My Heart...His Words

My Prayer for You Today...........

2012-02-01T05:51:00.001-05:00

I'm wordless the Wednesday, but as I read from Job this morning this verse seemed to jump out at me.

I'm praying it for you this morning.

May today be a day where you don't simply "hear" about God.

May today be a day where you see Him with your own eyes....

Be still enough to see His presence in things as simple as.....

nature

your children

friends

and the list goes on and on.

He's everywhere.

He longs to be seen by you.

I had only heard about you before,

but now I have seen you with my

own eyes.

Job 42:5

I Never Would Have Dreamed........

2012-01-31T06:18:00.006-05:00

When Evan was a young boy, he was about as shy as they come.

Hiding behind my leg when people tried to talk to him, I can remember trying to pull him around to say "hi" and finally just saying, "He is very shy."

Before he was even a teenager, he began taking piano lessons and later added guitar lessons. I often hoped that one day he would be on the worship team at church, but he never seemed to want to share his talent publicly.

I can remember vividly the moment that I came to peace with this.

I was reading, "Shepherding a Child's Heart," by Tedd Tripp; and in this book, Tripp challenged everything I had believed about my own motivation as a mom.

Did I want Evan to play publicly for himself or for me?

What if God had given Evan these particular gifts as a way of simply worshiping alone, much like David sang and played instruments while shepherding on a hill far away from crowds?

Could I be okay with this?

As I came to grips with the reality that deep inside I was wanting to see Evan on a stage more than he ever longed to be, I let go of these desires and allowed him to simply play for his pleasure not the world's.

Now, Evan is a young man.

If you have read my blog for a while, you know that Evan graduated from Morehead State University last spring and moved to California in September to pursue his dream as an actor, of all things.

If I lined up all of my children and even all of their friends, I think Evan would have been one of my last guesses (based on their childhood personalities) for "Who will decide to be an actor?" But I believe God has placed this desire in Evan, because his passion for the pursuit comes from deep within him not from any of us pushing back home.

When Evan and Tim left our house, Evan had a car full of most of his earthly belongings and a place to stay temporarily (with a friend of ours son) until he found an apartment.

Five months later, I am thankful to say that Evan has found a roommate and although he sleeps on an inflatable mattress, has a Rubbermaid container for a nightstand, and needs a dresser, he is doing well.

He has signed with a modeling agency, has been hired by catering company as a waiter, delivers pizzas some evenings for Domino's, and has a job with a fitness gym that has been under construction for the past few months. He has been taking some acting classes off and on and has auditioned for and been selected for a small part in a play.

He reads a lot about the art of acting, and we talk to him almost everyday.

I wanted to share a picture of Evan now that he is in California.

I don't know what God's plans are for him, but I do know this:

As long as Evan keeps God first and considers Him in all of his decisions, I believe God will lead Him to the right opportunities and set his boundaries in pleasant places.

Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup;
you have made my lot secure.
The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
surely I have a delightful inheritance.

I will praise the LORD, who counsels me;
even at night my heart instructs me.

Psalm 16:5-7

Evan has been attending a church called Ecclesia, and we are so thankful for Christians all over the world who can be there for our children when we cannot.

Here is my once-shy little guy:

You can follow Evan on Twitter: @eggsandsalsa.

He often sends out health tips and funny, random thoughts from the West Coast.

Please keep him in your prayers.

We claim this verse for all of our children:

Proverbs 22:6

Train up a child in the way he should go:

and when he is old,

he will not depart from it.

Evan, we love you so much. We are proud of you. We pray for you every single day. You are never far from our heart, and God is always in your heart. I told you I would not worry about you, because I have placed you in the hands of God........and I still mean that. Whatever you do, do it for His glory and He will lead you along the right path......I believe that with every inch of my soul.

My dear blogging friends, as you pray for Charlotte, Martha, Amber, Evan, and so many more that you have on your hearts, please also say a prayer for Tim's mom. She was hospitalized yesterday in Dallas, Texas. Martha was hospitalized yesterday, too. I will keep you posted on all of them as I receive news.

All of my love and prayers,

A Week of Updates......

2012-01-30T06:14:00.001-05:00

I have received emails asking about my kids from time to time, so I thought I'd spend a little time catching you up on how they are all doing. This morning, I'll share about Olivia since she is home and I have photographed her recently.

Olivia is definitely a teenage girl!

If she wrote her own update, she would not hesitate to say that she is both sweet and moody rolled into one!

She reminds me of Paul in so many ways.....

Passionate about sharing God with her friends, knowing the kind of life God longs for her to live, yet often doing the very things she doesn't want to do.

I admire so much Olivia's ability to regroup and move on, though. I was a teenage girl who could hang on to my moodiness for days, and I guess now is as good a time as any to say, "Thank you, mom and dad, for the grace you extended often to your daughter who could shut down and stay shut down indefinitely."

Olivia is going to give soccer a try this spring, so I think she is both excited and nervous.

She is hoping for at least one big snow this winter. So far, we have had a Kentucky April for the month of November...rain, rain, and more rain.

Olivia still plans to be a pediatrician when she grows up. This has been her dream ever since she stopped talking about being a "petnevarian," which is what she always called a veterinarian as a little girl. Olivia is an animal lover to the core. She can bathe three dogs in one afternoon and groom them all while humming every minute. Here she is with Dash.

Olivia is full of questions.

She wrote Tim a note during church yesterday asking about communion.

She is a deep thinker and keeps us on our toes..........challenged, inspired, and busy every day.

Nick and Olivia were big buddies, and I know she misses him as much as we do; but she presses on with the faith of Abraham. I am thankful for our gift from India. If you've considered adoption but been afraid, I am nudging you today to consider blessing your life and the life of a child who needs a home by stepping out and researching this option.

We went through Holt International, and they were wonderful!

I remember the night we decided to move forward.

Tim said, "If we bought a new car and made payments, five years from now we would have a used car. But if we used that same money to adopt a little girl, five years from now I know we wouldn't regret it."

And he was right!

God handpicked Olivia for us from an orphanage full of beautiful children and it was love at first sight.

I've always wondered if one day Olivia might decide to return to India to help others know about God.

When she was four she looked at me one afternoon and out of the blue said,

"When I grow up, I am going to go back to India and tell people about God, and Jesus, and Spirit."

My heart was filled with both joy and fear.

Then without pausing, she looked at me with a very serious face and asked, "What is Spirit?"

I had to laugh and remember that there are a lot of years of learning ahead of Olivia before she might really think about heading across the ocean to share God's love.....

Until then, I am cherishing every moment, thankful that God allowed us to share Him with her.

"Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God,

the faithful God Who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations

of those who love Him and keep His commandments."

Deuteronomy 7:9

Olivia has a classmate who is in the hospital right now on a ventilator.

Her name is Amber Ripberger. She and her family need your prayers.

If you would like to send her an e-card, I know her mom would be touched by love from all over the world. Be sure to add where you are from to your note. This will make Amber smile when she can.

Here is the link to the hospital:

http://www.cabellhuntington.org/features/ecards/?doAction=ShowCategories

Also, Charlotte is still struggling and need of prayer as they await a bone marrow transplant.

Martha's first round of chemo resulted in a very, very rough week of pain.

I know that God hears your prayers and answers in ways we may not see or understand until Heaven.

Thank you for being prayer warriors for those you do not know and those you do.

I love you all so much.

If you happen to be the reader from Iceland, I would love to talk to you. I have a friend whose daughter will be traveling there, and she needs a contact when she arrives. You can email me at tammynischan@yahoo.com.

Praying now for all of you,

When You're Anxious........

2012-01-27T06:17:00.001-05:00

Life is filled with moments worthy of anxiety.

Stressful home situations, stressful jobs, health problems.............

I've had many anxiety-filled seasons in my life.

Seasons that seemed as if they would last forever.

I remember vividly the hours spent in different doctor's offices and hospitals with Nick waiting for news, waiting for surgeries to begin and end, waiting for chemo to start.

I remember clearly the feelings inside me as I sat by the phone waiting for a doctor or Tim to call with an update.

I remember Nick's last few weeks of life and can still see images in my mind that bring back memories so painful that I have to immediately think of something else or the anxiety rises again.

I also have present-day reasons for anxiety.

Not as severe, not as personal, but still difficult.

Parental anxiety, teacher anxiety, and the list goes on and on...........

Even the anxiety of my friends and students can cause me to feel anxious as I long to help them but often have no easy solution for their problem.

Life has a way of handing us challenge after challenge.

What do we do when we feel anxious?

I am so thankful that God included the word "anxiety" in the Bible and that He knew it was an emotion we WOULD experience.

I Peter 5:7 says, "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."

This verse is one I carried in my purse in a notebook throughout Nick's journey with cancer.

I still cling to it today in my grief and in my day-to-day life.

I love to envision a fisherman fastening all of his anxiety onto a hook and casting the line far out into the sea.

Then, instead of reeling it back in, simply letting go of the pole and allowing the water to carry his anxiety away.

Today, if you are feeling anxious.

Don't feel guilty,

as if your faith is weak.

Simply know that God understands and He cares for you.

Cast your anxiety to Him.

Allow Him to carry it for you.

Lean back in His loving arms and know that He can handle all the things you cannot handle alone.

Praying for you all today,

A Psalm for Today.......

2012-01-26T06:01:00.001-05:00

Psalm 20

In times of trouble, may the LORD answer your cry.
May the name of the God of Jacob keep you safe from all harm.
May he send you help from his sanctuary
and strengthen you from Jerusalem.

May he remember all your gifts
and look favorably on your burnt offerings.

May he grant your heart's desires
      and make all your plans succeed.
May we shout for joy when we hear of your victory
      and raise a victory banner in the name of our God.
   May the LORD answer all your prayers.

Now I know that the LORD rescues his anointed king.
      He will answer him from his holy heaven
      and rescue him by his great power.
Some nations boast of their chariots and horses,
      but we boast in the name of the LORD our God.
Those nations will fall down and collapse,
      but we will rise up and stand firm.

Give victory to our king, O LORD!
Answer our cry for help.

Praying for you this morning,

Just say it.........

2012-01-25T06:16:00.001-05:00

As a teacher, I'm more than happy to help a student......

if I know they need help.

As a mom, I'm thrilled to be there for my kids........

if I know they need something.

God knows everything already, but I think He longs to "hear" our needs straight from our mouths too.

He wants to share life with us not just be Lord over us.

When perfection began, it began in a garden.

God walking with Adam and Eve, talking and sharing life together.

The devil must have hated this intimacy, and I think one of his primary goals for tempting Eve was to place a wall between God and His creation.

Do you ever feel a wall between you and God?

Do you ever feel that your foot is slipping?

Do you ever feel anxiety rising up in you?

Just say it out loud.

Tell God how you are feeling.

He longs to break through the wall and support you with His love.

He longs to bring joy to your soul.

I've had many foot-slipping, anxious days.

I am so thankful for a Father who listens, cares, and comforts.

When I said, "My foot is slipping, your love, O Lord, supported me."

When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.

Psalm 94:18-19

Healthy Perspective...........

2012-01-24T06:12:00.001-05:00

Job sat in ashes, covered in boils.

His children gone.

Everything he worked for years to earn swept away.

With a wife saying, "Curse God and die," and friends surrounding him,

Job listened to their desperate attempts to make sense of his pain as they listed every possible thing he could have done to make God so angry.

And yet, Job looked up.

He knew that even if God seemed to have abandoned him, there had to be more to his tragic life story.

He knew that in spite of all of his agony, ONE DAY all the sorrow would be washed away in a minute.

He didn't understand his suffering.

Deep inside he felt unjustly punished.

He was the poster child for the saying,

"Life is not fair."

But Job still looked up.

Last night, I ran to pick up Olivia from a basketball game.

As I stepped into our driveway, I happened to notice how clear the sky appeared.

Every star sparkling in such vivid detail.

Stars I hadn't noticed in a long time.

I stopped for a second and just looked up.

These stars all shone in the same positions I had remembered them in a season where I looked up often.

I remember after Nick's death looking up almost every night, as if somehow I could see Nick in the expanse of the sky.

I knew he was there in the heavens, and I still believe that today.

I knew that the God of the Universe who created every sparkling dot in the sky still loved me and that He held Nick in the palm of His hand.

But life gets busy and looking up at the sky hasn't been a nightly occurrence for me for some time.

It felt surreal to stand in my drive way last night and see the wonder of the sky anew.

It was as if three years of grief were swallowed up in a moment's time as I slipped back in time to that early pain and felt the same peace I felt as I trusted God through those first few months of deep sadness.

Today, I'm sensing someone is brokenhearted and needs to know that God loves them deeply even when "life is not fair."

I am praying for you today, and I want you to know that no matter how uncertain, how painful, how difficult your earthly situation there is one thing that remains forever true,

"Your Redeemer lives and one day He will stand upon the earth at last."

And when He does, all of our heartache will be washed away..........leaving a cloudless night filled with the wonder of a starry sky.

Keep looking up.

He's there!

I promise.

Job 19:25-27

"But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives,
and he will stand upon the earth at last.
And after my body has decayed,
yet in my body I will see God!
I will see him for myself.
Yes, I will see him with my own eyes.
I am overwhelmed at the thought!

Thunderstorms in January.....

2012-01-23T06:22:00.001-05:00

First, thank you for the emails, texts, and comments in response to Saturday's post. I am taking your advice and trying many of your recommendations. I love you all so much. You make me laugh, remind me I'm normal, and give me hope!!

Second, I awoke this morning to the sound of a downpour outside. I knew bad weather was headed our way last night when my mom texted and said "Check your weather before heading to bed. Bad storms are coming."

Thunder and lightning arrived just an hour or so after her text, and I'm guessing it's been raining all night long.

Today, we are in a wind advisory, with more storms possible, and I'm thinking, "This is odd weather for January." The 10-day forecast shows no signs of cold temperatures or snow. No, it's more like an April forecast. Have we somehow missed winter?

It occurred to me, as I was thinking about our strange weather, that often in life we "expect" certain seasons at certain times and when these seasons become jumbled we grasp for understanding.

I'm reading from Job right now, and I'm struck with the "mixed-up seasons" in Job's life and how he and his friends are grasping for some type of sense in all of his agony.

His friends ramble and guess and speculate as they sit with Job and try to bringing meaning to his countless tragedies.

Even Job gets caught up in trying to make sense of his losses, his pain, his illness.

But he can't.

And if your life is anything like mine, I'm just guessing there are moments when things just don't make sense to you either.

There are thunderstorms and January, and we are left wondering, 'Why?'

Late last night I received word that a college friend's wife had died unexpectedly yesterday afternoon.

The most tragic part of this news was that our college friend died several years ago leaving her a widow with a young daughter. There is now an 8 year old little girl who has lost both of her parents in the wrong season of life.

Thunderstorms in January.

I fell to sleep last night to the sound of thunder and with this sweet little girl on my heart.

Life does not make sense sometimes.

What do we do in this mixed-up seasons?

I think there's only one answer.

We go to Him who created winter, spring, summer, and fall, and we simply say, "Be enough, Lord."

Be enough when flowers bloom, when leaves turn and fall, when ice and snow appear, and when blossoms reappear.

Be enough even in those seasons when it feels as if one thing should be happening (like snow falling), yet we are facing something unexpected (like a thunderstorm).

"Be enough, Creator of the Seasons."

Paul struggled with a weakness in his flesh that he did not understand. He begged for healing. He begged for this "thorn in the flesh" to be taken away. And yet, God replied,

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

II Cor. 12;9

I don't know what you are facing on this Monday morning in January.

Maybe there is beautiful, white snow falling in your life and everything feels "right" for winter.

Maybe you're not sure what today will even hold.

And maybe, just maybe, you are hearing thunder and it doesn't make sense.

Whatever the case, please remember,

God is enough. He is sufficient. He will carry you through the snow and the storms....no matter the season.

New Deodorant and Other Concerns........

2012-01-21T13:48:00.001-05:00

Although a health issue like needing to find a new deodorant is not my usual topic choice, I feel the need this afternoon to share that I am definitely in search of some new magic formula. I realized this morning that you know your Saturday is somewhat "free" when that is one of the top things on your list of "things to do" after finishing lesson plans and straightening the house.

There's something about having a faint odor that brings back memories of your grandpa after he's had a hard day of work on the farm that makes you realize something is "just not right." Especially when the toughest thing I've done today is clean up a few puppy accidents around the house.

Which brings me to another concern at the Nischan house.

Somehow I have exchanged the hectic schedule of running five kids all over the world for a somewhat quiet house filled with dogs!

While Snoopy and Peppy are quite old and honestly not a lot of trouble (except that they smell almost as offensive as I do at times, and they seem to need to come inside and/or go outside at the same time I decide to get comfortable with a cup of coffee and a book), Dash and Domino are struggling to understand the idea of potty training.

Mom and Dad were here for Christmas; and when Dad saw the puppy pad in the laundry room, his comment was, "So, you're training them to go on the floor." I laughed and said, "Actually, I think you're right." And you know what? He is right!

Here's the problem:

Our back yard does have a fence, but it goes up to the top of our hill where there must be small places to escape, so taking the puppies outside EVERY TIME they need to do their little thing is very stressful. Seeing the pups disappear up into the trees and then wondering whether or not they will return is a little more than I can take three or four or one hundred times a day, depending on how often they need attention.

So, we are trying puppy pads, but I am about to give up on this style even if it's winter and even if it means multiple adrenaline rushes every single day as I hope the puppies will return after a little potty outing.

The main reason I believe it is time to try something else is this:

I had a dream this week that was way too real and left me feeling a little rattled.

I am going to share this dream at the risk of losing you all as friends (if sharing my need for new deodorant or my rant with my kids yesterday about wearing their retainers wasn't enough- by the way, I never had the nerve to ask my kids to read that post, so I am counting on God to lead them here, I guess).

Before I share the dream, let me give a little background on my mental state.

I am reading a book with my class right now called Hunger Games. Maybe you have heard of it. I've never seen a book take a high school age group by storm in such a powerful way as this book is doing. Kids have been asking for the sequels for Christmas and birthday gifts from their parents. They have been sneaking and reading ahead and talking about the book in conversations as if it's part of their normal life to have book discussions.

The reality, though, is that this book is fairly violent. Much more violent than anything I've ever read. I'm not a scary movie person. I'm not a thriller-book person. In fact, my son Evan has said several times, "I just can't believe you like that book, Mom. It doesn't seem like you at all."

I think it's seeing the kids so "into" a novel that has made me love the book. It is well-written and has lots of suspense. But, again, it is violent and my mind doesn't do violence very well.

At the same time, a house with four dogs is more than crazy; and at school I often think of our house and kind-of shutter as I realize that as I walk in, I will one again be greeted by a stinky laundry room that needs a deep clean..in spite of the glorious puppy pad protection.

I say all of that to say this, "I think (hope) my dream stemmed from a combination of a violent book and a house that is putting me over the edge."

Cy, please don't hate me, because honestly, Peppy is my biggest buddy. He's sleeping at my feet right this minute. He follows me everywhere I go and whimpers until he is right by my side in the chair.

But in my dream, we were playing a board game and on each person's turn they had to do something. On my turn, and I cringe as I say this, "I shot Peppy." Yes, I shot my dog. It was awful. I woke up and saw Peppy and felt so guilty, so evil, so warped.

This dream has been haunting me, along with my need for new hygiene supplies, and I decided this morning that writing it all out of my system might be my only escape from my thoughts.

So, I am going to click "publish," and then I am going to sit back and cringe and hope that I still have at least one friend.

I am also going to hope that someone gives me a suggestion for a favorite antiperspirant-deodorant and/or a puppy-training secret.

If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth.

But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.

I John 1:8-10

For now I am going to embrace the freedom that follows confession and try to enjoy my Saturday,

Wear Your Retainers! Please!

2012-01-20T06:06:00.002-05:00

In four years of blogging, I have never used my forum to speak to my children. However, this morning I felt this nudge to say something to all four of them publicly that I believe has a lesson in it for all of us. So, I write this not so much for the "retainer" lesson but more for the "spiritual lesson" entwined within it. Honestly, teeth are such a small issue on the scale of life.........but our soul.................that is no small issue.

So, bear with me for just a few minutes as I write as a desperate mom.

Erich, Evan, Todd, and Olivia,

I know that you have grown weary of me asking you if you are wearing your retainers. I know that many times your answer is "no," and I tend to seem a little ruffled and disappointed. I also know that in the scheme of life, wearing your retainers isn't the most important aspect of successful living. Believe me, I would much rather know you are reading your Bible, sharing your heart with God, and putting Him first in every decision you make.

However, I do feel a sense of passion about your retainers and here is why:

Your dad and I made monthly payments for YEARS so that you could have straight teeth. We could have chosen a new car, a driveway that isn't crumbling, a fence without termites, but we chose YOUR TEETH instead and we are happy with our decision.......until we hear you're not wearing your retainers!

Your dad and I spent hours on the road driving back and forth to the dentist, sitting in waiting rooms so that you would not miss any of your every 6-week appointments. We took days off of work to keep these appointments, and we are thankful for every minute with you........until we hear you're not wearing your retainers!

But the biggest reason I am begging you is this:

I have met too many adults who have said to me, "I wish I would have listened to my parents and dentist and worn my retainers, because my teeth have moved and now I can't get my retainers on anymore."

So, after I call each of you and for the first time ever ask you to read my blog, I am officially done asking (I hope I can keep this promise.). You are on your own to live with the consequences of choosing NOT to wear the simple device that keeps your teeth aligned. I hope that every night as you crawl into bed there will be a nagging voice (mine) somewhere in the recesses of your memory asking you the question for me, "Are you wearing your retainers?" I hope the voice haunts you; and if you forget to wear your retainers for just two or three nights, I hope it hurts a bit when you put them back on so that you will realize how quickly your teeth can move out of line. I hope this pain is a warning not to forget again. I love you all so much. More than words could ever express. I'm proud of you. I pray for you every single day more than once. I want you all to live FULL God-filled lives where you bring Him glory in everything you do. I want you to feel a purpose every morning when you wake up, and I want you to feel God's presence on the good days and the bad. But, as a shallow mom, I also want you to wear your retainers. Please.

Now that I've gotten that off my chest, I want to say this to my kids and to all of you who stop by to read today.

God, as our Father, left us with retainers.

His Words and the Holy Spirit.

He left them so that we would have a guide, something and Someone to keep us on the straight and narrow.

If we keep our Bible on a shelf or nightstand, it is just as effective as my kids' retainers are in their case.

We have to open it, read it, apply it, pray over it, love it, live by it...........

God sacrificed so much so that we could have the message of Hope that comes from His Word.

I think it has to hurt Him when we don't choose to spend time learning more about Him and turning to Him for guidance and direction.

I am guilty often, and, believe me, I have felt the pain of trying to live without Him as my daily guide.

I don't want that for any of you.

Today, we may not need physical retainers in our life, but I do believe we all need spiritual retainers.

Please don't forget to wear them!

Proverbs 4:11-12

I guide you in the way of wisdom
and lead you along straight paths.
When you walk, your steps will not be hampered;
when you run, you will not stumble.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.

Praying for all of you today,

Minutes Matter..........

2012-01-19T08:23:00.001-05:00

There's nothing new about the reality the statement that "every minute matters," but some mornings the clock ticks in a way that makes you keenly aware of this truth.

How long you take drying your hair, how long it takes to pick out clothes, routine tasks become stealers of minutes that often pass unnoticed.

Unexpected things like a missing PD certification form that sent me hunting online for thirty minutes until I could recover it pushed my morning ahead quickly, causing me to move in a robotic fast motion, a speed I lived in for way too long and a speed I do not miss.

Now, the clock is screaming, "You need to be on the road in 12 minutes, heading to your appointment in Ashland. Don't be late."

And I breathe and think, "WAIT!"

I refuse to let these few minutes slip by wastefully.

So I wanted to share a little something I discovered this morning when reading in Genesis.

I was caught by the words that Jacob said to Joseph on his death bed. He requested that his body be taken back to Canaan to be buried after he died and told Joseph of the great sorrow he had experienced when he had been forced to bury Rachel on the road to Ephrath (which is Bethlehem).

My mind is fascinated with the thought that Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, was right there in the midst of all of these Old Testament stories. I wonder if Mary and Joseph ever told the story of their ancestors to Jesus and said, "And Rachel was buried very near your birthplace."

I wonder if Jesus grinned as he heard them talk about Canaan and how important it was to the Israelites. How it was their Promised Land.

And I just wonder if he ever talked to Mary and explained things more clearly so that she understood a little bit more about what was going to happen in the future than we get to read in Scriptures.

Today, we are all on a journey to the Promised Land, aren't we?

Christmas is a wonderful time, but let's don't die near Bethlehem, simply embracing the story of Jesus' birth.

Let's push on toward Easter and grasp the power of the resurrection!

Today, let every minute matter.

Each of them leads us forward toward Canaan.

Thankful for each of you,

Belated Birthday Memories...

2012-01-18T06:07:00.001-05:00

I realized I never had shared pictures from Olivia's cake-decorating birthday party, so I wanted to say "thank you" again to Kim for all of her hard work and "thank you" to Brooke for staying and being a wonderful assistant!

I think the girls had a lot of fun and, who knows, maybe one of them will grow up to be the next Cake Boss!! I think they all showed lots of potential!!

May your Wednesday be as sweet as these cakes!

Psalm 119:103-104

How sweet Your words taste to me;
they are sweeter than honey.
Your commandments give me understanding;
no wonder I hate every false way of life.

The Next Thing.......

2012-01-17T05:55:00.003-05:00

After a week of illness and a snow day Friday, I'm finding the minute-by-minute routine this morning extra-difficult.

Still a little weak and definitely sleepy, I'm fumbling through the motions to get ready for a day of school.

This morning as I was reading about Joseph's journey from being the favorite son of Jacob to being thrown in a cistern by his brothers and evenutally sold into slavery, I felt a little guilty for thinking I had it rough today. As I continued reading the saga of Joseph's life, I noticed something special about his character. Scriptures didn't seem to include any type of lamenting from this man. There's no dark prison anguish or questioning God with words like, "Why me??"

Joseph appears to take the next thing that comes along in his journey and do what he has to do.

He works hard for Potipher.

He resists Potipher's wife.

He interprets dreams while in prison.

Yes, Joseph, a one-time dreamer himself, spends a lot of time helping others figure out their dreams along the way. As he lets go of his own needs and focuses on others, God seems to slowly pull him up and out of the darkness surrounding him.

I love that Joseph eventually names one of his sons, "Ephraim," which he says means, "God has made me fruitful in this land of my grief."

Not once do I read words expressing Joseph's grief following the loss of his father's daily presence in his life or the sadness of being betrayed by his very own brothers in the desert. However, this name choice for his son seems to show that even though Jacob was doing "the next thing" all along the way, he was still grieving.

Today, I am inspired by Joseph to be a "next thing" kind-of person.

Yes, I'm sleepy.

Yes, I'm still a little queasy.

Yes, it's raining and my blanket calls my name.

But, for today, I am called to teach, to do the next thing in life.

And I am trusting that God will make me fruitful as I lean on Him for strength.

Trust Him today with your pain, your confusion, your fatigue, your loneliness, your fear, your questions, your doubts, your grief.............

Do the next thing.

You will find God to be faithful.

Scripture promises ys that those who "sow in tears will reap songs of joy."

Be faithful today with your tears.

God is with you.

He will make you fruitful.

Thank you, Father, for stories like the one of Joseph.

Thank you for showing up this morning in something as simple as the naming of his son....

Ephraim.......

"God has made me fruitful in the land of my grief."

Help me do the next thing just like Joseph.

In Your Son's Name,

Amen

God-Sized Plans.............

2012-01-15T16:05:00.001-05:00

Before I begin this post, I want to say "thank you" for your prayers as I have been under the weather. I am doing much better today. Shew!

When they were safely out of the city, one of the angels ordered,

"Run for your lives! And don't look back or stop anywhere in the valley!

Escape to the mountains, or you will be swept away!"

"Oh no, my lord!" Lot begged.

"You have been so gracious to me and saved my life, and you have shown such great kindness.

But I cannot go to the mountains. Disaster would catch up to me there, and I would soon die.

See, there is a small village nearby.

Please let me go there instead; don't you see how small it is?

Then my life will be saved."

"All right," the angel said, "I will grant your request.

I will not destroy the little village. But hurry! Escape to it, for I can do nothing until you arrive there."

(This explains why that village was known as Zoar, which means "little place.")

As I read this about a week ago, my eyes stopped at the lines "But I cannot go to the mountain....."

Can you imagine being in Lot's shoes?

Visited by angels, spared by God, pointed toward safety, then having the nerve to say those words?

"But I cannot go to the mountain.."

Lot feared God's rescue plan!

I wonder how many times we say, "But I cannot..." to God's plan?

I don't want to take this passage out of context, but the fact that this series of events is included in the story must mean it holds some sort of lessons for us today.

I wonder if one of the lessons has to do with Lot's fear of the unknown?

I love that the angel allowed Lot to act on his fear.

Lot saw a small village nearby and begged to go there instead, because he thought surely disaster would find him in the mountains.

So, the angel, said, "All right. I will grant your request."

I wonder if angels ever roll their eyes, because I'm just thinking that this would have been a perfect facial expression as he breathed those words.

And then, I think the angel would have shook his head as he watched Lot dart off to Zoar which he knew meant, "little place."

So many times in my life, I have feared God's mountain-sized callings and settled for "little places" where I can have security and daily purpose.

But, I'm thinking God often has bigger plans for us if we will just muster the courage to GO!

Maybe we're not running from evil.

Maybe we're not running at all.

Maybe we're just feeling a call.

Let's each take some time to look deep inside our hearts this week and ask the question, "Lord, what do you want from me?"

If you feel the nudge to turn towards something daring and somewhat scary that could bring glory to Him, don't find yourself choosing a Lot kind-of life and settling in a "little place."

Drink Lots of Water and Get Plenty of Rest........

2012-01-12T15:10:00.001-05:00

Tuesday at school, I started feeling very nauseated.

By the end of the school day, my head was throbbing. Organizing my desk before heading home became a monumental feat.

Since putting on my pajamas Tuesday around 4:30, life has consisted of sleeping, being sick, and taking Tylenol to try to help with the aching all over my body.

I'm hoping for a snow day tomorrow, because the thought of standing in front of a classroom still seems like a task beyond my capability.

As I've gone in and out of "reality" over the past 48 hours, I've thought of all of you and wished I had the strength to say, "I'm sick."

I've thought a lot about what happens when a person is sick.

Nothing seems to matter. Nothing but sleeping. And getting better.

Pain has a way of dominating the body, doesn't it?

As I thought of my body hurting, I thought of the church.

The body of Christ.

And something occurred to me that had never really crossed my mind before.

Sometimes, the church gets sick. Sometimes the body of Christ undergoes painful experiences - deaths within the family, illnesses, sins that affect many....

And for that season, nothing else matters.

Nothing but getting better.

As I tossed and turned and reflected on what in the world God was trying to say to me in my physical pain, I remembered the words we often hear when sick and the words my doctor said to me last night, "drink lots of water and get plenty of rest."

Could it be that as the body of Christ, we need to do more drinking from the Living Water and more resting when we are struggling?

The answer may not be more programs, more services, more members, more new songs...........

Maybe God is calling churches to be still and simply soak in God by reading His Word and learning more about His Son.

I wonder what a seeking, resting church would look like? It sounds inviting to me right now.

A place to quietly learn about Him, read about Him, learn to love Him more.

Today, if you feel that you are spiritually sick, try this:

"Be still (rest) and spend time with Jesus...the Living Water."

John 7:37

Jesus stood and shouted to the

crowds, "Anyone who is thirsty may

come to me!

Looking Back.........

2012-01-10T06:22:00.001-05:00

But Lot's wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.

Genesis 19:26

This may be one of the most disturbing stories in the Bible for me.

We teach it to our kids in Sunday school as if things like this happen every day.

You can find all kinds of cartoon pictures of Lot and his daughters running away from a burning town, while Lot's wife, who is never even named, is standing behind them on the road...

looking back...

as a column of human-shaped salt.

To be honest, I want to study this passage more.

I want to look in more commentaries.

I want to ask some Bible professors a few questions.

I want to know why God, a God of love and mercy, chose to be drastic with Lot's wife.?

WHY DO I FEEL THIS WAY?

Because, I am a wife and mom who is guilty of "looking back."

I am the queen of second guessing., wondering how things might have been "if such and such hadn't happened."

And maybe, just maybe, God knew that when Lot hesitated and an angel had to seize his hand and pull him out of town that it was clear that having a wife who "looked back" would be the end of this line of people.

Constant drama may have been the word of the day if Lot's wife would have stayed in the picture.

But, I have to believe there was more to Lot's wife than we ever got to see.

Maybe her heart was wicked.

Maybe her love of material "things" caused her to long to stay in such an evil place just to keep the luxuries she had always enjoyed.

For this morning, I do believe this:

The question is not so much, "What you are looking back to see?"

I think the question is "Why are you looking back to see it?"

God knows our heart.

He is a soul searcher.

He is loving and merciful, and I do not believe He acts without reason.

The Bible says that fearing God is the beginning of wisdom.

So, if this story frightens you like it frightens me, then I guess it shows that we are beginning to get a little wisdom.

The Bible also tells us several times to "flee from evil" and "draw near to God."

Today, look up to God.

Don't look back to a life without Him.

I am so thankful that God is constantly pursuing us, longing to pull us closer to His heart.

What is it going to take?????

2012-01-09T06:07:00.002-05:00

At dawn the next morning the angels became insistent. "Hurry," they said to Lot. "Take your wife and your two daughters who are here. Get out right now, or you will be swept away in the destruction of the city!" When Lot still hesitated, the angels seized his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters and rushed them to safety outside the city, for the Lord was merciful.

As I was reading this passage last night, I was struck by something I had never noticed before.

After being visited by angels, seeing the evil of the town in which he lived, and being warned that the entire city was going to be destroyed,

Lot still hesitated........

Part of me wonders, "Would I have done that too?"

Sadly, I think I know the answer.

Fear is a powerful tool of the devil.

I'm sure that even though the devil is never mentioned, he was there...somewhere...playing with Lot's mind.

He's here too.

Casting doubt.

Raising tough questions.

Whispering failure.

Speaking fear.

Reminding us of the comfort we "think" we have if we just stay put.

Yes, I'm afraid if this passage was the story of my life, it would read the same...

Tammy still hesitated..

I breathe a huge sigh of relief. though, when I remember the last words of this passage,

The Lord was merciful.

And this morning, I want you to breathe that same sigh of relief.

God is merciful.

God knows we have an enemy who is relentless.

He knows that in some ways his power can be overwhelming in our actions.

But He also knows that, in the end, TRUE POWER rests in Him and Him alone!!!

So, He patiently lead us and sometimes seizes us to snatch us away from the things that are pulling us down.

As we begin a new week of January, 2012, let's take an inventory of our life.

Are there things we need to let go of but we are hesitating?

Are there relationships that are not drawing us closer to God but maybe even further away from the One who can save our soul that we need to reevaluate?

Is our thought life leading us to the heart of God or away from it?

Are there habits we need to break, but we find ourselves making excuses, procrastinating on making changes?

Remember this:

Lot was not an evil person.

He simply lived in the middle of an evil place.

Sometimes God wants to move us away from destructive things (physically, spiritually, and emotionally) BEFORE it is too late.

Today, don't find yourself hesitating.

I am sure an angel has had to "seize my hand" more than once and pull me away from negative things.

I know the Lord is merciful.

But let's not forget what happens to Lot's wife just a few verses after this.

We'll talk about that tomorrow.

I love you all.

Happy Monday!

Mixed Emotions..........

2012-01-07T09:17:00.004-05:00

Today is Olivia's 14th birthday!

I'll never forget the day pictures arrived in the mail of Olivia's little face.

We had 6 days to say "yes" or "no."

The minute her eyes made contact with mine, I fell in love with this little girl on the other side of the world.

Sitting in an orphanage, her background a stack of books documenting so many others who need homes.............

I remember thinking that it looked as if she were trying to hand us her toy in exchange for our love.

I'm so thankful we said, "yes."

Olivia blesses our life every day.

Her humor, passion for God, love for animals..........

She brings joy to the walls of our home.....a home that has felt a lot of sorrow.

Happy birthday, Olivia!!!!!!!!!

The mixed emotions swell up, though, as I think of the fun we are going to have today.

Fourteen girls will be coming to stay all night......my friend, Kim, is going to give them basic cake- decorating lessons.

I know the night will be filled with laughter.

But, I know that so many I love aren't laughing as much today.

Martha's anxiety continues to rise as her trip to MD Anderson approaches quickly. Her appointment is Wednesday in Houston. Please keep her in your prayers.

Charlotte's treatments continue, and on such a tiny body chemo can be so harsh. Please lift up Charlotte and her family as they walk this road of leukemia.

My brother and his wife are experiencing a heartbreaking weekend. Yesterday, they learned that she is having a miscarriage. I have cried so many tears for them since hearing this news.

I don't understand a world with such happy and sad times rolled into one.

I remind myself that for now the devil has some power to steal, kill, and destroy........

but this power is temporary.

I remind myself that his goal is our pain, our destruction, our doubting of a God who loves us,

but this goal will never be reached if we cling to God through the happy and the sad.

I remind myself that even Jesus says, 'In this world you will have trouble,"

but He goes on to say, "I have overcome the world!"

Today, my heart churns with thankfulness, joy, sorrow, and many questions.

I am so glad the Bible contains the words,

"Cast every care upon Him."

and then goes on to tell why we should do this............

"Because He cares for us."

Today, if you feel burdened, confused, sad, or worried,

tell God about it.

I promise He is listening.

And He cares.

Alarms should be Alarming........

2012-01-06T06:08:00.002-05:00

It's Friday, and I'm pretty sure the week has caught up with my body.

The snooze alarm was a pest this morning, a gnat that kept swarming.......

and I kept batting it away........

Until I realized I had missed my chance for a leisurely morning. Now every second of the clock is passing more quickly than my heartbeat can keep up.

Coffee is brewing late. I'll have to sip it while getting ready instead of under a blanket.

I'm not a fan of these kind of mornings, but guess what?

I don't really get a choice when my mind won't snap awake enough to know that the sound of my alarm is truly an alarm and not just an annoying beeping in my head.

What alarms are you missing today, pushing them away as if they aren't really "alarming?"

Maybe health symptoms, maybe spiritual signs, maybe emotional troubles, maybe relationship red flags.........

Don't ignore these alarms.

Do something today.

Wake up!

I wish I would have.......about an hour ago!!

Happy Friday even if my eyes are drooping and my typing is short!

Love you all so much!

Sunrise, Sunset..........

2012-01-04T06:12:00.001-05:00

I love that God paints beautiful skies, morning and evening.

It's almost as if He is chooses to remind us daily that on either side of dark times........

He is there.

We don't have to wonder, when the sun sets, if the earth will see sunlight again.

We know.

We trust in a star over which we have no power.

We trust in the rotation and orbit of our planet, which honestly is a tiny dot in the midst of our universe.

How much more should we trust in the One who set all things in motion?

Here are just a few of the many promises made available to us through His Word:

He will not leave us or forsake us.

He has a plan for us, a plan to give us a hope and a future.

He began a good work in us and will be faithful to complete it.

He works good in all things according to His will and purpose.

He makes everything beautiful in His time.

He turns to us and hears our cry.

He lifts us out of pits.

He covers us with His wing.

He holds us in the palm of His hand.

He knows our thoughts before we even think them.

He knew us before we were ever born.

Hab. 3:4

His splendor was like the sunrise;
rays flashed from his hand,
where his power was hidden.

Think "Up" Even When You're Looking Down......

2012-01-03T08:25:00.001-05:00

I was walking through our kitchen the other day, and noticed the sun shining in through our curtains in a way I had never seen before. I tried to figure out how this happened, and it never really made total sense to me. I guess the folds in the curtains were just right, but still the fact that no other window was affected by the light must have meant that the clouds were aligned just right over the sun so that only this section of our windows was catching its rays. Anyway, this is what I saw on our kitchen floor:

Some might call me crazy for even noticing, even thinking that maybe God was sending love from Nick and Adrienne, but I don't really care. This tiny gift that came from the sky was enough for me as December 2011 ended and we braced for yet another year of living in midst of our grief.I share these pictures as a reminder of the fact that in this life there are going to be a lot of things that happen that will cause us to have a downward look (illness, rejection, loss, pain, sadness, hurt, etc.), but even in the act of looking down God can speak from above. He is omnipresent, which means He is in your upward worship and He is in your downcast spirit, He is behind you, before you, beside you, above you, and YES, He is below you............

Trust Him in the good times and lean on Him in the bad times.

While Nick was fighting cancer, we met many wonderful families on the same road of cancer.

One family in particular became very close to us. You might remember praying for Jenna as you prayed for Nick. Jenna won her fight with leukemia, and she is doing great! We are so happy for them about this! However, not long after their life became somewhat normal again, Jeff (Jenna's dad and prayer warrior), was diagnosed with ALS. His journey for the past couple of years has been heart wrenching,and we received word yesterday that He has been called home. Maybe the hearts on my kitchen floor represented Nick meeting Jeff again, or maybe they were just God's reminder that His love goes in all directions. Whatever the case, I believe wholeheartedly that the light shining in my kitchen windows was met for me and for you, so I am sharing it today as I share some of Jeff's words with you that he penned several months ago.

I want you to see in living color what it means to think "UP!" even when you're looking down.....Here are the words of Jeff along with his photo after the ALS had begun to transform his firefighter figure into a wheelchair laden man of God.

"it was the best of times, it was the worst of times....,"

Charles Dickens was so right.

"There is nothing good about my life." my 9 yr old daughter said that to me one day in 2006 as she lay in her bed at NCH fighting leukemia. I don't know my reply, I was so stunned. it was the low moment of my life. still is. no 9 yr old should ever utter such words.

now this 49 yr old feels tempted at times to utter the same words...almost. shame.

I weep for my old life. I can't remember it.

I no longer walk, I barely can talk, or eat. most of my food goes thru my tube. mmmmm!

Gina does EVERYTHING for me----praise.

but, this is not the end.

W. CHURCHILL said in 1940 after the ENGLISH Defeated the Germans in the BATTLE OF BRITAIN, knowing that final victory still lie years ahead, "this is not the end, it's not even the beginning of the end, but perhaps it is the end of the beginning."

don't know how long I'll remain on this earth. but I know it's not the end. not even close! it is only the end of the beginning of my everlasting life with CHRIST! Then will the good stuff begin! And never end.

Are these times your best? is this life on earth all there is for you? 80 years or so....or 5 or 10 or 49?
I pray not. like the flower these times will one day wither and fade away.
I sometimes feel sorry for myself, my life now.

But I must deal in Gods truth not feelings.

HIS promises far outweigh MY pains and sufferings. AMEN.

come to CHRIST, know HIM. Serve HIM.

trust me, the best is yet to come.
PRAY FOR US.

I STILL BELIEVE......

Please keep Gina and their three daughters in your prayers today along with Charlotte and Martha and so many others who face each new day thinking "up" but with many reasons to look down.

If you find yourself looking down today, please know God is there with you.

Why are you downcast, O my soul?

Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God,

for I will yet praise him,

my Savior and my God.

My soul is downcast within me;

therefore I will remember you

from the land of the Jordan,

the heights of Hermon-from Mount Mizar.

Psalm 42:5-6

After Revelation........

2012-01-02T06:07:00.001-05:00

I'm always struck by the stark contrast between the energy, momentum, and majestic events as the book of Revelation ends and the calmness, serenity, and simple events as the book of Genesis begins.

This morning I was thinking about the end times and how the new heavens and the new earth will be created by the same God who created our heavens and earth, and I wondered, "What will the new earth be like? Will the perfection of the garden of Eden be recreated?" I think it talks somewhere in the Bible about Heaven having a tree of life which the garden also had, and now I'm wanting to spend some time reading Randy Alcorn's book about Heaven again.

We're getting ready to start Beth Moore's Bible study on the book of Revelation in Sunday school class, and I am so excited!

I think I will read the book on Heaven at the same time, so I can look for any comparisons along the way.

One thing is for sure:

Jesus is coming back one day to take us to Heaven!

I use to fear this event as a little girl. I am so glad that the Bible says that "Fear is the beginning of wisdom."

If you fear the return of Jesus today, know that you are on a journey to becoming wise!

As you journey, this fear will transform into something beautiful. One day, all of our fears will be wiped away as we stand in the presence of Perfection.

I think that is why the Bible says, "Perfect love casts out fear!"

After Revelation, there will be perfection once again.

Perfection that removes all fear.

Today, as you venture into the first Monday of this new year, spend some time thinking about Jesus' return. How does it make you feel to think that He is preparing a place for you?

I'm praying for you today!

I'm praying that you will feel the excitement and joy that comes from knowing that this is not our forever home.

I'm praying that you will stand firm in the goals you have set for this year.

I'm praying that you will feel peace no matter what you are facing today!

God is on your side! He has a heavenly home waiting for you! Nothing can separate you from His love!

Embrace His love today and remember there is wonderful life...........

After Revelation!

Making the choice..........

2011-12-31T14:56:00.001-05:00

My closet has been driving me crazy!

I braced myself this morning and dove in full-steam.

Removing things I do not wear anymore, color-coordinating the things I do wear.

I realized black must be my favorite color!

Now, I can stand back and look at my closet without cringing.

There's so many other parts of my world that need this kind of attention.

I need to dive in, full-steam...

My kitchen pantry, my dresser drawers.......

So many things filled with clutter and unnecessary items.

But more than any of these places around my home, I know I need to purge my heart.

Scoop out the negative thoughts and replace every one of them with positive thoughts.

Purge the ugly parts of me and stuff them full of His love and goodness.

Envy, worry, guilt, discontentment......

I battle them all.

Today, I'm making a choice to organize some things in my home.

But I'm also making a choice to organize some things in God's Home.....my heart.

Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.

Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

Eph. 4:31

Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.

Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.

Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand.

His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing.

Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable.

Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me-everything you heard from me and saw me doing.

Then the God of peace will be with you.

Phil. 4:6-10

Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God?

You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price.

So you must honor God with your body.

I Cor. 6:19-20

And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love.

Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.

I John 4:16

Every Goal has Obstacles.......

2011-12-30T14:48:00.001-05:00

As I look ahead into 2012, I am very aware that along the way there will be circumstances and choices that affect the outcome of my goals for the year.

Realizing this today, helps me face tomorrow.

I wonder if Jesus knew ahead of time that he would face the devil in the wilderness.

I think He did, and I think that is why He was prepared to answer every temptation with Scripture.

Today, think of verses that you can claim that will help you in the goals you are setting for this new year.

Write these verses on index cards or place them in a notebook.

Carry them with you, tape them on your mirror or refrigerator, do whatever it takes to soak them into your heart.

I'll share my verses for this year with you tonight.

Do you have a word for this year?

Mine is "perseverance."

To me, this means that when I run into obstacles, I am going to jump over them or figure out a way around them. I am going to press on toward my goals...no matter what.

You may already have HUGE obstacles looming in front of you that make the thought of even trying to set goals seem impossible.

Look past those obstacles.

Don't allow them to overshadow your dreams.

Jesus had a goal when He came to earth. Along the way, He faced obstacle after obstacle.

In the end, though, He accomplished His task with inexpressible beauty and perfection.

Our goals pale in comparison to the one Jesus carried in His heart, but He knew that in the end it would be worth the pain, the agony, the rejection..........

So, as you set goals, be prepared for obstacles and remember how great it will feel to say, "I DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Even when you feel all alone, remember you are not!

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses,

let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.

And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,

fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.

For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:1-2

Jesus endured the cross because of the joy set before Him.

Think of the joy that is just within your reach if you are willing to endure!

Praying for you all!

Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Hebrews 12:3

My dear friend, Martha, has stage three Primary Peritoneal Cancer. She will be going to Houston (MD Anderson) soon for surgery. Please keep her in your prayers.

Charlotte began chemo yesterday. They are checking her two sisters for a bone marrow match.

These two families are starting 2012 in the face of overwhelming obstacles. Please lift them daily in your prayers.

Inspired and Committed!

2011-12-29T11:50:00.001-05:00

Is there something you've wanted to do for a long time, but you just haven't mustered the determination to carry it through to completion?

I can answer that question with a great big, "YES!" and this is what I'm doing today to change things in my life.

I'm setting some goals.

I'm placing my dreams in God's lap.

I'm getting to work.

I just finished reading the book, Do the Work, by Steven Pressfield; and while this book is not written from a Christian perspective, everything about it could easily be compared to a spiritual journey.

I am going to be completely transparent with my personal goals, because I made myself promise to be honest with every word I typed four years ago when I started blogging:

I want to lose 20 pounds.

I want to finish the book I am writing.

I want to become a better cook.

While none of those goals may appear to be spiritual in nature, I promise you this:

The journey towards my goals will lead me closer and closer to the heart of God, because I am going to have to lean on Him daily for strength.

As 2012 approaches, I'm wondering if you have dreams or goals that you would like to reach during this year?

If so, please know I am praying for you and if you need someone to hold you accountable, please send me an email at tammynischan@yahoo.com!

We can pray for each other!

Let's make this a year to remember!

At the same time, let's never allow our dreams to get in the way of being the friend God has called us to be.

My heart is filled with prayers for my friend Martha this morning as she awaits her test results and for sweet little Charlotte who begins chemo this week.

Thankful for a Savior who came "Inspired and Committed" to do His Good Work and was not pleased until He said the words, "It is finished,"

Remember Us, Evan!!!

2011-12-28T23:48:00.001-05:00

It's hard to believe our time with Evan has already ended!

The past week and a half have gone by so quickly! We had such a nice visit!

Today, we headed back to the airport for our "see you soon" hug good-bye.

Evan, I hope when you slip on one of these t-shirts in California, you'll get a little whiff of your Kentucky home and smile!

We love you and miss you already!

I'm Still Here!!!!!!!

2011-12-27T17:16:00.001-05:00

Finding time to blog the past few days has been a bit tricky.....

All of our kids have been home, my parents have been in town, my brother and his wife came for Christmas Day, and we have had a house full of love and laughter.

We missed my sister, who spent the holiday with her boys and her husband's family "down south," and of course, not having Nick here with us left us with a hole that could only be filled with God's love and mercy.

Spending our first Christmas at home without Nick made me kind-of nervous, but I decided to try and create an old-fashioned holiday experience (in my heart anyway) by taking pictures in black and white!

I even made homemade pumpkin pies (don't faint) and cooked a turkey (I'm still in shock about this.)

Today, can I please share a few prayer requests that are sitting heavily on my heart?

Please pray for a blogging friend's family whose one-year old daughter, Charlotte, was diagnosed with leukemia this past week. The uncertainty that faces them is overwhelming, and I know they will appreciate all the prayers they can get! Also, please pray for Keri. She lost her daughter Madison to a brain tumor in 2009 and just found out today that she has suddenly lost the baby she is carrying to a miscarriage at 16 weeks. She has to be induced this evening and is having a difficult time today.

One of my very best friends here in Grayson finds out the results of a biopsy on Thursday afternoon, and I am asking you to please pray for her and her family as they wait for this critical news. Martha is my dear friend who tried to save Adrienne's life by doing CPR the morning we found her not breathing in her crib. She then held Adrienne for us until the coroner arrived nearly an hour later. We gave Todd the middle name Jordan in honor of her and her family who mean so much to us. The preliminary tests are looking like an aggressive stomach cancer, and we are all waiting with anxious hearts knowing God walks this road with Martha more than we ever could.

As you go throughout your day today, remember to whisper prayers for those who are in the midst of deep grief or difficult circumstances. Life can be turned upside down without any warning.

Make every moment matter today.

While sharing photographs from our Christmas seems insignificant today, I wanted to share a little love from our home to yours.........

I love you all!

Merry Christmas Eve!!

2011-12-24T09:31:00.001-05:00

It's a fairly warm and foggy morning here in Kentucky, so the feeling of Christmas definitely has to come from the heart not the weather.

Olivia keeps saying, "It doesn't feel like Christmas."

I wonder why Christmas has such a huge association with snow when so much of the world is never snowy during the holidays?

I guess it's all the classic movies and songs we see and watch during this season.

Whatever the reason, I think I'm liking the foggy morning this year.

As I looked out the window, I couldn't even see the town that sits not far in front of our house.

It wasn't until the sun began to peek over the hills that the fog began to be burned away.

I couldn't help but think of how hazy life had to be before Jesus was born. I can't even imagine being alive in the years before Jesus' birth, can you?

When I think of I Corinthians 13:12,

Now we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror,

but then we will see everything with perfect clarity.

All that I know now is partial and incomplete,

but then I will know everything completely,

just as God now knows me completely,

I realize something even more wonderful!

One day all the things we don't understand here will make sense THERE!

The fog will be lifted.

The sky will be clear.

Our questions will be answered!

Our faith will be sight!

Yes, this Christmas Eve couldn't have started with anything better than a foggy scene out my window!!

Thank you, God, for reminding me that while many things that happen in life don't seem clear to me right now,

ONE DAY THEY WILL!!!

Merry Christmas to my blogging friends and family!

May we all look forward to the day when the SON returns and removes all fog PERMANENTLY!

Then "we will see everything with perfect clarity!"

I love you all so much,

A Nativity Perspective for the Season....

2011-12-23T11:30:00.001-05:00

I wonder if Mary became a little agitated as Jesus' birth drew near.

Discomfort, pain, a barn for a hospital....I wonder if she looked at Joseph and thought, "Seriously, is this the best you can do for the mother of God's Son?"

I wonder if Joseph ever felt inadequate.

He had been visited by an angel and told of the amazing honor bestowed upon his bride-to-be; and he, a simple carpenter, wasn't even able to give her a warm bed to sleep in.

I wonder if the shepherds second-guessed their appearance, their smell, their vocation as they ran to meet the "King of Kings" whose arrival had been announced to them by angels?

I wonder if the wise men felt stressed as they chose their gifts to present to Jesus?

A gift card wouldn't have seemed appropriate for such a special young boy.

Truly, everywhere you turn in the Christmas story, it's easy to see how people could have been feeling a little less than worthy of their place in the Nativity story.

Today, I feel a little unworthy.

Family dynamics aren't always perfect over a holiday break.

I sense the last-minute details of the holiday bearing down on my spirit, and I know that in the scheme of life they are not that important............

BUT.....

I want to have the right gifts, good food, a clean house, laundry done...........
I want to feel like Christmas is perfect for everyone around me.

AND THEN I STEP BACK AND REMEMBER THE FIRST CHRISTMAS, AND I AM HUMBLED.

Here I am trying to create perfection when the reason for this whole season began in the midst of imperfect people in an imperfect place.

PERFECTION was born in the midst of imperfection.

That's the beauty of the holiday, isn't it?

I think that's why I love to look at Nativity scenes.

No fancy house, no elaborate decorating, no gigantic feast.

Just a barn, hay, smelly animals, men dressed in burlap, a baby wrapped in pieces of cloth.......

I breathe deeply now and remember that I am trying too hard.

Christmas is a cry for simple, humble moments of love and joy and sharing.

Forgive me, Lord, for trying to make it any more than this.

Bring me to my knees every time I forget that the only Perfection I'll ever find in this life began in a manger.

John 1:14

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.

The Power of Faith.........

2011-12-22T10:28:00.001-05:00

Life is filled with situations that leave us feeling vulnerable.

Physically, we seek protection by carrying an umbrella, living in a house, having insurance......

Something inside of us realizes that alone we are weak, defenseless, in need of help.

Spiritually, we need protection too.

The Bible makes it very clear that the devil is prowling around, longing to sneak up on us and catch us when we are weak.

Spiritual warfare is as real as a the thunderclouds that build over our heads or the dark of night that comes every 12 hours without fail.

What do we do to protect ourselves spiritually???????

As I was reading this morning in I Peter 3:5, I was struck by this verse,

And through your faith,

God is protecting you by his power

until you receive this salvation,

which is ready to be revealed on the

last day for all to see.

I read this verse over and over.

Through our FAITH we are protected by God's power.

Faith.

Believing in what we do not see.

Knowing that there is more to this world than "this world."

Loving Jesus whom we have never met.

Worshipping God whom we have never seen.

Understanding that there are many things we will never understand........

while we're here.....

and being okay with this truth.

Faith.

"The substance of things hoped for."

Last night was the annual Christmas play at our church.

As the play ended, we bowed our heads to pray.

I couldn't help peeking up at the kids across the stage, and I hope it was okay to snap this shot during a prayer.

I thought it was priceless.

Joseph praying...and even a shepherd praying in the background.

The animals may not "get it," but Joseph knew.........

and the shepherd knew.

They were in the presence of the King.

And I have to believe that Joseph's faith carried all the dangers surrounding Jesus' birth just as Mary carried the Son of God.

Is your faith carrying you today?

This is the first Christmas since Nick passed away that we are spending the holiday at home.

I have to make a daily choice to either focus on the sadness of Nick not being here or on the reality and joy of knowing he is already HOME!!

I believe without a shadow of a doubt that Nick is doing great and that one day I will hug him and everything I have missed will be restored and made beautiful.

In God's time.

If your Christmas lacks someone you love and you find the season painful, I am praying that you will allow your faith to carry you through each day of holidays.

God longs to protect you.

And as we enter 2012, let's remember these powerful words that follow the verse above.

So be truly glad.

There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while.

These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold-

though your faith is far more precious than mere gold.

So when your faith remains strong through many trials,

it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

I Peter 1:6-7

Twenty-Six Years Ago Today..........

2011-12-21T10:49:00.001-05:00

It's hard to believe that over half of my life has been spent married.

Tim and I didn't have a clue what we were getting into at the age of 20, standing before his father saying our vows.

I wonder what we would have done differently had we known.........all the laughter, all the tears.............that would be coming our way.

Somehow, we've survived.

It hasn't always been easy.

BUt I know what's pulled us through the valleys.

Our faith.

God's love.

Family.

Friends.

I got up this morning and looked outside to see Tim removing the last of Nick's ramps from our deck.

I knew it was a difficult thing for him to do, and it broke my heart to see him leaning over the ramp undoing something that had meant so much to our family.

I thought to myself, "Nick doesn't need that ramp anymore," and I smiled.

Then, Tim came in and said, "I woke up at 7:11 this morning and thought, "Nick doesn't need that ramp anymore."

I replied, "That's exactly what I was thinking."

Today, we'll go to his college Christmas luncheon.

I'll wrap gifts.

We'll watch Olivia in the Christmas play tonight at church.

Then, Tim and I, and all of our kids who are home, we'll go see Sherlock Holmes at the theater.

This is a perfect anniversary day for me.

Simple.

Quiet.

Shared with ones I love so much.

I hope your day is filled with some simple, quiet moments too.

I love you all so much.

"Good Will" Toward Men...........

2011-12-20T08:24:00.001-05:00

Glory to God in the highest, and on

earth peace, good will toward men.

Luke 2:14

We're all familiar with this verse from Luke if we've ever been to a Christmas play or watched the Charlie Brown Christmas special.

Pause my blog music to the right before watching this Youtube clip. :)

There's something magical about the Christmas story, isn't there?

Something so simple and yet so powerful.

A tiny baby lying in a bed of hay.

Angels sang of His arrival.

What other child's birth has ever gained such an audience?

Shepherds celebrated His delivery?

What joy could be found in the arrival of a child whose attendants included smelly cattle, donkeys, and sheep?

Wise men worshipped Him?

What honor could be due such an infant?

Herod feared Him?

What harm could come from such poor beginnings?

Children get it.

Adults are mesmerized by it.

Christmas cards capture it.

Churches reenact it.

The world longs for it.

Yet often rejects it.

Glory to God in the highest [heaven],

and on earth peace among men with

whom He is well pleased [men of

goodwill, of His favor].

Luke 2:14 (Amplified Bible)

I don't know where you stand today in the nativity scene display.

Maybe you are an angel, proclaiming the good news that "JESUS HAS BEEN BORN!"

Maybe you are a shepherd, celebrating the birth of this baby lying in a manger.

Maybe you are a wise man, kneeling down to worship this tiny King of Kings.

OR..............

Maybe you are far away from the images we see at Christmastime.

Like Herod, you are fearful of the power someone like Jesus could have over your life.

If you find yourself full of more questions than answers, I beg you to go searching.

I love that even a store called "Goodwill" could provide such easy access to more answers about Him who came to save us.

Look what I picked up Saturday for a total of only $2.50!

I have started reading all of them!

As I journey closer and closer to the One who gives meaning to my life, I feel an urge to beg you to draw closer too.

Together, let's spend 2012 becoming intimately involved with Him who entered this world so humbly, lived so simply, died so cruelly, and rose so beautifully!

I'm excited about sharing another year

of Life with all of you.

I love that the Bible promises this in Deut. 4:29,

But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul.

Angels sang over Him.

Shepherds ran towards Him.

Wise men bowed down to Him.

Herod hid from Him.

Where do you find yourself this morning?

I hope you're not hiding.

He came for you.

"Thou Shalt Laugh" Give-Away Winners!!

2011-12-19T08:53:00.001-05:00

Goodness, it is always so difficult for me to list the winners and not be able to list all of you!

I had entries on Facebook, too, so I numbered all the names and drew the winners this morning.

Congratulations to:

Sharon Williams

Tammy Andrew

Erich Nischan (I promise this was a random drawing!)

Kristy Dyer

and

Cy Clapper

Happy laughing to all of you!

If you didn't win and you are interested in these Christian comedy DVDs, visit here.

My Monday morning post is below this one.

Evan's home for Christmas!

Evan's Home for Christmas!!!!!!!!!

2011-12-19T08:24:00.001-05:00

There's something about an airport at Christmastime that makes you realize how wonderful home is.........

Watching the hugging as families are reunited,

Seeing the faces of children, parents, and spouses as they smile at the sight of each other.

Home.......

where the heart is.

Home........

a place to rest a weary head.

Home........

laughter, acceptance, a warm embrace.

Maybe.

And then again, maybe not.

Maybe home isn't always a happy place for you, so thoughts of an earthly home aren't always pleasant.

Maybe the parts of home you long for can't be found on this planet anymore because the people who made the house a home have passed away.

Maybe there is hurt, disappointment, anger, bitterness, sadness, or some other not-so-pretty emotion attached to the word "home."

Sometimes this life doesn't seem fair when it comes to the word "home."

I have students who weren't really looking forward to Christmas break.

Parents in jail, grandparents who died this past year, feelings of being unloved by their family......

so many reasons to not see the beauty in the Christmas lights.

I visited with some women who are in jail on Friday evening.

Sitting on the bottom bunk of one woman's bed and listening to her heartbreaking story of being involved with a drug dealer, having a daughter with him,

feeling trapped in a world that she fears returning to.......my heart sank.

Home for her is a place where she may end up destroying herself if she doesn't have help.

As full of love as my earthly home is, we have heartache here too.

Grief is a constant visitor throughout our holiday.

He sometimes chooses to sit quietly to the side but often makes himself known in very loud and unexpected ways.

We are learning ways to make this uninvited visitor part of our holiday experience rather than allowing him to control us.

Maybe your season has a visitor named Grief, too. Or maybe your visitor is named Regret, Rejection, Depression, or Loneliness.

I am very aware of the fact that "home" for many of you may not stir positive emotions,

but I want you to know this,

"There is Good News for you in the manger scene!"

Because Jesus was born, died, and rose again,

there is a Home being prepared for you that will absolutely

undo permanently,

overshadow completely,

replace fully,

and restore totally

your earthly view of Home!!

Even if your home is perfect in every way, the Home being constructed for you in Heaven will surpass mightily the love, peace, and joy that fills the walls of your earthly house.

I love that because of what Jesus did on the cross

WE ALL HAVE EQUAL ACCESS TO OUR HEAVENLY HOME!

And the greetings there will make airport greetings look lame.

The hugs, the laughter, the peace we will feel as we fall into the arms of God and share the joy of hugging those who arrived before us!!

OH MY!!!!!!!!

My heart can barely contain the thought of it!

From this day on, I want to live as if life is the airport lobby, where I'm waiting for His embrace.

The suspense of passengers coming through the gate,

The smile as I see the face of someone I love,

The hug as I realize that the distance between us has been taken away......

That's what I want to think about as I wait for Jesus to return!!

I want you to live an "airport lobby" kind-of life too!

Jesus is coming!

He promises this!

John 14:13

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

Matthew 24:30

"At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn.

They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory."

Oh, what a day that will be!

Today, I'm praying that each of you can look to the skies and know without a shadow of a doubt that ONE DAY our faith will become sight as the clouds are rolled away and Jesus returns to take us all

HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Live expectantly!

The reunion will be "out of this world!"

Literally!

This is the Life!

2011-12-16T05:57:00.002-05:00

Mom and I will never forget the day he said it.

Mom was at one end of the couch with Nick's head resting on her shoulder.

I was at the other end of the couch, holding Nick's feet.

Amber, my mom's dog, rested sweetly beside Nick.

All three of us were sipping cups of coffee (Nick loved a little cup of coffee from time to time ).

Nick wasn't very strong. His cancer had spread to a point of visible tumors all over his head. To anyone who stopped by our house, I know the sight left them upset and discouraged.

But Nick, who carried the weight of the cancer personally, never let the beast touch his spirit.

His smile remained.

His humor continued.

And his outlook on life stayed forever positive.

So, when mom and I witnessed him weakly reach down and pet Amber as he said out loud, "Amber, this is the life," we knew we were in the presence of one of the most precious boys ever created on this planet.

Tim has shared this story in sermons, and I believe these words from Nick were meant for more than just me and mom to hear. Nick was speaking from the depths of his soul

To me, it was as if he were leaving this message.

No matter what you may be facing on any given day,

"This is the life!"

Embrace it. Love it. Enjoy it. Savor it. Accept it. Learn from it.

Acknowledge it.

This is the life!

This past weekend I was in Lexington. As I walked through a store I had never been in before, I noticed some message boards that contained non-traditional sayings.

As I walked around and read them, two especially caught my eye!

I couldn't resist buying them for my kitchen.

I rarely ever drink a cup of coffee without reflecting on and being thankful for this special moment with my sweet Nick.

Today, I hope you'll be inspired by him no matter what you're dealing with in your personal life.

Remember, God loves you and He walks the same road you are walking.

You are never alone.

That is why Paul could say from a prison cell,

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me-put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.

Phil. 4:6-12

I believe that Paul, even in chains for Christ, would have said the same thing Nick said,

"This is the life!"

It's That Time of Year Again..........

2011-12-15T06:08:00.001-05:00

I'm always thankful for Save - A- Lot when it comes to building gingerbread houses!!!

With Christmas music playing and college kids laughing, we dove into a night of eating and creating............

Once again, I was so impressed with the everyone's magic with graham crackers, frosting, and candy!

Merry Christmas from the Kentucky Christian University family to yours!

Don't forget to enter for the drawing Friday! Four Christian comedy DVDs will be given away! Click here to enter.

Daddy's Princess......

2011-12-14T08:09:00.001-05:00

As I sat in a Lexington restaurant this weekend, I noticed something precious out of the corner of my eye.

A cute little girl, carrying a rose in a plastic case, walked by our table escorted by her dad.

Sitting at a table for two, they began to talk about what they were going to order; and as our table watched them interact with each other, we knew they were on a special "daddy-daughter date."

After a few minutes, my friend and I commented on how cute they looked and my friend said to the little girl, "You look like a little princess."

Grinning sweetly, she replied, "I'm my daddy's princess."

Her dad beamed ear to ear as we talked to the little girl about her big day........He said, "Tell them what we're doing today," to which the little girl smiled and said, "We're going to the ballet."

We began eating our meal, but I couldn't get my mind off the sweetness of the relationship of these two people.

The joy and love of the father;

the accepting heart of the little girl.

My mind began spinning with thoughts of God's love for us and how He longs to call each of us His child.

I thought of how He loves us all with such pride and joy.

He, too, gave us a gift, not a rose wrapped in paper resting in a plastic case but a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger.........

I thought of the verse in Song of Solomon that says,

I am a Rose of Sharon,

a lily of the valley.

Jesus is often referred to as this

Rose of Sharon in songs we sing.

John 3:16 says,

"For God so loved the world that He

gave us His one and only Son,

that whoever believes in Him shall

not perish but have eternal life."

God gave His Rose..........to each of us.

But the true significance of this Christmas Gift was revealed 33 years after He was given.

Jesus didn't just come to us in a manger..He died for us on a cross.

And then the beauty of the Gift bloomed as He conquered our greatest fear...death!

God's Rose...ROSE from the dead!

He swallowed up the grave, and

that's the gift that brings meaning to life.

Without the knowledge of the resurrection, Christmas represents just another birth, just another baby.

Deep inside I believe we all know this!

Every time we see a Nativity scene, we know there is more to this stable story than hay and animals and shepherds and even angels singing.

There's the assurance that because this tiny baby boy entered the world, death lost all its power.

This Prince of Peace brought the Promise of Eternal Life!

How do we claim this promise??

In Acts, after Jesus had ascended back to Heaven, Peter is preaching to thousands and says, "God has made this Jesus whom you have crucified, both Lord and Christ."

He is then asked this simple question,

"What shall we do??"

His reply is simple,

"Repent and be baptized,

every one of you,

in the name of Jesus Christ for the

forgiveness of your sins.

And you will receive the gift of the

Holy Spirit."

God's first gift, Jesus, is followed by another gift, the Holy Spirit.

Once we have received this gift, life is never, EVER, the same!

Nothing can separate us from the love of God.

We have a hope that does not disappoint.

And most of all, we are promised eternity in Heaven!

Romans 8:11 promises this,

And if the Spirit of Him who raised

Jesus from the dead is living in you,

He who raised Christ from the dead

will also give life to your mortal

bodies through his Spirit,

who lives in you."

That's why we can sing, "Joy to the World," no matter what our life circumstances might be.

So, as I thought about the table behind us (can you tell my mind wanders easily even while eating), I couldn't resist asking if I could take their picture for my blog and write about their special date.

Fear almost kept me from approaching them with such a strange request, but I could feel this nudge that wouldn't leave me.

So, I got up and walked over and simply said, "I am a writer with a Christian blog, would you mind if I took your picture and wrote about you?"

The dad smiled and said, "Sure!"

I was overjoyed to capture this father/daughter moment so I could share it with all of you.

Maybe you're struggling today, as Christmas approaches, longing to feel the love of God in the sparkling lights, the music, the joy of those around you.

In the midst of all your happy and sad emotions, remember this......

You have a Father who gave you His Rose....

He only asks that you accept Him.

When you do, you become a child of God and suddenly you are a prince or princess...........

a son or daughter of the King.

Push pause on the blog music to the right before listening.

For more songs from Jenny Phillips, visit www.jennyphillips.com.

ANOTHER GIVE-AWAY!!

2011-12-13T08:27:00.001-05:00

Winners of the "Little Angel" DVDs are listed in the post below. Now we're moving on to another give-away!! I am so thankful that during the holiday season God has provided so many opportunities to share with all of you!

If you are looking for some Christian comedy, you'll want to check out this series of DVDs entitled "Thou Shalt Laugh." I just read the other day that you burn 6 calories every time you laugh, and if you laugh 100 times a day it is equivalent to 10 minutes in a row machine....

So, be sure to laugh today and maybe help someone else laugh too!! Here's the link to the "Thou Shalt Laugh" series in case you want to check it out..CLICK here.

I have four DVDs, so post a comment below and you'll be entered! Check back on Friday evening to see who wins!

Have a happy Tuesday.

I'm on my way to a couple of doctor's appointments and our internet is down at home, so I'm sitting in McDonald's real quick using their WIFI!!

I love when days begin like this......

Little Angel Winners!!

2011-12-13T08:12:00.001-05:00

Congratulations to

Kim Bush

Allison Murray

Lisa Franks

Sandy

Shannon

Lora Sturtevant

Betsy Fannin

and

Dana Franks

Please email me at tammynischan@yahoo.com and include your mailing address!!!

Snowball Dance.......

2011-12-12T22:57:00.001-05:00

Olivia and one of her good friends enjoyed a fun night at the ECMS Snowball Dance this past Saturday night.

Olivia was nominated as the Snowball Princess, and even though she didn't win......we were so proud of her!!!

Receiving flowers for the first time in her life made her feel like a princess anyway!

I had to share this special memory with all of you.

A Christmas Gift Idea...............

2011-12-12T06:01:00.001-05:00

If you're looking for something sweet to give a teacher or friend, take a look at this craft idea from Country Living magazine.

We made these this weekend at a friend's house, and I couldn't believe how easy they were to assemble! I am not normally a craft queen, so I was pretty excited to discover that even I could do this!

Only 13 more days until Christmas!

Soak up every minute you can with special memories!

When moments of stress or anxiety creep into your days, breathe deeply and remember the first Christmas gift.............

While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger....

Luke 2:6-7

If a Mason jar, artificial tree, and fake snow can thrill my Saturday, what should the gift of the Savior do to my soul???????

Thank you, Lord, for the best Christmas gift idea EVER.

Your gift changed the course of history, and we are thankful.

Forgive us when our gift-shopping overshadows Your Gift-giving.

Keep our hearts focused on You.

In Your Gift's Name, Amen

AND THE WINNERS ARE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2011-12-09T16:29:00.003-05:00

Congratulations to Lesa and Sara M.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You are the winners of Mitch Albom's book, Have a Little Faith!

I was happy to have one winner from my blog entries and one from my Facebook entries!! This was not planned!

Remember to enter the drawing for Roma Downey's new series of DVDs "Little Angels!"

Visit her website (www.littleangels.com) to see how cute these movies are and watch a clip or two!!

Several apps will be coming soon so that kids can play games, learn Bible verses, and hear Roma read daily prayers! I'll let you know when these are released!

Next week, I'll be having another give-away!! This give-away promises to make you laugh!!

Love you all!

OOPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND ANOTHER GIVE-AWAY OPPORTUNITY!!!

2011-12-09T06:11:00.001-05:00

In the midst of a long day at school, a long meeting after school, and getting to a quiet place (thank you, Jennifer) to interview Roma Downey......

followed by dinner (thankful for a crock pot and a friend named Topsy who taught me how to plan ahead) and all the things that consume me at home, I forgot to have the drawing for Mitch Albom's two books Have a Little Faith!

I decided that I would have my students help me with the drawing today at school instead of trying to get that done this morning, so I will announce the winners this afternoon.

I wanted to share the two parts to my interview with Roma Downey. The first part tells about her new project "Little Angels," which you can learn more about by visiting www.littleangels.com. The second part of the interview tells a little more about her personal life. If you want to listen to these interviews, don't forget to pause my blog music so you can hear her voice.

Part One of Roma Downey Interview

Part Two of Roma Downey Interview

I also wanted to share a new give-away opportunity which I think would make a wonderful Christmas gift for anyone with small children!!!

I have four copies of Roma's DVD "Liitle Angels - Animals (God Loves All His Creatures)" to share with you!!

Even if you don't have a small child, please enter this drawing and share the love of God with someone who does (or keep it to have at your house when company visits)!

I will announce the winners of the four DVDs on Monday evening so that I can get these in the mail on Tuesday....hopefully that will allow you to use the DVD as a Christmas gift if you'd like!

I love you all and thank you for sharing life with me!

God bless your Friday!

Look Up.............

2011-12-08T05:52:00.001-05:00

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.

He will not let your foot slip-
he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

The LORD watches over you-
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.

The LORD will keep you from all harm-
he will watch over your life;
the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.

So many things in this life involve looking down.......

reading, texting, computer work, gardening, farming, dusting, laundry, grading papers........

But I love how even in these daily, downward-focused projects, God seems to slip in and remind us that only by looking up will we truly find Him.

Lift your eyes today even as you are looking down.

Your help will be found there as you remember who made the heavens and the earth.

I love that in looking up I am reminded of Him who finds His pleasure in looking down on us,

never slumbering or sleeping,

He keeps our feet from slipping,

watching us,

shading us,

in our coming and going

both now and forevermore.

Tomorrow's Give-Away Announcement and An Interview

2011-12-07T19:58:00.001-05:00

I'll be announcing the winners of the two copies of Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom tomorrow evening. If you have not yet entered for the drawing and would like to, please click here and post a comment by noon tomorrow. Also, I wanted to let you know that tomorrow at 5:15 I'll be interviewing Roma Downey. You might remember her from the series "Touched by an Angel." Roma has produced a DVD series entitled "Little Angels," and I will be talking with her about this series of cute movies for toddlers.

If you want to see more about her DVD series, go to www.littleangels.com and look around. The little angels are adorable, and I know they will be a hit with families of small children. In addition to teaching skills like ABCs and counting, each DVD has a Bible story and lesson for kids to enjoy.

Roma Downey

Little Angels DVD

I'm writing this evening to see if you have any interview questions for Roma.

I'm also asking for your prayers as I prepare for this interview which is immediately following a day of teaching and a teacher training.

Thank you so much,

Early Duty............

2011-12-07T05:58:00.001-05:00

Wednesday and Thursday mornings I have "early duty" at school.

This means that from 7:20 until about 7:40 I stand in the cafeteria and watch high school students eat breakfast, making sure everyone is safe and obeying school rules.

While this isn't the highlight of my life, I try to make the best of it. I try to compliment students who have their hair fixed new ways or who are wearing outfits that look especially cute. I try to salute the boys in ROTC uniforms. I try to make sure the kids who pass me end up with a smile if they didn't have one as they approached.

After all, I'm not just a teacher in this chapter of my life.

I'm a Christian teacher.

And even though I may not be able to share everything about my faith in a public school, I can share the joy of being saved by the way I present myself to the students.

I wouldn't want them to be surprised if they visited the church I attend and saw me there. As I was reading this morning in I Corinthians 15, I was struck by verse 58:

"So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable.

Always work enthusiastically for the Lord,

for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless."

I thought to myself as I was reading, "Even early duty isn't useless if I do it enthusiastically for the Lord."

I wonder what you are doing today that may seem useless.

I just want to encourage you with this thought: Do whatever you are doing "for the Lord" enthusiastically and suddenly it will become the most important event ever!!!

I love you,

When morning comes quietly............

2011-12-06T06:20:00.001-05:00

Christmas lights sparkling

Puppies playing

Coffee brewing

The sound of Maria frying eggs............

Bible open

Paul speaking

People's lives changing

I wonder what he would say today..........

Clock ticking

My mind wandering

To students, to you, to family and friends living far away.........

Free Salvation

Endless Mercy

It seems so wonderful to me

Please accept

This gift of Christmas

Wrapped in a blanket

For the world to see

Morning came quietly into my house

But it still came and brought light of day

Jesus came quietly into the world

And He is the Light and the Only Way

Luke 2:1-20

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christthe Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

"Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

A Christmas to Remember

2011-12-05T06:16:00.001-05:00

When we gathered at church last night to remember husbands, grandchildren, sons, daughters, parents, and grandparents, I had no idea how special it would be...........

We ate, we hugged, we laughed, we shared........

Then we began creating........

Measuring, cutting, tracing, assembling...........

But most of all, sharing.

Sharing memories, sharing life, sharing stories, sharing love........

After we had taken our photos, our craft supplies, and our ornaments and created beautiful heirlooms for our trees and for gifts for friends and family..........

And after we had gathered in a circle with candles lit,

tears falling,

prayers said,

and "Joy to the World" sang (after all, the coming of the Savior is what gives us our joy),

we smiled and knew that our evening together was just what we all needed to begin this holiday season.

In my heart I knew "This was good."

As I look back on last night, I wonder, "Is this how the world began?"

Hugging, laughing, sharing..........

Then creating.

Followed by the words,

"This is good."

I'm thankful that as I type these words, God is busy again.......

Hugging, laughing, sharing, and creating a Home for us all in Heaven.

One day I want to meet each of you there, and as I hug you I will say with a great big smile!

"THIS IS GOOD!!!"

Have a happy Monday!

I love you all so much,

"Have a Little Faith" Give-Away!!!

2011-12-01T22:50:00.001-05:00

I received two copies of Mitch Albom's book "Have a Little Faith" to share with you!!!

If you would like to enter this drawing, please post a comment and include your email address.

I will announce the winner next Thursday after school, so please post before noon on December 8th!

This would be a great book to read and then share with a friend for the holidays!

What Blogging Can Do to You.............

2011-12-01T06:05:00.001-05:00

When I started blogging four years ago, I never dreamed that my writing would become any more than my outlet for sharing Nick's fight with cancer and how God was with us every step of the way.

Today, I realize that my blog has become so much more to me.

It draws me to my quiet time with God and makes me "sit" and "be still."

Every morning.

It pulls me into His Word.

And then causes my heart and my mind to ponder things I may have never pondered before.

It is my quiet place.

It softens me.

It humbles me.

It stretches me.

It beckons me.

I believe that God knew that in order to keep me from stuffing down all my fears, doubts, and anxieties, I needed an outlet.

A safe place to pour out what was deep within me.

But recently, I realized it has done even more for me........

It has allowed me to become friends with so many people whom I may never get to hug this side of Heaven.

I want to start naming new friends but hesitate for fear of leaving someone out, but know that I am thinking of a flow of names as I type this and I pray for you.

And I also become concerned when I haven't heard from you in a while.

For the past few weeks, I haven't heard from my sweet Australian friend, Jen, and I have found myself whispering prayers for her, wondering if all is well with her.

Jen, please let me know that you are ok "down under."

Blogging has pulled me out of my comfort zone and sat my heart in all sorts of countries and in so many different time zones.

And with my heart comes my love.

So, know this, when you post a comment, when you send an email, when you send a note on Facebook, I smile. I care. I pray.

I love you all so much.

You have become part my of my family, and I am thankful for each of you.

I'm reading in the Gospels right now about Jesus' ascension to Heaven and how the disciples gathered to wait for the gift of the Holy Spirit that Jesus promised would come to them. And how He told them that they would be His witnesses in Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

I want to be that kind of witness, and I love that through blogging I am able to share His love and His story with the world.

If you read this today and do not know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, I'd love to talk to you.

Email me at tammynischan@yahoo.com. I want to share the Hope of Heaven with you.

Committed to blogging until He calls me Home,

Until He Comes.........

2011-11-30T06:09:00.001-05:00

"But the day of the Lord will come like a thief.

The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire,

and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.

since everything will be destroyed in this way,

what kind of people ought you to be?

You ought to live holy and godly lives"

II Peter 3:10-11

I grew up in a small church family, where the book of Revelation seemed to be studied every Wednesday night for most of my life. I know that's probably not what really happened, but looking back, those are the Bible studies I remember most clearly.

Riding home from evening services in the back seat of the car, I was often afraid to look out the window.

Looking up at the night sky scared me.

"What if He came while I was looking up?" was a looming thought in my young mind.

I'm not sure why I had so much fear about the end times, but I did.

So this morning, when I read the words above, it occurred to me that, FINALLY, I am not scared of passages like these.

God coming like a thief, the heavens disappearing, the earth being destroyed by fire and laid bare, everything wasted away..........

I'm not afraid of these future events........

No, this kind of prophecy finally brings Hope, of all things, because I totally understand.

THIS WORLD IS NOT OUR HOME!!!

Everything we do here, everything we work for here, everything we stress about here, everything we strive to do here,

it'll all be wiped away in a second.

Kings, princes, the wealthiest of men and women........

will be brought to the same level as the poorest of souls.

All that will matter is what we have done for Christ.

Sunday was Faith Promise Sunday at the church I attend.

We watched a video in which we learned of all the places in the world where the Gospel has not yet been shared.

As I saw the eyes of children in poverty, of men and women with hollow eyes, I asked myself, "What can I do for these people?"

I thought of the grieving moms and dads who do not know of the hope of Heaven, and I knew that somehow I'm suppose to reach them.

One day, Jesus will return for all of this.

Until then, we are all called to do everything we can to help others know Him too.

How can you do this today?

By living a holy and godly life and sharing Jesus with those around you.

I'm excited about Jesus coming to take us all Home!!!! I'm not scared anymore.

Until He comes, though, I want my life focus to be reaching others for Him.

I pray that will be your focus too.

Thankful for each of you,

Three Years Ago Today......

2011-11-29T05:37:00.001-05:00

The Saturday immediately after Thanksgiving will always feel like the anniversary of Nick leaving us for Heaven, but glancing at the date on my computer this morning reminded me of the reality of today's date, November 29th....... the ending date on Nick's tombstone.

I really didn't want to have an ending date etched in stone. I remember talking with Tim about placing a crescendo (<) instead of a dash after his birthdate (May 22, 1995) and just leaving it at that, but years from now people might not have understood.

When I think of Nick, though, I think of him fully alive.

I think of him grinning and, honestly, enjoying the fun of keeping us all encouraged with random pennies here and there and wind chimes blowing just when we need them.

I think of him taking care of Adrienne. He was always our child who asked about her often. "Mom, how old would Adrienne be now?" was a question he asked me many times in his little life. It was so cute to watch him calculate her age. When I think of them together in Heaven, I wonder, "Is she really almost 20 and Nick 16 or is she still a baby and Nick still 13?" Or "Are they the same age in Heaven?" I just don't know. But I do know this:

They are in the presence of God.

They are safe from this world's evil.

They finished the race beautifully.

Now my focus has to be making sure my other kids do too.

So today, I smile when I think of my sweet angels. I'm a blessed mom to have two children waiting for me in eternity. I wonder if they get to help prepare my mansion and Tim's? If they do, I think I am in for some funny surprises!

Dad played another song for me this weekend. A song that seems so appropriate to share with you today. This is a song that you can also sing as you think of your loved ones who are waiting for you in Heaven.

Scroll down below my Facebook friend list and pause my blog music if you want to listen to this song that shares exactly why I can smile today and everyday.

This song shares why "I can smile when I should be sad."

HEBREWS 12:1-2

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses,

let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles,

and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus,

the author and perfecter 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.

Oh So Thankful for the Promise of Eternity and for Each of You,

"I am in Love with Hope..."

2011-11-28T06:48:00.001-05:00

Last night while watching Mitch Albom's movie "Have a Little Faith," I was struck by his character's line towards the end of the movie when he said, "I am in love with hope."

As I thought about this line throughout the rest of my evening and again this morning while getting ready for school, I realized that, for me, being in love with hope means being in love with Jesus.

That is why we labor and strive,

because we have put our hope in the

living God,

who is the Savior of all people,

and especially of those who believe.

I Tim. 4:10

Today, as you begin this last week of November and first week of December of 2011, I challenge you to take a few minutes and ask yourself this question,

"Where is my hope?"

On an earthly level, I hope for lots of things.

I hope for things as a mom, wife, and friend.

I hope for things professionally.

Life is filled with all kinds of hopes and dreams.

But, honestly, this earthly hope is a different kind of hope than the hope God calls me to.

When my HOPE becomes JESUS, I can let go of all my earthly hopes and simply trust Him with everything.

When He is my Hope, I lack nothing.

No matter what I face, He is with me.

No matter where I go, He goes too.

No matter how deep the valley, He walks beside me.

I AM IN LOVE WITH HOPE!!!

And here is why,

"Therefore, since we have been

justified through faith,

we have peace with God through our

Lord Jesus Christ,

through whom we have gained access

by faith into this grace in which we

now stand. And werejoice in the hope of the

glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our

sufferings, because we know that suffering

produces perseverance;

perseverance, character; and

character, hope.

And hope does not

disappoint us,

because God has poured out his love

into our hearts by the Holy Spirit,

whom he has given us.

You see, at just the right time, when

we were still powerless,

Christ died for the ungodly.

Very rarely will anyone die for a

righteous man,

though for a good man someone

might possibly dare to die.

But God demonstrates his own love

for us in this:

While we were still sinners, Christ

died for us."

Romans 5:1-8

Praying that you will put your Hope in Him today,

A Sweet Reminder.......

2011-11-27T17:35:00.001-05:00

I love this song!!

Dad and I were looking through some old photographs during Thanksgiving break, and we ran across the pictures of my baptism along with the baptisms of several other people from our church family from years ago. Seeing the pictures reminded dad of this song. As we listened to it, I knew that I wanted to share it with all of you. (You'll have to pause the blog music to hear it clearly.)

Mitch Albom Interview

2011-11-27T09:10:00.001-05:00

Tonight at 9 p.m. you can watch the movie, "Have a Little Faith, based on Mitch Albom's book by the same title.

If you have about 10 minutes, scroll down and pause the blog music under "Tammy's Songs" to the right and you can listen to my interview with Mr. Albom from last week.

If you watch the movie tonight, please let me know what you think about it either tonight or tomorrow, and you'll be entered in a drawing for a special prize from me to you!

Mrs. Nischan's Ninth Grade Reading Class Listens to Interview and Take Notes While LIstening. :)

A Perfect To-Do List for Every Day............

2011-11-24T09:57:00.001-05:00

1. Rejoice always

2. Pray continually

3. Give thanks in all circumstances

WHY?????

This is God's will for you in Christ

Jesus.

I Thess. 5:16-18

Today, as I celebrate Thanksgiving, I rejoice because of the promise of Heaven! I rejoice that while I'm here I share life with each of you! I rejoice that my sins are forgiven.

I pray for my family, my friends, and those I do not know.....prayers of peace, strength, hope, and a life filled with Him above all else.

I give thanks for the great things in life, the tough things in life, the valleys I've walked, the mountaintops I've experienced, and the firm belief that God will continue to be with me and with you in every future valley and mountaintop.

Happy Thanksgiving from the Nischan house to yours.

I prayed for all of you, my sweet blogging family, this morning.

What Makes Me Smile...........

2011-11-23T18:26:00.001-05:00

I'm entering the season of deepest, sweetest, richest, and yet most bitter memories of Nick's life and passing.

For the first time since he left us, I have decorated trees throughout the house and actually dug out the old homemade ornaments.

Last year, I placed only one ornament on the tree. It said, "I need an elf."

It made me smile, and it got me through.

It was enough.

This year, I knew it was time to rekindle the joy of Christmas in a deeper, fuller way.

And honestly, seeing Erich's "first Christmas" and Lego ornaments........

And Evan's Snoopy and Ninja Turtle ornaments........

And Todd's elementary-school handwriting and little grin......

And Nick's handprint........

And Olivia's Whoopee cushion.......

Have made me feel so thankful for all the precious memories!!!!!

Even though there will be moments over the next few days when Tim and I will both feel very sad, I wouldn't trade the pain in our hearts for a life without ever knowing our sweet son Nick.

I know Tim wouldn't either.......

And knowing that Heaven waits for us!!!

What more could I ask for?????

So, I'm smiling today as I look at my decorated tree...........

and I'm thankful that my "I need an elf" ornament has company!!!

In the midst of all of this, though, I have a confession to our dear friends from Gardnersville Christian Church in Northern Kentucky!

Erich was absolutely OBSESSED with the ornament pictured below when he was a toddler (22 years ago). He took it off the Christmas tree in the sanctuary every year at Christmastime and carried it all through the church building not wanting to put it back. One year I must have let him keep it, because I found it in our container of ornaments!! It is a thin piece of painted wood that looks like Santa.......probably from a little kit. Seeing it brought back so many sweet memories of Sunday afternoon dinners, Christmas caroling (Tim's videotaping mishap when he stepped on a cat while singing), late night conversations, weddings, funerals, and so much more..........

If this ornament belongs to anyone in particular and you would like it back, I think Erich would be okay with that now!!

Please forgive your preacher's wife from the late 1980s!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone in case I don't have a chance to write tomorrow!

Have a Little Faith..............

2011-11-22T07:05:00.002-05:00

The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

Galatians 5:6b

I wish you could have been in my classroom yesterday about 1:00 when my students and I were preparing for the phone call from Los Angeles.

The kids were as nervous as I was, and they were all ready to be reporters, taking notes as I interviewed Mitch Albom on speaker phone.

One of my students videotaped the interview, and I am hoping to share it with you.

I just want to check with the parents of the students who were in the background to make sure they approve of them being on the Internet.

Mr. Albom was so kind, and I am going to transcribe our conversation so that you can hear his answers in his words not mine.

For today, I'll just say this:

Mitch Albom's ability to communicate is as eloquent when he speaks as when he writes.

I love how God has moved him from the world of sports reporting to the world of writing books that cause people to think about eternity, their purpose in life, and their priorities while living.

Sunday evening on ABC you can watch the movie, "Have a Little Faith," based on Mitch's book by the same title.

Have your Kleenex handy, but also be ready to laugh.

I'll tell you about one of Mitch's favorite scenes when I write again later, sharing the interview notes.

As Thanksgiving approaches, I am keenly aware of the significance of this holiday to our family which also makes me aware of the fact that many others face these upcoming days with mixed emotions of thankfulness and grief.

Nick's last day to speak, share life with us, and watch football with his brothers and dad was Thanksgiving Day three years ago.

That evening he slipped into what was probably a coma and then peacefully went Home two days later on Saturday morning.

Looking back, there are so many things I wish I would have talked to Nick about in these last few months of his life, but fear held me back.

I did not want to scare Nick, and honestly, I did not want to admit that he was not going to win the fight with cancer.

Sitting here now, three years later, I am amazed at how God has carried our family.

I've had a lot of valleys in my grief, but even in those valleys, God has been with me.

If you are in the midst of a difficult season in life or even if your life is going smoothly at this time, I want to share one thought with you as you walk through your holiday season. A thought that Mitch learned about as he walked through life with his Rabbi and a pastor from an inner-city church and then chose to share about in a beautifully-written book.

Have a little faith.

The Bible says that our faith need only be the size of mustard seed in order to move a mountain.

Do you believe?

Hebrews 11:1-3

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

This is what the ancients were commended for.

By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command,

so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

Thankful for the confidence we have in what we hope for,

Scrapbook Software Giveaway!!!!

2011-11-21T19:53:00.001-05:00

I've never really ventured out of book reviews when it comes to give-aways, but when I was contacted by My Memories and took a look at their products, I knew I wanted to share this digital scrapbooking software with you!! MyMemories software is an Amazon best-seller and the #1 rated Scrapbook Software available!

Look what I made in just a few minutes while sitting with Olivia on the couch watching a Christmas movie this evening after school! I did these pages with just a small amount of effort. You can just imagine how pages look that have been made my people who have had more practice time! You can see better results by visiting www.MyMemories.com and then clicking on their blog! My kids' memories are stored in Rubbermaid containers under their beds and on the computer in photo folders. I've never been a scrapbook person, so I'm looking forward to spending some time this winter making books for each of them.

If you would like to enter this give-away, here's what you need to do:

Go to www.MyMemories.com and choose a favorite paper pack or layout and then post what you liked in a comment by clicking on "precious comments" below. Be sure to leave your email address, so I can contact you if you are the winner!!!

In the future if you decide to purchase anything from this software company, please use the special code below when making purchases from the MyMemories site. Just copy and paste this number as your promo code and any proceeds that our made from your purchases will go directly to Nick's Foundation in order to help fund the Adrienne's Angel Memory Box Ministry to families who are grieving the loss of a child:

STMMMS72673

For creative ideas when using this software, visit their blog by clicking here.

Join their Facebook family by clicking here.

I will announce the winner of the the "My Memories Suite V2" software on December 1st, so enter as many times as you would like by visiting www.MyMemories.com. Find something new that you like each time you visit and then share what you found with all of us here on my blog and you will be entered again!! Here's a gift for everyone if you decide to make a purchase at any time in the future. I will add this button to my sidebar when I figure out how!

Thankful for all of you,

Are you thirsty?

2011-11-21T06:03:00.001-05:00

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

for they will be filled.

Matt. 5:6

Saturday night, our dog Peppy woke me up about 3 a.m. whimpering and restless.

Peppy has been our dog since the kids were small, and his age is showing in many ways.

His back right leg is limp, his eyes look tired, and he can't hop up on the couch anymore (we have to lift him).

But he still follows me all through the house.

When I go to bed, he's right behind me, ready to climb on his pillow on the floor right next to where I sleep.

So when I heard him whining in the night, I stumbled through the darkness to see what he needed.

He didn't want to go out.

He didn't want his pillow adjusted.

He wanted water.

I went to the kitchen to get the water dish, and he immediately became excited.

As soon as I sat it on the floor, he was gulping. Snoopy, our other old, faithful dog, joined him and they both began gulping.

I felt horrible, wondering how long they had been thirsty. We must have let the dishes run out of water during the day.

As I heard them both drinking and drinking, I thought about the verse above.....

Do I thirst for righteousness like my dogs thirst for water?

Am I restless until my thirst is quenched??

I love that God promises that when we thirst (and hunger) for righteousness, WE WILL BE FILLED!!

That means that He is waiting to fill our bowl!

That means that He hears our cries and takes care of us.

We don't even have to wake God up!

Psalm 121:3-4 says this,

He will not let your foot slip-
he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

I am so thankful this morning that God is my Master and my Guide.

I am reading a book called "The Dream Giver" right now, and I am so thankful that when God places dreams inside of us He leads the way in making those dreams come true when the dreams involve His glory not our own.

If you are thirsty for righteousness today, there is only One who can truly satisfy your need.

Any other thirst may be quenched temporarily, but it will not last for long.
Please do not waste your time thirsting for things of this world.

Friday night at the prison, we sat around a table with a group of women dressed in orange jumpsuits who are ready to change their lives. They each had Bibles and lots and lots of questions. They are thirsting for righteousness, and I know God is with them. As we closed in prayer, arms wrapped around each other, you could feel God's presence in a mighty way. He is leading these women from darkness to light.

He longs to lead us too.

Today, as you venture into the week of Thanksgiving, I'm praying for you.

Praying that you can feel God's presence in every step of your day.

It's time to get ready for school. Today I interview at Mitch Albom at 1:20. Please say a prayer. I'm nervous about speaking to him for some reason. I want to ask the right questions about his book and the upcoming movie, "Have a Little Faith." I want to interview him during my class time, so that the students can be a part of the experience, so please also pray that the students will be on their best behavior.

I love you all so much.

Remember these promises as you step out into another week of life on this planet.

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;

I will counsel you with my eye upon you.

Psalm 32:8

And the Lord will guide you continually

and satisfy your desire in scorched places

and make your bones strong;

and you shall be like a watered garden,

like a spring of water,

whose waters do not fail.

Isaiah 58:11

Because of Him,

A Perfect Love Story........

2011-11-18T06:19:00.001-05:00

The LORD is gracious

and

compassionate,

slow to anger and rich in love.

Psalm 145:8

Could there be a more powerful love story than the story of God's love for us?

Any well-written romance has conflict, pain, drama, suspense, passion..........

And the Bible lacks none of these qualities.

To think that in a world where bad things happen, there is Someone Who chooses to walk with us through it all,

feeling our pain, carrying our loneliness, healing our brokenness........

God promises to do all of this and more.

It's Friday, and I am so thankful.

Today is silent reading day at school, and for me, this is a chance to be a little more still in the classroom.

I love the stillness of 30 students reading books quietly. I often look around the room and wonder what words each of them are soaking in from their novels.

I've thought before how neat it would be to hear their thoughts as they read, just bouncing around from mind to mind hearing bits of this novel and then that one.

I am so thankful that there is one Book that reads the same for all of us.

A Book about a Creator who offers total freedom to His Creation and then spends the rest of time wooing us back to Him.

He's longing for your love today.

He is gracious, though, and won't ever demand it.

He is compassionate, too, and understands all of your questions and doubts.

Thankfully, he is also slow to anger when we turn against Him yet rich in love when we turn back.

God loves you.

If there could only be one message from me to you, it would be this,

God loves you.

What Teachers Can Do...........

2011-11-17T06:31:00.001-05:00

If you teach, you are probably well aware of the need to have "I can.." statements posted in your classroom. These sentences serve as guides for students as they move through the day's material. Sometimes, I find myself focused on the need to mention these "I can." statements more than I do on the actual teaching of my lesson. I worry that I am going to be observed and, while being observed, forget to refer back to this wall. I worry that I am not using enough differentiation or formative assessment. I find myself feeling tense when the door knob moves, because I am afraid that someone is coming in to evaluate me as a teacher; and even though I feel that my students are learning, I live in a constant state of uneasiness while at school.

I have to get a grip if I'm going to make it through the school year, so I'm trying to create my own list of "I can.." statements.

Here are my goals for this school year.

1. I can love every student in my classroom equally because they are all created in the image of God.

2. I can treat every student in the same way that I want teachers to treat my own children, with patience and love.

3. I can whisper prayers for peace in the midst of chaotic days.

4. I can take deep breaths and know that all I can do is my best, remembering that there is a certain amount of responsibility that falls on the students.

5. I can plan creative lessons and then hope that my technology works properly.

6. I can allow students to sit on the carpet while I read if that is how they listen best.

7. I can laugh at my students jokes, because sometimes they're actually funny!

8. I can stay late a couple days a week and catch up on grades...because taking work home never seems to be a good idea.

9. I can share my beliefs through connections to our reading material and allow my students to freely share theirs.

10. I can be positive. I can be positive. I can be positive.

Yesterday, as the day was winding down and ten minutes remained before the final bell rang, one of my students noticed that in the corner of my room a mouse had been successfully caught on the janitor's sticky trap. Now, if you've read my blog for a while, you will remember vividly that I am TERRIFIED of mice!!!!!!!!!!!!! Before I could say, "Stay away from the mouse," a herd of boys had surrounded it and were bending down to pick it up. I made my way for the door, because I told my students a long time ago, "If there is a fire, I will not leave the room until you are all safely out and on your way to the exit; but if there is a mouse, I will meet you outside."

I ran across the hall, but of course the instructional couch was not in her office. I turned to see one of our Frankfort ladies at the end of the hall to whom I screamed, 'We've caught a mouse and it is still alive.'

I turned back towards my room to see my entire class coming out of the room, with a grinning boy carrying the mouse on the sticky paper leading the way.

I ran to the next teacher's room and tried to run in. His door was locked.

I ran to the next door, opened it, ran in, and shut it. I wish you could have seen the look on the new teacher's face as well the looks on her student's faces. Several boys from her room ran to the door as I ran to the phone, trying to reach our assistant principal or a teacher in the same hall who could help me.

Finally, Mr. Jarvis answered his phone and headed towards the group of kids and the wriggling mouse.

They were able to get a trash bag and take care of removing the mouse from the premises, and I was able to safely walk the hall.

Somehow, these kinds of moments don't seem to fit into a normal "I can.." lesson, so I have to remember that while I am teaching I have to be prepared for anything, because....

Crazy things happen.

Unexpected events occur.

Mice get caught.

Boys love these moments.

Girls scream.

Teachers (like me) run.

And then life goes on.

I don't know what the future holds for me, but I do know this.

Today I'm a teacher.

And I have no idea what is going to happen.

But thankfully, God does. And I'm just thinking that He's already smiling.........

About your day and mine.

Because no matter how tough, how painful, how scary, how uncertain, He's there.

Our Father is there.

And knowing He is with me reminds me of my most important "I CAN" statement!!!!

"I can do all things through Him who strengthens me!"

Phil. 4:13 (ESV)

All I Really Long For.....

2011-11-16T07:03:00.001-05:00

Psalm 122:7

May there be peace within your walls

and security within your citadels.

I'm not Jerusalem, but I long for the same thing.

Peace within my walls.

Security within my citadels.

I've reached a chapter in my life like none other.

The old me.......busy mom of five.

Constantly picking up toys, straightening the house, entertaining little friends.

Control.

I had it. And I felt safe.

The new me.........not so busy as a mom.

Toys have been exchanged for random phones, tennis shoes, notebooks.

Little friends in the house have been exchanged for big friends inviting my kids to run here or there.

Little control.

That's what I have now.

Children so quickly become adults and you realize that truly there is little more you can do to shape them, mold them, help them become the person you dream for them to be.......

Except pray.

And then, as I type those words, "except pray," I feel God saying, "Tammy, Tammy, Tammy....I am listening. I hear your prayers. I love your kids. More than you. Trust me."

And with a smile and a sigh, I know that even though the boundaries of my life have been stretched to places I cannot go, God is there.

I turn to Psalm 16:5-7, and I feel better.

LORD, you alone are my portion and my cup;
you make my lot secure.
The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
surely I have a delightful inheritance.

I will praise the LORD, who counsels me;
even at night my heart instructs me.

Today, if your boundary lines seem stretched beyond what you feel is "safe or secure," trust Him with those extended places.

He is working.

You may not feel like you are in control anymore, but guess what?

God is!

And honestly, as much as I like the feeling of being in control, I trust God more than I trust myself.

I give Him everything today and ask in exchange for peace.

Thankful for all of you,

When Your Mind is Spinning........

2011-11-15T07:11:00.001-05:00

This morning I find myself trying to get ready for work while my heart and mind are drifting..........

.......to Erich and Mallory and their possible plans to go to the other side of the world as missionaries and how excited and scared and happy and sad the thought of this is to me as a mom,

......then to Evan in California and how much we miss him and pray for him and daily ask God to put a hedge of protection around his soul, constantly drawing him back to the One who loves him even more than we do,

......then to Maria who is planning the next chapter of her life, longing to put God first in all she does,

.......then to Todd and how we are watching him bloom into a man at college and how we long to see him be all that God wants him to be,

......then to Olivia who faces her own kind of struggles at middle school, trying to find herself at the tricky age of 13 when no one really knows exactly "who" they are.

Yes, this morning my mind is spinning.

So what do I do?????

What else is there to do but sit and be still?

Sit and close my eyes and just give everything to God, remembering that He loves Erich, Mallory, Evan, Maria, Todd, and Olivia more than I ever could.

He holds each of them in the palm of His hand.

He hides each of them in the shelter of His wing.

With a deep breath, I realize that no matter where life takes each of them NOTHING CAN SEPARATE THEM FROM THE LOVE OF GOD.

So, today, as I head back into my little cinderblock classroom to read a story about Thanksgiving in Polynesia, I have to let go of my spinning thoughts and ask God to hold them for me.

He is able to do this for me and for you.

So, if you find your mind spinning this morning, take a minute to close your eyes and just be still. Take a deep breath. Cast all your cares upon Him.

He really does care for you.

A Special Letter.........

2011-11-14T06:30:00.001-05:00

When we returned from Nashville last night after a fun weekend visit with Erich and Mallory, Maria handed me a letter that she had been given while visiting a jail cell on Friday night. This letter was written to me by an inmate I had met last Friday night while we were sharing devotions with seventeen women who were living in one cell.

This particular girl had broken my heart. After walking through such a difficult season in my own life this fall, it was humbling to sit and hold the hands of a person whose life had reached the very bottom of a lonely, dark pit - deeper than any I could ever imagine.

Something about her drew me in. I'm not sure if it was her youth-like face, extremely crooked wire frame glasses, sweet little hair cut that made her look like she was twelve, or the tears that ran down her face. Whatever it was, I sat and listened to her story for a long time and have not been able to get her off of my mind. Maria was able to spend time with her this week, and before Maria could leave she was handed this note:

Tammy,

I was so glad to hear you have been thinking of me. You have also been in my thoughts all week.

I really want God in my life and was wanting to know if you had any kind of lessons to get me on the right track and also to help me learn.

It was on my heart to ask you and my heart tells me if I keep you in my life and use to to get to God I will be a great Christian. You are in my prayers.

I'm going back on Friday night, and I want to take something to Amanda. Please pray that I am led to the right material for her, and if you have any suggestions I'd love to know what they are.

Please keep Amanda in your prayers and all the other men and women who have reached a point in life where their choices have caused them to be separated from the world...but never from God.

Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners,

and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.

Hebrews 13:3

And the winner is........

2011-11-14T06:14:00.001-05:00

I prayed as I was drawing the name of the winner of Kurt's book, Prayers for Today. I asked God to lead me to the person who needed this particular book most at this time in life......

I knew that so many of you are in difficult places in life and wished so much that I could draw all of your names, but I knew that for some reason, there had to be ONE PERSON who needed this book NOW.

When I opened my blog to see which person's number matched the one I had drawn, I discovered that the winner was.........

Laura Jungeblut

Laura is a friend I developed a relationship with only through email during the time Nick was sick. Her husband was fighting brain cancer in Texas at the same time, and we were connected through a mutual friend. We now both have treasures in Heaven, and I just believe that they are sharing eternity together in a very special way, throwing a football and praising God together.

Laura, send me your mailing address when you can, and I'll send this book your way!

I'll be having more give-aways very soon.

Thankful for each of you,

Every Moment Matters..........

2011-11-11T06:07:00.001-05:00

If I could boil down my philosophy of life into one sentence it would be this,

"Make every moment matter."

I've struggled the past few months with doing this, but thankfully, God is merciful and has heard my cry for help.

He is strengthening me day by day, and I am thankful.

I remember a song from my childhood and found the lyrics to share with you this morning.

The song is called, "We Have This Moment." Here are the words. You can listen to the song by clicking on the title below.

WE HAVE THIS MOMENT

Hold tight to the sounds of the music of living,
Happy songs from the laughter of children at play;
Take my hand as we run through the sweet fragrant meadows,
Making memories of what was today.
We have this moment to hold in our hands,
And to touch as it slips through our fingers like sand;
Yesterday's gone, and tomorrow may never come,
But we have this moment today.
You hear that tiny voice? It's my not so tiny daughter,
Who's still calling for me to stop and listen to what she has to say;
And my little son running there down that hillside,
May never be quite like today.
We have this moment to hold in our hands,
And to touch as it slips through our fingers like sand;
Yesterday's gone, and tomorrow may never come,
But we have this moment today.

As you venture into your Friday, I hope that in the good moments, the bad moments, the stressful moments, and even the mundane moments, you will find something that matters. God longs to be in every single moment of your today.

Psalm 51:10

Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

An Opportunity I Want to Share With You........

2011-11-10T06:12:00.001-05:00

I received an email and then a phone call from a company called Grace Media, a PR firm in Los Angeles that works with faith-based movie studios on reaching out to the faith-based community. They asked me if I would consider a phone interview with author Mitch Albom regarding his book Have a Little Faith, which has been made into a movie. The movie will be airing on the Sunday evening after Thanksgiving on ABC and is the true story of Mitch's invitation to write the eulogy for an 82-year old rabbi from his old hometown and the relationship they develop over the next eight years as they share life together.

I visited Mitch's website and knew that he was an author I would be honored to support. I already use one of his books in my classroom in literature circles (The Five People You Will Meet in Heaven), and my students love his writing.

So, next week they are scheduling my interview and this is what I would like to know from all of you................

What questions would you ask Mitch?

What would you like to know about his, his life, his work, his view of faith?

Click on "Mitch's website" in the second paragraph above and visit his website then email me or post a comment here with your question.

I consider this interview "our" interview not mine, because Grace Media found me through my blog, and you are the reason my blog exists.

Have a wonderful day and don't forget to post on yesterday's blog for a chance to win Prayers for Today by Kurt Bjorklund.

Mitch Albom, Author

Always in my prayers,

A Hug from Heaven, A Prayer for Today, and a Give-Away!

2011-11-09T05:44:00.002-05:00

On the first day of school this year, I nervously waited for my first group of 30 students to enter my room. I hadn't taught a full-size class since Nick had passed away, and truthfully, I felt out of my comfort zone. As I took attendance, I couldn't hide my joy when my front row of students included not only a "Nick" but also an "Angel" and a "Heaven." As I looked at these students, I felt as if God was saying, "You're where you need to be this year, and I'm here too."

As you know, it's been a tough chapter in my life. So tough, that physically I've had some major symptoms that, after much testing, have turned out to be totally related to the overload on my body. I've turned to God daily for the strength to make it through each new day and honestly, He's never let me down. I'm not saying I haven't cried in the evenings or had moments of feeling like I couldn't do one more thing, however, I am saying that every step of the way, I have KNOWN that I am not alone.

We're in a new trimester now at school, so my class rosters have totally changed. I don't start my day with Nick, Heaven, and Angel anymore. I miss that morning assurance of God's plan for me.

But I have something wonderful to share!

Of all the students that left my class, one student stops by to hug me every day. She even said to me one day, "I decided I was going to come hug you every day, Mrs. Nischan. I miss you."

Guess who it is?

Heaven!

Isn't that just like God to give me such a gift! A hug from Heaven!

Well, I wish I could give each of you a hug this morning and let you know that God is with you too. He longs to be the first person you talk to every morning, the One you whisper help to all day, and the One you close your eyes and think of as you fall to sleep every evening.

If your prayer life seems to be weak right now, I have a book that I believe you will find very helpful!

Kurt Bjorklund has written a book entitled Prayers for Today: A Yearlong Journey of Contemplative Prayer. In this book, he combines his own prayers, prayers from Scripture, and prayers of other "champions of faith" to create a 260-day journal of prayers to carry you through all sorts of situations. Organized topically, you can choose to flip through the book and select specific prayer topics and Scriptures as needed or you can start at the beginning of the book and work your way through day by day.

When I was asked to review this book, I felt as if God was hugging me yet again because I needed something to help bolster my prayer life back to a place of passion and purpose. In the midst of lesson plans, grading papers, and situations in our home, I had begun struggling to find the right words to say when I finally settled down enough to talk to God.

The first Scripture and prayer I read in Kurt's book are below:

Whoever drinks of the water that You give will never thirst again. Your water will become a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.

John 4:13

You are the bread of life. Whoever comes to You will never hunger again.

John 5:35

Father, I give You the places of my life where I am not satisfied....

I ask to be fully satisfied in You and the direction You are leading my life.

Show me what changes I could make in my life that would be most pleasing to You.

AMEN

I want to be satisfied in my life, and I know that satisfaction comes from being filled..........only Jesus is able to fill us in a way that it is truly satisfying. I want to thirst and hunger after Him and Him alone.

And I want you to have this same spiritual satisfaction.

Please leave your name and email address below, and I will enter you in a drawing for a copy of Kurt's wonderful book Prayers for Today. I know he is praying for everyone all over the world who reads the pages of his book .

The winner will be announced Sunday evening, November 13th.

Praying that your Wednesday is filled to overflowing with God's Presence,

Being Still............

2011-11-08T19:43:00.001-05:00

Sometimes we choose to sit and simply listen for God's voice.

Other times we're forced to sit.

I've had a lot of forced "sitting" throughout my life.

Waiting in waiting rooms, waiting for test results, waiting for answers, waiting for kids to be done with different kinds of practices (piano soccer, basketball, and on and on.), waiting for kids to arrive home from dates........

Sometimes I've used these sitting and waiting times for good.

I've prayed. I've read. I've written. I've soaked in God's presence.

Other times, though, I've blown it.

I've flipped through pointless tabloids to see which movie star is doing what.

I've fretted.

I've chewed my nails.

I've focused on me, my health, my kids' health, the world, and on and on.... rather than on Him.

Lately, and it's no secret, I've been in a valley.

A depth of despair that has superseded most depths to which I have traveled.

I have allowed stress to consume my thoughts, my actions, my spirit.

And God, in His faithfulness and in His time, has heard my cry.

I love the verse that says,

"I waited patiently for the Lord. He turned to me and heard my cry."

Today, I've allowed God to speak a lot.

We didn't have school, and I was able to watch three different sermons on the Holy Spirit.

I spent some time outside enjoying the sunshine. My classroom has no windows, so it felt WONDERFUL to be in the fresh air!

Tomorrow I'll share about a book I've been reading and offer another give-away!

No matter how deep the valleys we travel, I am comforted to know that God is there........

All My Love,

What a Responsibility........

2011-11-07T06:12:00.001-05:00

Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.

My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

James 5:17-20

I can't imagine being Elijah, standing up to the evil people around him.

But he did.

And God listened.

Elijah knew that unless something drastic happened, the Israelites were doomed.

Earnest prayer changed the course of history, and I just wonder what our earnest prayers can do today?

We live in a time when sin is so "common" that to stand up for what is right seems almost crazy or overly judgmental.

Elijah had to know that if he prayed for "no rain" that this was going to cause pain in his own life too.

Droughts affect everyone.

Elijah took the risk, though, and prayed for no rain...and the rain stopped.

I love that God took Elijah away to the home of a starving widow, and this woman was able to help Elijah survive through a miraculous act of God.

I also love that God showed Elijah the place of a small stream so that he could drink freely during the drought.

Today, I am praying that we can pray bold prayers for the sins of our world, knowing that the answers to our prayers may cause us to suffer as well.

If we are able to do this earnestly and together, I wonder what can happen?

I do know this:

God will take care of us through the tough times that may result from our fervent prayers.

I don't know about you, but I'm ready for God to make Himself known to everyone.

I'm ready to see some things shaken up in this world. I'm ready for the evil that is spreading in this world to be called out into Light.

I love that James immediately moves from the reminder of Elijah's earnest but very human prayers to the truth that we are called to help bring back those who have wandered from the truth.

We should not feel overwhelmed by our task.

God is with us.

He will provide strength...even though it may come from a frail, starving widow.

He will provide streams....even though they may be small and difficult to find without His guidance.

I'm earnestly praying this morning for a lost and broken world.

I hope you are too.

What is it going to take????

2011-11-04T05:51:00.002-04:00

The Lord says:

"These people come near to me with their mouth
and honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
Their worship of me
is based on merely human rules they have been taught.

Isaiah 29:13

Am I the only person whose prayer life wavers from day to day?

Clinging to God for every breath seems so much more necessary on the dark days.

When things get just a little easier, though,

I lean on myself.

I trust in my own strength.

I rely on my own ability to make decisions.......

THEN SOMETHING HAPPENS.

Part of the world is turned upside down around me, and I find myself crying out more fervently.

I search my phone for the number of someone I can talk to who can comfort me, give me wise counsel; but I know deep, deep inside of me that only God can take these burdens and carry them.

So I pray.

Honest, transparent, raw...

I dump it all out, even though for weeks I've kept it all in or only shared it with a few other human beings.

Suddenly, my heart seems drawn straight to the One who made my heart.

He knows me.

He knows everything about the situation I am in the midst of and He cares.

He's never surprised when things happen.

Nothing catches Him off guard.

So, I turn to Him who already knew to tell Him what He already knows......

and I feel better.

Finally.

Released.

Somewhat free.

Thankful that there is Someone who can take ANY situation and "work it out for good."

And I realize that every single day of my life, God is working to draw me (and you) CLOSER and CLOSER to Him.

Whatever it takes.

He doesn't simply want our words to be about Him.

He doesn't merely want our obedience to His rules.

He wants our hearts.

Fully, completely, surrendered to His plan.

The Bible promises in Jeremiah 29:11 that His plans for us are good......He doesn't want to harm us. He longs to give us a Hope and a future!

Lord, forgive me for the days when my heart is so caught up in "me" that I don't reach out to You.

You are my everything.

In Jesus' Name, Amen

I'm praying for all of you, too. I'm praying that if today is an easy day, you'll turn to God in praise. If it's a tough day, I'm praying you'll turn to God for help. If it's a lonely day, I'm praying you'll turn to God for comfort. If it's a stressful day, I'm praying you'll turn to God for peace. And no matter, what I'm praying you'll turn to God in thanks.

All My Love,

Tough Chapters..Happy Ending!!!

2011-11-03T06:11:00.001-04:00

Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

James 5:13-20

I rarely know what thoughts I'll be having as I begin to blog each morning.

Honestly, when I woke up this morning, after whispering the verse "I rise before dawn and cry for help. My homes comes from Your Word," I immediately began thinking of my lesson plan for today and whether or not I had video links to share that went along with our reading passage. My mind seems so full anymore of what I am teaching next that when I sit down to write, I often find myself facing some sort of writer's block.

"But God,"

I love that phrase!

"But God"

He shows up and speaks to me through His Word and suddenly all the things that spin in my mind from this crazy life seem to fade away for a while and I find myself lost in my thoughts, in His promises, in the part of life that keeps me above the swelling waters that seem to engulf me daily.

Oftentimes I become so consumed with clicking away at the computer that I look at the clock and realize I have stayed too long, leaving me a little short on time to fully get ready for school.

I can tell that this morning will be no different.
I sat down to read the next few verses in James and WHAM!

I had no idea I was entering the passage above.

A passage that could easily torment me forever.

See, Nick was anointed with oil three times by our elders throughout his fight with cancer.

We believed in the power of these words, and we clung to them over and over again....

But most of you know that in the end, God chose to take Nick Home to be with Him.

I would be lying if I said, "I understand fully God's plan or these verses above."

I would be lying if I said, "When I read these verses I feel comforted."

However, I've come A LONG WAY in my grief journey over the past three years, and I do believe this:

Nick is healed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nick is perfect now!!!!!!!!!!

NIck wouldn't come back to this stress-filled, evil world if I begged him...and I wouldn't want him to leave Heaven for this.

And the part that REALLY MATTERS in the passage above is that the person who is sick and is anointed with oil has their sins forgiven!

I love that after James talks about the elders, he says,

"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed."

In God's eyes, healing is a spiritual thing not a physical thing.

He wants our hearts purified.

He knows that eventually our physical life is going to end.....

and it's the condition of our soul that determines eternity!

So, as I read James this morning, I'm reminded that Jesus prayed that He would be spared from the cross, but He wasn't.

Paul prayed that the thorn in his flesh be removed, but it wasn't.

God needed Jesus and Paul to walk difficult roads for Him.

And sometimes in life God needs us to walk difficult roads for Him, too.

If you feel as if you are walking on a difficult, unchosen road this morning, please know that you are not alone.
I am praying for you.

I love you.

And most of all, God LOVES you and He is with you every painful step of the way.

I love getting to the end of a great book and seeing how the author chooses to wrap up a powerful story!

I especially love happy endings!

Our life story is written throughout Scripture, and I love looking to Revelation for a happy ending!!!

Soak in these happy-ending promises this morning from the end of God's beautiful story!! They make James 5 a lot easier for me to read!!!

Revelation 21:4

"He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."