Blue: Five Minute Friday

This week's Five Minute Friday linkup is over again at Kate Motaung's site. Hoping you'll join me.

The word is Blue.

At first, I thought of color. And then I thought that I didn't have any thoughts. So I tweeted at the #fmfparty that I wouldn't be blue for long.

And then? Explosion of creativity!

For actually, I did have a moment of blues recently. Most days I'm peppy and optimistic and focused on God and doing well. But last Wednesday? A week ago? I got asked that dreaded "are you expecting" question. And you've seen the "baby or burrito" website? It was my dinner. A tasty home-made pinto-bean crockpot burrito recipe.

Still, the question plagued me well into the next day. I've not been as physically active as I'd like. My comfort tends to be sweet, sugary, or high-calorie. And, though I've not gained anything in the last four months, I haven't lost anything either.

My younger sister called and talked to me for a long time. What a blessing! She really helped me pull out of it.

After three babies, and my abs separating each time, I've had to accept, like Jennifer Garner, that there's always going to be a "baby bump". But I don't need to have the baby blues.

God made me to have children, not to be a bikini model. Am I modeling the fruits of the Spirit? Am I directing attention to Him consistently? If people think of Jesus when they see me, then the pressure is off as far as my physical consistency goes. This is not to say it doesn't matter if you exercise, but that just as we are never the same after having children, we are never the same after meeting Jesus!

I love Nichole Nordeman's song "Legacy". At Women of Faith Portland this past December, I got to hear some backstory. Truly, the growth in our spiritual lives is much more important than the growth in our clothing sizes.

I tweeted this morning, after seeing an incourage photo on Facebook, "The body is falling apart but the spirit is growing! I use anti-aging products, but the real vigor of life is not in a bottle-it's in my Bible."

If you too are feeling blue because you're outwardly wasting away, take courage! Inwardly you are being renewed.

~Tammy

Rise: Five Minute Friday

This week I'm so excited to join up on the Five Minute Friday linkup. And? Honored to have a video interview that was a "five minute interview" on as well. Asheritah from onethingalone.com is gracious enough to host video interviews, trim them and place them for us to grow in fellowship and community.

This week's prompt is "Rise".
The prompt immediately brought two songs to mind as I weekly volunteer leading/teaching chapel at our private school for preschool through grade 5.

"Rise and Sing" was from our summer Vacation Bible School but we used it all school year as well. Cut and paste is my friend for the lyrics tonight.

"If you're alive and you've been redeemed, rise and sing, rise and sing!
If you've been touched by the mercy king, rise and sing, rise and sing!
"Whoa-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o"
"Our God is risen and reigning and we're elevating the glory of our God and King,
everybody rise and sing!"
"If you were bound but now you're free, rise and sing, rise and sing!
Lift up a SHOUT of victory, rise and sing, rise and sing!"

(repeat choruses and verses at will)

The second song was the anthem for our Elementary and was the close of their spring concert.
"We are the Free" by Matt Redman

"We’re the forgiven, singing redemption's song
There's a fire that burns inside
A fire that burns inside
Nothing can stop us
We’ll be running through the night
With a fire that burns inside
A fire that burns inside

(Chorus) We are the free, the freedom generation
      Singing of mercy
      You are the One who set us all in motion
      Yours is the glory
      There’s a fire in our hearts and it burns for You
      It’s never gonna fade away
      We are the free, and Yours is the glory

We are the risen, living alive in You
And our passion will not die
No, our passion will not die
Nothing can stop us
We’ll be running through the night
And our passion will not die
No, our passion will not die

(Bridge) Up from the grave You rose again
      Up from the grave You rose and we will Rise up, rise up
      Into the world that You so love
      Into the world we go and we will Rise up, rise up



Truly, I believe that the children we are raising now (I'm a mom to an 8, 6 and 4 year old after birthdays this year) are the warrior generation. They are labeled as stubborn, obstinate, strong-willed, but God is raising up leaders and warriors. We peacemaker parents are a little blindsided by the fire inside but it's God's fire. The kids are black-and-white thinkers because there will be no room for compromise when it comes to faith in their adulthood.

What a privilege to be trusted to raise up these warriors and teach them to pray-to recognize God's voice. To teach them to memorize God's words (their swords). And even more so we should be praying and memorizing His word ourselves to get us prepared for this job.

Do you feel the passion stirring inside you? Are you ready to rise up and fight for God's battles? Oh, and if you didn't read Ann Voskamp's blog on Isis this week-you must. It is a difficult reality to face, but there is always Hope in God's redemption. We can partner there. I'll wait for you.

Rise up, you have God's Spirit inside of you-the same Spirit that gave Jesus his power on Earth.
~Tammy

Follow: Five Minute Friday

It's much later than I had thought it would be, but here I sit for only five minutes to put together a post on the prompt "follow".

Where He leads me I will follow.

What does it look like to actually follow a leader? I can tell you after multiple dances at my college where boys were a rarity, that I learned to lead. When I then got married and tried to follow my husband's lead in a dance class, I learned that I'm not a very good follower.

And? Following comes from trusting.

If we want to follow God, first we have to trust His leading, rather than our own.

So much He is teaching me about grace lately, and through learning to trust Him, to believe that grace cannot be earned by my multiple attempts to be like Him (and miserable failures), I am learning to listen and to follow.

"Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders, let me walk upon the waters, wherever you would call me. Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander, that my faith would be made stronger in the presence of my Savior." (Oceans by Hillsong)

I want to follow God's plans and purposes for my life. I will not be weary or faint if I'm focused on Him and what He purposed me for and delighting myself in His pleasures and goodness. I'll be renewed with vigor because I'm doing what I was designed to do!
Some of us are speakers, some are writers, some are listeners, and some are still searching. Deep down, you are exactly who He is calling you to be. Will you follow??

Praying that you will enjoy learning to trust Him and that as He proves His faithfulness, that it will be easier and easier to listen to His leading instead of barreling ahead on your own. (Speaking from my own experiences here, and never pretending I've "arrived" somehow.)

~Tammy

Meet: Five Minute Friday

This week's Five Minute Friday prompt is the word "Meet".

Go.

Immediately, a song from my late 90s/early 2000s CD collection came to mind.

A band named Ten Shekel Shirt had a  song called "Meet With Me."

"I'm here to meet with you
come and meet with me
I'm here to find you
reveal yourself to me
As I wait, you make me strong
As I long, draw me to your arms
As I stand and sing your praise
You come, you come and you fill this place
Won't you come, Won't you come and fill this place"

This week was the National Day of Prayer. And? A true miracle for me. A month ago, I had a vision of our entire school joined hand in hand, surrounding the school and praying together. The privilege of all my girls at a private school where prayer is allowed has not been lost on me. Still, to take time in May and stop the entire school day for an all-school assembling of students to pray was a vision that became a reality!

What a joy and yet a humbling moment to hear the sincere prayers of 2nd and 6th graders (pre3 through 12th grade at our school) in the hallway where I stood. And? The simultaneous prayers of all students of all ages was the most amazing part. We were there to meet with God, and "wherever two or three are gathered, I am there."

This will not be the last time we all gather to pray, but it was a first and it was a God-sized dream. He will meet the desires of your heart. When you search for Him you will find Him.

Is God waiting to meet with you too? Will you give Him the joy of your time and attention??

~Tammy

Door: Five Minute Friday

Friday, I was on an airplane for the better half of the day, but while on the ground, I received the prompt for Five Minute Friday. "Door".

Here's what I wrote on a plane on Friday in five minutes.

Go.

Door.
Though I am writing these words with my thumbs and am flying over the Rocky Mountain range, and I won't be home until Monday, the five minutes still count.

I stand at the door and knock. Jesus knocks at the door to our hearts and if we open the door, He comes in. What strikes me is that the same mighty hand closed the door of the ark.
I had a clear door closing this year and another opened the same week. The richness of depth in my understanding of God's word is immeasurable. Who would have thought teaching children the Word would lead to simple understanding?
Now I am reading the Circle Maker and waking up to praying Big Hairy Audacious Prayers and doors are flying open!
Answer the door and your life will transform! He's knocking--will you answer?

~Tammy