You Reap What You Sow

I never paid much attention to this teaching, mostly because I never spent any time to understand it. But now in my life, God has opened my eyes to finally see this clearly. The main scripture here is, Galations 6:7-8 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.
I have a few examples to explain this rule of reaping and sowing:
I have a friend who decided to save herself until she got married, in obedience to God’s commandments. In high school, this meant doing something different than everyone else. And, it was a long time before she had a boyfriend. She sowed seeds then (following God’s commandments), for a big harvest LATER. In college, she met the guy she would marry. At this point, being engaged, most girls might give in and have sex out of marriage, but she didn’t. And now for the reaping (the harvest time), she is happily married to a great man and God has truly blessed their marriage covenant with Him. They now have a precious, growing family and her dreams of finding the right guy, getting married and the desire to be a mother have all been fulfilled. She is so blessed, because there is tremendous blessing in obedience to God.

My other friend, she decided to have sex in high school (sowing sin seeds into her future). She got into a serious relationship with a guy who wasn’t a Christian (more sowing of sin) and found out she was pregnant and decided to marry him (unequally yoked- see my post “unequally what?”). She thought she knew better for her life than God does. More sowing seeds of sin for a harvest of heart ache. The guy was an alcoholic, drug user, who was verbally and physically abusive to her and their child. That is the harvest from the seeds of sin. Today she is divorced, which is good, but that sowing of sin is still part of her harvest. How? The whole "reaping and sowing" rule isn't only for the immediate time, we reap (the harvest) for LONGER than one season, and that harvest is forced upon all who are near that person. It’s has cost her family in many ways, even financially and they all continue to have to deal with her terrible ex-husband. He is hurtful toward their child, who is an innocent bystander and hostile towards her family and her. She is still reaping that bad harvest.

Job 4:8 "According to what I have seen, those who plow iniquity And those who sow trouble harvest it.

Take heart! We CAN change the harvest with obeying God and sowing obedience.

Think about what kind of seeds you are sowing into your life. Are they seeds of obedience or seeds of sin? This motivates me to be conscious of what I am sowing everyday, because we ARE sowing into our life ground everyday—for the good or the bad. It is WORTH it, to examine your life right now. What are you sowing today that you will rejoice in tomorrow? What are you sowing today that you regret tomorrow? These have lasting implications on the harvest of your life, sow wisely.

2 Corinthians 9:6 Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

Be encouraged, if you have not sown well, you can stop right now. Start sowing obedience, love, patience, mercy, forgiveness and joy. Your harvest will be so filled with blessing that you finally have what you have been looking for - life! A life you thought you might never have. A life you thought YOU had to create, but when you sow seeds of obedience, God will create that wonderful life right from under your feet!!!

Sowing love and joy from my computer to your life by the grace of God,
Tiffany

How to Eat

When I was really sick with bulimia, I lost the ability to think rationally about food and it’s rightful place in my life. I also forgot HOW to eat…hence this post. Here are the few helpful tips I had to relearn, learn and also be taught.

1. You have to bring every thought into captivity. This is essential because (if you are struggling with eating disorders) thoughts of food, diets, purging and exercising will dominate your whole mind. Breaking free and taking charge of your thoughts will begin the healing process in your head and your body will follow.

2 Corinthians 10:5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

2. Let go of old rituals, habits and self-created rules. I used to have a rule, for example, that if I ate one cookie, I might as well eat them all because I had failed to stick to my ridiculous diet of “no cookies, not EVER.” That was the wrong thinking because instead of enjoying one or two cookies, I punished myself by making myself eat ALL the cookies and then rationalizing that I could purge them all away and be free from any extra calories. Wrong de dong dong dong!
Let all those old things fade away and give yourself a new rule: There is no rule.
If you want a cookie, have one or two. Not the whole 64 pack from Costco.

3. Try to avoid being home alone. For me, those where the times I would binge and purge. So it was best that I didn’t allow myself to be in the situation until I was healed from those behaviors. If you live alone, get a roommate for move somewhere that has a full house of folks.

4. Pray for God to heal you. To give you the right thoughts, to be your strength because you are too weak to change on your own. He WILL heal you. I could not have stopped my behavior on my own, I had tried many, many times. But the bulimia won every time. When I finally gave that battle to the Lord, it was won. He is so good to us!

PhiIippians 4:13 can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

Matthew 19:26 Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

5. Watch out for H.A.L.T: When you are HUNGRY, ANGERY, LONELY or TIRED- these are the conditions that Satan loves to find us in, and then snare us into old sins, habits and all that we “don’t” want to do. I got this teaching from Dr. Charles Stanley and it has helped me avoid Satan’s bait! Be mindful to know when you are in these times so that you can stay victorious over your eating disorder and keep the freedom you have found.
www.intouch.org

6. A book that helped, also read the best book which is the BIBLE! But here is one that specifically addresses eating disorders, the title is a little misleading –I’m NOT suggesting anyone needs to lose weight, but the principles are excellent!
Losing Weight Permanently: Secrets From The 2 Percent Club by Dr. Gregory Jantz
(Side note: I attended his clinic for treatment of my eating disorder in 2001- see his other books or counseling at: http://www.aplaceofhopestore.com/)

From a sister who has been there and done that…and is now victorious in the Lord,
Tiffany

PS: I weigh less now than I ever did when I was really sick or on one of my extreme diets! I hope that gives YOU hope!

Paradise Found

When we want to relax, why do we seek out destinations that are “close to nature” rather than close to a bunch of office buildings and freeways (man’s constructions)? Why is it that we grow so weary of all of the man made constructs, like driving in traffic, ringing phones, endless email, paying all the fees, fines and charges we make up to charge each other? Because we were meant for life WITH God. Even those who don’t know God, LOVE nature, animals and the earth. They don’t even know WHY they love those things--which is because God made them all and the goodness they have are from Him. They don’t have the eyes to SEE because they have “scales” on their eyes. Just as the Bible described Peter who was not yet a follower of Jesus, Acts 9:17 “Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized,” I think that everyone who doesn’t know Christ has scale covering their eyes, and they CAN’T see truth.

Since Adam and Eve committed the first sin that separated us from God, we all have been longing for that life, the truly good life that is only possible through Jesus Christ. 1 John 5:11 And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.

We try to find that peace, restoration and rejuvenation in the places we travel to, thinking “if I can just get away.” And it DOES work because we are close to God’s creation, but the problem is still there, we need God in our heart, on the throne in our life and to walk in obedience to His commandments for all of those benefits to last.

I’m not condemning anyone who likes to travel, I LOVE exploring this world that God has made, I find it invigorating to my mind, body, heart and soul. I feel the freedom from man’s constraints and I always want more of that. God’s constraints are so good, so beneficial to us that they are actually blessings on our life.

Next time you hear of someone saying they are going on vacation to some tropical island or somewhere remote…pray that they find God in their search on the beach, in the waves of the mighty ocean, on horseback in the mountains or rafting down a river ( you get the idea!) Or maybe it’s you who need the break from this crazy life and have planned a vacation to do so; go with expectation to see God and give him your life, even if you have been a Christian for a long time. Hand over every last inch of your life, not saving any single morsel for yourself and then, you WILL be rejuvenated, you will have real peace and your life will truly be blessed.

God Bless each and every one of you!!!
Tiffany

Offended

I used to actually take pride in “being offended.” I thought it moral high ground that I should call some thing “offensive” and then turn up my nose to it. And two things were wrong with me, the fact that I was prideful (nothing good EVER comes from having pride). In Proverbs 16:18, it states, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” It’s actually kind of funny to watch those in the public eye who have become very prideful in their celebrity…it’s usually not long after that they take a HUGE FALL.
And the second part that was wrong with me, the offended attitude, was wrong because of the nature of the offended. The dictionary uses words like, to irritate, annoy, or anger. Which are all true of my state of mind when I’m “offended,” but in ADDITION to those, is where I found it get really interesting. In the Bible, the Greek word for offend is skandalon. That word originally referred to the part of a trap to which bait was attached. And hence the word signifies laying a trap in someone’s way. I wonder who would want to “bait” us and entrap us? Clearly, our foe, the devil himself. Can you see his plan now? I can. He uses some person to say or do something to us that we don’t like, agree with or find hurtful—and wham-o! He just made you OFFENDED!
The antidote for being offended is two part. First, we have to get rid of the pride because it distorts our vision, hardens our heart and keeps us on the treadmill of “I was hurt, I’m a victim.” And second, since you see yourself as innocent, you hold back forgiveness and you NEVER want to do that…why? Because Matthew 6:15 says, “But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” We are in desperate need of forgiveness from God, remember that when we are born- it’s into sin. It doesn’t matter how good we THINK we are in our own eyes, because that is pride, and we know the outcome from being prideful—destruction of our life. We ALL need God’s forgiveness and mercy.

Choose these scriptures to guide your heart:

Proverbs 22:4 The reward of humility and the fear of the LORD
Are riches, honor and life.

Luke 14:11 "For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

Ephesians 4:32 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

These days I like to say, and without pride (of course), that “I’m not easily offended.”

I pray that God reveals to you what He has to me. Where I had a weed of pride growing and an infestation of offended bugs…he uprooted the weed and did away with the bugs!!!

Hugs, forgiveness, humility and love,
Tiffany

Momma Love

This topic has been on my heart as I’ve seen tv shows and magazines with the young moms of Hollywood saying after a mere 4 or 6 months after giving birth- that they are FAT or getting SURGERY to be skinny again.
This is craziness. Think about HOW long you are pregnant…and I know everyone says 9 months, but they are wrong. It’s really 10 months because you have the baby at the END of the 9th month or beginning of the 10th. Honestly, that is an amazingly SHORT time to create a baby! It’s a miracle that just us women get to participate in! God is so good! And men have no clue! Ha ha!
I gained 54lbs with Sydney…I was tipping the scales at 174lbs the week before I went into labor. Once my pregnancy was progressing (my belling was growing- along with everything else) which triggered the old “playlist” of my past eating disorders to start playing in my head. Thankfully, when I prayed for God’s help and reclaimed that He had healed me and set me free from that bondage—that old playlist was stopped. But AFTER I had Sydney, I worried about “how long?” before I stop LOOKING like was still prego? I got a good piece of advice, that “it took 10 months to get that way, it will take at least that to get it back” and how true! And my sweet doctor told me, as long as you aren’t GAINING, you are doing very well! I asked about his diet plan, and he put it very simply, “get hungry, and then eat.” It was sort of profound to me, because I always expect things that work to be complicated. Just the opposite!
And did I mention breast feeding? Which is FABULOUS for your baby, I hate to hear moms giving formula to their sweet baby right from the start! And it harms you too- just think about this…you burn 500 calories a day when you are breast feeding. To put this into perspective for you who don’t know how difficult it is to burn 500 calories. When I was really sick with my eating disorders, I would run for 45 minutes to burn 500 cal or the elliptical machine for 60 minutes—and I would be shaky legged and exhausted afterward. That was HARD. Breast feeding is easy!
I can honestly say that by 8 months after I gave birth, I was really feeling like myself again, most of my old clothes were fitting and I could see my old self and not the belly so much.
What I did, I hope you find it helpful…
Breast fed (still do)
Take baby for a walk almost everyday
Eat organic foods- mostly
Get hungry a little then eat
Never deprive myself from a “goodie” chocolate or a cookie

PS: I don't think it's a good idea to workout really hard... it’s exhausting enough to care for a new born or big baby period. I think it might even be dangerous to have really sore legs, arms or core muscles because you might jeopardize your stability and your ability to safely carry your child. I actually have better toned arms NOW, than I did when I was working out with weights! It might have to do with my reps, I lift 22 lbs about a billion times a day!

Ease up on yourself! You just had a BABY!!! That is the coolest thing you will EVER do in your life. And it is the only thing you will do that will last into ENTERNITY!!! You have an incredible role as caregiver for the life God has entrusted to you. That baby is not YOURS, but God’s child. Praise God for the blessing to have had a child, praise Him that HIS design of procreation is AMAZING. If God can make a baby in your belly, surely He can put that belly back to where it was!

Extra huge love for all the mommas, grace for the gut, mercy for the muffin top, and patience for the pounds,

Tiffany

Good ENOUGH to go out

I can’t remember exactly when this began, maybe 23 or so, but I felt so bad about myself that I didn’t want to go out in public. I would even make up excuses why I couldn’t go out or hangout with people because I felt like I was “less than” everyone else. I let life start passing me by because I was CONSUMED with comparing myself to others and it had become a painful, overwhelming obsession. In order to protect myself from my obsessive comparing, I found short term relief avoiding others. If I was the only person around, I felt ok. As soon as another female walked in the room, I became anxious, insecure and hyper critical of her and me. I hope you are reading this thinking, poor thing, how awful. But if you are reading this and thinking, “that’s me, for sure.” Take heart! God has healed my wrong thinking and all of the important things in life are in their right order. Something like this:
God
Hubby
Family
Before God healed my heart and gave me right priorities it looked like this:
Me
Me
Me
Steps I took to break free from this obsessive and ugly hold on my life began with getting my focus on God. I stopped looking in. It was like I had a magnifying glass and I was bent over trying to see into my belly button. How is anyone going to SEE God’s beautiful world, if they are hunched over staring directly into themselves? And I prayed, prayed and prayed more, I asked God to heal my head and my heart, to give me HIS eyes to see others and His eyes to see myself. And it helps to simply FORGET about yourself. The first healing distraction came from my dog, Ty. I adopted him from a friend who had to part with him and he was MORE than a dog, he blessed my life with his wet nose kisses and his sparkling, ice blue eyes. God used His fluffy creation to save me from myself. Today, my sweet Ty is with Jesus, but I still miss him and will always know that his doggie goodness was essential in setting me free. I count him as one of my “deposits in heaven” (that is what my Grandma called anyone who had gone to the Father before her). It also helped when I got married, to have another person to be with and to care for. The more distractions I had to tear my gaze away from myself- the better. But this truly didn’t occur until I had Sydney, my babykins. She needs so much of my attention that I was freed from thinking only of myself by the shear demands of mothering. See the blessing in being a mother? God can heal you as you serve Him caring for the children He has entrusted to you!!!
Today, I honestly can say that God has healed my heart and freed me from the obsessive comparison that left me sitting on the sidelines of life. Now, my focus in fixed on God, and I don’t have time for that nonsense. Take heart! God can and He WILL heal your heart too. Just ask Him to do it! And you may NOT need to get a dog, husband and baby to do it! That’s just how it happened for me.

PS: You are beautiful in the package God wrapped you in! You are MORE than good “enough” to go out. You are CALLED to go out, to share the HOPE, the LOVE and the GOOD NEWS OF JESUS!!!

Mark 16:15 And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”

Go out and enjoy your life! You have a purpose and a calling to do so!!!

Tiffany

Undercover Prayer Agent

I’ve always liked those spy, secret agent type movies. In fact, I would have become one if I could have figured out where exactly one applies for such a job. Ha ha ha!
But since that never worked out, I love the undercover prayer agent I get to be for God. Here’s how it works, wherever I am, not matter what I am doing…if I see a child or a person who just hits my heart like a bug on a windshield…I pray for them. I look right at them and pray over their life. I pray that they choose God, that He protects them, that they grow and serve Him in a mighty way. Perhaps this is the reason that God put that person in your line of sight, that they need prayer at that very instant. You are responsible for the people who cross your path each day!

I especially like to do this when I take Sydney for a walk in our neighborhood because we have an elementary school on our route. I usually get to see a precious group of God’s little humans in the playground or walking to class. Sometimes it’s a person in the car next to me. It’s one of the most fun things I do while out in the world…because it’s my “secret mission.” And a few more situations I ALWAYS pray for…when I see an accident or get passed by a speeding ambulance. I pray that God is with them, for those involved and for healing for those who are hurt.
I hope you join me! We need more agents!!!

Here are a few scriptures on prayer, to encourage you, the agents!

1 Thessalonians 5:17 “Pray without ceasing”

Matthew 6:6 “But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.”

Hebrews 4:16 “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

PS: When you LOOK for opportunities to pray for others, it gives you an exciting expectancy in your heart. You are now on the lookout for next soul you will notify God about…and He will work in their life! Trust Him. You have a PURPOSE now, every single day you are alive. This is our mission! Pray!!!

One more example of this, my mom saw a young man one night at dinner and God put it on her heart to pray for him. She prayed for him that he would come to know Christ and for some reason, for employment. A few weeks later, that same young man ended up as her new co-worker. When she met him, he had said that he had been out of work for 8 months previously. She praised God for the way He works and then had the opportunity to share Christ with the young man. See how cool it can be?!

Undercover Prayer Agent,

Tiffany

Say NO to the horoscopes and why…

Growing up, my mom would always warn me and my sister not to read horoscopes or play with a Ouija board (weegie) because those things use the power of Satan. As an obedient child I never did those things, but when I was older and became “curious” when I came across horoscopes in magazines that I was reading…I did just that. Read them. Just as Satan is the king of subtly seducing us into sinning, he whispers in our ear that “it’s okay, it’s just a little thing about YOU, don’t you WANT to know about what the future holds for you? What can happen? Now you read it, did the sky fall? No, it didn’t. See, it was harmless. Now lets look for it again tomorrow, aren’t you curious if you will get that job? Find love? Will be lucky on that day?”
These are ALL lies from Satan who is trying to ensnare you, to get a foothold on you. Have you ever noticed how ADDICTING horoscopes are? It’s just like a big cake with lots of frosting and sprinkles, but inside it is dog poop. That it exactly how Satan gets us, he makes whatever it is look GOOD, HARMLESS and DESIREABLE. But in truth, it’s all a big pile of dog poop. And NO one wants to bite into that! Yuck!
Here’s what I’ve found in the Bible on this, and it’s VERY clear that we are NOT to use any means related to this kind of darkness.

Leviticus 19:31 “Do not turn to mediums or spiritists; do not seek them out to be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God.”

Deuteronomy 18:10-12 “Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in a the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord…”

Leviticus 19:26 “You shall not eat anything with the blood, nor practice divination or soothsaying.”

Leviticus 20:6 'As for the person who turns to mediums and to spiritists, to play the harlot after them, I will also set My face against that person and will cut him off from among his people.

Today I never look at horoscopes. If I find that a magazine I’m reading has them, I rip them out, so that the temptation will not be there. You have to guard your heart and your mind. As mom always says, “garbage in, garbage out.” And yes, once in a while you get that nutty person who wants to “know your sign” or asks your birthday to “figure you out.” What a cheap substitute someone is doing when they short change the complexity and uniqueness of YOU, for a sin filled, pile of steaming poop description of who you really ARE NOT. I always respond to people who are “horoscopey” that “I don’t believe it that”…and then change the subject. Or maybe it’s an opportunity to tell them why and you can share your faith with them!
God has made you so amazing, so perfectly you, so completely unique that there is no way that a few generalities in a paragraph could EVER describe the depths of your heart. So don’t even go there. Protect your heart and your mind. Trust God, He is the only one who KNOWS EVERYTHING.
God’s got a plan for you and it’s fabulous. Trust Him. Seek Him. Obey Him.

Huge love, Huge hope, Huge faith,
Tiffany

Face to face with yet another insecurity …

I used to be threatened by the confrontation of prettier, skinnier, or richer (the list is endless actually) gals. I felt so insecure about who I was that had to constantly be comparing myself with every single female I saw. This was devastating to my confidence, self worth and security because in every game of “am I valuable?” I LOST. As you can see, my evaluation system was flawed because there will ALWAYS be someone who is prettier, skinner, and richer. I set myself up for failure in my attempt to “feel” accepted, confident, and worthy of people’s attention by trying to BE BETTER than them. Our security must come from our Father, not by feeling better about ourselves if we perceive others as lacking.
When I lost the game, I became hostile in my heart and sarcastic in my words towards others. Satan had won. He got me to play his game that he made up, the “Are you valuable” game and he also got me to react in hate, not love. Satan is so devious, he looks for opportunities to destroy us from the inside out, he whispers lies in our ears and when we take them into our hearts it begins to eat away at our heart, body, mind and soul. Unchecked, it will kill us. How? Because Satan’s lies grow exponentially. He will lead you to complete annihilation of yourself. I truly believe his ultimate success is talking people into killing themselves, suicide. Satan wants your life to destroy it. God wants your life to SAVE it! The Bible says, 1 Peter 5:8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. I get it now…Satan WANTS to kill me. Will I let him? No way! I hope you don’t let him kill you either!

So knowing what we know of Satan, we have a strategy. And knowing what we know of our God, we have a hope. Take heart!
1 Peter 1:13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Here’s what to do:
Just as Jesus spoke scripture to Satan when he tempted him in the desert, that is exactly what we are going to do! Responding like Jesus is what our goal SHOULD be!

When Satan says you are worthless, you say, “it is written:
Matthew 10:29-31 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

When Satan tries to get you to play the “Am I valuable” game, say, “it is written:
1 John 4:4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”


And finally, when you feel those pangs of “I’m not enough,” say, “it is written:
Colossians 2:10 and in Him you have been made complete.

2 Timothy 2:1 You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

I pray that each of you who read this will be freed from the bondage of Satan’s lies. You are unconditionally loved, completely known and sought after by God Himself!!!
I’m sending a big hug from me too!

Precious, precious, precious friends…grace for yourself, peace for your mind and love for your heart!

Tiffany

A Must Read Book: "A Message from God"

I'm an avid reader, well, I WAS an avid reader before I had Sydney, my sweet babykins! Now time is hard to come by and I usually crave the pages of God's word so it really leaves little room for other books. BUT this book, called "A Message from God" by Retha and Aldo Mc Pherson is a MUST read.
My quick synopsis, Retha and her family are in a car accident that ejected her two sons from the vehicle...it was her eldest son that suffered severe injuries that left him fighting for his life in the ICU. Now before you get all scared about the "injury" part (like I did), the overarching story of how God was there, working in her son's life, on his behalf and also in her life is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. I used to read about a book a week, and in comparison to all of the classic literature, autobiographies (my faves) and fiction I have read--not one has captivated my attention like "A Message from God." It's a fast read and you will not want to put it down. I hope everyone reads this book, it WILL change you.

One line from the book, the mom (Retha) always spoke LIFE and blessing over her children and also had them repeat it. Here is the phrase, "Surely goodness and mercy will follow you all the days of your life" she said this and they said it in the first person back. I LOVE this. I've deemed it a new tradition in my family.

Here is the scripture it is taken from, translations vary with the word "love or mercy", Psalm 23:6 Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. (NIV)

The book reveals how powerful our words are and how speaking LIFE over a person can change the outcome of the circumstances when we are rooted in God. And we understand the tremendous impact of our words.

Here's the website: www.destinyimage.com

I received the book as a birthday present from my mom, I keep thinking "I'm too busy to read this book" and finally after her persistent asking if I had started reading it ...I picked it up and have had a hard time putting it back down. Mom still knows best!

Happy Friday! It's almost the weekend and in my terms, that spells "Yay!"

Surely goodness and mercy will follow you all of your days!

Tiffany

Excuse me, have you seen my husband?

I used to joke and ask people that question before I found Hubby. I still think it’s funny actually!!! When I was in college, I was really on the hunt to find Mr. Right. But it was in high school, when I started this little tradition for myself and my future husband. Even if I HAD a boyfriend at the time, somehow I knew that I would NEVER marry someone from my high school (maybe it was a hint from God). Here is what I did. For every holiday or even when I felt lonely or missed being able to “know” and “talk” to my future husband, I would sit down and write a card or letter to him. I did this for about 6 years, buying valentine’s day or “thinking of you” cards and writing, “Dear future husband…”
This may sound completely ridiculous, but think about this- by writing to your future husband it gives you a strange sense of confidence that he IS out there. And believe me, if having a husband is your hearts desire, he IS out there!
Here’s the Bible back up:
Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Are you wondering “how” do I DELIGHT myself in the Lord? I’ll give you a little help, you must know, love and serve God. Give your burdens to God and not perplex yourself with the thoughts and future events, but refer them to God. By prayer we give them up to God and then we trust him completely. Don’t take the thought back and try to figure things out for yourself, you gave it to God and LEAVE IT THERE! And also thanking God for ALL of the blessings you have, and turning EVERY good thing back to praise. EX) I even give God praise for a front row parking spot!
James 1:17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
And it doesn’t get any sweeter than that!!!
I hope you have confidence in our loving Father and trust him completely as you have with your LIFE, how much more is that then a mere man?! That’s a small thing in comparison to dying for your sins so that you may not die, but have eternal life. It’s like someone just bought you a Range Rover and you were worried that the same person couldn’t ALSO afford an air freshener for it. Ridiculous right? That’s what I think too!
And back to my writing cards, notes and letters to your future husband. Save them, save them all. And after the wedding, when he is OFFICIALLY your husband. Give them to him. I did this, and my hubby was amazed at how long I had been praying for him and enjoyed reading all my different little notes to him. His response, “I wish I had done the same for you.” Now this will sound a bit selfish, but it’s true. I NEEDED to write those notes, to have the confidence and trust in God that He was bringing my husband to me. It made it a REALITY in my life to have that stack of envelopes. You may not want to go to all the trouble of writing, but you HAVE to pray for your future husband. God will bring him, if it truly is a desire of your heart. Notes or no notes.

Praying for your Mr. Right, love notes, wedding bells and the whole shbang!

Love, love and more love,
Tiffany

The Most Important Decision You Will EVER Make In Your Life.

Becoming a Christian. Why? Because choosing to follow Jesus, to have a RELATIONSHIP with the Father, to have HOPE, real LOVE and ETERNITY is worth the cost…which by the way is NOTHING!!! You can’t buy it, charge it, work for or steal it. It is a GIFT.
Ephesians 2:8-9
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.

How does it all work?
1.God Love us.

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

2. We are separated from God by our sin.

Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

3. God’s love bridges the gap (seperation) between us and God. Christ died on the cross to pay OUR sin debt that we could not pay. But He rose in victory over death. That is why some people call Him the Living God. He knows you are reading this right now! How cool is that?!

1 Peter 2:24 He personally carried the load of our sins in His own body when He died on the cross.

4. Our Response. Do you want to receive Christ in your heart?
You can become part of God’s family by His personal invitation.

John 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.

Here are the things you must do to receive Christ:
ADMIT your spiritual need- “I’m a sinner.”
REPENT (Ask for God’s forgiveness) and turn away from your sin.
BELIEVE that Christ died for you on the cross.
ASK through prayer, for Jesus Christ to come into your heart and life.

Romans 10:13 Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.

Matthew 7:7 Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

Pray:
Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I’m a sinner and need Your forgiveness. I believe that you died for my sins. I want to turn away from my sins. I now invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as Lord and Savior. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

PS: I got my prayer and info from Billy Graham, incase you are wondering. www.billygraham.org

I think this is a good refresher for those who are already Christians and who need to remember how to share their faith with others. I hope it is anyway!

And Yay yay yay for you if you have chosen LIFE today, to become a Christian. I'm praying for you and want to hear from YOU! Angels are rejoicing!!!

Huge love, your humble servant,
Tiffany

Identity Theft

Identity theft. This is Satan’s best crime, to steal our identity in Christ. Satan lies straight to our face about who we are, he says things like worthless, weird, not good enough, smart enough, rich enough, skinny enough, popular enough, cool enough…it’s always the same lie. We are never enough of whatever it is.
Now the truth, the good part! We ARE ENOUGH in Christ. We are made whole, we are priceless to God and we are sought after by Him. Wow! God seeks after us!!! I love that!
When I was little, I would go and hide (without telling anyone I was hiding) and wait and hope that they would notice I was gone and come find me. I was overjoyed when I would hear my mom say, “where is Tiffany?” and then she would starting calling my name and then finally open the closet door or wherever I had hid myself. I was so happy to found, even though I was the one who “went missing” on purpose. Sometimes I think we still want to be found, we want to be noticed that we went missing, to hear our name being called, and then to be found. This is exactly what God is doing as our perfect parent, he notices we are not with Him and he calls us by name, and if we don’t come, He comes after us to find us. We ARE worth it to God, He will go to any length to find us, wherever we have hidden ourselves from Him

Luke 15:3-6 (New International Version)
3Then Jesus told them this parable: 4“Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’

And a few of the scriptures that I like the most on who we are in Christ… there are many more, maybe I’ll post them tomorrow if anyone wants more of these. I have the list hanging in my bathroom so I can read them while I brush my teeth!

I Am Accepted
John 1:12 I am God’s Child.
Colossians 2:9-10 I am complete in Christ.

I Am Secure
Romans 8:31 I am free from any condemnation brought against me and I cannot be separated from the love of God.
Philippians 1:6 I am confident that God will complete the good work He started in me.

I Am Significant
1 Corinthians 3:16 I am God’s temple.
Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.
Don’t let identity theft happen to you! Use these scriptures against Satan’s attacks against your identity. He WILL have to flee. And then you can remind yourself of all that God says about who you REALLY are in Him!

Love from one branch of the True Vine (Jesus Christ),

Tiffany

Making Wise Decisions

This could be a whole book, and I KNOW that there are ENTIRE books on this subject but here are just a few questions to ask yourself when you are making decisions. I think these questions are useful for all decision making, large and small because every action has a reaction. Here we go:
1. Is this a wise decision? (Based on the commandments of the Bible- is it in agreement or disagreement?)
2. What are the consequences? (Write out all the consquences in a list)
3. Do you have genuine peace about it? (The peace of God in your heart, not self manufactured peace that you have talked yourself into having- there is a huge difference.)

Making decisions, big ones, permanent ones, little ones...they all carry consequences or blessings. Prayerfully submit your questions to God and wait for Him to show you His will for your life. He will do it. Be ready and listening. In my experience with God, He has used mature Christians, the Bible, pastors, Christian articles and books to show me where my next step should be. It might be one of thoses for you, or something entirely different!

James 1:5
If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

James 3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceful, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

Wishing you God's wisdom, love and joy,

Tiffany

Life more Abundantly

In the Bible, it plainly states in John 16:33, "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." I find much comfort in this scripture because trouble is on going, just watch the news! It's overwhelming AND depressing. But knowing that our Father already knows all that is happening, happened and will happen in the future and that He has already overcome this world and all of the sin in it- what relief! Hope breaks through the depressing sludge of the world we live in today and we can trust that this isn't as good as it gets. I thank God that He loves us so much that we are not condemded to this world but we have hope, and He promises that we won't just "barely get by" but that our life will be the fullest, most abundant life you can have on earth. Wow! John 10:10 says, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." My prayer is that you realize what kind of life God has for you and you run to Him for it, in full, in abundance and overflowing. For yourself, pray that God would show you and direct you to see the life he has laid before you. He may be calling you to missions, ministry, outreach, leadership, or just the first step...which is calling you to life with Him.

Huge love, Big hugs, and Everlasting hope,

Tiffany

If you want to be great in God’s Kingdom, learn to be a servant of all

I remember singing this Sunday school song…and that is the whole song, chorus, everything, just that one line. How simple and easy to understand our mission when you put it in those terms! Serving starts with the right attitude of the heart, and I always go to the Bible first when I’m getting ready to step out in more faith and boldness in my walk with the Lord. This verse, clearly tells us HOW we become great in God’s Kingdom, and of course, it’s not what the world says. The world says, “Yell from the mountain tops how great you are and how you should be served by all.” And here it is from the Bible, the exact opposite. Don’t you just love the way God’s economy works? I sure do!

Matthew 23:11-12 But he who is greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

Who is the example we are to follow? The best example there is, Jesus Christ. Now those the footsteps I want to follow in!!!

Matthew 20:28 Even as the Son of man did not come to have servants, but to be a servant, and to give his life for the salvation of men.

Be on the look out to SEE how you can serve someone else. Start with little things and you will be surprised at how wonderful it makes YOU feel to finally be a servant of all!
Some ideas: Help someone with the door, with a big box they are carrying, an elderly person loading their groceries into their car or take the shopping cart back for them. When you are done helping them, pray for them as you head back to your own responsibilities. It may be that your prayer saves them in just the right moment. You never know how God will use our obedience for everyone’s gain (including us!).

Being a servant, hugs, and on the look out to show His love,

Tiffany

Your life car

I like to think of everyone having a little car that represents your life journey. Imagine you are in the driver’s seat and steering like mad to get wherever you want to go, but you have to deal with the other drivers too. Sometimes you see people pulled over, sitting on the hood, or sometimes you see someone else crashing their car into everyone who comes near them. There are A LOT of nutty drivers out there.
Where exactly are you heading in your life car? Most people who don’t know the end destination (eternal life with God), end up driving purposelessly in circles and never really going anywhere.
One of the wonderful things about being a follower of Christ Jesus is that we know where we are headed, and the final destination is eternal life with our Father. Knowing the final destination is crucial AND the road trip to get there is important too!
Something to consider, who is driving your life car? Sometimes we get into the trunk and let a crazy person do all the driving. Then we end up with our life car in the ditch and wonder, how’d this happen? Well, you were in the trunk so you didn’t see the ditch coming. Lesson: get out of the trunk.
And of course someone could have highjacked your car while you were in it, but the good thing is that you can get them out now and get on the right road to God.
Even when you get married, you still have your life car, just now you are driving together. This takes a lot of communication because you have to AGREE on the direction you are heading.
Or if you are single or newly single, heading out on your own can be scary. You many have to drive fast to leave the "old" traffic behind or get away from a crazy driver trying to make you crash your car. It’s okay, enjoy the new scenery as you whiz ahead. And sure enough you’ll meet some new cars on the road. It’s fun to break free from old relationships and learn some new driving lessons!
Right now in my life car, I’m driving along with hubby and we are towing Sydney in her baby car. Sometimes we pass each other or signal to each other that we need to change lanes or an exit is coming up. But in all of this hectic traffic, we have our GPS (God’s Positioning System ha ha ha!) set on the same destination. We want His chosen route for our lives because He holds the maps. Do you have your GSP on?

Jeremiah 29:11
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not harm you, to give you a hope and a future.”

A full tank, snacks, my purse, ipod and a big bottle of water,

Tiffany

PS: this is a picture of Sydney in her Jeep with my purse...she takes my purse EVERYWHERE these days! She is so funny!

Joy, who is she and where has she gone?

I know we all knew her (JOY) at some point in life. When I was a kid I would wake up with excitement for the day, with the feeling that ANYTHING could happen and I couldn’t wait to see what the day held for me.
Add some years, disappointments, hurtful experiences and some painful dissolutions of relationships and you just don’t WANT to face another day because of the impending doom that may await…getting out of bed can be the hardest part of your day sometimes!
I really missed being excited for the day and wondered if I could ever get JOY back, or if I was too old, too “experienced” or just too smart to be that happy again.
I’m here to tell you that you can! Praise God that we CAN!!! I know it makes ZERO sense on our part that we can, should or are able to be so crazy joyful happy that we skip around, but I’m living proof. I was always the sarcastic, pessimistic person who would say things like “If you never get your hopes up, you’ll never be disappointed if it doesn’t happen.” What a boring, depressing way to live life! No wonder I WAS depressed! I spoke such negative and depressing things to myself, I remained stuck in them.

How to start looking for JOY and how to keep her in your life, even if she wonders away every now and then, you’ll know how to find her again.

LOOK for things to be joyful about: A glorious day, the sun shining, pretty flowers, children playing, a perfect parking spot…thank God for them as you notice each person, place or thing.
Psalm 118:24 This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

LOOK for ways to help another person: Sometimes it is as simple as holding the elevator, holding the door for someone at the store, offering to take their grocery cart back for them at the supermarket. The list is endless for this one, go crazy!
Proverbs 11:25 A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.

SPEAK encouraging words to someone you know is having a difficult time: I can’t tell you in words, the relief you will feel from your own burden, if you are able to encourage someone else, to build them up with your words. The world is always trying to tear us down, it’s like a breath of fresh air to hear and speak words of encouragement!
1 Thessalonians 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

SING praises to the King: I love good worship music, stuff I can belt out in the car or barely mouth the words as the Spirit moves my heart to tears for the God I love.
Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!

A few of my favorite worship songs, if you wanted to know.
Hosanna – Paul Baloche
Blessed be Your Name – Tree 63
Meet with Me – Maranatha! Music
God of Wonders – Maranath! Music
How Great is our God – Chris Tomlin

If you've lost JOY, I hope you find her again. And if you forgot about JOY, I hope you remember where you can find her... true JOY is only found in our relationship with the Father.

Joyfully,

Tiffany

A few of my favorite scriptures

I have handful of scriptures that are my “go to” verses, mostly because I have a terrible memory when it comes to storing useful wisdom. I say that because I have about a thousand commercial tunes and product tag lines that are floating around in my head and I didn’t EVER try to remember THOSE. I guess it’s like the whole vegetable thing, if broccoli tasted like donuts, there would be no problem with eating right! Ha ha ha!
I often find myself with situations where I am worried, anxious, angry and not really WANTING to be very loving to someone who has been hurtful, mean or rude. And one more, feeling like a situation is impossible because I see NO WAY out. Those are all my biggies, so here are the scriptures I frequent.


Worried
Matthew 6:25-26
25“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

Anxious
1 Peter 5:7
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Angry
Romans 12:19
Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY," says the Lord.

Not so loving
Colossians 3:12
So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience;

When things seem impossible
Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

I pray that God further directs you as you seek Him in these situations. He can reveal to us more than we know about ourselves and the situation at hand. It has ALWAYS been true for me, especially the part about revealing what is going on in my head and heart and where I need more of Him and less of me.

Peace, Hope, Joy and a Fabulous day,
Tiffany

Happy Mother’s Day

I was praying for God to show me what to write and after I got done, I turned around and looked straight at one of the books that my Grandma Barbara wrote. My grandma is a “deposit in heaven” now, and I can’t tell you how many times I wish I could talk with her and seek her Godly wisdom. I miss her still, even though I know she is dancing in heaven! She was a woman who endured the loss of two sons in a short period of time and many other trials in her life (so similar to Job, that she called her self Jobette!), but she decided not to focus on the pain. She was determined to always look for the joy or “transient diamonds” in life. And as she always does, her words brought encouragement to my heart. And this little story she shares was just too sweet and too wonderful NOT to post for all of you to read and enjoy on this Mother’s Day.

From her book I mentioned above, page 17 “One of my favorite stories (and I have no idea where it came from originally) talks about how a mother’s love outlast everything. It seems an angel slipped out of heaven and spent the day roaming around the earth. As the sun was setting, he decided he wanted to take along some mementos of his visit. He noticed some lovely roses in a flower garden, plucked the rarest and most beautiful, and made a bouquet to take back to heaven.
Looking on a bit farther, he saw a beautiful baby smiling into its mother’s face. The baby’s smile was even prettier than the bouquet of roses, so he took that, too. He was about to leave when he saw the mother’s love pouring out like a gushing river toward the little baby in the cradle, and he said to himself, “Oh, that mother’s love is the prettiest thing I have seen on earth; I will carry that, too.”
He winged his way back to heaven, but just outside the pearly gates he decided to examine his mementos to see how well they had made the trip. The flowers had withered, the baby’s smile had faded, but the mother’s love was still there in all its warmth and beauty. He discarded the withered flowers and the faded smile, gathered all the hosts of heaven around him, and said, “Here’s the only thing I found on earth that would keep it’s beauty all the way to heaven—it is a mother’s love.”

What really melts my heart when I read this story, is the enduring mother’s love. I believe that when your mother leaves this earth, their love endures for you. I’ve not found a verse that says it must end. So there you have it (in my view anyway).

I am so thankful to my mom for her teaching me how to love well by demonstration and for guiding me to seek God from my earliest memory. Even if your mom doesn’t fit in those descriptions, know that YOU can be a mom that does!
This verse reminds me of the heart of a mother. And it is what I want to be like…

1 Peter 3:4
“Be beautiful inside, in your hearts, with the lasting charm of a gentle and quiet spirit which is so precious to God.”

PS: The picture is my sweet momma and the blessing that made me a momma, Sydney.

Roses, Baby smiles, and a Mother’s love,

Tiffany

Equally What?

In the Bible, it plainly states certain things that we are to do and also not to do. Why? You might ask…well, in every instance, absolutely EVERY INSTANCE, it is for your BENEFIT. Imagine a mother who tells her child that she must walk next to her while crossing through a parking lot, does the mother do this to be mean to the child? To take away the “fun” of running through the vehicles? Of course not, the mother wants the BEST for her child and a safe crossing is absolutely necessary so that the child can run and play AFTER they are past the dangers of the parking lot. That is exactly how the Bible commandments and instruction work, not to remove the “fun” we might have, but to ensure our safe keeping so that we make it through the dangerous areas and to the other side where we can run free, where it is safe to do so.

This brings us to an important instruction on marriage from the Bible. In 2 Corinthians 6: 14-16 it says, Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belialb? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.”

A quick clarification on Belialb, it was another name for Satan. This scripture gives us the contrasting examples to SHOW us the differences of believers versus an unbeliever…there is NOTHING in harmony with Christ and Satan, so how could there be harmony if you marry someone who is of Satan? I know what you are thinking, “my guy isn’t a Satan worshipper, etc.” But think on this, there are only two sides in the world, God’s side and Satan’s side. There is no middle ground, no matter how much you try to rationalize it.
Where this is confusing, or it was for me, I used to think of egg yokes when it said “unequally yoked.” I think it’s funny how wrong I was, but here is what it means. It is the harnessing of two animals together, side by side, as in working animals that pulled some sort of wagon or plow. You could not put a cow and a horse together because they were of different heights and different strengths. The wagon or plow would go in circles or one animal would be worn out as it pulled all the weight and the other could be harmed as it was dragged along. See? Not about eggs at all! Ha ha!

There is tremendous blessing in a marriage covenant with two believers and God. And a quick note, I am not condemning anyone who is dating someone who is not a Christian. I actually dated my husband and was in hopes that we shared the same world view, but I quickly found out that it was not the case. In fact, he was dead set against my beliefs, he told me that he was an atheist and saw my faith as crutch for people who couldn’t handle life. He didn’t understand why it was a problem, he viewed my faith like a handbag, he was fine to let me carry it if I needed it and as long as it didn’t get in his way. That broke my heart. I knew that the most precious thing in my life was God and I needed a man who loved God too. So with much agony, pain and fear, I let go of this great guy on all levels except the one that really mattered, God. I remember saying to my mom, “I know he will be a Christian at some point, probably 20 years from now and some girl will get him and I just know he will be the greatest husband then.” I gave him up to God and said, he is yours God, I’m giving him to You. That was incredibly hard to do, I don’t like to give ANYTHING up! Well, a few months later, he called and told me he had given his life to Christ. I could hardly believe it. He thanked me for showing me the way to Christ and said he would always be thankful to me for that. After hearing those words, I praised God for answering my prayers, we began talking again and then we started dating again, but with God as our equal focus, it was an entirely different relationship. And now, that guy is my husband. And he is a living and breathing example that God can change people and He DOES answer prayers.

No matter how you get there, be yoked equally when it comes to marriage. Your life will carry tremendous blessing when equally yoked. Equally yoked is enormously blessed!

PS: Remember that if you are a horse, you want to team up with another horse, not a hamster! And vice versa! Ha ha ha!

Huge love, a hug and a comfy sweatshirt,

Tiffany

Desperate

Have you ever been desperate for someone to call you or text you back? Your heart aching for the phone to ring and it to be that person on the other end. The waiting is the hardest part, you want to run out and find them wherever they are, no matter the distance, no matter than rain, sleet or snow you might encounter. You want to know that they are safe because somehow everyone is safer in your presence…right?
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve felt this level of emotion. And it applies to all relationships, I have one memory was when I was in the middle of a break up with my boyfriend and he “disappeared” and I couldn’t reach him, I was willing to go anywhere to find him. And still today, I have that same feeling if I haven’t heard from my hubby and he’s on a business trip, or my mom and sister haven’t called as they normally do. My ears practically ache wanting to hear their voice.
Now imagine that same emotion, but it’s for you. God wants to hear from us, He is waiting. He knows all that is happening in our life, but he WANTS to hear from his children, he is waiting for you to talk to him, to reach out and say “Daddy, I want to be near you, I want to tell you all that is on my heart and I’m waiting to hear from you, for your Word.”
I love this verse because it’s so startling, so filled with the dynamic glory of the God we serve.

Deuteronomy 4:24 (New International Version)
For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.

He IS a jealous God, how cool is that?! We so often are jealous for attention from certain people, but what is amazing is that the God of the universe wants YOUR attention. What that says me is, I MATTER. I matter to God. Think about it, if you don’t care about someone, the last thing you will do is be jealous regarding anything concerning them. But that is not true with God, he DOES care, he LOVE US. And when we finally give our attention to God, he has promised to reward us.

Matthew 6:33 (NIV) But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Next time you are getting all worked up over someone, remember your Father who is waiting for your “call” to Him.

Huge love from your Father above and me too,

Tiffany


PS: Don’t forget to call your Daddy!

National Day of Prayer

What an awesome day today is (May 6). Way back in 1775 the Continental Congress designated a “time for prayer in forming a new nation” and then in 1863 President Abraham Lincoln adopted a resolution proclaiming a national day of fasting and prayer…fast forward to 1988 when the 2nd Thursday in May was officially designated for this very important time. How cool is that?! Way back in America’s early days, our founding fathers knew the importance and power in prayer.
I hope you all join me in prayer today, and I hope that everyday you pray to our Father, but today make it a point to pray for protection for our whole nation, wisdom for our leaders and God’s blessing on this land.
We live in a blessed land of freedom, I’m so thankful to be an American where we are free from religious persecution, free to pray, free to worship God. But these things were bought and paid for with the lives of our fore fathers, I hope we all remember that we live in freedom because they died in hopes of ensuring it for us.

1 Timothy 2:1-2 First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.

2 Chronicles 7:14
if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

Unfortunately, there are people who want to rid our nation of this wonderful day of acknowledgement to God our Father, which is what the Western District of Wisconsin did when it ruled in April that it was “unconstitutional.” I think it’s ridiculous that one judge, in 2010, can rule that a 235 year old tradition is suddenly not “appropriate” anymore. It just goes to show that one person can destroy a legacy if they have the right job title.
I hope you all stand with me and pray today. If you want to get more involved, I got my information from the American Center for Law & Justice (aclj.org).

Prayers, Boldness, and Love,

Tiffany

God Sees

I think it’s easy to forget that God is watching our every move. It’s incredible to think that He has been there, He has witnessed each and every moment of our life. I have a hard time realizing that fact, especially since I’ve forgotten some of it already! But God hasn’t. It sort of gives us a new perspective on the saying “you don’t know me,” that we like to give to people who are trying to categorize us as a "this" or a "that" kind of person. With God, he DOES know. He knows you better than you know yourself. Kind of scary? You bet. Kind of comforting? Absolutely.
What we DO in our life matters. It matters to God.

Matthew 10:42 And whoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.

This verse puts it all into perspective for me. God doesn’t just count the BIG things we can do, like go be a missionary in some foreign land, but the small things count too, like giving a cup of water. How simple is a cup of water to give to a child? And God counts that as worthy of reward. Start looking for the small things that you can do, you should do and want to do. Do them with a heart of service, that you forget yourself for a moment and think only of showing kindness to another person. When I think of this, moms come to mind-- how many cups of water, snacks, tissues, hugs, and baths does she give to the little people God has placed in her care. I believe great rewards are waiting for moms who do these simple acts of giving. I know they seem endless, menial and thankless (especially if your little one doesn’t speak yet!) but God IS watching. He sees and He is keeping record. This warms my heart because it is in direct opposition to what the world says to all mothers, which is “your family is meaningless, we only count money, prestige and celebrity as important—being a mother is worthless in our eyes.” A truck load of manure. That is what that is. Typical of what the world gives us.

Here’s God’s view, and the only view that matters by the way.
Matthew 6:19 Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.

It think it’s all pretty clear, DO the simple acts of giving that you have before you everyday and those are worthwhile activities.

All the little things add up to BIG things in God’s economy.
( God’s economy is what my grandma used to call things that are God’s rules for living and they are usually in opposition to the “human economy”)

All the little things done in love,

Tiffany

Who is on your throne?

We each have a throne in our life, it’s the place where we put the most cherished, most sought after, most worshiped person or thing. It’s at the top of our list, where we derive our happiness, where we fix our gaze in times of trouble and where we find strength when we grow weary.
And that is about where the trouble begins…just WHO we put up there. We ladies like to put our man (boyfriend, fiancé or husband) right up on that throne. Of all the women I know, and all the women in my family, this problem has persisted through the generations and intellect can’t help you avoid it. We put this weakly, sin prone, human man where God belongs. And the higher you put your guy, the farther he has to fall. In this scenario, you have actually set your guy up to fail. He WILL fail you in some aspect at some point and then YOU will be devastated by it. You see? This hurts not only you, but it can be catastrophic to your relationship with your boyfriend or husband because you are not alloying him to be who he is, a human who is NOT perfect, despite your insistence.

Why is this the rightful place of the Lord? Because we are hardwired to have God on the throne of our life. He even put it plainly in the Bible, Exodus 20:3 "You shall have no other gods before Me.” And in Exodus 15:11 "Who is like You among the gods, O LORD? Who is like You, majestic in holiness, Awesome in praises, working wonders?
God’s love is steadfast, not inconsistent as the love of men. Look at Psalm 36: 5 “Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.”
God will never leave you; a man can die or choose to leave you--there is no guarantee or permanence from a man because it is not possible. God has a plan for your life, Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. It’s seldom a man has a plan and even at that, he is not omniscient ( God IS omniscient- knowing all things before, now and what is to come) so if you are depending on a man’s plan for a life of security and comfort, you are depending on plan that is as about as reliable as the wind. And there is another bonus to putting, keeping and wanting God on your throne, it puts your man (boyfriend or husband) at his rightful place in your life. BENEATH God. There is safety for your man here, because you haven’t set him up to fail, to fall the fatal fall from the throne. The throne is meant for God only and that’s why no one can sit there for long, they will ALWAYS fall. In safe keeping, put your man in a lawn chair, a hammock, or even the couch (that is mine’s favorite). This will ensure your relationship with God is as it should be and also the relationship you have with your human man. Let your man be your man and let your savior be your Savior. Blessings abound in this proper placement.

Getting things in right order with huge love,

Tiffany

Ugly

I think I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve looked at my reflection and thought “ugly, fat, you name it and I hate it.” I think every female I’ve ever met has had these “I hate myself stare outs” with herself at one time or another. Sometimes all day, everyday. But to hate yourself, is a lie from the Devil. He wants us to “hate” ourselves, he wants us to self-destruct because he hates us. He hates what God has created. So we have these lies being whispered in our ear about how “ugly and unlovable” we are and if we don’t know who we are in Christ, we will eventually believe them as truth.
Here’s what God says about us…I’m am constantly amazed at our Father’s steadfast love for us, He is SO GOOD:

We look like Him!
Genesis 1:27
God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

We need to value ourselves because of the Holy Spirit living in us.
1 Corinthians 3:16
Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?

Our sin separated us from God because His is Holy. It was our fault that we had become separated but it was God who sent His Son to die for our sins, so that we could be reconciled to the Father. What awesome love!
John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

I know I’ve written a lot on the subject of love, but I recently bought a picture that lists 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 and I thought I would share it too. Because we need to know what love REALLY looks like, true love as God has created for us.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

Isn’t it awesome that God loves us? Really, really loves us.

So today, stop believing the lies of Satan and start focusing on what really matters, your relationship with God and the ministry that he has for you…He has a plan and a purpose for each of us. There is work to be done!

PS: You are GORGEOUS! We all need to hear that once in a while.

Believing God, not the lies,
Tiffany