Looking forward to the finish

Recently, I've read some blogs of people who are going through tough stuff.
One particular creed - found on the body of a confederate soldier during the Civil War - has greatly encouraged me throughout the years.
I hope it encourages those who read it:

A Creed For Those Who Have Suffered
I asked God for strength, that I might achieve.
I was made weak, that I might learn humbly to obey.
I asked for health, that I might do great things.
I was given infirmity, that I might do better things.
I asked for riches, that I might be happy.
I was given poverty, that I might be wise.
I asked for power, that I might have the praise of men.
I was given weakness, that I might feel the need of God.
I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life.
I was given life, that I might enjoy all things.
I got nothing I asked for - but everything I had hoped for.
Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered.
I am, among men, most richly blessed!
- unknown Confederate soldier.

This verse also has filtered through my mind recently:
"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith,
who for the joy set before him, endured the cross, scorning its shame,
and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men,
so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." Hebrews 12: 2-3.
The part about "scorning its shame" always made me do a double take.
But the Message Bible talks about this verse and says Jesus
put up with anything - even the cross and shame - because
he never lost sight of what was ahead: "that exhilarating finish
in and with God."
May we never lose sight of our exhilarating finish!

Blessings,

Tammy

Where does my help come from?

Years ago, I wrote a story about post-vacation blues - those down-in-the-dump feelings that people can get after a fun time off.
I think those things can happen after holidays and other special occasions - including graduations.
We had such a fun time when our youngest son, Zach, graduated. Getting ready for it was crazy, but the party at church and graduation - even in the heat - was very enjoyable.
Now, I'm kind of in that O-zone layer time - realizing how much housework and laundry lie ahead.
I also realize, of course, how very blessed I am in so many respects. And one of the best is being a child of God.
Tonight, a verse has been filtering through my brain. It's Psalm 121: "I lift up my eyes to the hills - where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth."
That's a verse I most often associate with people going through desperate times, but I think it can apply to those of us who find ourselves in a slump or down in the dumps.
The Lord is our help in all sorts of situations. He's with us in good times and bad times and all the in-between times.
How blessed we are to have a God who knows us better than we know ourselves and who brings us little bits of encouragement - through a Bible verse or song or a kind word from someone.
Notice the next verses in this marvelous Psalm.
Verses three and four say: "He will not let your foot slip - he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over you Israel will neither slumber nor sleep."
How wonderful it is to have a 24/7 God!
Just thinking and writing about God is enough to raise my sagging spirits. Maybe that's why pastors and Christian speakers advocate praising God and counting our blessings when we're having a down time.
Concentrating on God's grace and goodness really is uplifting.
Where does my help come from?
The Lord - who made heaven and earth and me.

Blessings,

Tammy

The Reset Button

I'm so amazed at the way God works.
On Sunday, our air conditioning appeared to be on the fritz - not a good day considering that Sunday was when our youngest son, Zachary, graduated from high school!
Now, we'd had a party for him at church the day before so it wasn't like we had a household full of guests. But my husband's parents were here and we were all getting a little uncomfortable as we waited to head over to the football stadium for commencement ceremonies.
I tried not to worry as I wondered what this would cost. My husband, Chuck, did heating and air conditioning as an apartment maintenance man for years so he could do the labor, but what if we needed a new unit?
It was a hot day as we sat on metal bleachers in the stadium. We were proud of our son and our family yelled, clapped and cheered as he got his diploma that afternoon. We went out to a restaurant afterward, then my hubby and I headed over to a graduation party. My husband used to work with boy's parents so we really wanted to attend this celebration.
While there, the boy's dad, Vince, introduced my husband to another guest. Vince told how someone he knew was having air conditioning problems. Vince called Chuck who suggested that the guy hit the reset button on his unit.
That was all it took.
Vince figured my husband saved his other fellow about $45.
It was an easy fix.
After that I started praying that our air conditioning unit would only need an easy fix as well. We got home and my hubby crashed on the couch. He was tired. I fell asleep, too, but awoke to a miserably hot house.
Chuck woke up and then started to putter around. He'd figured out what was wrong. He'd shut off some switch for whatever reason I can't remember, but when he turned it on we started getting cool air into our house.
I love the Lord. I love how he brought us to a graduation party where a man happened to recall how Chuck had found a simple fix for someone else years ago.
I love how I was able to pray for a simple fix, which the Lord readily supplied.
And I love how God gives me the opportunity to write about these things.
Last night, I was listening to Joyce Meyer on my computer and she was talking about times when she wrote about God's blessings in journals. I think she called them "books of remembrance." She says that God also has a "book of remembrance" in which he keeps track of good things we've said about him.
I don't have a book, but I sure want to remember this experience: The day that God took a story about a reset button and turned it into a little miracle for our family.
Thank you Lord for your continuing faithfulness to us!

Blessings,

Tammy

No Second-Hand Faith

I just finished reading a wonderful devotion on the Our Daily Bread Web site.
It was about "second-hand faith."
Actually, it was about how we really can't have second-hand faith. We need to have first-hand experiences with God. The devotion pointed to a generation of Israelites who grew up after Joshua and his generation had died.
This second generation didn't know about God's wonders or what he'd done for them. Consequently, they forsook the Lord.
My first question is "how did this happen?"
OK, these folks obviously didn't witness the Red Sea parting, but was there no one to tell them about it?
Or did they just not listen or believe? Did it seem like an old history lesson with no relevance to their times?
How sad.
The whole thing makes me think about how vital it is that we teach our future generations of the goodness of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and what he did for us. We need to model his love and forgiveness - even when it's hard. We need to tell about what he's done for us and how he's always with us.
Some of us may not have biological children, but I can tell you as an aunt and longtime Sunday school teacher that many children out there need the love and Godly encouragement of a mentor.
I believe God gives us spiritual children if we will have them. They may be little children or they may be young adults, who simply need some Godly examples and kind words.
Now, I know from experience how tired a person can get when he or she works all day and then finds a young one in need of attention.
It can be downright draining.
I also have discovered that God can give us pockets of time and periods of respite and that we really have to lean on him for guidance when dealing with mentees of any age. I've sought out Godly counsel and have worked to implement boundaries.
I'm still working on that.
My point is that we all can encourage the next generation in various ways. And I believe it's so important that we do so.
I know that in the end times, the love of many will grow cold. But I want to do everything I can to keep as many of this next generation from following the path of those wayward Israelites.
How about you?

Blessings,

Tammy

What a difference a year makes

Where does the time go?
I looked at my last blog and it was dated for last Saturday.
Oops!
Between being busy at work and getting ready for Zach's graduation, life has been a little crazy lately!
Actually, the craziness started a year ago in May after Zach got a severe steam burn down his whole right side at work. God was so faithful. It was first and second degree burns (instead of third) and none of the steam touched his face or eyes.
He had quite a recovery, but the people at the University of Nebraska Medical Center's burn unit were great. And so were friends and family.
I kept working on my book, "Real Spiritual Spinach - Faith for the Journey," and got the first 150 copies the day after Labor Day.
Book signings started after that. I also sold books at a women's retreat in October.
Our oldest son, Mike, and his fiancee, Rachel, got married Nov. 14. Rachel has been such a blessing to our family! She's a wonderful person and we had lots of fun activities related with the wedding!
Then came Christmas and lots of snow. More book stuff followed and we got our Web site up and running.
My work is always busy, but we had a couple of big projects after the first of the year.
Our 13-year-old beagle, Jughead, died March 11.
That was really hard for me.
We still have Abby - our basset-spastic spaniel cross - and Buzz - a little sheltie-Welsh corgi cross - but I still find myself accidentally calling one of them Jughead sometimes.
I had lots of book-related stuff in March.
I'm trying to remember April.
My boss was gone the last week of that month. That's always extra responsibility for me. My friend, Marie Larsen, got married April 30. I should say that we had a nice Easter with our kids and Rachel's grandparents.
We've spent May getting ready for Zach's graduation. My friend and marvelous photographer, Becky Novacek, really baled me out by making Zach's graduation invitations. I'm trying to get photos scanned for a Power Point-type slide show and get the CD over to Mark Mason, our church's tech guy.
Church buddy, Theresa Inman, has offered to bake Zach's cake. Our good friend, Suzy Wess, baked Mike's graduation and wedding cakes, but with her talented son, Keith, graduating this year, we didn't want to ask for yet another favor.
All in all, I guess I could say that my family and I have just been "doing life." We have had good and bad times, but never boring times.
Praise God. He is so faithful.
Oh did I tell you?
We are awaiting a great blessing scheduled to arrive Sept. 16.
His name will be Matthew David.
Yes, Mike and Rachel are expecting. I'm told that they picked the name because Matthew means "Gift of God" and David means "Beloved."
So I guess we have a "Beloved Gift of God" on the way.
And you wonder why I'm never bored!
God bless each one of you!

Tammy

Hearing

I've been praying this week for God to give me a Spiritual Spinach column.
Today, I've been praying that he will give me columns that are powerful and beautiful. He's given them to me in the past.
I love it when he gives me a seed of an idea and then the rest of the column just comes on like a flood.
It's wonderful.
Is it wrong to say that it's almost addictive? I long for it.
Ever since I was a kid, I've wanted to feel God. I hear people talk about feeling God's presence and hearing his voice.
I've always wanted to feel what I see on their faces.
I think God talks to me, but I think I hear him best when I'm writing. I love it when I get to the end of a column and find myself getting choked up by what I'm writing. It's not that I'm some great writer. I really believe he's giving me the words and they're flowing so smoothly and wonderfully.
I have sensed strength in his beauty.
Oh dear Lord,
Please open up your word to me. Please give me new and fresh revelation. Open my eyes. Raise up the Holy Spirit within me and speak to me.
Please help me to write columns that will speak to your people's needs. Please let these columns strengthen and encourage them. Help me not to be afraid to write anything you want me to write.
Please give me the peace that passes all understanding.
And thank you Lord for allowing me to do this.
In the mighty name of Jesus, I pray, Amen.

I hope you all have a great weekend!

Tammy

The God who works things out

I've been crazy busy at works during the last two or three weeks, but I have to say that God has been faithful.
It's reached the point where I've prayed something like this: "Lord please just direct me every moment and at every turn let me know what to do."
And he's been so faithful!
My days have been jam-packed, but he's helped me get things done.
For quite a while now I've also been praying: "Lord please help me get everything done tomorrow that I need to get done and not fret about the rest."
Guess what?
God's been faithful with that, too.
When I've had uneasy situations with people, I've prayed: "Lord please show me how to act and react" and before I know it that once-tense situation has been defused. When I've felt as if I was out of sorts with someone, I've prayed: "Lord please help us to get back on track."
And the Lord has been faithful to do that as I wait on him.
The Lord has been helping me at every turn!
He is my peace and my strength!
The whole situation reminds me of Scriptures like: "Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me." Psalm 54:4.
Or: "The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him and I am helped." Psalm 28:7.
Or: the first part of Psalm 118, verse 7: "The Lord is with me; he is my helper...."
Who would think that the God of the Universe would want to be my helper? Who would think that the God who created the sun and stars and mountains would find it important to assist me?
It boggles my mind.
Thank you Lord for being so faithful and for loving me!
I love you - not just because you are the God who works things out - but because you are wonderful!

Blessings,

Tammy

The Lord who helps us defeat giants

Whew!
The good Lord really helped me make it through a couple of really busy two weeks.
I worked every day the first week and then three nights. I spent two of those nights training our new night clerk, who has been a blessing! I covered an event for the paper on another night.
Last weekend, I had the awesome privilege of speaking to a group of women in Taylor, Ne. They were so nice.
My lesson was about trust. I talked about Daniel and the lions den. Do you remember the verse from that story which reads "No wound was found on him because he had trusted in his God"? Next, I talked about David and his bout with Goliath. The Lord prepared David before that young shepherd ever put his sandaled feet on that battlefield. (I'm guessing he was wearing sandals. Maybe he went barefoot.)
Anyway, David had found his confidence in God. He knew he could trust our heavenly Father. Do you remember how David said "The God who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine"?
God had shown himself faithful on two previous, and obviously, powerful occasions. With those experiences under his belt, how could David hesitate to trust his God?
I need to remember that when I face my own "Goliaths." I need to recall how many times God has helped me defeat the giants in my life.
This last week was very busy, too. I was filling in for my boss. We have a really good staff, but even so the workload and accompanying stresses can be challenging - even when things go well.
Our staff really pulled together and I'm grateful for them, but I have to admit that I'm looking forward to what hopefully will be a calmer week.
I do have a busy Sunday. We have church. My husband, who's a deacon, and I will be attending a leadership training meeting and then we have graduation parties to attend.
It will be fun, but busy!
Our son graduates this month. We need to make our invitations and I need to scan photos for a slide show .... More busy times lie ahead.
Even so, I know that God is faithful. He carries us when we're weak. He gives us strength right when we need it.
He is good.
May we never forget that!

Blessings,

Tammy