Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Beauty

Dakota and I were at Disney last week for her birthday. We had such a good time and I let Dakota pick every single thing she wanted to do. The result of this freedom of choice for her was that I waited in many "meet the character" lines. The very last thing we did before we left late that night was stand in the Tinkerbell and fairies line. When our time finally came to go into the special room to meet the characters, we had to wait for two people in motorized wheelchairs to come in from a special waiting area. They were both adults and were in motorized wheelchairs as their handicap had limited them in their use of anything but their hands to control their wheelchairs. I did not notice anyone assisting them and they were having a bit of a time positioning themselves in such a tight space to get pictures with the characters. This man and woman were apparently affected by a handicap that had severely limited their bodies in a physial sense. The woman was very frail and could not speak or hardly hold her head in an upright position.

What amazed me was the connection these two had together. I enjoyed watching the joy that they had getting their picture taken with Tinkerbell and the other fairies. Then I heard the man tell one of the fairies that they were newlyweds and on their honeymoon. It was then that I noticed their bride and groom buttons that they were each wearing. As we exited the character area, I got to talking with this man for a few minutes as his new wife kept going ahead in her wheelchair. As he drove off to catch up with her, I had to video them because they were such a wonderful couple and I wanted to be able to remember them. What I didn't realize is that I would capture something special on video. See if you can hear what he says to her on the video. (There is a lot of background noise)

He says to her, "This is our moment, our time, our day". He loved her so much! I was so honored to be able to see that moment they shared. There would be many that would not understand how their relationship could work. But at the same time, it was very obvious to me that they were far more advanced than many of us in realizing how precious a single moment can be just because they could be together even when it was sharing a stroll in two motorized wheelchairs. What a beautiful picture of Christ! He sees no boundaries or handicaps in us! He only sees love and love that includes each one of us. It is He that comes to us and says, "This is our moment, our time and our day". Enjoy that love!

Psalm 42:8

By day the LORD directs his love,

at night his song is with me—

a prayer to the God of my life.

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Drivers Permit

Tyler just got his driver's learning permit today. Brent and Tyler are down the road at a school parking lot practicing as I write this. What a journey it has been to get to this moment. I had to stop and reflect on all of the events that happened to get to this day. How many hours did Tyler have to ride in the car until he could get to the point where he could be behind the wheel? That counter started when he came home from the hospital as a newborn and continued until today.

Did Tyler have to be patient until this moment? Not really. He did not know as a baby that he would be able to drive and even as a child he knew that he was not old enough to drive. When his birthday came around in February he still was not ready and voiced that he did not yet want to go get his permit. Then came the opportunity for him to go see his grandparents in Idaho which would require him to fly by himself accross this country. Because he was to fly, he was going to need a government issued ID card. What better ID to get than a Driver's Permit? It took an unrelated event to driving to get him driving.

Sound Familiar? I think about the way God works in our life when it comes to His will for our lives. He has such a HUGE plan for us and yet he knows when we are ready. Sometimes we get a glimpse of His plan and it scares us to death! He knows us and how we are and how we react and still get scared. So he brings something good in our life to lead us down the road we never thought we would get to travel. God is so good. He is so creative and has such a plan for each of us.

Ephesians 1:8-10 (New International Version)
8that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. 9And he[a] made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Vultures





Every morning I drive down a main road that was cut through the middle of a conservation area. The sad part of this road is that there is still a large amount of wildlife (including deer) that insist on crossing this busy road to get from one side of the landscape to the other. A result of this passage is most of the animals do not make it.


The vultures love this road. They actually sit up in the trees all day long waiting for something to be killed. If they are hungry, they know that they will not be hungry for long.


This caught my eye one day as I was traveling and it sent me to Google vultures when I got to my computer. They really are amazing birds and it is said by many that they are very misunderstood. But not looking at them to become an advocate for their position in the food chain, I found the facts about them so interesting as it relates to us in our spiritual walk.


Vultures do not work very hard at getting their food. It is said if they cannot break the skin on the dead animal, they will just sit and wait for a bigger animal to come along and do it for them. They are not affected by any bacteria and can even tolerate anthrax. They can eat the oldest, nastiest, and diseased animal and be absolutely fine! They eat until they are gorged with food! They overeat to the point that they will just sit in a daze until it is digested and they are able to move again. They only attack sick, near-dead or dead animals and do not go after the ones that are healthy and strong. They anticipate which animals that will be. It is said that vultures would line battlefields and just wait.


The thought came to my mind that in our spiritual walk, there are vultures. Each person has their own vultures that line the trees of their life waiting. It might be addictions, guilt, worry, pride and the list could go on. It is when we are sick, tired, angry or physically exhausted that these vultures attack. We know when we are vulnerable and it is during these times that we must realize that we need to take care of ourselves physically, emotionally and spiritually or we can fall victim to the attack.


Each of these vultures do not have any interest in making us a better person, but are so selfish that they will not stop until they completely devour us to the point that there is nothing left. Only we have God, who is ready to drive them away when we look to Him.




Job 15:22-23

He despairs of escaping the darkness;

he is marked for the sword.
He wanders about—food for vultures;

he knows the day of darkness is at hand.

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Back on Track



It has been awhile since I have written anything. There have been many more signs posted in my road since I last wrote. I have seen destruction, construction, and reconstruction in my life. I am still here though it all.

How much can we go through in our lives and still come through on the other side? Why must we journey down such hard and treacherous roads? I have come to the conclusion that God's ways are mysterious and involve much faith. Whether we want to understand or not, obedience in Him is required to make it through the other side. I keep thinking about the man that saved someone's life awhile back when the subway train was coming. He basically tackled the guy and laid on top of him between the tracks while the train passed over them.

Can you imagine how much the other guy must have been confused and hurt? But the pain of being tackled to the ground was nothing compared to being hit by an oncoming train which ultimately would have resulted in death. That pain was minimal. Maybe God does the same thing for us? Maybe the pain we are enduring right now is our salvation from something even worse?

I am learning to be content in the moments of confusion and hurt knowing that God will wrap His loving arms around me, even if He has to tackle me to the ground to save me from so much more than I could imagine!

Isaiah 55:8-9

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.
“And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.
For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so my ways are higher than your ways
and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.


Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Rough Road


Easter morning, I took a drive and came accross this sign. I literally went down the road and made a U-Turn and came back and pulled off to take a picture of this sign. I have never actually seen this sign on a road before. The funny thing is, I think God put it there for me and let's just say He had my full attention.

I put this photo as my computer wallpaper on Sunday, not even knowing what Monday would bring to me and my family! As our family well knows, we have been through a lot of hardships and God has done a wondeful work in our lives. I am so blessed that He has not given up on me yet! We got news on Monday that really was earth-shattering to us. The ironic thing was I already knew that the road was going to be rough the day before somehow.

I have been thinking about this sign today. When you are driving in your car and you see a sign such as this, what do you do? If you are like me, you would probably slow down, be alert and cautious as you move forward. I do not think anyone would answer, "turn the car around immediately and not proceed!" That would not make sense, especially if home was just down the road. We would automatically know that someone had assessed the road situation and considered it driveable, but with caution and care. We have faith in the D.O.T in these instances, don't we?

So why do we not trust our creator? When He post that big sign in my life, why is my first instinct to turn the car around? Or maybe I could just pull off on the side of the road until the construction is finished. When the road is perfect, then I will proceed. (In Florida, that would never happen!) It sounds so silly when speaking of roads, doesn't it? God has promised that He will be there for us. It is He that has assessed our road and deemed it traveable. Although we may need to proceed with caution, we can know that home is on the other side.

Psalm 37:34
" Put your hope in the Lord.
Travel steadily along his path"

Monday, April 13, 2009

Lessons from Chickens



I was driving to work the other morning and came across this site in the middle of a busy intersection. Remember the childhood joke, why did the chicken cross the road ? That was the first thing that came to my mind! What in the world were these chickens doing in the middle of town and why would they even think about crossing this busy intersection? There are no farms even close to here and I have no idea how they got there in the first place.

Then I thought of the answer of this childish riddle: to get to the other side. What a feat for these chickens if they were able to make it accross!

I have felt like these chickens lately. I end up in situations that seem to big for me and I usually feel like I stand out like a sore thumb!! I just want to run back to the farm where I belong and yet I realize that I am in a place on purpose and what a wonderful joy it will be when I accomplish what noone else (including myself) would have thought possible. Doesn't God do this for us in our daily lives?

Psalm 126:2-4
" We were filled with laughter,
and we sang for joy. And the other nations said,
“What amazing things the Lord has done for them.”
Yes, the Lord has done amazing things for us!
What joy!

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Don't give up on your dreams!

I had to post this. This really touched my heart. It is just a reminder to keep going when there is absolutely no one on your side!


Susan Boyle on Britain Got Talent
by dwarthy
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Tuesday, March 24, 2009

How do you see yourself?





I was out yesterday on the road with work and decided to stop at a local McDonalds to use the restroom. You can imagine my surprise when I opened the restroom door and was greeted with all of these mirrors, even one over the toilet and on the back of the restroom stall door. I had never seen such a thing! Can you imagine knowing what you look like when you use the toilet? I do now!

It made me realize how there are so many views of myself that I do not know. What do my kids see when I come home from work? What if I had a mirror so that I could see my expression when I come home and immediately get onto them for the mess they have made while I was gone? I don't think I would like what I see. I have been challenged to think about that concept this week. How do others see me when I am not looking at myself?

James 1:22-24 (New International Version)

22Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

The Scar




This picture is of Tyler after his first football game a couple weeks ago. First play of the game he was running and turned around to catch a pass that caught his face instead. His glasses went flying but not without cutting above his eye. I did not see this accident as I was home at the time, but saw the blood dripping when he got home.

I ran to the store for butterfly bandages and antibiotic cream. I kept saying, "it needs stitches" but was assured by the men in the house that it was just fine. Tyler kept asking me if it would scar. I let him know it was possible because he did not get stitches. He kept saying, "Good, I want it to and can you please take my picture". I think he asked me that every day for the next couple of days as it heals.

I finally asked him why he wanted a scar. He told me that if he had a scar, people would know that he was tough. He wanted that.

I got to thinking, as usually there is a lesson in there for me somewhere. Why do we not want people to know that we have been through tough situations? We tend to be afraid of the scar that might be left after a tragedy or hardship in our lives. We don't want to be reminded of what we have been through. We would do anything to leave that in the past and never think about it again.

But....what if we had the attitude of Tyler? What if we were proud that we were able to go through that hardship and heal? What if we were willing to let others notice the scar and ask, "What happened?" And what if we were willing to tell them that we were hurt, but God gave us the ability to heal? I have thought about this and decided that Tyler had the right attitude all along. Although, it might have been selfish in nature, there is a deep spiritual truth in that statement, " I want everyone to know that I am tough"

Deuteronomy 32:39

"Look now; I myself am he!
There is no other god but me!
I am the one who kills and gives life;
I am the one who wounds and heals;
no one can be rescued from my powerful hand!"

Sunday, March 1, 2009

September 24, 1996

Nahum 1:7

"The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust him"

Through all the hardships, terror and chaos of our lives and the world we live in...God is good!

He is our strength through the troubles. He is strength we can hold on to. He will never let go. He knows those who trust Him. Our complete trust in Him develops the intimate relationship we need.

Saturday, February 28, 2009

September 22, 1996

Psalm 141:2

"Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice."

David worshipped God with his prayers. It was not just a "request" time, but a time he could pour out his heart and worship. He offered himself as he was and gave up himself to God. If only I could do that! I pray that I can learn to worship with my heart, coming as I am.

Friday, February 27, 2009

September 16, 1996

Jeremiah 12:3

"But thou, O Lord, knowest me: thou hast seen me, and tried my heart toward thee."

He knows me and sees me. God actually takes detail in me. I am so small and He is so big, yet He sees me among everyone else. Even smaller yet, knows me (all about me and my heart). What right have I to believe that He is unjust or unair? God loves me no matter what. I am his tiny speck in a big world.

Thursday, February 26, 2009

September 15, 1996

Habakuk 3:17-18

"Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive shal fail and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: YET, I rejoice in the Lord. I will joy in the God of my salvation."

What a dismal picture--- Yet! What a small word to portray the outcome. Even though life can be so idsmal and disappointing -- Yet-- Find joy in God and rejoice in the Lord.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Child-Like Faith

I have been challenged this morning by once again, my little girl. She found my journal from years ago yesterday and was carrying it around. I realized this morning that she had put it by my bathroom sink. I picked it up earlier to read what I had written years ago.

I used to journal when the boys were small as it gave me an outlet from my busy, hectic pace of life which stems from little sleep and mounds of laundry. My middle son had just been born and I was 22 years old with two under the age of two. I hate the fact (not really) that I had such optimism and comfort in the Lord in those days. I think understanding that I did not yet know how much this cruel, old world can hurt you and those you love, I wonder if I was just ignorant in my thinking. Yet, at the same time, isn't that what God loved about children? Jesus remarked about their child-like faith and their approach is what we should all model?

I am going to post one a day as long as I have pages in the journal. I have enjoyed looking through this journal and hopefully you will be able to find comfort in child-like faith once again.

Emily

Monday, February 23, 2009

The Strength of Women



I had the privilege this weekend of serving at an event called "A Single MOMent". This was an event sponsored by our local Christian radio station and our church. Single moms were nominated by their family, friends by sending in a story about them and the radio station was able to read the stories and choose about 50 moms to take part in this event. The goal of the day was to pamper these moms and give them a day to enjoy to themselves.

My role was to be a hostess for two of the moms and hang out with them during the day. There were massage therapists, a health fair, hair stylists, facial make overs and other wonderful things for these special single moms to do.

I was so blessed by spending the day with these two women. Their strength and love for God is beautiful. They give of themselves tirelessly to their children without the help of a spouse and find such strength for God. I needed to be challenged and God knew that I needed these women in my life!

Proverbs 31:29-31

There are many virtuous and capable women in the world,
but you surpass them all!”

Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last;
but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.
Reward her for all she has done.
Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.

Thursday, February 12, 2009

I see Jesus



Dakota is very observant when she is riding in the car and likes to see the detail in everything she observes. One thing she loves to do is to find Jesus. Do you see him in the picture? Last night we were driving home and she starting shouting, "I see Jesus, I see Him". It honestly took me a few seconds to find him too.

Every time she sees a cross, she says this. And she is able find crosses everywhere. I wish I had a picture of every time she has seen him. I love that she does this. She ministers to my heart when she shares her discoveries. I want to see Jesus like she does, in every place that I go. I also love the fact that she has associated the cross with Jesus. I didn't teach her that, she has grasped this concept on her own.

I am challenged today.... where will I see Jesus?

Hebrews 12:2

"We must keep our eyes on Jesus, who leads us and makes our faith complete. He endured the shame of being nailed to a cross, because he knew that later on he would be glad he did. Now he is seated at the right side of God's throne! "

Friday, February 6, 2009

My Way!



A couple nights ago we were getting ready to have supper and Dakota was determined that she was going to have "Ogurt" (yogurt) before supper. When I say determined, I mean DETERMINED! She tried asking every kind of way she could, but I simply told her that in a few minutes we were going to have supper and that she could have some yogurt later. I hadn't turned my back more than a few minutes and she had grabbed a yogurt out of the fridge, took the top off and ran down the hall. When I realized what she had done, I ran after her and grabbed the yogurt. What took me by surprise is that she couldn't find a spoon, so she had grabbed the medicine dispenser. (The kind you put liquid medicine in to give to a baby or small child) Dakota didn't want to ask me for a spoon because she knew she wasn't even supposed to have the yogurt in the first place. In turn, her choice of spoon was not even a spoon and was not working very well although she was trying her hardest to make it work.

Wow! How many times have I done that? God keeps telling me he has a plan and even sometimes what that plan is, but takes too long..... So what do I do? I find some way to make that plan work myself! Just like Dakota, it never works out the way I think it is. In my pride I keep trying to make it work but realize that I am not prepared or the timing was not right. I continually am learning to wait on God for his perfect timing.

Psalm 5:3

" In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice;
in the morning I lay my requests before you
and wait in expectation. "

Thursday, February 5, 2009

God's Mysterious Ways



I was in a hurry the other day and was held up in a meeting a little longer than I wanted and felt bad about it on the way home. As I made my way home in the pouring rain I came across this accident which had happened earlier. I am sure we all have had this happen at some point in our lives when we realize, "That could have been me!"

Maybe it would have not been me. Maybe it would have happened after I passed that way, who knows? But the realization that God works in mysterious ways is one that continually keeps me trusting in Him. It also reminds me not to complain when the line at the checkout is too long or when I have to drive around forever for a parking space at the daycare. Maybe God is just allowing me a little extra time to avoid something that would have happened had I continued in my hurried pace. Think of all the people you meet in the course of the day and at the exact moment you meet them. Some people have met their one true love by running into them in an unexpected manner. What timing God has.

Isaiah 45:15

" Truly, O God of Israel, our Savior,
you work in mysterious ways."

Monday, February 2, 2009

Please Pray for My Friend



I have a wonderful friend that I have mentioned before on this blog battling breast cancer. Please say an extra prayer for her today.

III John 1:2
"Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well."

Monday, January 26, 2009

Tyler's Letter to the President



Tyler had a homework assignment to write a letter to President Obama. I was very touched by his letter and very proud of him for all of his thoughts. Sometimes it gets so discouraging being a parent and then they shine on their own at a moment like this and reassure you that God is working in their lives in spite of me!!

January 26, 2009

Dear President Barack Obama,
I would like to wish you the best of luck in the next four years. I hope that you can continue America’s tradition of pride and to help out other countries. I pray that you and your staff will be able to wheel America through these hard times. And that you will protect our American citizens. You have the chance and opportunity to make a stronger, healthier, and safer world. And I know that you will take advantage of this opportunity.
I am sorry to say that I was hoping McCain would win the election, but I do have faith that you can lead America in a better direction. I hope that you can encourage the kids to take care of themselves and the world. And I hope that you do stuff to make a cleaner environment.
I know that the economical situation is tough right now and may seem impossible to overcome. I hope that you can fix these problems and so that kids in future generations can have something to look forward to. You have set a mighty example and have broken many boundaries. In a nation’s history that has been dominated by a white race it the political standpoint, you have taken a big task in overcoming that.
You are a hero to many. Your support is very strong. Just on inauguration day you had almost 3 million people there. I pray that you can show these people the light. I know you have the opportunity with God’s help to lead the world in a better direction. I pray for you even though I was for the opposite candidate. And remember whenever you need help, just trust in God. He can show you the way, because with God, all things are possible. I trust in you as the commander-in-chief in the greatest nation of all. And together we can make a difference. Together we can change the world

From,


Tyler Tallman