Time With Tandy

Inspirational author and speaker

Time With Tandy

Inspirational author and speaker

Blog

  • Travel Weary Children

    #inspiration, #Jesus, trustThe young child in the seat behind us was getting bored on the airplane. She wanted to see out of the window but the blind was closed. “Open the window,” she said. When her wish wasn’t granted, she raised her voice and said, “Daddy, open the window. I want the window opened.” The insistent demand grew louder and louder. Her parents tried unsuccessfully to shush her. She knew what she wanted and was going to keep asking until she got it.

    We had a few hours between flights and I watched as a child ran from her mother. When the mom called her to come back, the child stopped, looked directly at her parent and said, “No.” She then carried on in the opposite direction. She was heading where she wanted regardless of what her parent said.

    After witnessing a few episodes like this, I was reminded of the times I’ve acted like a travel weary child. My heavenly Father does not grant my every request. Usually I accept this but other times I’ve been known to repeat my desires over and over, getting louder and more insistent each time. Maybe he just didn’t hear or realize how important this was to me.

    Then there are the times God asks me to wait and not run ahead. For my own safety, he wants me to stay close. Thinking I know what’s best for me, I don’t always listen.

    Maybe God allowed me to witness the childish outbursts that day to remind me to rely on and trust in him. Not only when I feel like it, but in all circumstances.

    Trust in the LORD and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. (Psalm 37:3 NLT)

  • Like Eggs in a Basket

    #Jesus, #inspiration, valueMy friend raises chickens and told me about the variety of eggs she gathers. When I heard they come in all sizes and colours I thought of the medium and large eggs for sale in the grocery stores. I’ve also seen both brown and white shells, so this was what I pictured.

    Imperfect eggs, with bumps on them are rarely seen in stores but I have encountered some of these so thought I understood her statement.

    Then I heard about shells that were pale yellow, a muddied green and brilliant blue. I knew other birds produced coloured eggs like this, but hadn’t realized chickens also did. It all depends on the breed or genetics of the hen.

    “They may look different on the outside, but inside they’re all the same,” she said. Immediately my mind shifted. “Just like us,” I replied.

    Our outward appearance doesn’t matter to Jesus. He sees past that, deep into our souls. When it comes to what’s inside, we all have hopes and dreams for peace, love, family and a sense of purpose. Each has joys and sorrows. Unless I take the time to get to know someone who appears different, I will never know how similar we may be.

    We are all like eggs in a basket and Jesus sees the value in each of us. When I find it difficult to love those who are not like me I need only ask Jesus to teach me. He will be happy to help me live the second great commandment.

    The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ (Mark 12:31 NLT)

  • Go With the Flow

    IMG_2114For the first time in the almost five years I’ve been writing this blog, I couldn’t get my post out on time.
    The internet was down and there was nothing I could do about it.

    Every hour or so I would check again, but had no success. For those of you who were looking for my post several hours ago, I apologize.

    I have now located just enough of a signal to post from my phone. This isn’t the message I intended to send today but sometimes plans change!

    For now, I have chosen to look for the value in the situation. There is always a lesson. Maybe I just needed to learn to go with the flow!

  • My Snooze Bar Life

    #God, #inspiration, plansI’ve never been one to use the snooze bar on my alarm. I’d rather set my wake up time for slightly later than hit the snooze bar, doze off and then be disturbed all over again.

    Although this may not be part of my morning ritual, snooze bar thinking appears in other areas of my life.

    Many times there is a task needing to be completed but I don’t feel I have the time, energy or focus to tackle it. By putting it off, I’m actually hitting the snooze bar. Whatever I’m putting off will keep disturbing my thoughts until I finally get up and do it.

    On the other hand, if I set my mind on the job at hand, rather than putting off the inevitable, my life runs much smoother.

    The stress of missing deadlines, self imposed or otherwise, disappears. I find myself more productive. This contributes to my sense of well-being.
    Formerly, I called this bad habit procrastination. The visual of hitting a snooze button is a much more powerful motivator. I want to move forward and not constantly put my life on hold.

    The rest of the world does not take a break just because I do. Who knows what I may be missing during the time I hit the snooze bar of my life? God has many plans for my life and I don’t want to sleep through any of them!

    Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper and be satisfied. (Proverbs 13:4 NLT)

    An empty stable stays clean, but no money comes from an empty stable. (Proverbs 14:4 NLT)

    The desires of lazy people will be their ruin, for their hands refuse to work. (Proverbs 21:25)

  • How Resilient are You?

    #inspiration, asset, neural pathwaysI was listening to a speaker who specializes in resiliency training. She told us resilience is the ability to bounce back.

    Among the factors that enter into this are goals, intentions, mindset, mental and physical energy. A good reminder to take care of ourselves in all these areas came from her statement, “You are your number one asset.” The part of her presentation I found most interesting had to do with the practice of exercising our minds. I learned that when we do something differently we are creating new neural pathways. This is the equivalent of a gym workout for our brains.

    Now, here comes the exciting news. When we exercise our brains we actually burn more calories. An example of this was that walking backwards burns ten times as many calories as walking forwards!

    In other words, when I try something new, it’s good for me physically and mentally.

    I think of all the times I chose to remain in my safe little comfort zone rather than stretching out of it to try new things. Little did I know how much was at stake.  Not only was it more difficult to bounce back from the setbacks in life, I was robbing both my brain and my body of stimulation they needed to keep me healthy.

    The next time I’m tempted to play it safe, I think I’ll walk backwards, create some new neural pathways and rethink that decision!

    “People who soar are those who refuse to sit back, sigh and wish things would change. They neither complain of their lot nor passively dream of some distant ship coming in. Rather, they visualize in their minds that they are not quitters; they will not allow life’s circumstances to push them down and hold them under.” Charles Swindoll

  • Couloured by the Past

    #inspiration, wisdom, futureThe door to the pool changing room opened and a woman entered, holding the hand of a whimpering child. Mom was telling her young child that sometimes we all have to do things we don’t want to do. For good measure, she added, “Even adults.”

    It didn’t take long to discover why the child wasn’t happy about attending swimming lessons. Mom said, “I know your last teacher wasn’t very nice, but you might have one this time you really like. You can’t judge this experience by what the last one was like.”

    Wise words indeed! I know this is something I have been guilty of. When an experience is unpleasant, the last thing I want to do is repeat it. What I fail to remember is circumstances change which means the result may not be the same as in a previous encounter.

    If I don’t want to let my past dictate my future, I need to have the courage to try again. There is nothing I can do about the past. What I do today will determine my future. It’s up to me to decide which one I’m going to focus on.

    “Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or lose.” – Lyndon B. Johnson

    “When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us.” – Alexander Graham Bell

  • Weighing In

    #inspiration, perseverance, goalsTentatively I stepped on the scales, hoping to see a lower number. After all, I’d cut out sugar, reduced my portion sizes and been drinking more water so the weight should be dropping off. It had been three whole days of this new regime and I figured the results should be starting to show.

    Instead, there was no change. How could that be? Had I resisted the sugary treats for nothing?

    It may sound ridiculous that I expected results in just a few short days, but that was my mindset. Since this new eating plan wasn’t giving me the desired results, maybe it wasn’t worth the effort. I could say, “Oh well, I tried” and go back to my old ways.

    Something inside of me said I may have been expecting too much, so I didn’t quit. Over the next few weeks, the number on the scales would go down slightly one day and then be up again the next. I was disappointed until I thought about my clothing that wasn’t fitting quite as snugly as it had previously. Come to think of it, I’d had more energy and better focus lately, too.

    This was a big lesson in perseverance. The benefit of doing what I knew was right even though it was challenging was not lost on me. I was proud of myself for not quitting when I failed to see instant rewards.

    I may not have achieved the results I was looking for, but I did get what I needed. If I can use this as my inspiration to keep moving toward my goals and not let setbacks stop me, I’ll be able to reach much more than I thought possible.

    Great works are performed not by strength, but perseverance. Samuel Johnson

  • Walking Though Change

    #Jesus, #inspiration, secure footingAfter a stretch of frigid cold and mounting snow, the temperature soared to above freezing. The clear blue sky and bright sunshine lured my husband and me out for a walk.

    We headed to the environmental reserve a few blocks away. The paved pathway had been cleared of snow which made the walk less challenging than I’d feared. The air was crisp and clear and we were happy to be outside rather than cooped up in the house.

    As we rounded a bend, a large section of the path was covered with drifting snow. This was the result of high winds during the night. The same Chinook winds that blew in the warmer temperature were responsible for obscuring the path.

    Carefully I picked my way across the mounds of white. There were areas that stayed firm beneath my feet and others that gave way, causing me to sink. Nothing in the appearance of the drifts let me know which case I’d be facing.

    As I navigate my way through life, I am not always sure if the path I’m walking is safe. My firm footing may suddenly give way, causing me to slip. There are other times when what looks uncertain may actually be the best route.

    How do I determine which way to go? I have learned that my judgment is not always accurate. By trusting the Lord and asking him to direct me, I can have confidence my steps will be secure.

    “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths smooth.” Proverbs 3:5-6 GWT

  • “I Got Dis!”

    #God, #inspiration, prideAlthough I couldn’t see anyone, the voices from a nearby changing room could be heard clearly.

    It sounded like a mother and child. Mom was engaging her child in cheerful conversation. “Can you count? How old will you be on your birthday?” A happy little voice answered, “Three!”

    Moments later the mom said, “Do you need some help?” The answer that quickly followed was, “No, I got dis.”

    I chuckled as I thought of young children asserting their independence by wanting to do everything by themselves. Even though they need help, they struggle through on their own. It takes patience to stand by and watch when we know we could make things so much easier for them.

    I know that I am still guilty of this type of behaviour. Even when assistance is readily available, I don’t ask for it. Isn’t asking for help a sign of weakness? Actually, it’s more a sign of strength. It takes self-confidence to admit I could use help. In many cases, refusing help denies someone of the pleasure they would receive from assisting me.

    God is always ready and willing to help. He shows immeasurable patience to watch me struggle with my independence and not call out to him. He is able to do much more than I could ever hope or imagine on my own. When I truly understand this, I let go of my stubborn pride and call out to him.

    His wisdom will guide me through any situation I may encounter. Knowing this, it would be foolish to say, “No thanks, I’ve got this!”

    If any of you needs wisdom to know what you should do, you should ask God, and he will give it to you. God is generous to everyone and doesn’t find fault with them. (James 1:5 GWT)

  • Exercise Wisdom

    wisdom, inspirationThe exercise class had just started when the instructor called out, “Don’t worry about what the person beside you is doing; this is YOUR workout.”

    Immediately my mind went to times when I have judged my progress by how I felt others were doing. This holds for life as well as exercise. It doesn’t really matter if their example was positive or negative. The point is this is my life I’m living and not someone else’s. I am the only one responsible for my experience.

    I was still thinking about this when I heard the words, “Reach forward. Life doesn’t just come to you; you have to reach for it.” This nugget of wisdom hit me hard. Too often I expect what I want to be within my grasp. Most of the time, this isn’t the case. I need to stretch myself and reach for my dreams and goals. They may seem far away but unless I reach for them I’ll never know how close I can come.

    After one burst of intense activity, the instructor said, “Don’t hold your breath; you’ve got to breathe through this.” Wow, she did it again! Maybe I was listening in a different way but I was receiving some wise words to help me navigate life.

    The phrase “Don’t hold your breath” is something said to indicate an event is not likely to happen. Some of the dreams I have for my life are so big that others may think they are not likely to happen. Other events are intimidating and have me holding breath, hoping to survive. No matter which case this may be for me, I need to remember to keep breathing. If I just take one step at a time I will keep moving toward where I’m supposed to be.

    As the class came to an end I realized it wasn’t just my body that had a good workout. My mind will stay active for quite some time as I reflect on the words that exercised my mind as well.

    “How much better to get wisdom than gold, to get insight rather than silver.” Proverbs 16:6 NIV