Freedom in His Embrace!

When He calls, I must listen

Where He leads, I must follow

Who He is, I strive to be

He has rescued me

God is so good!  I am crying with joy right now, just, because...I can feel His presence.  

It is such an amazing feeling to know that He is with you!

To know that He is here...right now...at this very moment!

There are times when I feel like I could just burst with joy. 

You know the feeling where you want to just start singing "for no reason".  Ahh, but we do have a reason.  We always have a reason to feel joyful!  We have His love, His peace, His hope...and His joy inside of us!

I feel like I could just go dancing around, but I'm sure the people below us {I live in an apartment} would prefer I did not...

There is nothing that compares to the overwhelming sense of joy and peace as when you've just come out of a trying time spiritually.

I realized a couple days ago, that my life had been sorely lacking in prayer...  I started feeling moody, and dare I say...purposeless.  Ahh, but He is so faithful.  Even through that, I knew He didn't leave me.  No, He carried me!  He ministered to me in ways that only He can.

It is so wonderful to know that we have freedom in Him!  Freedom that lifts us above the chains of this world and lets us soar above.

Freedom that give us the ability to run to His arms whenever we feel weary. 

That was my problem.  I was feeling weary and instead of running to Him, I tried to be a "big girl" and take care of myself.  I know better...you'd think I'd learn my lesson...  Maybe one of these days I will.

But that is the past.  And the present is me running full speed ahead, toward {not away from} my Abba Father's outstretched arms.

There I will stay, surrendered, tucked under His wing, in the palm of His hand.  Resting, trusting, listening, praying...in His embrace.

Au Revoir...Until next time.

Many Blessings!  =)

Tiffani

Everything in this post is Copyright Tiffani-Joi.  Please email me at TiffaniJoi143@gmail.com to ask permission before using any part of this post or any pictures.  Merci!  =)

Wrapped in Your Embrace...

This is one of my new favorite songs!

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with  me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me."

~ Psalm 23:4

Wrapped in Your Embrace

My heart cries out to be heard

My heart cries out for mercy

My heart cries out, in need of a Savior

You wrap me in Your embrace

Let my lips not speak idle words

But give You all praise and glory

My heart cries out, in need of a Savior

And You wrap me in Your embrace

I am undeserving

Yet You are so willing

Your love for me is amazing

You wrap me in Your embrace

You are faithful

You are Light

You hold me in the palm of Your hand

And You wrap me in Your embrace

My days have been numbered my You

You are the Holy God, my Father

You are my Provider

You wrap me in Your embrace

I am fallible

You are unchangeable

You still my heart and quiet my soul

And You wrap me in Your embrace

You are my comfort

I am Your daughter

You are my Rock and my Foundation and my Fortress

My Abba Father

You wrap me in Your embrace

Au Revoir...Until next time.

Many Blessings!  =)

Tiffani

Everything in this post is Copyright Tiffani-Joi.  Please email me at TiffaniJoi143@gmail.com to ask permission before using any part of this post or any pictures.  Merci!  =)

My Valentine...

Love this song, and I thought it was perfect for today =)

"And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love."

~ 1 Corinthians 13:13

 

 

I've never felt like I've missed out on anything on Valentines Day, because I didn't have a date.  Valentines Day has never been a reminder that I'm "alone"  =P

 

 

In fact, its quite the opposite.  My Valentine is always with me, and loves me unconditionally, despite my many, many...many faults.  He is patient with me, He gives me joy and peace that cannot be contained.  He always listens and is always on time...it's my watch that is unreliable.   =)

He doesn't wait until a certain holiday to give me gifts...He blesses me every day.  He has written His name on 'my paper heart'.  {And yes, I have just burst into song...  =P }

 

 

Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior.

 

 

Since I was really young, my mom has always talked about how unconditional love, keeps no record of wrongs. (1 Corinthians 13:5) Our Abba Father and our Savior Jesus showed us the greatest example of unconditional love that the world has ever seen...and ever will see!

 

 

We are promised that if we, but ask with a truly repentant heart for forgiveness, He will grant it to us unconditionally.  He loves us that much!

I will never understand why He loves me.  Sure I could rattle off a couple "good points" about myself, but...

 

 

"...For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."

~ 1 Samuel 16:7b

 

 

And the honestly the only good thing in my heart is Jesus.  Period.

Although that does make me wonder again about why Jesus would even consider coming into my heart...

 

 

The only answer that comes close to satisfying me is:

"⁸ For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. ⁹ Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? ¹⁰ Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?"

~Matthew 7:8-10

We are His children, and He tells us that He will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5)

 

 

It all comes back to His unconditional love for us.  The love that we don't deserve.  The love that He freely gives, when we ask.

I pray that you all had a blessed Valentines Day.

Au Revoir...Until next time.

Many Blessings!  =)

Tiffani

What you've read in this post is Copyright Tiffani-Joi.  Please email me at TiffaniJoi143@gmail.com to ask permission before using any part of this post or any pictures.  Merci!  =)

Ask...Listen...Follow...

Where You go, I'll go

Where You stay, I'll stay

When You move, I'll move

I will follow You

Who You love, I'll love

How You serve I'll serve

If this life I lose, I will follow You

I will follow You

I Will Follow ~ Chris Tomlin

Tee hee...I'm laughing at how silly my thoughts are at the moment.  I'm nervous about writing my first post for 2012...  =P   That's why I've been putting it off. 

My Abba Father has been showing me so much in these past few months, weeks, days, hours even. 

I'm beginning to fully realize...realize even more that our God is always ready and willing to show us new things about Him.  He's always ready to wrap us in His warm and comforting embrace.  He's always ready to listen and interrupt us if necessary.  He's always there to wipe away the tears that we let escape.

I'm the one holding everything back.  I'm a girl, standing in front of a bridge--a narrow bridge.  There's no way to 'go around it.'  Jesus one step ahead of me, reaching out His hand, encouraging me, beckoning, calling out to me to join Him, follow Him step by step.  I've followed Him this far on our journey and this is just another bridge I need to cross.  But it's not "just another bridge."  This bridge, just like all those in the past, will be a new experience for me.  I will grow in and through Him.  I will learn more about Him and myself.  And I'm standing there...waiting for Him to do something...  To "give me a sign" to move in a certain direction...

He is always ready to speak to me.

All I have to do is ask.

Why don't I ask more often???  Why don't I listen more often??? 

Maybe you ask the same questions...  All I can say is that I can't change what I haven't done in the past, but I can change what I will do in the future.  It's a New Year's Resolution, so to speak...  =) 

So no matter how many "forks" in the road there are, no matter how I look at it, there is only one direction to take...  The one that my Savior is standing in front of.  And it's my fault for being the one who's closed her eyes, expecting to 'stumble' onto the right path or eventually find it on my own.

So to be honest...I don't exactly know where that path is going to lead me...and when those "forks" come along, I most likely won't know which one leads where.  But whichever path He is in front of, is where I want to go.
I just got a flash on the animated Disney Peter Pan movie.  When all the "Lost Boy's" are following John (with his top hat and umbrella) singing "We're following the leader, the leader, the leader.  We're following the leader wherever he may go."  Along the way they go through tall grass (the tops of heads and that umbrella bobbing up and down), over a hippopotamus (I think)...  *giggle*      *sigh*
That's how I want to be, following Jesus (not oblivious to my surroundings  =P).  Joyful, worshipping, willing, determined, without any doubts or reservations.

I long to see my Shepard face to face...  To feel His touch...   To hear His encouragement...  To sing His praises...  To dance in the warmth of His light...  To be still in Him...

My dad just said something the other day...  He didn't make it up...and I'm not who the first person to say it was...

If there were no problems, there could be no miracles.

Feel free to read that a couple times...I did  =)

I pray for there to be an abundance of blessings in your life!  I also pray that through those trials that you're facing, that our Abba Father would perform miracles for you.  That you will grow in and strengthen your relationship with Him. 

"Praise the LORD! Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever." ~ Psalm 106:1

Au Revoir...Until next time!
Many Blessings  =)
Tiffani


Everything in this post is Copyright Tiffani-Joi.  Pleas email me at TiffaniJoi143@gmail.com to ask permission before using any part of post or any pictures.

I Am a Salmon Who Was Born For This

I LOVE this song!!!

It reminds me of something my dad always says.  "We are salmons."

Salmons swim upstream.  They don't go with the current.  Even though the waters they swim against are strong, they are stronger.

We as believers are exactly like that!  The way of the world in all around us, trying to push us its direction.  But because of the strength the Lord gives us, we can prevail & swim upstream, against the grain.  We might get tired...we probably will, but we need to remember that we were "born for this"!  We were meant to stand "apart from the crowd", stand firm, stand with God!

Au Revoir...Until next time.
Many Blessings!  =)
Tiffani

PS:  The CD that this song is on just came out last month.  It's called Music Inspired By the Story.  Well known Christian artists sing songs about well known people in the Bible.  There are some other amazing songs on the CD as well.  I would highly recommend it!  Just look on iTunes or Amazon.com


Everything in this post is Copyright Tiffani-Joi.  You must ask permission before you use any part of this post or any pictures.

Our Everlasting God...

You are the everlasting God, the everlasting God

You will not faint, you won't grow weary

You're the defender of the weak, You comfort those in need

You lift us up on wings like eagles

Everlasting God ~ Christ Tomlin

Everlasting: enduring through all time; perpetual; lasting til the end of time.

Above is the Webster's dictionary definition of Everlasting.  Those are all true of God.  And yet, He is even more than, just everlasting.  Because He was here before time even began!  And He will still BE, after time has ended. 

Everlasting: Alpha & Omega; ever was; ever is; ever is to come; infinity; no ending

The above is the definition I thought of while think about our everlasting God. 

Have you ever tried to think about God's existence?  How He created time?  And that there will be a time where there is no time?  I guess that last one doesn't really make sense....  There a will be a "no time" when there is no time anymore.

We will not be bound to seconds, hours, days, years.  We will be with God forever.

That is so beyond my comprehension...  My mind keeps trying to compare "forever" with something that I do comprehend.  I've been alive for 16 years....  So 16 years times...times what?  Times...infinity!  Which is yet another word I cannot even begin to comprehend. 

At first its a bit frustrating...  But then these thoughts comfort me... 

It gives me joy that my God understands the things that I don't!

It gives me joy that I'm not the one "in charge"! 

It gives me joy that I don't have to understand everything! 

It gives me joy that my God is merciful enough to allow me to live in 'time' that I do "understand"!

It gives me joy that my God is so complex!

It gives me joy that even though He is so complex, He loves me!

It gives me joy that even though He is so complex, He invites me into His embrace!

Our God is so good.  I know that even though I pray for wisdom, He won't reveal knowledge to me that I can't handle.  He understands, because He created.  And that...gives me joy!

Au Revoir...Until next time.

Many Blessings!  =)

Tiffani

Everything in this post is Copyright Tiffani-Joi. You must ask permission before you use any part of this post or any pictures.

What Are My Talents?

Not because of who I am, but because of what You've done

Not because of what I've done, but because of who You are

Who Am I ~ Casting Crowns

I have been thinking (I do that a lot)...  And I asked myself..."What are my talents?  What am I good at doing?"

Talent: A natural aptitude or skill.

My prideful self of course took off with all the different things that someone during the course of my life has complemented me on... 

Then the Holy Spirit reeled me back in & told me to ask the question again...and really think about it this time.  So I did...  I wasn't really proud of myself after I got my second answer. 

I am great at being prideful...
I'm get those waves of ungratefulness...
I'm just great at being cowardly...
I'm pretty good at being stubborn as well...
I'm also very good at procrastinating...putting things off...
I'm not always the kindest person...
I'm not always meekest person...
To be perfectly honest I'm always working on all the Fruit of the Sprit...


I could go on, and on...and on...  But then suddenly my thoughts like that stopped.  And the Lord reminded me that He doesn't want me to dwell on my faults...  That's not going to make me improve.  Every now and then, we need to be reminded of what we were without Christ.  We need to be reminded that we're not perfect.  We need to be reminded that without Him who created us...we are nothing...but with Him we are sons and daughters of the King.  Children of the most high God.  Who loves us despite our many, many...many imperfections.

I can now say that I am talented, because God made me (special, and He loves me very much...Bye! (Sorry!  Had to throw VeggieTales in there...I couldn't resist!  =P )) 
I'm good at being His child.  And not because of anything I did, but because of the love, grace & mercy of our Abba Father.

Au Revoir...Until next time.
Many Blessings!  =)
Tiffani