Tag Archives: Christian life

~The Ocean Series~ Sand Castles

March 7, 2018Spiritual EncouragementBiblical lesson, building, Christian encouragement, Christian life, encouragment, firm foundation, foundation, Jesus, Matthew 7:26-27, shifting sand, solid foundation, spiritual encouragement, The Ocean SeriesT.W. Allgaier

Sand….good qualities out weigh the bad (as long as there are not cats around). Our family always loved building sandcastles. One year we all worked hard to make a fort full of castles. It had a moat, and a draw bridge over that moat! It took all day and we all put our hearts in to it!

People walked by and admired it. Some chatted, others took pictures. This was a FORT.

Looking at our finished work with pride, we decided it was time for dinner. We did not really want to leave, we wanted to protect it. But the reality of its disappearance was in the future and we all dreaded it.

We came back from dinner and took a walk on the beach to see if the fort had survived. It had…it was intact! There was hope! Continue reading ~The Ocean Series~ Sand Castles →

~The Ocean Series~ Rip Currents

February 27, 2018Spiritual EncouragementAbba Father, caught in a rip tide, Christian encouragement, Christian life, encouragement, encouragement in Christ, God's peace, life is tough, ocean, Psalm 91:14-16, rescue, Rest in Christ, rest in Him, rip currents, rip tides, swimming, The Ocean SeriesT.W. Allgaier

The ocean can bring us such serenity. Sometimes gazing out at the beauty does not always reveal the dangers that lurk within. It seems like a lot of people around me are dealing with another aspect of that beauty….

Rip Currents

When the water is trapped between an underwater sand bar and the shore, those currents push back out to sea. These currents are dangerous and if we are in the ocean swimming we must be aware of them.

If we get caught in one, our natural tendency is to fight to swim back to shore, but we are to swim parallel to the shore to get out of the riptide and swim back to the shore to safety.

If you find yourself in a “riptide” of circumstances, fight the urge to “fix it” with your natural tendencies. Swimming parallel reminds me that we are to go with the Father. Rest in HIM.

Allow the Father to help you swim parallel. You will get back to shore. You will most likely be worn out and the shore may seem miles away. You may be battered and bruised. But He will be with you as you swim. It is a promise.

~Be Encouraged Today~

Tammy

~The Ocean Series~ Our Home

February 8, 2018Spiritual Encouragement, The Ocean Series2 Corinthians 5:1-5, Christian encouragement, Christian life, encouragement, encouragement in Christ, home, longing for home, moving south, ocean, ocean series devotions, Rest in Christ, spiritual encouragementT.W. Allgaier

Have you ever visited somewhere that feels like “home” to you?

My “home” seems to be the beach. The ache in my soul is a reminder that I am not at “home”. Deep within my heart is a love for the ocean and everything about it. I love to stare upon the horizon and let my thoughts drift to a peace and comfort I only seem to access there. I enjoy listening to the waves and the constant, rhythmic lapping as they hit the shoreline.

My husband and I have talked about moving south many times. I have looked for jobs, houses and cost of living. I am just convinced that I belong on the beach and would feel so at “home” there.

My desire to live on the beach would eventually cave in like the castle built on the sand. I would soon have the desire to live somewhere else. My daughter in law once asked a local that lived on an island that we visited where he vacationed? His response? “The mountains…there I can breathe and relax.”

Is the fact that we are on vacation….away from the drama of life, that make us feel more relaxed and at “home”? The swirling circumstances of life are put on hold for a week. The busy lives we lead slow down to a snail’s pace and we stop, listen and relax.

As a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, my spirit is truly longing for my heavenly home. I will never truly feel at “home” until I am there…..

But….Let me be clear on one thing….

…if someone offers us a cottage on the beach….we will gladly accept!!

~Be Encouraged Today~

Tammy