The Spirituality of Thanksgiving

Posted on by Wendy
Sometimes we have to let go in order to draw closer to God.
Sometimes we have to let go in order to draw closer to God.

As I was doing dishes this morning, I looked out my window and saw leaves falling down like rain. There were literally hundreds of them. With Thanksgiving a little over a week away, the leaves made me think about letting go of things that not only don’t matter in the long run, but also letting go of things that keep us from being thankful.

Every year, the retailers rush from Halloween to Christmas and try to skip over Thanksgiving. The holiday doesn’t make them much money. But, it’s a uniquely American holiday, where we take time out to be thankful for all that we have.

It seems to me that to truly ready our hearts for the gift of the Christ Child, that we really shouldn’t skip the step of humbly giving thanks to God, not only for our personal blessings, but for being who He is.

That brings me back to those falling leaves. Every year, the trees shed all of those leaves that they needed and used during the spring and summer. They don’t need them in the winter and they beautifully let them go.

As we prepare ourselves for Thanksgiving, are we like the trees, blissfully letting go of things that stand in the way of our being thankful, or are we holding tightly with both hands?

Things like anger, resentment, pride, or guilt and shame over past actions, have to be let go like all of those leaves, in order for us to draw close to God. It doesn’t matter whether the things we are holding onto with a white knuckled grip, were done by us or done to us, if we want to walk with Jesus, we have to let them go.

The Bible tells us to give thanks in all circumstances which can be incredibly difficult when our lives are going badly, but when we give thanks, we are thanking God for who He is and for His love for us, knowing that circumstances will eventually change. When we give thanks, we acknowledge that His plan is better than our own, although it’s impossible for us to understand sometimes.

The falling leaves remind us to let go of all that stands between us and Him. We don’t need all of that negativity. All we need is Him.

The leaves that have been allowed to fall, can turn into a rich fertilizer for things to grow in the future. They remind us that God can use all of our baggage to grow us too, if we allow it, if we let go.

God reminded me this morning of the importance of Thanksgiving. I was reminded not to fast forward to Christmas, but to bask in the moment of letting go and giving thanks. Perhaps you needed a reminder too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

There is Power in the Name

Posted on by Wendy
We are called to be God's light.
We are called to be God’s light.

In the wake of the terrorist attacks in Paris, the entire world is on edge. We don’t normally hear about that kind of mass killing in the Western world. However, Israel has to deal with terrorists on a daily basis and they don’t just target the Israelis or Jews.

Back in October, a 78-year-old Christian woman named Marike Veldman, was riding on a bus in Israel. She was from the Netherlands originally, but had lived in Israel for many years. She had opened a home for Arab children 32 years earlier.

At one of the bus stops, two Muslim terrorists boarded the bus. One had a gun and one had a knife. They yelled, “Allahu Akbar,” and the one with the gun headed to the back of the bus and began shooting. The one with the knife began stabbing Marike.

But, Marike had her own battle cry which apparently trumped theirs. She began calling out in Dutch, “Lord Jesus! Lord Jesus! Help me! Help me!” She said at the sound of the name of Jesus, the terrorist ran away from her to the back of the bus and allowed her to escape through the opened door.

She was weak and bleeding and walking alone when a Jewish passerby, she calls a good Samaritan, picked her up and drove her to the hospital. She had a punctured lung and a shoulder injury. Two people died in the attack and sixteen were injured.

Seventy-eight-year-old Marike, is expected to make a full recovery. She says that she has no doubt that God intervened and that it was the name Jesus that saved her. Seventy-eight is kind of old to be walking away from a stabbing and with a punctured lung no less, yet God has shown us many times that He is not bound by human weakness or understanding.

I also find it pretty amazing that the woman called out in Dutch, her native tongue. The terrorists were not Dutch and surely didn’t understand what she was saying. Yet, the name of Jesus carried the same amount of power, no matter the language barrier.

Jesus said in John 14:13-14 “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the father. You may ask me for anything in my name and I will do it.”

Marike’s actions certainly brought glory to God, and Jesus came through just as He said He would.

Philippians 2:9-11, tells us that, “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Marike was never alone that day and neither are we. She remembered to call on the One who could save her and He did. The world has always been full of people who love evil, but we are called to remember that we worship a God who is good and He will win.

We are not called to live in fear, but to live courageously like Marike, knowing that He has a plan. The days may be dark, but, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1:5

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

The Days of Elijah

Posted on by Wendy
Behold He comes!
Behold He comes!

Yesterday, our choir sang a hymn called the “Days of Elijah.” I had never heard it before we rehearsed it a few weeks ago, but I loved it immediately. We had already planned to sing it this past Sunday, before the horrific events took place in Paris where Islamic terrorists killed 129 innocent people and left 352 wounded at last count.

Yesterday, it seemed unbelievably timely, considering what happened in Paris and what continues to happen to God’s people in other parts of the world.

The song begins with, “These are the days of Elijah, declaring the word of the Lord.”

The prophet Elijah lived in a very dangerous time. He declared  God’s message to an unbelieving king and a bounty was placed on his head. He spent some time on the run, but God always provided for him. At one point He sent the ravens to feed him and at another point, an angel prepared food for him. And when it came time for a showdown between Elijah’s God and the gods of those who pursued him, our God rained down fire from the sky. The enemy’s god could not. God easily won that battle.

The next stanza begins with, “And these are the days of great trials of famine and darkness and sword.” Could there be any more truth in that statement? Just like Elijah, we are living in a world of violence and darkness.

But, then it goes on, “Still we are the voice in the desert crying, prepare ye the way of the Lord!”

Isn’t that what Christians are called to do? Aren’t we supposed to proclaim the Gospel to the lost? Times are rough and scary; there’s no doubt about it. But, are they any more frightening than they were for Elijah? Are they any more frightening than they were for the Jews during World War II?

Then the chorus hits: “Behold He comes, riding on the clouds shining like the sun, at the trumpet’s call. So, lift your voice, it’s the year of Jubilee. Out of Zion’s hill, salvation comes.” There’s the promise.

What would happen if we all turned back to God? What if along with coloring our Facebook pictures the colors of the French flag, we actually went to God in prayer about all of the lives lost in Paris? What if we prayed without ceasing, for God’s intervention and guidance on fighting the evildoers. What if all Christians prayed without ceasing that our leaders would turn their hearts and ears to God? What if we prayed without ceasing, that God would raise up a leader here in this country with His heart?

What would our country look like? What would the world look like?

The song goes on to remind us that, “We are the laborers in Your vineyard, declaring the Word of the Lord.”

Most of us are not professional soldiers, though we should all thank God for them everyday. But, we are called to be Christian soldiers. Clearly, there’s a physical battle going on here as the victims and their families in Paris, can attest. But, let’s not forget there’s a spiritual battle going on as well, one that no matter how young or old, or what our physical condition may be, that we are called to fight.

We fight that particular battle with prayer. We are called to make a difference. We are called to act. We already know that Jesus wins, but don’t we want to play a part in that victory?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

P.S. I have attached a version of this song. I hope it gets your Monday rocking!

 

 

I Get To

Posted on by Wendy
Once we start thinking about all we have to be thankful for, the flow becomes non-stop.
Once we start thinking about all we have to be thankful for, the flow becomes non-stop.

I recently read a post on incourageme.com, by Jennifer Schmidt, where she said she substituted the phrase, “I get to,” instead of “I have to,” in her daily activities. She suggested that the readers try the same.

I was intrigued by her suggestion and I wondered if simply replacing one word with another, could make a big difference. I have to, means I am required. It has nothing to do with what I might want. I get to, is more like a privilege or a reward.

We are living in a season where we are supposed to be thankful, so I gave it a try. For three days, whatever the task was, from cooking dinner, to scrubbing toilets, to picking up dry cleaning, I repeated the mantra, “I get to.”

My sunny outlook has been a tad gray lately, but the one word change, made all of the difference.

When I got to, instead of had to, scrub my toilets, I had to acknowledge that I’m thankful for having clean running water. A substantial amount of the world’s population doesn’t. That simple acknowledgement also led to be thankful for my home, and for the fact that we have more than one toilet, and that I had the physical ability to clean it. Not all people have arms and legs. My list of what I was thankful for just kept growing.

I was really enjoying my experiment and the subtle heart shift I could feel.

When I got to pick my son up from band practice. I had acknowledge that I’m thankful that I have a car that runs and that I can afford gas to put in it. That led me to being thankful that my son is involved in a productive after school activity that he enjoys. Most importantly, it made me acknowledge how grateful I am to have a child who is alive and healthy, even if he wasn’t particularly thankful for the ride.

When I changed my inner dialogue, my outlook wasn’t dependent in any way on how others reacted to what I was doing. Whether or not the members in my family appreciated my service or not, I was changed because my focus was changed.

The Bible tells us, “in all circumstances give thanks.” That can be a truly tall order and on some days, nearly impossible. But, there are things we can do to change how we view our lives and circumstances. When we choose to actively give thanks for all we have given, on a regular basis, not just on holidays, our view changes, not only our view of our own lives, but also our view of God.

Having a thankful heart, leaves us wide open to receiving all kinds of blessings and it allows us to bless others. Take this weekend and give the, “I get to,” challenge a shot. I think you will be impressed with what you see. You might even decide to make it permanent. I did.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

 

 

 

When the Rain Stops

Posted on by Wendy
While we eagerly curse the rainy days, do we remember to give thanks for the sunny ones?
While we eagerly curse the rainy days, do we remember to give thanks for the sunny ones?

It has rained in Georgia a lot this Fall and close to non-stop over the past two weeks. To add insult to injury, it turned cold over the weekend. I’m well aware that it’s November, but when it goes from the seventies to the forties overnight, it’s a shock to the system.

Everyday last week, the Weather Channel only had a forecast of like 20% chance of rain. Yet, everyday it continued to rain. The general mood of everyone has been kind of low. And you haven’t really ever lived on the edge, until you are a substitute teacher in an elementary class that hasn’t been allowed to go outside for two weeks. They were stir crazy to say the least.

Miraculously, on Tuesday, the sun came out in the afternoon. It was glorious. When it was shining straight into my eyes, as I drove to pick my son up from school, I didn’t even flinch. I didn’t dare complain. It was too precious.

On Wednesday, I had a meeting with my pastor and associate pastor, about ordering new curriculum for Sunday school. We sat outside. It was a little cool, but well worth it.

By the time I returned home, the sun was shining brightly and the temps had climbed into the seventies. I had a ton of things to do, but the day was so beautiful…

I prayed about my to do list and it was almost as if I could feel God beckoning me outdoors where He and I always have the best talks. I gave in and went out. I planted some pansies that had been wilting in the garage, waiting for the chance to break out of their tiny pots.

I blew some leaves off of the driveway, that had piled up in slick layers. I found myself thanking and praising God continuously for the magnificent day.

Then it occurred to me. Life is sometimes bleak and rainy. I mean, it sometimes feels as if the rain will never stop and then, when we think it can’t get much worse, it turns cold. We trudge on through the mud and muck and then when we think our situation will never change, the sun breaks out from the clouds giving us a little hope. Then, often fairly quickly, the sky turns a brilliant blue.

Do we keep on living life as we have been in a state of drudgery and ho-hum, or do we drop to our knees and give thanks for the change? I think if we’re honest, we often are momentarily thankful, but then go right back indoors to business as usual, allowing the answer to our prayers go by, almost unnoticed.

A beautiful sunny day, in the seventies, in November, is a gift. Yesterday, I had enough wisdom, to thank and praise God for making it. I’m not always that observant or grateful, but He gently reminded me.

The rain will eventually return and it will turn cold again, but I think it’s really important to be thankful for the sunny days. I sometimes need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

A Tempest in a Coffee Cup

Posted on by Wendy
If Christians want the world to know the true meaning of Christmas, it's up to demonstrate it, not corporate America.
If Christians want the world to know the true meaning of Christmas, it’s up to us, not corporate America, to demonstrate it.

Social media has been abuzz over the past couple of days over Starbucks new holiday cup design. Instead of adorning their overpriced coffee cups with reindeer or snowflakes like they did in the past, the have apparently decided to go with a simple red cup with a green logo. Gasp!

It’s scandalous, I know. An entire campaign led by some conservative Christians, (the key word here is SOME), has been started, bashing corporate America’s war on Christmas and Starbucks is accused of leading the charge.

Let’s all pause a moment and ask a few questions. Are snowflakes or reindeer considered Christian in nature? I don’t think so. It’s not like they ever adorned their cups with Nativity scenes. Furthermore, Starbucks has made it clear they are a fairly liberal leaning company with many of their policies. Is anyone truly surprised that a very secular company would choose a secular design for the holidays?

I would never really expect anyone at Starbucks to wish me a Merry Christmas. I would assume they would say Happy Holidays, which in no way offends me. As a Christian, I can always say “Merry Christmas.” I don’t expect corporate America to believe or act the way I do.

There’s plenty going on in the world and in this country for Christians to be offended by. The high school coach who was put on administrative leave for praying after a football game, that’s offensive. A gunman who gunned down Christians during worship service in Charleston, that’s offensive. A small business being put out of business for refusing to bake a cake for an event that is against their religion, that’s offensive. The forced removal of the Ten Commandments from public places, that’s offensive.

Christians being killed all over the world, simply for professing Christ as their savior, that’s offensive.

Starbucks’ cup design shouldn’t even register on our radar.

As Christians, I really feel like we need to do better. We should come together and support what we feel is righteous in the eyes of God. We also have the right and the duty to stand up against what we feel is government infringing on our rights of freedom of religion.

But, before we go of the rails and protest a Nativity Scene being removed from the public square, maybe we should ask ourselves if we have one in our own front yard. Would there be a stronger statement than every Christian home in the country having one on display for all to see? What about every Christian business?

Perhaps we should stop looking at the secular world around us and bemoaning the fact that they have lost the true meaning of Christmas, and start demonstrating the true meaning of Christmas ourselves.

We can say Merry Christmas. We can give to the needy. We can love our neighbor. We can show the world who we are by how we live and act.

I’m sure if you feel the need to proclaim the message of Christmas on your coffee cup, you could purchase a Christmas tumbler and that would be more environmentally friendly anyway.

I have no idea if Jesus was a coffee drinker or if He would shop at Starbucks, but the Bible lists lots of things that were close to His heart. I can think of many things going on today that would very likely offend Him. I can’t imagine coffee cups making the list.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

 

“You Be the Neurosurgeon”

Posted on by Wendy
Dr. Ben Carson reminds us to live our faith out loud.
Dr. Ben Carson reminds us to live our faith out loud.

I recently read a fascinating article about Dr. Ben Carson. He said he once prayed, “God, you be the neurosurgeon; I’ll be the hands.” His strong faith in God clearly worked during his medical career. He has story after story of following God’s lead and lives being saved because of it.

There was one instance in particular, where a couple brought in a child with a malignant brainstem tumor. He was lethargic and foaming at the mouth. Other doctors told them to take the child home to die. Carson looked at the CAT scan and MRI and agreed. The couple kept telling him that, “the Lord is going to heal our son.”

He performed a biopsy and told the couple that the child was going to die. The couple was insistent that, “the Lord is going to heal our son.” Carson reluctantly removed the tumor and the child improved immediately. He grew up to be a minister. A radiologist involved in the case, later found Carson and told him that he had been an atheist before the case, but no longer was. That’s what happens when we allow God to use us.

Whether or not you believe Carson should be president, it’s next to impossible not to be inspired by his faith.

What if all of us who call ourselves Christians, said, “God, you be the nurse, teacher, mother, father, fireman, police officer, real estate agent….; I’ll be the vessel.” What would our society look like?

I’ve heard it said, if God is your co-pilot, then you need to switch seats. Perhaps it’s time for us to switch seats.

Christians seem to have the strange ability to completely separate our faith from the rest of our lives. We are Christians on Sunday morning, but are something completely different on Monday. While the world is a secular place, that doesn’t mean that we have to be secular. We are called to be in this world, but not of it.

I’m not saying that we should run around quoting scripture to our co-workers who may or may not appreciate that, or stand on the street corner warning people to repent or else.

But, we could attribute any of our work-place successes to God. We could bow our heads and say say a silent blessing before we eat our lunch. We could refuse to participate in office gossip. We could be open about our faith. We don’t have to necessarily preach it with our words to live it with our actions, but we can share openly, if we have the opportunity.

Dr. Carson is a shining example of what can happen when we not only allow God to use us, but also give Him the glory for all of our successes.

Whatever your political leanings may be, the world could use more people like him. He inspires us all to live out our faith out loud.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

Let the Children Come to Me

Posted on by Wendy
Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

Yesterday, we had a couple visit our church, with a baby. He was fifteen months old. They sat on the very back row. The baby made some noise from time-to-time and I could hear the parents trying to quiet him with gentle hushing. Personally, the baby sounds made me smile.

Is there anything much closer to the heart of Jesus than a very young child? Children weren’t very well thought of back in Jesus’s day. Yet, three out of the four Gospels record the incident of parents trying to bring their children to Jesus to be blessed. The disciples tried to stop the parents, but Jesus intervened on their behalf.

He said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Matthew 19:14 It then goes on to say he placed his hand on them.

Many churches now have the much sought after children’s church. Parents want to worship in peace and quiet and not be bothered by squirmy, noisy children. There are also people within many congregations who have little tolerance for noisy children. They want their worship experience to be completely without the distractions that young children can cause.

The result is some churches have no children at all in their worship service. I find myself asking once again who worship has become about. Is it about our comforts and preferences or is it about glorifying God?

Young children can certainly be noisy, but is excluding them from worship the right thing to do? They usually love children’s church where they often color and sometimes get a snack, but isn’t there something sacred about a family sitting on a pew and worshiping together?

How will they learn hymns? How will they learn that they are part of a family, part of the Body of Christ, if they are always whisked away, right after the singing? Isn’t there something to be learned from seeing everyone around them quietly listen to the pastor reading the scripture, or better yet, see the people around them pulling out their own Bibles?

There are times when a child is screaming, that certainly calls for removing them. But, in a society where we watch television, listen to music and play on our smart phones all at the same time, can the little sounds that a child makes be that distracting?

I went and introduced myself to the parents and the precious little boy after service. They were a little apologetic. I told them not to be. I found others in my church family, saying the same. They made me proud.

A church with children present, whether noisy or not, is a church where parents are trying to introduce their offspring to Jesus. They are trying to teach them about the importance of worship. These parents know that children always learn best by example.

A church who welcomes children in their midst has their eyes on Christ. As followers of the One who said “let the children come to me,” who are we to get in the way?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

Who We Worship

Posted on by Wendy
Are we self-focused or God focused when we worship?
Are we self-focused or God focused when we worship?

Our church has just moved into a new building, well, new to us. It was built some time in the sixties and was in need of extensive renovation. God blessed us with the funds and the resources to renovate and remodel and it looks like a brand new church. The sanctuary even has beautiful new gray carpet.

The question has now been raised, if it’s okay to post a sign in the fellowship hall asking the people who worship there not to bring food and drink into the sanctuary.

Predictably, the responses have been on both sides, ranging from, “Of course we can’t eat and drink on that new carpet;” to, “Visitors may be turned off if they can’t bring their coffee with them to worship.”

Personally, I think there’s a deeper issue that’s going on here.

In the past couple of decades, churches have done a lot of changing to accommodate young believers who were leaving the church and to draw in the masses of unchurched.

The music has changed. Many churches offer what comes very close to a rock concert complete with a light show. The dress code has relaxed. Blue jeans and shorts are completely acceptable at many churches. Video screens are sometimes employed to show movie clips or sometimes the entire sermon. Some churches have even changed their doctrine as well, going along with what society thinks at the moment.

Yet, a recent Pew Poll from last May, shows that from 2007 to 2014,  Americans who call themselves Christians, have dropped from 78.4% to 70.6%.

Could the church’s quest to remain relevant be backfiring?

The definition of worship is: to show reverence and adoration for a deity, honor with religious rites.

It seems that worship has shifted from focusing on God to focusing on self. We ask questions like; “What do I get out of the sermon?” But, if worship is supposed to be God focused. Shouldn’t the question be, “What can I learn about God?” or “How can I demonstrate my adoration of God?”

Was worship ever supposed to be centered on what I can learn about me?

If the worship service is God focused, shouldn’t the question be, “Is the music pleasing to God?” rather than, “Is the music pleasing to me?”

If the hour of worship is God focused, shouldn’t we be emptying our minds of all distractions and opening our hearts and souls up to the Holy Spirit? Is it acceptable to God, for us to balance a coffee cup and have a snack during the sacred time of prayer?

Is it considered out of line or judgemental to ask those who worship to fast for sixty minutes a week, on Sunday mornings?

While this little debate rages on in many churches, the answer may need to come from the heart. The answer should have nothing to do with the color or condition of the carpet in the sanctuary.

Perhaps the answer should simply be, “What is pleasing and acceptable to God?” Does anything else really matter?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

The Quest for Thanksgiving

Posted on by Wendy
Let's intentionally be and live like people who are thankful.
Let’s intentionally be and live like people who are thankful.

When I think of Thanksgiving, I think of eating turkey and dressing with the people who I hold most dear. We cook together and spend the day together. We watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade together. We enjoy each other.

There have been years when I have participated in really large gatherings and years where I have spent the day with only immediate family.

My Thanksgiving Day has never included shopping. For many years, the day after Thanksgiving, known as Black Friday, was the first official shopping day of the Christmas season. But, a few years back, some enterprising retailers decided to open on Thanksgiving Day.

Those poor employees who worked at those stores, had to give up Thanksgiving with their families. I’m all for free enterprise, but seriously, I’ll bet the CEO’s didn’t work. I’ll bet they were with their families enjoying the holiday. Thankfully, there has been a lot of push back from consumers and there is a decent list of retailers who are staying closed on Thanksgiving this year.

Some of the larger names include Costco, Sam’s, TJ Maxx, REI, Staples and GameStop. I’ve included a link if you would like a more complete list.

http://fortune.com/2015/10/27/thanksgiving-day-stores/

I remember a time when the stores were closed on Sunday too. I truly admire Chick-fil-A and Hobby Lobby for continuing to stand by their Christian principles and refusing to open on Sunday, even if the practice costs them money.

A recent extensive Pew Poll, found 70.6% of Americans claim to be Christian. We are still the majority here. Perhaps it’s time that we become a little more vocal and active regarding our beliefs.

It’s a well-known fact that strong families are the backbone of a strong society. Having a parent miss out on Thanksgiving Dinner to run a cash register at a retail store, is not something that we have to support with our dollars.

We could also make it our business to support those retailers who have chosen to stay closed on Thanksgiving and allow their employees to enjoy the holiday. We have the numbers to make the difference. Maybe we should.

Thanksgiving is a uniquely American holiday. It’s a day to take a pause and be truly thankful for all that we have been given. Just being an American citizen is a huge gift to be thankful for in itself.

Most of us have so much to be thankful for, even if we forget sometimes. One of our greatest freedoms is freedom of religion. Perhaps, it’s time for Christians to send a message to corporate America that there are some things that we hold dear. Time with our families is one of those. Giving thanks and setting aside a time to do so, is another part of our core beliefs.

Thanksgiving Day is three weeks from today. What if we all took the next few weeks to not only be intentionally thankful for all we have been given, but also to pray that the world around us would be convicted to feel less entitled and more thankful for their gifts too?

True change begins in the heart. Who knows what kind of difference we can make?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂