Huge Love

MUST SEE teaching from a Christian sex expert

noreply@blogger.com (Tiffany) — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 18:06:00 +0000

These videos are by pastor/comedian Mark Gungor. After all of the studying and reading I do (Bible, Christian resources, psychology, teaching cds, etc.) I've NEVER heard someone teach so directly about ALL of the details about sex and will have you cracking up the whole time. I encourage you to share these with your spouse/boyfriend/girlfriend or whoever else. I consider his teaching a MUST SEE. And he also has a teaching designed for teens. So if you have teens or are one, it will benefit your whole life to get this information NOW. I wish I had seen this when I was a teen!

You can check out His website for resources at:
http://www.laughyourway.com

I pray this blesses you as it's blessed me and God's wisdom fills your heart and mind as you seek Him (even in learning more about the sex relationship He designed! ha ha ha!)

There is sex and there are babies, but are they related?

noreply@blogger.com (Tiffany) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 06:16:00 +0000

I think that the world so constantly tells us that sex and babies are NOT related at all, that we actually start to believe it.

But consider this, in the natural sense, if you want to conceive a child, you have sex. And I realize there are a lot of folks who struggle with infertility so in their case, it's more complicated. But that's a different post :/

But all fertility levels being normal, it really shouldn't be such a SHOCK to learn that having sex, has resulted in conceiving a child. Maybe it's that we do so much "preventative" measures, birth control, condoms, etc., that we DO start to believe that we can have sex and no child is conceived. But it's a false sense of "control" because there is no form of birth control that is 100%.

If you don't want to conceived a child, the best option is not having sex. But this becomes a huge challenge if you are pressured by a boyfriend, friends who are all "doing it," or if you have done it before, then you'll probably have more of a challenge holding the line where the has been broken in the past. It can be done, so if that's where you are, take heart. And the sooner you stop sinning sexually (sex out of the covenant of marriage) the quicker God will get to blessing that relationship you so desperately want.

Deuteronomy 5:33 Walk in all the way that the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess.

This is NOT easy stuff. But I guarantee that choosing to obey God, is setting yourself and your future spouse up for blessing. And remember that every sexual experience you have, or your future spouse has, never really leave. You'll always have those memories, even if you don't want them, and they can damage your marriage because you might have a lot of past partners to compare your spouse to...you might think that's not THAT bad, but put the shoe on the other foot--what if he has a lot of past partners to compare you to? Yuck, right? So in this department, LESS is BEST!

Now if you have had a lot of partners and you've never heard this kind of stuff, I want you to know that God can and will cleanse you from all unrighteousness when you seek His forgiveness and turn away from doing those acts. And it works if you only slept with one person!

Psalm 32:5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD"--and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah

A really sticky area we can get stuck in is thinking that since God forgives, then we can just do the sin and ask God to forgive us afterward. But honestly, God sees even that thought pattern and I don't think He is very impressed with our attempt to take His forgiveness as a "get out of jail free card." I've heard some people even say it's likened to throwing the Grace of God back in His face. So never think you are smarter than God and can fool Him...it turns out He can not only see our actions and thoughts on Sunday...but on all the rest of the days and nights in between too! Thinking it in those terms always freaks me out, but I think it should. ha ha ha!

Well, I hope I've blurred the lines between sex and conceiving babies...because there is no line separating them anyway!

In a nutshell: Have sex get babies. And want babies? Have sex.

I pray for every heart who reads this, wherever you are in life, that you are blessed and encouraged by it. If you have breath in your lungs, you have hope! No matter what you are facing right now, even an unplanned pregnancy. Trust God from here on out, and always choose life--for you and your baby.

Some interesting little odds and ends of the Bible

noreply@blogger.com (Tiffany) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 07:42:00 +0000

I've grown up in the church, but only until much, much later did I even learn what some of the things we say and do-- really mean. I thought you all might be interested in them as I am! I hope!

Amen. What we all say at the end of prayer or sometimes as a congregation in agreement. But what does it MEAN? I always thought it meant "yes" but it actually means "So be it." Interesting right? I think so!

Do you want a special blessing just for reading a book of the Bible? Then read the book of Revelation. It states right off the bat that (verse 1:3) Blessed is the one who reads and are those who hear the words of the prophecy and keep the things that have been written in it, for the time is near.

A total freebie blessing if you ask me! Go get yours! hee hee!

The rainbow is the lasting sign of the covenant God made with Noah after the flood, to never flood the entire world again. Isn't it kind of amazing to think that we can witness the sign of God's covenant when it rains? I love it!

How serious is God about "not fearing?" God tells us this again and again throughout the Bible. But what I learned recently, is that in the Hebrew translation it is a very strong command that has no direct English translation, but its more of God absolutely forbidding us to entertain even the least speck of fear, dwelling fearful outcomes or even spending anytime fearing AT ALL!

In Exodus, when God gave the children of Israel food from heaven, they actually called it Man-hu, which means "What is it?" in Hebrew. Ha ha ha! I think that's pretty funny, but it's not very funny as we mostly read the translation from the Latin Vulgate to early English Christian translations which is where we get the term "manna." But I still think the Hebrew phrase is best!

Well, these are just a few of the interesting little bits I find on my journey to learn all I can of God's Word. I hope they have sparked a little interest of your own!

God bless your socks off, whoever you are and wherever you are! May God's favor proceed you, His love sustain you and His wisdom fill your mind and heart!

Huge love,

Tiffany

What IS karma?

noreply@blogger.com (Tiffany) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 06:19:00 +0000

I was at our local ice cream shop and the tip jar had a label that read “Karma Insurance.” I thought to myself, tips are for good service…what does that have to do with karma?

Where does the thought of Karma come from anyway? It originates in the Hindu religion. Hinduism relies heavily on karma as the basis for their belief in reincarnation and their caste system.

Reincarnation defined by dictionary.com: the belief that the soul, upon death of the body, comes back to earth in another body or form.) It’s basically a nearly endless series of rebirths (samsara). Where they are trying to go from the lowest creation to humanity and then finally some sort of release or liberation is achieved at the highest levels (priests, ruling class, royalty, and wealthy of their society). They are considered “twice-born” and are given full participation in society, as all others are denied full participation.

Now the caste system is a rigid system of hereditary social distinctions based on your birth. Which is kind of peculiar because they believe if you were born to a street sweeper, then you must remain there until you die and hope to be reborn as something of a higher class next time. It’s a way that the ruling class uses to reason why they get to be the rulers, and why everyone else must wait until they die to see if they come back as something higher in caste next time. Not very nice to judge people on their birth—which we all know we DO NOT get to choose.

And here’s an interesting note, that you are not only responsible for your actions, good or bad in this life, your past life and your thought life, but you could also be punished for bad things done by your family members or even your society. So if something bad happens to someone, say they are poverty stricken, the Hindu believes that person is being punished for something they did in this life, the previous life or something bad done by their family. And they are very reluctant to interfere or help because of this belief.

Karma is a very complicated thing with lots of rules and doesn’t allow for compassion or love because in their view, everyone gets what they deserve. I guess that's why you hear a lot of people say "Karma's B#####!"

In Christianity, we know that Jesus Christ took the punishment we all deserve, paying our sin debt for us. And Jesus calls us to lives that are lead with LOVE first, no absent.

Galatians 5:14 The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."

1 John 4:7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.

Maybe I should share this little post with the ice cream parlor folks? hee hee!

A triple scoop on a waffle cone please,

Tiffany

(My basis of research is from The Bhagavad Gita, which is Hinduism's basic reference book for their religion.)

VIDEO: Can pregnancy trigger old eating disorder issues?

noreply@blogger.com (Tiffany) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 06:36:00 +0000

Can pregnancy trigger old eating disorder issues?

noreply@blogger.com (Tiffany) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 07:29:00 +0000

Unfortunately, sometimes, yes. I know, not the answer you were hoping for (not the answer I was hoping for either actually! ha ha ha!) But why is this true? Well, even after we have experienced total healing from anorexia, bulimia, binge eating or whatever eating abuse we used to do to ourselves--pregnancy is a whole new body experience.

While almost everyone gives caring attention to a gal with a big baby belly...we might not be feeling too caring toward ourselves. It's 100% normal to gain quite a big of weight when your pregnant, as your body prepares to nourish and sustain the little life growing rapidly inside of you. Your blood volume alone increases about 50% in pregnancy! And your bones begin to prepare by widening at the hips, giving way for an extra wide booty...not exactly self esteem booster! Ha ha ha! But essential to allow that big baby to make his or her way out to the world. And it also is responsible from turning your sexy strut into more of a duck waddle! Ha ha ha!

So as your body is working hard and undergoing changes like never before, I think that humanity's enemy, Satan, is hard at work too. I think that satan hates pregnancy. After all, it is God who knits the baby together in our womb and gives life where there was none, each baby fearfully and wonderfully made by God's design.
Let's go back to what happened in the garden of Eden to see WHY. This was when God put a curse upon satan for enticing Eve to sin.

Genesis 3:15 "And I will put enmity (malice, hatred) between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."

So NOW it makes sense that satan would come against every pregnant woman in a way to discourage, depress, or most effectively, try to trip her up with ANY of the old tricks that used to cause her to stumble. Satan's no dummy, so we have to be wise! One of satan's strategies is that "if it worked once, it can work again." So even a healed gal, can come face to face with all of the old feelings that were common place when she struggled with her eating disorder. This DOES NOT mean that she has an eating disorder again, but merely that Satan is trying to lure her back down that same old road.

In my experience, I had left that life of eating abuses behind thanks to God's healing hand, but as my body grew, I was attacked by feelings of being fat, ugly, out of control and thoughts of binging or restricting calories in unhealthy ways. These thoughts which are from the pit of hell, had not entered my head in YEARS but where now attempting to torment me again.

Does this mean you aren't healed? Nope, it just means that satan is attempting to destroy you with his same old tricks. And our BEST strategy to overcome is to look to God's word to stand steadfast, remain healthy in our habits (even if it FEELS like we are eating a lot--it's totally normal!). And I've found that having some good confessions help to keep satan's lies from taking hold.

Here are some examples:

I know my body is going to go through some dramatic changes as we go through this pregnancy, I willingly accept them and will enjoy them as it is a short time and will soon be back to my normal weight and size.

No one stays pregnant forever, so might as well have fun for the next 9 months (actually 10)! Spandex here we come!

Cravings--these foods that we crave when we are pregnant seem to actually TASTE even better, so enjoy indulging in foods that might never taste quite as delicious as they do right now!

I am carrying precious cargo, so I am committed to taking the best care of my body as possible.

Incorporate a pregnancy workout DVD or class into your schedule. Not to lose weight, but to keep your body strong, supple and also get some endorphins going which will help elevate your mood! All good things!

Talk to your baby in your belly, even if you feel a little nuts, he or she can hear you and is already comforted by the sound of your voice! Tell her or him how much you are looking forward to meeting them, and how much you love them already!

I pray that these little suggestions bless you in some way and your strength is renewed as you enjoy the adventure of pregnancy! And don't pay any attention to satan's attempts to trip you up, instead focus on God who has defeated satan in every aspect--FOR YOU! Because you are His beloved!

Big bellies, waddling instead of walking, and frequent bathroom pit-stops,

Tiffany

VIDEO: Winning the game of Monotony!

noreply@blogger.com (Tiffany) — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 05:16:00 +0000

Some thoughts on the passing of Whitney Houston

noreply@blogger.com (Tiffany) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 06:03:00 +0000

As the whole world is well aware at this point, I think there is some really horrible things said about the late Ms. Houston. And there are some really ridiculous conversations being had. For example:

I watched Dr. Drew for a few minutes, and he was saying that drug use and alcoholism was a disease, just like cancer.

Well, no "Dr. Drew." There are perfectly healthy people who live their lives with margin and are stricken with cancer out of now where--and NO fault to them. I know women who simply woke up one day and had a lump in their breast. Cancer is not a choice; but choosing to do drugs or take another drink is. We all have free will, and in this country we have the freedom to choose what we want to do with our lives or not do.

If you don't do drugs, you'll never be a drug addict. If you don't drink alcohol, you'll never be an alcoholic. You can't say the same for a disease like cancer.

But what all these TV personalities (Dr. Drew, etc) don't understand is that every human has an enemy, whose name is Satan. Jesus even tells us that Satan's objective is to "kill, steal, and destroy" us. (John 10:10) And Satan will use ANY means he can to destroy us. If it's the lure of drug euphoria, then he'll tempt us with that. If it's an lure of being super skinny, then he'll use that--bulimia or anorexia. If it's the lure of having the attention of guys, he'll destroy you with giving your body away in sex to get the "love" you think you need. See? Satan doesn't care with WHAT he destroys us with, all that matters is that he DESTROYS us.

But we have hope. Jesus knew all of this, and He came so that we may have life (if we choose it) and we all get choices to make in life.

Deuteronomy 30:19 This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.

But even after recognizing we have the responsibility to make right choices in life, and that we all have an enemy that is hoping for our destruction--we have the Great "I AM" who is the Creator of life, the redeemer of our lives and the Savior of our lives-- on our side. And God always prevails. Not matter what you are facing, God is bigger and can deliver you in ways you can't even imagine. Our job is to seek Him first. But that is the hope we have while our hearts still beat. That's why it matters NOW what we choose, no one is guaranteed their next breath!

Anyway, I really think the loss of Whitney Houston is sad, just as the loss of anyone else is. It's like a little light went out in the world, never to be lit again. It makes me sad that she believed the lies of Satan and followed his lead to total destruction. Whenever I think of it, or am reminded as every show and news program seems to keep harping on every aspect of her life--I just pray for her daughter and mother. I personally think that after someone has passed, we shouldn't speak negatively about them, but rather give grace to their surviving family members and allow them to grieve without feeling that the whole world is cannibalizing on their passed loved one. I don't think I could even watch tv right now if I was Whitney Houston's daughter.

People think just because they are wealthy/celebrity, that it makes it okay. But I'm sure that Whitney Houston's daughter would give every last penny away just to have her mom again. There are things that money can't help, can't cure and can't fix. I think it's unfair that tv people even allude to that. What can I say? I think the media is mostly cannibalistic and feed on tragedy. After all, when I was in college, my journalism professor said the maxim was "if it bleeds, it leads." So not much has changed since I was in school unfortunately.

But I know you all have big hearts, as many of you have shared them with me already. I encourage you all to pray for Bobbi Christina (Whitney's daughter) that she would come to know Jesus as her personal Lord and Savior and find healing and stable ground on which to build her life from here forward. God being a loving God, even tells us in Psalm 34:18 The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Huge love,
Tiffany

Two UGLY twins...

noreply@blogger.com (Tiffany) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 06:43:00 +0000

FEAR and INFERIORITY. I think fear is a very debilitating, paralyzing and destructive spirit. When we fear, we have yielded to Satan's pressure and deception. I once heard fear described as an acronym: F-alse E-vidence A-ppearing R-eal.
And that is exactly what Satan wants to dupe us with, the possibility of terrifying out comes (which are not even a reality). This will effectively keep us, if we allow it, from achieving all that God has for us. Especially when we fear things MORE than we TRUST God. And it's not just me who takes fear seriously, but God does. There are some 970 verses in the Bible that refer to fear.

Jeremiah 1:8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the LORD.

And of course, there is WRONG fear and a RIGHTEOUS fear. Wrong fear is what I've been referring to--all that Satan wants to scare us with. But there is righteous fear, which is to fear the Lord. And that's the only fear we should have.

Luke 12:5 But I'll tell you whom to fear. Fear God, who has the power to kill you and then throw you into hell. Yes, he's the one to fear.

So now we know that fearing things in life is a sure way to short circuit having God's best and it's in direct opposition to having FAITH and TRUST in God. Both which God promises "ALL THINGS" to those who believe. And over and over again, we see in the Bible that Jesus says, "your faith has made you well." Our level of faith matters, it's HUGE actually. The only one you and I should fear is God Himself.

Now to cover the other twin--inferiority. I don't know anyone who HAS NOT experienced this feeling at one time or another. And for some, it's a constant feeling. I think it's a evil spirit sent from Satan as well. People who feel inferior do things to FEEL better that are usually at the expense of others. For instance, a person who feels inferior might "feel" better about themselves only when they are able to verbally degrade others. I know, because I used to do this. I'd rip apart others in order to feel better about who I was because I FELT so bad about ME. It's sounds crazy, but it's true.

When we react to the feeling of inferiority with our own solutions, ex: verbally destroying others, we are reacting EXACTLY how Satan would want us to. He wants our own tongues to bring curses upon others and also condemn us. So what is the solution when you experience the feeling of inferiority?

Pray and say, "spirit of inferiority--go back from where you came. You are not welcome here in Jesus' Name." And then think on these verses:

Matthew 6:26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

God will take care of you! You are precious in His sight!

2 Corinthians 6:18 "I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty."

As heirs to the throne, with God as our loving Father, there is NO room for feeling inferior. God even tells us that He wants to give us the desires of our hearts when we seek Him first. God holds nothing back from those who love Him. We can send the feeling of inferiority packing when we focus on our identity in Christ! We even have a new name given to us when we surrender our life to God--and we will find out what it is when we arrive in Heaven. How cool is that?

Revelation 2:17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.

So next time you might feel inferior, remember that you are a prince or princess and have a wonderful heavenly name waiting for you!

I pray that fear and inferiority is cast away from you, and instead God's goodness and mercy follow you all the days of your life!

Hot blueberry muffins,

Tiffany

Finding your purpose starts with your Maker!

noreply@blogger.com (Tiffany) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 17:52:00 +0000

I know that God has a good plan for each and every person. Just look at my favorite scripture: Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

So we see that God is the one with the PLANS for our GREATEST life. It's reasonable then to seek Him for His best for us! Which is exactly the instruction we get in verse 12: "Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you."

This is the pattern for EVERY AREA of our life, seeking God first and His direction for our life--it's not just to find our purpose, but also to experience God's blessing and will for us.

When we choose to do things in our own very limited wisdom, and as WE see best--it most often leads us to sin, heartache, missing God's best (His will), and short circuiting the very things we want--happiness, peace, prosperity and blessing!

I believe that God puts little desires in our hearts that point toward what his purpose is for us. Take me for example, since suffering through my eating disorder and all of the problems that spawned off of it...I was almost desperate to tell others, warn them, and do all I could to help them off the crazy cycle of an eating disorder. As I sought God with what was on my heart, He lead me to start this little blog and then to write a book on it...and at this point in my journey, I'm seeking God for HOW to get this little book I have published. See? It's a step by step, continually seeking God for the next challenge kind of thing.

If you don't know what God's purpose is for you, then ask Him! Pray and tell Him that you want His will to be done in your life, and to give you the right desires, the eyes to see the opportunities and my favorite--to open the doors that no man can open and close doors that He doesn't want us to go through!

Now if you have a little dream already budding in your heart, then take it to God! Ask Him to purify your motives, to bless the work of your hands and to direct your steps as you move out toward your goal/dream!

Psalm 25:4 Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths;
guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.

A few little suggestions:
*Get a journal or notebook to start writing your ideas and prayer requests down.
*Whatever your dream is, there are books or other resources written about it--start learning all you can.
*Keep God at the center of your life, and His promise is to give us the desires of our hearts!!!

Remember that successful people do the uncomfortable things NOW to get right results LATER. Most people do the fun things first, and are jealous later! Ha ha ha!

Dream BIG because our God is BIGGER!

Huge love,
Tiffany

Just a little amazed at the life of Joseph

noreply@blogger.com (Tiffany) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 17:15:00 +0000

I'm always reading through the Bible, I just love it! And the Bible is amazing in the way that you can read it one day, and then come back and the Holy Spirit will teach or show you something totally new about a verse that you never even recognized before! It's truly a living book!

I'm in Genesis and reading about the life of Joseph. Which is so fascinating to me because God revealed his plans for him as a young teenager and sharing these very dreams with his brothers, that they would all bow down to him one day--is probably partly why they did what they did to him! And it says that he always brought negative reports to their father about what they were doing.

So as it works out, they decide to get rid of him by killing him until they see that they can sell him as a slave to some traveling Ishmaelites. So off he goes, sold by his own brothers! But God was with him, as he is sold to an Egyptian named Potiphar. And God blesses Potiphar's house hold because of Joseph. I love this line (Gen. 39:3) "And his master saw that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord made all that he did to succeed in his hand."

And to top it off, Joseph was a hottie! Ha ha ha, and Potiphar's wife wanted a piece of him, but instead he ran away from her. He obeyed God rather than doing what might have been a "fun fling." But she was mad and said that Joseph tried to attack her. And off poor Joseph goes to prison where God AGAIN gives him favor and makes him an overseer of the other prisoners.

When Pharaoh has a weird dream, Joseph is summoned from prison to interpret it as all of Pharaoh's magicians and palm readers can't. God gives Joseph the interpretation and Pharaoh makes him second in all of his kingdom. Wow! Can you imagine going from a prisoner to second in command of a whole country with endless riches, food and designer clothes?! Ha ha ha, I love it!

But here's the part that really gets me. During a horrible seven year famine, Joseph's brothers actually come to Him for food. And they bow to him of course, since he is a top commander there and they don't recognize him. See how God fulfilled the dream that He gave to Joseph?

But after Joseph reveals who he is to his brothers, this is the amazing part to me...He tells them not to be upset with themselves, as I'm sure they felt really guilty since they tried to kill him and now he was the preserving THEIR lives by giving them food for their families and animals! Joseph goes on to say that it was God's plan all along that through him being in Egypt, that their heritage in the earth would be preserved and they wouldn't parish!
He says, "It was not you who sent me here, but God." (Gen. 45:8)

THAT is amazing to me. He had such faith in God, and trusted his life to Him in such a way that even the evil done to him by his brothers wasn't an issue to him. I admit that I would still be a little mad at them for doing it! Ha ha ha! But the lesson I get here, is that if we are wise enough to obey God and leave the outcome to Him--we never have to worry about what others do to us. What God can do FOR us out numbers, out amazes and out does any evil intended by others!

I pray this encourages your heart, and that you are reminded of the God we serve...this very same God! He is the same today and He was yesterday and in Joseph's time. I pray for God's undeniable favor of your life today!

Huge love,

Tiffany

Some thoughts on Teen Mom (the TV show)

noreply@blogger.com (Tiffany) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 06:32:00 +0000

I recently watched an episode of Teen Mom, which broke my heart. It was extremely difficult to see how the sin (sex before marriage) cost both of the girl and boy so dearly, and not just them, but the innocent children and their family members who are all effected.

And there was a break in the program where they tried to provide "resources" for teen safe sex. I just about fell of the couch. That's the PROBLEM!

There is NO "safe" sex. Even if a teen doesn't get pregnant (which they seem to show as the worst case scenario--which is NOT true either!) a teen is not equipped for the intensity of the emotional, psychological and physical bonds that sex is meant to create. Sex is meant for marriage.

I despise the whole idea of "casual" sex, there is no such thing. But the world will promote every life destructive practice possible because Satan's agenda is to kill, steal and destroy every human possible. Not just me, but every single human being is a target of Satan's demolition. And how effective he uses the power of "popular" culture and music to "sell" his candy coated poison. We all hear how GREAT sex is and how it's a "not strings attached" type of act. Tell that to the girl who had sex with her boyfriend and have just broken up--she is experiencing emotional, psychological pain that is the same as people who had married and are divorcing. It's REAL. And it FEELS like you are going to die. So don't let anyone tell you there is even a THREAD of "casual" anything when it comes to sex.

The older I get the more I realize how easily we are duped by the lies of Satan, we buy into these lies rather than obeying God's instructions. And why not trust God? He is the author of this life, He knows best how to live it. And of course there will always be the voice of satan speaking in others who will say things like, "you're a prude, you're missing out, etc" but the girl or guy who says I'm sticking with God's wisdom and waiting for sex until I'm married will have tremendous blessing upon their life and relationship. Even if you have already had sex, you can stop at anytime and be forgiven. You can go forward in your life and live it to honor God and your body--after all your body is the temple of God as He lives in your heart!

It's never to late to stop and turn from your ways and head towards God! And His forgiveness is so complete that the Bible says He puts it as far as the East is from the West! God can give you a fresh start, just ask Him!

I pray that any hearts that are caught in the middle right now, stop and turn back toward God! And for His love, forgiveness and grace fill your heart right now! May God bless your every effort to move toward Him and obey His loving commandments that are ALL for our best!

Huge, Huge love,
Tiffany

Pregnant and SCARED...is that weird?

noreply@blogger.com (Tiffany) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 07:00:00 +0000

It IS scary! If you weren't somewhat afraid I'd think you were a little nuts actually! Ha ha ha! But FEAR doesn't have to be part of the equation. What do I mean? I mean that as a precious and loved child of the Most High God, we don't have to be slaves to our fears. What relief! You might not be thinking you feel so relieved...YET, but let me remind or share with you for the first time, the comforting and soothing Words of God that have helped me tremendously!

And I know how scary it can be, I still get little waves of fear now in this pregnancy but now I know what to do with that fear and that's what I want to share with you! Now I can attest that I am the worlds biggest worrier, I tend to want to think of EVERY possible horrific outcome and dwell on it. I was terrified when I first was pregnant with Sydney (now 2 1/2), I took 3 birthing classes which terrified me even MORE with their HORRIBLE birthing videos. I truly believe NO ONE should EVER watch those! I'm serious! Ha ha ha!

But birth is what a woman's body is DESIGNED by God to do. We are built to do this job, and actually, it's quite remarkable at how efficient and powerful the female body is!

Now we need to remember that FEAR is Satan's tool, and the opposite of fear is FAITH! And fear is a real thing, whenever we fear we are playing right into Satan's hand. He wants us all so fearful that we are paralyzed and do NOTHING in this life. But God has called us to "be fruitful and multiply" (Genesis 9:7). I truly believe that a child is an amazing blessing, even though the world looks down on raising children and spending those first tender years nurturing them! An interesting finding of mine, is that every woman I've ever spoken with (who has adult children) has ALWAYS mentioned that knowing what she knows now, she would have had MORE children.

But back to that pesky fear that likes to rear it's ugly head and scare us stupid. The Bible says in 1 John 4:18 that fear has torment but perfect love drives out fear. God is love (1 John 4:16) and you have God living on the inside of you (if you have accepted the free gift of salvation)...and fear MUST go. I even pray sometimes when fear comes rushing in, "In the Name of Yeshua (Jesus), fear go back from where you came!"

And remember 2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Psalm 34:4 sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.

And at night, when I'm finally trying to relax and get some of that very ELUSIVE sleep in the 2nd trimester...fear likes to sneak into my thoughts, and when it does I pray with this verse Proverbs 3:24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid; When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.

One of the most interesting books I've read is "Prayers & Promises for Supernatural Childbirth" where Jackie Mize shares her story of infertility, but God blessed them with FOUR children! But what REALLY got me was her testimony and others included in the book about women who took that verse that "we are free from the curse" and applied it to the curse of pain in labor--and according to their faith, some only had "pressure" and no pain during birth!?! That sounds FABULOUS to me! And there are more specific things they prayed for, like one gal whose baby was feet first and her and her husband prayed that the baby would turn. But the doctor insisted on a c-section, but when the doctor delivered the baby, her head was down and in the right position! That's such wonderful encouragement to my heart! And I hope it is to yours too!

Know that I'm praying for all of you who are pregnant now, that your birth with be short, with pressure but no pain, that your faith would be HUGE leaving no room for fear to take root! And God bless that child you are carrying, that he or she will be a blessing wherever her or his feet will tread and that goodness and mercy will follow them all the days of their life!

Remember that if you can trust God with your eternal security, you ALREADY have enough faith for Him to see you and baby safely through birth! He will be right there with you, even in the delivery room!!!

Huge, huge love,
Tiffany

Mission POSSIBLE with FAITH!

noreply@blogger.com (Tiffany) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 06:11:00 +0000

So often we think that the situations we face are impossible, hopeless and permanently NEVER going to change. But that is NOT what Jesus taught.

Mathew 9:23 "What do you mean, 'If I can'?" Jesus asked. "Anything is possible if a person believes."

ALL things are possible for ANYONE who believes. It's not just for a select few, but ANYONE. God doesn't separate us like the world does by education, income, social standing, hobbies or what we wear or drive. God says by our level of FAITH!

We can limit our lives by having too little faith. Like the children of Israel who turned back in fear after FINALLY reaching the Promised Land. They forgot that God delivered them from Pharaoh, divided the sea for their safe escape, gave them water from a rock, food from heaven (manna), and guided safely with a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night. Yet when they saw a few big folks living in the Promised Land they thought it was too much for God. It's like, "REALLY?!" But we do the very same thing, sure we have faith that God will be there to take us to heaven but we aren't sure if He can provide a healing, restore a relationship, help our financial situation or provide a home to live in.

We need to get serious and start BELIEVING in our inner most heart that what God has said is TRUE! God gives us numerous examples showing us that BY FAITH, things ARE changed for the BEST!

The woman who had the issue of blood, was healed instantly. Matthew 9:22, Jesus turned around, and when he saw her he said, "Daughter, be encouraged! Your faith has made you well." And the woman was healed at that moment.

We have the power to speak life or death into our lives, health and prosperity if we choose! How much faith do you need? If you can believe that God has forgiven your sins, then you have faith enough already! Just apply that to the rest of your life!

And my all time favorite verse on faith is Matthew 17:20 And He said to them, "Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.

Even if you have given up in the past, start again right now with renewed hope and faith that God is on your side! Pray and give your requests to God, and thank Him that He is already at work on bringing about your needs as you seek Him first! When problems arise, go first to God with it, not your BFF or Mom. ha ha ha! God has WAAAAYYY more power than either of them!

I pray that your faith is stirred and you stand firm on the promises of God has His Word and promises never fail and never change. Now go find those promises in the Bible that pertain to your situation, healing etc. and start memorizing them so that they are foremost in your thoughts when your mind comes back to trying to "solve" the problem you are facing. Put the living Word of God to work on it instead!

Huge love to you, Faith to move mountains and the Wisdom to us it!

Your faithful sister in Him,

Tiffany

Source: biblepic.com via Biblos.com on Pinterest

My Best Pregnancy Tips!

noreply@blogger.com (Tiffany) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:48:00 +0000

PRODUCTS:

Tummy Rub by Mama Mio

Boob Tube by Mama Mio

Mommy's Bliss Pregnancy Heartburn Comfort (chewable tablets)

Prayers & Promises for Supernatural Childbirth (Book)

A few tips on Eating

noreply@blogger.com (Tiffany) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:28:00 +0000

This might seem like a "really dumb" post and it JUST MIGHT BE...ha ha ha! But I honestly think we all need a little reminder on eating in ways that are in alignment with how God created our body's to function and that also honor Him, even in stuffing our faces! Hee hee!

So here are a few:

Relax prior to eating. Our fearfully and wonderfully made bodies are best filled with food in a calm state, not rushing around and gulping it down. Even if you only have a few minutes, focus your thoughts on the GOODNESS of God:

Exodus 23:25 "You must serve only the Lord your God. If you do, I will bless you with food and water; and I will keep you healthy."

And then pray and ask God to bless the food to your body. I read this article about a Christian traveling with a group of people through other countries. He prayed and asked God to bless his food before every meal. He didn't get sick once from the food he ate, but the others suffered after eating their un-blessed food!

That's enough for me! I want every blessing God promises, even over my pancakes!

And the old, ugly, problem starter...STRESS. This causes us a tremendous amount of suffering in our earthly bodies so we DO need to manage it as best we can. Stress can cause low stomach acidity which can cause heartburn and indigestion--yuck!

1 Peter 5:7 And cast all your cares on God, for he takes care of you.

Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

So we need to cast our cares (or stress) on God, not hold it all in and try to solve it ourselves. Isn't it WONDERFUL to know that God TELLS us to do this? I just love that God cares so much about us, even our stress level! He is the original "whole healthcare provider!"

And we can add in the physical aspect with a brisk walk before dinner, taking time to do some deep breathing, relax with stretching or just getting a little time in with a big glass of water before you chow down. Try all or one, see what works best for you.

And lastly...
Each bit should be chewed 20-30 times. I know this seems ridiculous, I normally chew about half of every other bit and then swallow hard! Ha ha! But actually CHEWING, ensures that the food is broken down into digestible particles that allow for absorption of nutrients and also that it is easily MOVED OUT of your gut again! Always a plus if you have ever suffered from constipation-- going #2 only once a month is NOT normal! ha ha ha!

I pray that these little tidbits are helpful reminders to live the best life you can and in accordance with our Faith!

Still chewing my dinner,

Tiffany
(hee hee)

Entertainment Shopping?

noreply@blogger.com (Tiffany) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:40:00 +0000

Shopping is an interesting thing, I think that everyone enjoys getting some they want. Even my hubby who DESPISES shopping, will spend hours at a sports store! We all have our interests!

But as the years have rolled by, I've noticed that my relationship to shopping has changed quite a bit. When I was really sick and struggling with bulimia, I shopped all the time because I felt so "less-than" everyone else, and that if I bought the right clothes, shoes and accessories--then I would at least FEEL like I LOOKED good enough. I didn't enjoy shopping, but it was rather a frantic and desperate hunt to find what would help me hide the hurt I had.

Then later, as I was healing from all that hurt...I shopped to look professional at my job. It wasn't crazy shopping, but just the right amount. I also noticed that when I was working, I was less tempted to spend all my money.

But then after I had Sydney and I became a stay-at-home momma, a new challenge arose. Entertainment shopping. Now this is VERY difficult for new moms, because you now have NO WHERE to be, go or do and it can be mind numbingly boring. And of course we are tasked to handle all the shopping anyway--groceries, clothes etc.

So I noticed that I began just going to stores, with no NEED, but rather as a way to get out of the house and see something different than the same old four walls! And it DOES help. It's just that before you know it, you can be spending tons of money of junk you and your child don't even need!

Luke 14:28
"But don't begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it?"

We all need to be aware and count the cost of even our "entertainment" choices.

A few things that I've learned to put into practice:

Weekly, we do a "financial check" we go over any bills, check our bank account, credit card charges and just see where we are at. This helps keep finances in order, especially when you have two people spending money from one source!

Try other forms of entertainment for you and your little ones...like instead of roaming through Target, try finding a new park, train museum, petting zoo, or other local children's events.

I often think it's just easier to go to work, but when I really think about these precious few years--you really only have a baby for one year and POOF! They will never be that precious age again...it's SOOOO worth it to be with them! Even if your budget is tight and your mind seems to have more cobwebs than creative ideas! Time invested in your child and with your child is an eternal investment...all else--careers and big paychecks will turn to dust.

I hope that every mom is encouraged to find the adventures in their world around them, and not just on the dollar isle! Ha ha ha!

God bless every momma and her babies who read this, and for her hope to be in the LORD, who will renew her strength. And she will soar on wings like eagles; she will run and not grow weary, she will walk and not be faint! (Because she's got A LOT to do!) Ha ha ha!

Huge love,
Tiffany

Finally back...after a nasty stomach bug!

noreply@blogger.com (Tiffany) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:48:00 +0000

Well, first hubby came down with it, then me and then poor little Sydney. I have to say being pregnant AND really sick is absolutely NO FUN at all. I'm still exhausted and trying to rehydrate, but thankfully everyone else is on the mend. Sydney got up this morning and said she needed to get dressed because she had "big day." A few minutes later she came out with her little hello kitty purse on and her princess high heels! And I was planning on staying home all day! Ha ha ha.

If you or any of your loved ones are sick, I share these favorite scriptures of mine with you! And I'm praying for you all, that God restores your health (if you've been sick too), blesses you with abundance and keeps you safe!

Proverbs 4:20-22
My son, pay attention to what I say;
listen closely to my words.
Do not let them out of your sight,
keep them within your heart;
for they are life to those who find them
and health to a man’s whole body.

1 Peter 2:24
and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.

3 John 1:2 Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.

Huge love to you all and I pray that God blesses the rest of your week in ways you least expect!

Tiffany

PS: the picture is Sydney at her little table finally having real food...with her hat and blankies because she said that's how you get better again, with your hat on! I just had to share it!

The LAST place you'd think of blessing someone...

noreply@blogger.com (Tiffany) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 06:03:00 +0000

DRIVING! Now this is an interesting thing to consider, really a "rubber meets the road" kind of application of our obedience and faith in God.

I'm ALMOST surprised to find my normally "sweet disposition" transformed into an angry road regulator as another driver does some ridiculous, rude or dangerous maneuver.

For example, I had just finished a great devotional study and then got in the car to get groceries when another car nearly ran me off the road because they didn't move over to allow me onto the freeway.

Instantly I laid on the horn for WAY longer than a normal "honk, honk," then finally passed the guy and threw my arm in the air as to say "what the heck? I have a baby in the car and you could have killed us!"

I was fuming mad at the danger he had put us in and then cursed by saying "You DING-DONG" (I know there is much worse, and I USED to say ALL of them! But God is good and is moving me from grace to grace, or from terrible profanity to a lesser form! Ha ha ha!)

Then, just as quick as I got mad and cursed the guy with my "ding-dong" remark, the Holy Spirit convicted me in my heart about the study I had been doing on blessing others.

That when we curse others, even with a "your-a-ding-dong," we have set a measure that will be measured BACK TO US. YIKES!

Look at the warning in James 3:5-10
See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell. 7 For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race. 8 But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; 10 from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way.

We are told NOT to bless and curse out of the same mouth (as we only have one anyway! ha ha ha!) But the REALLY disturbing part for me is the "sets on fire the course of our life" part. To think I could set my course of life on fire (not in a good way) for destruction and total ruin? It's SO not worth it!

Remembering this I prayed and asked God to forgive me and help me NOT curse. And to bless that guy driver.

And when we ask God to bless someone, we are essentially asking for God's will over their life to come to fruition. This is something we can ALL agree one (I think anyway:-) that we would want for every person we ever meet.

So blessing is always better than a curse, even when it's the LAST thing you FEEL like doing. Feelings are often wrong, but it's always right to obey God!

A VERY slow learner and your friend,

Tiffany

How EXACTLY do we delight ourselves in the Lord?

noreply@blogger.com (Tiffany) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 06:12:00 +0000

(delighting yourself in the Lord DOES NOT require a pink feather boa! But it sure can't hurt! ha ha ha!)

So I was recently asked this question, and thought it deserved a whole post!

Here is the scripture I'm referring to:

Psalm 37:4 “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.”

So how do we do this? Let’s start with the definition of the word “delight” according to Dictionary.com:

noun
1. a high degree of pleasure or enjoyment; joy; rapture: She takes great delight in her job.
2. something that gives great pleasure: The dance was a delight to see.

We can conclude that God wants us to take pleasure, BE happy in our knowing Him and that we have a relationship with our very Creator. THIS fact should bring us joy!

I like think of it this way, just as I want my little girl to be happy and take pleasure in having ME as her mom—-this fact brings great joy to MY heart. Nothing compares to having fun with her and to seeing her happy with the life we work hard to provide. It just makes me want to give her everything possible. I think God is the same with His children.

The following verse, Psalm 37:5, is “Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it.”

This is further assurance that when we finally TRUST God with not only our eternal salvation, but our day to day life and various outcomes…He has promised to give us the deepest desires of our heart. And I think there is something spiritual that transpires here, when we submit our life to God, He then can work to bring out the “good work” He has already started in us and therefore the desires of our heart are molded into the right desires that grace will permit, not evil desires that we see drive the world to extremes that ultimately destroy them. But God will put right desires in our heart to want! That fit in His will for us! How cool is that?!

The fact that we actively seek our happiness in God, will automatically regulate our desires. It’s just another benefit that God gives us, we take one step in obedience and he helps us in that very area!

I guarantee that you can’t be happy in the Lord AND participate in evil practices. It’s like a teeter-totter, you’re either up with God or down with sin. The two can’t happen at the same time, just as the Bible says you can’t serve two masters.

And the blessing we get? Our innermost desires are met, the deep, prayerful, asking desires. That is God’s promise to us.

I also like to take a clue from David, who danced before the Lord with all his might! (2 Samuel 6:14). Turn up some good praise music and give David a run for his money! Ha ha ha!

And there are MANY verses that tell us to “sing to the Lord a new song” (Psalm 98:1). I think that God delights in our making a joyful noise (which is good for me because I can’t sing well AT ALL! It is more of a racket! But God doesn’t seem to care!) Ha ha ha!

I hope that clears the muddy waters…or at least gives you some good ideas as to HOW to start delighting yourself in the Lord. I want the desires of your heart to be granted to you from God! That is my prayer for all of you who are reading this!

Huge love,
Tiffany

How do I make God the center of my life?

noreply@blogger.com (Tiffany) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 08:03:00 +0000

One of the best ways we can begin is to start talking to God, aka Praying. This is better than twitter and more instant than the fastest internet connection available! Why? Because as God is all-powerful and all-knowing, He actually knows what we will say even before we do. Some might ask, "well, why even bother telling or asking Him then?" And I've got a good answer. Because God desires to have a relationship with YOU! God desires to be close to His children.
I often think of my little girl, Sydney, in my attempt to see this from God's perspective. Now she's only 2 1/2, and she can't tell me anything I don't ALREADY know (at this point anyway!) but her little voice speaking to me just delights my heart in ways that nothing else ever has! And when she says "Momma" I will stop at nothing to get to her. That is how God views us, actually MORE as God is LOVE. Staggering to think about isn't it?!

Next is reading the Bible. It's essential to learning more of who God is, His faithfulness (you'll see it over and over again in every chapter and verse) and it's the only book the we can read and it's inexhaustible. Meaning people can spend their lives studying and deriving more and more wisdom from it's pages. Unlike ANY book I've ever read! It's truly LIVING WORD!

And as we do this, the Truth of Scripture will guard our hearts, fill our minds (instead of negative junk), and influence our life for the BEST. And by reading and studying the Bible, we learn God's ways, something He must teach us because His ways are higher, better and eternal.

The last suggestion I have is keeping a prayer journal. Mine is more like a Diary between God and I. As I write, it's always addressed to "My Father in Heaven," and it varies from pouring out my heavy heart, to specific things I'm praying about or for. And the most amazing part is looking back through the pages and SEEING how God blessed a situation, made good to come out of it, or straight up did something I wasn't expecting but it worked out better than the scenario I was hoping for! This will help build your faith in God, as our level of faith in Him determines the impact of our life---we can believe God for more than your mind can even imagine! Just think if you could have that kind of confidence in God--He is worthy of it!

I also know that whenever I seek to listen to Christian music, watch Christian tv programs or read a Christian publication--God ALWAYS meets a need, answers a question, or encourages me directly! So know that when you seek God, He answers! I am confident of this! This is also known as the "it was like they were speaking directly to me" sense we get when it's God answering us. That is my favorite.

I hope that you are encouraged, inspired to dig into God's Word and excited to gain all the wisdom God has for you!

James 4:8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.

Huge love,

Tiffany

VIDEO: Hurt People, Hurt People

noreply@blogger.com (Tiffany) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 05:23:00 +0000

The number one way NOT to have a blessed relationship

noreply@blogger.com (Tiffany) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 06:30:00 +0000

This might be one of the most emailed questions I get…so here I am going to address it.

So if you have found yourself in a dating relationship where you have had sex, which you know is wrong…but now don’t know how to stop and make the relationship honoring to God…this is for you.

First of all, if you have had ANY conviction that sex out of marriage is wrong then you are in better shape than most of the world! Most people think it’s ok, or even think they should have sex BEFORE because they don’t know if they will be “compatible” or not. But we don’t have to worry about “compatibility” because God has designed male and female to come together in a way that makes them “one flesh” and any preferences one might have can be part of the fun that first year of marriage. Sex is a rather basic act in the physical but it’s EXTREMELY complicated emotionally, spiritually and relationally.

Don’t believe me? Just ask someone who slept with their boyfriend and then they broke up, they will know that the pain from that separation was just as real as any other pain yet they never shed one drop of blood or broke a bone…but it’s a real pain from REAL emotional and REAL relational destruction.

Think of sex as fire. And when you have a fire in the fireplace of your home, it’s a wonderful thing—creating warmth, comfort and light. But take that fire out of the fireplace (which is marriage) and you have a fire on the floor in your house—BAD! It has become a dangerous thing to all who are in the home and to the home itself.

So what does one do when they realize they need to make a HUGE change in their relationship…and by the way they now “love” that person who is enjoying the fullness of the joys of marriage without actually BEING married. It’s kind of like stealing in my opinion- taking what isn't rightfully theirs (yet...or maybe ever).

So if you are here, it is time to talk to your significant other and tell them of 1) your Christian views that hold sexual intercourse as sacred and only for marriage 2) that you cannot continue in the relationship as you have previously 3) if they DO want ALL of you, then you need to have a RING and a WEDDING to make it all RIGHT!

This talk might even need to be the end of the relationship as you might find out that your boyfriend 1) isn’t interested in sharing your faith (total deal breaker anyway!) 2) doesn’t want to change anything because they are getting “all the milk for free without having to buy the cow” 3) perhaps is too immature to man up and leave his mommy and daddy and be a man.

All of those responses are EXCELLENT reasons to leave that turd in the grass and head out for God’s best for you! And in the next relationship, you can set the boundary FIRST that you won’t be sleeping with him and THEMS-THE-RULES. It’s always easier to keep a boundary that hasn’t been broken. You CAN re-establish a boundary but it’s extremely difficult and both people have to be in agreement. But it IS POSSIBLE.

And know that God can forgive you and cleanse you from all unrighteousness, but repentance (which means a turning away) requires a CHANGE in behavior. God forgives and out of a sincere heart, we make a change to not continue in that sinful behavior --whatever that may be.

Remember that as soon as we get out ourselves in obedience to God, we can receive His blessing. God BLESSES obedience, not disobedience. So why not obey and get every good blessing He has in store! That’s what I’m talking about!!! Ha ha ha! I want EVERY blessing God has for me--I think it's okay to be greedy in this one instance! Ha ha ha!

Huge hugs,

Tiffany

What IS marriage?

noreply@blogger.com (Tiffany) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 06:26:00 +0000

Who came up with the idea of “marrying” someone and then spending the rest of your life together? Is it merely a social norm? Is it “just a piece of paper” or all about the big bling on your fing? (finger- didn’t rhyme! Ha ha ha!)

So it’s always smart to begin at the beginning, aka Genesis. God made man, and after awhile, said it wasn’t good for man to be alone. He decided to make woman…

Genesis 2:22-25 Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman,' for she was taken out of man." For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.

So God started with just man, then noticed somebody was missing… woman. I like to think of woman as God’s final and crowning creation (hee hee).

Matthew 19:6 “So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate."

And thus God instituted the marriage covenant. Biblical covenants were never to be broken and usually marked with a blood sacrifice. A foreshadowing of Christ’s death, His righteous blood shed so that we may be redeemed.

In the Bible, Jesus refers to US as the church –which is the bride. And Himself, Our Savior and King, as the bridegroom who will be returning to unite us for all of eternity! Wow! What an incredible parallel!!!

Ephesians 5:25 “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her…”

Once again we are given the comparison of marriage between husband and wife and Christ and the church.

And in the book of Revelation, that last book of the Bible that holds what is to come…we see again, the comparison of a wedding.

Revelation 21:2 “And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.”

As we can see, marriage is God’s creation and also example for us as Christ is the bridegroom coming for us, the bride. These are not confusing, but rather complimentary and to be an example for what is to come.

So that is marriage. God’s design for one man and one woman, which is also a “type or example” of Jesus returning (the bridegroom) for the us (the bride). Incredible when you think about it right? I think so! We might even think a little higher thoughts of marriage when we connect what God has said about it to our view.

I pray that this blesses you, and that God further opens your heart and mind to His will for each of us and that His ways are wiser than ours and therefore we can trust Him completely as He has our very best interest at heart!

Big diamonds,

Tiffany

Why emotionally controlling others is a bad idea.

noreply@blogger.com (Tiffany) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 06:13:00 +0000

The problem with controlling people through your behavior is that 1) it's wrong and 2) it makes YOU captive to those negative behaviors 3) it's not very effective anyway. Ha ha ha!

So what do I mean? Take for example, my way of behaving when I felt I wasn't being treated fairly. I would NEVER come right out and say "hey, I feel like I'm not being treated fairly," but instead attempted to convince the person by my negative behavior that something was wrong and it happened to be their fault.

And as you can see, it's LONG shot to hope that someone might make all those connections and then come to me and say "oh, since you have been behaving as if you were hurt and haven't been talking...it must be my actions and my fault. I'm so sorry." FAT CHANCE!

But even thought I had to LIVE sulking, not talking or holding a grudge, it didn't stop me from hoping that the person would notice and then reach out to make amends. Do you see that I was the one who SUFFERED most? The other person most of the time had no clue that they had hurt me or offended me and therefore went on living their merry life.

So the bottom line? If you are hurt, feel wronged or offended...the worst thing you can do is try to punish/control/get them to repent, by negative behavior. It just makes YOU miserable. Trust me.

So what CAN we do? We can come to that person honestly and say, "what happened the other day really hurt me." But this is VERY difficult because our old pride rears it's ugly head and doesn't EVER want to admit that ANYTHING EVER hurts us.

The other choice we have is to take it up with the Lord. Tell Him how hurt you feel and then ask Him to help you forgive that person, and to heal your heart from the wound. Then you can go on and be FREE from the "hurt" (intended or not) and get back to ENJOYING your life!

This is much better, trust me. This way you stay in control--you don't have to be a slave to how well others treat you. This way you can have JOY, PEACE and HAPPINESS because that is the life God has intended for you! You can finally stop giving others so much control of you and you can stop trying to control others so much!

Life more abundantly, as the Lord promises us!

Proverbs 17:22 A joyful heart is good medicine, But a broken spirit dries up the bones.

And TRUST in the Lord to be your vindicator, He is much better equipped than we will EVER be!

Psalm 138:7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch forth Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, And Your right hand will save me.

Pink Fuzzy Slippers and a happy heart,

Tiffany