Category: Uncategorized

by Tammy Phillips
February 19, 2021

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit; a fresh new building, establishment]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life]. (2 Corinthians 5:17 AMP)

I enjoyed watching Chip and Joanna Gaines tv show, “Fixer Upper.” Their bio states that they turned “run-down, out-of-date, dilapidated” houses into beautiful homes. They also acted as part-time counselors to clients who could not see the structure’s beauty beyond its blemishes. They saved homes that look hopeless and renovated the imperfect to simple perfection.

Isn’t that exactly what God does in the life of believers? Jesus is the Great Fixer Upper!

One of my best friends and her husband are constantly doing something to their houses. They desire for their house to be the best it can be.  They want it up-to-date and they constantly work at it.  If they are not painting, they are refinishing the wood floors.  They have updated no less than seven bathrooms.  Their continual projects wear me out.  However, their home looks like something out of a magazine.  It seems perfect to me.  However, they see things differently.  They are always renovating to make their home a better place in which to live.  God does that in our life.  If we are seeking Him first, He is forever at work in us, changing us into His image, perfection, from glory to glory.

I enCOURAGE you to let God “fix you up.”  What areas of your life need an update?  Jesus after all was a carpenter and I have a few in which He is drawn into.

by Tammy Phillips
February 18, 2020

One generation shall praise Your works to another and shall declare Your mighty and remarkable acts.  Psalms 145:4AMP

 When I read this verse, I immediately thought of my two truly Southern grandmothers, Nanny Lowe and Nanny Abney and my great grandmother, Nanny Hewell.  These three women greatly influenced my life.  All showed me the unconditional love of God and declared His mighty works.  The focus verse reminded me of phrase they all used: “I do declare…”

They used this phrase to express amazement, amusement, surprise, happiness and exclamatory truth.  I believe we should do the same.  According to Psalms 145:4, their generations declared God’s mighty works to our generation.  Our assignment is to pass on the “I do declare’s…” to the next generation.  If God said it, I believe.  I take His promises and declare them as truths.

Here are a few of my favorite “I do declare’s…”:

• I do declare I am a child of the Most High God.
• I do declare I am seated in heavenly places.
• I do declare I have the mind of Christ.
• I do declare I have faith in God.
• I do declare I have the faith of God.
• I do declare I am loved.
• I do declare I am saved by grace.
• I do declare that Jesus is Lord.
• I do declare that I am healed, whole, and complete in Him.
• I do declare that I am patient and kind.
• I do declare that I am strong.
• I do declare that I am brave.
• I do declare that I am courageous.
• I do declare that I can do all things through Christ.
• I do declare that I can do nothing without him.
• I do declare that I am resolute.
• I do declare that I am an overcomer.
• I do declare that I do not have a spirit of fear.
• I do declare that I have a spirit of power, love & sound mind.
• I do declare that God gives me the victory in Christ Jesus.
• I do declare that God shall meet my needs according to His riches in glory.
• I do declare that God is Creator of heaven and earth.
• I do declare that He is Worthy of all praise and glory.
• I do declare that He is my Rock and my Refuge.
• I do declare that Jesus was born of virgin.
• I do declare that Jesus died on a cross.
• I do declare that Jesus rose from the dead.
• I do declare that Jesus is coming back for His bride.

What do you declare? 

I enCOURAGE you to come up with your own list of “I DO DECLARES” for yourself and to pass on to the next generation! Or me…😊

by Tammy Phillips
February 17, 2021

“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider that I have made it my own yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,” (Philippians 3:13 AMP)

I ran/walked my very first 5k, the 2020 Hot Chocolate in Nashville, TN.   Honestly, I walk all the time.  When we were last in D.C., we put about 8 miles in the book. It was not a problem.  I thought the race would be easy-peasy with hot chocolate waiting at the finish line.

Kris also ran the Hot Chocolate, but the 15k race.  My only goal was to finish the 5k before he finished the 15K.  What I had not realized is that walking is really different than racing.  This was not a stroll along the streets of Nashville.

I was ok with some people passing me, but there was one group I picked out that I was not going to let pass.  As I focused forward, I sat more goals along the trek.   The race was a stretch for me.  I did not get the luxury of taking a break, nor taking pics of Nashville along the course.  It was not easy-peasy!

As I raced, I could care less about the mile that was behind me.  My goal was one more step, one more mile.  I stretched myself with each incline I climbed and every turn and burn that I made.

I, like Paul, forgot what was behind, “the past mistakes, the not-good-enough’s, the you-cannot-do-this” and reached forward to what lay ahead. I chose to do the same.

The phrase “reaching forward” is the Greek word epekteinomai.  It means to stretch forward with every effort. This is what I had to do to finish the race.  I had to push with everything in me.  I even had to run along the way.  I was so happy to see mile marker #1. It was behind me!  Mile marker #2, check, it was soon behind me.  Then I passed #3 and then the finish line!  I made it to the finish line without stopping.  I quoted the word of God and mustered all the strength I could to keep going.  My eyes were focused on the goal—finish strong and do my very best.

I believed I would finish that race or I would never have started it.  However, it was the stretch that surprised me.  It was not good enough just to finish. I was competing to reach the goal set before me and it was not easy!  I had to stretch.

I encourage you that when life challenges you, keep going.  When you are broken, keep going.   When offense comes, keep going.  When you are deeply hurt, keep going.  When your past mistakes attempt to haunt you, keep going.   When you think you cannot take one more step nor go around that same old mountain one more time, forget the past and stretch forward to the great things that lie ahead.  It will be worth it.

by Tammy Phillips
February 16, 2021

Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him… Psalms 37:7 (KJV)

REST:

• Be silent.
• Stand still.
• Cease.
• Stop.
• Hold your peace.
• Be dumb.
• Be astonished.
• Be amazed.

When we don’t know what to say, when we don’t know what to do, we need to do the word. We need to rest in the Lord. We need to wait patiently for him.

WAIT:

• Twist.
• Turn.
• Whirl.
• Dance.
• Writhe.
• Travail.
• Grieve.
• Be strong.

(Who knew there was such action in waiting?)

I enCOURAGE you to rest in Him when you do not know what to do.  I encourage you to wait on Him when you do not know what to say.

 

by Tammy Phillips
February 15, 2021

When you lie down, you will not be afraid; Yes, you will lie down, and your sleep will be sweet. (Proverbs 3:24 NKJV)

The race of life is hard.  There are hills and valleys, twists and turns.  Life has challenges and disappointments.  Life has fears and concerns.  Sometimes sleep is hard to come by.  The word of the Lord says, “When you lie down…” First, we must trust Him enough to lie down and rest.  We must trust Him for recovery.  We must trust His word!  We must not be afraid of anything that life brings us.  Worry is fear and a thief of sleep.   Do not worry.   Lie down in the confidence that every thing is going to be alright.  This promise for us is not just sleep, but sweet, agreeable sleep. 

I enCOURAGE you to trust His word for sweet sleep in your nights.  You need the time for the muscles of the body, the soul and spirit to repair and restore themselves.  SWEET SLEEP!  God says so! 

by Tammy Phillips
February 14, 2021

“But God clearly shows and proves His own L♥️VE for us, by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  ⁹Therefore, since we have now been justified by His blood, [how much more certain is it that] we will be saved from the wrath of God through Him.” (Romans 5:8-9 AMP)

What color is love?  

My favorite color of course.  I believe the color of love is red, the same color as blood.  Romans 5:8 says that God proves his love for us, justifies and saves us from God’s wrath through the blood of His only son, Jesus.  Jesus so willingly died for us, shed his blood to pay for our sins and to buy back our eternal life with God.  I believe the color of love is the color of the blood of Jesus. The color of Love is most definitely red.

I enCOURAGE you to celebrate the color of love, the priceless red blood of Jesus and the purest love of all, God’s for us!

 

by Tammy Phillips
February 13, 2021

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God [is] with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9 NKJV)

On days when you think you are at your end…
On days when it is hard to even pick up a pen…
On days when you don’t want to wash one more dish…
On days when you drop a whole pan of cookies…
On days when you want to crawl back in bed…
On days when you say enough said…
On days when you do not want to pay one more bill…
On days when you cannot take one more pill…
On days when you do not want to go to the game…
On days you just feel lame…

God belly laughs and says in His loving way, “Girl, didn’t I tell you?  Be strong!  Be courageous.  Be brave.  Do not let anything shake you.  I got you.  I am with you everywhere you go.  I am in front of you, behind you, to your left and to your right. Get up! Be resolute! You can do all things through Me.

I enCOURAGE you to be strong & resolute, particularly on the days you do not feel like it!

by Tammy Phillips
February 12, 2021

For in Him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. (Acts 17:28 KJV)

“Have our own being,” what does that mean exactly?

Simply, the Greek word for the phrase “have our own being” is esmen, which means we are and comes from the root word, eimi which means to be, to exist and to be present

In Him, we have our own being.
In Him, we are.
In Him, we be.
In Him we exist.
In Him, we are present.

“Offspring” in focus verse  is the Greek word genos meaning kin, kind; kindred; family; stock; tribe.

In Him, we are also his offspring.
In Him, we are His kin.
In Him, we are His kind.
In Him, we are His kindred.
In Him, we are His family.
In Him, we are His stock.
In Him, we are His tribe.

Genos comes from a Greek root word, ginomai meaning:  be; become; come into existence; appear in history; are finished, are complete

In Him, we become.
In Him, we come into existence.
In Him, we begin to be.
In Him, we receive being. 
In Him, we appear in history.
In Him, we come upon the stage.
In Him, we are made.
In Him, we are finished.
In Him, we are completed.

I enCOURAGE you to love, live, move, and be in Him.   You are His kind and He alone completes you.

 

by Tammy Phillips
February 11, 2021

For in Him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.  Acts 17:28 (KJV)

I receive a “word for the year,” but sometimes I receive a word for a day, a week, a month or a season. Recently, my focus word has been “move.”  I prayed that God would move us or move in a particular situation to bring resolve.  I shared my word and need with my prayer warriors at church, AFTER each individual used the word MOVE to express that they also needed God to MOVE: in a relationship, a loved one, in their body and one need was actually to move a troubling neighbor. Needless to say, I have been meditating on the move.

I helped my Mom and her husband downsize in preparation to move to a new home. We purged 40 years’ worth of ——!!!  I have been chewing on this verse. Acts 17:28—hit me last night, when my mom was murmuring a little bit.  “In Him we move.”  IN HIM WE MOVE! We can do all things in Him and nothing without Him.

For in Him, we live.
For in Him, we MOVE.
For in Him, we have our being.

Live. What does it mean to live? The Greeks translation of the word live is the word zao.  It means to enjoy life; to have true life and worthy of the name; active, blessed, endless; vital power.

In Him, we live.
In Him, we enjoy life, not just live it.
In Him, we enjoy life, even in the moves of life.
In Him, we enjoy life, even when we have to purge.
In Him, we have true life.
In Him, live a blessed life.
In Him, we have an endless life.
In Him, we have a vital, powerful life that helps us purge forty years of memories.

Move. what does it mean to “move”? The Greek word for move is kineo.  It means to go; to move from a place; to stir; to excite; to throw into commotion.

In Him, we go
In Him, we are stirred
In Him, we are excited 
In Him, we MOVE from place to place.
In Him, we are thrown into commotion, particularly when we must purge seventy-six years of life’s memories and forty years of accumulation.
In Him, we donated to charity and disposed of approximately fifty thirty-three-gallon garbage bags of clothes, shoes, blankets, books, dishes and assorted other things.  What do you need to purge to so that you can enjoy life and just BE in HIM?

I enCOURAGE you to enjoy every second of life in Him.  I encourage you to move in Him. Take out the trash in your body, mind, and spirit.  Clean your house. Why? so In Him you can just be.

 

 

by  Tammy Phillips
February 10, 2021

For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning. (Psalm 30:5 NKJV)

I can hardly wait to get to heaven to meet our Father, face to face.  I can hardly wait to see the unimaginable colors. 

When my Nanny was preparing to move from earth to heaven, she described the most beautiful flowers to my mom.  She thought Mom could see them.  Mom questioned, “Are you talking about the arrangements in the room?”  Nanny’s sassy-self replied, “No they are more beautiful than that.  Don’t you see them? Look at the meadow full of them. When you step on the flowers, they are not crushed.”

It has been a rather gray weekend.  Some things happened that truly saddened me.  The enemy tried to deter me from the mission.  Psalm 30:5 played like an old LP in my head. “Weeping may endure for the night, but joys comes in the morning.” When we trust in God joy always comes. Unspeakable, overwhelming joy!

On this day, Sister Sparkle sent me a sunrise pic, joy came!  It brought back great memories of my Nanny.  It was away with the gray of the previous days.   Although they were beautiful in the gray, there is nothing like the Fuchsia/Magenta sky to remind me of my Nanny and her Heavenly flowers.  I actually was stopped in my tracks because I was reminded to celebrate Nanny’s home going, February 10, 1999!

I enCOURAGE you to believe that no matter what happens, if a friend betrays you, a repair needs repairing again, your sister-in-law has a bad car wreck, you lose a grandmother, a father, a mother or a son…weeping may be for the night. However, joys comes In the morning just like the beautiful sunrise that turns the darkness to light.