Time With Tandy

Inspirational author and speaker

Time With Tandy

Inspirational author and speaker

Tag: God

  • Children’s Christmas Concerts

    #Christmas, #inspiration, #Jesus,#GodMy favourite Christmas concerts are the ones put on by children. They have several things in common with the first Christmas – music, drama, God, and the element of surprise! You never know quite what to expect at a children’s performance. I think the mistakes in the program provide some of the most memorable moments.

    The Christmas I was six years old, I was given a major role in the school concert. I was to recite T’was the Night Before Christmas. My mother helped me memorize the poem. By the day of the concert I had it word perfect. That is, until I stepped up on the stage in front of an audience!

    Part way through, I forgot my next line. I paused and then started again, unaware that I was repeating a previous line. Suddenly my three-year-old brother yelled out from the audience, “You already said that part!” My mother was embarrassed at his outburst, I was embarrassed by my mistake and my little brother stole the show!

    Now I can look back and realize that mistakes actually help teach us the real meaning of Christmas. They allow us to see that true joy comes from being loved by God, no matter how many mistakes we make. That’s what God’s love was telling us more than 2,000 years ago with the arrival of Jesus. He’s still telling us that today.

    His love is there when we follow the script and when we get mixed up. He’s there cheering us on, just like the loving parents watching their children in the concerts. When we make a mistake, he picks us up and encourages us to try again. He delights in our enthusiasm and rejoices with us in our accomplishments. His unconditional love always meets us exactly where we are.

    Not only at Christmas but throughout the year, I want to be like a little child, basking in the love of my Heavenly Father.

  • You Are a Precious Gem

    #inspiration, #God, blessings, loveSome precious gens are well known and others are more like hidden treasures. One of my favourites, the opal, is often overlooked.

    An opal is made out of desert dust, sand and silica and its beauty comes not from its perfection, but because of defects. It is a stone with a broken heart. An opal is full of minute fissures, or cracks, that allow air inside. This air then refracts the light, creating swirls of colour.

    An opal will lose its luster if it is kept in a cold, dark place, but that luster is restored when it is held in a warm hand or when the light shines on it.

    By comparing the opal to myself I see that when I am warmed by God’s love I reflect His colour and brilliance. When I am broken inside myself, through my defects, I can give back the lovely hues of His light to others. Only then can the lamp can burn brightly within me and not flicker or go out.

    Still, there are times when I lose the luster in my life and wonder how to restore it. What can I do when I need to bring back the shine?

    I can pause early in the day to seek God’s guidance. Counting my blessings also helps me see that I am held in His loving hands.

    This attitude of gratitude rids my life of the film of frustration, the rust of resentment and the varnish of vanity.

    Without God’s touch our lives, there is no sparkle. When we allow Him to work within us, His warmth and light restores our luster. In His hands, we become precious gems that beautify His kingdom.

  • The Upside-Down Church

    My husband and I attended a church service in another city and encountered something we’d never experienced before.

    #inspiration, #God, #churchWe were confused by signs proclaiming this was an upside-down church and wondered what that meant.

    Someone quickly came over to introduce himself and explain the concept of an upside-down church.

    He said they run on a four-week rotation that includes not only Sunday but how the congregation views the rest of the week as well.

    Week one was UP, in which their focus was on new and growing relationships with God. Week two was SIDE, in which they came alongside each other in accountable and supportive community. Week three is DOWN, when they reach down in humble acts of service to bring justice, hope, joy and peace to their community. Week four is PARTY. This is when the church as a body celebrates what God has done during the previous weeks.

    I thought of the difference I could make in the world if I was turned upside down.

    Personally, I would spend more time getting to know God. When I focus UP, God is a priority and not simply an afterthought.

    SIDE can be a challenge for me. I often come and go, make small talk and then have no further contact with these people until the next Sunday. It is up to me to make the effort to get to know people in order to build a supportive community.

    DOWN is when I take time from my busy life to reach out in acts of service to those around me. It is incredibly rewarding to experience what happens when the love of Jesus is shown in practical ways.

    Next, we come to PARTY, which to me means to celebrate. God does great things in and through us. These deserve to be celebrated.

    It’s very possible the visit to this church will turn my world upside down.

  • Good Medicine

    #inspiration, prayer, peacefulnessI had been advised to check my blood pressure on a regular basis. Due to circumstances, this hadn’t been done for more than two months. The day a follow-up medical appointment was scheduled, I set up my portable machine. Sometimes the reading is higher in a clinical setting and I wanted to have a realistic comparison before I left home.

    I secured the cuff on my arm and started to read my morning devotions while the machine did its work. The results were not what I wanted to see. Maybe I hadn’t put the cuff on properly.

    The procedure was repeated and the outcome was just as discouraging. I was relaxed and felt no stress so how could my blood pressure be so high? This wasn’t looking good.

    I cleared the machine and started again. This time I prayed for God to give me peace about whatever the results may be. I felt fine and didn’t want an increase in medication but if that’s what I needed to stay healthy, I would accept it without a fight. When I opened my eyes and looked at the screen I saw my blood pressure was perfect this time.

    Just to be sure, I took it twice more, once while reading and once while praying. The positive impact of prayer was undeniable.

    Many times I have experienced peacefulness envelope my mind during and after prayer. What I hadn’t realized was the effect this also had on me physically.

    I now had undeniable evidence of the positive effect of prayer on mind, body and soul. No matter how I look at it, prayer is good medicine.

    “Never stop praying” (1 Thessalonians 5:17 GWT)

  • Rebellious Children

    #inspiration, #God, attention, rebellionMy husband and I were attending a church service when we heard the cry of a child. The fussing became muffled but didn’t stop.

    A few minutes later we could hear the child being removed from the sanctuary. That is when things intensified. Not only did the crying get louder, but a little voice also started yelling, “No daddy. I don’t want to go out.” The wailing and pleading continued as the father moved to exit the building with his distraught child.

    Later, upon reflection, I recognized that I have shown the same type of behaviour with my heavenly Father. When I choose not to behave the way God wants me to, I am being rebellious. I fuss and complain because I’m not getting my own way.

    God may choose to remove me from the situation but that’s not what I want. Instead, my desire is for things to change to accommodate me. I let it be known that I want to stay where I am. In essence, I’m also saying, “No daddy, I don’t want to go. Let me stay here.”

    In this state, there is no reasoning with me until God has my full attention. If I’m not focused on Him, I’m not hearing or understanding what He wants me to know.

    God is not surprised when I act this way. Although this behaviour seems to be an inherent part of human nature, it doesn’t mean any of us are given permission to act as rebellious children.

    It is only when I am still, quiet and completely focused on the Lord that my rebellious thoughts will be captured and I will no longer act like an unruly child.

    “We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5 NLT)

  • Freedom on the Rocks

    #inspiration, #God, #Jesus, trustI saw a small boat grounded on a rocky area at a bay we visited. It appeared to have been there for quite some time. The name written on its hull was Freedom 55.

    This seemed ironic as Freedom 55 was the familiar slogan for being able to retire early and enjoy the so-called good life.

    Many people put their trust and hope for the future in monetary investments. They think if they have enough money they will be happy and secure.

    These same people find their lives on the rocks when the stock market takes a downturn and their hard-earned investment portfolios fail them. The assurance they counted on for a comfortable future is now gone.

    I don’t want to imply that money isn’t necessary but I do know from firsthand experience that it can also promote a false sense of security. Been there, done that, have the battle scars to prove it. My goal is to never be a slave to money again.

    My security is not determined by the amount of assets I hold. My freedom comes from a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. My hope for the future is rock solid because I know Jesus will never turn his back on me. He sees my true value and I am guaranteed to spend eternity with Him.

    Do you have that security? It’s the only one that won’t leave you stranded.

    “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” Galatians 5:1 NIV

  • Washed Out Road

    God, Inspiration, trust, patience

    The area we stopped in for the night was under a heavy rainfall advisory.

    The forecast for the areas we’d be traveling in over the next couple of days didn’t look good so we decided an early start in the morning would be our best option for getting ahead of the weather.

    Long before daylight we were on the road again. An hour later, we came to a complete standstill. All we could see in the darkness was a long line of tail lights ahead of us.

    We turned the motor off and waited for things to start moving again. The night faded into morning light. A cold wind permiated the van and we got blankets from the back to wrap around us.

    When we heard a washout had occurred ahead, we knew we could be there for hours. Since there was nothing we could do but wait, we decided to make ourselves comfortable. We moved to the back of the van, turned the furnace on and relaxed. After playing a couple of games of cribbage we made lunch.

    Instead of stressing about the delay, I wondered what God was protecting us from by holding us back. We were safe, warm and had food, water and a bathroom so knew He was taking care of us. Later we learned of jackknifed semis and multiple accidents due to icy roads.

    Almost five hours later a police car came by to announce the road was open to one lane traffic and we could proceed. I was surprised to find that the actual washout was 140 km from where we had been stopped.

    This situation reminded me how God uses what I think of as delays in my life. He provides what I need to stay safe while He works to clear the road in front of me. Sometimes the work is done much farther ahead than I realize.

    My role is to be patient and trust that God has everything under control.

    “Trust in the Lord with all your heart,and lean not on your own understanding ” Proverbs 3:5 NLT

  • Give Thanks

    Inspiration, GodWhere in the last week did you see God at work? This is an interesting and thought provoking question.

    Was it in your life or that of another? Maybe an unexpected contact with someone gave you a much needed boost. What if this wasn’t a chance encounter, but one orchestrated by God? I have received several blessings like this in recent days.

    I have also seen God at work in the beauty of His creation. The greatest artist of all time has painted the trees with spectacular colours. Judging by the number of other leaf chasers with cameras busy capturing the images, many appreciate His handiwork. I wonder how many stopped to thank God for this colourful display.

    A more personal example of God at work in my life happened yesterday. Our van started acting up and the check engine light came on. This is not welcome at any time but much worse in an unfamiliar area on the Sunday of a long weekend.

    We prayed about what we should do and the Lord led us to a location just off the highway where a mechanic was on duty. Soon we had the diagnosis of a faulty sensor and were able to be on the road again with peace of mind. Our immediate reaction was to thank God for taking care of us.

    There are many more stories I could tell you about God at work in my life. When I look back, I see His fingerprints everywhere. They will be in your life, too. Often they are spoken of as good luck or happy coincidences. They are much more than that.

    I ask you to reflect on the past week and give thanks for what God has done in your life. I’d love to hear some of your stories.

    “Now, our God, we give you thanks and praise your glorious name.” 1 Chronicles 29:13 NIV

  • My Red Sea Experience

    God, inspiration, miracles,
    Bay of Fundy at low tide

    I experienced one of the most profound moments of my life while on vacation this summer. My husband and I were at the Bay of Fundy and saw the bay full of water at high tide. At low tide we were able to walk amid the rocks and shells on the ocean floor.

    This experience moved me to tears. At first I couldn’t understand why it was having such a deep impact on me.

    The farther out I walked, the more I thought of the biblical story where God parted the waters of the Red Sea. The Israelites faced certain doom from the Egyptians pursuing them. God intervened and saved them by dividing the sea to enable them to cross on dry land. He then closed the waters, destroying their pursuers. First came trust in God to do the seemingly impossible, then came the miracle that saved them.

    God, Inspiration, rescue
    Bay of Fundy at high tide

    Walking on the sand in this bay that was filled with water just a short time earlier, reminded me of the times God has done something miraculous and unexpected in my life. He may have saved me from self-destructive behaviour or other dangers, but I know when I come to Him in complete faith and trust, He will take care of me. He always has and always will.

    The visit to the Bay of Fundy was a powerful reminder of my personal Red Sea experiences.

    “And as for you, lift up your staff and extend your hand toward the sea and divide it, so that the Israelites may go through the middle of the sea on dry ground.” (Exodus 14:16 NET)

  • Alternate Routes

    Inspiration, God, guidanceDo you ever doubt where your GPS is taking you? My husband and I were in that situation recently. An incident on our route caused us to change direction. We wondered where it was taking us as we encountered twists and turns and seemed to be going in the wrong direction. It was so easy to get turned around and lose our way.

    This was only one of several times we doubted where we were being taken. Sometimes the route took us off of the major highways and along bumpy side roads. We complained bitterly that this couldn’t be right. Where were the smooth roads we thought we’d be taking?

    Farther on, we may discover why this was the case, while other times we were left wondering. What I do know is that we discovered some beautiful scenery on these roads less travelled. Things we would not have seen or experienced otherwise. Maybe that was reason enough.

    Life is like that. Everything seems to be going along smoothly and then I have an unexpected detour. I find myself on a bumpy road and lose my sense of direction. Confused, I cry out to God, “Why is this happening? Where are you taking me?”

    These are not the right questions. I know from experience the Lord is faithful. Everything I go through has a purpose. So, when I find myself thrown off course, the better question to ask is, “How can this be used to bring God glory?”