Being Present in the Moment

It's been a beautiful fall this year.

 

 Long on color, warmth and gorgeosness.

 

And though I've been thinking a lot about

making Christmas especially

meaningful, and working on Christmas

offerings for my upcoming

craft show,

I'm  consciously working at savoring.

 

Living in the now.

Being present in the moment.

 

The beauty.

Parties and music with family.

Walks and chatting with friends.

 

Noticing the small things.

The ordinary.

Because isn't that what life is

 actually made of?

 

And If I miss that..

I feel like I miss it.

 

I know that this isn't a new concept.

It's just become very obvious to me

that my quality of life

is greatly diminished if I neglect...

 

the present.

 

I have to practice this...

 

and when I do,

I find that I worry a lot less and focus

so much more on what matters ....

to me and others.

 

 

 Here is photo of some beautiful Side Oat

grass that grows native here in the

mountains of  Arizona.

 

And the verse..

A reminder that though

our world changes so much everyday,

this doesn't.

 

 

I hope you're having a peaceful and amazing week! 

Blessings to you,

Tamara xo

 

Our Refuge

God usually doesn't allow us to be quickly transported out of

challenging times. He wants first that we should grow and rest in Him

in the midst of them. That our hearts would thirst for Him.

 

Not always out of our troublous times,

    And the struggles fierce and grim,

But IN - deeper IN-  to our one sure rest,

  The place of our peace, in Him~

 

Annie Johnson

 

God is our refuge and strength,

a very present help in trouble.

 

Psalm 46:1

 

Peaceful, restful wishes to you on this Sunday.

Tamara XO

 

God is Our Refuge...That is Sure

A scrap and doodling..... turned into a project....while looking for comfort.

 

Have you ever thought about the content of this scripture deeply?

I don't think I have.  Though, there have been many times that

I have clung to this promise time and again (and

again today)

with no doubt of it's truth.

 

 

 Webster's 1828 definition

 

Refuge:

  That which shelters or protects from danger, distress or calamity;

a strong hold which protects by its strength,

or a sanctuary which secures safety by its sacredness;

 any place inaccessible to an enemy.

 

This sounds like a safe place.

From the tempests and storms which rise up from

unforgiving circumstances or people.

 

There is a safe place in Him.

No man should put there trust in me. 

That is sure.

Our surety comes only from the One who

formed us and redeemed us.

 

 

His strength goes beyond our own.

Whatever we cannot face or walk through alone

with Him there is assurance of making it through

as His light leads and guides us.

In letting go of oursleves, we find true lasting strength

for each day and circumstance.

 

His presence is without fail.

Not only is He ever-present, He delights

in us and wants good to come to us.

All the days of our lives.

 

Never doubt that you are His Beloved.

 

God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.

Psalm 46:1

 

 

Blessings to you,

Tamara

He is Your Father ~

I found this on an encouragement website and it so encouraging. 

I wanted to share it with you.

“He is your Father, and His role is to protect you; He will comfort you

 and guide you.He will feed you; He will carry you when you are weak.

 He will seek you out when you go

astray; He will help you in times of trouble. He will not let your enemies

go unpunished; He will cherish you like a father cherishes His child. When you fall,

 He will pick you up; when you don’t understand, He will always understand.

When you feel like life is weighing you down, He will lift you up.

  When you feel like giving up, He will encourage you to keep going.

When you are sad, He will lighten your spirits. When you need advice,

His line is open 24-7. When you feel unsafe, He will be your safety;

 when you are worried, He will be an ear to your concerns.

When you feel burdened, offer your burden to Him and He will take it.

  Where you have been burnt, He will make you beautiful; where you hurt,

He will heal.

  Whenever you feel lonely, He will always be with you.

Where others have not supported you, He will support you.

 When you feel discouraged, He will be your encouragement.

 Where you don’t know, He will tell you when the time is right.

When you feel unloved, remember that He has always loved you.

You see limitations; God sees opportunities.

You see faults; God sees growth.

 You see problems; God sees solutions. You see limitations;

  God sees possibilities.

You see life; God sees eternity.”

 ― Corallie Buchanan, Watch Out! Godly Women on the Loose

 

And this is one of  my favorite songs by the Crabb Family:

 

 

 

Have a blessed weekend.

 

His Goodness~

The Lord is faithful to all His promises

and loving toward

all He has made.

We can rest in Him.

The Lord upholds all those who fall

and lifts up all who

are bowed down.

The eyes of all look to you,

and you give them their food at the

proper time.

Such a bountiful provision.

You open your hand

and satisfy the desires of

every living thing.

God's word is so full of promises

that will encourage us, light our way

and strengthen our hearts~

Have a blessed day.

The Word of God

The entrance of Thy Word giveth light;

it giveth understanding to the simple.

Psalm 119:30

Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.

Psalm 119:105

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

Feelings come and feelings go, And feelings are deceiving;




My warrant is the Word of God--Naught else is worth believing.



Though all my heart should feel condemned For want of some sweet token,



There is One greater than my heart Whose Word cannot be broken.



I'll trust in God's unchanging Word Till soul and body sever,



For, though all things shall pass away,



HIS WORD SHALL STAND FOREVER!"



Martin Luther

 

A Voice to Pray... Part I

God has given us the means to reach His throne with our words.

 I want to be example to my children.

An example of a mother who believes in the power of prayer.

It is important to Jeff and I that our children know that God

 is a loving Father who listens to the cry of their hearts.

 We want to teach them that 

they can go to Him anytime about anything.

We cannot just teach them about prayer.

Practicing it with them will engrave it on their hearts and minds.

 When I am speaking to my Father, there is such an assurance that

He is listening with His Father's heart.

A sense of peace surrounds me.

This is part one of a list of scriptures worded as prayers.

I have been driven many times to my knees

 by the overwhelming conviction that I had absolutely no

other place to go.

Abraham Lincoln

{God occupies every moment and dwells in every place.}

There is confidence in knowing that God's presence is always around me

 and that nothing happens beyond His knowledge.

One of the things that I love so much about God is that

 He is always available and ever-watchful over my life.

I am in the palm of His hand.

*Praying God's Word is praying His will.*

When I am praying His word, there is power and life going forth to accomplish His will.

Below is a list of scriptures that you can pray for yourself and for others.

From the book of Colossions

Lord God, help me to remember to give thanks to You, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, in all things and to maintain and attitude of prayer. (1:3)

Build in me a strong faith in You and a love for all the saints. (1:4)

Fill me with the knowledge of Your will in all areas of my life. (1:9)

Teach me to walk worthy of  You and to please You in all things. (1:10)

Help me to bear fruit daily in the work I do and increase in the knowledge of  You. (1:10)

Help me to be strengthened with Your power that I may have endurance and patience.(1:11)

Help me always to remember that, as a believer, I have been delivered from darkness and brought into the kingdom of Your beloved son. (1:13)

I pray that You will have first place in everything in my life. (1:18)

Father, I ask You to make my faith strong, stable, and fixed on the truth of the Your Word. (1:23)

Create in me a good discipline and stability of faith in You. (2:5)

Cause me to be firmly established in You, with a heart of gratitude. (2:7)

Thank You, Lord, that through Your Son I have been made complete. (2:10)

Teach me to keep seeking the things above, where Christ is seated at Your right hand. (3:1)

Help me to focus my thoughts on Your purposes and not on worldly circumstances. ( 3:2)

                                                                                                       (Prayers by Terry Gooding)

~* He hears and answers *~

The intense prayer of the righteous man is very powerful.

James 5:16

~* Be blessed with peace in the knowledge of His faithfulness *~

        

Household of Faith

Here we are at the start committing to each other

By His word and from our hearts

We will be a family in a house that will be a home

And with faith we'll build it strong

We'll build a household of faith

That together we can make

And when the strong winds blow it won't fall down

As one in Him we'll grow and the whole world will know

We are a household of faith

 

Now to be a family we've got to love each other

At any cost unselfishly

And our home must be a place that fully abounds with grace

A reflection of His face

We'll build a household of faith

That together we can make

And when the strong winds blow it won't fall down

As one in Him we'll grow and the whole world will know

We are a household of faith
(written by Steve Green)

 

 “Therefore, whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them,

 I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:

  and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house;

 and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them,
 will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand:
  and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house;
 and it fell. And great was its fall.”

Matthew 7:24-27



A Well Watered Garden

The LORD will guide you continually,
      And satisfy your soul in drought,
      And strengthen your bones;
      You shall be like a watered garden,
      And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.

Isaiah 58:11