Intentional Resting

Posted on by Wendy
It’s impossible to overestimate the value of intentional rest.

It was a beautiful day on Sunday. Out pastor even joked that it was the second sunny Sunday we have had since January. Although I’m sure that’s not accurate, it certainly felt that way. It was in the seventies and I felt myself longing to get outside. I can always hear God best outside.

I stifled a grumble when I opened the door to my porch. Everything was coated in a blanket of yellow pollen. There were spiderwebs everywhere too. The porch has not officially opened for spring time business and was in desperate need of some bleach and a scrub brush, but I resolved myself to see past the winter grime and just sit and be thankful for the weather.

I had other senses besides my eyes and I was determined to use them. There was a breeze, but it wasn’t cold. The birds were singing. I could hear my neighbor’s chickens clucking and I was reminded of the chickens in my childhood. I smiled and gave a prayer of thanks for the convenience of grocery stores. I do not miss having chickens roaming around.

It wasn’t long before I heard the little girls next door riding around in their Power Wheels tractor. I smiled again remembering my own children’s Power Wheels Jeep and four wheeler. I said a prayer of thanks for my kids and all of the memories of their childhood.

A little while later, I heard a hawk calling. I never saw him, but I knew he was near. I said a prayer of thanks for the wonder of nature. When I heard a bee buzzing, I was thankful that my porch is screened.

I found it interesting that the longer I sat, the more relaxed I became and the more thankful I became. It wasn’t like my to-do list had become any shorter. My daughter had been home from college for a few days and I chose to spend every minute of quality time with her instead of cleaning the house, so the house was as big a mess as the porch was.

Yet, the more time I spent intentionally relaxing, intentionally seeking peace and the presence of God, the less it mattered.

I suppose God knew this when He prescribed for His people a day of rest, a day of reflection, a day of thankfulness, a day of worship. When we take the time to be still and listen, He always makes Himself known and when He makes Himself known, we can’t help, but be filled with peace that can only come from Him.

The dust will continue to pile up long after we’re gone, but the peace and love that we can pass on after spending time with Him, has the potential to change lives. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you needed reminding today.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Change Helpers

Posted on by Wendy
The extra hour of light is always worth it.

Last Saturday night, we did the yearly change from standard time to daylight savings. We sprang forward an hour and in the process, gave ourselves an extra hour of daylight.

I really love that extra hour. It gives me more time to exercise or work outside. It signals that summer is coming and the days are growing longer. I prefer longer daylight and less darkness. I suppose we are wired to seek the light.

But, there’s a trade off. For about a week after the adjustment, I’m exhausted. That extra hour of light, cost me an hour of sleep. I work in an elementary school. The kids will be tired and cranky for a week and the adults will feel the same.

Isn’t it amazing how just one hour, sixty little minutes, can throw us for such a loop?

But, it does. Human beings are creatures of habit. It’s so very easy for us to become entrenched in where we are and what we are doing even when it’s bad for us. Most of us, including myself, tend to be very resistant to change, even if it’s for our own good. Think: taking up exercise, eating more healthy, going to bed earlier, putting down the electronics It could even be more serious things like closing the door on a bad habit or an unhealthy relationship.

We may start something new with good intentions, but a few days into it, like Wednesday after Daylight Savings Time, we are bleary eyed and ready to give up.

I think the key may be to take a friend or two on the journey to change. Good friends can both cheer us on and call us out, at appropriate times. Good friends can help us remember why we wanted or needed to change in the first place. Good friends can be both hand-holders and drill sergeants.

Change is hard even when it’s for the best and let’s face it, the human will is weak. But, it’s often necessary for our growth. So, if a change is what you need, say a prayer, always the best way to start, and grab a friend to help you along. And to quote Dr. Seuss, “And will you succeed? Yes you will indeed! 98 3/4 per cent guaranteed.”

Daylight Savings Time reminded me about the difficulty, but also the beauty of change. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

The Call to Lifelong Learning

Posted on by Wendy
If you woke up today, God has something to teach you.

I’ve been reading a daily devotional by Jonathon Cahn, called, “The Book of Mysteries.” It’s a fascinating read that often explains the fact that many Hebrew words have double meanings.

Cahn wrote, “that the word for disciples in Hebrew is, “talmidim.” It comes from the root word, “lamad,” which is linked to teaching or learning, so the disciples were the taught ones or the learners.”

He went on to say that our lifelong mission here on this side of eternity is to learn something about God everyday.

I found this idea fascinating and did a little research of my own. Of the 90 times Jesus was addressed directly in the Gospels, He was referred to as, “Teacher,” 60 of those times.

The people who were blessed to walk with Him physically, seemed to understand that He had something to teach them every single time they saw Him.

So, what is the significance of that information for believers today?

I think as Christians, we often tend to fall back on what we already know. We went to Sunday school as kids. We attend regular worship service as adults. We may even teach the basic stories of Jonah and the Whale and David and Goliath to youngsters.

But, what are we doing to actively learn ourselves?

I work in a school, so I’m surrounded by teachers. They are always going to professional learning classes. They are always seeking new ways to disseminate information. They are always looking for ways to connect with their students.

If Jesus is the ultimate Teacher, then shouldn’t we expect Him to do the same? Shouldn’t we expect Him to be looking for ways to connect with us in deeper ways to show us His nature, His plans, His ways?

Are we willing learners or do we feel like we know all there is to know about God? Are we just sitting around ready to graduate?

If we call ourselves Christ followers, then we call ourselves disciples, which means we have to be active learners and seekers of God’s Word and God’s Will.

If you woke up this morning and are reading this, God is not done with you. He still has something to teach you and you still have something to learn. The question becomes how do you go about learning and listening?

Is a once a week worship service enough? Are we involved in daily prayer and devotional time? Are we reading the Bible? How can we be better learners? Thankfully, like all good teachers, our Teacher, never gives up on us and He expects the best.

So, wherever we are in the learning process, He will happily meet us there. A daily devotional reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have a awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Seasonal Decisions

Posted on by Wendy
Sometimes we have to participate in removing the dead things to reveal the beauty that lies underneath.

I woke up on Sunday morning with a headache and a sore throat. My ears were popping. My head and nose were completely stopped up. I was miserable and I knew why.

There’s a very specific time of year for me, when my seasonal allergies are at their worst. I can pin-point it down to a couple of weeks. I can use antihistamines, decongestants and nose sprays, yet it happens anyway. I sometimes even lose my voice.

You would think that I would come to dread this time of year. You would think that I would follow recommendations and stay indoors. You would be wrong.

Nope, on Saturday, I was outside with my hubby raking leaves and deciding what we should plant in front of the house. I simply can’t help myself this time of year. The temperatures are warming up and the earth has burst into life after its winter slumber.

While I could leave my hubby to rake all by himself, I want to be a part of it. There’s something almost spiritual about removing piles of dead leaves and discovering new green growth underneath. Those leaves had a purpose at one time and then they turned brilliant colors, but their season has passed and they need to be removed from the fertile ground that they cover.

So, every year I subject myself to the misery because I know the change that is coming. I know this because it happens every year. It’s part of life here on planet earth. it’s part of the seasons. If I don’t do some work now, I will miss out on the growth and beauty that is coming.

Jesus often used the environment when talking to the crowds. They were farmers, and fisherman, and tradesmen. They were people who worked with their hands and so His message connected with them.

God told Noah after the flood, “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.” Genesis 8:22

Sometimes misery is part of change. Sometimes we become emotionally or spiritually uncomfortable before something brand new and beautiful happens. This is God at work in our story. It builds trust. It builds faith.

Every year during the spring, in mid-March, I have the choice to be a part of the change or to play it safe and stay indoors. While there are some days of discomfort that come from the decision to participate, they will pass. The pay offs are well worth it. My work is always rewarded.

Some seasonal allergies reminded me that change and beauty are on the way. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Daffodil Encouragement

Posted on by Wendy
It takes strength and grit to stand tall and spread joy when the world around you is bitter cold.

Yesterday, on my ride to work, I marveled at the beautiful sky. There were clouds, but the sun was shining through them in a stunning way that I couldn’t help but notice. I thanked God for the morning show and I asked Him to show His face to me that day and to give me the wisdom to see it.

When I arrived at work, it was really cold outside, but I couldn’t help but notice the cheerful yellow daffodils that were standing proudly as if somehow in defiance, of the cold snap we were experiencing. They encouraged me to do the same.

But, the day turned out to be crazy. It was spring picture day at our school. The photographers set up in the wrong place. The phones rang off the hook with questions about picture day. Parents kept showing up to pay for pictures without the correct change. The photographers ran behind and the classes were having a long wait in the hall.

By lunch time, everything was ironed out and running smoothly, but a headache had set in at that point. By the end of the day, I couldn’t get out of there fast enough. I desperately needed some peace and quiet. It was also kindergarten registration and so a new round of noise and questions was just starting.

But, when I walked out of the door, I was met once again by those daffodils. They were still standing tall, doing what they were called to do and I remembered then, my resolve to do the same. I wondered how well I had done at standing tall and spreading cheer that day.

With that thought still stuck in my mind, I encountered a mama and a daddy bringing their little girl to register for kindergarten. She was walking in the middle and holding one of their hands with both of hers. She was dressed in pink and grinning from ear to ear.

How could I not be moved? This child and her parents were beginning a brand new exciting chapter. I fought back tears, remembering bringing my own children to kindergarten registration. Where had all of the time gone?

I stopped and asked her if she was excited and she happily told me she was as her parents smiled with pride. I told her we were excited to have her and she smiled as she skipped along with her parents.

I took a moment as I got to my car and I looked back at the school and those daffodils and I thanked God for showing Himself not once, but twice in the five minutes before. He was there in the flowers and He was there in the child’s face.

I thought back to my morning prayer and I was once again, moved to tears. Some daffodils and a child, reminded me when we really seek God, He will always show Himself. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Dance Party Lessons

Posted on by Wendy
Comparison can be a true joy killer.

The school where I work, has a behavior system in place, where the children earn bucks for all types of good behavior. When they earn enough, they can redeem them for different prizes. One of those prizes is a quarterly dance party. They really have to save their bucks to earn it.

This week, we had the dance parties. On Monday, the little ones, in grades kindergarten through second grade, got to attend. There weren’t a lot of kids who chose the dance, but the ones who did, had a blast.

When I peeked in and watched them, I don’t know when I have seen more joyful souls. They were playing everything from the oldie “Celebration,” to the “Cha Cha Slide,” and those children loved every minute of it. There was even a Conga Line. They danced like no one was watching and didn’t seem to care even if somebody was watching.

There were two kindergartners, in particular, who caught my eye. They stood in the very front, right beside each other, but not paying any attention to what the other was doing as they did their own creative moves. Those little guys never stopped moving or doing their own thing.

They danced simply for the joy of dancing.

That dance party stayed on my mind long after the music stopped playing. There’s such a tiny window in our lives where we can dance like no one is watching, or sing like we are rock stars, or paint like we are all Picasso’s. We believe that we are good at everything because the world hasn’t convinced us that we aren’t and we aren’t afraid to be different.

When two kindergarteners are told to draw a picture of a house and one is completely different than the other, they don’t tear each other down. In fact, they will often compliment one another and move on. They do their own thing and aren’t so interested in swaying others to do the same.

But, it doesn’t take long before we become self-conscious about our dance moves, or our singing voices, or are artistic abilities, or quite frankly, just about everything. Our creative sides so often become completely stifled by the opinions of others, so much so, that at some point, we stop trying.

I’m not sure if there’s anything more harmful to our happiness than comparison. Those kindergartners reminded me the beauty of doing your own thing in the way that you feel called to do it. They reminded me that we were never called to please other people in the first place. We were called to please our God who created us.

So, we should feel free to dance, and draw, and sing. It really doesn’t matter who’s watching. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Road Trip Reflections

Posted on by Wendy
We won’t really reach the top until God calls us home.

Last Sunday, my hubby and I traveled to south Georgia to see my daughter get an award. It just so happened that we had a college visit the day before, for my son, which was north of Atlanta. Needless to say, we spent lots of time in the car last weekend.

On the trip south, I commented to my hubby, who used to cycle a lot, how it seemed like the rolling hills went on forever and how difficult that must be to do on a bicycle. He told me the hills themselves weren’t all that difficult, but it was the fact that they went on and on that was the problem. He said at some point you would ask yourself if they would ever end.

He said it was a lot like hiking in the mountains. When you hike a mountain, the path is never straight to the top. You hike through switchbacks, which are like giant zigzags. You get all the way to the end and then move up a level and walk all the way to that end.

He said that he could see the mountain top from the distance as he hiked the switchbacks, but when he finally reached the top, he would find it was a false top and the true mountain top was even further up.

I thought about our conversation on our very long ride and two things popped into my mind. I’ve hiked a little myself and switchbacks can be maddening, but inevitably, they are part of the journey. There’s beauty in them if we care to look, like flowers we might have missed along the way.

The secret of a good hike is to enjoy the scenery and not race to the top. The switchbacks are part of the journey.

The second thing that occurred to me is that on this side of Eternity, all of the mountains will be false tops. We will never be completely satisfied in the journey. We will always be drawn to something higher because God is always drawing us to Him.

The hills and switchbacks will eventually end when God calls us home. Until then, we have to remember to rest when we need to, but to enjoy the journey. Yes, it can sometimes be filled with frustration and pain, but it’s filled with wonder and beauty too, that we can miss if we try to race.

A car ride reminded me to appreciate what’s in front of me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Spreading Kindness

Posted on by Wendy
“Let us not grow weary of doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9

A few days ago, an elderly lady came into the school office where I work. She wanted to purchase a couple of tickets for a charity dinner that our school is participating in. I got her a form and we discussed the time slot that would be ideal for her. She chose one and then changed her mind. Then, I explained to her how the dinner worked.

I had never seen this woman before and really had no idea how she even knew about the event, but when we finished with her paperwork, she handed me two bags of goodies from a local bakery. She said that she knew that the schools had, had a rough time over the past couple of weeks and she wanted to bring in a little treat for the teachers and staff at our school, as a pick me up.

I’ll have to admit that I was stunned. It had been a stressful couple of weeks, I’m sure for anyone working in a school or who has children in school. An act of terror in Florida, by a deranged teenager has put the entire country on edge and caused even more division among us.

Who would have even thought more division was possible?

Yet, I’ve always been amazed at how far a little kindness can go, especially the kindness extended by a complete stranger. The woman said goodbye and shuffled out the door, but her act of kindness remained all day and we offered every staff member who came through the office a taste of her treats as we shared her gift and her words.

Each person who came through was equally touched.

I thought about that woman long after I went home. I thought about how someone who was already coming in to contribute to a charity that feeds kids, also went our of her way to feed some adults who might be struggling a little too. Sure, we really enjoyed the treats she brought, but the thought behind them fed more than our tummies. It fed our souls.

The Bible tells us that kindness is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Maybe we should all be practicing a little bit more of it, especially when times are dark and maybe even go out of our way to extend kindness to strangers.

I can attest that her simple act meant a lot to me. She inspired me to want to be better and do the same. The Bible says: “Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds;” Hebrews 10:24

That lady inspired me to do just that. Perhaps you needed some inspiration too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Spring Inspiration

Posted on by Wendy
Hold tightly to your faith. Spring is coming.

As my hubby and I were driving home from church on Sunday, I commented on how beautiful the blooming trees were. It was as if overnight, the sleeping earth sprang to life.

It’s the very last day of February as I write this and it’s been a long cold winter. I mean seriously cold. We’ve had temperatures in the teens and for Georgia, that’s cold.

Most of the trees still look like skeletons around here, still in their winter dormancy and completely bare. If you would have told me a couple of weeks ago, spring was about to appear, I would have argued with you. It’s been so cold and our little state groundhog, famous for his correct predictions, predicted another six weeks of winter.

Yet, the daffodils, yellow bells, tulip trees and Bradford Pear trees are telling a different story.

In some spots, you really have to look for the signs of life. A single small flower will pop up or just a few buds have appeared. In other spots, everything seems to be blooming and there’s no way to miss it. But, it all seemed to have happened almost overnight.

Of course that wasn’t the case. The earth has been at work all along. The soil, the rain, the sun and the plantings, have all been hard at work beneath the surface, doing things that we can’t see. Spring doesn’t actually come overnight.

This season is always such a beautiful reminder to me that God is always at work whether we can see Him or not. There are times when the season of winter in our lives, seems to be endless. We can wonder if there will ever be warmth and beauty again.

But, if we are patient, if we keep praying, if we hold onto faith, then sometimes out of the blue, we will see a bud. Sometimes it’s actually a single bloom and sometimes it’s as if a switch has flipped and everything around us seems to spring to life at the same time.

However it happens, we have to hold on to our faith in the process. God is always at work, though often unseen and when we prayerfully wait on Him, the results are phenomenal just like spring time.

Some late February blooms reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Divine Timing

Posted on by Wendy
God’s timing is always perfect.

I often think about God’s timing. There are things that I pray for regularly that I sometimes wonder if God is even listening. Yet, time and time again, He shows me that He is.

For example, at the end of my daughter’s kindergarten year, we moved into a new house and a new school. I prayed for years that a family with a little girl would move in and that they would become besties. A the beginning of fourth grade, that prayer was answered. A little girl moved in down the street, and she and my daughter are now freshmen in college and still best of friends. My daughter loves her like a sister and I have come to love her as if she were my own child.

God’s timing may be different than ours, but it’s always perfect.

Last week, He showed His timing in such a brilliant way, it has stayed on my mind for days.

We had a child in our school with a birthday and her mama and grandfather came at lunch time to bring cupcakes for her class to celebrate her birthday. The grandfather rarely comes to the office but he is always very kind when he does. He speaks very little English so it’s always challenging to communicate with him.

When they were checking out, the grandfather picked up a flier that we had on the counter from a local church offering English as a second language classes, free of charge, at night. When the daughter asked me about it, I had very little information. Quite frankly, I didn’t even know they were up there.

I was reading over it with them, when an older lady, who serves as a mentor to one of our students, was checking out. She overheard what we were talking about and she told them that she attends that particular church and had all of the information that they needed. She answered all of their questions.

The grandfather seemed so excited when he left. I suspect he had a prayer of his own answered. The mentor, who was already doing a good deed by volunteering her time, got to do a second one that day.

I’ve often said that with God there are no coincidences. That mentor is only in our school one day a week. That child only has a birthday once a year. Those flyers hadn’t been in place for long and that grandfather is rarely in the office.

I was treated last week, to a front row seat production of God’s timing at work. All of the tiny puzzle pieces fell into place perfectly.

I sometimes need reminding. Perhaps you did too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂