Tag Archives: Christian encouragement

~The Ocean Series~ The Leaning Palm Tree

June 6, 2018Spiritual EncouragementChrist Jesus, Christian encouragement, darkness, deceived, encouragement in Christ, foundation, God, light, Living the Christian life, Palm trees, spiritual encouragement, The Ocean Series, who I am in ChristT.W. Allgaier

The large palm tree’s fronds rustle as the tree sways in the gentle breeze. It curtsies as the wind blows near the coast.

Have you ever wondered why palm trees bend toward the water? Apparently it is for several reasons. One is “phototropism.” The trees reach for as much light as possible. Water reflects the light, so the trees reach for as much light as they can get!. Also leaning towards the water aids in reproduction because the current can carry the seeds away for dispersal.

Do we lean toward the light? Do we want as much light as possible? Or do we turn away from the light because it might expose the darkness we find ourselves in? Continue reading ~The Ocean Series~ The Leaning Palm Tree →

~The Ocean Series~ Beach Sand

May 29, 2018Spiritual Encouragement, The Ocean Seriesbeach, Christian encouragement, Christian life, encouragement, encouragement in Christ, God's peace, ocean, sand, spiritual encouragement, The Ocean Series, Unconditional love, vacationT.W. Allgaier

You made it. There it is…the ocean, the beach, vacation!!! Half the fun of vacation is the anticipation of it. You grab your bag, cooler, umbrella, towels, chair and the trek begins to sit right in front of those delightful waves with a book you have been waiting all year to read. It looks like a mile away, but you will make it!

Then….

Your sandal clad feet it the sand and…….ouch! That beautiful sand has become a conduit. How could this gorgeous sand be so miserable? The white sand that we were walking on last year was cool and comfortable. But this is not the same sand….Deception. There are times when something beautiful can really be harmful and disturbing. Let’s not forget the garden. And let’s not forget there were two trees there..

Even something that we think is really good can take us away from the beauty of the Father. We get busy with those “good” things and we miss our time with Him. Don’t be deceived into thinking that what you do brings you closer to God or that it makes Him love you more. Your works don’t make Him love you more or less.

Been there, done that….

So next time we are near the beach, I will most certainly check out the temperature of the sand before we venture forward!!

~Be Encouraged Today~

Tammy

Looks can be Deceiving…Hanging On!

May 9, 2018Spiritual Encouragementanxiety, Christian encouragement, Christians and depression, depression, encouragement, encouragement in Christ, God's love, God's peace, hanging on, honesty, looks can be deceiving, mental health, panic attack, perfection, pretending, Rest in Christ, rock climbing, spiritual encouragement, transpT.W. Allgaier

(Departing from ~The Ocean Series~ today)

Sometimes “looks can be deceiving.” Case in point. Look at picture #1. What a man! He is a great climber, especially for his age!

As I have listened, prayed, studied and re-evaluated so many things in my life the last couple of weeks, this seemed so fitting.

A person can “look” good on the outside, but on the inside it is a different story. We can “photoshop” pictures like we can our own lives. We want it to look perfect…like we have accomplished something, or that we have it all together, when actually we sometimes don’t even get off the ground. Check out picture #2!

And actually, that is okay. We can only do what we can do. Quit putting pressure on yourself. Once we surrender our lives to Christ we quit trying to “perform.” We don’t have to pretend for anyone.

We can be who God designed us to be, and not pretend to be something we are not. Our lives are not perfect and there is pain sometimes. Transparency and honesty bring healing.