Devotionals for the Heart: The Reason for the Christmas season

A Beautiful Tree
A devotional by Tammy Karasek

"But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord." ~Luke 2:10-11 (NIV)

I’m sure we all have a memory or two that is special to us around Christmas. I’d like to share with you a particular memory that taught ME a lesson about Christmas from a three-year-old!

I must confess that I’m a recovering perfectionist. I say recovering because until the Christmas of 1989, I really had a problem with being an extreme perfectionist.

It was the beginning of December and I was sick on the couch. Our three-year-old daughter was very excited for the holiday and it was fun to watch. This year was the year she was more aware of what was going on with all of the festivities of the holiday.

My husband had put up the tree for us and we were going to be decorating but . . . I just didn’t have any energy. Each day our daughter would say, “Mommy, is dis da day? Mommy, do we decorate today?”

I’d say, “Maybe later.”

So finally, about the 4th day she informed me that she was going to decorate. Yes, three years old and sassy through and through!

Without the energy to really argue I thought she would probably put on one or two ornaments and we’d be done with it.

Well, she pulled the lid off (I still don’t know how she got it off, it’s a pretty tight lid on those containers). And one by one she pulled out the ornaments. She would say, “I be berry careful, Mommy! I be berry careful wif da ormanents.”

Sure enough, she would gingerly walk to the tree and carefully place the ornaments on the tree. I was impressed for sure.

This went on for 45 minutes or so, as she kept going at it. At one point, I glanced over at the tree and noticed that all the ornaments were about 18 inches up from the bottom branches on the tree and the other three or four feet up the tree was empty.

The perfectionist in me immediately thought, “Oh I’m going to have so much extra work to do. I’m going to have to move all of them because they are all kind of clustered right there in the front.”

As I was thinking about all of this in my mind I heard a gasp from the container. She looked like she was about to fall in but that’s not the reason she gasped.

All of a sudden she said, “I found it Mommy! I found it! And I will be berry berry careful.”

She got out and she cradled an ornament in her hand. She walked very slowly to the couch and as she got close to the couch she bent her little knees down and presented this ornament to me and, “I got the most important ormanent, Mommy! It’s dis one. Dis is why we have a Kismas twee. It’s all about da baby Jesus. Dis is da one, Mommy.”

And like now as I’m typing this, I teared up and said, “You know, little girl. You understand it. You are right. That is the most important ornament and you are right, that is why we have a Christmas tree. It is all about baby Jesus.”

And at that moment I looked at the tree and realized it was the most beautiful tree I’d ever seen. All 18 inches of those ornaments.

And so as we prepare for Christmas this year, wherever someone puts that particular ornament on our tree, that’s perfect to me because it’s their joy and they know why they are putting it on that tree in our family.

I pray that you also have a Christ filled Christmas in your home and that your family, whoever that may be that gathers with you, know why you are decorating that tree and Who we have that Christmas tree for. It is all about Baby Jesus.

By the way, a little P.S. to the story… When my husband came home later that day, he walked into the room and looked at the tree. Then looked at me and looked back at the tree.

I put my finger to my mouth and said, “Someone special wanted to decorate the tree today and I think it looks beautiful, don’t you?”

My daughter looked at him and said, “I decorated it today, Daddy! Because dis tree is all about da Baby Jesus and dis Kismas Tree is pitty. Very pitty.”

And to this day this ornament stays front and center of our Christmas tree because it really is all about the Baby Jesus.

Merry Christmas.

~*~
Author Bio:

You’ll find Tammy seeing humor and causing laughter in every aspect of life.

Her past, filled with bullying and criticism from family, is the driving force of her passion to always encourage others and give them The Reason to smile.

She’s been married to her college sweetheart, Larry, for 37 years, a mom to their grown daughter, Kristen and wrapped around the paw of a little dog named Hattie. Born and raised in Ohio, her family now resides in South Carolina.

She is the President of Word Weavers Upstate SC, member of ACFW and member of My Book Therapy/Novel Academy.

She’s the Blog Coordinator/Editor for Florida Christian Writers Conference, a contributor in the 2018 Divine Moments Compilation Book—Cool-inary Moments, a monthly contributor for HeartWingsblog.com and God is Love (capturingtheidea.blogspot.com).

~*~
Connect with Tammy:
Blog: http://www.tammykarasek.com
Email: tickledpinktammy@gmail.com

Devotionals for the Heart: Bravery

Will I Stand for God?
A devotional by Tammy Karasek

“Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were filled with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted and mistreated…” 

~Hebrews 11:36-37 (ESV)

The sufferings at the hands of others spoken of in the above verse are rough words to read. Though the forms of death mentioned above may not be methods of persecution we hear about much today, they are still used. Many Christians through the ages were “killed with the sword” for expressing their faith in God or for refusing to denounce Christ.

One example in scripture is Zechariah who was stoned to death for his faith. In 2 Chronicles 24:20-22, Zechariah was chosen by God to replace his father as priest under King Joash. He stood firm in his faith and held his position as priest seriously. The people of his town didn’t want to hear about his God and conspired to stone him to death. But Zechariah wasn’t worried or ashamed of his faith and stayed true to the God who was always there for him. Zechariah stood for God, risking being stoned, and spoke truth for his love for God.

There are Christians in the Middle East currently that have been “killed with the sword” for their faith in Jesus and their refusal to say they don’t follow Him. Unfortunately, some of these events are recorded and shown on the television throughout the world of these Christians being killed. Far too many nights, the evening news speaks of these persecutions.

While we think these may not affect us here on American soil, let us not forget the senseless killings that are happening to people standing up for their faith. The one that comes to mind is the story of the 17-year-old girl from Columbine High School in Colorado—Rachel Scott. The events of April 20, 1999 are still hard to read almost twenty years later. Rachel was the first student to be shot and killed that day. The boy sitting next to her on the lawn lived, though paralyzed from the gunshots he received, and was able to share what the gunmen said to her. These fellow students and gunmen mocked her for her belief in God. The shooters said, “You still believe in God now?” and more. They ended their rant with, “Go be with him!” and shot her in the temple.

Oddly, one of the bullets actually went through a journal she had. In the journal was a prayer for one of the boys who killed her. Rachel had a mission to reach out to the unreached at Columbine. She had another journal in her backpack with a powerful drawing she’d drawn, which seemed to be prophetic. The picture was drawn less than an hour before she was killed. The drawing is a rose and 13 teardrops—there were 13 victims that day. She drew it in class then showed it to her teacher. The last thing that she said to the teacher was “People are going to know who I am someday.”

For more information on Rachel’s legacy and ministry see racheljoyscott.com.

The people above are what we describe as martyrs. Dictionary.com defines a martyr as: “A person who willingly suffers death rather than renounce his or her religion. A person who is put to death or endures great suffering on behalf of any belief, principle or cause.”

While I may not encounter this in my life, I do believe I need to assess my heart. If I were face to face with someone demanding me to denounce Christ to save my life, what would my answer be? I want to say I know I would stand firm for my faith. But would I? It sounds easy sitting here in my warm home typing on my keyboard, yet in a moment, something could change and I could be looking down the barrel of a gun with my opportunity to stand boldly for God.

Though I can’t guarantee what I’d say, I’m so encouraged by the following scriptures:

“Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” ~Romans 5:3-5 (NIV)

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” 

~James 1:2-3 (NIV)

Have you thought about this or even been in this situation? 

What are your thoughts about standing up for your faith?

What will it be—when faced with the decision of possible persecution, will we stand up for Christ and trust in Him?

I pray that I say YES! And you?

~*~
Author Bio:

You’ll find Tammy seeing humor and causing laughter in every aspect of life. Her past, filled with bullying and criticism from family, is the driving force of her passion to always encourage others and give them The Reason to smile.

She’s been married to her college sweetheart, Larry, for 37 years, a mom to their grown daughter, Kristen and wrapped around the paw of a little dog named Hattie. Born and raised in Ohio, her family now resides in South Carolina.

She is the President of Word Weavers Upstate SC, member of ACFW and member of My Book Therapy/Novel Academy.

She’s the Blog Coordinator/Editor for Florida Christian Writers Conference, a contributor in the 2018 Divine Moments Compilation Book—Cool-inary Moments, a monthly contributor for HeartWingsblog.com and God is Love (capturingtheidea.blogspot.com).

~*~
Connect with Tammy:
Blog: http://www.tammykarasek.com
Email: tickledpinktammy@gmail.com

Devotionals for the Heart: A harvest

Harvest of Righteousness
A devotional by Tammy Karasek

When I hear the word harvest, I immediately think of gathering something. Most assuredly, I see the farmers gathering up the fruits of their labor that are now ripe. Right now, near where I used to live in Ohio, farmers have been gathering their grain to store up for the winter to come.

When I read the following scripture, I had to stop and re-read it. It wasn’t saying what my normal thought of what a harvest would be. 

“And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” 

~James 3:18 (ESV)

A harvest of righteousness. This expression made me pause, wanting to understand it more clearly. I dug further, looking up the various definitions of both harvest and righteous and found this:

Harvest – to gain, win, acquire, or use; the result of an act.

Righteous – acting in an upright, moral way, virtuous.

Now as I read the Scripture (James 3:18), it meant something different. If I changed the wording a little (not changing the meaning), it taught me that we have a responsibility of harvesting righteousness. 

Hear me out … A harvest (or gain, acquiring) of righteousness (by acting in an upright, moral or virtuous way) is sown in peace by those who make peace. 

This got me thinking about how we treat others. Do we act righteously? Do we try to make peace? Or are we quick to critique others, or even attack them for their differences? As we head into this holiday season, the hustle and bustle of this time of year can sometimes raise our stress levels. We can become impatient, critical or snarky . . . anyone relate?

If we want others to treat us well, we need to do the same. When we do our best to make peace, I believe more peace will be seen in our surroundings. In other words, if you want more peace, you can gather or harvest it by sowing peace to those you have an opportunity to be with.

Might I suggest that as we head into this wonderful time of the year, we all strive to be harvesters of righteousness? That we make (and keep) peace with those we encounter by acting in an upright, moral or virtuous way each day. And yes, even with that cranky aunt you might get stuck sitting by at the Thanksgiving table this year!

Will you set out to be a harvester of righteousness with me?

~*~
Author Bio:

You’ll find Tammy seeing humor and causing laughter in every aspect of life. Her past, filled with bullying and criticism from family, is the driving force of her passion to always encourage others and give them The Reason to smile.

She’s been married to her college sweetheart, Larry, for 37 years, a mom to their grown daughter, Kristen and wrapped around the paw of a little dog named Hattie. Born and raised in Ohio, her family now resides in South Carolina.

She is the President of Word Weavers Upstate SC, member of ACFW and member of My Book Therapy/Novel Academy.

She’s the Blog Coordinator/Editor for Florida Christian Writers Conference, a contributor in the 2018 Divine Moments Compilation Book—Cool-inary Moments, a monthly contributor for HeartWingsblog.com and God is Love (capturingtheidea.blogspot.com).

~*~
Connect with Tammy:
Blog: http://www.tammykarasek.com
Email: tickledpinktammy@gmail.com

Devotionals for the Heart: Hope for when times are tough

Times Can Be Tough
A devotional by Tammy Karasek

All of us will have trials and tribulations in our lives. It's a given. Not every day is a perfect, beautiful day. We were never promised that. At any time, we can be going through a trial, walking beside someone who is struggling or at the very least knows someone who is. Some days are harder than others to cope with what is seemingly thrown at us and we wonder how much more?

Going through years of bullying and depression, often I wondered if anybody heard my cries or even cared. I saw others around me going through tough times as well and eventually kept those feelings inside. It felt hopeless at the time—I was trying to fix it by myself. Can you relate?

Yet, there is hope. No matter what we are going through, there is Someone who cares. Someone who loves us—who already knows what the ending will be. But I had forgotten about Him in my effort to go it alone—have you?

In these times, we must lean even closer to the One who gives hope, comfort and bring us through to the other side. His name is Jesus. With Jesus, the trials don't go away because we are believers. We will still have them. But with Jesus, we can be confident that He is bringing us through a season to mold, shape and grow us to make us better. This is something difficult to grasp on this side of the situation.

The following verse reminds me of what I need to be doing during trials:

"Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer."
~Romans 12:12 (ESV)

As we lean into Jesus, our trials and tribulations are not erased immediately, though some can be. But Jesus is the One who will give us the strength to see it to the end, at which time we look back and see where we’ve come from. Sometimes He gives us strength just for that moment we are in. Other times, He gives us more. Through constant prayer and scripture reading, we begin to realize that His plans are better than ours and He has our greater good on His radar. Eventually, our storm has calmed and the blue skies have returned.

In my case, it was not a quick end. My struggle was over a thirty-year period. But as I look back, I now see the hands of God all over my life. He shaped me to be more thoughtful about my words because I’d been hurt by so many, compassionate towards others since I didn’t know what they were going through, and especially to find a reason to laugh every day or at the very least, a giggle.

I pray if you are currently going through a struggle in your life, you will lean into Jesus and pray with the hope that only comes from Him to guide you through this time. Know He is listening to your prayers. He cares and loves you dearly, friend.

"May the God of Hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in Hope."~Romans 15:13 (ESV)

~*~
Author Bio:

You’ll find Tammy seeing humor and causing laughter in every aspect of life. Tammy’s past filled with bullying and criticism is the driving force of her passion to always encourage others and share with them the Reason to smile. 

She’s been blissfully wedded to her college sweetheart, Larry, for 36 years. She is a mom to their grown daughter Kristen and wrapped around the paw of a little puppy named Hattie.

She’s the President of Cross N Pens Christian Writers and a member of ACFW.

She will be published in the 2018 Divine Moments book – Cool-nary Moments.

~*~
Connect with Tammy: 
Blog - http://www.tammykarasek.com
Twitter - https://twitter.com/tickledpinktam
Email - tickledpinktammy@gmail.com

Devotionals for the Heart: God's Unfailing Love for You

Unfailing Love
A devotional by Tammy Karasek

Think of the many ways God daily shows his love for us. When you are going through a period or season where you think he’s not there, you need only take a moment to pause and look around.

One of my favorite things to do when I’m in that situation is to take a journal or notebook and go sit somewhere, preferably outside or near a window. I love a coffee shop or location where many people will be coming and going. I then pray for God to clear my mind of all those things on my perpetual To Do list for this short time. Can anyone relate to that long list? I then thank God for the things he is about to show me. I suggest you give this a try. Find a location with a great view and lots of busyness. Pray. Then sit back and watch.

Look out the window at the sky. Is it bright with sun or gloomy with rain clouds? You realize God made both of those for us, right? He made the sun to warm us up as well as to bring a smile to our faces. Yet he also made the rainy days to water our surroundings—the trees, grass, flowers, and bodies of water. Without those things, we would not have shade, fruits from the trees, grass for animals to eat, flowers to enjoy and water for so many reasons. He thought of so many big and little details. That’s love. Write your thoughts in your journal about that.

Next, look around where you are sitting and notice the people. Some may be sitting alone and others may be with one or several friends. Do you see God’s love in both of these situations? The person alone may be taking a break to rest or have food. The group may be catching up with each other and enjoying one another’s’ friendship. God created all of those things—rest, nourishment and fellowship because he knew we would need all of them. That’s love. Write about a time or times when you have experienced these things.

Now, back to the point that I made above—feeling like God isn’t there. When there are times when I feel like God is so far away, I make myself do this exercise. I begin to ask God why I feel it. And I close out the chatter in my mind and wait for the Holy Spirit to show me where these feelings are coming from. Once I get my mind quiet and shift my attitude a bit, I begin to see that God’s love is still all around me. It’s in the sky, the grass, the little girl swinging her feet as she sits with her mommy drinking hot cocoa at the coffee shop. Aren’t whipped cream mustaches the best? It’s when I remember the things that God has brought me through. That’s love. Write those in your journal.

People will come and go in our lives. People will both uplift and tear us down. But God will never do this because of his rich, deep love. Though we may not be the best we can be with our attitudes, actions or words, God still loves us. No matter what we do or don’t do. That’s real love.

“Let your face shine on your servant, save me in your unfailing love.” 
~Psalm 31:16 (NIV)

Remember when you feel very distant from God, it is you that has moved away—not God.

~*~
Author Bio:

You’ll find Tammy seeing humor and causing laughter in every aspect of life. Tammy’s past filled with bullying and criticism is the driving force of her passion to always encourage others and share with them the Reason to smile. 

She’s been blissfully wedded to her college sweetheart, Larry, for 36 years. She is a mom to their grown daughter Kristen and wrapped around the paw of a little puppy named Hattie.

She’s the President of Cross N Pens Christian Writers and a member of ACFW. 

She will be published in the 2018 Divine Moments book – Cool-nary Moments.

~*~
Connect with Tammy:
Blog - http://www.tammykarasek.com
Twitter - https://twitter.com/tickledpinktam
Email - tickledpinktammy@gmail.com

Devotionals for the Heart: Rest

Rest in God
A devotional by Tammy Karasek

I wish I could say my soul is perfectly content—that I have the kind of soul-rest that comes from God. But I’m a stubborn only child and often behave like a toddler ready to strike into a full-blown tantrum. I like to do things “by myself.” What the toddler is usually trying to say is, I don’t need you. I can handle this on my own. Have you ever felt this way?

We are told to take time to rest. Articles from women’s magazines to medical journals shout from the rooftops the benefits of rest. While I will not argue the importance of resting as in sitting down for a period of solitude or even sleep, the rest I’m talking about is a rest that comes from God. “My soul finds rest in God alone” (Psalm 62:1, NIV).

The kind of rest written in the above scripture is what I seek. What about you?

As I have grown older and wiser, I have learned true rest in my soul can’t be obtained by anyone or anything other than God. No amount of sitting and relaxing in the sand by the ocean or in a rocking chair at a mountain cabin can give me that kind of soulful peace. Oh, most definitely it can slow us down and give us the opportunity to calm down or de-stress, but it cannot give us the kind of rest deep within us. We can get in the way of that.

When we read through Scripture and are quiet with God—it’s there in that time and space where we find that rest. Where we close out the world. Where we turn off the noise. There is where we find sweet rest, deep down in our innermost being.

With this knowledge, one would think we’d take the opportunity every chance we could get. But nope, we try other things to calm us down. We read a magazine, a new book, go shopping or maybe dine with a friend. Yet, more times than not, we end up in a worse mess than we started. We are left stressed, frustrated and wondering why God won’t fix it.

When in this spot myself, I realized I haven’t asked for the calm, let alone the rest. I’ve ignored my time to sit with God and process the issues at hand. I’ve not read my Bible to meet God in that quiet space to allow him to pour into me that soulful rest I’m longing for.

It’s me getting in the way. Not God ignoring me.

My prayer for you today is that you make it a priority to find time to sit with the Lord and seek that rest, deep in your soul, that only He can give you. Will you be so kind to do that for me as well?

~*~
Author Bio: 

You’ll find Tammy seeing humor and causing laughter in every aspect of life. Tammy’s past filled with bullying and criticism is the driving force of her passion to always encourage others and share with them the Reason to smile. 

She’s been blissfully wedded to her college sweetheart, Larry, for 36 years, mom to their grown daughter, Kristen and wrapped around the paw of a little puppy named Hattie.

She’s the President of Cross N Pens Christian Writers and a member of ACFW. She will be published in the 2018 Divine Moments book – Cool-nary Moments.
~*~
Connect with Tammy:
Blog - http://www.tammykarasek.com
Twitter - https://twitter.com/tickledpinktam
Email - tickledpinktammy@gmail.com

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Devotionals for the Heart: The Details

God, Are You Listening?
A devotional by Tammy Karasek

God is in the small details as much as He is the big ones of our lives. Scripture proves it. Read Luke 12:22-31 then ponder this: If He tends to the itty-bitty Lily of the valley and feeds the ravens, then why wouldn’t He be concerned about us as well? We worry about issues in our lives and wonder why God doesn’t answer our prayers now. Sometimes we don’t even stop to pray because we think that He wouldn’t want to be bothered with our little things.

I often think God may not be listening or may not be interested in what I need. If I’m honest, feeling unimportant is usually when I’m being impatient for a prayer not yet answered. The answer I want on my time. Through the years I’ve learned that God’s answer may not be what I was looking for and God’s timing wasn’t my timing—thank goodness!

I was reminded this past week that God has perfect timing and cares about those details in my life that are important to me. Three people made comments to me at three different times that were undeniably from God. They were directly related to questions I’d been praying—well, whining about—for several months regarding my writing and the direction in which I should go. In other words, I was searching for my purpose. Can anyone relate? None of these conversations had anything to do with the other except for the common denominator—me. None of these folks knew me, or even knew my story. They wouldn’t have had a clue I’d been praying about these things.

Yet in God’s sweet way, He used each of these three ladies to speak the words that my heart needed to hear. Words that slammed Satan’s lies to the ground faster than a throw down on a wrestling mat. The statements made in all three scenarios were delivered in such a matter of fact way, I was taken aback each time they were said. Realizing I had received answers to these long-term prayers, I just wanted to walk away to go sit and cry.

But first, I needed to ask forgiveness from God for thinking He didn’t care about the details in my life that caused me to worry and question so many things. I needed to see that He, in fact, had been listening to me through it all.

Waiting is never easy. But, oh friend, as those answers come when God chooses to deliver them, you can bet they will be at the perfect time and be just what He wanted for you. They may or may not be as fast as you’d like them and they may or may not be the answer you wanted, but you can guarantee they will be God’s best for you.

I’d like to encourage and challenge you today. If you’re holding back from asking God for an answer or for direction, might I be bold and tell you—ask for it. Then take it one step further, thank Him for the answer He will give you. Yes, have faith that He does answer and thank Him every day until you see that answer.

Step out of the way and let Him prepare you for just the right answer. In just the right time.

~*~
Author Bio:

You’ll find Tammy seeing humor and causing laughter in every aspect of life. Tammy’s past filled with bullying and criticism is the driving force of her passion to always encourage others and share with them the Reason to smile. 

She’s been blissfully wedded to her college sweetheart, Larry, for 36 years, mom to their grown daughter, Kristen and wrapped around the paw of a little puppy named Hattie.

She’s the President of Cross N Pens Christian Writers and a member of ACFW. She will be published in the 2018 Divine Moments book – Cool-nary Moments.
~*~
Connect with Tammy:
Blog - http://www.tammykarasek.com
Twitter - https://twitter.com/tickledpinktam
Email - tickledpinktammy@gmail.com

Devotionals for the Heart: Mothers and the meaning of "nurture"

Nurture and Share with Those Around You
A devotional by Tammy Karasek

Not every woman, young or old, is a mother. Yet, God has designed women in general to be nurturers. But before we go any further, let’s see how the Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the word nurture:

nurture (noun): the care and attention given to someone or something that is growing or developing

nurture (verb): to help something or someone to grow, develop, or succeed

As we see by the definition, to nurture is to give care and attention to another person. Society always says that moms are our nurturers. But I believe that we, as women, are nurturers regardless if we have children or not.

Whether or not you’ve had a great relationship with your own mother, more than likely, somewhere along the way, someone has mothered or nurtured you in your life. Maybe it was your mom, grandmother, aunt or an older sister. It could have been a neighbor, Sunday school teacher, coach or an older friend.

Whoever it was, think back to some of the things that person taught you that you’ve carried through your life thus far. It could be a great recipe, kitchen technique or tip. Has someone shown you the ropes on gardening and how to have a green thumb? (And if you have this, I admire you as my thumb can only get as green as the color of celery!) Maybe it’s your love of decorating, singing, playing an instrument—has an older woman taught you the how-to on those?

I know I’ve had many nurturers in my life that have taught me so many gems. These gems—I’ve tumbled and polished from raw to shiny with their teaching, patience, and encouragement and I’ve seen my life change in wonderful ways. 

My love of cooking, sewing, and quilting come straight through the family line from my great grandma to me. While their expertise in these may have come from necessity, my passion for those came from working elbow to elbow watching and learning beside these three women I loved so dearly. My love of words—writing and reading—comes from my mom. 

My love of scripture grew from my mentor Helga, and my teacher-friend, Beth. My heart to always choose joy no matter how hard the circumstances, that comes from my dear sweet friend and birthday twin, Cathy. (She’s older by a few hours, and I often remind her she’s older!)

Here’s a fun little exercise for you: I’m going to help you see who had been your nurturers. Take out a pen and paper and jot things down that you love to do or even things you do well. Now go back and write down beside each item you’ve listed, the person who taught it to you or helped you get better at it. There are your nurturers my friend!

A challenge for you today: Be on the lookout for someone you may nurture. Keep your mind open to someone who casually mentions they’d like to learn something that you know how to do. Also, pray for God to show you who might need someone to come alongside of her for some care and attention to grow in a specific area. As the Scripture below says we are to share what we have. I feel it’s not just our material things but also our knowledge and expertise that we are to share

"Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God." ~Hebrews 13:16 (ESV)

Share with us in the comments below who has nurtured you and how. Also—are you nurturing someone currently? What are you doing?

~*~
Author Bio:

You’ll find Tammy seeing humor and causing laughter in every aspect of life. Tammy’s past filled with bullying and criticism is the driving force of her passion to always encourage others and share with them the Reason to smile. 

She’s been blissfully wedded to her college sweetheart, Larry, for 36 years, mom to their grown daughter, Kristen and wrapped around the paw of a little puppy named Hattie.

She’s the President of Cross N Pens Christian Writers and a member of ACFW. She will be published in the 2018 Divine Moments book – Cool-nary Moments.
~*~
Connect with Tammy:
Blog - http://www.tammykarasek.com
Twitter - https://twitter.com/tickledpinktam
Email - tickledpinktammy@gmail.com

Devotionals for the Heart: Diaries

I’m Just a Diary Kind of Girl!

A devotional by Tammy Karasek

Diaries. Journals. Thought Keepers. Whatever it is you call the book in which you write things down for keeping, do you have one or have you ever had one? Is it something you love doing or something you loathe?

I’ve always been one to write things down. I love keeping track of things, planning things, list making and recording the details of life. Give me a stationery store or bookstore that carries writing implements and I’m in bliss. I see journals and want a new one even though I just bought one a month ago. Pens and markers—oh my! My hubby constantly says, “Don’t you think the drawers of pens and markers you have is quite enough?”

I quickly respond, “No. I don’t have this one!”

Recently I was perusing through some of my journals and I recalled the diaries I used while growing up. You might remember, the small books about the size of your hand with a little lock and key. I so wish I had kept them. For some reason, I threw them away when I moved out and got married. I remember a friend from school that would receive a new diary every Christmas started on January 1st and remained diligent through the entire year. We laughed about it one day while we were in college many years ago, and she told me she had every diary she’d received since elementary school and was still in the habit of filling them in every year. I wonder if she still has those diaries now. I also wonder if she still keeps a diary. If you are reading this my friend Ms. G, do you?

I do wish I still had some of mine from my youth. I’m sure I wrote about silly young girl stuff and it would be fun to read about the stuff that rocked our world at that age. You’ve got to admit they would probably be hilarious.

As I’ve aged, my diaries that are now journals have become deeper and richer. Sure, I still record details of life, but more so, I’ve recorded growth and lessons. 

I’ve written about God’s faithfulness to me even when I might have been a little less faithful to him with my impatience in waiting for an answered prayer. I’ve been honest in writing where I’ve needed a little conviction and correction to turn a different path. I’ve emptied my heart out onto those pages during struggles, loss and difficult seasons. I’ve logged lots of lines of praises to the One who is so worthy of our praise.

In Scripture, there are several places where we are instructed to write. One of my favorites is found in Proverbs 7:2-3 (NIV) which says,“My son, keep my words... Keep my commands ... write them on the tablet of your heart.” 

We are told to keep God’s commands and to write them on the tablet of our hearts. One of the ways I do this is by writing them down. When I copy the Scripture into my journal, the process helps me in memorizing it. It’s that repetition we all need of seeing it again and again. I love reading through old journal entries and seeing the Scripture that was speaking to me at that season of life. It’s also a great reminder to see where we have grown and things we have made it through.

So what about you, are you a keeper of thoughts? Do you enjoy the process of writing down the lessons you’ve learned, dreams and wishes, special times or seasons of your life? I’d love for you to comment below and share your thoughts whether you love writing in a journal or you’d rather volunteer for a root canal!

As for me, give me a writing instrument and something to write on and I’m a happy girl. Well actually, just give me the pen and I’m sure I’ll find something to write on!

~*~
Author Bio:

You’ll find Tammy seeing humor and causing laughter in every aspect of life. Tammy’s past filled with bullying and criticism is the driving force of her passion to always encourage others and share with them the Reason to smile.

She’s been blissfully wedded to her college sweetheart, Larry, for 36 years, mom to their grown daughter, Kristen and wrapped around the paw of a little puppy named Hattie.

She’s the President of Cross N Pens Christian Writers and a member of ACFW. She will be published in the 2018 Divine Moments book – Cool-nary Moments.
~*~
Connect with Tammy:
Blog - http://www.tammykarasek.com
Twitter - https://twitter.com/tickledpinktam
Email - tickledpinktammy@gmail.com

Devotionals for the Heart: Tammy's thoughts on technology and disconnect

How Can We Be So Disconnected in Such a Connected World?

A devotional by Tammy Karasek

I wonder if any of us ever give much thought to how many ways we are connected to people these days. Think about it. To check in with friends or family, we are able to walk or drive, to call or at least send a text, write a note or send an email. It’s enough to make you dizzy thinking of the many ways we can reach out and connect.

Yet sometimes, even though we can do something, it doesn’t always mean we do. I’m guilty of this. Often someone will come to my mind and I’ll think Oh, I need to call her. I’ll continue with the task at hand because I don’t have time to talk at that moment. I plan to send her an email when I finish what I’m doing. Then I move to the next task and head out the door for an errand. As I back out of the driveway, I remember and tell myself I’ll do it tonight when I get back home.

But I don’t remember.

Recently, I felt overwhelmed with all the “doing” I was attempting and never quite feeling like I had accomplished a thing. It was as if every time I crossed one thing off of my to-do list, three were added before the ink was dry. I kept meaning to slow down and reconnect with friends. Really, I did.

The days continued on and I noticed God putting the same scripture verse in front of my eyes, and in places where I didn’t expect. Whether written on a painting, a sermon on the radio or even someone sharing it at Bible study.

“A friend loves at all times." ~Proverbs 17:17a (NASB)

Time went on and it became more and more evident that God was working hard to get my attention. There was no way I was going to be able to ignore God’s promptings. People I wanted to connect with kept coming to my mind. I was so hooked on my electronic gizmos and gadgets and the many things commanding my attention on those screens that I was missing an important fact. I was so busy being connected to the world I’d become disconnected with my friends and family. How could I say I love them at all times when I wasn’t making them a priority?

It’s amazing how electronically connected we are to people all over the world. But how many of us are paying attention to those around us who are quietly crying out for just a few minutes of our time. We spend hours on our screens, but we no longer sit across the table from a hurting friend over a cup of tea or at least check in with them regularly. Do we add a friend’s name to our daily to-do list to check in on them? People are hurting all around us. I’ve heard others’ say, "I don’t know what to say, and I don’t understand what they are going through." Who says we have to say anything or understand the situation? A card in the mail is great, but your presence is even better.

I’ve been quite convicted of this recently. I hope you will give this some thought about the people you are connected to as well. Is there someone God keeps bringing to mind? Trust Him, there’s probably a reason for it. In our overly connected world, they may be feeling very disconnected.

Step out of your comfort zone and give them a call. Maybe they are craving some time with you. You may find it did you some good, too.

~*~
Author Bio:

You’ll find Tammy seeing humor and causing laughter in every aspect of life. Tammy’s past filled with bullying and criticism is the driving force of her passion to always encourage others and share with them the Reason to smile. 

She’s been blissfully wedded to her college sweetheart, Larry, for 36 years, mom to their grown daughter, Kristen and wrapped around the paw of a little puppy named Hattie.

She’s the President of Cross N Pens Christian Writers and a member of ACFW. She will be published in the 2018 Divine Moments book – Cool-nary Moments.
~*~
Connect with Tammy:
Blog - http://www.tammykarasek.com
Twitter - https://twitter.com/tickledpinktam
Email - tickledpinktammy@gmail.com

Devotionals for the Heart: Tammy tells us why we should "put on love"

Choose Love
A devotional by Tammy Karasek

I have a favorite passage of scripture that draws me back like a magnet, Colossians 3:12-17 (NASB). I’ve written many dates beside these verses, times when I have been moved by the words. In this chapter, Paul encourages us, as believers, to put on the new self and gives us the instructions to do just that.

We should set our minds on things above, not on earthly things. No, we aren’t to ignore what is going on in the world, but we are not to partake in those worldly practices. Instead, we are to put aside the old self, such as immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire and greed (verse five) as well as anger, wrath, malice, slander and abusive speech (verse eight).

Paul then tells us what we should put on as new creatures in Christ on a daily basis. The expression put on actually means to assume, to adopt. He says we are to put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. This explains that as believers when we step boldly into faith with Jesus, we are to put on this new self and live in a way that shows Jesus to those around us. Yes, even the guy who cut you off while driving the other day!

This is an ongoing process, one we must practice doing each and every day. It’s not an automatic BAM!, you believe in Jesus so now you possess all these qualities. We live in a sinful world, and sin is always lurking at our door. Therefore, we must make a conscious effort every day to become a person who strives to live in a way that honors God in our words and deeds.

Since this is the month of February which most of us consider the love month, I saved verse 14 for last. Not because it’s not as important as those above — quite the opposite.

"And beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity." 
~Colossians 3:14 (NASB)

When we choose to put on love, we show the love the Father has shown us, love that is unconditional, everlasting, and immeasurable in its depth. Is this easy? No. But when we strive for this, God honors that. This then is where the end of that verse comes in to play. When we put on love, the uniting bond of perfectness or completion in our faith makes us more like the image of God that we were created to be. 

Take a moment and read Colossians 3:1-17 for yourself and see how the Lord will speak to you today. Let’s choose to put on love, not just because it is February — the love month, but also because we should do this every day, every month. I’ll pray this for you. Will you pray for me, too?

~*~
Author Bio:

You’ll find Tammy seeing humor and causing laughter in every aspect of life. Tammy’s past filled with bullying and criticism is the driving force of her passion to always encourage others and share with them the Reason to smile. 

She’s been blissfully wedded to her college sweetheart, Larry, for 36 years, mom to their grown daughter, Kristen and wrapped around the paw of a little puppy named Hattie.

She’s the President of Cross N Pens Christian Writers and a member of ACFW. She will be published in the 2018 Divine Moments book – Cool-nary Moments.
~*~
Connect with Tammy:
Blog - http://www.tammykarasek.com
Twitter - https://twitter.com/tickledpinktam
Email - tickledpinktammy@gmail.com

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Devotionals for the Heart: The Power of Words and Kindness

Words, How Do You Use Them?
A devotional by Tammy Karasek

When words are spoken in haste, they can either edify or tear down. Yet once spoken, they cannot be retrieved. Have you ever been hurt by people’s words? I know I have been crushed.

I have one of those memory banks that are both a blessing and a curse. I tend to remember just about everything. And I do mean EVERYTHING — both good and bad. The harder I try to forget the bad, the more it seems to commit to staying. I could probably list more times of hurtful words than my poor writing hand could handle.

Now that I’m much more mature in age, I have been purposely trying to go to those memories and see if the comments were truth or if they were lies. Then those that were not true, prayerfully choose to let the words go. I’ve tried to see where the person was coming from. Some times they were thrown out as an opinion, other times; there may have been slight truth to the comment. I’m sure soon after the person spewed out the harsh comments, they moved on. I, on the other hand, have given those words way too much time replaying in my mind. I’ve realized that the more I’ve held the memory, the more the memory has held me . . . and my heart.

I’m grateful to God those hurtful situations are mostly gone from my memory. But you see it’s the deep hurtful words, the words spoken to the heart by those we love that are the hardest to let go. They were spoken. And sadly, remembered. Yet, through prayer, they can diminish as well.

Recently I read this verse in my daily quiet time with God:

“Do not pay attention to every word people say, or you may hear your servant cursing you — for you know in your heart that many times you yourself have cursed others.” 

~Ecclesiastes 7:21-22 

Wow! That’s big.

It tells me to not pay such close attention to every word spoken, because I may hear “cursing” — or hurtful words. Then the second verse says that I know I’ve done this same thing.

Wait, what did that say?

Did that just say that I know I’ve done it, too? No way – not me. I love words. I wouldn’t do that. I know the pain of mean comments, so I for sure wouldn’t do that. Would I? Have I?

Yes, God says I’ve done it, too. Oh, how I did not like reading that. That verse really caught my attention and has made me slow down before I speak too soon. Will the words I’m about to say help or hurt the person. If they may hurt, are they necessary for growth? If not, I don’t say them.

Some words are necessary to hear for our good, but if they’re hurtful and untrue, will you give them to God first? Let Him show you if it was given in truth and something you needed to hear. Do not let them consume your heart.

Harsh and hurtful words are going to be flung at us. That is a guarantee. Yet scripture reminds us that we‘re going to fling ‘em, too.

As I’m learning to “not pay attention to every word people say” as the verse above says, may I encourage you to do the same? And I’m not off the hook either; I also need to remember to not flippantly throw out those possible hurtful words to others.

What are your thoughts on words? I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below.

~*~
Author bio: 

You’ll find Tammy seeing humor and causing laughter in every aspect of life. Tammy’s past filled with bullying and criticism is the driving force of her passion to always encourage others and share with them the Reason to smile. 

She’s been blissfully wedded to her college sweetheart, Larry, for 36 years, mom to their grown daughter, Kristen and wrapped around the paw of a little puppy named Hattie. 

She’s the President of Cross N Pens Christian Writers and a member of ACFW. She will be published in the 2018 Divine Moments book – Cool-nary Moments.
~*~
Connect with Tammy:
Blog - http://www.tammykarasek.com
Twitter - https://twitter.com/tickledpinktam
Email - tickledpinktammy@gmail.com

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