When life gives you lemons...

When life gives you lemons—make lemonade!

It does sound a little Pollyanna, however it is a zestful way to put a twist on a sour situation especially if life puts the squeeze on you and leaves you with a sour, acidic aftertaste.

Life is not always sweet. Life is not always easy. In fact, life can be hard.

I do love lemons for their tartness.
I enjoy eating lemon slices and lemonade is very refreshing especially on a warm summer’s day.

But--I do not love --or even like-- when life gives me a lemon.
Have you ever had a cut on your hand that you had forgotten about until you sliced a lemon…
and the acidic juice burned your wound?

Sometimes life can be like that. And making lemonade will not make everything better.

Life can be sour and life can be hard, however, God is always good.

Years ago, when Dave & I were on a bus tour in Jamaica the bus driver shouted in a sing song way~
‘God is good!’ and the locals on the bus, responded ‘All the time!’.
Then the bus driver repeated, ‘All the time!’
and Dave & I joined in with the locals in chanting the refrain, ‘God is good!’

This is a true statement. ‘God IS good, ALL the time. And All the time, God IS Good.’

Sour circumstances. Unsweeted situations. Soured relationships.
These events and experiences do not alter the truth by even one drop of lemon juice—that God IS good.

When I first embraced a personal relationship with Jesus Christ,
I’ll admit that I was naïve and thought that my life would be a bowl of cherries.
However, God’s Word never promises that…if anything…quite the opposite.
It wasn’t long before lemon juice was squirted into my naivety. And it stung!

Yet, God remains good.
Even in heartache. God is good.
Loss of a loved one. God is good.
9/11. God is good.
Chronic pain. God is good.
Sour relationships. God is good.
Terminal diagnosis. God is good.
Bad news. God is good.
Broken promises. God is good.
Unfulfilled plans. God is good.
Failing health. God is good.
Hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis’. God is good.
(Fill in your own acidic circumstance).  God is good.   All the time.

Believe me I would wish for myself and also for you….a life filled with all sweet and no sour.

Yet life is a mixed bowl of fruit---of sweet and sour.

So, when life gives you lemons ~’taste and see that the Lord is good’ (Psalms 34:8a) ~and savour the sweet truth that ‘…in ALL things God works for the good of those who love Him…’ (Romans 8:28)

Wendy’s Witz-dom:

When life gives you lemons don’t let it sour you on the truth about God.
God IS good ALL the time, ALL the time, God IS good!

God’s Wisdom:

‘I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not
to harm you, plans to give you a future and a hope.’ (Jeremiah 29:11)


©WitzEnd Writings

Labor Day...A Day of Rest!

For over 100 years Labor Day has been a’ workingmen's holiday"


Though the holiday is called Labor Day it is a day to rest, relax, and not work or labor. And since, Labor Day is always observed on the first Monday of the month of September, it affords us a long weekend.

For all --a break between summer and fall. For many-- one last vacation to take before schools begin their fall session. For some—a day to catch up on—what?!—work!

No matter the plans or lack of plans on this day, it has been designated as a day to rest from your labor.

R & R…i.e. rest and relaxation has a variety of manifestations. For some It could be sleeping , or relaxing poolside, For others picnicking, gardening, bike riding, reading , boating, or golfing, etc…………….. Resting includes any activity that does not imply work, but instead leisure.

I don’t know about you but I need breaks throughout my ‘work days’..to refresh…and to refuel. Even, my ‘workaholic- husband eventually reaches a point when he needs to put aside his work and relax, though not as frequently as I do. David loves what he does, so he does what he loves, almost 24/7! However, as much as he works & as hard as he works, he also plays hard. R & R for him is spending time with family or playing with our grand-doggy! Though, his ultimate relaxation is just watching movies, especially with his sons.

‘Rest’ is described in the dictionary as to’ stop working or moving in order to relax or recover strength.’ Therefore, rest is essential for our bodies. And rest does not just imply sleep, though it is recommended that our bodies need at least 8 hours of sleep a day to function at its optimum. Even, our muscles need physical rest between work outs to build strength.

However, we don’t have to be doing physical labor to tire. Our minds also need to relax to be refreshed as situations and circumstances of ‘just living’ life can drain us our energy. In addition, worrying can exhaust us emotionally.

We all just need to take a break. Chill out. Slow down…come to a full stop…let our body’s engine idle.

And what better day to be reminded to enjoy some R & R…than on Labor Day aka a day of relaxation.

We are in great company when we take a rest …’He rested from all the work of creating that He had done.’ (Genesis chapter2:verse3b)

And the same God that rested…encourages us to rest, physically, emotionally and spiritually.

Physical rest: ‘Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest’ (Matthew 11:28a)

Emotional Rest: ‘Cast all your anxiety upon Him because He cares for you.’(1 Peter 5:7)

Spiritual Rest: ‘Take my yoke upon you…and you will find rest for your souls.’(Matthew 11:29)

Take the time to enjoy your day of non-labor. Rest and relax! Refresh & Refuel!

Wendy’s Witz-dom:

If we do not get the rest we need, we will find ourselves feeling resentment in our work, home life and relationships. So remove the extras and just rest so that resentment doesn’t build up.

                                 RES entmen T.

God’s Wisdom:

‘…I will give you rest.’ (Matthew11:28c)

©WitzendWritings

*All bible verses are from the New International Version of the Bible.

He loves me! He loves me not!

He loves me! He loves me not!   


My favorite flower is a daisy.
Behind my childhood home and beyond the baseball diamond there was an open field~populated by daisies.

Many a sunny afternoon I would wander into the field and sit among the white petal yellow centered flowers. I could not resist picking one and delicately dislocating a petal with the words 'He loves me!'
Subsequently, pulling off the next petal with the words, 'He loves me not!'
Continuing with each one of the white parts of the flower head, alternating between 'He loves me'! and 'He loves me not'!

So, what happened when the final petal ended with the declaration of 'He loves me not'? Well, I didn't let it wilt my spirit~I just would select another daisy from the meadow and begin again.....and if need be, again and again...until the last petal concurred with me...that 'He loves me'!

The 'He' varied over the years. In grade school, it was Benji, then later, Robert, then John and then Timmy...until my collegiate years when I began dating David.

David and I lived a forty five minute drive from one another. Often, he would arrive at my Parent's Home on weekends with a bouquet or two of flowers for me.
Wild daisies~he had stopped and hand picked along the route from his home to my heart.

I never plucked a petal from the plethora of daisies that I received from him~as I did not have to question does 'He love me'? or does, 'He love me not'? His actions (not limited to picking me wild daisies) showed me~ 'He loves me'! Period. No 'love-me-nots' about it!

Moreover, there are no 'love-me-nots' with God. I never have to ponder with each petal of my life if 'He loves me!' or if, 'He loves me not'! God’s love is unconditional, it is not conditional in that:

...if I am good--He loves me!, if I am not--He loves me not!

...if I am nice at all times, to all people--He loves me!, if I am not--He loves me not!

...if I live life successfully by society's standards--He loves me!, if not--He loves me not!

...if I never have a wrong thought or moral failings--He loves me!, if I do--He loves me not!

...if I do enough good works and jump through enough hoops to please man--He loves me!, if not-He loves me not!

These arrays of petals are plentiful...and can plant seeds of doubt of God's love...
based on what I do or don't do, say or don't say, act or react.
However, His love for me....and you..is based on His character.

He loves me. Period. No 'love-me-nots' about it. And...
He loves you. Period. No 'love-me-nots' about it.

His unconditional love for us reminds me of a chorus to a song about God.
'Not because of what we've done, but because of who You are;
not because of who we are, but because of what You've done.'

Wendy's Witz-dom:

Next time you see a daisy~smile :)--knowing that
no 'love-me-nots' about it~God loves you!


God's Wisdom:
    
'We love because He first loved us' (1 John, chapter 4, verse 19)

'This is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us AND sent His only Son
(Jesus Christ) as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. * (1 John 4:10)

*Think about being unable to pay a debt...
not hard to imagine during our current economic times...
and then being informed that your debt has been PAID IN FULL.

Truly, a 'He loves me!' petal~His only kind!!!!

'Sell-ebrating 30 years of Marriage'

Sell-ebrating 30 years of  Marriage! 
Why the mis-spelling of celebration? For those who don't know~my maiden name is Sell~
and becoming~ Mrs. David Witz on August 23, 1980 gave me,
Wendy Sell, the ultimate reason to celebrate, thus 'Sell'-ebrate!

Over the 30 years...
   Multiple joys
   Two girls & two boys
   Much laughter
   Many tears (happy and sad)
   Memories made together...
          shared together...
          remembered together
   Loving each other--
     through thick (weight fluctuations! l.o.l.) and thin
   Trust, Honesty & Communication--
     the 3 vows we made to each other when we began to date
     and clung to...during our 30 years as each other's mate
   We love each other, yes..
      however, we are also 'in love' with one another
      and that is marriage at its best!
   I could ascribe to clichés of, 'He completes me',
     or 'He's the wind beneath my wings' or even that
     he is my 'True Love' (think movie, Princess Bride),
   as well as, additional (personal) truths of~ that he loves me so well,
     so completely and (most of the time) unconditionally!
Yet, suffice it to say~concerning my 30 years
     as David's Wif     (no 'e'--inside joke)
     I would say,  I Do,  all over again
     no buts, ands, or if

*David~
Thanks for keeping the 'Happy' in each day of every month of each year's Anniversary!
And by the way,~ what are you doing the next 30 years?
You won't have to ask me three times again....the answer is YES!

Words of Witz-dom: 
'My beloved is mine, and I am his' (Song of Songs  2:16a) (The Bible--King James Version)

    

It's Dog-gone hard being a Military Mom!

:

To Airman Witz:

I am watching ‘your boy’ today...

Rufus is definitely your son…before you puff up with fatherly joy…consider
 ‘My Day in your Dog’s life’

As I try to work at my desk-he claws at my legs, he has scratched them so much that I won’t have to shave for weeks!

When I pick him up & place him on my lap, he squirms & squirms, making doing my work--using the computer keyboard—-im-paws-ible!

I think he ‘wet’ my hand (how do you say ‘yuk’ in Iraqian?!?)

He has crawled under the bed and made his way thru-- many i.e.d.s—cause only God knows (& maybe the Taliban) what is all under there!

He has gotten a Kleenex out of the waste basket and ripped it apart & littered it all around my desk!

Yes, there will be a littering fine..waiting for you, upon your return.

He licks me non-stop---did I mention that I loathe (no, it is not a misspelling—I mean loathe NOT l-o-v-e) warm puppy kisses!

I have lost count on how many times I have called him Casie…and Dad & Jordan are tiring of reminding me to call him a he not a she (like Casie)!

I have to carry him...to the grass as he prefers to water the concrete!
Regardless, more than not he goes all over himself (have you found out yet how to say ‘yuk’ in Iraqian ?!)

I would pray that he would go awol, at least, -- to the deck-- however it is scorching hot…and I am trying to be a compassionate Christian to your canine!!!!

And if you think you are immune….when Dad left his ‘office’—Rufus jumped up into the executive chair—with a dog gone defiant look of ‘I am the Top Dog’ of the Company!!!! (I have a picture to prove it!)
So--at the next board meeting—it might not be who has the most stock in the company (since you claim to own 51%)…but whose tail is wagging in the CEO’s chair!!!

So, do you really think you have it ‘ruff’ in Iraq?????

Spending a day... guarding freedoms has got to be paws-itively less hazardous than my ‘ruff’ day in your dog’s life!!

I am heading to the recruiting office…

*Did I mention Rufus’s version of explosive devices ~hidden stink bombs~in my yard that I have to try not to step on?!?

It is dog-gone hard to be a Military Mom! (or grand-maw!)

Caterpillar...to Butterfly!

Caterpillar…to…Butterfly


Butterflies are beautiful~varying in brilliant colors. They glide gracefully in days of sunshine and even during the rainy seasons.
Their wings enable them to soar above their surroundings…and fly distances.

Every butterfly, though, has its beginning as a caterpillar.
A caterpillar is limited to the ground or low places of dwelling where
it can crawl. It does not have good vision.

Do you feel like a caterpillar? Limited in your vision? Confined within the perimeters of your current surroundings or circumstances?

The caterpillar stage is essential~providing the time necessary for development.
Staying put….resting…remaining warm and protected in a cocoon setting can become comfortable…but sooner than later…we long to spread our wings…instead of inching our way along.

However, to do so, there must be a transformation from being a
caterpillar to becoming a butterfly. The dictionary defines "transformation" as: A marked change in nature, form or appearance.

Likewise, God says, ‘Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!’ *
When we ask God into our hearts and lives…He changes us.
A transformation has occurred…we no longer are the same.

We will be transformed through the renewal of our minds**which changes our attitudes, behaviors and our vision…which is no longer limited to what we can see around us—on the contrary, we will gain an eternal outlook.

We will no longer just inch our way along in life but will be able to spread our wings and soar - in our faith…enabled now ~with God~ as the wind beneath our wings…to glide during non-windy, sun-shining days and also soar above our circumstances during the rainy seasons of our lives.

Is the transformational change immediate?...No---it is a process, that takes time~not much differently than the metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a butterfly.

Also, once you are a new creation, like the butterfly—will you always soar~with no turbulence, only blue skies ahead? Again…no!

Just the other day, there was a beautiful purple butterfly just sitting on my sidewalk. As I watched it just sitting there, seemingly content, making no effort to flutter its wings and take flight. I could relate...at times I have desired to just sit life out for awhile and crawl back into my comfortable cocoon. Or I have forgotten (subconsciously or purposefully) that I am a new creation...and resort to behaviors befitting a caterpillar!

At those times ~maybe not immediately, but (thankfully) eventually~
I ask God to renew my mind, restore my hope and refill my strength…and remain the wind beneath my wings.

Words of Witz-dom:
Every caterpillar can be transformed into a Butterfly!
How? Ask God to transform you.
Then prepare to fly!

*2 Corinthians 5:17 (New International Version of the Bible)
**Romans 12:2 (NIV)

The best ride of your life!--(sorry Disney!!)

Half-witz: (usually refers to when only half of my Family is together, however, this is for another~ always at witz end blog~at half week!)

Faith is more than believing that when we sit on a chair that it will support our weight and not go crashing to the floor. It is not just hoping that when we
bungee jump that the cord will hold up and not snap…or that the parachute
will open when we pull the rip cord as we quickly descend to the ground...or that the
roller coaster is going to stay on track!
These are all more wishing for something to occur –not actual faith that it will happen with 100% certainty.
Faith~is just as—if not more—exhilarating.
It is believing ---without seeing first.
It is stepping out…taking the leap…letting go…with 100% certainty that
God is who He says He is…that He loves you…and that He has purpose for you.
Go ahead…pull the rip cord of faith…you will be in for the ride of
your life!