It's Not About You

It’s Not About You

I just left Athens Hospital from doing a devotion with some of the staff there. This was my third time in going and sharing. As soon as I got outside of the doors, Satan came after me in my thoughts screaming you are an idiot, what do you think your doing you don’t even know what you are trying to say, they are laughing at you, they want come back, and on and on he went. I could feel myself sinking further and further. As I was driving home, I heard my sweet savior whispering to me; Tammy, you did what I asked you to do, to share my word. Quit worrying about how people respond or didn’t; only be obedient to what I call you to do. It is not about you; it’s about Me and My kingdom. I am the one responsible for stirring their hearts and what I want from you. As I listen to Him, a new song “Blessings’ by Laura Stone came on the radio. I pulled in my garage and sat listening and allowing God to minister to me at that moment. I released the tears that I was holding back and ask for forgiveness of my pride, insecurities and all the other feelings that I was having. My Father, comfort, reassure and loved me back to Him.

 It’s not about me, when things don’t go my way, people don’t respond the way I think they should or about my feelings. God has taught me that lesson today and reminded me what life is really all about, HIM. I am so grateful for His love, grace and mercy He shows me through talking with Him, songs, His word and other ways He communicates to me.

Be reminded that it’s not about you or what you want; it’s about being in the center of His will and what He is calling you to do. More importantly, don't let the lies of Satan stop you from what God is calling you to do!

"Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the sea of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he mediates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water which yields it fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.
Psalm 1:1-3

Life

Life is like a roller coaster ride; exciting, fun, fearful dangerous, and scary. The ride can be exhilarating one moment, and sickening the next. Life can be that way also, especially on our way up the roller coaster we are full of anticipation, excitement, maybe some fear and laughter.Then all of sudden we are going down thinking "what have I done" or " I am not going to make it". We are scared to the point that we can't laugh or cry and we are ready to get the ride over with. Some days we are going down the track smoothly, enjoying the scenery and having a great  time, but ahead we see a sharp curve coming our way or we are going so fast that our heads are aching and the ride is jarring us and slinging us from side to side. At this point, we are ready to bail out of the situation now!

God reminded me that the roller coaster will eventually come to a stop and that He is with me on the ride whether I am at the top flying high, the middle being jarred and shaken badly, at the bottom ready to give up and get off where He has me.

I don't know where you are at today; at the top, the middle, or at the bottom, but know God is riding with you  and has the safety belt pulled tightly against Him and that eventually the ride will come to a stop. So, don't be afraid  to get on the ride! In the meantime if you get on, hang on to Him, give all your emotions to Him, sit back, let Him be in control and receive all that He has to offer you along the way. He has promised us that He will never leave or forsake us, no matter what.

"Give Me Jesus"

"Give Me Jesus" is a song by Jeremy Camp that I love! The question came to my mind as I was listening to the song, one day, "What is a life with Jesus"?

A life that is:
Bound to Him
Intertwined with Him
Full of joy, trust,peace
Filled with His love
Filled with hope
Immeresed with His presence
Shining with His glory
On a journey for His Kingdom
In communication with Him
Intimate with Him
Compassionate for others
Giving of self and dying to self
Sold out for Him
Seeks truth from Him
Has freedom in Him
Longing to be with Him
A frangance of Him
Saturated in His love
Desiring more of Him

A life that cries "Give Me Jesus"!

I pray that your life models the life of Jesus! If not, cry out to Him, "Give Me Jesus"!

"All I Know To Do"

"All I know to do is to lift my hands" is a song that  God brought to mind recently. As I ponder on these words, I asked myself and you when there is nothing else that you can do or say, what do you do?

For me at the moment, I thought of volunteers for the nursery. People suggest so many ideas to us and we have tried the majority of what they are suggesting us to do. I turn to God and tell Him how I feel. He reminds me of this song early on Sunday mornings, when I know that we will be short handed with workers and especially in times of my life, when I cannot not fix what is going on with or around me. I just stop, lift my head, hands and voice to Him. "And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious  riches in Christ Jesus" Phil.4:19 God always shows up to give, provide what I need at every moment, when I allow Him to.

Where are you today? Are you going through a difficult time; financial troubles, addictions, marriage, family and you have done "all you know to do". Lift your hands, head and voice to the One who knows you and understands what you are going through. " But you are a shield around me, O Lord;you bestow glory on me and lift up my head. Psalm 3:3

 Don't stay in the situation or giving into the lies that Satan is throwing at you. Run to Him; He is there waiting with arms wide open.

Give, trust and rely on HIM to get you through your next step!
Phil 1:3 - Tells us that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us!

Why Me?

The day had come that my husband and I had to make a decision about taking care of his ninety year old grandmother. His grandmother was very independent woman who lived by herself four hours away from us. She recently fell and broke her hip. During the weeks and months ahead as Gene went back and forth to take care of her, Gene realized she was unable to take care of herself anymore. Gene came to me and asked if we could bring Mamaw into our home to care for her, the only answer for us at that time was yes. Afterwards the realitiy begin to set in; our children were four and seven at the time, Gene had been out of a job for six month and I began to question God. How can we do this with no job, small children, and I was a stay at home mom? Why us and why now?

During the weeks and months of preparing to bring Mamaw to our home, Gene received a call from our Associate/Youth Pastor from our church; he asked if I could go on a World Changers trip with the students. The trip was paid for and Gene knew I always wanted to go on one. I went with mixed emotions, but excited to get away for a while.
The morning that I was to find out with the group what we were assigned to, I was late getting there. As I approach the group, everyone looked disappointed. I asked, what was wrong and they said, we are assigned to a nursing home. I sat down stunned because I knew the reason why I was in this group going to a nursing home. I didn't hear anything else but what my Father was saying to me at that moment. I asked for His forgiveness for doubting Him and what He was doing in my life. My God prepared me that week with the different experinces that I had in the nursing, for what I would experience when Mamaw came to live with us and when we had to put her in a nursing home over the next four years. It was a life changing experience.

Do I understand the "Why me or us", no sometimes God doesn't reveal the why's. But God does allow me to see, like with Gene's grandmother, some of the reasons why. He is changing me to be more like Jesus during the whys.
God tells us in Jeremiah 29:11, that He has a plan and purpose for our lives and in Ecclesiastes, He tells us that His ways are not our ways. I need to remember when I am asking "Why me", that those times are part of His divine plan and purpose  for our life that will and can be life changing for us.

I don't understand everything that God is doing in my life and my families, but I do want to be a part of His divine plan no matter what, because they are life changing.

Christmas Everyday

God brought me to this title as I begun to really think about Christmas memories. He didn't take me back to Christmas morning, but to all the different gifts and treasures that He gave me this past year.
My husband had open heart surgery back in the spring and before the surgery there were all the questions in my heart of what ifs. On a Respite night a young man, Daniel who cannot speak but a few words and who loves for  you to read to him came up to me in the hallway, took my hand to read a sentence to him. The sentence came out of the book The Crippled Lamb, Daniel's favorite book. The sentence read, Josh wanted to believe her, but it was hard. Some days he just felt alone. This is where I was before Gene's surgery, but that night changed me through Daniel. The day of the surgery, I received more treasures from my friends that came and stayed until that afternoon when Gene came out of surgery. Some of my friends brought goodies and the book, The Crippled Lamb!  Other times this year God gave me treasures through a man name Porter on a beach in Florida, by allowing me to share my testimony, through my kids love for me, praying with a respite care family whose daughter was going to have a major surgery and a friend calling to share a treasure she recieved that we are only require of two things each day, to love God and love others. There are so many gifts that He has given me this year. Each one brought me to the face of Jesus and changed my life in some way. As I close, the scripture from Luke 2:19 came to my mind, "But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart." Just like Mary, God blesses us with heavenly treasures that are eternal everyday. I don't know about you, but I want to have Christmas in my life everyday that I am here on this earth!! May you receive a treasure today and this Christmas!  

Christmas 2010

Going Places

Planning a trip is fun, exciting and we just can't wait to get to our destination. We are buying new outfits, thinking of all the different things we can do, and preparing in advanced so we will be sure to enjoy our trip when we ge there.
What happens though when we know God wants to send us to a new place? Fear sets in, thoughts of I can't do this or go there, or insecurity takes over us. The joy, excitement, and eagerness to go that we had for our trip(vacation) has left us when God calls us to go with Him sometimes. Why is that, I ask myself? The truth is most of the time it is our selfishness. We don't want to have to give up something because we know when God calls He is calling us to surrender our will, our desires to His and totally trusting Him wherever He takes us. When we do go freely and allowing Him to guide the way it is a most memorable trip that can be shared with our children, grandchildren and friends of God'samazing  love for us. These trips are the ones that will change our lives and other people lives if we will share in our God places.
God called Jonah to go preach to the city of Ninevah on repentance. As you know, Jonah refuse to go but God didn't give in to Jonah's running away. God pursued him until Jonah's heart and eyes opened  to God's calling. By Jonah refusing to follow God's leading it cost Jonah pain,a traumatic experience, selfish anger and he went to a place that he didn't have to go. Just like Jonah we cause a  lot of our own hurts, pain, depression and other unhappy experiences that could be avoided if we would only got to the place God called s to with Him. God is always with us wherever He sends us.
Are you going to go or stay in the same place that is familiar and comfortable to you? Yes you will be stretched, tried, fearful and all the other things that are going through your mind. But when we go with God there are blessings, excitement, and changes within us that no one can experience or take away from us that are eternal treasures  imbedded in our hearts. So, let's go with Him.
It's your choice.
Isaiah 6:8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord saying, " Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then I said. "Here am I,send me!"