Favorite Winter Things

Being cozy inside and drinking coffee while reading or watching movies

Thanksgiving and Christmas
Making, smelling, and eating lots of food

Bright, cheery lights and the smell of freshly cut Christmas trees

Being the first to walk in freshly fallen snow

Fuzzy socks and flannel pj’s

Wrapping presents and imagining someone’s face as the open them

Surprises and opening presents

Arranging all the Christmas cards in one spot so they can all be seen

Cute scarves and soft sweaters

Friends, family, and laughter

Sledding and being silly, then the feeling of warming up by fireplaces

Perfect snowflakes that land on the window or on your eyelashes

Baking and making the whole house smell good
Going ice skating

Remembering on a Rainy Ride in Canada

Twelve years ago I was riding in a red van on a snowy day in Canada. It is curious that I've found my thoughts wander there on this rainy night, again in Canada and in a grey van not so different from the red one. I was quite preoccupied by coloring with the pencils that were a gift from my grandpa the year before, and blissfully ignorant of what was about to take place. So many things happened in the next moments, my mind can't help but think of everything at once.
"Gerry!" I heard my mom say with an urgency that I felt more than heard. I involuntarily lurched in my seat, and a ride I'll never forget followed: I saw the terror on my mothers face, looking from me to my dad and back again, and felt the cold, wet snow spray mine. I had a feeling of being suspended and terrifying thoughts of dying in a fire flew through my mind. Gripping my seat, I saw what can only be described as "bright" and felt power surround me. Even my six-year-old mind knew that there were forces greater than me present. At some point during our rollover roller-coaster I remember seeing billows of white and what I imagined could only be an angel fighting death for me and my family. I don't remember other details of what happened while we were in motion.
"Did that really just happen? What exactly happened anyway?" My thoughts were spinning faster than the car spinning through the air, "was that really an angel I saw? What..."
"My door is stuck I can't get out..." My mom said, interrupting my thoughts."
All the "important" details after that are hazy at best. Try as I might to remember, all I can think of is silly little things. Details only a six-year-old would care to find important.
I talked to my dad about all my Polly Pockets being scattered across the highway, and about looking for my despised snow boots that I had kicked off some time earlier. We found my boots - after we found a bottle of ketchup that had escaped the cooler somewhere during the spin - and heard my mom calling for her purse and gloves which had apparently jumped-van.
Not long after crawling out of the now totaled vehicle I found myself carried away - quite literally - by a strange man who put me in his car, wrapped his jacket around my shoulders, and placed my tiny toes, which had gotten very cold, into his warm gloves. He sat next to me for a few moments before leaving to do who knows what. I sat there bewildered about everything that had just happened, but mostly I pondered the strangeness of seeing my feet hidden inside the strange man's large gloves.
Some time later I was told that the strange man was actually an off-duty officer who had witnessed our van spin around and roll three times, before coming to rest on its wheels in the freeway median. Caused from being hit by a semi-truck, right outside where I was sitting inside the van. The big huge truck and tiny little me separated only by the metal frame. Well, that and the power of God.
All witnesses said that the three of us should have died, yet we all crawled out without so much as a broken bone.
Why God interceded for us twelve years ago, I don't know. But near death experiences can make one reexamine life and the purpose for living. Even though it happened two-thirds of my life ago, I still remember. I was too young to realize everything God did that day, but I begin to see it now. God is good and He saved my life. Given that life is a gift from him and there are things He has planned out for me to do, I want to live entirely and completely sold out for Him. Trusting Him with my life because quite honestly, it is in His hands regardless.

Blessings,
Tiffany Raye

Summer Thoughts

So many thoughts drift through my mind as I begin this post, each one tumbling over another, begging to be put to words. Thoughts of all that happened over this summer tied with imaginings of what God has in my future. I don't remember there ever being a season in my life in which I've learned so much.

This summer I went on a mission trip to San Quintin, Mexico then stayed ten days in Temecula, California. Both such stark contrasts to each other, I kept finding my focus drifting to various thoughts about why some people are more "blessed" than others and why everyone can't have both the beautiful friendships of Mexico all inside the wonderful comforts of a typical California home. Why do so many Americans continue on complaining about their first world problems such as not having the pocket change to fix the scratch in their Mercedes while only a five hour car ride going south to a place where people would love to have any kind of car at all! Despite me and my scattered thoughts of life's injustices, God continued to show me that no matter what, He always provides. Not in the same way for everybody, but always He provides, so often with more than enough.

Picture I took in Tadoussac, Canada along the St Lawrence

I want to tell you about everything all at once! As I struggle to continue putting my thoughts of the summer and what happened into words I pause to examine why I desire to put what I feel into words. Why I want so desperately to share with you the experiences that made up my summer. Maybe because I'm the kind of person who thinks good things are meant to be shared. Perhaps it's because I want to share my experiences with you so that you might learn from them. Or maybe even it's because I myself understand things better when put to words. Whatever the reason for my desire to write, God reminded me that in the big scheme of things my words don't even matter; His words matter! No matter what pictures I paint, or sounds I play with my words, they are just noise if His love is not included in them. (1 Corinthians 13) So being successfully knocked off my self-righteous pedestal built by selfish ego I am on my knees in prayer begging God to let you see not me in these words but that you'd see a mirror reflecting my Creator. It is so easy to get caught up in all the "good things" we are doing and completely forget about why we are doing them in the first place. I don't want to forget that the focus of everything I do should be on showing and experiencing God's love.

Honored as I am that you made time to read my silly ramblings I pray you make time to read God's word. Anything I write is simply my commentary on what I've read mixed with stories and life experiences. That said, I have several blog posts coming soon inspired by my summer adventures.

Blessings,
Tiffany Raye

Because this life isn't about me

Life is not about you. There. I said it. Life is about far more than that scratch on your car, that guy/girl that's being difficult, or that overtime you didn't get paid for. Life is about far more. In fact, if you step back (wayyy back) you'll see that the things that we get all hung up on don't mean much of anything at all. 

I don't know about you but this image makes me feel guilty about complaining that my clothes weren't in style anymore. Even more guilty about those times I had complained about being hungry and not liking the food my mother put in front of me. Guilty about saying that my life sucked and I wished for different; these children would do anything to have the life I seemed to hate so much. Should you feel guilty if you were born into a life that is so blessed? "Where I was born and where and how I have lived is unimportant. It is what I have done with where I have been that should be of interest.” ~ D.L. Moody "Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away." Matthew 5:42 
"Why in the world would I want to help them? It's not like they can do anything for me." "Because this life is not about me."

In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 If you woke up tomorrow with only what you thanked God for yesterday, what would you have? 

My desire and sincere goal is to show how thankful I am for God's blessings by giving and loving everyone I meet, in every way I can, in every moment I am given. It can be difficult but I want to love not just my friends and those who can benefit me but everybody. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Matthew 5:43-47

Life or Fire?

With words God spoke this earth into existence. With words He filled the depths with water and peppered the sky with stars. Words I say in passing could come to replay in someone's mind giving them the motivation to persevere. But they could also replay in their head daunting them. This doesn't only apply to me; this applies to every man that has breath.

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue" Proverbs 18:21. With the words “Get up and walk” Christ healed a paralyzed man. With words I can give people the boost they need to keep going through the day, the determination to pursue a certain goal with vigor, and remind them they are loved. On the other hand, my words have the potential to destroy. Just as it takes only one spark to start a blazing inferno, it takes only one callous phrase to wound someone at the heart.

People also say that it doesn't matter what you say or do as long as your heart is right. This may be true however, only God sees your heart while men only see your actions and hear your words. “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

The tongue can start a fire of destruction. James 3:6, 8, "And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell... no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison." So, if our tongues are so destructive and cannot be tamed why bother at all? Because God is more powerful than our out-of-control mouths: “Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.” Psalm 141:3.

That said, out words are powerful but it is up to you whether you let them be heinously destructive or beautifully life giving. Colossians 4:6, “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.”

In Him,

Tiffany Raye