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.

Almost a New Year!

On the risk of sounding super cliched...I can't believe the year is hours from being over...  I know I say that every year, and every year its just as true.

Last year seemed to be all about seasons...this year...  I'll just have to wait and see.  =)

Tonight we each picked a game that we love and played them 'til 10PM {the funniest thing is that we each won the game we chose  =) }, then we all separated to write our goals for 2012.  We will talk about them tomorrow morning during our devotional time as a family.

This has been an amazing year!  I don't know about you, but there's always a part of me that wants to hold on to the old year.  It seems more safe and comfortable {don't ask me why}.  But the Lord didn't call us to be comfortable.  He's called us to be bold and courageous.  To die to ourselves so we can live in Him. 

And a year is just a year...it's what we've done during the year that's important.  And I can only hope that what I've done during the past year has made the Lord smile and say, "Well done, my daughter."

So while part of me wants to hold on, the other part of me {which will win} is totally ready to "let go and let God," as my Mom always says.  Is ready to grow in Him, face the challenges, live boldly, seek our the adventures and run the race.

My Biggest Goal for 2012:  Daily pick up my cross and follow Him.  And be ready to drop everything to do just that.  I need to be ready for the adventures that will take place and run to His embrace when I feel weary. 

My Life Verse for 2012:  ²⁴ Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. ²⁵ For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. ~ Matthew 16:24-25

In closing, I want to pray for you all.

Dear Heavenly Father,

I come before your throne right now in praise for the wonders that You've worked in all of our lives this year!  For the things You've revealed to us. 

Please Father as we go into the new year, make us even clearer images of You.  Let there be no mistaking us for Your followers.  Let it be that when people look at us, they see only You.  Let us decrease daily so that You can increase abundantly!

Help us to be the tools in Your hand and work through us!

Father I pray for those reading this right now, that You would bless them immensely and cover them and wrap them in Your embrace.

Father I ask this all in Your Son Jesus' name.
Amen!

I will talk to you in the new year!

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

P.S.
My Daddy sent this picture to me a couple months ago and I absolutely loved it!!! I think it goes perfectly with this next year!! =)

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.