Tag: Encouragement, Faith, Autism Mom, Special Needs

An Old Chandelier

The Light shines on in the darkness, and the darkness did not understand it or overpower it or appropriate it or absorb it [and is unreceptive to it].
~John 1:5

In order for the light to shine so brightly, the darkness must be present.

– Francis Bacon 

A beam of God’s countenance is enough to fill the heart of a believer to overflowing. It is enough to light up the pale cheek of a dying saint with seraphic brightness, and make the heart of the lone widow sing for joy.

– Robert Murray McCheyne

Let us not ask of the Lord deceitful riches, nor the good things of this world, nor transitory honors; but let us ask for light.

– Assorted Authors

The fundamental principle of Christianity is to be what God is, and he is light.

– John Hagee

Christ cannot light a single spark in the heart of an individual, without that little tiny spark being for God. He gives the light, and has ordained that every ray of it is to reflect something for God.

– G.V. Wigram


Our family took a break from technology/social media for a week in October. It was so refreshing and honestly made me want to take more breaks from technology. During that time, Robbie and I began working on restoring an old chandelier that was in my grandparents’ house. It looked awful, but still worked and it had a lot of sentimental value to me. My grandparents passed away years ago and their house (owned by my parents now) is used for a rental.

The chandelier itself has a story behind it. The first house I ever remember living in had a chandelier that was identical to my Nanny’s. It hung over the dining/kitchen table and as a child I really didn’t think too much about it. I took all the sparkling crystals and warm, inviting light it radiated for granted. Most kids don’t think about appreciating all the irreplaceable moments, now memories, of family and friends gathering underneath the chandelier for holidays and birthday parties and meals. Life was sweet and warm and happy and oh so simple back then. 

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Back to my Nanny’s chandelier. Nanny liked the chandelier in our house so much that my parents decided to buy her an identical one for Christmas one year. It hung in the center of her formal living room until just recently for probably going on forty years. Now it was in her “formal” living room but there was nothing formal about it. What-nots and country ducks cluttered a coffee table and shelves along with a candy dish filled with strawberry candy and other treats. Country blue, deer heads, and assorted artwork and a mauve floral and cream-colored sofa and chair filled the room. Brownish rust-colored carpet covered the floor and faux wood paneling covered the walls. It was the first room you entered when you came to the front door. Many times when you came through that door my Papa, a Baptist minister, was sitting in a chair talking on a cream colored rotary dial phone plugged into the wall by that door. At Christmas we all piled into that small “formal” living room and listened to my Papa preach/talk about end times and then we opened a bushel of presents right there underneath the unnoticed chandelier all the while quietly twinkling beautifully and showering us with warm light as we made memories together with family. 

Memories. So precious and irreplaceable. Held forever in my heart. 

After both my Nanny and Papa had passed away, my family and I were cleaning out their house. As we were cleaning, I looked up at the chandelier hanging there. I realized how many precious moments had truly been shared underneath it, and I asked Daddy if I could have the chandelier. Daddy said I could and told me we would need to take it down before he rented Nanny and Papa’s house. Life got busy as it always does and somehow the old chandelier remained in the house and the new renter moved in. The renter happened to be a bachelor who smoked. So dust and a ton of smoke residue coated everything in the house including the chandelier. The chandelier still served it’s purpose as a light source although it became completely covered with layers and layers of dirt. 

Fast forward ten years. The renter unexpectedly passed away. The house was in desperate need of cleaning and repair before it could be rented again. One day my mind went back to the chandelier. Was it still there? Had it been broken and replaced after all this time? If it was there, did it even work? So I asked Daddy about it. He told me it was still there and that I could have it. So the dirty, almost unrecognizable, chandelier was taken down and saved for me. 

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When I saw it, I was overjoyed. Yes, it looked awful and was covered in layers of smoke residue and grime, but it was still so special and valuable in my eyes.  

As I looked at it, I began thinking how the chandelier is symbolic of us and our lives. We start out new, bright, shiny, and perfect, but then life happens. Difficulties come our way- sickness, broken relationships, etc. Sometimes even ongoing seemingly unfixable circumstances spanning decades walk into our lives and settle down for what seems like forever. We become covered with layers of stress, hurt, pain, sadness. We may even become unrecognizable. Pieces of us break off. We age. Life continues and we remain. Yet….we continue to shine. 

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The damage and pain of life while outwardly evident could never stop our inward, true purpose. Our value never decreases despite trials, difficulty, pain that life doled out. In fact, our value has probably increased like a beautiful, classic, antique. The refinery of life through Jesus has increased the value of our inward character. We were uniquely and beautifully created for such a time as this! To shine in this dark world which so desperately needs the light of Hope and Love- whose name is Jesus. Our purpose-our innate value-has never changed. It never will.

Looking at that old chandelier, I feel honored. Despite all the layers of dirt, it still remains purposeful. Nothing could change that. And when it is completely clean and all its crystals are sparkling and bright, it will shine even brighter than it did when it was new. I’ll treasure that chandelier even more because of its history and purpose. On days that I feel overwhelmed with life, it will be a forever reminder that my purpose remains unchanged. It will remind me to let Jesus’ light shine from within me at all times despite the circumstance. The chandelier will be a forever reminder that the light shines even brighter in the darkness.

I’m praying for you today, friends. If you are in the darkness of a hopeless situation or hard circumstance, know that your value has never, ever changed. It can’t change because it was given to you by your Father and Creator. Your purpose has never wavered despite what the enemy tries to tell you. If you feel lost, uncertain, or far away from God, ask the Lord to help you and reveal Himself to you. He would love nothing more than to meet you right where you are and remind you of your purpose and value. 

When you seek Him you will find him. 

And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. 

~Jeremiah 29:13

Your friend,

Tiffany

A Thankful Heart

I read the following this morning and it is such a good reminder about transformation and having the right attitude. 💕 I often ask my children to “change their attitude,” but I know I benefit from checking and changing my attitude, too! This devotion is from A Thankful Heart (YouVersion, Angus Buchan, The Bible With Grassroots Reflections) and is a great reminder of the benefits of having the right attitude. I pray you are blessed today and every day!

Your friend,

Tiffany

THE RIGHT ATTITUDE
“Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” Luke 6:38
Transformation comes through a trusting attitude. The thing I love the most is telling people there’s a better way to approach this life on earth. We do have the answer for reconciliation; our marriages, homes, businesses, and lives can be different, if we would only put our trust in God.
Transformation comes from a willing attitude. God is no respecter of persons. He will use any man, any woman, any boy, or any girl who is prepared to put their hand up for Him. You may think you’re not a worthy vessel, or suffer from the common afflictions of low self-esteem, an inferiority complex, or a case of “woe is me.” Put your hand up anyway. Ask God to change your attitude. Each and every one of us has the opportunity to pursue a God-given vision if we trust God.
Transformation comes from a loving attitude. Remember, too, Jesus said to love your neighbor as yourself. If we truly start to do this, we’ll see a change, not only in our personal lives, but in business, in our community, and in the church. God blesses us to bless others.
Transformation comes from a hopeful attitude. Many people feel they’ve messed up too badly and there’s no hope for them. This is a fallacy. If we look in the Bible, God continually used people who had transgressed. However, the requirement is that we repent, which means to stop doing what we have been doing, turn away from sin, and start again.
God, please transform my attitude today. Amen.

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.