Category: Watching for God

God is all around us. All we have to do is look for Him. If we seek Him, we will find Him at times in the most unlikely places.

God and Football

Posted on by Wendy

Back in August, a little organization called Freedom from Religion, sent letters to UGA, Auburn, and South Carolina, demanding that they remove chaplains from their football teams. In the past, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, and Clemson got them too.

It was the same old separation of church and state argument that atheists love to present at any given opportunity. Auburn apparently responded rather quickly and among other things said something along the lines of: the U.S. Congress has a chaplain; we’re keeping ours. Way to go Auburn! (That’s likely the only time you will see those words written here.)

After the UGA vs. Vanderbilt game, there’s a picture on Twitter (pictured above), of the players actually kneeling together in prayer. It’s pretty powerful. Sure, they are rivals; but football is only a game. Faith is forever. I’m proud to be an alum of a school that encourages their players to show their faith.

Parents have lamented for years about the poor role models that sports figures present. Maybe if the pro players attended colleges that encouraged faith along with winning, professional athletes might behave differently.

Last Saturday, UGA played Southern University out of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Late in the third quarter, one of their players, Devon Gales was injured. It didn’t look good when he went down. He wasn’t moving at all. I said a silent prayer for him as they carried him off the field on a stretcher, the kind that keeps you from moving.

I continued to pray for him and when I searched the internet, I discovered I wasn’t alone. Facebook had several shares from different sources asking for prayers.

I learned that Georgia’s head coach Mark Richt, a man very open about his faith in Jesus, had visited Gales at the hospital and was quoted as saying, “We’re trying to cover him up with as much love as we can and let him know that we care and that we’re here to help.”

But, that should come as no surprise. Richt is a Christian. Love is at the core of Christianity. A spokesman from Southern University said that Gales’ family and the entire Southern University family was extremely thankful for all of the prayers and support. Also, not shocking, is that the football chaplains have been very involved.

Yeah, the ones that the Freedom from Religion group wanted to remove. I wonder how Devon Gales and his family feel about those chaplains. I wonder of any member of that group would care to comment.

UGA players also took to Twitter with their prayers and well wishes for Devon. Seems God is alive and well in college football.

Football is a rough game where it’s very easy to get seriously injured. The wise coaches know that they need God. The wise players know that they need God.

Everyday life can be awfully rough too. Although, not as physically dangerous as football, it’s easy to get injured just the same. We need God. Our leaders need God. Because in the end, He’s really the only one who can save us.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Be Still and Pray Even on Busy Days

Posted on by Wendy
One of God's greatest creations was the companionship of a dog.
One of God’s greatest creations was the companionship of a dog.

It had been a long day for me. I had been up late the night before waiting for my son’s bus to return from a band exhibition. I had been up since 5:00 AM. As I was driving home from work, I mentally ticked off my to-do list, which included a couple of loads of laundry and dinner, not to mention I could write my name in the dust on my dresser. I also reminded myself that I hadn’t exercised all week.

But, when I got home, instead of rushing around and starting on my chores, I decided to take a little quiet time and do some yoga and pray. I love to pray when I practice yoga. The quiet, intentional breathing seems to invite the Holy Spirit to join me.

I did some stretching and standing poses and then I got down on the floor. “Lord, please show me your face;” I prayed. “Let me feel your presence.”

I was still for a few minutes, something I struggle with some days. When I started on my Pilates moves, my dog Sandy, came peeping around the corner. I kept working and he continued to inch closer, so close that I had to either pet him or kick him.

Of course, I chose to pet him and then he was all over me. He flopped on his back, wagging his tail, greedy for attention and as if I made some kind of announcement, my little dog, Piper came bounding into the room and took full posession of my other hand.

The dogs were in ecstasy as I focused all of my attention on them, my little workout long forgotten. They had missed me. They didn’t care how busy I was or what was on my to-do list; they simply wanted my time and attention. I gave it to them freely and felt more relaxed than I had all day.

At that moment, I knew God had been listening. My dogs served as a reminder of unconditional love. They served as a reminder that all of the stuff I needed to do could wait. The relationships wouldn’t.

When I thought about my canine love fest later, I was reminded that God too, desires my daily time and attention. On my busiest days, He still wants me to make time for Him to read His word and to pray. He’s not very concerned with my to-do list.

On the days I get it wrong, I am given forgiveness and grace. On the days I get it right, something beautiful always happens. Today I was rewarded with wagging tails and doggie kisses. Who knows what will happen tomorrow?

Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Supernatural Christianity

Posted on by Wendy
As Christians, the supernatural really shouldn't surprise us.
As Christians, the supernatural really shouldn’t surprise us.

Last Sunday, I was sitting in church. The announcements had been made. The choir had sung. The scripture passage had been read. The sermon was next. As I was waiting, I felt a strong nudge to pray for my pastor. I don’t know why, but I did.

I said a quick, silent prayer for his peace, for his heart to be open to the Holy Spirit and that he would be able to deliver a message to inspire us all to reflect and share the Gospel with those outside our church.

The message was a good one about not comparing ourselves to others, even though it’s in our nature. It was about how we get super focused on the things of man, not the things of God. It was truth. I enjoyed it. I took notes.

Afterward, I was scurrying around trying to assist in getting our youth together and fed for our outing at a nearby corn maze. Most everyone had cleared out.

My pastor was still there and we chatted for a few minutes. Then he put his hand on my arm and leaned in and told me he wanted to thank me for praying for him that morning. I was silent for a moment, then I asked, “How did you know?”

He told me that he knew there were others praying too, but then he told me the precise moment when I had prayed.

Seems the Holy Spirit was super busy on Sunday, which is why I worship there. I can feel God there. There was a time on my faith journey when that conversation would have given me goose bumps and made the hair stand up on the back of my neck. The supernatural has a way of making us uncomfortable. We don’t like what we can’t explain.

But, for a little over two years now, I’ve been writing almost daily, about God being present in the world around us. I look for Him everywhere and I see Him everywhere. I share that here in this space. I encourage others to do the same.

Honestly, the incident didn’t surprise me in the least, after the initial light bulb moment. Why would I be surprised to find the Holy Spirit active in a place of worship? Didn’t He appear the first time in Acts, when a group of believers were gathered in prayer?

Why would I be surprised to find the leader of my church in tune with and open to the Holy Spirit? Shouldn’t I expect him to be?

Christianity is all about the supernatural. We believe Jesus always walks with us even though we can’t see Him. We believe God hears our prayers. We believe in the resurrection. We believe in all types of miracles. We believe that Heaven awaits us after we finish this journey.

As we grow in our faith, shouldn’t the supernatural become our norm? Should we really be surprised when we see God at work? Just a thought.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

Appreciating the Ordinary

Posted on by Wendy
Beautiful days, friends, and family are wonderful reasons to give thanks.
Beautiful days, friends, and family are wonderful reasons to give thanks.

As I was walking my parents’ dogs yesterday, in the incredibly beautiful weather that we have been blessed with recently, I found myself saying a prayer of thanks for my perfectly mundane day. I had gone for a haircut that morning, nothing like a little trim to add a little pep to a girl’s step. I had coffee and a two hour visit with a dear friend of mine and we got caught up. Finally, I ran to the grocery store.

I hadn’t really done much on my to-do list for the day, but I found myself with a profound sense of peace as I thanked God that I had hair to cut. Some people don’t, and money to pay for it. Some people don’t.

I thanked God for my friend. Some people don’t have any.

I thanked God for the ability to go and buy groceries. Some people can’t.

We all have great days, when we are on top of the world, like the day we got married, or the day we graduated from high school or college, or the day we held our first child. Those days are glorious days. We take photos to remember them and we sometimes replay them in our heads, moment by moment. Remembering them brings us joy.

We all have really bad days too, like the day we got fired, or the day we learned of a scary medical diagnosis, or the day we buried a loved one. Those days too, are often etched in our memories.

When times are good, we often find ourselves praying and giving thanks for our good fortunes or blessings.

When times are bad, we often find ourselves praying for healing, peace, strength or guidance.

But, when I think about my life and all of the great moments and all of the really bad, I’ll have to admit that most of my days are filled with the in-between stuff. Most of my days aren’t perfect and fabulous, but they aren’t painful and sad either.

Most of my days are filled with ordinary things like making breakfast for my kids, and doing the laundry, and sweeping floors, and watching television with my hubby. While those things seem so ordinary at first glance, a closer look reveals something else.

Ask someone who has lost a child what they would give to make breakfast for them again. Ask someone who has lost their home to a fire what they would give to be able to do laundry again. Ask someone who is homeless what they would give to have floors to sweep. Ask a recent widow what she would give to watch television with her husband one more time.

We often forget to give thanks for the everyday blessings we have, and most have of us have many, because they just seem so ordinary. We can sometimes take them for granted. But, I think a closer look shows that the ordinary is actually quite extraordinary.

That notion really hit me hard as I was walking those little dogs and giving thanks. I think I needed a reminder.

Maybe you did too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Finding God in the Chaos

Posted on by Wendy
When we seek Him, we will find Him.
When we seek Him, we will find Him.

Yesterday was a crazy morning at my house. I had to be at the school for a half-day assignment and I desperately wanted to write my post before I left for work. I like to write in the mornings. It’s quiet and I have the time and peace to reflect. I need quiet to write. I often find inspiration in nature, when I take walks or even outside my window. My desk is surrounded by big windows with lots of light.

Well, yesterday morning, my neighbors were having some trees removed from the yard. My dogs went crazy, barking at all of the trucks in the cul-de-sac. Every time they heard a strange noise, they would bark. I am also dog sitting for my parents’ little yappers, so the barking was in stereo.

After begging them and commanding them to stop barking, (yeah right!), I went through the house and pinned all of the curtains closed with clothes pins. They could no longer see the workmen. But, they could still hear, so they continued to bark. I turned on the radio for noise and chuckled a little at myself for having to work so hard to outsmart dogs.

But, at last, they settled down. But, where would I get my inspiration? My house was dark. I had no natural night coming in. The radio was blaring noise. Where would I find my quiet space? How could I hear God?

I’ll have to admit that I was a tad frustrated at this point. I mean, all I wanted to do is light my little light shine. Should it be so hard?

I escaped to my upstairs bathroom to do some yoga stretches and search for some peace. I have a large window in there.

I prayed for God to show Himself in my morning chaos and lo and behold, there He was in a bright pink impatien. I know those flowers are very common, but let me give you a little background. First of all, I didn’t plant any this year and when I did plant them in that planter, I always planted white ones. It’s Fall. It’s time for petunias and mums in orange, yellow and burgundy.

But, here, in mid-September, God gave me a bright pink impatient. I smiled as soon as it caught my eye. Where could I find God in the chaos? I found Him in the place where I got still and quiet and purposefully sought Him.

The Bible says, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13

It’s easy to forget. We convince ourselves that we have to have the perfect time, or perfect place, or perfect circumstances, to seek God, to seek a real relationship. We can come up with some pretty good excuses for not seeking Him.

But, in the end, when we open our hearts and reach out, He’s always ready to reach back. Sometimes He will even send a flower.

I needed a reminder today. Maybe you did too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

Caterpillar Seasons

Posted on by Wendy
Caterpillars are dull and unremarkable, but we have to remember that it's just for a season.
Caterpillars are dull and unremarkable, but we know that it’s just for a season.

I have seen caterpillars everywhere lately. It seems like wherever I walk, I have to be careful not to step on one. My daughter even announced to me yesterday, that she had saved one that was crawling in the garage. That’s a huge step for her because she really hates worms. But, she knows that a caterpillar is much more than a worm and she has a special love for butterflies.

Don’t we all? Most butterflies are so beautiful that they look like God hand painted them. However, no butterfly was ever born a butterfly. Nope, they all start out as lowly, unremarkable worms, crawling around on the ground, completely unaware of the breathtaking potential that they carry within them.

I think we all are like caterpillars at one time or another, just slogging along in our drab and unremarkable way. Thankfully, Jesus can see the butterfly within, even when we can’t. He saw the butterfly in Peter even though he would deny him. He saw the butterfly in Mary Magdalene even though she was possessed by demons. He saw the butterfly in Levi, the lowly tax collector and he sees the butterfly in me and you.

When we take our focus off of ourselves and our own day-to-day trials and put it on Jesus, something amazing happens. We realize that we are loved, cherished and created for a purpose. We realize like the butterfly, that we are beautiful and one of a kind, because God made us and He doesn’t make mistakes.

Following Jesus, gives us wings.
Following Jesus, gives us wings.

When we stay focused on Jesus, we feel like we can fly and that all things are possible. But, sometimes we forget. Sometimes we get off track. We let our noisy world drown out the truth and we go back to being a caterpillar. But, here’s the beautiful truth about following Jesus: We can go back to being a butterfly if we choose to.

Jesus always welcomes us back with open arms and his transforming love will change us back into something beautiful.

If we ever find ourselves in a caterpillar season, we need to remember that Jesus wants more for us than we are willing to settle for and that we are loved beyond measure, even enough to die for. That’s how much we matter to him.

He wants us to put on those beautiful wings and fly around and share that truth with all of those caterpillars who desperately need to hear it. What do you say? Are you tired of crawling? Are you ready to fly? Jesus is waiting.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

 

Lessons from a Shingle

Posted on by Wendy
It's impossible for one shingle to keep out the rain on its own.
It’s impossible for one shingle to keep out the rain on its own.

I learned a fair amount about roofing on my Salkehatchie summer mission trip. I learned that shingles are heavy. I learned that you can’t walk on them when they get hot because it shortens the life of them. I learned to wear gloves when handling them because you will get pieces of fiberglass in your fingers that become painful later.

But, probably the most important lesson, was that a shingle only does its job when it is in unity with other shingles. There’s a black tar line that runs along the center of a shingle. It must line up with the ones on either side or the roof will eventually leak.

They have to work together to keep the inhabitants of the home warm and dry. If just one shingle is in the wrong place, the roof can leak. Leaks lead to all kinds of problems from mold, to wet ceilings, to eventual ceiling collapse, if the roof isn’t repaired.

I was reminded of the importance of shingles working together, at a team meeting at church last night. We are desperately trying to build communication between all of our church committees, so that we can all work together and grow together in unity, and avoid any leaks which happen when we get out of unity with each other and with God.

It’s a lot trickier with humanity than with shingles. Inanimate objects stay in a nice straight line once they are nailed down. But, people, well, we are all over the place. We are broken and we tend to take our focus off of God and place it on ourselves. That leads to all kinds of leaks and problems.

It has been said that churches are the most peaceful and wonderful places ever, until you put people in them. Yet, that’s what Jesus has called us to do. He’s called us to come together as a family and create a solid line, like those shingles, and call as many people as humanly possible, to join with us and build his kingdom.

Knowing that we have an enemy who would love to see us fail in our mission, has made all of our church members pray constantly for guidance and unity. We know that when you are in a war, you really should expect some resistance.

But, I wonder what our world would look like if all Christians came together and prayed for guidance and unity. What if we all used the Bible as our straight line and prayer as the nails, and joined together? I think we would be impenetrable to anything and everything that comes against us.

When the shingles are nailed together, the people in the house, stay dry during storms.
When the shingles are nailed together, the people in the house, stay dry during storms.

Maybe we could learn a lesson from shingles. Maybe it’s time for more unity among all Christians. If we all worked together, who knows what the outcome would be? I imagine it would be spectacular.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Rainbow Reflections

Posted on by Wendy
The rainbow represents God's powerful promise.
The rainbow represents God’s everlasting promise.

My mama texted me this picture of a rainbow that my sister took on her family vacation. I’ll have to admit that I found it stunning. It’s rare to see a complete rainbow extending in a full arc, even rarer to see the second one behind it. She also wrote that she was supplying some possibility photos for my blog. She has always been one of my loudest cheerleaders.

The next day, when I was scrolling through my Facebook feed, someone had taken a picture of another beautiful rainbow. Her caption was “the storm that came before it wasn’t nearly as lovely.” No kidding, I thought. Isn’t that always the case?

But, the two rainbow pics, back-to-back, made me feel like God wanted me to read the flood story, so I headed to Genesis.

There are so many fabulous examples of God’s love for His creation and of His mercy, in the account of the flood. Because one man, just one, was righteous, God saved him, his wife, his sons and their wives. Ever feel like what you do doesn’t matter? Ever wonder what’s the point of following God and trying to keep His Commandments when no one around you does?

God is watching. He knows. Noah’s salvation from the flood is a powerful testament to that.

God also gave Noah very specific instructions on how to build the ark. Noah followed them to the letter and he and all of his family, as well as all of the animals were saved due to his exact obedience. He didn’t ask God why He was flooding the earth, or decide to do it his own way, or decide that he would listen to parts of God’s instructions, but not all of them.

Just like Noah, God has given us a set of instructions to keep us safe from life’s floods. If we follow them, we too can be kept from disaster, but the key is that we’re not supposed to pick and choose. We’re supposed to be obedient, even when we don’t understand. I can’t imagine that Noah could even begin to fathom what was coming in his future, neither can we.

In Genesis 7:16, the Bible tells us that after Noah did what he was told, God shut him in. God wasn’t taking his freedom; He was keeping him safe. When God shuts doors behind us, He is doing the same. We shouldn’t try to pry them back open.

Most scholars believe that Noah and his family and all of those animals, were on the ark for a little over a year. Try to remember that the next time you are really struggling to wait on God’s timing. Chapter 8 tells us, “God remembered Noah.” God remembers us too.

When God finally told Noah and his family to come out, He blessed them. They had been obedient and steadfast and God made a covenant with them, and all of their descendants, and every living creature, and He gave them a sign.

“I have set my rainbow in the clouds and it will be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life.Whenever the rainbow appears in the cloud, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.” Genesis 9:13-16

Can you imagine the awe that filled Noah and his family every time a rainbow appeared in the sky after the flood? It was a physical manifestation of God’s promise. It had to have been breathtaking. Reading Noah’s story reminds me of the wonder that Noah must have felt. It makes me pause and reflect and give thanks.

Maybe you needed a reminder too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Never Stop Praying

Posted on by Wendy
Sometimes we need a reminder.
Sometimes we need a reminder.

Yesterday, after I saw my kids off to school, I prayed that God would help them arrive safely. I always pray that prayer, since my daughter started driving. But, yesterday, as I sat down to read my daily devotion, I found myself praying that prayer again. I wasn’t sure why. I wasn’t stressed or worried that something was wrong; I just felt led to pray for their safety, so I did.

I went on about my business and finished my devotion and folded some laundry, when I received a text from my daughter.

“Crap” (Sorry y’all she’s a teenager!)

The next words had the hair standing up on the back of my neck. “I just saw a really bad wreck. Someone got t-boned at the 4 way stop.”

I caught my breath and asked her if she was parked. Yes, they were safely at school, but the car was right in front of her and had been pushed off into the ditch. She was wondering if she should have stopped.

I assured her that she had done the right thing. She knows no first aid and has been driving for less than a month. She did everyone a favor by moving on and not blocking the intersection. That intersection is very busy and I was sure someone had already dialed 911.

I immediately thanked God for the intervention with tears in my eyes. That car was just one car in front of my children and I had been lead to pray for them that morning. Coincidence? I don’t think so.

The Bible tells us to “Never stop praying.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17 We are supposed to be in constant contact with God through prayer. Whether times are good or bad, peaceful or turbulent, we are supposed to pray.

I find that the more time I spend praying, the more often people or situations pop into my mind. When that happens, I pray for them. That happened yesterday with my kids. That is the work of the Holy Spirit. He helps us pray when we don’t even know what to pray for and He intercedes.

Prayer helps and covers us all of the time in countless ways that we often are completely clueless about. We rarely know when someone may be praying for us and causing some type of intervention and we are all called to pray for each other.

But, yesterday was one of those special moments when I saw the immediate results of prayer and I could feel the presence of God protecting my family and quite frankly, it was just too good not to share.

Never stop praying. It truly works.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

 

Trusting the Director

Posted on by Wendy
If we listen to the Divine Director, we can be unstoppable.
If we listen to the Divine Director, we can be unstoppable.

I volunteered to help hand out marching band uniforms yesterday at my son’s high school. He’s a freshman so this was a first time for me. High school marching band meets throughout the day in sections. The first class of the day was drumline which includes all of percussion.

When the kids arrived for class, the band director spoke with them for a few minutes and then told them to get out their instruments. The noise and chaos (or so it seemed to me), that ensued, was close to deafening. Everyone was playing a different beat on a different instrument. I knew intellectually, that the director had been teaching band for years, but the noise, the noise….

What seemed like forever later, although in reality it was only a short time, the director took the podium. The room was silent. He gave some instructions and they played together. It was still incredibly loud, but it was music, with a beat. They were good. It made sense.

The next class was brass instruments. There were a lot more of them that in the drumline. The same thing happened. The director spoke with them for a few minutes and the noise began. Those tubas and trombones made every bit as much racket as the percussion group.

Once again, the band director took the podium, pin drop silence occurred first and then beautiful music. Towards the end of the class, I was tapping along and wanting to yell out a cheer with them. Who would have thought out of all that chaos, that beautiful music could be produced?

Well, everyone but me, I suspect. The band director knew and the band members knew too. It was the casual observer, the outsider, who didn’t know.

Later on that day, he would bring all of the rest of the groups together with the first two and have them march and play as a team. The result would be fabulous.

After I went home and took a couple of Advil, I pondered the workings of the marching band and how similar they are to the Christian Church.

To the outside observer, we often look like a mess. We run in different directions and are passionate about so many different callings and causes that it seems like we could never really come together and accomplish much of anything.

But, our Divine Director, changes everything. When He takes the podium and we listen to Him and follow His directions through the Bible, and through prayer, we become a Divine Marching Band of Christian Soldiers. We produce beautiful acts, beautiful music and we can change the world. We are a force to be reckoned with and we are unstoppable.

All we have to do is be willing to listen and follow. The results are nothing short of miraculous. Anyone feel like marching?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂