Lonely...........

 “They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.” Revelation 12:11

The worst kind of lonely for me is being surrounded by people and yet still feeling utterly alone.

I can feel it at a restaurant full of noise and activity and people talking loudly over one another. I can feel it in a mall bustling with crowds and overhead announcements and music meant to move everyone along. I can feel it even in a house full of voices I know with all the typical background noises of this place I call home.

The world is spinning, people are connecting, and music is playing … and there I am in the middle of it all, smiling on the outside but crying on the inside.

It’s like one of those Broadway show moments when all the other actors are frozen in a moment of activity, but the spotlight gets thrown on the unsuspected girl stage left. She sings a sorrowful solo about all that’s going on inside her world. And the brokenhearted ballad strikes a chord inside the part of us that feels so very alone as well. We swallow hard, because it could so very easily be us singing that same song in the midst of the crowds of our life as well.

Never have I understood this feeling more than when my husband passed away and I was left alone.

Part of the problem was I didn’t know exactly what was going on. But the other part of my silence was because I wasn’t sure what to say or who was safe to say it to. So I just walked through my days pretending to connect with others while feeling so very isolated.

This is a huge tactic of the enemy. He knows if he can isolate us, he can influence us. He can make us so consumed with the hurt and convinced it will never get better that we miss one of God’s greatest gifts. God created us to do life in a community of believers where we can go stand on someone else’s faith when our own gets shaky. People who can help us see the hope in the midst of our hurts. 

We need each other.

God designed us to help each other.

Who do you need to share your tears with? Who needs to know they aren’t alone?

I know how hard it is to open up about our deepest disappointments. I deeply understand how terrifying vulnerability can be. But I also know there’s someone else in the world who would drown in their own tears if not for seeing yours. And when you make one other human simply see they aren’t alone, you make the world a better place.

God Bless

Happy Birthday to my son..............

 

To My Sweet Boy….

Wherever your journey in life may take you …. I Pray you’ll always be safe

Enjoy the ride that God has planned for you and never forget your way back home

I’m always here for you

Love, Mom

Grace can be hard.............

 ⛄☕  Good Morning everyone..............

“Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” Colossians 4:6 

Sometimes God’s Word can feel like an impossible order, don’t you think? Take today’s passage for example: Paul tells us we are to let our words be gracious. I love that the NIV actually reads “full of grace.” Full of it. As in, the bulk of our words should be made up of grace toward the person with whom we are conversing.

Not partial grace. Not halfway grace. All the way grace.

I don’t know if you’ve ever tried this, but it’s hard.

It’s hard when it could be one of the people living in your house gets on your last good nerve. It’s hard when a trusted friend or family member deeply wounds you.  And it’s incredibly hard when people share their thoughts and opinions so freely and carelessly on social media. Offering thoughts and opinions that can leave you feeling frustrated, angry or even personally attacked.

I don’t know about you, but words laced with grace aren’t typically the first ones that come to mind when someone’s hurtful words have landed like daggers in my heart. I want to defend myself. And point out how they’re misunderstanding my intentions.

But just because speaking with grace is hard, that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. And Paul’s words to the Colossians remind us that our words matter.

Paul specifically wants us to consider our words in light of unbelievers, telling us in Colossians 4:5-6, “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”

And look at how Jesus models grace and truth in John 1:14, which says, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (NIV). Every instance in the New Testament where we see grace and truth together is always connected to Jesus.

We are to be people of truth with grace-filled words. People who choose healing and helpful words. Because whether we realize it or not, believers and unbelievers alike are listening intently to the words we speak. They’re reading the words we type. And our words testify to the kind of relationship we have with Jesus and the kind of effect He has on our hearts.

So where is the hope in the midst of words that make our pulse race and our face flush? How do we keep our words full of grace?

We remember that Jesus doesn’t offer us partial grace. He doesn’t offer us halfway grace. Jesus gave, and continues to give, all-the-way grace. Grace that took Him all the way to the cross.

Oh, how we need to let this truth interrupt us and redirect us. The divine grace we receive from Christ should fuel our gracious natures and fill our conversations. Because we are people who desperately need grace, we should be people who lavishly give grace.

And not only are we to be gracious in our speech, Paul also tells us our words should be “seasoned with salt.” Paul was reminding the Colossians they were called to be people filled with godly wisdom. To be able to respond to objections to the gospel in a manner that was winsome. He wanted their words, and ours, to attract people to Christ, not repel them.

I don’t know who puts grace to the test in your life, sweet friend. But I do know the Holy Spirit is willing to help us choose grace-filled words, if only we will pause long enough for Him to replace the first ones that may pop into our brains.

We can also go ahead and pre-decide that today, because of the lavish grace of Jesus, we will choose the way of grace. With His help, we can speak with honor in the midst of being dishonored. We can speak with peace in the midst of being threatened. We can speak of good things in the midst of bad situations.

We can choose words that won’t leave the bitter taste of regret in our mouths. Words seasoned with the salt of wisdom and full of the grace of Jesus.

**Father God, thank You for Your Son, Jesus. He could have held back His grace. But instead, He chose to pour out every single drop for me at Calvary. May Your grace be what pours out of me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.**

Blessings to you all

Tammy

Grace...........................

 “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
Lamentations 3:22-23

By nature, we human beings, we are drawn to keeping records and “gaining credit” through good works. That’s the way we are wired. And that’s why the gospel of grace is so difficult for some people to accept. All of us struggle with this. We mark and remember good things we’ve done and never seem to forget bad things done to us. Enter the first of January, when we make resolutions and keep records on ourselves! When we fail (as we certainly do), we get really tough on ourselves—or give up the good resolution altogether. At this time of year, it’s good to remember today’s Scripture: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Every day the Christian life begins with a new experience of the mercy of God. The faithfulness of God—not our own faithfulness—is our great hope.*

Dear God, I just want to lift my voice and sing, “Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!” Thank You for Your multiplied mercies toward me. Thank You for forgiving me, restoring me, healing me, and resetting my life direction again and again!

Many Blessings

Tammy

New Year... New Day...

 ☕  Good Morning all...........

I do hope your New Year has started out good!   So far so good for me.  There's alot going on in my life these days.  Some of its Great ... some is ... well.... could be better.    But that is all a part of life now isnt it!?   We have good and bad days... good and bad moments in life .   That's why its so important to stay close to God.   He will share in our joy during the good times and walk us through the bad times.

This year I feel is a year to really start fresh.  Life continues to be so hard with my husband gone.  But I know I need to make a better effort to plan what years I have left here on earth to live for myself and my kids!   I dont know how successful I will be... but with God walking along side me.... I cant go wrong.

The weather has been pretty decent here considering the good amount of snow we got last week.  But it is winter ...so the snow will happen.. :)   I'm just so happy I was able to have my children around me at Christmas.... well... except for one.   He's stationed in Japan... so couldnt come home.  I miss him so much.  Maybe this Christmas.

Well... my dear friends and family.... 
I'm going to end here for today.... just wanted to reach out and say good morning and have a blessed day!

Many Blessings to you all

Tammy

Starting Fresh with a New Year

 

 Many Blessings

Tammy