autumnwoodwrites

love

I think that there is a right and wrong way to deal with conflicts. Whatever the issue we need to treat the other person with respect and love. Showing someone Christ-like love can be like a balm on a touché subject. Often times we are so concerned with being right that we lose focus on what actually matters. We try to prove our point, even if we hurt the other person in the process.

“If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.”-1 CORNTHIANS 13:1-3 (NIV)

Within the Christian church this should be the standard not the exception. All Christians should ultimately be on the same team. Now that being said we are all growing in Christ. This means that we all have a little different understanding of God. I think we all have to be more open to what others are saying. That way we can learn from one another.

We also have to be willing to accept correction. No one likes to be wrong especially about our beliefs in God. In order to learn you have to acknowledge that you can be wrong. Things can change for the better once you know that there is a problem.

And if your asking God for help don’t be surprised if He asks you to change. He is your Heavenly Father and like a good earthly father He will discipline His children. He does all things for our ultimate benefit because He loves us. The situations in our lives do not go poof. God will use what is going on around us to teach us.

Dead Flowers

It’s fall and normally I enjoy the season. This week I keep thinking about how everything is dying. How once again winter is coming. My flowers are all dead or dying. Sigh. I’m going to try and think postively in this post. There is a hopeful side to fall. Once winter is done I’ll get to replant.

And yes I did this myself to prove my point.

Can’t wait for spring!

Picking out all the flowers at the greenhouse. Designing my planters, picking a theme for the year, and choosing where to place them in the yard. It’s one of my favorite parts of spring. It makes me think about God’s creativity. God is endlessly creative. Where He sees open windows we tend to see the paint job of a closed door.

Like those dead flowers that I used to make a picture God can use us in ways we would have never thought possible before. He uses those that the world thinks of as weak to prove His power. Since it’s Him in us that makes Christians powerful.

I have a story from my own life to prove my point. Growing up I had a hard time learning to read. Until I was twelve years old I was about two grade levels behind in my reading. My school tried multiple programs to get my skills up. They spent extra time with me in class, making sure a teacher’s aid was available. Nothing worked until they found out that it was my eyes that were the real problem. My eye muscles were underdeveloped. It took a specialist, many nights of doing exercises with Mom, and hours of reading to be able to read at my grade level. Then I fell in love with books.

God works in mysterious ways. I’m one of the few people I know that have been called both stupid and smart. I see this as a gift. I empathize with people because I have experienced both extremes. For anyone that complains about being called a ‘nerd’, trust me it’s better than being called a ‘retard’. At least they think that you are going to amount to something someday.

Speaking of being something. I feel like God called me to write. Me, the retard in fourth grade. The woman with a learning disability. The one who needs a calculator to get the right answer.

And if you allow God in, He can work his magic on you too.

Waiting for spring,

Autumn

The vision

When I was about eighteen or seventeen I had a vison of myself standing in a desert. My hair was extremely short, and brown. I’m wearing a sundress. And I’m all alone.
At the time I thought it meant that one day I would one day return to my favorite place, the American southwest. I took the vision at face value. It gave me hope. Sometimes God has given me glimpses of the future. Sometimes it’s just a moment, a sentence, a beautiful flower, a person, or a future version of myself.

This week I cut most of my hair off. When I was at work the Lord brought this vison back to me. To be honest it had been a long time since I had even thought about it. I realized that I had that haircut, glasses, and that sundress that I’m wearing in the vision is hanging in my closet. It took my breath away. I had been in seriously prayer about where the Lord wanted me to be. I immediately thought that I should book a plane ticket. Now, it was time to go on a mission trip. I knew where I should go or did I?

It didn’t feel right. I didn’t have a God feeling about it. I began to seek what God meant. How could I get to this desert? Because I wanted to be there more than anything? And do you know what He said to me?

Write yourself there.

What? What does that mean? How on earth do I write myself there? Is this an idea for a fiction novel? Will my writing lead me to the desert?

Then I saw this blog.

This is where I will start this journey. Maybe I will physically end up in the desert. Maybe I’m in a spiritual desert because I haven’t been walking as close to God as I should. Maybe I’m in a desert and God’s saying it’s time to come out. Maybe I will be starting a whole new section of my life. The truth is I don’t have a clear-cut idea what this vision means now.

Rarely do I hear from God so clearly. But He has spoken to me and I will obey. Come along with me on this journey.

Your sister in Christ,
Autumn Wood