to stand by each other, for better or worse. They went on to make a beautiful life together and beautiful children against impossible odds. But, it’s also a story of the possibilities of what can happen when families pull together and support each other. It’s a story of two families who chose life and love too, although it must have been a difficult choice for them as well.

We have so many choices to make during our lifetimes. We make good ones and we make bad ones. Sometimes encouraging and supporting loved ones in their choices are the most important ones we ever make. I was thrilled to attend the high school graduation celebration of my friend’s first child. He has gone on to finish college and has become a delightful young man.

Now, I have been invited to attend the graduation celebration of her youngest child who is also going on to college. I am moved to tears at the enormity of it all. The impossibility of this story just proves that with enough commitment and perseverance, love will find a way and it’s beautiful.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Savoring a Snow Day

Posted on by Wendy
Our neighborhood creek with snow.
Our neighborhood creek with snow.

 

We have been granted another snow day in Northeast Georgia. It’s not snowing. It’s sleet mixed with rain, but the state of Georgia got caught unprepared for winter weather a couple of weeks ago and motorists were stranded for days. The Peach State became the butt of late night television show jokes. Our leaders are erring on the side of caution.

This plan works out perfectly for me. I will likely have two to three glorious days with my babies at home with me. They are twelve and fourteen and have busy social lives of their own, so to have them home is always a blessing. Not to mention, my high school freshman will only have a few more years to live at home and have snow days. In no time, she will be off to college.

It seems like just yesterday that they were little and watching Dora the Explorer and now they are half-grown. This mama has enough sense to savor gifts from God like snow days. They are rare for us in the Deep South and that makes them precious.

I have chili in the crock pot. My son is telling me all about something he is building on Minecraft. My daughter is playing IT support on my new laptop. My hubby is working from home. The people I hold most dear are right here with me doing their own thing, but close. I’m thankful.

We will likely lose power sometime tonight or tomorrow, but we have candles, flashlights and Uno Cards. We have a pool table. We have plenty of bread and peanut butter, crackers and chips. Our kids still love family game night. We sometimes have to stop playing Scattergories, because our sides hurt so badly from laughing at each other and our ridiculous answers. We have each other.

Sure, boredom will likely set in at some point. We also are the proud owners of three dogs ranging from twenty pounds to a hundred twenty pounds. The floor will be a wet mess, but thankfully, cleaning up hardwood floors is easy.

The point is that we have a choice to see life’s curve balls as inconveniences or opportunities. What some consider hardship, we have the option to see as a blessing. I am choosing to see this snow day as a blessing.

Most older people will tell you that if they could have just one thing, they would choose more time. It’s the one thing that we don’t get more of. So, I’m savoring this time with my babies who aren’t babies anymore and I would love to encourage you to do the same.

You don’t have to have a snow day or kids at home, but savor the time with friends and family at every opportunity. It really is a gift from God.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

How Do You Deal With Change?

Posted on by Wendy
Change, like the seasons is inevitable. This bud will become a flower whether it wants to or not.
Change, like the seasons is inevitable. These buds will become flowers whether they want to or not.

I have never been a huge fan of change. I suppose lots of Southerners feel the same. We often take the, “Don’t fix it if it ain’t broke attitude.” Sometimes it’s a good one. In my humble opinion, things like children saying “yes sir and yes ma’am,”and saying Grace at meals should never change.

Other things like technology, are bound to change whether I like it or not. My sweet husband bought me a new laptop for our anniversary. I told him that he should get a new laptop and let me keep mine, but he insisted that he wanted me to have the new one. I was so excited and fairly glowed, I’m sure, with his thoughtful gift.

A mere twenty-four hours later, I’m ready to kill him for his thoughtfulness. At this writing, I hate Windows 8. It’s busy. Icons pop up all over the place for no apparent reason. I have to sign into my computer every time I turn it on. (I guess Microsoft is concerned that my dog may read my unprotected blog.) My printer won’t work and I don’t have Windows Office pre-loaded. Thank you so much Mr. Gates.

My old laptop was three years old; ancient in our world of throw-away technology, but it was running my old friend Vista with no trouble at all.

I’ll bet you that in a month, I will love my new computer as well as its operating system and I simply won’t be able to believe that I could have lived without it. But, today I am frustrated!

Don’t we find most life changes frustrating and intimidating? Whether we are trying to eat healthier, give up smoking, start a new job, retire from a current job, have a baby, get married or (you fill in the blank here). Change is rarely easy, but it’s one of the few guarantees we have in life. Nothing ever stays exactly the same.

But, when you think about it, that really is a good thing. Our goal throughout our entire lives should be growth. If we are growing, we can’t be stagnant. We are perpetually in progress like the Camellia buds in my picture. Even in winter, when nature appears dormant, there is still internal activity going on.

And so it is with us too. Even when we have a sedentary period, we can still grow. Growth doesn’t always have to include action. It could include contemplation and reflection. Sometimes it requires some rest like the trees in winter, but growth should always continue.

We should strive to be more like Christ and answer our call to serve until we take our last breath. We should strive to grow, knowing that change is inevitable and trusting that God has a plan and that we are equipped with what we need to participate in that plan, whether we know it our not.

Keeping this in mind, I won’t toss my shiny new computer onto the floor. I will take some time to learn to love Windows 8, (picture me saying this through gritted teeth.) And most importantly, I’m going to try to learn to embrace change. Who’s with me? I’d love to hear from you.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂