Category: Holidays

Holidays are a perfect time to look for God in the world around us and to give thanks.

Easter is Coming!

Posted on by Wendy
He is risen!

We are at the end of Holy Week. It’s supposed to rain today. It always seems to be either gray or raining on Good Friday. It’s almost as if creation itself, remembers and mourns the day that mankind decided to kill God. It appeared, for a time, that we succeeded.

As Jesus’ followers mourned and Peter was filled with remorse over his denial, evil celebrated. I truly cannot imagine how dark that Friday and Saturday must have been.

But, God had a plan.

Aren’t we thankful for any statement that begins with “But, God,”? It always means the miraculous is about to happen, so you better buckle up.

As horrific as that weekend must have been, God knew Sunday was coming. So, when Mary went to the tomb, just as she was supposed to according to Jewish law, she was met by the resurrected Jesus and history was changed forever.

And Peter was forgiven. He took his second chance to acknowledge Jesus and ran with it. He became the Rock that Jesus knew he could be.

As we sit in the gloom of Good Friday, mankind looks as evil as ever. There are those who are still actively trying to kill God and they too, seem to be succeeding.

But, take heart friends; God still has a plan.

Easter is coming.

As dark as our days might be, they aren’t as dark as that Friday and Saturday were. Those believers didn’t have the benefit of living on the Sunday side of the cross.

Let’s take some time this weekend to remember the sheer weight of Friday and Saturday, but when Sunday comes, let’s truly celebrate as a people who are forgiven and loved by a God who is very much alive. He is risen! Praise God!

Happy Easter!

Wendy 🙂

Finding the Joy and Wonder of Christmas

Posted on by Wendy
“Oh come let us adore Him!”

This year, my family gathered for Thanksgiving at my parents’ house. I learned that the close by city of Macon, was having an “Extravaganza of Lights,” in their downtown which began on Black Friday.

My family loves a Christmas light display, so we couldn’t resist.

I’ll have to admit that I was a little skeptical of what we would find. It was put on by a church and it was free, even the parking. I suppose I have become so accustomed to having to pay for everything, especially parking, that I couldn’t imagine what a free light display would look like.

Nevertheless, we piled into the car and headed over to Macon as it got dark. The streets were crowded with people, but we were able to find a free parking space. When we got out, we could hear someone over a speaker discussing the lights and preparation and we started towards it, when a gentleman stopped us and told us we should, “Wait for it,” as he pointed to a tree next to him.

We looked around and every single tree was wrapped in unlit lights. There were other people just standing in place as well.

Not wanting to miss anything, we waited.

The man on the speaker finished talking and then he said he was going to say a word of prayer.

I was a little stunned. Christmas has become so commercialized and secular, a prayer? On main street America?

I bowed my head and when he finished, an orchestra started playing a traditional Christmas song and the landscape sprang to life. With the flip of a switch, I became a child again, basking in the magic and wonder of Christmas that we were never meant to outgrow.

The display spread out over five city blocks. Every block had different colors and displays and they all were synchronized to the music. Not only could I see the joy on the face of every man, woman and child who I passed by, I could feel the joy in the air.

I felt like I was walking around in a Hallmark movie.

Afterwards, when I was back at work, I was telling a friend about it and she said, “It sounds a little like heaven, with the music, lights, praise and joy.”

I hadn’t thought about it that way, but I supposed it did. Maybe that was the reason I had to fight tears the entire time we were there.

Although Christmas is meant to be the celebration of when Heaven came to earth, we sometimes lose that along the way, yet our hearts were made to long for more.

Our hearts were made to long for Jesus.

Someday, when we get to heaven, our days will be filled with light, joy and songs, but until then, may we all remember that Jesus is the reason for the season and take time to bask in the knowledge that He is with us even now.

That truth alone, should fill the season with both joy and wonder. A Christmas light show reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 😊

Easter is Coming

Posted on by Wendy
Easter is coming!

As we ready ourselves for Easter Sunday, we have to first go through Good Friday. Friday is an incredibly dark day for people of faith. On that fateful Friday so many years ago, Jesus’ followers believed that they truly had come to the end and all was lost, but they were wrong. You may find yourself in a really dark place right now too, but be encouraged, Sunday is coming!

May we take some time to reflect upon what’s so truly amazing about grace. Happy Easter!

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Happy New Year!

Posted on by Wendy
May 2022 be a year filled with intentional living.

As I sit on the edge of a brand new year, I always find it meaningful to reflect on the year that is coming to a close. Sometimes it’s been such a good year, I hate to see it end and other times, I find myself sprinting to midnight, anxious to turn the page on the calendar for a brand new start.

But, the older I get, the better I get at remembering the many blessings of the past year. Even in the worst of times, there have always been more blessings than I can count and certainly more than I deserve. I am also reminded that as a Christ follower, January 1st is simply symbolic. Grace gives me a chance for a brand new start every single day that I wake up and a chance to do life better than the day before.

While I’m not big on resolutions, I do like the idea of focusing on a single word for the year. In the past, I have used thankful, to remind me that I have so very much to be thankful for. I’ve also used abundance, to remind me that I always have so much more than I need. I’ve used trust, to remind me that God loves me and He always has a plan. Last year it was transform, to remind me to not be afraid of change and to push me to do my part in changing what I wasn’t happy with.

Every year I settle on a word and then I write it in places where I will see it. It reminds me to be intentional. In the end, living with intention is always my goal.  New Year’s Eve just serves as a reminder. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Happy New Year!

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 🙂

Using Our Circumstances

Posted on by Wendy
Patrick used the shamrock to explain the trinity.

As I write this, my son is in New York City with his high school marching band, getting ready to march in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Needless to say, he was super excited to get to be a part of it.

St. Patrick’s Day is one of those holidays that retailers have come to love. It’s about parades, wearing green and drinking beer.

But, St. Patrick has an interesting story.

Patrick was probably born to wealthy British parents somewhere from 400-460 AD. He was captured by Irish raiders as a teenager and taken to Ireland. He was then sent off alone as a slave to tend sheep. During that time, he was very lonely and prayed constantly.

After six years, God told him in a dream that it was time to leave Ireland. He started walking around 200 miles to the coast where he was rescued by friendly sailors and returned home.

While he was in Ireland, he learned their language and customs. Legend says that an angel told him in a dream to return to Ireland to teach the Gospel. After studying for 15 years, he went back to Ireland.

The Irish were mostly pagan and Druid, but there were some Christians there. Since Patrick knew the Irish customs, he knew that the shamrock plant was sacred to them , so he used the three leaf clover to explain the trinity. He knew fire was also sacred to them and so he used bonfires to celebrate Easter. He also used the sun, a powerful Irish symbol, and superimposed a cross over it to create the Celtic cross.

He took what he had learned during a dark time in his life, in a place where he didn’t want to be, and used it to glorify God. God was preparing him for a plan all along, that Patrick couldn’t have possibly understood, but God knew. At the end of Patrick’s life, he is credited with starting three hundred churches and baptizing over a hundred twenty thousand Irish people. He preached for forty years and died on March 17th.

He is also credited with performing at least thirty-three miracles, none of which were driving out snakes. There never were snakes in Ireland. Perhaps he drove out a different kind of snake.

Patrick’s story reminds me that no matter how lost or abandoned we may feel, we never walk alone. God is always with us and always working. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you needed reminding too. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Wendy 🙂

Advent Kindness

Posted on by Wendy
Sometimes the simplest kindness can inspire others to do the same.

Yesterday was a really busy day at the school where I work. It was our annual Thanksgiving Feast celebration and we had close to a thousand people signed up to come and eat. There were people checking in and out all day long with very little down time.

On top of that, it had been a long week. It had rained all week long, pouring rain, and we had flash flood watches and river flooding watches. I hadn’t seen the sun in days. By Thursday, I really just longed to be home on my couch, underneath a blanket.

On that previous Sunday, when we returned from church, there had been a gift leaning up against my garage door. It was an Advent Calendar with a big Santa Clause on it. I knew immediately who it was from, but I wondered how it got there.

An elderly widow lived across the street from us from the time we bought our house until last summer, when she announced to us she was moving into a retirement community. She had shared with that me she was lonely and she was ready to move. She told me with a twinkle in her eye that she had heard that place was just like living in a sorority house. I was so sad to see her go, but really happy for her.

She bought my kids Advent Calendars our very first Christmas in our new home and continued every year well into their teenage years. I hadn’t thought much about this year until I saw it and the card she included brought tears to my eyes. She said she thought my son might enjoy one last Advent Calendar before he went off to college.

Her thoughtfulness and kindness really touched my heart and I gave thanks for her influence on my childrens’ lives. She certainly didn’t have to be so kind to them, but she always was. She was an inspiration to me and I prayed that God would show me opportunities to show kindness to others when I didn’t have to.

Yesterday, at the end of the day, I walked down to a classroom to get some kiddos to check out. The office was packed and there were some classes in transition and I was grateful for the escape. I walked purposefully to my destination holding a radio in my hand and after I found the teacher, I headed back.

But, as I headed towards the office, a kindergartener stopped me. She was at the water fountain trying to fill her water bottle. She asked me if I could loosen the top for her. That Advent Calendar blazed across my mind as a teacher came down the hall and offered to help her. I smiled, put the walkie underneath my arm and told her that was okay, I loosened the top and handed it back to her. The little girl beamed and thanked me as she walked back to the fountain.

God has often spoken to me through children. I think they are sometimes beacons for Jesus. It didn’t occur to the little girl that I was tired, or in a hurry, or that I had something in my hand. She was thirsty and she needed assistance, so she asked and I was given the opportunity that I had prayed for.

I was humbled and thankful. A little girl and an Advent Calendar reminded me that as we travel through Thanksgiving and head towards Advent that our aching world is filled with opportunities to be kind, and that if we prayerfully keep watch, God will show us the way. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Early Thanksgiving Blessings

Posted on by Wendy
May our early Thanksgiving remind us to stop and give thanks.

Thanksgiving is early this year. The latest it can be is November 28th and the earliest is November 22nd. I don’t know what makes it fluctuate, but since I am someone who looks for God’s fingerprints in the world around me, I suspect this year’s early arrival was Divine intervention.

This year’s little midterm elections which are usually a blip on the screen, were particularly ugly and contentious with an extra helping of accusations of cheating from both sides of the aisle. There are several states who have people in key races who have refused to concede, including my own, and once again, the state of Florida has some major voting issues, leaving the country in limbo.

We are clearly divided as a nation, yet there are some things that tend to bring us together. Thanksgiving is one of them.

It’s a uniquely American holiday that calls on us to stop what we are doing; this means working for most of us, but maybe specifically this year, fighting with each other, come together, and give thanks for all we have and let’s face it, we have a lot.

The vast majority of us have electricity, roofs over our heads, clean water and plenty to eat. Even our poorest, have more than those in other parts of the world. Sure, we can absolutely do better and we should definitely strive to do so, but we have no doubt, been blessed.

We have the goal of educating every child in this country, regardless of their sex, race or religion. The American dream is still a shining beacon to those who seek to work for it.

We are free to worship in the way that we see fit here, something that we tend to take for granted. It’s easy to forget that Christians in some parts of the world are killed or tortured everyday for acknowledging their belief in Jesus.

Division has often been a part of American life. From our nation’s birth, with the Loyalists and the Patriots, to the North verses the South, to the Civil Rights Movement that rocked us, but eventually made us stronger, we have always disagreed with each other.

But, in the end, we have always come back together. May this early Thanksgiving remind us how much we actually have in common and Who we have to thank for it, because in the end, acknowledging the Who, can unite us all.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Veteran’s Day Prayers

Posted on by Wendy
Let’s take a moment to say a prayer of thanks and healing for those who have fought to keep us safe.

Today we observe Veteran’s Day in the United States. It was first commemorated on November 11, 1919 because of an armistice, or cease-fire in World War I, occurred in the eleventh hour, on the eleventh day, in the eleventh month. World War I was known as the war to end all wars. The day was set aside to honor the soldiers who fought in that war as well as to honor the peace that had been secured.

There are other allied countries who also celebrate Armistice Day, most notably France.

Sadly, in 1939, World War II began and the Korean Conflict occurred after that. Next there was Vietnam and most recently, wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. World War I was clearly not the war to end all wars. In 1954, President Eisenhower designated November 11th as Veteran’s Day, a day when all Americans of all wars, would be honored for their service to our country.

According to the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs, there were 20.4 million veterans living in the United States, as of 2016. That’s less than ten percent of the adult population. That’s a very small amount of people who have done a huge amount of work and made great personal sacrifices to guarantee our everyday freedoms and safety that we all too often take for granted.

According to the Census, in 2014, 3.8 million had a service connected disability. Another estimate of the Department of Veteran’s Affairs, is that 31% of Vietnam Veterans, 10% of Gulf War Veterans and 11% of Afghanistan Veterans suffer from PTSD. These men and women are carrying around emotional scars with them that others can’t even see, that can interfere with their jobs, relationships, health and their well being in general.

As I read all of these statistics, I feel particularly humbled at the thought that our military is strictly volunteer. We haven’t had a draft since 1973, yet these brave men and women, volunteer their lives to serve and possibly fight and die, for an ideal so precious and so much bigger than they are.

As we take this day to remember our veterans, let’s say a prayer of thanks for their service as well as for the sacrifice of their families and loved ones. But, let’s also pray for healing. For some of them, their physical service may have ended, but their emotional war continues.

We are so very blessed in this country. Let’s pray that those blessings will extend specifically to those who have fought to insure all that we have.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Good Friday Reflections

Posted on by Wendy
Today may look dark, but Easter is coming.

Today is Good Friday. It’s the day the Christians commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus. It’s tempting to skip over and head right on to Easter Sunday. Living on this side of the cross, we know how the story ends. Yet, to fully appreciate the glory and magnitude of the resurrection, we have to acknowledge the crucifixion.

In Mark, Chapter 15, we find Pilate talking to the chief priests about Jesus. Pilate knows He has done nothing wrong and is willing to set Him free. But, they would have none of it.

Nope, the folks in charge wanted Jesus gone and out of the picture completely. They were tired of the talk of miracles. They were fed up hearing about the massive healings and the feeding of the multitudes. They didn’t want to hear about people being raised from the dead. They didn’t want to hear about forgiveness and faith.

They didn’t want to change from how they had always done things. They liked the status quo.

And for a short while, it looked like they got their wish.

Although one would have to wonder if the earthquake that occurred along with the tearing of the temple curtain, at Jesus’ death, made them question their decision to have Him killed. The Bible doesn’t tell us.

They had Saturday to bask in their accomplishment. I suspect they were thinking they were back to business as usual, but Sunday morning changed everything. On Sunday, when the tomb was found empty and Jesus appeared, hope and redemption were born.

The people in charge, have been trying to get rid of Jesus ever since. From the persecution of the earliest believers to the persecution that still goes on today, apparently hope and redemption are just too much for some people. The concept of forgiveness and grace is something worth jailing, torturing and killing Christians over.

And while we sit and shake our heads, thankful that we don’t live in such a barbaric part of the world or in such uncivilized times, aren’t our own leaders getting rid of Jesus at every turn? Prayer is no longer allowed in school and there are people who have lost their jobs over praying. Different groups have fought to have crosses removed from public places. Nativity scenes have been banned in parts of our country.

As we reflect upon the somber outcome of Good Friday, may we pray for revival in our own lives, and in our communities, and in our country, and in our world. Yes, the world looks very dark right now, but we know that Easter is coming. Jesus has risen and He’s coming back.

Can I get a hallelujah?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂