How God used Taylor Swift

This past year, I started on a journey, wanting to trust God. I had a lot of challenges, a lot of breaking down walls, a lot of brokenness.
I am so excited to tell you that, though I cannot pinpoint that moment where or when it happened, as I began my new year with my new "oneword365", I realized, it happened! I trust God!
One of the challenges He prepared me for was a very deep, painful one.

Christine Caine is quoted as saying, "The devil on his best day did not take you out on your worst day. You are still here. You are still standing. The best is still to come!"

God can see what a challenge will do to you. He can foresee that coming through that challenge, He will be glorified and you will be stronger in the faith than ever before. 

I was told by a friend that another friend in whom I had placed great value and trust, was speaking unkindly of me behind my back. My heart was broken at the betrayal. How could this be? I grieved. I longed for peace, reconciliation, trust restored.

I did not know if I should contact this friend, or even what I would say. God in His everlasting gracious provision was calling to me...through Taylor Swift.

I know, so spiritual. But, it's true. At that time, I had been listening to the radio and subjected to the song that will never leave your head if you hear it, "Shake It Off".
And, I cried myself to sleep with that tune a couple of nights. Anytime the pain came back to me, I'd remind myself that the "haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate"...and that it was not because of me or up to me to change that fact.

I had not done anything to upset this person, at least, not knowingly or intentionally.
Still, I sensed that this was not the entire story. I began to pray that God would take the hurt away. Prayed that the Holy Spirit would restore our trust and friendship, and that whatever was going on in that friend's life that would cause such pain to spill out of her would be addressed.

God began to take that pain over the next week and completely fill me with His love. Over and over in my devotional, in my subscribed newsfeed from Christine Caine, Proverbs 31 Ministries, YouVersion, Beckah Shae, I began to hear His word to me. 

"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." 1 John 4:7-8 (NIV)
Romans 13:10, "Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law." (NIV)

Malachi 4:2
"But for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture."

This next photo, I recommend reading this story from Renee Swope at Proverbs 31 ministries.

This was immediately after I gave it to God and asked Him to take the hurt.
I tell you, He opened His storehouse of love and healing and poured it on me daily!

And, when I finally felt His peace about it, I called this friend. She admitted being stressed and shared all that she was carrying, and it all added up. It had not been the festering wound I feared, but in a high point of stress, the second friend was a listening ear, and surface irritations came out much harsher than they really were.

It's said that "hurting people hurt people". I'm so thankful to have heard and learned that prior to this place I had been through. It helped me to look beyond the words, beyond the tears, to "shake it off" and to search for the real problem. I found it, and I found my depth of friendship began to grow in this situation.

So, if God can use Taylor Swift, imagine what more He can do with you when you're intentionally trying to be used by Him?!

~Tammy

Christmas Lights

Here is a post that came from my work as Chapel Leader at our girls' private school. God has been showing me so much lately! I hope it encourages you. "Christmas Lights"

Again a post I submitted over at BraveGirlCommunity.com :)

This time of year, the winter blahs are heavy for most of us. The sun shines less, the weather is colder, and there is a general feeling of heaviness that settles on our Northern Hemisphere. (Merry Christmas in July, New Zealanders. I know you cannot relate!)

My favorite activity in the evenings is looking at Christmas lights as I drive from place to place. Especially the warm yellow glow of clear incandescent lights. Though the energy-efficient LED lights are becoming more prevalent, their glow is a bit reminiscent of Elsa’s ice palace—a cold beauty.
Does it bother you to see a strand of Christmas lights with a burnt-out bulb? It bothers me. I want to replace it and see all the lights shining!

How many times have you found that your light is dim or burnt out and you feel you don’t belong with those other lights around you? The good news for us, is that we don’t need to be replaced or discarded. We have a weak connection, or maybe we’ve become disconnected entirely. Just like the old lights where we had to be twisted into the socket, we need to be “all the way in” with our power source. This is not a lecture or a legalism or a shaming, but a beckon, a call to life, a cool drink of water on a hot day, and a warm cup of tea or cocoa or cider on a frigid night. God’s love was made manifest and predicted 700 years before the birth of Jesus Christ.
“How beautiful on the mountains
    are the feet of those who bring good news,
who proclaim peace,
    who bring good tidings,
    who proclaim salvation,
who say to Zion,
    “Your God reigns!” (Isaiah 52:7)

You can read the rest of the post by clicking that Hyperlink up above.
Merry Christmas!
~Tammy

The Joy of Giving

I haven't been posting here at tammysincerity, but that doesn't mean I haven't been writing. :) This is my latest submission at BraveGirlCommunity.com, titled "The Joy of Giving".



Here's an excerpt:

I grew up in a home centered on generosity. My parents were gracious hosts and our friends were always welcome there. We rarely went over to their homes as it was so much fun to have them over to ours for bonfires, pizza parties, sleepovers, trampoline jumping, horse rides, etc.
I can remember after a gathering when I was college-aged, my father gave me some wise counsel. “Don’t be cheap when you’re hosting. Give your best. Offer the best sodas-not the cheap store-brand ones. Buy more food than you need so you don’t run out. Never give less than your best.”

When my husband and I were married, we were broke, young, in love, and still in college. I had just graduated, moved 1,000 miles to his college town for his final year of school, and we both had part-time minimum wage jobs. Half our income went to rent. We were under-prepared with the food for our wedding reception and had to quickly cut the cake as people were leaving. His parents surprised us one night with yellow grocery bags full of food that they’d just purchased to stock our pantry. We were stunned, not knowing how to ask for this help, nor how to say thank you.

Inside, we longed to be generous, but we didn’t seem to have the ability. About five years ago, our relatives studied the Dave Ramsey financial plan and shared their budget tips with us. We no longer had to guess where our account would be when the bills came in, but had a spending plan. We were excited to be able to create a category for giving within the budget.

Click the hyperlink above to read the rest of the post over at BraveGirlCommunity.com

~Tammy