Category: Uncategorized

Seasons

There is a season (a time appointed) for everything and a time for every delight and event or purpose under heaven— A time to be born and a time to die; A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted. A time to kill and a time to heal;

~Ecclesiastes 3:1-3

A little over a month ago, our sweet 11-year-old beagle/dachshund dog passed away peacefully in her sleep. She had a heart condition and we knew it would happen eventually. Losing sweet Abigail was definitely mich harder than I thought it would be. I shared the following with my children during that time.

The kids are taking it kinda hard about Abigail passing away.  She really was a special dog…so happy and full of joy…not a mean bone in her body. As I was talking with them about it all, the following verses came to mind to share with them. I told them how much God loves all of his creation including Abigail and how He cared about her life and how much he cares about their lives and what they are feeling. I also reminded them about Abby’s joy and how she would want them to remember her that way. I know their smiles will return soon…they are doing a great job keeping their heads up. Anyway, just wanted to share in case anyone else needs these verses today. You have innate value to your Heavenly Father. 💕🙌🏻💕

I’m so thankful seasons do change. Abigail will remain in our hearts forever, however now we have some renewed happiness which came with the arrival of a new puppy one week ago. If you’ve read my previous post about my love of goldendoodles you’ll know just how much I adore this dog breed. The Lord is so sweet in the way He cares for us! Not only did He provide our family with a new puppy, but He gave me my heart’s desire for a GOLDENDOODLE!!

My son named the puppy Asher which means happy and blessed. I’m so thankful God allows seasons to change in our lives. The more difficult times cause us to appreciate the sweet blessings in the next season so much more!

I’m praying for you today in whatever season you are in. I pray God will reveal Himself to you and continue to do so in each and every season.

Your friend,

Tiffany

Gratefulness

The following is an excellent devotion I read this morning from How to Be Grateful For Your Life (YouVersion Bible). Just wanted to share since it’s now November- the month of Thanksgiving. 😊 I hope you have a blessed Tuesday!

Your friend,

Tiffany

Relationships

Relating to people is the heartbeat of our lives. We’ll rarely go a day without having interactions with other people in our many roles. We’re daughters, sons, mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, friends, and more. As we think about the different roles we have, let’s consider our gratitude level. Are we thankful for the people God has put in our lives? Do we express our gratefulness to (and for) them? 

Maybe you’re in a marriage that’s become stale. It could be that there’s tension with a longtime friend. Or perhaps, you feel there’s too much stress between you and your child. Regardless if there’s strain or not, we have clear instructions from Romans 12 about how to treat others: be devoted to each other, honor each other, practice hospitality, and live at peace with each other, to name a few. As we learn how to be grateful for the people in our lives, here are some extra tips to help us: 

  • Replace complaints with compliments. This can be a challenge, can’t it? Most of us are prone to see the things that frustrate us instead of the things that bless us. Let’s choose to see the good! 
  • Serve someone. There’s someone in your life who’s load is heavier than yours. Show your gratitude by doing something that would lighten their burden.
  • Write it down. Write down something you’re grateful for about the people in your life. Write it on a note and leave it for them to find, or have an ongoing list and give it to them when you reach 50 or 100 things. Imagine the look on their faces!
  • Just say “thanks.” When we have eyes to see the gifts and blessings in our lives, we’ll see there’s much to be thankful for. So, daily thank your spouse, your child, your closest friend, or someone else for one thing.

It’s been said that we are like the people we spend the most time with. Who we allow in our personal inner circles affects our gratitude quotient. Be mindful of who you spend time with. One of the more challenging things in our relationships is that we may be willing to change, but other people may not. Sometimes that means relational adjustments are necessary. 

No matter who’s in our lives, we can’t neglect our role in growing our gratitude. As Galatians 6:9 NIV says, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” As we express our thankfulness for—and to—the people in our lives, we’ll be overwhelmed by how it changes us, and in the process, we’ll get to watch it impact them. 

Not An Accident

The following was shared by a mom of a special needs child who is a friend of mine on Facebook. I love this. Made me think of Isaiah 40:11…He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.

Your friend,

Tiffany

“We’ve got an issue here” the quality control angel called out.

“What’s the problem?” asked God, in a voice that already seemed to calm the concern.

“It looks like a lazy chromosome…one, two…yes, right here, a lazy one.”

Now smiling, God answered,
“That’s not a quality concern…it is…a distinction…the Manual addresses it.

You’re new on the line, aren’t you?”

“Why yes…this is my first day,” apologized the angel–searching through the manual for any reference to this.

“I’ll talk you through it…there are just a few assembly modifications.

First, locate the hug sensors. Do you see the dial?” “Yes, right here…oh, I think I tickled him.”
“Turn it up.”
“How much?”
“All the way.”
“Done.”

“Now locate the two smile triggers—
they are located on either side of that cute little button nose.”
“I found them.”
“Adjust them a little closer to the surface…closer…closer…perfect!”
“Is that it?” asked the obedient angel.
“Almost,” answered God. Now, very gently, open his heart.
That’s it.
“Measure two…no, make it three extra scoops of love.”
“Will it fit…it’s so tiny?”
“Oh, these little hearts stretch incredibly. It will fit.”
“Done…is that it?”

“One more thing…move him from the random distribution belt to the select premium belt.
These little ones aren’t just given to anyone.”

“There…he’s done and ready to go,” announced the angel.

God stepped over, as if to inspect the handiwork of this new angel on the line.
But that wasn’t His intent.
Instead, He picked up this little one and held him close to His heart…
holding him for so long the angel became concerned.

“Is he alright? Did I do everything as you instructed?”
Still holding him close, God said, “He’s perfect.
I just find it hard to let these special ones go, for they are Heaven to hold.”
And He gently kissed his cheek and sent him to our hearts.

Let the Ground Rest

Landon, my son with autism, loves to take rides in the van. His sensory system is soothed by movement and one of the easiest ways to calm him is to go for a ride.😊

Usually I drive him through scenic back roads and neighborhoods and we always listen to music as we go. Sometimes it’s rainy, sometimes it’s sunny. During these drives as we are listening to praise and worship music, 99% of the time we hear a new song that just speaks to my spirit. During today’s football game, I was driving Landon around and heard a new (to me) song that spoke to me.

The song is called  “Let the Ground Rest” (Chris Renzema). It talks about how during a waiting period- maybe for a prayer to be answered or a situation to be changed- we have to “let the ground rest” much as a farmer does after planting a seed. We can’t rush the process no matter how much we want to. The season we are in has a purpose. 

One of the lines says “Cause flowers only grow once they’ve tasted rain.” How true this is. It takes both rain and sunshine for flowers to grow much as takes both trials and blessings to cause growth in our lives.

Another line says

 “So don’t you find it strange?

That God, He made four seasons and only one spring,  So oh, just let the ground rest.” 

We can’t only have one season in our lives. As much as we want it to be springtime always when everything feels perfect and looks beautiful, seasons must change. We have to go through changing seasons and we continually learn and grow as we go through those seasons of good times and hard times. Hopefully we gain wisdom and understanding and our character is matured and refined as those seasons change.

Friend, if you are facing a rainy, difficult time in your life right now, I’m praying this song will encourage you. It’s okay to just “let the ground rest.” Those “flowers” will bloom in your life when the time is right. Trust the Lord’s timing. Trust His plan. I promise He hasn’t forgotten about you. There’s a harvest coming.

Your friend,

Tiffany 

Chris Renzema-Let The Ground Rest Lyrics

Been waiting on a moment

Waiting on a sign

Waiting for them to call your name

And you’re next in line

Waiting for your time to come

Your fifteen minutes in the sun

So don’t you find it strange?

That God, He made four seasons and only one spring

So oh, just let the ground rest

‘Cause if it’s not right now, it’s for the best

You’re gonna grow, I know this

But for now, just let the ground rest

Been waiting on a moment

Waiting on the sign

Waiting for the lights to change

When you won’t feel so stuck or so left behind

Been waiting for the day to come

When you can leave behind what you’ve become

Wash it all away

‘Cause flowers only grow once they’ve tasted rain

So oh, just let the ground rest

‘Cause if it’s not right now, it’s for the best

You’re gonna grow, I know this

But for now, just let the ground rest’Cause you’ll finish what you start

You started this, I know

And if you saw the plans

Maybe you wouldn’t go

I’ll watch Him plant a seed

And then let the ground rest

So child, oh believe

‘Cause I promise there’s a harvest

A Little Humor For Today

My kids are cracking me up. Robbie isn’t allowed to use technology this week (long story) and he just asked me how he was supposed to find the definition of the word “composition.” Before I could say anything, Katie says “Robbie, there’s this old-fashioned book you can use to look that up. It’s called a dictionary.” 😂😂😂

Loving Your Neighbor

I read the following devotion this morning from How To Love Your Neighbors (YouVersion Bible App.) There are such good thoughts here and I wanted to share them. Hope your day is blessed!

Your friend,

Tiffany

The People We Know

All of us have people in our lives that we’re close to. It may seem easy to love the people we know well, but in reality, sometimes it isn’t. Loving our neighbors means we love them on the easy days and on the hard days. We applaud their successes and comfort them when they fail. 

Here are some practical ways that we can love the people we’re close to:

Lighten their load. When we know someone well, we know when things are going well and when they’re not. When someone is  facing a struggle, we can be a part of the solution. It’s easy to say things like, “Let me know if you need anything,” but truthfully, most people won’t. You might phrase your assistance like this: “I’m bringing dinner over to your family tonight. What time works?”

Extend grace. One of the most important ways we can love our neighbors is to make allowances for their shortcomings. Choosing to extend grace means we forgive those who offend us. After all, God has forgiven each of us so much, it’s unwise to justify our unforgiveness toward others. Through the process of forgiving others, we’ll be free from harboring bitterness. 

Build others up. With our words and actions, we do one of two things—build up or tear down. Our world isn’t always a friendly one, so let’s be bringers of good news to the people in our lives. We never know how our kind word or act will change someone’s day—and potentially their future. 

For the people we know, we can find numerous ways to show them love. Perhaps we run an errand for someone who can’t get out, do chores around their house, or spend time truly listening and hearing them when things are difficult. Let’s learn to put others’ needs in front of our own on a more regular basis. When we do this, we are acting as Jesus did, for there is no greater love than when we set ourselves aside and do something for someone else.

Spiritual Warfare

Just wanted to share the following devotion from Warfare (Tony Evans, YouVersion Bible App). It is excellent information regarding spiritual warfare. The spiritual battle against the enemy most often takes place within our minds, however God has given us the tools to overcome and win that fight. 🙌🏻

In 2 Corinthians 10:4, Paul says our spiritual weapons can destroy Satan’s fortresses. Weapons such as prayer, reading the Word, obedience, meditation on Scripture, fasting, and service can blow up the devil’s strongholds. And that’s what we must do. These fortresses don’t need to be remodeled. God doesn’t tell us to capture them, change the locks, and use them for Him. Satan’s fortresses must be torn down. 

We also need to pull down those lofty partitions (v. 5). These include “speculations,” those rebel thoughts that take us far away from the knowledge of God. 

Friend, you are not responsible for every thought that flashes into your mind. Satan can plant thoughts in our minds. But you are responsible for what you do with them once they are there. Our job is to recognize and dismiss evil thoughts. That’s the idea behind Paul’s statement about “taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5). This is war language. When the enemy sends us one of his thoughts, we need to grab that thought and take it hostage. 

When we can do this successfully day in and day out, we are going to start winning some serious spiritual battles. Whoever controls the mind controls the war. When you take those roaming thoughts captive, Satan loses his control over you. 

And while not all anxiety people struggle with is purely a spiritual matter, for some it is based on imbalanced chemicals in the body or rooted in past traumas which produce triggers, this approach toward overcoming anxious thoughts can help to reduce it. It may not remove it entirely if a person struggles with physical-based symptoms, but it can provide a way to manage it. But in order to do so, you have to take each thought captive to Christ. 

No army can afford to have enemy troops running around loose behind its lines, wreaking havoc and sabotaging its weapons and defenses. 

You may be thinking, Tony, this sounds too easy. If you have been a spiritual POW for very long, you may think Satan’s strongholds are too hard to conquer. You may think the battle is hopeless, the problems too great. But this is one reason we have so many problems. We make the Christian life harder than God makes it. Yes, there are difficult problems. I don’t want to minimize that. But many of the problems we’re facing are not as difficult as we make them, because we approach them with a defeatist attitude. 

What is the difference between a person God delivers in twenty-four hours and one who takes twenty-four years? In most cases, I believe the difference is in the mind. When the thinking changes, the actions change. And then the fortresses come down. 

Let me give you an example of how this works. Joshua and the army of Israel came to the city of Jericho, which was surrounded by a high wall (Joshua 6). It looked impregnable. It was a fortress. God told Israel to march around the city for six days and then march around it seven times on the seventh day. Then the priests were to blow the trumpets, the people were to shout, and the wall would fall down. 

Imagine Joshua saying, “Excuse me, Lord, but this is a war. These people are the enemy. They are strong. Would You please give me my military instructions?”

Joshua didn’t do that, of course. He obeyed God, and when the priests blew the trumpets and the people shouted, that wall crashed down instantly. The wall fell because the people tore it down God’s way. If they had used human methods, they would have been defeated.

This is the question we always face: Are we going to use human or divine methods? It saves a lot of time and grief to use God’s method. Trust God for your battle plans, obey His Word, take your thoughts captive under His authority – and you will win victory after victory in spiritual warfare. 

Your friend,

Tiffany

Transparency

“Honesty and transparency make you vulnerable. Be honest and transparent anyway.”

– Mother Teresa

Sometimes one of the greatest gifts we can give to another is to be transparent and honest. I try to be this way even though it is not always easy.  So today I am going to be transparent with the hope that it will be an encouragement.

We have been struggling lately to get our son’s medication regulated. His severe autism causes aggression, insomnia, hyperactivity, attention problems, and sensory issues to name a few of the big issues. We have tried all sorts of different medicines and combinations of medicines. We get things leveled out for a while and then problems arise. It is very difficult and most people don’t understand what our family goes through on a daily basis. I am not saying that to garner sympathy or because I’m having a pity party, it is simply a truthful fact. 

Today as I was counting out his medicine, I thought about how thankful I was that there is healing and hope because of the promise of Heaven through Jesus. I was also prompted to share the following (which I shared on Facebook earlier this week) with those who follow my blog:

Landon had a dentist appointment today. It was pretty tough. I won’t elaborate on that. The positive takeaway was the dentist said “we were doing an amazing job with his teeth despite all the challenges.” When I was checking out, the following sign at the checkout desk caught my eye. I really felt strongly it was for someone else, not just me. Peace in your heart is only found in Jesus.

For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

~2 Corinthians 4:17-18

Whatever you may be facing today, remember that there is an end in sight. The difficulty/trial/trouble/storm does have an end because everything here on this earth is transient (lasting for a short time, impermanent.) Those things we cannot see or sometimes even fathom are eternal. And the eternal aspects of Heaven are wonderful and perfect, free from medication, autism, trouble, and difficulty. 

If you are struggling today, hold the promise of Heaven in your heart.  Think on Heaven’s pureness and loveliness. Think on the wonderful complexity, yet simplicity of that promise God has given to His children. If you don’t know Jesus, seek Him today. Ask Him to reveal Himself to you. To know Him is to have the promise of Heaven and hope in your heart despite the difficulties in this life. The best is yet to come. If you are struggling and overwhelmed today, I am praying for God to lighten your heart and mind with His hope and promise to you.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Your friend,

Tiffany