Tag Archives: encouragement for moms

~The Ocean Series~ Our Anchor

July 17, 2018Spiritual EncouragementAbba Father, Abundant Life, anchor, boat, Christian encouragement, encouragement, encouragement for moms, encouragement for teachers, encouragement in Christ, God's peace, Hebrews 6:19, Identity in Christ, Jesus, ocean, sailing, ship, spiritual encouragement, The Ocean Series, Trials, Unconditional love, who I am in ChristT.W. Allgaier

Have you ever watched the sailboats and ships while sitting on the shoreline? Some of them seem to glide effortlessly across the water. Others seem to go at a much slower pace. Some even appear to have dropped their anchor and just sit still.

An anchor is a device, normally made of metal, used to connect a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the craft from drifting due to wind or current.

Do you ever feel like you are being tossed back and forth in the waves of “life”? There were many times in my life that I wondered if I could hang on myself. And sometimes I was drifting and did not know it until I saw the distance to the shore!

We have coasted out from the shoreline a time or two on boats. No wake, the water crystal clear and beautiful. We wanted to stay there…in the peaceful and calm water. But the wind or even other boats’ waves would move us up and down, side to side. How on earth could we stay put?

We dropped an anchor. It hit the sand with a thud and we knew we would stay put. We relaxed, rested and the peace simply engulfed us. How wonderful we had that anchor on board!!

Our soul, once given up to Christ, is firm and secure! What do we know about anchors? They are stable, they are buried and they stay firm! Good news, is that we can say the same for our souls…once we have been born again. The anchor holds!

Are those seas rough? Are you being tossed a little too much for your liking? Grab hold of that anchor!

~Be Encouraged Today~

Tammy

Births and Birthdays

April 3, 2018Parenting, Spiritual EncouragementAbba Father, birthday, Christian encouragement, eldest son, eldest son birthday, encouragement for moms, first born, first time grandma, first time grandparents, giddy, grandbaby, granddaught, Love of God, Parenting, raising children, rearing children, sonogram, spiritual encouragement, Unconditional love, unconditional love for childrenT.W. Allgaier

Today our eldest celebrates his 32nd birthday. He was the child we practiced on. He was the one that was over protected and the one that we followed every single rule in child rearing. We barely let anyone even keep him when he was little. Poor guy.

But he is also the one who introduced us to “unconditional love.” We never understood it until he was born.

When the second was born, it was “he is two weeks old and we are going to be gone all evening!” In having the first son, we kind of learned what to do and not to do with babies. And our “unconditional love” understanding just deepened.

And even as I write this, I am giddy about the fact that we will have our very first grand baby in August. This little girl has already captured our hearts. I have her 20 week sonogram photo on our refrigerator. Of course it is the very first item on the front of this fridge..ever. I bet we end up devoting the entire fridge to her artwork! I also hear that being a grandparent is a lot more fun that having the original children!!

Aren’t you glad that the Father did not have to practice on us? He allows us to make our own decisions even when they are not the best for us. He never leaves us, and He is giddy about us. His unconditional love for us is simply indescribable.

I like that. As we celebrate the child, the now man, that made us parents, I rejoice in the fact that the Father celebrates with us as well.

Sometimes I forget that and Father God uses a birthday and a grandchild’s sonogram picture to remind me just how special He thinks we are…..

~Be Encouraged Today~

Tammy

~The Ocean Series~ Simple Seashells by the Seashore

February 15, 2018Spiritual EncouragementBiblical lesson, broken shells, children, encouragement for moms, new mom, ocean, ocean series devotions, Parenting, seashells, seashells by the seashore, seashore, shells, spiritual encouragement, Unconditional loveT.W. Allgaier

SIMPLE SEASHELLS

Walking up and down the seashore is a stroll in paradise for those of us who collect shells. There are some beaches that are better than others, but one always finds some shells.

When my family would see them, we would pick them up and examine them. If the shell was whole, we would place it in our collector bag. A broken shell went back in the sand. Then the hunt began again.

One year I changed the routine. I started picking up the broken ones and began keeping them. I shared some “broken shells” ideas with the kids. We could glue them on a wooden picture frame, put them in a bowl or mirror. Soon they had ideas of their own.

I am so glad that the Father did not discard me when He found me broken. I can see my Abba walking down the shore, picking up every shell and piece of shell. It doesn’t matter the shape, size or color. Each one is precious to Him. There are none thrown away. He gently picks them up and places them in his pocket to examine in greater detail later. Each one is special, each one will have a place.

Some pieces are broken, battered and so small that they don’t even appear to come from a shell. We are torn up, broken, battered and sometimes not recognizable. Yet the Father finds us…and let’s us know that we are of use. We are loved. He gently restores us and uses us and loves us…just as we are……

So next time you are walking along that beach…pick up the shells, but don’t forget the pieces.

~Be Encouraged Today~

Tammy