Guest Post: Copy Cat, by Wendy Foulke

It is with great pleasure that I am able to share with you a guest post from Wendy Foulke. She was the main speaker at the #RegardingHIM Conference I attended a few weekends ago, and I also consider her a friend in Christ. I have learned from her the domino-effect of giving to others without reserve, and I hope that the words the Lord has given her are uplifting to you today, wherever you are and whatever you are doing. 

Thank you, Wendy, for allowing me to share your reflective words!

For more the Re:garding HIM Conference, you can visit their website. Wendy can also be found Re:flect-I.com.

Copy Cat

My daughter is an observer.  Those who know her would describe her as quiet and perhaps shy.  But, that quiet little girl is busy at work in social settings:  she’s observing your every detail.

When Brynne returns home from school, she then spends several hours playing School.  Imitating her teacher’s words and actions, she instructs her doll babies in a myriad of intellectual pursuits.  Piano lesson day?  That brings hours worth of sitting at the piano with her “student” after experiencing it all firsthand herself.

One of the most precious ways my daughter imitates, though, is in worship.  Each Sunday she observes hundreds of worshippers singing praise to the Lord.  At a young age she is learning to wholeheartedly worship the only One worthy of our praise.  While most of us would agree that God’s word is not full of suggestions, but rather commands, we somehow excuse ourselves when we read Scripture that exhorts us to ‘lift up our hands in the sanctuary and bless the Lord’.  Brynne is too young to know that the culture says she should feel undignified in raising a hand or offering God her all.

Whether we are in a place of formal leadership or not, we are all examples to someone in our lives. Someone is observing us and imitating us.  Our leading may be directing others on a path toward becoming more like Jesus or on an opposite path.  We must be mindful and intentional in our daily lives and choices.  Remember, though, that it’s not up to us to figure it out on our own.

While it may seem intimidating to hear that we are an example to someone (or some oneS), what a gift to know that we are only leading by following.

Following the One who will never make a single mistake.

Following the One who will light our path.

Following the One who will never lead us astray.

As we seek to know Jesus all the more, we will see His example clearly.  Then, we can follow Him!  As we struggle or trip up, we point back to Him.  We confess our sins, we move on in His forgiveness.  He gives us all the power to live out our calling as Christians in a worthy way.  We do it through Him!

So, don’t give up leading others because you think you’ll mess up.  Guess what?  You WILL mess up!  But, go forward in great confidence as you follow and are strengthened by Jesus Christ.   Act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God.

Love, Wendy

Winter Reading List

Updates first... soon (I haven't a date yet, but April sometime) I will be sharing a guest post by the incomparable Wendy Foulke. I have been blessed to meet her about five or six years ago, and she and her family were such a blessing to my family. Wendy and the Women of the Word have a lovely blog for ministering at Re:flect-I. She also recently spoke at the Re:gardingHIM Conference which I was privileged to attend this past weekend.
The conference topic was on friendship, something I find that many of us take for granted. There are many kinds of friendships, and not every relationship we build is as easy as pie. I was encouraged by the speakers and their instruction from the Word. The musical choices were also heartwarming, familiar hymns I could sing in my sleep but also a few new ones, all sung with fresh voices and given with cheerful smiles. Not quite as important as the ministry, but also of worthy mention was that the decorations were adorable. There were fluffy pink and white paper balls strategically placed to help you find the restroom, bookstore, and workshop rooms, plus sweet pink mugs with baby's breath and fronds in them. The food (including the millions of homemade cookies) was also scrumptious.

Photo credit: Elizabeth Koetsier, taken at Fredrick Meijer Gardens last spring. 

And now, in lieu of the first day of spring (which I am aware I am not posting exactly on, but whatever), here is my Winter Reading List!

*side note: if you noticed I did not say Spring Reading List, good for you. I sincerely dislike making "to read" lists for myself, as it takes all the fun out of reading for me. It makes it feel more like a task or assignment. Plus, I prefer choosing my books based on my mood at the moment.

*side note #2 I apologize for the boring-ness of this reading list. I am fully aware that there are very few "fun" books on it. Let's just say I've had a crazy fall, an even crazier winter, and sping is looking up to be a new kind of crazy so I'm just holing my seat belt right now and learning to just let God.

So, at last I present to you, my Winter Reading List. That is, books I read this winter.

Plot & Structure, by James Scott Bell. I confess, I have not yet finished this book. But it's one of those kinds of books you keep near you and reference often. Written concisely and clearly, it's one of the most helpful but also engaging "how to" books I've read on writing. (Often "how to" books are very dry. JS Bell has a knack for wit and relevancy.) Alongside this, I also have gone through The Usborne Creative Writing Book, which I purchased from Usborne Books and More with Patti. It has some really helpful pages that I copied for character development, as well as some plot development tips and exercises. What's nice about it is that it also is easy to read for a variety of ages, I would even recommend it to any homeschooling moms out there!

 

Calm My Anxious Heart, by Linda Dillow

My absolutely favorite read this winter was A Time to Rise, by Nadine Brandes. Five stars. Go read it. Now. It is the last installment of the YA dystopian trilogy that entwines faith and adventure to engage and inspire readers, essentially calling them to action while considering if you knew your time of death, how would it change your life? If you have read it, please pop on over to Amazon and rate the first two books, A Time to Die and A Time to Speak. While both are still available for Kindle, they are no longer available in paperback- the only way I read! (I know, I'm very behind the times and I'm perfectly happy reading this way.) Voting will help bring them back to us the way we hard-core readers love to read best: the old-fashioned way.

Legacy of Faith, by Lydia Brownback

For devotions I am currently reading The Triune God (various authors), which was given to me at the Philedelphia Reformed Theological Conference last year. Although not as "flowery" as Dillow or Brownback, it is very solid and I'm taking my time in reading it alternately between finishing John (since I didn't do this earlier in the year). By the by, I am going back to the Conference this year and very much looking forward to it. Check out the link if you're interested! There is one held in (actual) Philedelphia, and another in Byron Center, Michigan.

I am also currently reading The Chaos of Stars, by Kiersten White.

I started reading Unblemished by Sara Ella but was slow in getting through it and had to return it to the library before I'd finished it. So perhaps it doesn't count as a Winter Read, but I'm putting it on here anyway so someone can hold me accountable to finish it. (If you don't see it on my Spring Reading List, someone please send me frowning emojis. That's really the worst punishment I can come up with right now.)

What books have you all read this winter so far? Any recommendations? Did any of you attend the RegardingHIM Conference or will you be at the Philedelphia one? I look forward to hearing from you, readers!

Fredrick Meijer Butterfly Season

Fredrick Meijer is one of my favorite places, and I had to share with you one of the reasons why! I was privileged to visit there this weekend, at the beginning of the butterfly season. Here are some photos, old and new I've collected from their greenhouse.

This taste of summer at the end of still-winter season is always so welcome, and a wonderful reminder of God's creativity and attention to detail.

This butterfly below is one of the favorites inside the greenhouse. At first glance you might not quite understand why. Although it has such lovely patterns on the outside of its wings, it isn't a very eye-catching color...

...but if you wait for it to open it's wings, it glimmers an incredible, iridescent blue inside. It is called a Blue Morpho. 

Would you ever have guessed? Here one is waking from its slumber with fancy new wings just drying off.

If I may be just a little cliche for a second, this butterfly reminds me of the little saying, "Never judge a book by its cover." 

This one made me smile; it so seemed to enjoy basking in the glorious sunlight.