Jeremiah 29:11 reminds us, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Beloved, does 2015 prove challenging?  Are you tired of this long and relentless path with no ending in sight over the hill?  Are you fearing the future?  I don’t know about you, but I’m fearing 2015 due to all the changes and constant unknowns in my life.  I can actually say that I live a good life, I am very blessed; but after several years of intense suffering, even with the belief that 2015 will be prosperous, it’s the unknown that has me unsettled.  I acknowledge more change is imminent, even with its exciting and challenging treasures that lay ahead, but because I’m exhausted from the past trials I am walking through due to this beautiful mind God created, I find myself too weak to grasp hold of the blessings that are waiting for me to claim. Since just starting this blog and connecting it with my ministry that God is developing right at this very moment is freaking me out which is surfacing all the layers of insecurities that have held me captive my whole life; all because I don’t want to be mocked and humiliated by exposing my life, pain, and struggles through writing!

Girlfriend, I get it that we want a preview of the other side of our journey for OUR APPROVAL (I’m with you) or preparation to know what we’re going to be subjected to, but we would save ourselves a lot of grief and anxiety, not to mention the wasted time daydreaming out the fantasized “what-might-happen scenarios” that rob us of time we’ll never have again, with events that will never come close to fruition.  Let’s face it, the scenarios we give birth to in our minds over and over again about what WE PERCEIVE and BELIEVE will happen, usually will never even come close to the “ugly script” that we invented, not to mention how they distract and detour us from taking the path we’re going to have to travel on again until we get it right.  I don’t know about you, but I should be a millionaire with the dramatic scenes I composed in my mind that NEVER came close to developing.  Talk about wasting precious time, not to mention adding more wrinkles!  Ugghhhh!!!  My imagination is very creative!!!

This is why God gave us His Word for guidance.  He knew we’d have a tendency to drive ourselves nuts, not to mention those that occupy our space, you know, our family and friends!  I know going to the Word of God or spending time in prayer is the last thing we want to do when we’re enjoying writing the script for what we fear and “know” is going to happen, but that’s when we need to recalculate and remember that leaving God out of the equation is exhausting valuable time and it’s feeding into and developing our insecurities and fears that will direct us to where we feared we would go.  God is the author of our story, and since He already knows what’s going to happen; if He allows something to happen, since He brought us to it, He will bring us through it safely to the other side.  That’s why we need to take that nervous and anxious energy and go to His Word for peace and guidance.  Jeremiah 29:11 reminds us, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

When I stop my Tammy Tantrums long enough to pray and go to His Word about what I am struggling with, I am amazed at how much precious time I have wasted in drawing up these scenarios that never end up happening, plus it was time I could have spent with family and friends in a better mood or even given back to my community.  Peace comes from trust; and how can we trust God when we’re writing our story and leaving God out of it!  If only I would have gone to the Word instead of kicking and screaming in the first place, the “unknowns” would have deepened my faith further and brought me closer to the One who is trying to save me from myself due to my own destruction.

Isaiah 41:10 says, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand”‘ and Isaiah 41:13 says, “For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.”  We need to remember that the Lord is leading and guiding us while holding our hand and there’s nothing we can do to change it except to trust and follow Him along the way!  The more we buck, moan and groan about not knowing what’s around the corner, we add so much unnecessary stress to our lives. God knows our story, He is the author of it, and we can either exhaust our energy by fighting and resisting the path that awaits us and bring more unnecessary pain and anxiety into our lives, or we can TRUST peacefully knowing Who holds the outcome and is holding our hand in the process!  Oh, such love is that!

The tantrums can be cute from a two-year-old, but not from a Grammy Tammy!!!  If we’re going to fantasize about what we know is going to happen, then let’s make millions of dollars off these scenarios we draw up and publish them!  Stay tuned; I don’t want millions, but if I can make one person laugh and learn from my mistakes, sharing my insecurities and fears will be worth it!  Let’s share and learn the Truth together!  That’s how we can tap into the power of God; and Matthew 18:20 tells us that “For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.”  Let’s encourage and hold each other along the way and tap into the power of the Lord!

Have a blessed day!  Smile, Jesus loves you and He wants you just the way you are, tantrum and all!  Happy New Year!