Happy Lord's Day and...

It’s been a while since I last posted.

January through April is a busy season for me in ministry.  I’ve flown so much my ears are clogged.  In fact, Peyton shushed me yesterday while in line to order some brunch at her favorite eatery, Tiny Boxwoods.

Speaking of standing in line, we were wrapped around the building outside.  My oh my, was the weather fabulous.  I kept thinking how much the weather reminded me of California. Our family loves us some California. If my husband's job didn't tie us here, we'd be hard pressed not to scale down to live there. I lived in California as a young child—I can remember it like yesterday.

Our youngest daughter moved back in December.  To none other than sunny southern California, and we’ve already visited a few times. I f flights weren’t so expensive to purchase a day or two ahead, I was tempted on Friday to catch a plane to see her again! She lives not far from Laguna Beach and… Oh. My. Word. It’s crazy gorgeous.

The first time my eldest daughter laid eyes on Laguna Beach all she could say was, “Something's not right. Why are we living in Houston?  I'm feeling cheated.”

I agreed.

Soon Houston will blaze like a furnace. But I’m not complaining—no, no.

Nahhh, lately I'm enjoying having my legs back up under me after a long winter.

Aren’t you glad for the Lord’s restoration? I sure am.

I also love the first tastes of fresh lessons learned.  To me, these are my plunder from what seemed like a season in Egypt—enslaved by a variety of hardships. Borrowing this rich symbolism from the book of Exodus, chapter 3, and verse 21, it reads: “And I will make the Egyptians favorably disposed toward this people, so that when you leave you will not leave empty handed… And so you will plunder the Egyptians.”  As the Israelites left the land of slavery, God made sure they had some handfuls of treasure.

Want to hear something fascinating?  This same plunder would later be used by the Israelites to build God’s house.  You can read it for yourself by comparing Exodus 3:21-21 and Exodus 25:1-8.

I like to consider these fresh lessons I’ve learned as my own personal version of plundering the enemy who had a blast harassing my loved ones or me for a time. Surely God will, similar to the Israelites, allow me to use also use these for building up His kingdom. Honestly, He already is.  And now I'm the one having a blast.

Well, I had no other reason to post today other than to say, “Happy Early April, and welcome to Spring.  I hope this post finds you seeking the only One who is worthy of every bit of our affections and more.

If the weather is good in your neck of the woods today, get out some, eh?

It may not be sunny southern California or, particularly, Laguna Beach. But that’s okay.

We can pretend.

XOXO—Tammie

*image from weheartit.com

New Years Eve Was Crappy Until...

I wish I could say 2014 rolled in full of exciting celebration.

I cannot.

Our hearts were freshly broken over a recent traumatic situation within our family.

Thank God for friends who would not allow us to grieve in the New Year.

Thank God for friends who also make us laugh by doing things like calling the author of Love Does, Bob Goff, because he was crazy enough to actually put his number in his book.

At first he didn’t answer so they left him a message.

But within minutes all manner of hilarity broke out when my friend’s phone rang and a nice man on the other end said something like,

“Hello. This is Bob Goff. You called?”

Then it dawned on me.

What the man wrote of was taking place around my breakfast table. Not only was our aloneness being tended to, a newly widowed friend was being tended to as well. And not only that, a few single friends were welcomed around our table as well—not allowing New Years Eve to find them alone either. And a friend who also recently lost a loved one sat among us too. Could it be that a sweet miracle took place around my breakfast table?  I think so.

In the midst of our aches we were not alone.

• Selflessness was taking place.
• Restoration—even—was taking place.
• Love was taking place.

 Three things will last forever--faith, hope, and love--and the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13:13

Sometimes You Just Need to Declare It!

Life is about perspective—we know this.

But when push comes to shove and life gets threatening, it’s easy to forget. Passion fades. Usefulness wanes. Nerves get shot. Hearts frown. And this question bewilders us,

“What the heck happened here?”

Painful heartbreaks. Shocking circumstances. Unparalleled confusions—our family has been through it. If I told you everything you’d probably gasp just like the counselor did.

But I made up my mind recently that I wasn’t going to let this get the best of me. Furthermore, neither was it getting the best of my family. Because this is truth:

The Holy Spirit invites each of us daily to get back up in His power, to live again. 

That’s why I started declaring over our family: “It’s a new day, Y’all!” One family member finally exclaimed, “OK, we get it. You don’t have to keep telling us again and again!”

Oh yes I did.

Because sometimes you’ve gotta keep saying it till it gets down into your bones, and moves on into your steps, and finally takes to invading your entire world.

Because here’s what's true, what I’m recalling afresh:

• Life really is about perspective. Is God Sovereign or not? Then, worship accordingly.
• Because of redemption we can choose how to view our cup: half empty or full?
• It is unacceptable to lie down in failure and defeat when the Risen One is IN us.
• Nothing is ever wasted in God’s economy. Trials are testimonies in the making.
• No trial or hardship lands on a child of God without asking for His approval first.
• Which means, we both must require it somehow. He for glory, and us for humility?

Sure. Sin sold us humans into having seasons of heart wrenching grieving, full of mourn. But we don’t have to stay there.

Yes. When broken to pieces we weep, wail, and bleed—wrestling darker emotions. But better days are ours for the taking.

Honestly, you and I have overcome too many other trials to let these take us out now. What if we made up our minds to stop hating them or praying them away but chose to welcome them with a newfound teachable attitude so we can actually learn a few lessons here? Hard times can be the best teachers! For they produce Christ’s holiness in us—for without holiness no one sees God. Hebrews 12:10-11 actually puts it this way,

“For they (our caretakers) disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.”

Furthermore, I also keep thinking how our Egypt seasons are, in fact, precursors for God to mystify us all over again by showing off His miraculous power and might in colossal displays of deliverance. Not only this, our Great and Glorious God says, “Plunder the heck out of the enemy, Child. Take your treasures. They’re yours.” And here’s the best part: These are the tools for building God’s house in our appointed generation!

Thinking about all of this brought a familiar Socrates’ quote to mind.

“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.”

So,

Whaddaya say we push up our sleeves, slap on a smile, and get to building?

Whaddaya say we not let our problems get the best of us?

Whaddaya say we get us off of our brains and take to being a help to others?

How ‘bout we turn our frowns upside down and choose to enjoy this life, our life?

How ‘bout we focus on what we do have instead of what we don’t have?

For some this may sound a little too pep-talky; but before you roll your eyes at me, it’s certainly biblical. Please hear me out.

It’s what the Bible calls perseverance; OR self-control and patience and exercising true biblical hope expressed in faith.

It’s setting our eyes on the unseen rather than the seen (2 Cor. 4:18).

It’s setting our minds on the things above, not on the things below (Col. 3:2).

It’s choosing to live in the realm of the supernatural by fixating on Him, on His will alone, remembering that He is the Author and Finisher of our faith (Heb. 12:2).

Lastly, it’s embracing the sufferings of Christ in order to bring Our Lord the glory due His Name (Col. 1:24). Indeed, amen and amen.

Dearly Loved, hear me today—

You are not your mess.

You are not your failures.

You are NEVER forsaken.

God says, “You and I are only lovely works in progress.”

Want to join me in living thankful today?

The Voice of God Speaking through a Puppy

https://vimeo.com/73979886

Shame, it nearly killed me. But not any longer!

I’m turning forty in a handful of days.

While women tend to dread this birthday--I am so excited!

Would you like to know why?

Well, at fifteen years old I took a woman’s offer for help – at a Gentlemen’s Club. I was desperate, afraid, and had nowhere to turn. This seemed my only hope. And for the next 3 years I felt trapped.

Now, when your fifteen forty seems rather old. And the women similar in age seemed so wearied, worn, and hopeless. Thoughts like these plagued my mind constantly:

• Where will I be when I’m forty years old?
• I have no education.
• I have no other skills.
• I'm trashy. Used up. Soon to be divorced (once I find his butt).
• Who will take care of me when I'm old?

Last Friday (after receiving my family's blessing) I had the privilege and joy of standing on the stage above and boldly proclaiming (for the very first time) what Jesus Christ has really done in my life. Before the women of my own church. Who I love and do life with. Ditching the shame once and for all. By God’s great and glorious grace this former dancer is now a Bible teacher. Not only that, He has taken one stage and totally transformed it into another!  What the devil meant for evil, God has redeemed for His good and His glory.  And after years of hiding my past junk, I’m obeying my God. He wants people to know how He came into the clubs after me. How he used my boyfriend’s mother and aunts to rescue me. How He’s washed me clean. And, furthermore, there really, really is freedom in Christ Jesus.

The devil used my background to his advantage by deceiving me into thinking public ministry was just like the clubs—stages, limelight, performance… blah, blah, blah. I'm finally fully aware of his schemes. And, furthermore, that old victim-girl-mentality needed to be put out of her misery. I’m not even kidding. Talk about a fool.

Because, truth is, I do dearly love walking with Jesus.

I do dearly love me some people.

God’s is graciously showing me a new way…and I’m going onward with Him.

I'd love to take a few of you with me!

What do you say we ditch our shame together?

We don't have to stay so bound. Jesus died so we could live. Not just to make it by the skin of our teeth. Not just to make it to heaven one day. But to know His so-great-a-salvation now.

Unashamed.

Secure.

Courageous.

Brave.

Full of hope.

Finally at rest.

Buried in Christ’s death.

And raised up to profoundly run in His newness of life!

The dark prison cell of defeat is not our New Testament lot. The apostles burned up the earth for the Kingdom of God. And the same Jesus that lived in them—if you know Christ as your personal Savior—now lives in you and me. Jesus told Lazarus to, “Come forth,” and to take off the grave clothes! This, my friend, is our inheritance too. Whoohoooo!

I think that’s some mighty Good News, don’t you?