Just Praising Jesus :-)

Hey everybody :-) So it has been awhile since I have posted! Been busy busy! I am doing good by Jesus' love and caring hands! I am so thankful for Him. The One who keeps me sane! Just talking to Him makes everthing alright in my world! He is so amazing. You know sometimes I'll look up into the sky or just look around and think... "God has been here for so long and He has got everything in control. He made the world and everything in it." It just makes you feel good to be alive!!

Weary soul who has been fighting so long do not give up! God sees you and what you have need of before you even ask! Just trust Him! The battle is not to make you weak but to make you a strong soldier in Him! DON'T GIVE UP!!!!



Blessings and Love,
Tiffany

A New Year's Prayer

I was reading the "Dear Abby" section today in the newspaper. Someone had sent in a prayer by St. Francis. I personally love this prayer, because it sums up what our light for Christ should be.

"Lord make me an instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me show love;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

and Where there is sadness, joy;

O' Divine Master, grant that I may not

so much to seek to be consoled as to console;

to be understood, as to understand;

to be loved, as to love;

For it is giving that we recieve,

It is pardoning, that we are pardoned

and it is dying that we are born to

Eternal Life"

Favorite Memory of 2010

Hi everyone! I can not believe 2010 is nearly over. Where do I begin about this exciting and terrifying year. Lets see... Beginning of the year I was seeking God about Bible college and my momma quit chemo. I got accepted into Bible college in the Spring. Graduated in May :) Had a summer of tough lessons and had to let go of a very special person of my life. Moved in with my Co-Pastor and his family. Started working full time at the local tire shop. Totaled my car (Yea, I didn't blog about it but lets just say I flipped into a ditch and landed upside down, walked away with soreness, a broke nail, and a few bruises on my leg.. God's amazing faithfulness) But my favorite memory of the whole year... Let's see I have a lot. But the one I am going to share is bittersweet.

About two weeks before my Momma passed she had my daddy buy her a wedding dress from a local boutique. See she wanted to re-marry him on their 25th wedding anniversary (this year was their 21st) The dress was way too small for her but she put it on anyways. Later she had me put on the dress (I could not fit it either) but she told me "You are going to make a beautiful Bride."

Memories do not have to be necessarily full of happiness to be treasured so close to the heart. I have many memories of this year that I fill my heart with sadness and a tinge of joy around the edges. Through all of this year I have learned many important lessons of growing up and taking responsibility. I have been at times "floating on top of the clouds" and at other times "buried in grief. "

I could not have made it if it was not for Jesus. My steady Rock that has held me firmly. Through all my wrongs and dissapointments. To the joyful, amazing moments. I do not want to miss out on the rest of my journey.

I do not know what 2011 will bring. I can firmly say that Jesus does :)

Happy New Year,
Tiffany

1st Christmas & Remembering

This year was my family's first Christmas without my Beautiful. Precious Momma. But as I read in someone's elses blog. She is spending Christmas with Jesus. Her love for the Lord was so passionate. I remember a time even though she must have been in a lot of pain. ( I think she sheltered a lot of times how much she must have hurt) But she got on her knees and prayed. Her courage lives on in my heart. Touching Jesus was all that mattered to her. I remember a couple of days before she passed we nearly lost her. Our double wide filled with all sorts of family, the room was filled with doubt. As I was and a few other people were holding on for a miracle. I remember leaving for church and telling that room of people I had faith and they better get some or something to that effect. It no longer matters to me what I said. The night before she passed away I came in from church ( We were having a Youth Explosion which we did not stop despite the fact of my momma's sickness and even her passing each night we were in service.. I did not want to stop. I knew my mom would want us to have church) I told her that we were going to make it and she said "Of course" Throughout everything she wanted me to talk Faith. Even when hospice came she reassured me they were only going to help, that it did not mean she was going to die. I was angered nearly every time a hospice nurse visited. I remember one day in particular. The hospice nurse was asking all sorts of questions. Even though my momma was laying there on the couch sleeping she asked what funeral home we would be using. Oh. My.Word. I know the lady was just doing her job. But for pete's sake! My momma held on to faith so strongly. She came to the Youth Explosion four days before her passing I believe. Even though she sat in the van (We were outside in a tent) My pastor prayed for her and told her to believe for God's healing and to confess her healing. She did of course even though she was half out of it with medicine. These are bittersweet memories. I cry because I miss her so much and at the same time I am impacted by her love for Jesus. I know she got her healing. Just in a way I did not want. Some days I think of the last few weeks of her life and they play continually in my mind. I try not to think of the day she went home. It was a day of shock and I comforted other people that whole weekend. Her life was definitely celebrated in that weekend. Only God gave me the strength to face it. She was truly my best friend. I wanted to share some photos I took last Christmas of her.

How is Your Heart?

I was just wondering. How is your heart? Is it focused on the world and what it can give you in relationships (temporary fun, hurt, and sadness) or are you focused on Jesus and simply waiting at His feet...and falling in love with Him. "Now Tiffany," You may say, "I'm an eligible single person and I'm lonely." Have you ever thought about how Jesus was single and alone. But yet He was not alone.. He had God. I know a lot of us are called to be married. But that's not the greatest calling of our life. The greatest calling of your life is to fall in love with Jesus. Here lately I have needed Him more and more. I have discovered that He is the greatest Prince I could ever have. He is there in my pain and truly knows how to comfort and heal me. I know that there is a great guy God has for me. But I am not in hurry to meet Him. I am not going to be like Martha and be bustling around trying to see what kind of single preacher guy I can get. I am going to wait at Jesus' feet like Mary did. You know what Jesus told Mary that she had chosen the greater part and it would not be taken away from her. I have expierenced lonliness and I still do. Especially when I am around all the married and dating people at my church and when I see all the love going on on Facebook. I have learned to say "Jesus you come fill my lonliness and you have a plan and I trust in You." Now I realize not everybody is going to kiss dating goodbye. But PLEASE take careful time in what you do. Seek God and see what He has for you. I know I thought I would have met the one by now and be planning my wedding. But instead God is leading me to bible college close to 850 miles from my home, friends, and family. I don't understand His ways but they are higher than mine. I'm going to close with these thoughts my friend put on FB.. "Are you putting your relationship on hold for God, or are you putting God on hold for your relationship."

Sweet Love

Last night at church all I have to say is that it was A.W.E.S.O.M.E. (doesn't stand for anything..just so ESTATIC) Oh.My.Word. the service kinda started out dead in a way. But our hearts were open for Jesus. Well let me tell you He came in like a flood..his sweet presence just swept in there. People were crying and praising God. One of my cousins had came and after church on her facebook status she said she wanted to be saved. I was so Joyous. Man ain't going to get the glory for what God wants to do. That's all it took was our hearts hungry and open for his presence. The preacher got up after that and talked about 15 minutes and said He didn't want to get in God's way and he didn't preached because God had already moved. I am so glad we don't go by a program. This person has got to sing and the preacher has got to sing. But just let Jesus have his way in a service :D Tons of Awesomeness!!!

I have been meditating on Psalm 139. It has became such a reality to me. That he would care to know my uprising and my downsitting. That he knows the words in my mouth before I even speak. He is aquainted with all my ways. What a beautiful truth. That he would have mercy and save me. That he would still love me even though he knows everthing about me. What a LOVE!
No man could ever make me feel like Jesus. Even if I make my bed in hell he is there. If I take the wings of the morning and dewell in the uttermost part of the sea...even there shall his hand lead me and his right hand hold me. He has possessed my reins and covered me in my mother's womb. I am fearfully and wonderfully made.... He saw my substance...and though I was unperfect....the great sum of His thoughts toward me....If I should count them they are more in number than the sand (Every girl wants a guy who continually thinks about them and just adores them..wow Jesus thinks more of us than anything :) I would encourage you girls to check out Psalms 139 and see it as a love poem from God :D God Bless :D

Love: True Love

So wow..its really DECEMBER!!! Is it already time for Christmas? lol What a random way to start a blog post..oh well. So the other day I bought "I Kissed Dating Goodbye". Omw it is one of the most awesome books about purity and waiting and pursing that intimate oneness with Jesus. I wish I hadn't spent so much time pitying myself over being so single and mulling over it. But I can make a change. Well Jesus will make the change. I just have to surrender myself, my whole self. Not just a thought or minute or hour. But my whole heart, my whole mind, my whole soul, my whole being. In "I Kissed Dating Goodbye" Josh Harris talks about how we have this picture of romance in our heads, kissing and falling into each other's arms. And then God says look at this picture of love and its His son hanging on a cross. God has really been talking to my heart through these books and especially His Word. Jesus was true love. I told the Lord the other day that I was so thankful for His mercy on this stubborn thickheaded girl. Jesus is so WONDERFUL GOOD!! :) I know I haven't reached even close to the middle where I need to be. But Jesus shall guide me. He is patient and kind. Our picture of Love is so degrading and worthless compared to His love. We are so selfish and always wanting "What is in it for Me?" of " I gotta get all I can get!" But you know what instead of being selfish for this flesh and trying to find fullfillment everywhere. We should pursue Jesus!!! He won't reject us! He will return his love back. More love than we could ever imagine. We also have to keep in mind that Love is not just butterfly heady feeling but all what it says in 1 Corinthians 13!

Wow I've written a lot. It was just something flowing out of my heart I had to to get out! :)

The Love Of Jesus

You know I could write paragraph after paragraph about the Love of Jesus. So I will try to keep it Sweet and Short...
Every girl (just about) has this desire inside their heart to be a guy's girl. I know I have for the longest! I am only 17 and it feels like it will be forever before I meet and fall in Love with the Man God got has got for me. But what I am saying is that during this time of singleness..and often times an achy lonliness. Jesus has just been filling my heart with a satisfaction and Love and a longing for Him. I mean OMW here is the God of the universe and He wants me! This space of singleness is a time for me to be filled with His love!
Last Christmas my Mom bought me a book by Elisabeth Elliot called Passion and Purity. Omw! It helped me soo much! It was kinda like a guide book in form of a love story. And it was true love story (Elisabeth and her late husband Jim Elliot)! I have read that book over and over. God really used their love story to be such a source of encouragement!
Jesus is the Best thing that Has ever happened to me! He is always there..His love just so overwhelming and it fills every corner of my heart!