by wendy | Nov 11, 2021 | Encouragement, Encouragement For Your Heart, Encouragement from the Word, Godly Relationships, Lifestyle Encouragement
We stopped by Walmart on the way home from church today and it was teeming with people! Thankfully, we weren’t in a hurry because we had the chance to visit with several of our friends and neighbors. Shortly after grabbing the first few items on our list I bumped into Ms. Sally from our church. “I just cannot find the crackers,” she mused.
“They are on the aisle labeled snacks,” I responded – and then just to make sure, I walked there with her. As soon as we rounded aisle 7, I could clearly see there were no crackers. I was standing there confused when another friend, Cheryl, walked by. “Where did the crackers go?” I inquired. “I was sure they were here.”
“They have been moved to the back where the drinks are,” she informed us. Ms. Sally wheeled off in search of her crackers. After a few moments she returned to report that she had found them.
Meanwhile, we stood and chatted with Cheryl and her husband. It was a great conversation, animated with sharing of family news and concerns for those in our community. I stood talking with my arms full of bread and soup and spaghetti sauce. In the midst of the conversation, a man excused himself as he interrupted. “Where did you find the bread?” he asked. He gestured to his family following him, “we are not from here and we don’t know where to find the bread.”
I smiled and gave directions, pointing with my free hand in the direction of the bread aisle. As I often do, (maybe it comes from years of teaching distracted teens) I repeated the directions to be sure I was clear. He and his wife expressed their gratitude and headed off to find the bread.
We continued in conversation, but after only a few moments, a former student, Eric, tapped me on the shoulder. “Since you are giving out directions,” he quipped, “can you help me find this?” He held out his cell phone to show me a photo of chicken bouillon.
“That is on the soup aisle,” I explained. I glanced at his expression and then lead him down the soup aisle. “Here is what you’re looking for,” I smiled as I handed him the jar. Returning back to my group I joked, “I guess I am the traffic director today!” Inside I thought, “hmmm – we have a theme!”
All around us people are looking for direction. I feel so blessed when I can point someone the right way. Whether it is where to find the bread, how to deal with their child’s addiction, or where to look in the Bible for words of hope, giving direction is one of the most honorable jobs. It implies that someone views me as approachable and available, they recognize my wisdom or knowledge, and they trust me to help them get there.
If we want to help with those searching for the right way, we must be approachable and available. Two of my encounters today came while I was in the midst of conversation. It wasn’t that I was not busy, but I had a smile on my face and I made eye contact with people as they walked by. If I wear an expression that says, “Don’t bother me!” then likely people won’t. I like to be interrupted – I want to be asked – I love to engage with people. I didn’t stand in the middle of the store with a sign that said, “Ask me!” But then again, I really did!
We must first know how to get there ourselves if we want to direct others. If we don’t know the way, we must simply ask someone who does. I don’t always know the answer, but I can usually find someone who knows. Part of being in the position to help is being willing to admit that I don’t have all of the answers! I knew where the crackers used to be, but it wasn’t hard to locate someone who was more familiar with the changes. Ms. Sally might not have asked Cheryl because she didn’t know her. I was simply the connector. Wisdom and knowledge is helpful, but true wisdom has as much of a desire to find the truth as it does to know the truth!
Finally, sometimes giving direction is not enough. Often, we need to walk along with someone until they reach their destination. People don’t always recognize what they need until it is taken from the shelf and placed in their hand. Something familiar and commonplace to me can seem foreign and out of reach for another. When asked, I must be willing to point the way and then lead the way.
I didn’t solve the problems of the world today, but the crackers, the bread, and bouillon were all found. I left Walmart with the items I came for and a sense of purpose. I am a traffic director – can I help you find your way?
You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Matthew 5:14-16
by wendy | Nov 11, 2021 | Lifestyle Encouragement
This photo popped up on my feed today as a memory from one year ago. This is one of my favorite picture of my four kids. It brings a bevy of emotions, but today it made me think of all the things you don’t see when you look at this picture.
Right away, I noticed how much my kids have grown since this was taken – in more ways than one! I love that they are dressed up and look nice. I love how close they are standing and that they look like kids that like each other. I love that, in general, they appear to be happy, healthy, kids on a snowy afternoon. But here is what you don’t see in this picture …
This picture was taken outside of their grandmother’s house on the way to bury her. One of these kids was suffering with extreme anxiety, depression, and a drug addiction. We didn’t make it through the day without a meltdown. One of these kids despises getting his picture taken. One really wants to hug his brother but isn’t allowed. Three are just happy there is no drama going on in this moment.
I would be willing to bet you didn’t see all of that. While a picture is worth 1000 words – it can also hold a lot of secrets. You may wonder why I even like this picture when I clearly know the back story. I suppose it is because it was one bright spot in a day full of other emotions. It was a moment when my broken family was whole and happy. It was a moment when things seemed good.
But this picture also serves as a reminder of several things. It reminds of me that we stood in line for hours on end while people filed through to share wonderful stories of how my mother-in-law had blessed their life. It reminds me that even when we were struggling through a difficult time, we came together as a family. It reminds me that, even though that was a dark and frightening period, we are now in a joyous place of healing and recovery!
I can look at this photo with all of its secrets and tell you the happy news of today. Yes, my kids are now bigger and taller, but they have grown in so many other ways. Our son is now recovering from his addiction as well as his depression and anxiety. We have had frequent family time with no meltdowns or drama, and he even lets his brother hug him now. Actually, I would say that our whole family is closer than ever before. I have seen a confidence develop in each one of these kids over the last year. I am so proud of all of them!
by wendy | Nov 11, 2021 | The Art of Encouraging
I was interviewed today by a young girl from my community. As part of her Art Badge, she needed to visit an artist’s studio and inquire about their process and materials. She and her mother asked great, insightful questions, and I enjoyed answering them. It gave me a chance to think about who I am as an artist and to reflect on the why and how of what I do.
As I finished a piece today that I have been working on – in my mind for a couple of years – but physically for a couple of days, I realized that more people might like a glimpse into the workings of an artist’s process. I am sure that we are all different, and I am constantly evolving my own creative system, but here is the journey of my latest painting, “The Roost”.
I often begin thinking about a painting when I see something that captures my attention. About five years ago, Jerry and I went on a missions trip to Costa Rica. We travelled along rough dirt roads from one remote village to another, and I was fully enamored with the small rustic homes and rural jungle life. On one of the trips to La Gata, we passed a tiny house with a fence across the front yard. A rooster was perched on the fence, and though I only caught a quick glimpse, that image burned in my mind. I knew instantly that I wanted to paint something similar.
Several years later, while visiting a local friend, I took these pictures of her chickens roosting on her deck rail. It was dusk and image quality was not good, but it reminded me of that rooster in Costa Rica. I realized then that the image I was interested in capturing was really about the roost and not the particular breed of chicken. I found a board that seemed just the right size for the painting and covered it in black paint. Though unsure of the background color I wanted, I decided black would be a good place to start. I left the board black and it sat unpainted for a couple of years longer.
Finally, this week, I decided to paint these chickens. Usually, I paint a background and then chalk in my subject before adding the details, but I have striving to loosen up and allow myself to experiment and develop the image as I paint. This time I used the brush to “draw” my simple outlines. As I began adding splashes of color to the background, I could see leaves developing. I started thinking about the bush outside my kitchen window where we often find our chickens roosting at night. Just last week, I peered in between the branches and found myself eyeball to eyeball with a hen! She was not happy with me for invading her privacy!
Finally, I worked between these two photos, as well as some generic chicken photos from the Internet for reference, to create the final painting. In the end, I realized that I was not trying to replicate three specific chickens but instead a conglomeration of memories and experiences. I love the attitude and atmosphere these chickens create – it is exactly what I think of when I imagine “The Roost”.
by wendy | Nov 11, 2021 | Encouragement, Encouragement For Your Heart, Encouragement from the Word, Lifestyle Encouragement, Trusting God
Animals are funny creatures! They tend to be fairly self-sufficient, but occasionally we do have to step in to help them out. When our goats are growing their horns, they reach a particular point where they can push through the fence to eat the grass on the other side (an entirely different story!), but when they decide to pull their heads back through they are stuck! The frantic goat will pull and pull and cry loudly until we come over to help them. Most of the time, when we take hold of the horns to help the poor thing navigate back through the fence, the goat will push against us and refuse to cooperate! Neighbors may hear me yelling, “You silly goat, I am trying to help you!”
Just the other day, one of the newborn piglets wriggled its way through the rails of the birthing stall into another part of the barn. The mother had no way to rescue the little stray and it was squealing in frustration as it was separated from its litter mates. I ran around to the back of the barn and picked up the piglet to return it to its mother. That piglet squealed
like a “stuck pig” all the way around the pasture. Both of our sows were snorting at me and Gertrude, the lost piglet’s mother, looked as if she wanted to come through the fence to charge me. She grunted furiously as I slipped her piglet in through fence so she could nose it into the barn with the rest of the litter. As I tossed the piglet in and retreated quickly, I snapped at Gertrude, “Don’t you know I am just trying to help you?”
The very same afternoon, I let the chickens out of the run to peck around the yard. Several of the nosey hens made a beeline for
Roadrunner, our mama hen that had just hatched 5 little chicks. Immediately, she puffed up and started going after every chicken that dared move within a 5 foot radius of her precious little ones. I quickly began to gather up her chicks as they darted to get away from the mayhem. Roadrunner, spying me scooping up her offspring, came after me! Thankfully, I was able to capture all 5 chicks and move them safely to a coop where she joined them. Through the wire of the coop door I fussed at Roadrunner, “I was trying to help you, crazy mama!”
This morning, as I desperately tried to think of a way to “rescue” one of my own children, God made those words I have been uttering to my animals ring out loud and clear in my heart. I have been struggling, wrestling, and pushing against Him as I feel
helpless in the situation. My child is out of my reach and in harm’s way, yet I am powerless to assist. I want to fix it – I want to help – I want to protect – and in that desire, I rail against the one who truly has the ability to rescue. Oh, that I could just get out of the way! It is the kindness of God that He has shown me, through my own ability to rescue my animals in sticky situations, that where I am unable – He is able! I choose to trust Him, knowing that He loves my child infinitely more than even I can. In that love, I find my hope.
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1
by wendy | Nov 11, 2021 | Encouragement, Encouragement For Your Heart, Focus on God
It is especially quiet at Cornercopia this week. Actually – it is me that is quiet and that is unusual! I can’t help it though – I have laryngitis. I really can’t manage much above a whisper and even that, at times, is painful. It’s funny, I don’t realize how many everyday tasks require communicating with my voice until I don’t have one to use.
Jerry and I are both talkers. When we are home together, we often yell to each other from the other room. Neither of us have great hearing so that usually results in some frustration. Yesterday, I was working on the computer and Jerry asked me a question from the other room. It wasn’t as if he was just announcing something – he actually wanted a response. Normally, I would yell back, “Hang on a minute!” or “Come in here, I can’t hear you!” but I couldn’t yell – so I said nothing. He tried again. I whispered, “You will have to come closer,” but of course he couldn’t hear that. Finally, he came into the room and I motioned for him to come close. When he was close enough, I was able to respond.
We live in a loud world. We are accustomed to shouting above the mayhem in the midst of our busyness and expecting others to hear us and respond. We seldom stop what we are doing and come in close for an intimate conversation. This time of quietness has reminded me that God does not try to compete with our crazy life. He does not respond to flippant shouts from the other room nor does he yell over the noise to get our attention. He prefers for us to come close, look Him full in the face, and listen with anticipation. How will we hear Him if we are not willing to be still and quiet?
Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live.
Isaiah 55:3
by wendy | Nov 11, 2021 | Encouragement, Encouragement For Your Heart, Encouragement from the Word, Trusting God
My pastor has been preaching through 1 & 2 Kings for a while now. The past couple of Sunday’s have been eye-opening lessons about how God “thwarts” the plans of the enemy. I have found myself on the edge of my seat, furiously scribbling notes and trying to catch every word – I NEED to hear this one! It is so easy to become wrapped up in the anxiety of the times, worried over the “what-ifs” of the day. I am a natural worrier – especially over my children – and I sometimes forget that God is in control.
Here are a couple of nuggets of precious hope I have gleaned in the recent weeks:
He (God) thwarts the plans of the crafty, so that their hands achieve no success. He catches the wise in their craftiness and the schemes of the wily are swept away. Job 5:12-13
People do plan wicked things. Sometimes, others do not have my best interest at heart. BUT – I can trust that God DOES have my best interest at heart.
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11
This is a verse I know by heart – but sometimes I don’t believe it in my heart. I find myself wondering if God really meant this for me. It doesn’t always feel like He is giving me a hope and prospering me – but that is because I don’t see the big picture!
My pastor often reminds us that, “If God allows a wicked (painful, difficult, hard to understand) plan to succeed, it is so the best possible outcome by the best possible means achieves the highest results.” (I hope I quoted that correctly!)
I can trust that my messes and my hard times have purpose and will not be wasted!
If you – like me – find yourself in the midst of impossible situations and hopeless times, I would strongly encourage you to read the story we studied this week in 2 Kings 6:24-7:20. The people were without hope and did not think they would survive. When the king expressed this to Elisha, the prophet encouraged him to wait “one more day” to see God’s provision. The king did wait and he was not disappointed. God is faithful!
In my notes, I highlighted, “When I am empty of me that is when God shows up BIG!”
Here is the verse I am camping on this week:
What is impossible with man is possible with God. Luke 28:27
by wendy | Nov 11, 2021 | Tips for Encouraging Others
I am absolutely passionate about encouraging people. One of my favorite ways to encourage is by giving a small, but thoughtful, gift to someone who needs to feel loved (which is everyone!). This can get expensive unless I make the gift or I can find small inexpensive things.
Today I am tending shop for my friend Charlotte who owns “The Golden Fish” in our little town of Palmyra. Her little boutique features a mix of items made by local artisans as well as treasures that Charlotte has found. She has an incredible eye for unique, vintage goods that are incredibly inexpensive. It is the perfect place to pick up a small gift that is matched to the personality of the one you want to encourage!
I thought it would be fun to feature a few things from her shop on my blog today!
Cards are great, but this little book is less expensive than a greeting card and has a cute message to make someone feel special!
If you have a friend who loves owls, this little glass owl would sit pretty on any shelf or dresser in their home. It would even make a cute paper weight for the office.
I can’t tell you how many people I know who have stories of raising a pet duck when they were little! This tiny wooden duck is sure to lift the spirits of anyone who isn’t feeling “ducky”.
Tiny picture frames are great for displaying inspirational quotes or verses.
This little change purse is so sweet and it would be ideal for filling with little messages of encouragement if you know someone going on a trip!
Do you know a teacher? This apple basket could be filled with notes of encouragement, a favorite candy, or any other tiny treat and would fit neatly on a teacher’s desk!
This happy juice glass should light up anyone’s day, especially if it is filled with candy, a little candle, or encouraging notes!
Each one of these finds is under $5 at “The Golden Fish” but any thrift or antique store has hundreds of little treasures just waiting to be found. Create a little stash of these things that you can use for just the right occasion or go shopping with someone special in mind. With a unique gift like these, along with your words of encouragement, you can’t help but lift someone up!
by wendy | Nov 11, 2021 | Direction, Encouragement, Encouragement For Your Heart, Encouragement from the Word, Lifestyle Encouragement
On the first day of the year, I was determined to clean out the deepest, darkest place in our home – our bedroom closet – or so I thought. It turned out that God would show us that we had deeper and darker places that needed our attention. Isn’t it just like God to use those revelations to teach us to draw closer to Him?
I started out the day with a warm shower and a hopeful motivation. I was feeling inspired to get rid of the clutter in our overstuffed closet and the driving force was the desire to find my missing slipper. I coaxed Jerry into joining me in the project and we managed to remove 4 trash bags of clothes and shoes that were headed for donation, as well as another bag that landed in the garbage. We swept away the dust that had been hiding under that clutter and found more than just the missing slipper. We felt accomplished and Jerry headed off to the shower, returning shortly to question me about why there was no water pressure.
The day quickly turned from a hopeful motivation to a desperate searching. Jerry became tense and sullen. He tested the electrical connection and found that, though power was flowing to the wire, the well pump was not working. We stood at the top of the well and looked into the hole wondering, what are we getting ourselves into? Jerry searched the Internet for answers, phoned a friend or two, and we rode silently to the home improvement store to purchase a new well pump – a big expense that wasn’t in our post-holiday budget. As we arrived at the store I asked my normally confident husband, “Are you okay?”
He surprised me with a short, “No.”
While Jerry was perusing the well pumps and scouting for the necessary tools, I wandered around the appliance section and gave him some thinking space. I sensed that this project was leaving him stumped and concerned about the expense of calling a professional. I knew he was feeling helpless and I was completely powerless to assist. “Lord,” I prayed, “Please give Jerry wisdom – and some help.”
I meandered back to the plumbing department but my husband was no longer there. I tried calling him but he didn’t answer. Finally, I located him and he was talking to someone on the phone. “We may not need to buy a well pump,” Jerry explained, “Dwayne is coming over to help.”
On the way home, I discovered that Jerry had suddenly thought to call our contractor friend to ask his opinion. It “just so happened” that Dwayne and his wife had experience with well pumps and they had the tools to do the job! When they arrived, It took 5 of us to pull the well pump 350 feet out of the hole! The guys were able to find a severed wire that had caused our pump to stop working. They patched the wire, secured it to reduce the possibility of that happening again, lowered our well pump into the ground, and we had water!
Later that evening, I asked Jerry, “What was going through your head when you said you were not okay?”
“I didn’t know how to fix the problem,” he confessed.
I often brag about my husband that he can fix anything. The truth is – while he is very good at repairing many things – he can’t fix everything. My faithful man had forgotten for a brief moment that God’s strength is made perfect in our weakness, and his lesson taught me just as much. When we rely on ourselves for knowledge and wisdom we will come to the end of ourselves. But when we rely on God, the author of wisdom, we will never reach the end.
Jerry and I thought that clearing clutter and dissipating dust would bring light to our deepest, darkest places, and while those were good aspirations, they merely scratched the surface. God desires to do more in our lives than clearing the clutter. He wants to reach into the depths of our hearts and pull out the frayed cords that are shorting out the lifeblood of our souls. Whatever it is that is holding you back from a complete trust in God – fear, pain, unforgiveness, bitterness – God wants to pull it up, bring it into the light, and mend it. He longs to be source of everything you need – your strength, your wisdom, your savior.
Oh, the depths of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable His judgements, and His paths beyond tracing out. Who has known the mindset of the Lord? Or who has been His counselor? Who has ever given to God that God should repay him? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever! Amen.
Romans 11:33-36
by wendy | Nov 11, 2021 | Direction, Encouragement, Encouragement For Your Heart, Encouragement from the Word, Focus on God, Trusting God
I was recently told, by a person who has been exposed to the Word their whole life, that Scripture just doesn’t hold their attention. I can understand that – especially if it is perceived as an assigned reading that “should be done.” I can remember trying desperately to comprehend my high school history book, but no matter how many times my eyes moved over the words, my brain simply refused to enter the information. It just was not interesting to me – it seemed to have no bearing on my life.
I have, at times, felt the same way about the Bible. Rote reading that didn’t make sense and certainly didn’t seem to apply. Once I began to understand though, that Scripture is a book of stories – accounts of the lives of real people like me who struggled – reading it became a lifeline instead of a chore. Suddenly, reading the Bible illuminated the darkness of my crazy life, helped me make sense of the chaos, called me to focus on the important things, and gave me courage to keep going. Scripture not only holds my attention – it compels me!
Yesterday, I was studying our Youth Sunday School lesson. We are using The Gospel Project curriculum and it is taking us consecutively through the Bible. The current unit carries us through the Exodus and wandering of the Israelites in the wilderness. Because we have been traveling through Scripture in the order that it happened, we are invested – familiar with the whole story. We have just experienced the awesomeness of God’s power as He orchestrated the release of the Israelites from Egyptian captivity and brought them through the impossible obstacle of the Red Sea. His people have been led and protected every step of the way, but as soon as they felt some discomfort, they fell to doubt, fear, and complaining. Under the commentary in my lesson, I wrote the following message: “When we focus on the challenge, we shake in fear. When we focus on God, we are encouraged.”
That lesson resonated with me. It seemed like a phrase I might need some day to encourage someone. I closed my book and continued on with my plan for the day – a busy one full of appointments with new shops and processing orders. By the evening, I was feeling overwhelmed by the growth of my business and the increase in my responsibilities. The things I had prayed for were happening – and it was scary!
As I crawled into bed, feeling anything but relaxed, I texted with my mom. “This is stressful.”
“Just focus and trust the Lord,” she replied. Those specific words were like a flashback!
I left my bed and pulled out my notes from earlier in the day.
“When we focus on the challenge, we shake in fear. When we focus on God, we are encouraged.” I had been right – I would need those words to encourage someone – that someone was me! The lessons learned by the Israelites wandering in the wilderness were a blueprint for my own wandering. As I read their story, I am reminded about the amazing show of power, provision, and protection God has showered upon my own life. When I read about their doubt and fear, I recognize my doubt and fear. When I see the kindness and grace that God showed them over and over – the patience He displays in their hard-hearted and hard-headed struggle to move forward – well, let’s just say that I can relate.
This world can seem like a meaningless, chaotic, mess – there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t need to be encouraged. I’m thankful that we have been given a guide – not a dry, academic manual of instructions – but a narrative of grace and a reminder that the God of the Universe is alive and active and cares about me!
“Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
Exodus 14:13-14
by wendy | Nov 11, 2021 | Encouragement, Encouragement For Your Heart
I opened my Bible Study (“Brave” by Angela Thomas) to this page today, and my first thought was, “Yes! I am broken – and I am so glad!”
That might seem like an odd response to you – but let me explain. I am glad I am broken because I like who I have become through the brokenness.
Before I was broken, I was full of myself, unable to see out through my own lens of selfishness. Pride – only based on lack of knowledge and experience – colored my thoughts and judgments of people around me and prevented me from living with compassion. I neglected to encourage others because I didn’t understand the source of true courage. The gleaming shell on the outside merely kept me from leaking out love.
Hardship, disappointment, failure – all difficult teachers – have cracked that shell. As bits of my pride and selfishness have seeped out, I find that they have made way for joy, peace, love. Less of me – more of Him. Brokenness comes with a price – it is not an easy place to reach – but the result is such sweetness. To use my suffering to encourage another, to have compassion for one who is feeling a similar pain, to leak love through the rough edges only to find that it refines them in the most beautiful way – this is being fully alive!
I am broken – and because of Jesus living in me – I am more complete than I have ever been.
For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Ephesians 3:14-21
