forgiven.

As you know, I write as I walk this journey of life with God and others.
As God speaks truth to me, I long to share that truth with others as a way of processing and digesting the life giving and life saving morsels that He graciously gives to me.
This small place, my little corner of the world wide web, is that place.
Perhaps someday it will turn into a book or into income for a growing family, but that is all beside the point.
It is a platform by which I share the encouragement and truth that has been shared with me.
Thank you for joining me in my journey.
I pray that you too will take truth that you receive and pass it forward, not for my glory, but for the blessing and redemption of those hearts that need hope and for the glory of the Giver of all good things.

This morning I awoke with the sun and my heart was drawn to His.
He met there and spoke truth to my heart.

'Put on then, as God's chosen ones,

holy and beloved,

compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,

bearing with one another and,

if one has complaint against another, forgiving each other;

as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must also forgive.

And above all these put on love,

which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts,

to which indeed you were called in one body.

And be thankful.'

Colossians 3:12-15

God has chosen you to be His Beloved.

As a result, He is making you holy.

Compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and patience...

            Wear them like a garment.

            Desire them like choice clothing. 

            Allow them to define you,

            for these are the garments of the Chosen.

Forgive, because you have been forgiven. 

Must. 

This is not a suggestion, but rather a command. 

However, before the command came the example: you have been forgiven. 

This is critical, because only those forgiven can forgive. 

Only those that understand the great magnitude of their own need for forgiveness can truly forgive. 

Forgiveness is not about another deserving it, in fact it is not about the other person at all. 

God forgave you before you realized that you needed it. 

Had God waited for His creation to see their need for forgiveness and do what needed to be done in order to deserve it, His creation would have never been redeemed.

Forgiveness is about personal peace for there is no peace without it.

Forgiveness is about personal freedom for there is no freedom without it. 

Freedom from the bondage of bitterness. The pain of self pity. The weight of victimization. 

Lay them down before the God that has forgiven you.

Experience forgiveness.

And as a result, your heart will be inclined to go, and do likewise. 

And the peace of Christ will rule in your heart, as you have been called to one body, and your heart will overflow with thankfulness.

The overflow will be sure to change those around you.

forgiven.

tiffany

a changing landscape

As we walked our gravel road the wind brushed my face on its way past. 

It greeted me with a chilly hello and let me know that it would be staying a while. 

The dust of my road seemed somber and lonely in spite of the children that ran upon it. 

The landscape that was once lush and green, bursting with wild flowers and crop, is now brown, barren and desolate feeling. There were no fields of waving grain or flowers to decorate the table. There was just freshly plowed dirt, burned ditches and grass that was ready for its snowy white covering that would soon be there. 

As I rounded the corner back into my driveway, I looked upon my winterized garden. Once bursting with produce, almost too much for this city-girl-trying-to-be-green-thumb to handle, I had to smile at the still small voice of the Holy Spirit stirring within me.

Life is like my changing landscape. There are seasons of plenty and seasons of joy. Seasons of health and seasons of prosperity. Those seasons are peppered with very visible blessing: the wildflowers of life, the fields ripe with produce. Babies are born, marathons are run, marriages are happy, jobs are rewarding.

And then, the landscape changes. Winter blows its snowy garment upon the earth, the flowers fade, the crop is harvested and fields are prepared for the next growing season. The wind beats and blows against the house, challenging its security and trying to get in. The beauty of life is more difficult to see.

The job market plummets. Depression ravages a marriage. The diagnosis is not good. Death comes early.

It is easy to enjoy the lovely summer months. Months of flip flops and sunscreen. Rushing out the door requires nothing more than a set of keys and a pair of shoes. The days are long, the sun is bright and the flowers declare the handiwork of God. Friends and gatherings are plentiful and our skin bears a healthy glow.

As I walked my road and allowed my heart to wander in the presence of God, I missed the sunshine but knew I wouldn't appreciate it if I didn't know life without it. The beauty of the flowers would not have the meaning they do if it weren't for these barren lands void of all their beauty.

As winter comes, I prepare my garden for the cold and snow. I prune down my raspberries, cut the asparagus and lay a warm covering of straw over it all. I tuck my strawberry plants in for the winter and remind them that I will be eager to greet them when spring blows warmth across the land. That day will come, that I know, but winter must come first. For now, the covering I have made will keep them warm and preserve them for the days of bloom that lie ahead.

'For He will hide me in His shelter in the day of trouble;

He will conceal me under the cover of His tent;

He will life me high upon a rock.'

Psalm 27:5

'He will cover you with His pinions,

and under His wings you will find refuge;

His faithfulness is a shield and a buckler.

You will not fear the terror of the night,

nor the arrow that flies by day,

nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,

nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.'

Psalm 91:4-6

Through the seasons of cancer treatments, medical bills and fear of the unknown, God will spread His covering over His Beloved. 

Through the seasons of joy and the season of tears, He will cover you.

Through the seasons of plenty and the seasons of need, through the seasons of companionship and the seasons of loneliness, He will cover me like a garment. 

For everything under heaven there is a season. There is a 'time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to pluck; a time to kill and a time to heal...a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance..." (Ecclesiastes 3: 2-4)

As the landscape of life changes, the dancing ceases and the laughter fades, He is present. 

As the laughter rolls and the crop flourishes, He is present. 

As winter sets in bringing with it snow, wind and desolation, I pray that your eyes will set themselves upon the God of the Seasons knowing that God will deliver springtime in all its beauty and life not a moment too late nor a moment too soon. He is in the cold, biting wind of winter and He is in the warmth of the summer time sun. 

Come, take refuge. 

Allow Him to spread His garment over you as the cold of winter sets in knowing that although He will not allow the winter to pass by, 

He will keep you...

He will cover you...

He will sustain you. 

And soon, the sun will shine again, the flowers will bloom and your feet will dance. 

covered.

tiffany

turn your eyes

source: colonialchurch.org

"Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,

whose trust is the Lord.

He is like a tree planted by water,

that sends out its roots by the stream,

and does not fear when heat comes,

for its leaves remain green.

and is not anxious in the year of drought,

for it does not cease to bear fruit."

Jeremiah 17:7,8

As tears stained my face, my heart bowed low before the throne of an Almighty, altogether, perfectly good King. 

The only words that came were, "Please no. Please God, no." 

As the presence of God washed over me, my heart found the courage to not only say, but to believe,

"but, not our will Lord...but Thine be done." 

As the dawn broke over the wintering landscape, God's Word met me in that place. 

My head still sore and my heart still aching, 

God's Word remained. 

God remains. 

And in this place of heat, drought and fear, 

He not only promises His presence, 

but He promises nourishment...beauty...fruit. 

There is no fear because there is assurance. 

There is no anxiety because there is still evidence of God's faithful providence. 

As I strain my swollen eyes to see the face of God,

His face becomes clear as my heart echoes the song of King David,

"O God, you are my God; 

earnestly I seek you;

my soul thirsts for you;

my flesh faints for you,

as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,

beholding your power and glory.

Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you.

So I will bless you as long as I live;

in your name I will lift up my hands." (Psalm 63:1-4)

"Come Child. Take refuge. Come, hide. 

Allow me to spread My peace over you like a blanket.

Allow my faithfulness to sustain you.

Remember, I am the Alpha and the Omega...

everything that was, is and yet to be

begins and ends with Me. 

I remain. " 

peace.

tiffany 

peace, refuge

by request...

I know what you're thinking--
"TWO POSTS IN ONE WEEK?! The sky has officially fallen and pigs have officially flown!" 
I know you are thinking that because truthfully I am thinking that too, but this blog post is by request.
So here it goes....

I don't know what I am so hesitant about. It's as though I have throngs of followers or something, when in reality, there really are very few, but this is a step none the less.

Nearly two months ago, the pastor of our church called and asked if I would step into the pulpit and speak when he would be gone. I hesitated, feeling as though the pulpit is not really the place for women (*gasp* yes, I just said that and yes, overall I do believe that, at least filling the role as 'Pastor'. Before you go pelting me with tomatoes for my view, set it aside, for that is a can of worms for another time and another place.) 

My husband and I prayed about it and talked it through with our pastor, who really affirmed the fact that he was not asking me to take Pastoral leadership of our church, but rather giving me an opportunity to use two gifts that God has given me--teaching and public speaking. As the youth coordinator of our church, he felt it important to give our congregation the opportunity to hear from me, just as their kids do on a regular basis.

With knots in my stomach, I complied.
Don't get me wrong, public speaking and teaching are my 'GO' buttons, as my husband likes to call them. It is as though I turn on when I am in front of a crowd, especially when I am teaching about something I love or teaching God's Word. My husband is right, there are very few things I love more.

In 2010 I went to Columbus, OH for a huge (3000+) week long youth conference. While lunching with an old friend that I happened to bump into (isn't God good?) I come to find out that she was actually playing a large part in the actual conference. As our lunch was coming to a close, she asked if I would consider speaking that night at the prayer rally before the closing session. Without hesitation, I agreed.
There I stood, with only hours of notice, speaking to 1500+ people and enjoying every moment of it.

But this was different. This was my church... people I knew, people I respected...people I had a lot to learn from, what could I possibly have to teach them?? I agonized over the possible reactions. I had dreams of being late and missing it completely. I dreamt that as soon as I started talking, half got up and left while the other half turned and started talking really loudly to those around them. I had another dream that the little microphone I needed to wear kept falling off and squealing, piercing the ears within earshot.
Ugh. The anticipation just about killed me.

Saturday was a long day and I just longed for Sunday afternoon.
Soon enough, the time came. I climbed the stairs when it was my turn and felt the eyes of the 250 people in attendance that morning staring at me. It almost seemed as though everyone was holding their breath in anticipation of those first few words. I had questioned my message a hundred times that morning, but surrendered that before the Lord, knowing it was too late to turn back now.

It started slowly. I spoke out of the book of Esther. I spent the first several minutes recapping the story, stumbling over my words and trying to touch the points of the story that I would refer to later on in the message. My mind raced, my tongue strained to keep up. I walked up and down the stage, making eye contact with the hundreds of eyes that watched me intently, taking in the words that were spoken and digesting the Truth being shared.

As I started in on the message, my tongue loosed, my blood pressure went down and I settled into my role as teacher, even if only for a brief time.

It is humbling to know that God uses ignorant, untrained people such as myself to speak His Truth (Acts 4:13). I was so blessed by the overwhelming response I received when I was done, in spite of my backwards ending. Just yet another tangible evidence that God is faithful and He specializes in using those that are simply willing to be used.

I have been asked to post it and share the message. Feel free to do with it as you like. If you listen, I pray that your heart will be encouraged and that my initial nervous tone does not distract you.
If not, be blessed dear friend and thank you for taking this time to read.

"Available, Firm and Faithful"
http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id389220689?i=103796335

blessed.

tiffany

72 days

It's all over the news.
I can't open my home page without seeing the latest development in the Kardashian/Humphries drama.
The latest article was all about the buzz swirling around the 20 karat rock that is on her left hand.
Turns out that a diamond the size of a drawer knob doesn't guarantee a 'happily ever after'...
I have never seen even a small part of the Kardashian show nor do I have any desire to do so.
I know nothing more than what was on the cover of the magazines that lined the grocery aisles regarding the over the top, multi million dollar wedding event. I do know that she wore three different wedding gowns, all designed by big name people, and more than fifteen million dollars worth of diamonds over the course of her wedding day.
All for seventy two days of wedded matrimony.

"But the fruit of the Spirit is

love, joy, peace,

patience, kindness,

goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,

self control;

against such things there is no law." 

Galatians 5:22,23

I love this. 

The byproduct of walking with God is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. 

These things are not the byproduct of financial prosperity, intellectual achievement, mass popularity, good health or a pretty face. 

The blessing of joy and peace, love and faith, gentleness and goodness, patience and self control can be mine if I will just abide in Him...walk with Him...dwell with Him. 

I may never have a wedding ring the size of a door knob or earn the PhD that I so badly want, 

but truthfully, that is just stuff of earth. 

When those things are what my heart is set upon, then there will be nothing but disappointment and failure in my future simply because stuff of earth does not satisfy. Millions of dollars or millions of followers does not bring peace or contentment. 

BUT, when I walk intimately with my God, the Giver of All Good Things, the Creator and Sustainer of all that is, all that has been and all that will be, love and joy will be mine in abundance. 

May you walk with God today. 

May the desire of your heart be completely fulfilled within the Person of Jesus Christ. 

May you abide in His presence, experience His peace and claim His redemption. 

I pray for reconciliation where healing is needed. 

I pray for joy where there is sorrow.

I pray for peace to overshadow fear. 

I pray for faithfulness where apostasy resides.

May His goodness, like a fetter, bind your wandering heart to Thee. 

May the fruit of the Spirit be the fruit that flows from your life today. 

Bless you dear friends. 

tiffany