Be ANXIOUS for NOTHING,but in everything byPRAYER and supplication, with THANKSGIVING, let your requests be made known to God; and the PEACE of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts ❤️💙❤️💙and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7 NKJV)
The counsel of the LORD stands forever, The plans of His heart to all generations. Blessed [is] the nation whose God [is] the LORD, The people He has chosen as His own inheritance. (Psalms 33:11-12 NKJV)
Daniel answered and said: “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, For wisdom and might are His.
21 And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise And knowledge to those who have understanding.
22 He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what [is] in the darkness, And light dwells with Him.
The goodness of God endures continually. (Psa 52:1 NKJV)
Many times in life I have declared, “I do not understand.” After seeking God for understanding about a death in our family, His simple answer to me was, “I count the number of the stars; I call them all by name. Great [is] the Lord, and mighty in power; My understanding [is] infinite.” (adapted from Psa 147:4-5 NKJV) He taught me that I did not have to understand because He did. You might say that is no answer. It is my answer, and it brings me peace every time I cannot understand.
I do not understand the miracle of birth. I do not understand God’s goodness, nor His timing. I do not understand a lot. I do not understand why my daughter-in-law had to ride the roller coaster of labor for twenty four hours to deliver our granddaughter. I do not understand why she had to push for four hours and some only four times.
I will tell you what I do know. God is good beyond our understanding!
After our granddaughter, Harper, was born, we apprehensively watched her be rolled down a long hall to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit through a sliver of a window in a door in the family WAITING room. My first imaginations were fear! ”We are not losing another baby in our family! Did her journey through the birth canal cause permanent damage like my stepsister’s brother experienced? Is Caroline, ok? Did Harper swallow meconium like my oldest son?” These thoughts did not last as long as it took for you to read them. I went into battle mode, even though the pressure was intense, and I could hardly breath. I stood in faith, prayed, and reminded God of who He was, what He could do and His promises. I declared, “Even if…you are faithful!”
Kris stood watch, never leaving the window, looking down the lengthy hall to the NICU. I prayed. Then hope arose when we saw Parker come and go down the extended corridor to see Harper. We had no idea what was going on. Then the midwife came out and asked the Phillips family to join her in a private room. I am sure we all turned white. You know what that normally means. Someone exclaimed, “All of us are with the Phillips family!” She sat and explained that Harper had swallowed meconium and was having a hard time catching her breath. They were going to monitor her about an hour and then take her back to Caroline’s room. She was OK! Praise God. We stayed at the hospital a couple of hours in order to briefly meet her. She was tiny and seemed to still be struggling a little to breathe. She HAD been on a tough journey. She, her Mom and Dad, had passed the warrior test of endurance. Praise God.
We arrived home about 4:30 AM. We had been up about forty-eight hours. We needed rest and sleep as did they. We would visit later in the day. However, at 9:24 AM, we received a text from Parker, our son. It read, “They had to take her back to monitor. She cannot register a temperature. Her oxygen and respiration levels have dipped. She threw up green stuff. Just pray.”
Again, fear came knocking, but faith came blocking. The wind was knocked out of me. The enemy had thrown a gut punch, but Holy Spirit came over me and faith arose. I called Parker and Caroline and we prayed. My oldest son had experienced some of the same things at birth. I had given him over to God and we were doing the same with Harper, knowing God would take care of her.
After praying, Kris and I prepared to return to the hospital, but first, I gathered some healing scriptures and texted them to the kids to stand on. I sent the text around 11 AM. Afterwards, I just started singing, the Goodness of God:
“I love You, Lord
Until I lay my head
Oh, Your mercy never fails me
All my days, I’ve been held in Your hands
From the moment that I wake up
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God
And all my life You have been faithful
And all my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God
I love Your voice
You have led me through the fire
And in darkest night You are close like no other…”
Then Holy Spirit reminded me that I had written on my calendar to start a new devotional on September 20, 2024! It was called, Waking up to the Goodness of God by Susie Larson. I ran to my prayer room and picked up the book. I read:
“Show me the lies I picked up when life let me down…Teach me to walk in Your ways with such consistency and confidence that I’m no longer moved by the storms that once shook me. Hold fast…” AND this word from God was waiting on me, “The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to rescue each time.” (Ps 34:19)
For the LORD your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” (Zep 3:17 NLT)
This was a divine appointment with God in so many ways. Peace overcame me. He calmed my fears and reminded me that He is our Savior. At that exact moment in time, I knew that I knew that I knew Harper was going to be ok. I was in the presence of Peace, our Rescuer, our Deliverer, Goodness! I shared the good news with Kris over a lingering embrace. We waited to hear the confirmation from the kids. We continue to get ready. As we were driving to the hospital to stand with the kids, we received a text from Parker: “She’s been back with us for an hour. Said everything is looking better. Way more alert, actually sucking a paci.”
Oh, the goodness of God! He is faithful and true. His timing is perfect.
When we arrived back at the hospital, we found the new family in room 3033 ! I could only laugh at the goodness of God. When the Lord wakes me at night to pray, it is usually around 3:33 am and He gave me this promise to back up those prayers. “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.”(Jeremiah 33:3 NKJV)
We called. He answered and showed us His salvation. GOD IS GOOD…all the time.
I enCOURAGE you to reflect on the goodness of God.
The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him
Nahum 1:7
Good and upright is the Lord.Psalm 25:8
The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works.Psalm 145:9
The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth.Exodus 34:6
The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. Lamentations 3:25
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. 1 Chronicles 16:34
To everything [there is] a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, And a time to die… (Ecc 3:1-2 NKJV)
My brain stretches to the point of explosion when thinking about the vastness God’s calendar. He established seasons and appointed times in creation for everything! His word says everything has a DUE TIME, a fixed time, a set time, a point in time, hence an appointment time. THINK ABOUT IT! We declare we have busy schedules, but His appointment book is overflowing and eternal. Thankfully, He is an on-time-God. He is seldom in a hurry but never late!
Abram was around 75 years old when God promised he and Sarai that he would be a father of many nations. In Abraham’s 99th year, the Lord visited him and promised him that the next year he would have a son. Sara, his wife, overheard the conversation and laughed. They had been waiting 25 years! I can hear the Lord laughing back at her when he responded, “Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the appointed timeI will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.” (Gen 18:14 NKJV)
Have you waited 25 years for the Lord to deliver on a promise? I have not waited 25 years, but I did wait a painstaking 25 hours for the birth of our first granddaughter.
What are you waiting for? Do you have a promise of God are your holding onto to get your through?
God’s word is alive, powerful, and mighty. During the last few months before the birth of our first granddaughter, Holy Spirit had relentlessly kept dropping three small words in my spirit, IN DUE TIME, in due time, in due time.” My response was , “I hear your Lord, but WHAT are you trying to teach me?”
On September 19, I discovered why He had been preparing my heart with those three simple words. Our kids went to the hospital around 10 PM that night believing labor had started. They found out they would indeed be staying around midnight! Caroline was already 40% ready! Praise God. The nurse told them Harper should arrive before her shift ended at 7:00 am.
I brought a project to the hospital. I hoped by the time I finished, our granddaughter would be present and accounted for on planet earth. My labor of love was completed around 3 AM, before even the next family member would arrive. Dawn peaked over the horizon and the nurses shift ended, no Harper. Twelve hours passed before Caroline’s Mom arrived. Eight more hours transpired before her Dad appeared and then two more hours evaporated before her sister show up. Yet, Harper still continued to bake away inside Mom.
I cannot imagine how our kids were feeling. There were times I felt crushed by the weight and wait of it all! BUT GOD… I had a word from the LORD seeded deep in my heart, “IN DUE TIME!” It was a word to stand on. I breathed in Jesus, had faith in God and repeated His promises! “In due time. In due time. In due time. “Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me”( John 14:1, CSB).
All the while, I breathed out the fearful thoughts Satan was bombarding me with on the battlefield in my mind. They were brutal, but God was greater.
Finally, 25 hours later, 11:08 PM, we heard the chimes in the hospital signifying a baby had been born. It was our Harper! God (and her warrior mother) had delivered His promise in due time with just minutes to spare on her actual due date! The promise delivered was so worth the wait. Grandchildren are the crown of the aged! (Pro 17:6 ESV). All Glory to God!
My husband, Kris, so beautifully wrote, “For nearly 25 hours I sat in the hospital waiting room anxiously awaiting the cry of my first granddaughter. Throughout the roller coaster ride, I learned that the miracle of birth isn’t defined by a clock, medical team, nor me, but by God’s hand.”
I learned, “Beloved, Do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day [is] as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning [His] promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us….” (2Pe 3:8-9 NKJV)
Those 25 hours seem like a thousand years, but the Lord was not slack and God’s hand delivered in due time.
I enCOURAGE you! “Let us hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, since he who promised is faithful.”(Heb 10:23 CSB). God ALWAYS answers in His time. It may not be the answer we wanted, but He always shows up for His appointments.
And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. (Eph 3:18-19 NLT emphasis)
Recently, we welcomed our second grandbaby. The first time I visited my youngest son at his home after her arrival, he met me on the front porch. He sat snuggling his precious gift in his right hand. She was so tiny she was just a little longer than his massive forearm. (He is about six foot four inches tall.) He could have handled her with one arm, but was tightly, grasping her with two. He was gazing at her in pure adoration. It was the most beautiful picture.
In that moment, Holy Spirit reminded me that is how our Heavenly Father looks upon us, His creation. He ADORES us. He loves us unconditionally. He created us in His image. We are the apple of His eye. He looks at us and sees very good.
See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! (1Jo 3:1 NLT)
He thinks about us all the time.
How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! 18 I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me! (Psa 139:17-18 NLT)
Do you think any force on earth could change the love my son has for his daughter or pry her from his loving arms? Not a chance. Much more does the Father love us…
“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow–not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below–indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom 8:38-39 NLT)
Our Abba Father adores us. Not only does He adore us, but He is also jubilant over us.
The LORD your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet [you] with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” (Zep 3:17 NKJV)
The thought of God being jubilant and singing over us brought to mind one of my very favorite pics of my oldest son and grandson. Brayden was holding Jack up on his shoulders with both hands. Jack was grasping to my son’s hair, and they were both smiling from ear to ear. It was a portrait of pure jubilation. Jack was being happily carried along on Daddy’s shoulders with not a care in the world. Now imagine yourself as the carefree boy on God’s shoulders singing as you go.
Both of my boys had a tight hold of their babies with their strong right hand and I knew neither would ever let go. Our heavenly Daddy says: “Fear not, for I [am] with you; Be not dismayed, for I [am] your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” (Isa 41:10 NKJV). “And the LORD, He [is] the One who goes before you. He will be with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.” (Deu 31:8 NKJV)
I enCOURAGE you to reexamine your thoughts of God. Change places with my grandbabies. See yourself in the arms of the most loving Father and riding on His shoulders through life. Have yourself the BEST day getting a glimpse of how very much God LOVES you!
Cross at church in Bergen Norway Photo Credit; Bobbe Gillis, 2024
by Tammy Phillips October 1, 2024
God’s timing is PERFECT. This past Saturday after hurricane Helene left her trail of destruction and devastation, I will admit, I was shaken. I was searching God’s word trying to make sense of it all. Admittedly, I don’t understand but I know He does. I came across Psalm 18:18. I parked and marinated over it a while. Simultaneously, one of my best friends who is traveling through Norway sent a picture of a rock cross from a church in Bergen. It was a picture of what the Lord was trying to tell me. He is the Rock and the cross still stands.
And then I remembered these lyrics from CeCe Winan’s song, “Too Late to Lose:”
This is not the way the story ends No matter what it looks like Your love will always win I have seen Your faithfulness before Even when my world is shaking One thing is for sure That the cross still stands And the blood still speaks And the grave’s still empty Jesus, I believe!
I BELIEVE…
The LORD was my stay. (Psalm 18:18 KJV)
The LORD was my support. The LORD was my lean upon. The LORD was my hold me up. The LORD was place of continuance. The LORD was indefinite abode. The LORD was stop. The LORD was stand.
For the LORD will be your confidence… (Pro 3:26 NKJV) The Lord will be your confidence. The Lord will be your hope. The Lord will be your internal strength that helps you stand.
I have set The LORD always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. (Psalm 16:8)
I will not be shaken. I will not slip. I will not slide. I will not totter. I will not waver. I will not be moved. I will not be overthrown.
I enCOURAGE you to exercise your faith and repeat after me, “The LORD is my stay. The LORD is my confidence. The LORD is always before me. I will not be shaken.” The events of the last week, last month, this past year are enough to shake us up and move us from our place of peace in Christ Jesus. BUT GOD…He is our stay, our confidence, always with us and we can declare, “We will not be shaken,” because He keeps His word. We can count on Him.
If you don’t know Jesus, He is my way, peace, stay and confidence. Ask me about him and I will Introduce him. If you know Him, rehearse His promises, they are true and WILL keep you from being shaken.
A man has joy by the answer of his mouth, And a word [spoken] in due season, how good [it is]! (Pro 15:23 NKJV)
I have been meditating on two words from Bible for a while now. I have been waiting on the light-bulb-moment of revelation from the Holy Spirit. I have come to realize that I will have to wait and receive it in due time. Receive this as the first installment concerning “due time.”
It is wonderful to say the right thing at the right time, at the due time. How good is a timely word.
Yesterday, I ran into a friend leaving first service at church as I was entering for second service. I gave her a word of encouragement. It gave me great joy to deliver it and I hoped it gave her encouragement to receive it. I simply passed on a thought from Charles Spurgeon that had encouraged me, “God does not deliver on half a promise. The word of God says in Acts 16:3, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.’ God’s word promised to save you AND your house, too. That is two promises.”
She responded by saying, “Yea, the sermon today was for me.”
Want to know what the sermon was in short? “The Bible is about PROMISES made and PROMISES kept. Trust God.”
Talk about a word on time. That is our God. He is a “IN DUE TIME” God. To quote another dear friend, “He is seldom in a hurry, but never late.”
WAIT…it does not end there. My friend and I embraced and parted with tears in her eyes. As I turned to go, she said, “You are a good friend.” Those words at a due time brought tears to my eyes. If you are like me, sometimes, I feel like I am not a good…daughter of God, wife, mother, mother-in-love, sister-in-law, aunt, steward, writer, or friend. It was good to know that for once, I listened and said the right thing at the right time.
We can never know how a word said in due season can change someone’s day or life.
“The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, A refuge in times of trouble.” (Psa 9:9 NKJV)
Watch this…”In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (Jhn 1:1 KJV). The Word was God. God is the Lord, right? Now, Read Psalm 9:9 like this. “The Word also will be a refuge for the oppressed. A refuge, a helper in duetime in tribulation.” As believers, God’s promises are a hideout for us. Remembered and counted on at the right time, they will get us through any tribulation.
How good is a word in due time!
I enCOURAGE you to change someone’s trajectory. Let God use you to deliver “DUE TIME” words to people you encounter today. The right word for the right time…there is power in those words, power to change days and lives.
Pleasant words [are like] a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones. (Pro 16:24 NKJV)
Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. (1Co 16:13 NKJV)
Two weeks ago, I was questioned, “Who are you following?” Immediately, Holy Spirit had a follow up question, “What are you standing for? What are you standing for?”
If Jesus is truly our Lord and Savior, how can we separate church and state in our stand? If Jesus is our King of Kings, do we think He is coming back to set up his kingdom with wishy washy agendas that change with the wind. No. The Bible is the inspired, authoritative, infallible word of God. It is very clear on God’s thoughts. It is our guide on how to live righteously. We cannot pick and choose the parts of His word we like and dismiss the parts we don’t. His word is to be believed in full or not at all. If God is truly God, I believe He can use imperfect man to scribe His word. My God is a big God. He does not fail, and He does not change. His word is true and to be trusted.
Jesus never compromised and neither can we as followers of Christ. The world is in the state it is today because as His followers, we HAVE COMPRIMISED His truth. We have opened the door and allowed the enemy to step in and have his way. We have not stood for righteousness. We have not endured. We have not persevered. We have not understood, sought, or even asked God His will, nor read His word. We have put our thoughts first. We have put our wants first. We have put our will first. Lucifer, one of God’s Archangels, did the same when He fell in Isaiah 14:12-14, “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! [How] you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’” (Isa 14:12-14 NKJV) The “I will” did not work out too well for him, he got a new name, Satan, and it is not working out for the world right now.
Jesus’ disciples died in their stand for righteousness. Are we willing to die for what we stand for? That is hard to do when most so called Christians are passive, apathetic, and not taking a stand for anything.
How will we stand before Jesus on judgement day and account for our actions, when we are not standing for Him now ?
I enCOURAGE you to dig deep and really think, “What am I am standing for?” ) We all will be held accountable for our stand before God.
“For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 11 For it is written: ‘[As] I live, says the LORD, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God.’ 12 So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.” (Rom 14:10-12 NKJV
So, then…“put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual [hosts] of wickedness in the heavenly [places]. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand...” (Eph 6:11-14 NKJV)
(“What are you STANDING for?” Soon, I will share specifically where I stand according to the word of God. Praying about every word before I speak.)
Recently, I was awakened at 2:36 AM by the loud voice of Holy Spirit in my spirit. I was alarmed but heard crystal clear: “WHO ARE YOU FOLLOWING?” I listened and pondered, as the question remained on repeat for about an hour and a half.
Who are you following? Because whoever or whatever you FOLLOW is where you will go.
Who are you following? Jesus or Satan? Who are you following? Truth or lies? Who are you following? Faith or fear? Who are you following? Love or hate? Who are you following? Black or white? Who are you following? Man or woman? Who are you following? Good or bad? Who are you following? Prosperity or poverty? Who are you following? Career or couch? Who are you following? Drugs or alcohol? Who are you following? Sickness or health? Who are you following? Exercise or idleness? Who are you following? Baptist or Methodist? Who are you following? Catholic or Jew? Who are you following? Tucker Carlson or Wolf Blitzer? Who are you following? Your Bible or Instagram? Who are you following? Democrats or Republicans? Who are you following? Harris or Trump? Who are you following? Your will or God’s?
These are not “either, or” questions, just questions to think about.
Who are you following? Who is influencing your life?
In scripture when Jesus called his disciples in Matthew 4:19, 8:22, 9:9, He did not say, “Come, be a Christian.” He said, “If any [man] will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” [Mat 16:24 KJV]
If I am a follower, I am going to walk like you, talk like you, think like you, act like you, and believe like you. Right?
Jesus made it pretty easy for us follow him. It all comes down to one thing he said, “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” [John 15:12 NKJV]
I enCOURAGE you to pause and ask yourself in every area of your life, “Who are you following?” Jesus wants it all and not part. He cannot be your Savior in all, if He is not your Lord of all.
Recently, Holy Spirit showed me something I’d been doing for years, but NEVER ask Him about it. He took me to school again with Psalms 32:8-9, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye. 9 Do not be like the horse [or] like the mule, [Which] have no understanding, Which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, Else they will not come near you.”
If we follow Him, He will show us the way to go in every way, if we don’t act like a stubborn mule. He is the Way!
Current CTIP Warriors: JoAnne Ross, Gina Suiter, KRISTI Stephens, Tammie Lowe (not a mistake) and me (Tammy Lowe Phillips) LOL! God thought this group needed two Tam’s ! (not pictured Josephine Chrestman)
by Tammy Phillips August 17, 2024
“A warrior filled with wisdom (endowed with reasoning and using it) ascends into the high (proud, tyrannical) places and releases BREAKTHROUGH, bringing down the strongholds of the mighty (or demolishing their strength of confidence). Proverbs 21:22 TPT
When is the last time you prayed for the world, our nation, our leaders, your state, city, community, or your family? I hope it was today. Four years ago, today, Holy Spirit lead me to create a group to COVER TENNESSEE in PRAYER. The Lord brought a group of Tennessee women together to pray weekly for our world, our state, our nation, our leaders, our counties, our cities, our communities, our families, for each other and for you. Yes, if you have ever read one of these encouragements. We have prayed for you. Holy Spirit gave us Proverbs 21:22 as our foundational scripture. Hallelujah and glory to God. We celebrated our four-year anniversary in Chattanooga, Tn last night.
We will continue to pray for our world that is rumbling, our sisters and brothers across the world who are enduring unspeakable things, our nation that is quaking, all our leaders who are standing for Christ and for those who do not, our states, cities, communities, churches, families, children and for you! WE WOULD LOVE TO PRAY FOR YOU, today and always! Email, text, direct message, or comment on Facebook or Instagram.
We believe the Lord when He says: “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16 NKJV)
We believe that we are warriors filled with wisdom, endowed with reasoning, and using it. We ascend into the high places of the proud and the tyrants. Through prayer and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, we release BREAKTHROUGH, bringing down the strongholds of the mighty and demolishing the strength of their confidence. We boldly declare our confidence is in God alone. According to the word of God, we can do all things through Him and absolutely nothing without. AND… NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR HIM!
We have seen God do things in His way and not ours, but we have also see Him answer our calls miraculously. We trust Him for EVERYTHING and all.
I enCOURAGE you to join us and be brave warriors in the kingdom of God boldly asking and believing God for the seemingly impossible. We are praying for BREAKTHROUGH. He has proved Himself over and over to us. He is a God of His word. He is faithful and true. Psalm 44:4 says:
“You are my King, O God; command, set up, and appoint victories, deliverance, salvation, and BREAKTHROUGH.” (Psalm 44:4 expounded)
“But thanks be to God, ho gives us the victory [making us conquerors] through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:57 AMPC)
My Nanny’s: Minnie Frances Abney & Mattie Lou Lowe
“Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10)
My husband and I were on the way to church Sunday morning. The radio was tuned into a country station, not usually my choice of music. A song began to play, the lyrics caught my attention, and I could not help but let the tears roll. Here are the lyrics I heard to “Mamaw’s House ” sung by Thomas Rhett:
It was always hotter than the grease she used to fry that chicken
Smelled like Marlboro Reds and all the butter from her biscuits
And that Lincoln in the driveway, circa 1982
Was on the shiny side of rusty and on the paler side of blue
‘Cussin and complainin’ weren’t allowed in Mamaw’s house
If every nightstand had a Bible, every front porch had a swing
If every backyard had a garden, every front door had a screen
Well, maybe this crazy world would straighten up and slow on down
If every town had a Mamaw’s house
She’d ask if I was hungry every thirty seconds
And say things like “hellfire, ” “tarnation” and “I reckon’s”
It’s where I spent my summers and she put me to work
Shellin’ peas and shuckin’ corn until my fingers hurt
No tellin’ who I’da been without Mamaw’s house
If every nightstand had a Bible, every front porch had a swing
If every backyard had a garden, every front door had a screen
Yeah, maybe this crazy world would straighten up and slow on down
If every town had a Mamaw’s house
Yeah, and if they did, when I punch the clock
Tonight, I know right where I’d be
I’d walk in and get a big ol’ hug
And a bigger glass of tea
If every nightstand had a Bible, every front porch had a swing
If every backyard had a garden, every front door had a screen
Yeah, maybe this crazy world would straighten up and slow on down
If every town had a Mamaw’s house
Yeah, maybe this crazy world would straighten up and slow on down
If every town had a mamaw’s house.*
The song lyrics flooded my mind with memories of my “Mamaw’s House.” My Grandmothers were not called Mamaw but were fondly called Nanny. How I loved to get away to Nanny’s house. What an impact Nanny Lowe and Nanny Abney had on my life. They taught me about life, unconditional love, and Jesus. They taught me how to live simply and be still, something the Lord been reminding me of. They instilled in me that it was ok just to sit down on the front, side, or back porch, sip a glass of tea and watch the sun go down. They led me to open the windows on hot summer nights to feel the cool breeze and listen to the symphony of bullfrogs lifting up their voice to the Lord. They patiently and masterfully educated me on how to make their prized dishes. They directed me to God with the way they lived their lives.
Holy Spirit has been whispering to me, “Be still, to relax, sink down, let things drop, to slacken up, to cast down chaos, to let offense fall, to let go of hurts and to know, see and turn my mind to the truth that He is God. My husband has been encouraging me to come out on our back deck and to do the same.
The pot of life had been boiling on every front as of late, distracting me from being still and knowing my God.
With our second grandbaby on the way, it is time to refocus. I have additional job duties and a purpose in my family. It is to be the best Lala that I can. It is to show my grands how to LIVE AMAZED. It is to offer them a place of peace to visit, be nurtured and taught the same lessons I learned my from my Nanny’s House.
I enCOURAGE you to be still and know God. If you don’t know Him, I would love to introduce you to my Savior, Lord, Prince of Peace, Healer…He is everything. He is infinite in understanding. He is all things good. Practice being still this week it will make you a better Mamaw, Nanny, LaLa and better person. Take the time. Make the time to know God. You will be amazed!
Complete in Him 