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Wendy Grages

Lessons learned from The Shack

Wendy Grages
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Lessons learned from The Shack

I recently watched the movie, The Shack. You may have read the book? It’s a very interesting story that really makes you think. Without giving away too much of the story, I’d like to share some lessons I learned from The Shack.

To just put you in the picture, the story centres around a loving father who tragically loses his little girl. Whether you read the book or watch the movie, I think there are powerful lessons we can learn.

God pursues us

This father lost his faith and trust in God. The movie is not about him begging God for answers or about him reaching out to God in any way. The Shack shows how relentless and powerful God’s pursuit of us is. Many times we can think that God is angry and aloof and we need to please Him and beg for His attention. We are the object of His affection and although I don’t quite understand how or why, I do know it to be true. From the garden of Eden where time began, right through to the end of our lives, God is pursuing us and wants to reveal Himself to us.

God is good even when life isn’t

Have you ever experienced a tragedy or hurtful situation in life? Many of us have. When this happens, our response can be the same of this father in The Shack. “God where were you when that happened?” “Why didn’t you stop it?” God is all-powerful and could stop anything from happening. Why He stops some disasters and not others will remain a mystery until we get to heaven. But the one thought that was so beautifully illuminated in the movie is that God is good regardless of what life throws at us. Because God is all-powerful, He is able to take the most awful things and turn them around for our benefit. He can take what evil meant to destroy us with and turn it around for our good.

If you happen to watch the movie, I pray that it will draw you closer to God and remind you of His goodness. It certainly did that for me.

If you have trouble understanding the goodness and love of God, we would love to chat to you and help. Click on the pop up banner or on the link below for more info.

 

Get Dirty

Wendy Grages
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Get Dirty

I recently spent some time with a friend who has a small child. The child was wanting to go play outside but it was muddy. My friend didn’t want her child getting all dirty so we found an indoor game to play.

This sparked a thought in my mind. How often do we play it safe and avoid adventure because we don’t want to get dirty? Could that hold us back from living life to its fullest?

When we hold back, what are we actually afraid of? So what if this child got a bit dirty and muddy? Can clothes not be washed? Can the dirt not be rinsed off? I can just imagine this cute little child diving head first into the mud and having the time of their life.

So often we hold back because we don’t want to get dirty. Here’s some areas that are affected.

We hold back in love

We hold our emotions in because we are afraid of getting muddy and dirty in love. We try to play it safe because we are afraid of getting hurt.

We hold back in our careers

We hold back and don’t go for promotions because we are scared of getting shot down. We don’t think we have what it takes so we play it safe by sticking to what we know.

Let’s get adventurous! Let’s live and love each day to the fullest by getting out there and getting dirty. Even if we make a mess of things, it’s easier enough to rinse off the dirt and try again. Don’t hold back anymore. Take a risk, take a chance. You may just find yourself having the time of your life.

If you are timid and scared of getting hurt, Jesus can give you the courage and confidence you need. Click on the pop up banner or link below to find out more.

Careful or Fearful?

Wendy Grages
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Careful or Fearful?

My youngest daughter is starting to become mobile by crawling and cruising around. I find myself saying “Be careful baby” many times per day. Do you remember your mom telling you to be careful as a child? It’s not a bad thing, however, sometimes being careful can turn into us being fearful.

There is a fine line between being careful and fearful. For instance, I may keep my phone and wallet out of sight when walking at night to my car. That is being careful. Being fearful would be constantly looking over my shoulder and expecting something bad to happen.

I guess that would sum it up nicely… Being careful would mean protecting myself in case something happens. Being fearful would mean protecting myself because I am expecting something bad to happen.

It’s easy to get these two mixed up. In an effort to be careful, we can end up becoming fearful.

Fear is not from God

The Bible says that God does not put fear on us. Rather, He wants us to be full of love, power and have a sound mind. If you are often expecting the worst to happen, you may be ruled by fear. God can help you with that if you take it to Him in prayer. In fact, in another Scripture, Jesus Himself is recording saying these words:

I am leaving you with a gift–peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. – John 14:27

Fear can rob you

If we allow fear to control us, it will limit us in how we live our life. It will make you not want to trust people, not want to travel, not want to try new things. Don’t let fear rob you of the great life God has planned for you.

So remember, being careful is protecting yourself in case something bad happens. Being fearful is protecting yourself because you are expecting something bad to happen. Let’s be careful and trust God that He is able to protect us and lead us into the great plans He has for us.

If you need help getting rid of fear in your life, we can help! Simply click on the link below or on the pop up banner.

Who are you really?

Wendy Grages
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Who are you really?

When last have you stopped to ask yourself this question, “Who are you really?” As the years go by, the circumstances of life can shape us and mold us.  Are you happy with who you have become?

I recently attended a conference that was hosted by my church. I was surrounded by 5000 people who were passionately worshipping God. It was very inspiring. As I looked around, I was prompted to ask myself, “Who am I really?” Who are you beyond your spouse or children or career?

We can become so caught up in the busyness of life that we lose sight of you we really are.

I think one question God is asking all of us is this:

“In your walk with God, how are you really going with Him?”

Here are a few points to consider:

Who are you without your parents?

If you are still living at home, who are you without your parents? Do you have your own walk and relationship with God? Or do you just go with what they say and do? If your parents stopped serving God tomorrow, what decision would you make, for yourself?

Who are you beyond your spouse?

You can sit in church and look like the happy couple, but  do you know God and serve God for yourself or because your spouse is? If you lost everything tomorrow, would you still be standing?

If you are grappling with some of these questions, here are some thoughts I have.

  1. Know what you believe – You have to know what you believe for yourself. Read the Bible and ask God to reveal Himself to you. Go to church and pray because YOU believe in God and want to grow closer to Him for yourself.
  2. Live with conviction – When you know what you believe, you can live out your life with conviction. When you live with conviction, you are not easily swayed by life’s ups and downs. When you live out of conviction you can stand firm against the temptation that may come your way to lead you away from God.

These are just some questions and thoughts I have been challenged by. I hope they challenge you and cause you to evaluate who and how you are going with God, really.

If you would like to know God for yourself and live with conviction about what you believe, then we would love to help you. Just click on the pop up banner or on the link below.

How you can forgive

Wendy Grages
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How you can forgive

Has anyone ever hurt you?  I think many of us would answer yes to that question. We have all been hurt at some point in our lives, in one way or another. But how can you move past it? How can you forgive that person that hurt you?

Here are few things that are important to know:

Forgiveness is possible

I feel I need to say this. I don’t know what you have gone through in our life but maybe you are thinking that the hurt is so deep that you cannot see yourself ever getting over it. You need to know that forgiveness is possible. However, you are only able to forgive others when you accept that you have been forgiven. It has often been said that holding onto unforgiveness is like drinking poison and hoping the other person will die. Unforgiveness only hurts you.

Forgiveness is not saying it’s ok

Many of us don’t want to forgive people because we are afraid that will mean we are ok with what they did to us. That’s not at all true. Forgiveness allows you to hand that situation over to God for Him to sort out. Forgiveness allows you be free from the attachment to that person and things that hurt you. Unforgiveness is allowing that person to stay rent free in your mind. Choose to release them and you will discover how freeing that is.

Pray for them

The Bible says to love your enemies and pray for those who hurt you. That can be a crazy thing to do. It doesn’t make sense in our world. And yet, God in His wisdom always leads us in the right path through His Word. One of the best ways to move past hurt and forgive people is to pray for them. As you pray, you invite God to heal you and to heal them. How powerful is that!

Have you heard of the Lord’s Prayer? One of the lines in it says,

“Forgive us as we forgive those who have wronged us.”

Forgive others so that God can forgive you. He is waiting with open arms to heal you, help you and see you through the pain.

Take a minute now to connect with God. Ask Him to forgive you of all your mistakes and shortcomings and then ask Him to help you forgive those who have wronged you. It’ll be the best thing you can do!

If you would like to know more about how to connect with God for yourself, please click on the link below or on the pop up.

How to avoid burnout

Wendy Grages
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How to avoid burnout

I was chatting to a friend recently who commented, “It seems that this generation is always tired.” As we continued talking, I realised she was right. People today are always tired. It doesn’t seem to matter what kind of job they do or whether they are still living at home, they are all tired.

What about you? How are your energy levels? Are you at risk of burning out? Would you even know how to avoid burnout?

Burnout is:

exhaustion of physical or emotional strength or motivation usually as a result of prolonged stress or frustration

I think there are a few things we can all do to avoid burnout before it’s too late:

Put your phone away

This may seem simple and unimportant but I think it’s crucial to avoiding burnout. Our phones are very demanding. We get work emails on our phones, social media notifications, calls and messages. Many people struggle to put their phones away. As a result, they are constantly bombarded by the pressures of the world. Make a conscious effort to switch off your phone as soon as you can when you get home. A few uninterrupted hours will do you the world of good.

Learn to say no

Most of us want to be helpful and want to do what is asked of us. But there are times when we simply cannot. Have a look at your week. Are you out more than two nights during the week? Is your weekend busy? These are all contributing factors to burnout. I try to limit myself to no more than 2 nights out during the week. In addition to that, if we have plans on a Friday night then I try to keep Saturday relaxed and vice versa.

Discover what true rest means

What does it mean to you? I sometimes picture it as white sandy beaches and clear blue seas. But honestly, that would be temporary rest (although very enjoyable I’m sure!) True rest isn’t found in a place, it’s found in a person. His name is Jesus Christ. There is this beautiful Scripture found in the Bible in Matthew 11 and it’s Jesus speaking:

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

Remarkable, isn’t it? Jesus says here in this Scripture that He can show us how to live a life of true rest. It’s all about walking with Him and working with Him and allowing Him to show us how to do it.

If you would like to know more about how you can know Jesus in this way, click on the pop up banner or on the link below.

The Instagram mom

Wendy Grages
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The Instagram mom

Have you ever seen the Instagram mom? She’s always posting the cutest photos of her kids. They are dressed perfectly, always behaving beautifully and she looks radiant and well rested.

A few months ago, I had a precious baby girl. I was so looking forward to this new addition to our family. Since it was my third child, I felt somewhat prepared for what was ahead. Afterall, I had done it twice before and was quite good at it (if I must say so myself). Well, can I just say that nothing prepared me for the journey of the first 12 weeks. I cannot figure out if things were easier with my first two or if I had amnesia. The interrupted sleep was almost my undoing.

I’ll never forget walking into a coffee shop in those early weeks, blurry eyed and exhausted. Another new mom was nearby and as I approached to say hello, she announced to us all that her baby was sleeping through the night from birth. My heart sank to a new low in that moment. I started having all these crazy thoughts like, “what have I done wrong”, “what’s wrong with my baby” and “why doesn’t God like me”.  I can laugh about it now but it was such a difficult time for me.

I tell that story because it reminds me to keep perspective. My sweet baby did start sleeping through the night and I am much less blurry eyed and exhausted these days. I had to chuckle to myself when I ran into this mom again. She was complaining how her baby was waking up several times a night. I thought to myself, “Oh how the tables have turned!”

So how can you combat the Instagram mom?

Stop comparing

People’s photos and videos and praise reports are but a snippet of their real life. You cannot compare the “movie” of your life to someone else’s “highlight reel”. Know that God chose you to be your child’s mother, no one else but you. Do your best, love them fiercely and remember, tomorrow is another day.

Stay encouraged. You are awesome and you are doing a great job. Let your sweet babies adoring toothy or toothless grin be all the validation you need.

If you are struggling with thoughts of being good enough, Jesus can help. Click on the link below or on the pop up banner.

Is God far away?

Wendy Grages
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Is God far away?

Do you feel like God is far away? Does He seem like a distant deity who is aloof and disengaged? How you view God is often influenced by how you grew up.

It’s often difficult to comprehend God as our friend. Our brains find it hard to understand just how close God is to us. Sometimes, our mistakes and failures make us feel separated from Him.

I love that the Bible says in Romans that nothing can separate us from the love of God. The truth is that no matter how far away God feels, He is closer than our breath.

So what can you do if you feel like God is far away? If He truly is closer than the breath in our lungs, then how can we experience that?

Get real with ourselves

Ask yourself, “How is your relationship with God, really?” I am not asking if you go to church, I am not asking if you read the Bible sometimes. I am asking you to search your soul and get real about your relationship with God. Nothing can separate us from the love of God but our sin (deliberately going against God’s way) can affect our ability to hear from God and connect with Him. If you feel far away from God, make a decision today to come back into right relationship with Him.

Reach out

I have often heard it said that God never walked away from us, we walked away from Him. The Bible promises that if we search for God, we will find Him when we do it with all our heart. Simply reach out and in your heart, take a few steps towards God. You will be surprised at how quickly you will sense Him answer you.

If you want to know more about having your own relationship with God, please click on the pop up banner or on the link below.

When the days are long

Wendy Grages
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When the days are long

“The days are long but the years are short” is a quote I recently read in regards to raising children. The article encouraged parents to savour each moment with their kids because when you look back, you realize that the years are short.

But I don’t think that just applies to raising children. I think it applies to many of us in many different seasons of life.

Maybe you are studying hard to get your degree. Perhaps you are doing an apprenticeship in the hopes of being hired permanently. Or maybe you are the parent of a small child. We all face times in our lives when the days seem super long. Looking back, we often realize that the years in fact went by fairly quickly.

So what do you do when the days seem long?

Find purpose in the now

So often, we are wishing today away so that we can begin tomorrow. The truth is, none of us are promised tomorrow. The Bible speaks about a life being as fleeting as the fog.

How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog–it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. – James 4:14

We must find purpose in each day. Many of us wish the days away and before long, we realize we have wasted the days we’ve been given. Live today to its fullest as you do not know what can happen tomorrow.

Let God direct your steps

Do you sometimes feel lost and confused? God loves you and has good plans for your life. If you ask Him for help, He can help you navigate your season of life.

Whether you living in the frustration of raising small children or you are working hard to earn your degree, there is purpose and joy to be found in the everyday.

To learn more about how God can help you navigate your season, click on the link below or on the pop up.

Right vision, wrong time

Wendy Grages
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Right vision, wrong time

Do you have a dream in your heart that is yet to be fulfilled? I think many of us can find ourselves with the right vision but the wrong time. What do you do when you have a dream but it’s not the right time?

The book of Genesis in the Bible tells the story of a young man named Joseph. He was but a teenager when God gave him a dream of him ruling nations. It was certainly not the right time and sharing his dream with his brothers resulted in him finding himself sold, forsaken and wrongly imprisoned. Talk about right vision but wrong timing.

What I love about this story is the end of the book. The Bible records Joseph’s words to his brothers:

You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. – Genesis 50:20

God used all the unfair and hurtful things that happened to Joseph and turned it around for the good. Only God can do that!

So what do you do when you have a dream but it’s not the right time? Some people have a dream to get married. Others may have a dream to have a family. Perhaps it’s a job promotion or a business opportunity?

How do we wait well?

Keep your eyes on the prize

Even if your dream seems years away, stay focused on what you want to achieve. Don’t bury your dream. Write it on a post-it note and stick it on your mirror. Pray about it every time you see it.

Prepare yourself

What can you do now to prepare yourself for your future? Is there a book you can read or a course you can attend?

Stay trusting

Be patient and trust God that He is able to bring about your dream at the right time.

Let’s be a people who dream big and go after our dreams. God has great plans for our lives!

If you would like to know more about knowing God and the plans He has for your life, we would love to chat to you. Simply click on the pop up banner or on the link below.

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