Focusing on the Beauty

Posted on November 15, 2019 by Wendy

Don’t allow life’s distractions to make you to miss the beauty.

Last Monday morning while I was driving to work, I was praying that God would show me His wonder in the week ahead. I often find that after a weekend of rest and relaxation, followed by a meaningful worship service on Sunday, that I promise myself that I will do and be better, the following week. I will have more energy, more patience, extend more grace and just be more at peace in general.

But, as I trudge to my car after work on Monday, my resolve is usually worn down and by Wednesday afternoon, I’m completely exhausted and it’s gone altogether. Maybe this happens to you too?

Last Monday morning as I was driving and praying, I was greeted by a stunning sunrise. The sky was a spectacular shade of pink and it took my breath away. I thanked God for showing it to me and I was a little sad to turn out of my neighborhood and lose sight of it, but I didn’t. After I turned, it appeared brightly in my rear view mirror.

As I continued on my journey to work, it was everywhere. It wasn’t always in front of me. It was sometimes to the side and sometimes behind me, but always beautiful and always close by. I found myself trying to keep it in my view for just a little while longer.

Here, in the midst of this season of Thanksgiving, I’m intentionally seeking things to be thankful for and while it was just a simple sunrise, it somehow gave me hope for the coming week. My spirit felt a little lighter as I gave thanks for another day here on earth, for a fresh start and a new beginning.

That sunrise was a gentle reminder that no matter my age or what season that I may find myself in, that God is not done with me. He still has plans for me. I know this because I woke up today and if you are reading this, He’s not done with you either.

It also reminded me that He is always close by, wherever I find myself on my journey, at every turn.

As I reluctantly parked my car and got out, I attempted to take a picture of it. It wasn’t nearly as brilliant as it had been earlier and I couldn’t get the power lines out of the photo. I was a little frustrated because I wanted to capture the moment so badly.

But, that’s when I felt the nudge, that little reminder to not be distracted from the beauty of the moment. We should never miss the wonder because of our focus on the distractions. Those power lines didn’t matter when I was focusing on the majesty of that sunrise.

A simple sunrise reminded me of God’s constant presence and of His grace that offers us a fresh start everyday. It also reminded me to focus on the blessings and not the distractions. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Categories: Building Christian Character, Trusting God, Watching for God | Comments Off on Focusing on the Beauty

Giving Thanks for the Rain

Posted on November 1, 2019 by Wendy

Although rain is often inconvenient, it’s essential for growth.

I’ve been thinking about the rain a lot lately. We have been in months of drought with no end in sight. Everyone I work with has been diligently checking the weather hoping for a pop up storm. Even the tiniest chance of rain gives us hope, but the rain hasn’t come for a long time.

Then a couple of weeks ago, I went to an engagement party of the son of a dear friend. Most of the affair was planned outside. It began raining during the night. It rained buckets and it was cold. Plans were rearranged and the festivities were moved inside. It was a huge inconvenience.

After months of prayer, did we welcome the rain?

A week later, my hubby, my mama and I, attended a football game at our daughter’s college. We planned it a month ahead of time. The weather was supposed to be cloudy with a thirty percent chance of rain and mild. It poured for hours. We couldn’t even attend the game and the drive home was a miserable crawl.

This was the rain we had been praying for, but how did we feel about it when it ruined our game day plans?

My hubby was out of town for a few days for work this week and when I returned home from work the day he left, my garage door wouldn’t work. While not a huge deal, it began raining the next day.

I’ll have to admit that I wasn’t super happy to see it as I walked to my car in the dark rain at five in the morning holding a flashlight.

As I write this, the forecast for rain on Halloween is 100%. I’ve no doubt there are some stressed out mamas and daddies wondering what to do with their kiddos for trick-or-treat.

Like everyone else, they know we need the rain, but would likely prefer that it come at a more convenient time.

Most of us simply don’t like to be inconvenienced. Our culture has done a fabulous job at convincing that we should have everything we want the way we want it, when we want it.

But, God’s way is different and nature belongs to God.

Rain is important. The earth needs it to sustain life and to grow things.

The rain that falls in our personal lives is much the same. It often inconveniences us. It slows us down. It changes our plans, our priorities and often our perspective. Most importantly, it grows us.

We have to remember when we are in a period of growth and change that there’s usually rain involved. We need it to be transformed into something stronger and brighter. We need it to grow closer to Jesus on our journey here.

In the end, rain is life giving whether we welcome it or not. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

Categories: Building Christian Character, Choosing to See the Bright Side, Trusting God, Watching for God | Comments Off on Giving Thanks for the Rain

Finding the Extraordinary Right Where We Are

Posted on October 25, 2019 by Wendy

“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:9

My pastor has recently been preaching a series on learning to hear God’s voice. A couple of weeks ago, he talked bout Moses and the burning bush. This is a very familiar story to most Christians. Personally, I’ve always wished that God would talk to me in a burning bush or something like it. I would really appreciate a megaphone moment, giving me perfect clarity on the next steps I should take in whatever season I find myself in.

But, this time the pastor asked the question why God would choose an ordinary bush at the base of a mountain. Why wouldn’t He appear in a lush oasis, full of greenery and life? He could certainly show off His majesty that way. Why would He choose the ordinary?

I pondered that concept long after the sermon. Why wouldn’t God use all of His wonderful creativity when communicating with us?

But, when I thought about the Bible, He used ordinary people repeatedly. He used a prostitute named Rahab to help deliver the city of Jericho. He used a young shepherd named David, to become Israel’s most renowned king. He used a common fisherman named Peter, who had a tendency to shoot off his mouth and struggled to believe, to become the rock that the Church was built on. And then there’s the unplanned baby, born to a teenager, who had to use a manger for a crib, because there was no room for Him.

He would grow up to be the savior of all mankind.

When I think about it, God seems to go out of His way to intentionally choose the ordinary to further His plans. Maybe that’s because that choice is so very different than what we would choose. Humanity seems to naturally choose big, beautiful, bright and splashy. We like larger than life people and events.

But, God’s way is different.

So, why did He choose the burning bush, when all of Creation was at His disposal?

Perhaps it was because He meets us wherever we are. He meets us in the hospital room, in the midst of an upheaval, in the middle of the divorce or when we are surrounded by bad decisions. When our situation seems impossible, He meets us there.

He doesn’t usually zap us out to where we would rather be or appear to us in bright lights. Instead, He gently takes us by the hand and walks with us through the darkness. He sends friends and family and sometimes strangers, to cheer us on and when we get to the other side of the crises and look back, we know He was there, communicating with us all along.

We can often miss the extraordinary because it’s hiding in the ordinary. A burning bush reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Categories: Biblical Wisdom, Watching for God | 2 Comments

Hibiscus Wisdom

Posted on October 18, 2019 by Wendy

“Where flowers bloom, so does hope.” Lady Bird Johnson

It was a gray, overcast day when I arrived home from work. Fall had at last shown up and the air was cool. But, when I went to let my dogs out, I was greeted by some very bright hibiscus blooms.

Hibiscus bushes are tropical. When I see them I think of summer. I planted them last spring in anticipation of the season to come. Now, it’s mid-October and the world has turned orange, with pumpkins everywhere, from our porches to our coffee. Mums and pansies are the flowers of the moment, all the rage, one might say.

But there stood those bright pink hibiscus blooms. They were completely unaware of their surroundings or that they weren’t the color of the moment. They didn’t seem to notice that the days are growing shorter and their time is growing short as well. At best, they will go dormant until spring, but the reality is, they probably won’t survive the winter.

But, there they stood proudly, in their tropical beauty, blooming boldly against the dreary sky, daring to share their gift with anyone who cared to stop and drink it in. Their act of continuing to thrive was not lost on me.

I went and got my phone so I could snap some pictures to capture the moment.

I thought of those hibiscus blooms long after it got dark outside. I thought about how we all have great gifts and graces to share with a world that desperately needs more light and less darkness and ugliness. Like those hibiscus, we need to continue to contribute our unique talents even when the seasons change, even when the skies are dark, even when we don’t know what the future holds.

Because a little light goes a long way, especially when it’s dark. A small act of kindness can change someone’s outlook. A kind word has the capability to soften a hardened heart.

We can all make a difference simply by being who God created us to be and giving that glory to Him . When we intentionally do that, we may find that our own stresses and worries fade away.

Some pink hibiscus blooms reminded me. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

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Watching for the Breezes

Posted on October 11, 2019 by Wendy

Watching for the breezes along the path, reminds us that God is with us.

I was recently taking a walk in the cooler weather. Now cooler for us in Georgia, is the 80’s which by most standards, is still really warm, but it was a nice break from the 90’s. As I got to moving, I began to heat up rather quickly, but every few minutes, there was a light breeze.

It was amazing how quickly the breeze would bring relief from the heat. I thought about that breeze my entire walk and I said a prayer of thanks for it when I finished.

Wind is one of those elements that fascinates me. It’s invisible, yet we know when it’s there. It can provide us respite from the heat or make us colder in the winter. It can also cause devastation in the form of a tornado or a hurricane.

I suppose it’s good example of God’s infinite power and grace.

A breeze is defined as a gentle wind.

I have been in situations where a cool breeze made all the difference, like working with a team on a roof in late June. There were times when the heat felt relentless and like it might get the better of us, but that breeze gave us enough encouragement and respite to keep working. It was almost as if the Holy Spirit himself was cheering us on.

When we look back on our journey, on the path we have traveled thus far, we can all find cool breezes. They come in many forms like a text or a phone call from a friend, or a post-it note left with a kind word from a co-worker. They can be from someone at church just checking in to see how we are or as an invitation of some kind.

I recently received a slice of pound cake on my desk from a co-worker and then some chocolate from a sweet mama of one of the kiddos at my school. Both actions made my day brighter.

Whatever the form may be, these little breezes, while on the surface don’t seem like much, but can make all the difference when we are having a tough day or even a tough season.

They remind us that we are loved and that even though the road may be difficult, that we worship a God who cares deeply about our individual situations. He is in control. He always has a plan and if we keep our eyes open, we can see that He sends us encouragement along the way through those who He has carefully placed in our lives for such a time as this.

A cool breeze reminded me to take note of the many life breezes He sends. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Categories: Building Christian Character, Trusting God, Watching for God | Comments Off on Watching for the Breezes

Kindergarten Perspective

Posted on October 4, 2019 by Wendy

We often miss the beauty when we rush to where we’re going.

Ever had one of those mornings when it felt like you were on a tennis court with one of those automated ball pitchers, but you didn’t have a racket? I recently had one.

I’m the first to arrive in the office. It’s dark and quiet and I don’t turn the lights on until it’s time to allow the buses to unload their kiddos and to allow the car riders to begin to trickle in. Our office tends to stay extremely busy and it’s often the only quiet time I will have until I walk out the door to head home.

I treasure that time. I breathe deeply and say a prayer. I check my e-mails and prepare for the day.

But, sometimes there is no quiet. Sometimes the phone rings and the bus radio squawks and I have to attend to it. Sometimes people come in to talk or ask questions. Sometimes things don’t work out at all the way we planned them.

How do we react?

Last week I had a morning like that. Even before I turned the lights on, there was busyness. And after I turned them on it was non-stop. There were early morning meetings and all kinds of visitors. There were lunchboxes left on buses. There were several binders and Chromebooks that were left at home and dropped off for delivery.

And then there was a little girl who was tardy. She was in kindergarten and I knew she would have to be walked to her class. I put a smile on my face and I asked our nurse to watch the office and we began our journey.

She was completely oblivious that she was late and was in no particular hurry to get where she was going. I realized right away there would be no hurrying this child. We chatted about her morning as we creeped ever so slowly down the hall. Before we even got past the bathrooms, a little girl stopped and said hello to her. We stopped for a moment to acknowledge her.

When we turned the corner, she stopped and admired all of the art on the wall. It was really cool and I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to see it if I hadn’t been with her. When we got further down the hall, two little girls came rushing up to her, said good morning and got on either side. They told me they were in her class. They joined us for the remainder of our walk.

When we finally arrived at her room, I no longer felt the need to rush and I found myself enjoying the kindergarten art on my walk back and I saw God.

Every morning I pray that God will show Himself to me during my day. That day, it was through the actions of a child, a child who reminded me that we will eventually get where we are going whether we hurry or not and that the scenery is always worth slowing down to admire. She also reminded me that friends along the journey make it a lot more fun.

Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

Categories: Watching for God | 4 Comments

A Reminder to Keep Doing Good

Posted on September 27, 2019 by Wendy

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9

When I got home from work yesterday, I was exhausted. It had been a super long week at work. We had constant visitors in our office and very little downtime and even though I had been in bed at 9:00 the night before, I was still bone tired.

The first thing I noticed when I walked in the door and gazed through my window overlooking my backyard, was that my hummingbird feeders needed my attention. One was empty and the other one was full of ants. They had been hanging for a few days and I knew the sugar water had most likely turned sour.

Our hummingbirds have gone from twelve or so constantly fighting for a drink, to around four. The vast majority have headed south for the winter and those left are the stragglers. I debated whether or not I should change the water.

I didn’t see any of the tiny birds; maybe the last ones had flown away too. I had so many other things that needed doing. Would my tiny little labor of love even matter?

But, a little nudge tugged at my heart. What if it did matter? What if those stragglers needed a little boost to get to where they needed to go? What if I could assist them on their journey in some small way?

Reluctantly, I went outside and grabbed one feeder and then the other and washed them out and refilled them.

Almost immediately, I had a customer. A few minutes later, there were two.

I immediately felt guilty that I had thought about not feeding them. They clearly still needed my help. It was completely inconsequential to the remaining hummers, that they weren’t part of the large group who had moved on already.

They were still hungry.

I thought about those stragglers for the rest of the evening. I thought about how we sometimes get weary of doing something that we felt so strongly called to do at one time, that we begin to wonder if our efforts even matter.

Sometimes our big ideas give us big results in the beginning and when they start dwindle, we question the calling in the first place.

We forget that God’s economy is so very different than our own.

But, those two hummingbirds reminded me that we should never stop doing Kingdom work. We should never stop sharing, serving, loving or listening. It doesn’t matter how many we reach. It doesn’t matter if they are young or old. All that matters is that we do our small part and let Jesus do the rest.

Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Categories: Building Christian Character, Watching for God | 2 Comments

Appreciating the Hills

Posted on September 13, 2019 by Wendy

We don’t have to know what lies ahead as long as we know that God does.

I live in a neighborhood that could definitely be described as hilly. When my kiddos were growing up, their friends called it the roller coaster neighborhood. Some of those hills are really steep and I can’t imagine anyone with good sense trying to skateboard on them and I’ve never seen very many people riding a bike on them, but lots of people walk them.

I see people both old and young, out walking. Some people walk dogs. Some talk on their phones. Some walk with others and some walk alone. Some run and some stroll very slowly.

Recently, I was out walking and I came to one of those hills. I remember when we first moved in, over a decade ago, that I used to dread those hills. They took so much extra effort. I had two young children at the times and they couldn’t walk very far at all, before they were ready to give up and go home.

I remember there were times when I longed to live in a nice flat neighborhood with sidewalks where we could easily stroll.

But, on this day, I found myself thanking God for that hill and all of the other ones on my path. Those hills have helped to keep me in shape. They have helped to build stamina and perseverance. They have helped to make me strong.

While sidewalks would have been nice, the nature that I have been gifted with, has been stunning. The huge old trees, deer, squirrels, birds and hawks, that I see almost every time I venture out, are always a treat.

I pondered those hills, long after I returned home, huffing and puffing for sure, but a little more at peace than when I started.

I though about our life’s journey and the hills that we often face. As humans, we tend prefer, easy street, flat roads with sidewalks and manicured lawns, nothing to really challenge us or make us work too hard. If I’m honest, I would have to say I have often wanted that myself.

Yet, I’ve come to appreciate the strength, wisdom and beauty that has come from the hills along the journey. There have been seasons when I have walked and seasons when I have run. There have been season when I barely put one foot in front of the other. There have been seasons when I have walked with others as well as solitary seasons. There have been seasons when I have tried to drink everything in and seasons where I have attempted to tune everything out.

But, whatever the season, there’s always beauty and those hills are an important part of the journey, giving us strength for whatever comes next. We aren’t called to know what that may be, but to trust our God who does and to simply keep moving.

A hill reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Categories: Building Christian Character, Trusting God, Watching for God | 3 Comments

The Fruit That Defines Us

Posted on September 6, 2019 by Wendy

The fruit we produce remains long after we are gone.

I recently discovered that my fig tree had produced a second round of fruit. Needless to say, I was delighted. We have had that tree for a decade or more and it wasn’t until this year, that it produced a lot of fruit. But, several weeks later, when it produced a second round, I was amazed.

As I popped one of the figs into my mouth, I instantly thought of my cousin Leonard. He had a gigantic fig tree in his yard and he always let my sister and I eat those figs. He went up to heaven years ago, but that fig made me think of the wonderful times I had with him and his wife, Janice.

As I walked a cross the yard to pick up a limb that had fallen, I noticed a muscadine vine climbing on my fence. Unlike the fig tree that I had watered and fertilized, it was wild. I didn’t plant it, but it still had some pretty purple berries on it. I picked a few and took one to my daughter.

As we both ate one, I commented how the taste of muscadines always reminds me of picking scuppernongs with my mama and my sister. We used to spend hours every fall, harvesting them and eating as many as we picked.
My daughter commented how they reminded her of her Mommy Dot, my hubby’s mother. I had forgotten about her huge scuppernong vine, but my grown daughter hadn’t. Mommy Dot had long ago gone to be with Jesus, just like Janice and Leonard, but I’ve no doubt she would be thrilled to be remembered through that sweet fruit.

I thought of hose figs and the muscadines long after my daughter went back to school. I thought about how we often work so long and hard, that we begin to wonder if we will ever see fruit and then sometimes, unexpectedly, we have more than we know what to do with.

But, I was also reminded that sometimes, we get blessed with fruit that we didn’t even plant, like those muscadines. That fruit is something to be thankful for as well.

But, I think what stuck with me most, is that we are remembered by the fruit we help to grow and harvest long after we are gone. Is it sweet like patience, kindness, forgiveness and love or is it bitter like anger, pride and selfishness?

The beautiful truth is, we get to choose. Some figs and muscadines reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

Categories: Building Christian Character, Watching for God | 2 Comments

Seasons of Hope

Posted on August 30, 2019 by Wendy

There is beauty in every season.

When I stepped into my garage yesterday morning, I was shocked at how cool the air was. We may be closing in on Labor Day, but the end of August in Georgia, tends to be steamy. Just a couple of weeks earlier, the teachers at our school, had to keep watch on the temperatures and cancel outdoor recess due to the heat.

The heat in August is no surprise to this lifelong southern gal, but the temps in the sixties yesterday morning, truly were. I even momentarily, second guessed my shoe choice. Would my feet be cold in sandals? But, I knew that it would be hot in the afternoon. It turned out to be in the eighties, warm, but still much cooler than it had been.

When I returned home and let my dogs out, I marveled at how green everything still was. My backyard looked the same as it had since June, yet the subtle breeze and the cooler air reminded me that a new season is coming.

As I took a moment to sit on my porch and drink in Creation, I was filled with a little sadness. I have always loved summer, everything from long days at the pool, to nights swinging on the porch, fill me with happy memories. There’s just a slower pace of life that seems to go hand in hand with summer time and I like it.

But, seasons were always meant to change and summer must at some point, come to an end. A new school year has begun and for me, that has meant an empty nest. Both of my kids are off at college, chasing dreams and finding their way in the world and truthfully, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Because the end of one season, always means there’s a new one beginning and as much as I love summer, fall is pretty spectacular too. The air is cool and crisp and the leaves treat us to daily changing works of art by our creative Creator.

Creation becomes an explosion of color and the trees remind us to let go of the things we no longer need. The trees become bare for a season, yet the internal work goes on, deep in their roots, readying them for complete transformation and restoration in the spring.

As I lingered a little longer, I felt a sense of hope growing. I felt a little nudge reminding me of the beauty found in every season. I remembered the Bible verses about a time and a season for everything and I felt a little excitement.

As long as I’m still breathing, God is still writing my story and I have every reason to believe that this season will be filled with a beauty all its own. Some cooler temperatures reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

Categories: Building Christian Character, Choosing to See the Bright Side, Watching for God | Comments Off on Seasons of Hope