Posts with the label devotional
Showing posts with label devotional. Show all posts
Showing posts with label devotional. Show all posts

Thursday, April 28, 2022

Five Basic Elements of Unconditional Love

merry go round


Life has thrown some pretty big challenges at Steve and I. I'm sure you have plenty of your own. We are thankful the carousel stopped before the dizziness got to our stomach. The constant ups and downs of the ride churned our beings. We hung on for dear life. When Steve and I married, 36 years ago, he planned to take care of me. I was the one born with a congenital birth defect. He nor I, never, for one minute, considered my health would ever be better than his. My perpetual limp, coupled with my basic need for prostethics for both feet, was quickly overshadowed by Steve's need for a double lung transplant in 2020. Life, in general, for everyone, necessitates the five basic elements of unconditional love. Love is what makes our worlds go round. 

Before his transplant, I watched Steve struggle to fit in with his new requirement for oxygen, unable to walk 10-20 feet without stopping for air. People stared at him and his tank. I've almost overcome the stares from curious people, although, some days I'm off my game. I wish Steve never endured the breathlessness of a chronic lung disease or felt inadequate. God grew both of us through his illness and transplant recovery. Praise the Lord Steve is back now! We've come full circle. I'm the one trying to keep up with him again. 

Everyone wants unconditional love. These are the five basic elements of unconditional love we embrace and practice: 
  • Different is good. Diversity was cool in our home before it became a popular buzzword. 
  • Compassion not pity.  Compassion and pity are synonyms but aren't the same. Both convey sympathetic feelings for others, but pity creates cause for regret or disappointment. Pity comes across as sadness or misfortune. Advseristy encourages strength, adaptation and courage. Those valuable charcter traits desire compassion not pity.
  • Wear a smile. A smile is so much more comforting than that furrowed brow frown; no sad faces allowed. Caring is revealed with a happy face. Show your love for ohters by greeting them with a warm smile. 
  • Do not stare, gawk or crane. When I share my story with groups, I laugh at myself. I've become so used to people staring at me, I get offended when they don't. I wonder what's wrong with these people? LOOK at me! (That is a joke, of course.) I really don't enjoy being stared at for the wrong reasons. 
  • Take time for all. Individuals are put into our lives for various reasons. We will learn and grow from every person we meet if we invest wisely. Understanding people is a full-time job.  Friends are a blessing to cherish.
Faith is unconditional love. Our faith sees inner beauty. Our value lives on the inside. Grace and mercy are always unconditional.. Paul, a popular disciple, struggled with his problems until he found Jesus. His attitude changed completely. He accepted his physical plight. Paul wrote the following scripture. I think he began to practice the five basic elements of unconditional love. 
  
2 Corinthians 12:8-10. "For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

Lovingly,


Five Basic Elements of Unconditional Love

Thursday, April 28, 2022

Monday, April 25, 2022

Faith and Pickles

pickles


Summertime means pickling and canning season for a lot of gardeners. Harvests are preserved for wintertime feasting using many different methods. I'm not a big pickle eater although they appear appetizing in a jar. Sealing of the jar is probably the most important step of canning. If you've ever canned, you're familiar with the "pop" the lid makes when the jar is sealed. I remember canning with my mom as a kid. My favorite part was counting the sounds as I heard the comforting pops as the jars sealed. Sealing preserves pickles to be eaten later, months later. If the jar doesn't seal, the food isn't preserved for later and will spoil if not eaten quickly.

Are you beginning to notice Jesus in the details of your life? I'm not sure if it's a gift or simply from meditation and seeking that I find God everywhere, in everything. He inspires me! As I ate a pickle from a jar the other day, Ephesians 4:30 came to me, "And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

The similarities of faith and pickles are: 
  • Pickles start in a raw perishable state. We are born into a perishable state.
  • Pickles need someone to perserve them. We need a Savior to preserve us.
  • Pickles take time to obtain their unique flavor. We take time to obtain robust faith.
  • Pickles are "ready"-to-eat. We are "ready"-to-go.
  • Pickles must be thrown out if not properly sealed. We will hear "Depart" if not sealed by Jesus.
We are like pickles; a simple cucumber transformed by salt and sealing! Jesus is the only perservative that can keep our faith "in a pickle"!

Lovingly,


Faith and Pickles

Monday, April 25, 2022

Thursday, April 21, 2022

His Fault

clouds


His Fault
by Tammy P. Stafford


It's not our Creator's fault his creatures abuse, refuse and cry.
It's our fault we reject, have no affect and despise.
The Creator didn't create murderers, jealousy or greed, 
deception, bankruptcy or aborting his seed.

It's not our Creator's fault his creatures are unkind, rude and dry.
It's our fault we mock, ridicule and act unwise.
The Creator didn't create sickness, lies, cancer or death,
corruption, brokenness or meth.

It's not our Creator's fault his creatures want, live reckless and pry.
It's our fault we bicker, blame and wear a disguise.
The Creator didn't create divorce, alcoholics or fatherless children,
malice, chaos or poor economic trending.

My Creator God is responsible for
The miracle of birth and loving me first
Helping me walk to my husband who does not gawk.
Gives me a song and causes doctor's prognoses to be wrong
Took my place, saved me by his grace.
Hung between thieves on a tree
Defeated death and took the keys
Died for me and rose on the third day free
He gave me life, eternally.

This is his fault...

His Fault

Thursday, April 21, 2022

Monday, April 18, 2022

5 Steps to Increase Every Day Faith


Do you feel like you're being eaten alive? Daniel may have thought the same thing when he found himself thrown into a lion's den. Do you feel like you're drowning? Moses may have thought the same thing just before the Red Sea parted. Are you burned out asking what's the use? The three Hebrew children may have considered eating meat to get out of the flames. Instead of caving to unbelief, Daniel, Moses and Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego exercised their faith. They confidently waited on God to deliver them. We can do the same when we exercise faith in our every day life. 

Hopefully, we won't face hungry lions, nor a sea with an raging army behind us or even get thrown into a fiery furnace. Life overwhelms big sometimes leaving us desperate, scared and begging for help. What if you could face life with confidence relying on your faith to dispel your fears? Would you do it? I've listed 5 steps to increase every day faith to help you depend more on God. These steps should free you up to live more and worry less. You've got to apply them. Practice them every day. 

1. Meditate on God when you first wake. I find communication is best with God first thing with a clear, renewed mind, without all the demands of the day pulling at me. I thank God for who he is and what he's done for me. I thank God for the day. I ask God to guide my day. Think about his goodness. Things he has done you. Request some things from him. Then, listen...

2. Listen for God to speak. My believing friend shocked me when she asked me "How do you know God speaks to you?". I know God is speaking to me when I have a "new elevated" thought. Something I would never think of on my own. It's kind of like letting God do your thinking for you, allowing him to guide you through the day. There's so many ways God speaks. If you'd like more, let me know in the comments.

3. Learn to Recognize God is speaking. I always recognize God speaking to me in my thoughts. We carry many conversations, because I'm continually asking him for advice or answers or something. My seeking heart is always open to recognize him. He may confirm what he spoke through someone else's conversation with me. The Sunday Sermon might cover my questions for the week. I may read my answer. The other day on my way to lunch with a friend, God popped an idea into my head. I thought about turning a project into an Air B&B rental. I'd never had that thought before. During lunch my friend said, "Why don't you turn your house into an Air B&B rental?". Coincidence? Not at all. God spoke and confirmed quickly!

4. Take Action. I remind myself all the time, faith is an action word. The Bible says faith without works is dead. We need faith action in our every day life to keep our faith building and strong. My definition of the word "works" in that scripture is simply a response to my faith.  There are spiritual "works" responses and physical "works" responses. 

Spiritual example: God asks me to believe. If I choose not to believe, my faith is dead. Belief is the works or action required from me. 

Physical example: God asks me to bake my neighbor a cake. If I choose not to bake it, my faith is dead. If my faith were alive, I'd bake the cake and deliver it, recognizing God will accomplish his work with the cake. Another physical example. Will I turn that project into an Air B&B rental?

5. Ask, Believe, Receive. Do this exercise every day to increase your faith. Ask God for something small, very specific and personal. Ask for something tangible so you know God answered your prayer. Ask for:

  • a friend to call or text you today
  • your empty gas tank to make it to the station
  • to find something you've misplaced
  • to understand a scripture you've struggled with
  • to curb your appetite (this is a favorite of mine)
Ask God for it. Believe him to do it. Receive it. If you practice this simple technique every day, your faith will increase. Trust God for the little things and before long, HE will be trusting you with the BIG things. Matthew 25:23  His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou has been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

My goal is to help you see Jesus in the details. 5 Steps to Increase Every Day Faith is just the beginning. Please comment your simple prayer below and let me know how God answered it. 

Lovingly,


5 Steps to Increase Every Day Faith

Monday, April 18, 2022

Wednesday, April 6, 2022

The Chest or the Bosom

 




When Steve lovingly slid Milisende’s stuffed zebra, Zebby, inside his jacket, I was jelly! His chest is still tender from his double lung transplant. You’d know the top of my face/head hits Steve perfectly centered on his scar. We hug gently not to hurt him.
I wondered what the draw is to laying your head in someone’s bosom that is so comforting. The bosom position also makes you feel safe, protected and loved. Arms don’t even need to complete the hug as long as your head rests on the bosom of another!
Then I remembered Abraham’s bosom from the Bible. I’d equate it to heaven before Jesus came, for people who died in faith believing. Ah! I suddenly understood the security of the physical bosom. It is a place of rest. God designed the space between our neck and stomach long and wide enough for a baby-size head to an adult-size head to fit. Wow!
Steve received new lungs inside his bosom. The heart is inside the bosom. God breathed life into our bosoms. Blood is disturbed from the bosom throughout the entire body. Life-giving milk comes from mom’s bosom. A lot of things happen in the bosom. I don’t know if your mind works like mine, but I’m thankful God can take a one-word thought and totally blow me away!
John 13:23
Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved.

In his bosom365,




The Chest or the Bosom

Wednesday, April 6, 2022

Sunday, November 28, 2021

The Days Were Accomplished


I woke this morning with the phrase "the days were accomplished" scrolling through my brain like an LED threatre marquee, over and over, I repeated it to myself as it crossed my mind. I began to drift back over the last 12 days, then 12 months, then 12 years. I googled the bible verse to refresh my memory of specifically how it is written. Luke 2:6 reads "And so it was, that while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered."

THAT SHE SHOULD BE DELIVERED. The first thing that struck me about the verse was "she should be delivered". Not Jesus, but Mary. The verse could have easily read; the days were accomplished that Jesus should be delivered. The verse points out the delivery of Mary not Jesus. The verse pinpoints the servant of God that willfully accepted the challenge he gave her.
THE DAYS WERE ACCOMPLISHED. This phrase is the reason I searched this verse today. I thought about the past year(s) leading up to Steve's diagnosis and subsequent double lung transplant. So many things could have hindered our days from being accomplished but God. Who else can accomplish our days but God?
WHILE THEY WERE THERE. Mary and Joseph had to be in the place where God would accomplish their days. They were there, in this place of uncertainty, for at least 9 months and surely more. While they were there, they struggled, anticipated, believed, waited to be delivered. The couple had to stay "there" where God had placed them. "There" where God had planned them.
AND SO IT WAS. Because God has the plan. He not only has the plan, it is a written plan. We make many plans as individuals but rarely do we put our plans in writing, to pen and paper, black and white. If we do take the time to make a proper written plan, we would most likely follow through. God had the plan for Mary and Joseph. God has the plan for Jesus. God has the plan for us and so it will be. He will faithfully follow his written plan. And so it was with Mary, so it shall be with us.
I've always correlated this verse to the Christmas Story of Jesus until this morning when God blessed me with a snippet of just how full, rich and encompassing his Word is. The message he gave me this morning is He is 'accomplishing our days' for his purpose and ours if we live in his will, our "while they were there", the place he has us in. We have no idea how many days it will take to accomplish his purpose nor how long we will be in this place. We simply must be there until he accomplishes our days, the fulfillment of his plan. However, we can put our faith in God's "And so it was" because his plan is unfallable and his word is true, we will be delivered!
Put yourself into this verse. Mine and Steve's goes like this...
And so it was, (God had a plan),
while they (Steve and Tammy) were there (going through illness and transplant),
the days were accomplished (3,650 days. 10 years. Steve was diagnosed 2011, his lungiversary was 2021)
that she (Steve and Tammy) should be delivered.
AND WE WERE!
Praise God for his plans. Praise God for his Word. Praise God for his Son. As God moves us into another Holy season of Christmas, may we always see and feel the magnitude of who he is. From the precious babe in the manager to the Almighty King of Kings,
He is...
and was...
and is to come!

Praising365,


The Days Were Accomplished

Sunday, November 28, 2021

Friday, March 20, 2020

How Corona Virus Helped Me Understand My Parents

covid-19
The picture above is my Mom, Juanita, age 79. Her birthday is just ten days away and she'll be the BIG 80! Happy Birthday Mom! My dad Clyde, beside her, is 82. Those beautiful little ladies are two of their three great-grandchildren, Lisette (l) and Milisende (r). My parents, born in 1940 and 1937 respectively, were reared by parental by-products of the Great Depression. I'm 56 years old. I didn't live the childhood they experienced and probably neither did you. I've never lived through a Pandemic either. While trying to stay socially distanced from everyone because my husband is high-risk, I had an epiphany of how Corona Virus helped me understand my parents.

I understand why my parents don't waste anything.

My Mom always says to me "Tammy, I could live on what you waste". In my mind, I don't waste THAT much money. She is referring to my behavior not aligning with hers.

She shops the grocery sale papers. I walk in and buy groceries.
She saves everything. I throw stuff out.
She is not an impulse buyer. I am.

My parents have fared well leveraging my mom's budgetary bones and my dad's side hustle of selling and trading. My dad's 5th grade education has not stopped him from making good life decisions concerning money.

How Corona Virus Helped Me Understand My Parents

Friday, March 20, 2020

Friday, March 13, 2020

Corona Virus is not my First Scare of 2020


covid-19
Corona Virus (COVid-19) is not my first scare of 2020. The deadly virus seems pale in comparison to aiding my 34-week pregnant daughter during her horrifically scary placental abruption and subsequent birth (Please stay tuned for the video). Corona also seems very distant compared to the recent phone call I received from the Murray County Hospitalist explaining my husband needed a transfer to an intensive care unit capable of intubation and his subsequent six night hospital stay at Emory.

Amid the panic and public outcry over COVid-19, my heart is still rooted in the faith that brought me through the first two months of this new year, and the last

Corona Virus is not my First Scare of 2020

Friday, March 13, 2020

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Frozen 2: A 6-year old Perspective


Disney's Frozen 2
Disney's FROZEN 2 is the biggest movie at the box office right now. I loved Frozen! I heard from several sources this sequel was better than the first. I was super excited to see the movie with my grands and my daughters yesterday!

I had a lap full with both girls sitting with/on me. Milisende, age 3, played out every detail with her facial expressions. Lisette, age 6, and I watched intently with much less expression.
grandgirls

Frozen 2: A 6-year old Perspective

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Checked off an Item on my "To-Do" List



painted door
I've completed a few projects that's been on my list for months. The feeling of checking off items on your own "to-do" is such an accomplishment. Some women get excited about finishing their first 5K. Me? I get excited about painting an old wooden box that holds my fake topiaries which are losing plastic evergreen branches at an alarming rate from old age; possibly dry rot. Still. I must refresh them because I refreshed my front door with mustard yellow! And, when I'm finished, I can check off another item from my list. 
painted mustard door
Paint is AWE-mazing! My old topiary planters got a new coat of glossy black paint. They went from drab to fab especially monogrammed by my artistic daughter! Thanks Syd! I'm considering spray painting the evergreen part a nice color of green but I'm afraid they'll look "too" fake because right now they look really realistic. (wink)

Joyfully, while I'm painting and refreshing these jewels, God began to speak to me. Does God speak to you? I wonder sometimes if folks think I'm nuts for saying that but honestly, I have many conversations with God. I hope you do too! I really hope you don't think I'm nuts

I do the same thing with myself that I did with my pots. I try to refresh me with a new hairstyle, new clothes, fake nails, a massage, a vacation, etc. If you can think of it, I've probably used it to "renew" myself. But my topiaries, underneath that new glossy black paint is the same old white, cracked, peeling, coming-apart pots. Nothing really changed. Their worn appearance was masked with paint. Unless I allow God to refresh and cleanse my heart, I'm the same ole fleshly Tammy.

Can I really mask my heart with a new outfit? Can I change my attitude with a vacation? Will I love my neighbor more with refreshed topiaries? My heart grows weary in well-doing. My mind wanders far from God. My spirit becomes dampened. Please God, refresh me! There's no better feeling for God to cleanse my being. Cleanse me from my own humanity.  Remind me what matters.

I matter. I am always on the top of his "to-do" list. You are too! Such a refreshing truth that I never have to wait on God to get around to me. I never have to worry I'm not a priority. I never have to worry he'll not have time for me today or any day. I never have to worry I'll be put on his list and forgotten. I'm permanently on his "to-do" list. You are too!

What can he do for you today?

Refreshed365,

Checked off an Item on my "To-Do" List

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Tuesday, October 8, 2019

Don't Leave God Lonely

lonely repairman

If I were asked to use a couple of words to describe my summer, I would call the Summer of 2019 "Appliance Woes".  An unwanted visitor, a small black snake, found its way into my kitchen, under my counter, on top of my dishwasher. The morning he poked his head out so I could see him, I almost had a heart attack. I woke Steve up SCREAMING "There's a snake in the dishwasher!". Steve ripped the door off the dishwasher while I frantically beat up four pieces of ceramic tile to pull the dishwasher from the hole. Our fight revealed the entrance of the snake, a small hole chewed open by a mouse. This happened in Chatsworth, where I live.

Who knew a garbage disposal does not eat cantaloupe? I thought those powerful 4hp grinders would eat anything! I stopped up the disposal at the Florida Holiday House which causing my neighbor to end up covered in stringy, seedy, orange cantaloupe nastiness! I might have laughed but he was graciously helping us fix our problem. Then, that same improperly installed garbage disposal caused my dishwasher to not drain water properly or really it didn't drain at all. I had to wash dishes our entire two-week vacation and sop up slimy, soapy cantaloupe water out of the dishwasher with paper towels. Yuck!

These are definitely not earth-shattering nor insurmountable problems although I've always said if and when I found a snake in my house, I'd move! I didn't. I praise God he calmed my fear of snakes about three years ago. Oh, I'm still afraid of them, just not trembling in my prots at the mention of a snake. All that, leads me to sharing the spiritual analogy I received from my appliance woes this summer.

In 1967, Maytag Corporation introduced the Lonely Maytag Repairman. I still remember this guy and the commercial very vividly today. Do all companies that sell appliances employee repair technicians? Of course they do. Appliance companies know their products have mechanical parts that will eventually malfunction or simply quit working. Maytag created a smart marketing campaign with their Lonely Maytag Repairman. The ad made consumers believe their appliances were so good, you'd never have to call the repairman thus causing their technicians to be lonely all the time. Maytag promoted the thought but they knew their repairmen wouldn't be lonely.  All appliances break.

When you buy an appliance, which one do you choose? I want the one that meets my needs AND most importantly, doesn't break! An appliance that does the job without requiring a service call is a beautiful thing. We buy appliances believing they'll work. Remember that feeling of dread the first time your new washing machine broke? And that time when you had to hand-wash dishes for weeks waiting on your dishwasher to be repaired? I got a good dose of this one! Or, the time your freezer went on the fritz full of frozen food that melted and ran all over your floor?  WHAT A MESS! Bottom line is appliance companies are ready for repairs when we need them but we hope and pray we never need them.

Here comes the spiritual part...
Do you have God looking like the Lonely Maytag Repairman?

If you're still searching for God, you know something isn't quite right. You feel the ugly mess inside, the dread, the fear, the longing for something to take it away, but you just aren't ready to call the repairman, Jesus. You know you're good to wash a few more loads or grind a few more potato peels at half horse power. You're not totally broken. How many times have you picked up the phone to call and hung up thinking, I'm okay. Just like appliances, all humans eventually break. All have sinned and come short. Romans 3:23

If you're a Believer, you called the repairman to fix you some time ago. You never expected to be broken again. You thought once you accepted Christ your troubles were over. Jesus met your needs and you should never tear up again. Do you feel the ugly mess inside, the dread, the fear, the longing to restore your joy as before? 

Just like Maytag employees a repairman because they know their appliances will break, God knew his children were going to be broken and in need of a repairman, a Savior, Jesus Christ. Pride keeps you thinking you don't need repair, but trust me, repentance is the best feeling in the world. Confessing sin lightens your load, puts a spring in your step and joy in your heart. There's no shame in calling the repairman when you can't fix things yourself! Don't leave God lonely.

Calling on Him 365,
Tammy
 

Don't Leave God Lonely

Tuesday, October 8, 2019

Friday, April 19, 2019

Do You Generate or Extinguish Power in your Life?

The sun is setting on this wonderful Good Friday. The day....

Jesus gave his life, freely.

Beaten, mocked, crucified and killed for mankind, for everyone.

For you and for me.

But, there's more....


I see a lot of images and shirts proclaiming "A lot can happen in three days". I'm here to proclaim not only can it happen, IT DID HAPPEN! Jesus proclaimed on the cross of Calvary "It is finished.". God's plan of salvation is, was and forever will be, complete. Jesus rose on the third day just like he said. 

Jesus came back to Galilee and told them "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth." Do you believe him? Do you believe Jesus has the power to do all things? Read this and let it sink in ---- HE ROSE FROM THE DEAD! Uh, that's pretty powerful!

Why are you waiting? Do you generate or extinguish power in your life? You can accept an all powerful, alive, Risen Savior who will generate his love and perfect will in your life, RIGHT NOW! You don't have to wait until you get to heaven to experience the ultimate Jesus. I wish I could let you see through my heart and my eyes. Jesus gave his life for you to have life more abundantly. The abundant life he's referring to is not in heaven. It's here on earth. Christians hurt my heart harnessing the power of Jesus. Christians hurt my heart not realizing the fullness of what Christ did for us. Through him, we live a guiltless, shameless, forgiven LIFE!

I don't read in the Bible where he says "You're forgiven, now die and enjoy my kingdom." He says Go and sin no more. He says Go and teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and of the Holy Ghost. He says He is at the right hand of our Father making intercession for us. He says He's prepared us a place where we'll go be with him....someday. 

But, now, right now, unleash his power in your life. All power was given to him in heaven and in earth. If you are his child, you have access to HIS power. We should be shouting, believing, receiving in the power of his name  "A lot more things can happen in three days!" And then three days later let the world hear us say  "A lot of things DID just happen in three days!"

I challenge you, on this Good Friday 4/19/2019, ask him for just one thing, believing you will receive it and see if it happened just three days later. The thing may happen just one day later!  Don't extinguish the power in your life. You want to see things happen, pray they will, believing they will, in the powerful name of Jesus.

Matthew 21:22
And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believingye shall receive.

I didn't say that. This man Jesus, who has been given all power in heaven and in earth (Matthew 28:18), said that! If you can believe him for salvation, believe him for his resurrection too! Allow him to resurrect his power in you this Easter season and beyond. Resurrect your belief in his power over all things, resurrect your belief in the power of prayer, resurrect us, to serve and worship a risen savior! For...

He is Worthy! 

Resurrecting 365,
Tammy

This is one of my favorite songs. 


Do You Generate or Extinguish Power in your Life?

Friday, April 19, 2019

Friday, February 1, 2019

Top 5 Reasons Christians Fall Off the Wagon




We most often associate the familiar term "Fall Off the Wagon" with a recovering alcoholic who has turned back to the bottle. I want to use the analogy of "The Wagon" as it applies to Christians demonstrating a safe place or haven where all our needs are met, namely Jesus. I've been trying to improve my diet since August 2018. Well, I've been trying to improve my food choices for years. Recently, I'm seeking to allow the Holy Spirit to guide my daily food selections toward good for me food and avoid bad for me food.

 Yesterday, I didn't feel well. My stomach was a tad nauseous with an overall feeling of yuck. I'm strange. When I feel like this, I want a plain McDonald's burger with fries and one of their unparalleled, deliciously-filtered fountain Cokes. I went. I bought. I ate. Sometime during the afternoon, pondering why I ate it,(because I had been doing so well), God spoke these truths into my ear concerning the Top 5 Reasons Christians Fall Off the Wagon.
  • REASON No. 1: This Christian has never gotten in the wagon. It's hard to fall off if you've never gotten in, right? But you are in. You've accepted Jesus as your Savior but you won't accept him as Lord of your life giving him full control. You've either walked behind or alongside the wagon feeling the pain in your feet and the burden on your knees with every step. You know him. You just can't seem to trust him with your whole heart. Get in the wagon.
  • REASON No. 2: This Christian likes the easy life. It's easier off the wagon than inside of it. How can it be easier to walk alone than be carried? Jesus carries the people who believe, trust, obey, sacrifice, are patient, longsuffering and kind. I can name more Christ-like attributes but do you really want me to? Those ACTION verbs are hard. Walking singularly without anyone expecting anything from you. especially Jesus, is so much easier.
  • REASON No. 3: This Christian relies on other people for their life example instead of Christ. We've all heard it before, "If they're a Christian, the woods are full of them." Just stop it. Stop trying to justify your wrongdoings by comparing yourself to the next best born-again sinner you know. Christians are supposed to be better people because we have the Holy Spirit inside of us, but unfortunately, all Christians don't exercise those action verbs above and unfortunately, we still sin. Be like Him, not every Tom, Dick or Harry!
  • REASON No. 4: This Christian wants his cake and eat it too. Eating causes crumbs in the wagon. What happens when we see morsels of bad food lying around?  We eat it. Then, we want more! There's never been a Christian that dabbled with sin without wanting more.  When you're on the wagon for Christ, you're off of entertaining temptation for Tammy (insert your name here). Perfect example of this for me is if I eat one Entenmann's Chocolate Doughnut, I'll not stop until I eat the entire pack. Little Bites, big bites, they're all sin to me because I can't practice moderation. This Reason No. 4 applies to any temptation you are apt to succumb to, certainly not limited to food.
  • REASON No. 5: This Christian falls off the wagon because she doesn't get the results she's expecting or they are happening way too slow. Notice I said they ARE happening! We are a fast car, fast food, microwave, direct deposit, instant gratification society that wants Jesus under our thumb or fingertips instead of giving honor to his place of King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We want to use him like a medicine: as needed. We get bored when we're not entertained. We lose interest if the thrill we seek requires too much effort on our part. 
What are your #Christiangoals? Secure a front row seat in heaven? Live your best life now? Belong to a free membership? These are  #megoals. Our purpose as Christians is to worship, praise and glorify Jesus while showing others his mercy and grace. These are #godgoals.

The wagon isn't full. Want to get in with others who are selfless, God-seeking, life-surrendered, saved by grace, mercy-showing followers of Christ? I do! It's gonna take an action verb...



In the wagon 365,



Top 5 Reasons Christians Fall Off the Wagon

Friday, February 1, 2019

Saturday, September 8, 2018

Action!

surf

Does this picture speak to you? What does it say? The surfer has two choices; get in the water or remain on the shore. He may be anticipating the exhilaration of his morning surf? He could be procrastinating about the small swells or all the people in his way?  One thing is certain. Action is required! He can move to the water and enjoy his surf or allow his negative thoughts to rob him of an activity he loves.

bible action words

Mary Ann shared one of her favorite verses with me yesterday. Isaiah 41:10 says "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." I shared one of mine. Psalm 37:4 says "Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart."  Three phrases stood out in my mind; Fear not, Be not dismayed and Delight thyself. All three require action!  My photographic memory quickly sped through many Bible verses, all requiring action from me to obtain my desired results from Him!

Jesus performed the ultimate action giving his life to redeem us. The plan is finished. Now, action is required from us. Is it too much to ask for us not to fear? Is it too much for us to be not dismayed? Is it too much for us to delight ourselves in Him? Some days, not being afraid and not being dismayed are monumental tasks! I lose my footing. I allow the enemy too much brain space. I find myself wanting to run into a cozy corner where I can shrivel up and cry uncontrollably. Who's with me?

However, those sweet, sweet days I purposefully delight myself in God's grace and mercy, the half has never been told! He makes me feel like I could ride the gnarliest crest hanging ten!  Which situation requires more action? The sweet one. The delightful one I want to wake up in every day. The delightful one I can wake up in every day if I keep my actions toward Him, in Him and for Him.

God requires action from us. Ongoing action! Action is required! Action is necessary! Action is a must! And as a gentle reminder, doing nothing is an action.

Staying active,

Action!

Saturday, September 8, 2018

Friday, August 31, 2018

What Exactly is Concrete?


what exactly is concrete

This may sound like a repeat from last week but no, because this week has been rougher than last! . So many downs. Very few ups. I'm writing these words from the confines of my mom's hospital room. She continues to struggle for breath due to multiple blood clots in both lungs. You know the dread you feel when a close family member has a serious illness. I'm give thanks to our gracious God she is improving slowly. 

I have a couple of thoughts to share this week. Mom was visited by a hospital chaplain this morning. He asked "Can you have fun in a hospital?".  He shared some anecdotal stories with us that were somewhat fun, but not as funny to me as the stories I want to retell on my parents:
  • My dad was hospitalized in March after his fourth stroke. A couple of days had passed when he requested to shower. "I can do it myself" he said. I insisted we call a nurse to help him. His face lit up when a young beautiful blonde-haired nurse walked in. He quickly agreed with her help! She went to gather some bathing supplies. I asked him, "Have you ever showered with a blonde?" He giggled and said "No! But I'm about to!"  His bathing experience is a standing joke at our house.
  • My mom's doctor came to explain about placing her on blood thinners. He said "I want you to take Coumadin because it's tried and true." He waited for her approval. She answered him saying "That sounds good to me. I like spices!" Although she wasn't joking because she was thinking of Cumin, her reply has become a standing joke as well. The doctor was gracious and asked if he could use that one. 
  • Here's a couple more funny stories that are medical jokes at our house. Just click the link to read them. Sloane's kidney stone experience entitled "We had our very own Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day"  and Tammy's kidney stone experience entitled "Pande-"monday"-ium of Laughter"
Yes! We do believe you can have fun in a hospital. We do admit, however, we'd rather have fun almost any place else. 

My second thought this week involves the concrete picture. What exactly is concrete? Concrete is such an everyday term; yet do we really know what it is made of? As I was thinking about how rocky my path has been for the past couple of weeks, God caused me to visual concrete. I immediately thought Ah! yes! Concrete. I love concrete. Concrete hurts most folks' feet but it is absolutely the easiest surface for me to stand on. It is firm and solid. The non-rigid surface of concrete makes my feet and gait so happy. After a moment of sheer joy thinking about concrete, I asked why the image of concrete Lord? I looked up this explanation of concrete at www.masterconcreteservices.com. Concrete consists of Portland cement, sand, gravel or aggregate, small rocks, and varying amounts of water. These ingredients are blended together to generate a paste, which is then poured into a frame, and dries hard with time. A chemical reaction occurs between the water and the cement to create a solid foundation.

I began to ponder how you can take jagged rocks and create a smooth, solid foundation. I recalled many of my struggles during the past weeks. I felt every single problem or "rock" my feet had walked over the past two weeks. I remembered the way my feet turned over when they encountered the rocks. The twisting of my feet made my back hurt. Then God whispered, "Tammy, for every rock you walk over and get tossed here and yonder, you're making concrete. I am your solid foundation. You may have to walk over a few rocks but trust me, you'll always find your footing on my concrete." Praise Jesus! I said "God, you have the biggest concrete trucks because you're pouring it out for me all the time!"

Just like the chemical reaction with concrete, a spiritual reaction occurs between my Savior and me. He takes all the rocks, gravel and sand of my life and puts them in my frame to mold me. He smooths them all out so I can walk firmly on his foundation. The process takes a while but the end result is smooth and pretty.  How firm a foundation ye Saints of Lord, is laid for your faith in his excellent word....That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake, I'll never, no never, no never forsake.

Standing firmly 365,

What Exactly is Concrete?

Friday, August 31, 2018

Saturday, August 25, 2018

5 Things I Learned from Divorce

Divorce

My week has been rough. My week contained so many variables; some favorable and some unfavorable. (I'll admit it, I have an accounting background.)  I've been blessed. I've learned things. I've been schooled. I've lost my temper. I've exercised self-control. I went to the movies. I ate out too many times. I weeded my pool fence. I broke my left prosthetic. I made me a new left prosthetic. I could go on, but you get it. It has been a week! 

My life has been enriched over the past months with my high school bff, Mary Ann. I credit Mary Ann for my marriage to Steve. God placed her exactly where she needed to be in my life to accomplish his goal for Steve and me. Shortly after the "lost my temper" stage this week, Mary Ann sent me the picture above with the following message. "I bet God finds our efforts to do anything amusing. These are plants I threw in my trash pile that wouldn't grow in the greenhouse. They are not even planted and look how pretty." God used those words to teach me but also to show me some things divorce has taught me. Here are the top 5 Things I Learned from Divorce (in no particular order):
  1. Divorce hurts. It hurts everyone it touches, especially this ex-mother-in-law. Divorce is one of those excruciating hurts like a kidney stone. You know you have a stone. You wake up feeling pretty good and BAM! Within the next five minutes the blood supply is cut off to your kidney! You immediately find yourself rolling around in the floor begging, screaming, praying for comfort, even if it's only for the shortest while. The pain subsides. You think it's over but here it comes again...worse.
  2. Divorce is necessary. My parents' 60th wedding anniversary was yesterday. Kudos to them! Steve and I will celebrate 33 years in November. Divorce was not in my vocabulary until God showed me, sometimes, it is so necessary.  I couldn't even ask him to stop it. 
  3. Divorce is ugly.  I can't find one thing pretty about divorce. My daughter's tears of sorrow are ugly. My grandchildren riding off for the weekend is ugly. The destruction of the completeness of my family is ugly. The mistrust and resentment are ugly. Being wronged is ugly. Period.
  4. Unconditional love is unstoppable. It is difficult for me to understand why I still love my ex-son-in-law so much. He makes me so mad I could rip his head off! But, I can't stop loving him. I can't stop feeling for him when he creates his own demise. I can't stop making concessions for him when he deserves none. God's love in me for him cries out for mercy, grace and above all, forgiveness. If unconditional love were stoppable, Jesus would have succumbed under the weight of the cross. He fell, but got back up, not once but three times. Praise be to Jesus for his love for us!
  5. I can't change things. This is the hardest lesson ever.
Today, when Mary Ann sent me the photo of her trash pile, it hit me. Mary Ann threw out what she couldn't get to grow. She gave up. Her plants flourished. God showed me I must give up my ex-son-in-law. Quit hoping he will grow. Stop wishing he will be different. I'm asking Jesus to help me release him so he can find his way into the good God has prepared for him. I'm praying my release will somehow help him find a better life. I can do nothing but God can morph a caterpillar into a butterfly. And that, is a beautiful thing!

Overcoming 365,


5 Things I Learned from Divorce

Saturday, August 25, 2018

Friday, August 10, 2018

My Next Endeavor

My next endeavor is to speak Spanish. I never dreamed at the ripe old age of 54 I would wish to learn another language. We had VBS 2018 last week at First Baptist Chatsworth. I had no idea the theme of VBS would "play out" in our Kindergarten Boys classroom. It truly was "Game On" when our class of three Latino boys; Jorge, Jake and Paschal, didn't speak a word of English!

Sloane and I were dumbfounded but not defeated. My next endeavor was making Google translate our friend. We tried our best to teach them about Jesus leaving the 99 to find one lost sheep. This is harder than it sounds. Google translated the word sheep for us as orvejah. Thankfully, Google also speaks the word through their translator. I learned animal sounds are the same in any language. Have you ever thought about that? I find it quite interesting! So, in a manner of minutes through body language and an iphone, Jorge was crawling around the floor acting as if eating grass repeating the phrase "orvejah baaaaaaa"! Sloane and I giggled as the sheep imitation caught on and all of us were being sheepishly silly.

Our little guys came to VBS on night three of five. The boys were giddy after crafts the second night. My next endeavor was to communicate Jesus loves you. I taught class alone. I left wondering if anything I said stuck. I didn't even attempt to use Google without Sloane. I spoke to them from pictures nodding my head up and down looking for a knowing nod back. Not happening! No knowing nods just dancing brown eyes. After about five minutes, I said "orvejah, baaaaaa". We laughed. The boys finished their crafts.
Jorge
The next night a surprising and welcome event happened that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws. I consider it the work of a divine agency. In other words, a miracle from God happened right there in our classroom. Sloane used Translate again to ask our three amigos a question. "quien ta ama?" The artificial intelligence repeated. The boys finally understood Sloane when she asked them to listen to what her phone was saying. "quien ta ama?" Who loves you? As quickly as Paschal understood the phrase, he immediately raised his small arm and pointed straight at ME! I almost burst into tears. YES! Yes! I do love you, I squealed! I'm not sure what happened during our three days with those darling boys that made Paschal feel loved. I'm just so happy it did! How amazing our God who loves us is. For people who say it's not nice to point, they've never overcome a language barrier through the holy spirit of God. Paschal's pointed finger is a blessing I will remember forever. I pray my next endeavor is half as successful as these three nights of Vacation Bible School.
Paschal
Jake

Thanks to Benny Huggins for use of the photos.

Endeavoring 365,

My Next Endeavor

Friday, August 10, 2018