Good Morning

Donut Day! I can’t wait to have an apple cinnamon munchkin..they are way to yummy! Anyways enough of my donut preferences:)

I was reading Micca Campbells blog “Reflections” and she used this quote from Corrie Ten Boom. “Every experience God gives us, every person he puts in our lives is the prefect preparation for the future that only he can see.”

As I was thinking about that line I realized that more times then not I get ahead of God. I want to figure out what the “preparation” is for. What could possibly be in my future that God would allow, sorrow, pain, frustration, joy, happiness, challenges through circumstances and people that enter my life.  Do you know what I mean? A situation will occur, the phone will ring, a person comes into my life and I wonder what it is that God is wanting me to learn. And then I start to connect the dots….for myself…by myself. What I mean by that is my brain starts trying to put together all the details of my life and I try to put the puzzle together as to why all these thing may be interconnected. Ummmm could I say now that my attempt to be the champion of connect the dots is not a great idea. Getting ahead of God has never worked out so well…..I get myself into a tissy because I start to control things, even if its in my mind as to how all the abstract areas of my life are interwoven. You would have thought that I would learn by now. The Lords plan is just that…His. I am included when He decides to let me in on the plan. 

Instead of trying to figure it all out I need to be intentional about understanding what my attitude should be, how my character is being molded as a result of someone or situations being placed in my life. Connect the dots is not my job. I need to leave that up to God..He kind of knows what He is doing:)

Romans 8:28 (Amplified Bible)

What do you think?

Journey On

Good Morning,

My mom sent this to me the other day! I loved it. I hope it inspires you to continue on in your dance.

Dancing With God

 

When I meditated on the word   Guidance,

 I kept seeing ‘dance’ at the end of the word

And I remember reading that doing God’s will is a lot like dancing.    

 

When two people try to lead, nothing feels right. 

The movement doesn’t flow with the music, 

And everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky.

When one person realizes that, and lets the other lead,

Both bodies begin to flow with the music.

One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back

Or by pressing Lightly in one direction or another.

It’s as if two become one body, moving beautifully.

The dance takes surrender, willingness,

And attentiveness from one person

And gentle guidance and skill from the other.      

 

My eyes drew back to the word   Guidance.

When I saw ‘G’: I thought of God, followed by ‘u’ and ‘i’.    

‘God, ‘u’ and ‘i’ dance.’      God, you, and I dance. 

  

        As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust    

        that I would get   guidance about my life and once

        again, I became willing to let God lead.   

 

My prayer for you today is that God’s blessings  

And mercies are upon you on this day and everyday.    

May you abide in God, as God   abides in you.

Dance together with God,

Trusting God to lead and to guide you through each

season of your life.

Journey On

Good Morning!

Well it is the beginning of a new week. Are you excited? Are you anticipating all that could come your way?

This is something that was recorded in Psalms.

Psalm 19:4(The Message)
God makes a huge dome for the sun—a superdome! The morning sun’s a new husband leaping from his honeymoon bed, The daybreaking sun an athlete racing to the tape.

I love how the sun is personified. The action is of leaping, racing..excitement. Do those descriptions echo how you are feeling about the coming week?  Are you excited, ready to run the race? 

After a very busy weekend, kids being home from school, kids feeling under the weather, I am ready for a new day. A new start. Is it not exciting that we can start over with the Lord every day. He gives us the opportunities for “do-overs”, as many as we need! I am assured that if I ask for forgiveness I have the opportunity to have my slate wiped clean, moment by moment, if needed. Can anyone relate?

Now that’s something to get excited about…don’t you agree?

Happy Monday,

Journey On

Hello Cyber Friends!

Well today marks the third and final day of “snow day ‘09″. I have to admit the northern gal in me has been raising an eyebrow or two since Tuesday about the “weather situations”, however I asked for a taste of home and I did get it…so I’m trying to to complain! And happily my kids went to school for a couple house today!

As I’ve mentioned I’ve been reading Max Lucado book Fresh Inspirations. Yesterday in a rare minute of peace and quiet this line jumped out at me as I read. “We do what comes naturally, rather when what comes spiritually”. (pg 117) Is that not so true? There are moments when I know I’m choosing to do, say or act outside of my natural “Tatumness”, however more times then not it is the “natural” choice I make and not the spiritual.

 The chapter is speaking about shame and how we allow shame to cloud our view of how God sees us. And really, indulging in shame opens the door wide open to Satan, and man can’t he do a number on us while we wallow in shame!  Can anyone relate?

Talking about shame, Peter, Jesus disciple, you know the guy who has gone down in history as the one who betrayed Jesus. Imagine how he felt when he proclaimed he was ready to die for Christ, but in actual fact he betrayed him. I know you can relate, we have all been there. Our betrayals are spiritual as Lucado so eloquently states. 

What I love about my God is that shame is not from Him. It is never an emotion that He intends us to feel, however He allows us to stay there in hopes that we will acknowledge that we need Him, all the time. That the life of transformation that He calls us too, is not a journey we can take apart from Him. That every minute of every day He is with us!  

 Easier said then done. I have days where the Lord and I have words about situations and circumstances I know I am being asked to make a spiritual choice instead of a natural choice…..but at the end of the day I know because I’ve experienced His grace countless times that my self inflicted shame is covered by His grace.

Come on, that’s great news for a Thursday..don’t you think?

Luke 22:33-34 (The Message)

Hey There,

As I type a winter warning is in effect. There is the possibility that snow will be coming to NC. Maybe even up to 5 inches. The excitement that little white clusters of precipitation can bring has been rather amusing. The news is all a buzz with snow updates. We watch the salting trucks loading up, the store shelves are being wiped clean of all the essentials “just in case”. The ticker tape is wildly announcing all the new closures. Activity everywhere in anticipation of snow.

This Canadian gal can tell when snow is in the air. There is a heaviness to the air. Familiarity…I’m laughing to myself as I realize I was praying last night for something that reminded me of my “past life”. Snow is not what I had in mind, but it does bring back special memories and the anticipation of a snow day is a fun experience to share with my kids.

I’m smiling as I realize just how creatively the Lord responds to the longings of our heart.

What are you longing for? Have you thought that maybe the answer you are looking for is perhaps not the way the Lord will respond. Are you looking outside your box? As I am learning God is a “box buster”.

Job 37:1
“Whenever this happens, my heart stops— I’m stunned, I can’t catch my breath. Listen to it! Listen to his thunder, the rolling, rumbling thunder of his voice. He lets loose his lightnings from horizon to horizon, lighting up the earth from pole to pole. In their wake, the thunder echoes his voice, powerful and majestic. He lets out all the stops, he holds nothing back. No one can mistake that voice— His word thundering so wondrously, his mighty acts staggering our understanding. He orders the snow, ‘Blanket the earth!’ and the rain, ‘Soak the whole countryside!’ No one can escape the weather—it’s there. And no one can escape from God. Wild animals take shelter, crawling into their dens, When blizzards roar out of the north and freezing rain crusts the land. It’s God’s breath that forms the ice, it’s God’s breath that turns lakes and rivers solid. And yes, it’s God who fills clouds with rainwater and hurls lightning from them every which way. He puts them through their paces—first this way, then that— commands them to do what he says all over the world. Whether for discipline or grace or extravagant love, he makes sure they make their mark.

Journey On

Good Morning,

Yahoo, it’s donut Friday! Have you had your sweet treat yet?

I’ve been reading the book “Fresh Inspiration” by Max Lucado. Great book! He looks at Psalm 23 and breaks it down for the reader into segments that highlight different attributes of God. 

This verse grabbed my attention.

So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that’s where the action is. See things from his perspective. Colossians 3:2 (The Message)

To me this verse spoke about feelings of hopelessness. It reminds me that the things of this world are temporal and that hope cannot be found here. When I look for hope outside of my relationship with Christ I will never be fulfilled and almost always disappointed. So why do I?  I should have learned by now that relationships, finances, dreams are not where my hope is. And even though I know this to be true, my heart, my emotions will often take me down these fleeting paths. It becomes a point of contention between my heart and my mind.

 As I’m learning, in everything that comes our way in life He is in the midst. It is our choice to look for Him. If we truly believe that God is a lamp unto our feet, we will watch for the light, stepping in the direction that we are being lead. One foot after another we will begin to see the path illuminated.  

Have a great weekend,

Journey On

Good Morning,

I’m sitting staring at a painting I have hung on my wall in the kitchen. It is a picture of two very large cherries and across the top and bottom of the painting it reads “we tend to seek happiness when happiness is actually a choice”. I love it. The colors, the sentiment..everything about it. Today though it is putting me in my place. It feels like the cherries are screaming at me..(now before you think I’ve lost my marbles and I see talking cherries hear me out:)

Seeking happiness, its been an on going discussion I have been having with my honey for the past couple of years. I was “okay” with putting my educational and professional goals on hold when we moved here two years ago..however after filling in some paperwork in which I had to list my education, schools etc it hit me that all my hard work was not being put into practice. I had wasted all those years as I am currently not using the skills and training I worked very hard to achieve. So this mama got into a funk….and it was a nasty one. It was one of those times where you are watching yourself behave and respond to life knowing that the choices were poor and that the reactions were wrong. Well that was me.

Then the cherries happened. While starring at them I was reminded that God never promises an easy pass just because you chose to follow Him. That just because I obey in one instance doesn’t mean that He owes me anything. It dawned on me as the cherries shouted that my definition of happiness was wrong. That my dissatisfaction with areas in my life is not a result of my circumstances but directly related to my response in my circumstance. Choices, we face them everyday. 

I’ve been praying that even in my circumstance which are not “Tatum approved” that my attitude change be one of happiness and contentment. It is a choice, my daily choice to make. 

I know it is a heart attitude…and it is a daily struggle, but with the help of the Holy Spirit this mama will be able to get the screaming cherries to silence!

A scoffer seeks Wisdom in vain [for his very attitude blinds and deafens him to it], but knowledge is easy to him who [being teachable] understands. Proverbs 14:6 The Amplified

My cherry experience gave me the opportunity to renew my spiritual attitude that is written about in Ephesians. Today I’m thankful for cherries? Have you had a cherry experience lately?

Ephesians 4:23
And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude],

Journey On

Good Morning,

Order…I’m a girl who likes order. I’m in a far better mood when my home is in order, when my kitchen is tidy and my laundry room door can close…..and it only closes when I’ve actually done the laundry:)

I was thinking about how God is also a fan of order. He is kind of the originator of order wouldn’t you agree? He created the Garden of Eden, everything unique, everything purposeful but with a grand plan in mind. He created the seasons. We are privileged to watch the progression and anticipate the arrival of the next season.  

In this season of my life I am coming to appreciate in a very personal way the “order” that only the Lord can provide. Life seems to pass me by some days….hence my mission for intentionality. Peace eludes me, in all my striving for it.  He calms my restless heart and brings peace when I  happen to fall into the chaos of life. Can anyone relate?

Today I am thankful for disorder…..because it is in my disorder that God is showing Himself to me in very real ways.

Let grace, mercy, and peace be with us in truth and love from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, Son of the Father! 2 John 1:3 ( The Message)

Journey On

Good Morning!

Happy Friday. I have to admit we already had our sweet treat to celebrate the coming of the weekend. Donuts were had by all…yesterday. (Do I want the weekend of what!)

I’ve been watching the wind blowing the very naked trees in my backyard. We have had some pretty crazy storms this week that seemed to come out of nowhere….and yet when they hit, the trees were rocking, shaking, bending under the force of winds that started and stopped without warning.

As I watched the trees I thought about how my life resembles the trees.  At times, I am standing still, quiet, unmoved, other days without any notice, I’m gusting around without any clear direction. I’m bending under pressure. As I watched the trees I noticed that no matter how strong the gusts were, the roots of the tree remained unmoved.

My emotions, my harried thoughts, my words and actions can look like the tree branches chaotically moving in the wind. Can anyone relate?

Today I am thankful that even in the storms of life, my roots remain unchanged. The God who is and was and is to come is stronger and more predictable then anything that comes along.

This verse jumped out at me.

“At least there is hope for a tree: If it is cut down, it will sprout again, and its new shoots will not fail.”
 Job 14:7

What an amazing promise if our roots are found in our Heavenly Father.

Where are your roots?

Journey On Friends!

Good Morning!

Wow, it’s been awhile since I visited cyber world! We had a wonderful holiday in the snowy north with family and friends, but today is Monday and back to the grind we go!

Do you like routine? I do. Now don’t get me wrong, I love a “break” from the daily routine of school, homework, carpool, chores and scheduled activities, but this mama is happy to be back at it.

I woke up this morning with a desire to get the day in motion, start back to life as we know it, but do I really want everything, all aspects of my life to return to normal? As I contemplated that this morning I realized for the detailed challenged mama I have decided to live 2009 with intentionality!

I’ve never been a fan of resolutions…because quite frankly I never stick to them, my will power is weak.

Well bloggy friends, not only have I decided that 2009 will be the year I live with intentionality, but I’m writing it down..for your eyes to read…and please feel free to ask me about it! Accountability is always a good thing.

I figure that if I don’t live with intentionality I will continue to let days go by where I am not loving and serving my family the best I can. That the people the Lord brings into my life will remain that, just people, not people who Jesus loves. If I don’t live with intentionality my body will continue to age ( oh yes, age says this mama who pulled her back during the break:) and I’ve only been given one and my job is to preserve it the best I can. If I choose to not live intentionally my needs will come before everyone else, can anyone relate? Choosing to live intentionally will put my God front and center, and will not only result in knowing and loving Him more, but my life will produce the fruits and transformation that is asked of us if we truly live radically for God. 

2009- the year of intentionality! Lofty, yes, but necessary! As the calendar page has turned and we enter into the promise of another day in a new year, my prayer is that intentionality is evident in my life.

How about you? Where do you want to see differences in your life?

2 Corinthians 4:16
So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever.

Journey On Friends!