From the Journey, The Crowned with Beauty Blog

08/03/2020

Christian Hope in Sorrow

Young or old
Rich or poor
Healthy or sick
Fit or out of shape

We are not promised tomorrow
Life on earth is fleeting
We think we will live forever
That illusion that will disappear like a v***r

Hug your loved ones tight
Tell them how much you love them
Spend time with them
Make relationships your priority

Because money is not the goal
Stuff, events and big wins are not the end game
Our work here is building relationships, reaching out to lost souls
And praising our Father's name

We never know when that "goodbye" could be our last
That "I love you" not heard again this side of heaven
Our time together here will one day be past
And those left behind live looking forward to an eternal reunion.

For a time, sorrow may overwhelm
In the waiting, sadness may take o'er
But we have comfort from God's realm
And when we breathe earth's air no more

We will find ourselves in heaven
With our loved ones round
And eternity to spend
Praising our Father together - wondrous sound

- Tammy LeGlue

06/12/2019

Faithful

We humans can’t understand all of the essence of God. His glory. His majesty. His eternal being. How can a finite mind ever comprehend Someone who was never created but has always been and Who never changes? So, our minds compartmentalize or worse they try to recreate Him in our image and the way we think He is. But He is So. Much. More. This week is one of those times when I am so very glad that God is so much more than I am.

See, lately, I have been thinking. I’m in middle age now. And I think I have earned the right to not be questioned all the time. To not have to prove myself to everyone in life in a myriad of ways. I think I am tired of trying to prove who I am, how valuable I am, what I can do, how much I love someone. The list can go on. I think I have a track record that should speak for itself. Yet, there are some people for whom it seems I must prove myself again and again. Day after day. It almost seems they are saying, “I know what you’ve done in the past. But What. Have. You. Done. For. Me. Today? In this moment, I want you to once again prove that you are acting for me.” In fact, there have been a few people lately about whom I have thought, “I should just be done. After all I have given and done and proven to you? I should just leave you on your own.” But God.

As I’ve pondered these things, God has been at work in my heart. He has been reminding me that no matter how frustrating it can be when people seem to demand I prove myself, it is He who determines my value and my identity. He reminded me that I am not to seek to find myself in the approval of others, but only in Him.

He also gently reminded me that the things that have been frustrating me lately are the very things I often ask of Him. How many times have I said “God I love you and I know you provided in that other situation, but I want you to give me what I want right now in this one,” or “God, I know you are my Father and you love me, but I just don’t think this thing you are asking me to do is really what’s best for me.” I am constantly asking Him to prove Himself and His love for me. And you know what? He is faithful. He is always there. Just like the Father of the Prodigal Son, He is there waiting with open arms. Pursuing those who have run away from Him with His love and His grace. Unlike me, He is always faithful just as 2 Timothy 2:13 says, “if we are faithless, He remains faithful – for He cannot deny Himself.”

So, rather than trying to prove myself, I will remain. I will be the person He created me to be. I will be there for those in my life who seem to need me to prove myself to them. Not because I want their approval, but because that is what being faithful is about. Because at the end of the day, that is how He is transforming me to be like Him. Faithful.

-Tammy LeGlue

02/07/2019

We all have our moments when it seems like nothing is going our way and we are all alone. While there are times when I've certainly been alone and had to muddle through, it's usually just a feeling brought on by not taking time to talk things through with someone I love and trust - or not even having time to do so because life has become so busy. The truth is, we are human beings, not human doings. And even if we don't take time to talk to Him, God is faithful. He promises that if we seek Him, we will find Him if we seek Him with our whole heart. If you are feeling that way today, may this poem be a signpost pointing you to Him and His promises where you can find true peace, joy, and comfort.

Signpost
Some days it feels like no one cares.
Some days it feels like I should pull out all my hairs.
Some days it feels like the world is falling apart.
Some days are just too much and break my heart.
I look around and my friends and family are feeling it too.
The world has sped up and there’s just too much to do.
Please let me off the tilt a whirl.
I just want to be a country girl.
And yet, here I am trying to make a life -
To be coworker, friend, daughter, mom and wife.
How did things get so complicated?
Sometimes money and possessions are overrated!
Take me back to simple ways.
When we had time for others in our days.
No need to run here and there
Trying to please everyone everywhere.
Trusting God to see us through
For He is Faithful and True.
Lord, please take me by the hand,
And when I become so weary I cannot stand.
Carry me and help me know
That You are the one who loves me so.
Slow down time and set my priorities
On things of You and not of me.
As I journey, may I dig wells
For those behind me in the desert still.
I do not want them to look to me
May my life point all to Thee.
-Tammy LeGlue

07/27/2018

This sunflower patch didn't quite turn out as we'd hoped, but every time I drive down our driveway, they look like tiny suns.

Even during the dreary, rainy days, they were a bright spot. They almost look like they are lighted from within. They looked so inviting we just had to take some photos of them this evening.

Jesus describes Christians as the light of the world, and He tells us, "If you are filled with light, with no dark corners, then your whole life will be radiant, as though a floodlight were filling you with light.” Luke 11:36 NLT

Lord, please let me be like these sunflowers. Remove the dark corners in me and shine Your light through my life each day so that You will be glorified and others will be drawn to You.

- Tammy LeGlue

05/21/2018

COURAGE

I need a healthy dose of it lately. Sometimes I feel like I'm groping around in the dark. I need courage to walk through each day and do just what God calls me to. I need courage to fight the enemy when he tries to convince me that God is not faithful to His promises or to me. I need courage to fight off the lie that I am too much and the lie that I am not enough. I need courage to keep my mouth shut when I really want to fight and defend my rights in those times when I have been wronged but God tells me to be still. I need courage to use my words to fight for others when they have been treated shamefully and God calls me to stand up for them. I need courage to hand a situation over to God over which I have absolutely no control even though I really want to worry about it...incessantly. I need courage to forge ahead with the plans God has laid when everyone around me seems to be in full stop or even reverse.

In Joshua 1, Joshua was about to begin leading the people of Israel on their journey toward the Promised Land. Moses, his mentor, and the man who had been leading them had passed away. Furthermore, they were about to cross a flooded river and start to fight the people of the land who lived in walled cities. Joshua had shown great faith once before when the rest of the people had been too fearful to enter the land.

God commanded Joshua to be strong and courageous multiple times. Verse 9 says, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." We often think we should live completely without fear. But God knew that we as human beings are prone to it. Repeatedly in the Bible, we see God telling His servants "be courageous," "fear not," "do not be afraid of them." We also see Him promise repeatedly that He will be with us. He will not leave us or forsake us. And that He has overcome the world even though we will have trouble while we are in it.

So how can we be courageous in the face of the unknown? How can we walk without terror and discouragement? I do it best when I follow this acronym:

C - counting
O - our
U - understanding
R - restricted
A - and
G - God's
E - exhaustive

What does this mean? It means, when I look at the circumstances and I don't understand them, I place my trust in God. I remember that He knows everything. His understanding of my life and all that goes on around me truly is exhaustive. He knows every detail and misses nothing. Only He can see the full scope of the situation. I, on the other hand, only see a tiny portion of the whole. I remember that He is faithful. That He loves me. That He will be beside me every step of the way. That as long as I am with Him, I will never walk alone. When I remember these things and His faithfulness, then I can walk into a new day. I can use my voice to speak for those who are being mistreated. I can face the unknown - not without fear but headlong - knowing that I have placed my trust in the One who loves me. The One who sees me. The One who knows me. The One who wants the best for me and works for my good. The One who is fashioning me into His likeness.

Tonight, I am speaking to myself, but I pray that these words will encourage you as well, my friends. May God bless you tonight and each day with the Courage that only He can give.

- Tammy LeGlue

04/01/2018

Oh what a price He paid.
Oh what a gift He gave.
For our salvation He gave Himself away.
But death lost that day.
In victory He rose from the grave.
Jesus my Savior.
He is risen.
Happy Resurrection Day, friends.
- Tammy LeGlue

03/06/2018

Faithful

Sometimes the Lord quickly ends our trial. Sometimes He carries us through it.
Sometimes we see His face and hear Him clearly.
Sometimes all seems dark and silent.

But
He is still there.
He is always faithful.
He sees.
He knows.
He loves.

When our heart is heavy,
When we cannot speak the words,
The Holy Spirit prays for us.
Groaning out what we cannot express.

God is good.
He is working for our good.
To make us like Jesus.
And to bring us home with Him.

-Tammy LeGlue

07/11/2017

Lately I've been fighting a battle that has me tempted to despair. This morning, a friend and God's Word reminded me that our battles belong to the Lord.

“Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you. Jeremiah 32:17 NIV

12/12/2016

This is a conversation about love and respect in marriage and relationships, from the perspective of both women and men, based on the concepts in Ephesians 5. Dr. Steve Taylor and I discussed the God-designed authority structure in marriage, and what that means from both a practical and sacrificial view. Hope you enjoy this! --Joni Byrd

EmeraldCoastFellowshipPC

11/29/2016

Sheltered

You are My servants, I have chosen you and not rejected you. Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:9,10 (New American Standard Bible)

This is a verse God speaks over the lives of His children. I am touched and taken back by such extravagant declarations. I have found comfort in people when they have walked with me through valleys and trials. I drank in their reassurance of prayers and willingness to see me through situations. But as precious as that is, it doesn't compare with these words spoken by my heavenly Father.

As I read His words, they are so personal. I feel they were written just for me. They were meant to reassure me of His presence, love, and involvement in my life and my family's life. His pronouncement of who we are and what He will do arrest my very soul. We belong to Him and He takes care of His own.

I want His words to get into the deepest part of me. I want them to be neon lights against the blackness of circumstances. I want all worries and anxieties to bow before their powerful message. I want to hold them up as a shield against doubts, rejection, and the unknown.

I heard a song once that had a phrase that comforts me. "If it weren't for the storms I would never call You my Shelter." So true! I sense God's whispers to me as He quiets my heart with words of assurance and promise.

I wish I could paint. I picture a scene in my mind that I would love to transfer to a canvas. It is an outdoor scene. Jesus is holding a small child on His lap. His arms not only embrace her, they completely enfold her. All I can see is her face. Her eyes show trust instead of fear. Her head is pressed against His chest as she listens to His heartbeat. The sky is dark with storm clouds. The wind is apparent which tells of an approaching storm. A forest scene nearby reveals wolves crouched in a predator position. But she feels safe. His arms hold her, His voice comforts her, and His heartbeat invites her to abide under the shadow of his wings. If I could paint this scene I would entitle it "Sheltered."

Father, I hear Your voice, I feel Your arms, and I do feel safe.

--Pam Shattuck

11/16/2016

A Place To Cry

You will weep no longer. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when He hears it, He will answer you. Isaiah 30:19 (New American Standard Bible)

Trials, heartaches, loss, betrayal, disappointment, and rejection are the very things that bring us to tears. Some would rather die than let someone see them cry. This can be for a variety of reasons but I suspect a leading reason is because of how their tears were received when they were younger.

A negative response to one's tears can embed lies in their minds. It did not matter if pain was the factor, deep hurt was the culprit, or any other scenario whereby tears were appropriate. Instead of comfort they received scorn. Instead of being embraced, they were sent away to their room. Instead of compassion, they found cold hearts.

I am not a person who shows emotion easily. When I am hurting or struggling I tend to get quiet and find a way to avoid conversation as well as eye contact. When asked how I am I can easily respond with “fine” and look for ways to change the subject. As God leads individuals into my life I am slowly learning to open up and take the “risk” of sharing. Each time I do, the hindrances seem to lessen, as do my fears that I will become a burden to others or they will walk away when my feelings and thoughts are exposed. This is possible when the heart of Jesus is felt through others. They help me to more clearly see His words that say, “I will never leave you or forsake you.”

There used to be a time when tears made me feel uncomfortable and vulnerable. I felt uneasy letting anyone know I was hurting THAT much. What changed? I learned that tears were beneficial. I learned that people weren't as uncomfortable with my tears as I thought. But above all, I learned my tears touch the heart of God and stir Him to action. When I cry over loss, hurt, or fear, it is His comfort I now seek. I want to feel his embrace and hear His words of comfort whispered in my ear. I have people in my life who can put their arms around me and speak words of comfort to me in amazing ways. That has become my picture of what my loving, heavenly Father is like as well.

I find assurance that my cries do not fall on deaf ears, a cold heart, closed eyes, or folded arms. During the greatest losses and pains of my life, His shoulder has been the one I could always bury my face in until my tears and energy were both spent. The comfort and compassion He gives goes beyond even that of my dearest friends.

Father, one day You will wipe away all my tears, but until then You will allow me to cry on Your shoulder as You gently wipe my present tears. You know the reason each one falls. Amen.

--Pam Shattuck