Here's Your Sign

Our family likes to watch Jeff Foxworthy on Netflix. His humor about some of life's observations can remind us all of funny family settings and experiences. Once in awhile, Bill Engvall will join him on his Blue Collar Comedy Tour. Our favorites are the “Here’s Your Sign” jokes. How could stuff that is so obvious trip people up?

The answer is because we get so caught up in the moment. Whether we feel the emotion of joy, fear, surprise, wonder, amazement, it takes time for our brains to process what is happening around us. And because we respond without thinking, we blurt out the first thing, which often doesn’t make a lot of sense. 

All of these same crazy emotions flowed from what the shepherds had just experienced, the night Jesus was born. They were doing their normal blue collar jobs, nothing special, just trying to watch their sheep in the dark. When suddenly, the night sky lit up with streams of light piercing the atmosphere. If that wasn’t enough, an angel appeared and the glory of the Lord shone around them. You know that had to be bright! 

The Bible tells us in Luke 2:8-20, the shepherds were terrified and this is the point where they were probably ready to say something that didn’t make sense. None of it was making sense. They needed a sign!

So the angel told them-“Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Then the shepherds did something that made a lot of sense. When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

This week, spend some time processing your Savior’s birth and stand in awe of his wonderful signs of grace.

Smiles and Merry Christmas,

Wendy

HOPE

These thoughts came to my mind with the importance of the election this week. I jotted down a few things in my journal and got out my paints this afternoon to create this sea blue illustration. It is a reminder of where I physically get to live-near the ocean. I do not take for granted all the beauty God has place right around me. It is why water shows up in my illustration themes and often ends up as the backdrop to the stories I like to write.

HOPE is the feeling I have as being a character in God's story. As Christians, we have the confidence in knowing that God's story will be completed to perfection because he is the author.

Whether you choose to be a protagonist or an antagonist in his story, he will still use you as a character. You are part of his plan. As election day nears, our new president will also be part of God's plan.

There may be waves. They may be rough at times. Do not be afraid.

You have the life-line of HOPE offered to you and the confidence that God's story will be fulfilled as planned.

Smiles,

Wendy

This Is The Day

This is the day the Lord has made. How powerful is that?

Do you ever stop to think that you are God's child? He made you! He loves you! He organized and created everything for you to enjoy.

You might be thinking, WOW! I never thought of that before. How can I ever repay Him? The answer is you can't. If that makes you feel bummed out, don't let it.

As a good father, a Dad likes to see it when his kids are happy. God is the best father. He wants you to be happy too. He doesn't expect you to pay Him back. He wants you to acknowledge Him in your life by praising Him, rejoicing if you will. When we share His love with others, we can't help but feel happy, GLAD.

We can be GLAD that we have THIS DAY to REJOICE.

Let's do it!

Smiles,

Wendy

Late to the Party?

My current fifty something season poses some questions about picking up a paint brush again. Questions like, “Are you late to the party?”

Seasons give us time to reflect and review. The times leading up to this season have shown me four things consistently. You may relate to some of these as well. 

#1 Creating Stuff is Fun! I have always enjoyed art. My five year old self has fun memories of coloring with the neighbor kids on the picnic table under their apple tree. This insight pushed me on to crafts in 4-H, private painting classes in high school and a college degree in graphic design. The great thing about discovering what you like as a kid is that it is true. There is no agenda or goal when you are five. 

#2 It’s Good to Know Jesus. As we enter new seasons, whether it is moving to a new location, starting a new job, entering a new school, making new friends or picking up a paint brush again, Jesus knows all about it. We might not know how it is going to work out but He does. And His plan is perfect. I like to think about His aerial view, which allows Him a much greater perspective.

#3 Kids are Gifts! My own two daughters have brought me so much joy. In their toddler days and as adult women they continue to make me happy. As youngsters, seeing things through their eyes was awe-inspiring. Now, I'm in awe of their abilities and hearts. I'm also enjoying the bonus gift of two wonderful son-in-laws.

#4 Enjoy the Journey- it is sad to think of all the things we miss because we are so busy trying to get the thing.

So, am I late to the party? 

No, 

I’ve been eating the cake.

Tips for Cake Eating:

#1 Remind yourself what the little you enjoyed- do some of that.

#2 If it has been a while since you connected with God, talk to Him. He is still there.

#3 Give your time to a child today. You will both feel better.

#4 Enjoy the journey.

Smiles,

Wendy

"You're going to get it. I'm telling!"

Look at the title of this post again-"You're going to get it. I'm telling!"

When I was in third grade you heard that kind of stuff on the playground all the time, or was that just me?

My third grade teacher, Eldo Schnackenberg, (I know what a great German name, right!) took these "playground opportunities" as teachable moments. He explained to our class (me) that the word grace, which seemed so abstract and intangible to an eight year old, simply meant undeserved loved. I have a feeling Mr. Schnackenberg handed out a lot of grace. He taught third, fourth and fifth grade at the same time in the same classroom. Amazing Grace!

As we are in the midst of Holy week we see the true meaning of grace played out through Christ’s death on the cross. Jesus was true God and true man. He followed all the playground rules and yet it was him on the cross. He could have removed himself from the cross and told the rest of us, “You’re going to get it and I’m telling!" but that was not God’s plan of salvation. His plan was full of grace, his undeserved love. Because Christ took on our sins and died on the cross for us, we have new life, new hope, new joy, new energy to be his Easter People. I hope some of that comes across in this illustration.

Because of Jesus’s death on the cross, "You're going to get it, his undeserved love…. and I’m telling!"

Happy Easter!

Smiles,

Wendy

Changing The Storyline

Each January, Port City Community Church here in Wilmington, North Carolina encourages those attending to pick a word rather than making a New Year’s resolution. For the past four years I have chosen one word as my focus. (In 2012 it was TRUST, in 2013 it was SOMETHING, in 2014 it was NEXT, in 2015 it was PREPARE). My One Word for 2016 is DISCERN.

As our lead Pastor, Mike Ashcraft says, “My One Word is a lens, by which we can see how God is working in us and through us as the year goes along.” You can read more from Mike in his book or check out MyOneWord.org.

New Years and New Year’s resolutions got me thinking about why they work for some and not for others. Why we follow through or why we fail. This lead me to reading several articles on the topic, and I glazed over numerous snippets about The Top Ten Things to Make 2016 Great.

Don’t get me wrong, I did pay attention to a lot of the suggestions and found some of them helpful, like drinking more water and getting a good night’s rest. One of the things I read that struck me more than anything was by Tony Ripa, who writes many of the devotions for Port City Community Church. Tony writes, “If our character changes, our behavior follows suit.”

Those words jumped out at me because in my little world of trying to write and illustrate my first children’s picture book the same thing happens. A character, usually the protagonist, begins on page one with a certain demeanor and attitude but something happens towards the middle of the 32 pages that transforms him/her and changes the ending.

The reason some resolutions stick for some people and not for others is because some people are transformed into different characters and others stay the same throughout the story.

The behavior change is something we can work on but the character change is about who we are and who we are becoming which happens in our hearts. If we try to reach our resolutions on our own, we are only able to address one aspect of it. We need God to work in us to transform our hearts.

Just like a picture book, we start 2016 on page one as a certain type of character. The transformation in the middle of the story can happen and change the ending. (And FYI, the middle of the book is always the most challenging).

As your story develops this year, I am excited by the page turning transformations that God is waiting to work in you and confident that the ending will look different than the beginning.

Go ahead. Pick a word. It could just change your whole story.

Smiles,

Wendy

Thanks Giving

I love Thanksgiving. I love being with family and friends and celebrating our together time. But Thanksgiving is more than a happy celebration. It is our response to that happiness that brings us true joy.

For those of you who remember Johnny Carson on the Tonight Show, you may also remember at Thanksgiving, he would read letters from children on how to cook a turkey. The letters were always fun and reminded me of children’s simple thought processes. Usually, they went something like this:

1. Buy a 40 lb turkey.
2. Stuff him with something.
3. Cook him for 10 minutes.
4. When Dad carves him, make sure his wings aren’t moving.

While your children are learning about Thanksgiving and how to cook a turkey, you might want to incorporate this into your tradition.

Set up a little craft time with the kids prior to your dinner. (You know there is always a kids table). Lay out an assortment of markers, construction paper, crayons and scissors. Draw around each child’s hand to make “the turkey.” Cut out the turkey shape in one continuous cut. Remove the turkey shape but DO NOT throw away the other piece that shows their hand cut out!  It is the most important part!!!!

Let the kids decorate their turkeys and place one next to each guest’s plate. The other piece, the hand cutout, can lay directly on each plate. Tell the kids the turkeys will make wonderful table decorations but the most important part is the cut out of their “praise hands.”

The joy that is ours at Thanksgiving is offering up praise to God and thanking him for the many ways he has blessed us. If you throw away the praise hands, you are only left with turkeys!

Don’t throw away the most meaningful part of the day. Don’t overlook the joy time by jumping right to the turkey and forgetting the praise hands. As you gather around your table, thoroughly enjoy all of God’s blessings as each guest shares then use your praise hands to give him thanks.

Have a great time Thanks Giving!

Smiles,

Wendy