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.

Holes

Posted on by Wendy
This is a hole that chipmunks dug in our yard.
This is a hole that chipmunks dug in our yard.

We have a very wooded backyard. We have lots of oak trees and moss and rocks and very little grass. We like it that way. We kind of feel like we are in the mountains. Our yard is the home to a ton of birds and squirrels and chipmunks. Now chipmunks are notorious for digging holes and we try to fill them back in when we feel they pose a danger of someone stepping in them. But, chipmunks are relentless.

This hole, is at the very end of the walkway off of our deck. It’s right next to our house. As I was cutting okra and pulling a few figs yesterday, I noticed something shiny and black lying on the top of the chipmunk hole. As I went to investigate, I caught my breath; it was a snake, with only its head exposed. I have no idea how long the snake was in the hole, but I do know that I stepped around it several times that afternoon.

After I called my hubby to come check it out, it retreated further. I thought of that snake for the rest of the day and into the next. How big was it? When would it come out? Was it dangerous? My biggest question was, how long had it been there?

As many of my encounters with nature tend to do, this one made me begin to think about the possible holes in my spiritual life. How am I doing with the big three: prayer, Bible reading and worship? I think most of us can claim we do one or two well, but to really be able to put on the full Armor of God, we have to engage in all three. If we are lacking in one area, we leave a hole.

This is what finally came out of that hole.
This is what finally came out of that hole.

Bible reading seems to be where most people fail, but we can’t really get engaged with the Holy Spirit, if we don’t read God’s word. How can we develop wisdom and discernment? How do we know if a calling comes from God or somewhere else if we don’t know what He has to say about the matter.

We need the Holy Spirit to help us develop love, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, self-control and perseverance first in ourselves, and then to share with a badly hurting world. In the Armor of God, the Holy Spirit is the only offensive weapon. It’s a sword. It’s important.

Then there’s prayer. If we want to hear what God has to say, we have to listen intently. That means setting aside some quiet time daily to pray. Believe me, I know how hard that can be, but still very necessary.

Then there’s worship. In worship, we engage with other Christians in lifting up the name of God. The importance of worshiping the Creator of all on a regular basis, is also incredibly important to our spiritual life and spiritual safety. It creates a community that is vital to our spiritual growth.

When we pray about what areas need work, we can make an effort to fix them and plug any holes that we may have.

My hubby plugged the hole with a rock.
My hubby plugged the hole with a rock.

If we leave the holes uncovered, who knows what might move in? Chipmunks aren’t the only thing that is relentless. How do you do with spiritual holes?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

God Doesn’t Care About Statistics

Posted on by Wendy
This acorn only has a 1 in 10,000 chance of becoming a tree.
This acorn only has a 1 in 10,000 chance of becoming a tree.

If you are a math challenged individual like myself, the title of today’s post may cause you to breathe a sigh of relief. I came up with this nugget of truth as I was watering my tomatoes and okra this morning and noticed acorns strewn everywhere. I felt the nudge to pick one up, so I did. After doing a little research, I knew why I felt the nudge.

First of all, it’s amazing to me that a massive tree can come from this tiny seed. White oaks, like the ones in my backyard can grow anywhere from 65 to 100 feet tall. That’s a really big tree. They can also live up to 200 years and some species have been known to live over a thousand years.

It's truly amazing that these massive trees could come from something as tiny as an acorn.
It’s truly amazing that these massive trees could come from something as tiny as an acorn.

Even more amazing is the fact that only one in ten thousand acorns will become a tree. Think about that for a moment. It takes an oak tree anywhere from twenty to fifty years to even be able to produce acorns. Mature trees will produce an average of 2,200 acorns each fall.

The odds of having oak trees around don’t seem very good, yet there are at least ten in my backyard alone, and oak trees grow almost everywhere in the world. Now that we have had a little botany lesson, let’s dig a little deeper.

Let’s take a minute to think about the oak tree and the God who created it. What can we learn from it? First of all, God isn’t interested in the odds of success. Of course, we have seen that in the Bible over and over again. What are the chances of a baby surviving in a basket in the crocodile infested Nile River? What are the chances of a young boy taking down a fierce, armor wearing giant? What are the chances of a teenager being thrown into a den of lions and walking away without a scratch?

The more impossible the odds seem to us, the more God seems to like it. He likes to use the what seems to be impossible, to us to show that all things are possible with Him. Part of Moses’ story was the fact that God had him picked out from the beginning. The basket in the river simply showed God’s protection. If a well armed, well-trained warrior had taken down Goliath, it wouldn’t have been miraculous. Daniel’s amazing faith not only saved him, but served as a witness to the many who heard about it.

Secondly, the mighty oak tree is very slow growing and because of that, it grows very tall and strong. It’s also very resistant to pests and disease. It provides incredible shade to the living things around it, respite from the oppressive heat. Its acorns provide food for over 180 birds and mammals. It’s beautiful year round, from the budding in the spring to the incredible colors in the fall.

There are other trees, like the pine, native here in Georgia, that grow much faster, but they are much more susceptible to disease and pests. Not only that, a strong wind or ice storm can destroy pine trees in no time flat.

As Christians, I think we should look to the oak for inspiration. We should take our time and grow strong, deep roots. We should use our resources to feed those around us both physically and spiritually. We should let our long branches provide shade and shelter and we should let our light shine, no matter the season. Perhaps most importantly, we should remember that nothing is impossible with God, whatever the odds.

Yes, I’m glad I picked up the acorn. It’s just one more reminder that when we truly seek God, we will find Him.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

The Lifeline of Community

Posted on by Wendy
Faith community is more than fun and fellowship. It can be a lifeline.
Faith community is more than fun and fellowship. It can be a lifeline.

I got a forwarded e-mail this morning from my church mama. She rarely sends me things and when she does, they are always so good, inspirational and thought-provoking. Today’s was simple, but I loved it so much, I jotted it down in my journal before I took my walk.

“Life. Sometimes life lies hidden and buried under banks of snow, or in seemingly dead and lifeless beehives, or mysteriously within an egg. But under and in and within, life is literally waiting to erupt at just the right time, at just the right moment, because that is God’s desire for creation.” Brother James Koester

The words are so simple, yet so beautiful and they speak volumes about the nature of God, especially regarding His timing. I pondered these words as I walked and prayed. I try so diligently to respect God’s timing. I understand deep in my heart, that waiting for God is an act of obedience that requires and builds faith, all at the same time. But, lately my troubled heart has really wanted some hard and fast answers and some very clear signs, whether they be green lights, stop signs, or detours, and I feel I have been met with silence.

Silence means more waiting and patience is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. These were the things I was praying about when I returned home.

I was met with an e-mail in response to the first, from another church member. The words stopped me in my tracks. It was as if my prayers went right up to God and the immediate response came from her. I don’t know her very well, but we are a part of the same church community. She’s in a different stage in her life, further along than I am, which makes her a prime candidate to glean wisdom from. I don’t know why she chose to include me in her reply. I suspect the Holy Spirit was behind it, the way he usually is with the unexplainable coincidences in our lives.

Her words were a little longer, but here’s the gist: “I am reminded seek and ye shall find. The ‘answer’ the revelation, epiphany most often comes in the, seeking itself. (not necessarily in what was sought) … Must remind myself daily that there are golden nuggets that have been sown just for me….keep digging, keep mining. Often what seems as interruption along OUR chosen way, that is indeed the manna from Heaven along what seemed to be a detour.”

The hair stood up on the back of my neck. These were words my weary soul needed to hear. This is community. This is why Christian community is so important. Through the Holy Spirit, we can encourage and guide one another. When we plug into other community members, we provide a telephone line of sorts for the Holy Spirit to communicate with us. It’s powerful and beautiful and it’s God’s will for the church.

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Community can come in so many different forms and look a hundred different ways, but it’s vital to us on our faith journey. It can provide fun and fellowship, but it can also provide a life line.

How are you doing with community? I’d love to hear from you.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Life’s Spider Lilies

Posted on by Wendy
You just never know what God may have planned.
You just never know what God may have planned.

These spider lilies that pop up every fall always make me smile. While the entire country goes pumpkin crazy and everything is geared around harvests, these brightly colored flowers show up out of nowhere, virtually overnight. While we look to decorate our homes with browns, oranges and golds, and the leaves on the trees begin to turn their kaleidoscope of color, these whimsical flowers that have the look of spring written all over them, make their presence known.

They are everywhere too. Just look around as you drive down the road. They are in yards and on the side of the road. They are so whimsical looking, you would think Dr. Seuss, himself designed them. But, he didn’t. Nope, a much more creative designer, created them.

As I was returning from a walk a few days ago, I just had to grab my camera to photograph them. I didn’t plant them, but here they were, just begging to be noticed. I have always thought that God’s fingerprints are the most evident in nature. The spider lily is a perfect example.

First of all, God creates beauty just because He can. He didn’t have to make these flowers so colorful and funky looking, but He did. That tells me that He loves beauty and art and color and appreciates whimsy. Maybe we should do the same. How often do we just take a moment to appreciate the sunrise or sunset or the shapes and colors of leaves and flowers. When was the last time you really checked out a chipmunk? They look like they have been hand painted. Their little stripes are in perfect lines.

Nature is full of God. If it’s been a while, take a little time and check it out. Seek Him out in His creation. I’ll bet you will be surprised how He shows Himself. The Bible tells us that, “I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.” Proverbs 8:17  Why not give it a try?

The second truth these awesome flowers remind me of is that whatever we have planned, God’s plan may be different. While we are looking towards autumn where the leaves that fall are beautiful, but dying, out pops something new and different. We may not have planned for it or planted it and we may not know how we feel about it, but there it is, all the same. The question then becomes, how do we proceed?

I think the spider lily is a beautiful reminder that God’s plan for us can be different, exciting, unexpected and beautiful all at the same time. It may be a bright coral and fuchsia mix  when the rest of the world’s is brown and orange. That’s okay, because nature also teaches us that God loves variety.

So, I challenge you to go forth today and appreciate some part of nature that you may have overlooked recently and embrace your life’s spider lilies, whatever they may be. God made them just for you.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Small Changes Can Create Beautiful Results

Posted on by Wendy
If you change position, you might change your perspective.
Small changes can create beautiful results.

We had a homecoming celebration at our church yesterday and the guest preacher who is now a district superintendent, used to be the senior pastor. So, it was a homecoming of sorts, for him too. He made the comment that he saw many familiar faces and many new ones as well. He went on to say that many people were sitting in the same exact pew that they were sitting in back in 1998. That comment, of course, drew laughter as it was intended to, but that got me to thinking about things like, sitting in the same place for over a decade.

We regular churchgoers have a tendency to do that. We stake out a spot and sit there Sunday after Sunday. If we are honest, we get annoyed if we walk in late and find someone else in our spot. Do we feel that we own that particular spot? Would the message be different at some other location in the church?

One of our dear church family members, sat with our family a few months back, because his wife was out of town. He sits very near the back and we sit very near the front. He made the comment that it was an entire new experience sitting that close to the front. He also went on to say that he was pretty sure that he would never convince his wife to change pews. They have been members close to thirty years, so I can’t say that I was surprised.

Today, we had three church services combined into one. Where everyone would sit, was completely thrown up into the air, but apparently some folks were able to find their same 1998, spot.

What is it about people that make us dig into where we feel comfortable and refuse to move? There are those who welcome change and every new challenge that comes along, but many of us seem to be happy right where we are, thank-you very much.

We have evidence of this in Biblical times. The Israelites were willing to go back to Egypt as slaves instead of trusting God to feed them. They also were unable to trust God to conquer the people already in the Promised Land and had to wander in the wilderness for forty years.

Once we get comfortable somewhere, good or bad, we seem very hesitant to change the status quo. So, we stay in the job we hate or in a church that doesn’t feed us. We don’t try to make our relationships better. We put off that diet or exercising, for another day. We settle for less.

Why? Maybe we are afraid of the unknown. Even when something is bad, at least we know what it is. Maybe we aren’t trusting God to help us to make better choices and changes. How do we know we can trust Him? Reading and trying to understand the Bible is a great start. God loves His people and seeks a relationship with them. He is delighted when we seek Him and He will light our way and guide us.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not big on change simply for the sake of change. There are some things in everyone’s lives that work beautifully, just the way they are. Those things are blessings and we should give thanks for them. But, if there are things that aren’t working well, we shouldn’t be afraid to change them.

We have to trust God and know that even making small changes sometimes changes our entire perspective on life and that’s a good thing. So, look around; if you feel stuck or stagnant in some area of your life, pray about it. It may be time for a change. Who knows, the new view may be spectacular.

How do you do with change? I’d love to hear from you.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Walking in the Rain

Posted on by Wendy
Faith tells us that the sun is there even when we can't see it.
Faith tells us that the sun is there even when we can’t see it.

It was a terribly dreary day here yesterday, one of those days where it won’t rain, but the air is wet. There was a little drizzle here and there, but that was it, just all around gloomy. Today, started off with  some fog, but the fog and clouds quickly burned off and the sun began to shine. As I began my walk today, I was thanking God for the sunshine and I noticed there were still some clouds around, but nothing very ominous.

As I was praying about some chaos and uncertainty that I have been dealing with lately, it began to rain. It was really bizarre. There were some big fat drops and then a very slow, but steady drizzle. The clouds were fluffy and white. I couldn’t figure out how it was even raining. I continued on my walk as I pondered the, literally, out of the blue sky, rain. I kept my eyes focused on the sun and never lost my stride.

Whether to keep walking forward or turn back seemed like a no-brainer as long as I could see the sun shining. It dawned on me that our faith walk is much like my physical walk. We get on the path with Jesus and things go smoothly. Sometimes there’s not a cloud in the sky. Sometimes there’s thunder and lightning and we spend a lot of time on our knees praying for the storms to pass.

Then there are other times when life seems to be going just perfectly and we get rain from out of nowhere. Those are possibly the hardest times, because they are unexpected. At least with thunderstorms, we usually get some warning. It’s when the skies are cloudless, that we get caught off guard. But, as long as we keep our focus trained on God, we can whether those showers too.

On my return walk, some clouds had moved in and obscured the sun. I could still see it, but it wasn’t as bright. That reminded me of the importance of growing our faith during the sunny quiet times. Even when we can’t see the sun, we know it’s there. When times are tough and we sometimes can’t feel the presence of God, faith tells us He’s still there. Faith teaches us that He’s working hard and loving us and that He has a plan for us even when we can’t feel it or see it. It’s no different from knowing that the sun is still there even when I can’t feel its warmth on my face.

Life, like the weather, is incredibly unpredictable, but our faith acts as an ever-present sun, helping us grow and lighting our way, no matter how dark or wet it gets. The Bible says, “This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.” 1 John 1:5

It doesn’t say we will never be surrounded by darkness, but it does say He is light, so if we stay focused on God, then we never have to remain in the dark and I find that to be very comforting.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Choosing to Honor God With Our Unique Gifts

Posted on by Wendy
When we chose to use our unique gifts and talents, we honor God.
When we choose to use our unique gifts and talents, we honor God.

I recently had the opportunity to watch the Robin Williams film, “Dead Poet’s Society.” I saw it when it was first released, but that was back in 1989, so I had forgotten what a fabulous movie it was. It takes place at a very prestigious, all boys boarding school in 1959. They do everything by the book, so to speak and everyone does just as they are told. No one would ever dare question the people who are in charge.

Robin Williams plays a teacher who graduated from this school, but he has the heart of a poet and wants to encourage the boys to follow their dreams. All mayhem breaks loose and I could probably come up with at least five posts on this movie. I highly recommend it. But, there was one particular scene that I can’t get out of my mind.

He takes his senior literature class outside to the courtyard, an act in itself that raised the eyebrows of the administrators. Why in the world would you leave the classroom? He picks three boys out of the group and tells them simply to walk around. Just walk. They have no idea what he’s up to, but they comply. At first, they walk at their own stride and pace, but it doesn’t take long before they are in a line, marching to the same tempo, in the same exact stride. “There it is.” Robin Williams says.

He goes on to say that they shouldn’t do everything everyone else does, but should find their own way. What a stunning truth from a simple exercise. We are born as individuals with individual talents, but it doesn’t take long for us to want the same clothes and hair as everyone else. As teens, we strive to fit in and as adults, we often don’t fare much better.

From weddings to houses to cars to jobs, we like to be just like the proverbial Joneses. But, here’s the thing, if we believe that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made,” and the Bible says we are, do we believe that God is in the assembly line business? No, I believe God made each of us differently with different strengths and talents, but somewhere along the way, we usually “fall into the society step,” just like those boys in the movie, and we hide or even forget that which makes us different, that little thing that used to make us light up.

If you were to search deep inside your soul and ask yourself if you could do anything what would it be? Would you have an immediate answer? If yes, then maybe it’s time to pray about getting in touch with using your unique dream or talent to serve God in some way. If not, maybe it’s time to pray that God will remind you of what it is, or help you uncover it.

It doesn’t have to be some over the top dream of moving to Paris to paint. It could be something very simple like teaching someone to cook or to put up vegetables. I really believe that God wants us to use our unique talents He gifted us with to serve in some way and when we do, we are really able to tap into a contentment and joy that we can’t find in other ways. I don’t think our amazing creative God wants us to settle for hum-drum.

I think He wants us to honor Him with all that we have and when we do, we are keeping our own pace and walking our own stride and it’s a beautiful thing!

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

More Lessons From Camping

Posted on by Wendy
Sometimes when we attempt to build community, we are rewarded with something awesome.
Sometimes when we attempt to build community, we are rewarded with something awesome.

On my recent camping adventure, we had all circled up around the camp fire ring. All of the tents had been taken down and the cars and bus had been packed. Our youth pastor, had given everyone the instructions to find an object that represented something that was special to them about the weekend. The adults participated too.

It was really kind of interesting as everyone shared something, that most everyone came back to either community or water. One of the men stood up with a clear plastic cup of water. He said the cup represented community and the water represented the rain that sometimes falls on community. To demonstrate, he walked around the circle and sprinkled drops on all of us. He went onto say that sometimes rain falls in our lives and we don’t understand why; sometimes it’s light rain and sometimes it pours. But, we can be sure that God has His hand in it and as a community, we have to pull together to get through it. One day we will understand.

How profound. Our church community has really been struggling and what a beautiful concrete picture, he presented for the kids and honestly, even more so, for the adults.

When my own hubby stood up, he had two items, one was an old can he found and one was a small yellow bunch of flowers that one of the high schoolers had given him. The can represented God’s creation and learning to really appreciate it. He encouraged all of our technology addicted kids to get out in it more and appreciate it, and to leave it better than they found it.

The next part really took my breath away. He hates to talk in a group, but he held up the bunch of flowers and told the group that the bunch represented community. He took one and said you never think of one flower as much, but a bunch is eye-catching. They grow together in a bunch and they make the most impact in a bunch, just like community. He drew a round of applause as he sat down.

I made a mental note to ask him about his reflection later. It was just so unlike him.

Later that night, as we were sitting around our own dinner table, our family was taking turns sharing what we liked best about the weekend. We all had different stories. The kids talked about their highs and lows. We all felt like it was our favorite youth trip so far, and then my hubby shared something with us.

He told us that he had picked up the can and had rehearsed in his head what he would say, when the high schooler handed him the bunch of flowers. When he asked her what he was supposed to do with them, she told him she didn’t know. He said that when it was his turn to speak, that he had come up with something about the beauty of flowers, but when he began to speak, something completely different came out.

The kids and I were silent for a moment and I admit that I had chills. The Holy Spirit was clearly at work. The Bible tells us in Corinthians 2:13, “When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths.”

We had spent that weekend trying to build community among our youth and among the parents and, the Holy Spirit was clearly behind our success. Community is so important to Christians of all ages in all stages of their journey. When we reach out to try to build it, we are often rewarded with something beautiful and sometimes when we talk with each other about our experiences, we can actually see some of the Divine behind the scenes. I have to tell you, it’s pretty awesome!

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Happy Birthday Graceful Gaines!

Posted on by Wendy
Happy 1st Birthday Graceful Gaines!
Happy 1st Birthday Graceful Gaines!

Today is a huge day for me. It’s the one year anniversary of Graceful Gaines. For one year now, I have posted Monday through Friday my thoughts and reflections as I seek more of God in my life. I want to thank you all for reading and for the many positive comments you have given me here and on Facebook and through phone calls and in person. Every share, every note has meant the world to this fledgling writer.

I have always wanted to be a writer and I put that little dream on the back burner for a long time and then I felt an awakening of sorts, and that God was nudging me to write. I didn’t really know anything about blogging so I did a little research. He prompted me to start off with a small online Bible Study that was only open to the people I invited. I really enjoyed it and had a good response. There were times as I sat at my keyboard, that I knew the words were not mine, but came from the Holy Spirit. It was an awesome feeling. It wasn’t until about six months later that I felt in my heart, it was really time to proceed.

As I made the plans to get started, I had to come up with a name. I was praying about it and had bounced around a dozen or so ideas on paper. Then one day, right after I dropped my daughter off at school, the name came to me. When I did a search, I knew it didn’t exist already, because I felt as if God whispered it in my ear.

My premise for writing was simple. Watch for God in the world around me and share what I see and learn. It’s been such an amazing ride. As I seek God, He always gives me something to share. When I feel myself grappling with faith issues, I share them here because I think others may be struggling with the same. Isn’t that what community is supposed to be about? I have learned so much while writing in this space and you have shared so much and caused me to think harder and dig deeper.

I have a neat little program that shows how many people from different countries have read my words. People from 56 different countries have visited this site and some of the countries are not even Christian countries. People from places like Saudi Arabia, Egypt and United Arab Emirates have read encouraging words about Jesus. My simple words have been read around the world and that thought moves me to tears.

Here is a map of all the countries in the world who have someone who have visited Graceful Gaines.
Here is a map of all the countries in the world who have someone living there who has visited Graceful Gaines.

God has been so faithful to me as I try to share my story intertwined with His and the response has amazed me. Thank-you from the bottom of my heart for reading. Thanks for all of your encouragement and your comments. I pray that I can continue to encourage you and provide you with food for thought for another year. This journey has truly been a dream come true for me. Thanks so much for helping me make that happen.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

Stops and Starts

Posted on by Wendy
Sometimes if we want to hear God and experience the fruits of the Holy Spirit, we have to be obedient to God's gentle nudging.
Sometimes if we want to hear God and experience the fruits of the Holy Spirit, we have to be obedient to God’s gentle nudging.

When I was planning on exercising in the middle of last week, it had been a few days. I was completely off any sort of schedule and was itching to get outside and sweat a little. When I walk, I walk briskly and sometimes jog between mailboxes for good measure. My path is right at two miles and that works beautifully for me. I have no desire to train for a marathon, triathlon or iron man, thank-you very much. I just want to stay in decent shape.

I kept having this nudge to bring my camera along. I didn’t want to bring my camera because it’s kind of big and I have to hold onto it in one hand and I can’t get a good rhythm going when I’m holding it. Furthermore, if I’m going to stop and take pictures along the way, that too, requires stopping.

However, I had really been in prayer about my blog posts. I had felt kind of empty over the past couple of weeks and had been praying for inspiration. God often inspires me through the things I see on my walks. As I write this, taking my camera, really seems like a no-brainer. But, at the time, I struggled with it. I wanted to keep my rhythm and my time and therein lies the rub right?

Me, my, and mine are perhaps three of the most dangerous words to our journey with God. Think about it. How many times does it come down to our own will for our lives versus His will? I call myself trying to be obedient and trying to listen for His voice. I lament when He won’t give me those burning bush moments with specific instructions. Yet, here I was, with a very easy request to follow. “Take your camera.”

I wonder how many prayers we think go unanswered, really are answered. We just think God is not listening and responding because He doesn’t do it in the way that we would like for Him to. How many times do we miss the answers because we aren’t obedient to gentle and quiet nudging.

I finally gave in that day and was rewarded richly for my obedience. I felt like I saw God everywhere I looked and I snapped photo after photo. There were many post ideas that came out of that simple nudging. I have already shared a few with you and have had more comments than ever about how you were touched by the message.

My obedience to such a simple nudge had the Holy Spirit flowing. Perhaps if we would like to experience more of the fruits of the Spirit, like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, we need to be obedient to those gentle promptings that we know in our heart come from God.

Perhaps we need to be willing to walk to His rhythm and not our own, realizing that stopping and starting, is part of the journey, whether we like it or not. It’s not about racing to the finish. It’s about learning to listen for His voice and appreciating the trip.

How do you do with stops and starts? I’d love to hear from you.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂