The God Who Sees You

Do You Know What To Do?

by Tammy

in Lifegiving Devotionals, The God Who Sees You

I have a friend who, after a lifetime of unsuccessfully fighting her weight, managed to lose fifty pounds. When I asked her how she did it, she told me, “I finally figured that I knew what to do. I’ve tried nearly every diet on the planet. I knew what foods are problematic for me. I knew I need smaller portions. I knew I need to exercise every day. I didn’t need to be educated. I just needed to do what I knew to do.”

That’s something I think we need to remember when it comes to those blind times in our lives, those times when we just can’t sense God’s presence or direction. We may be waiting to see God, to get more instructions, to be inspired, when what we really need to do is start walking and do what God wants us to do.

And what God wants is no secret. We’ve got a whole book of instructions. We have the witness of thousands of years of believers and the testimonies of others in His Body reminding us to:

• love God with all our hearts and minds and souls and strength (Mark 12:30).

love our neighbor as ourselves (Mark 12:31).
confess our sins, repent, and accept God’s forgiveness (1 John 1:9). In my experience, this alone is often enough to give me clearer vision and make it easier for me to see God.
forgive as we have been forgiven (Matt. 6:12–14).
feed the hungry, clothe the naked, heal the sick, care for orphans and widows, visit prisoners (Matt. 25:31–46).
love, support, and encourage our brothers and sisters in the body of Christ (John 13:34–35; Heb. 10: 24–25).
trust in God and not lean on our own understanding (Prov. 3:5).

We’ve got our marching orders. So maybe it’s not inappropriate to ask: What are we waiting for? We don’t need to have an epiphany to tell us to do those things. We don’t need a life-changing vision. We just need to … obey. And interestingly enough, the very act of obedience often helps us see God better. . . .

I love the way the Oswald Chambers explains this: “All God’s revelations are sealed until they are opened to us by obedience…. God will never reveal more truth about Himself until you have obeyed what you know already.”*

Sometimes, in fact, I suspect God goes into hiding to nudge us into actually using what He’s already given us. He lets us go it alone (or we feel like we’re alone) to help us develop confidence and experience in living His way.

I’ve done that as a parent. When my children were little, I would sometimes let them be outside by themselves or walk to a friend’s house without supervision while I’d secretly keep an eye on them. They needed that experience of making their way in the world. They needed to learn to function without my constant direction. So I stayed close, but I tried to stay out of their sight, for a little while at least.

I really believe that God does this with us as well. He gives us the freedom to do things on our own because He wants us to grow. It’s like He’s saying, You’ve got a map (the Bible). You’ve got GPS (the Holy Spirit). You’ve got your cell phone (prayer) and your instructions (see above). You’ve got My promise that I’ll be there if you need Me. So what’s stopping you?

And here’s one other wrinkle. In my experience, at least, God often doesn’t show Himself until I start moving on the path to obedience. It’s the very act of doing what I’ve been told to do that both strengthens my faith and opens my eyes to see more of what God is doing.

I’ve said it many times, and I believe it with all my heart: You never know what’s on the other side of your obedience. With every step, you may well see more of God. . . .

But what if you take a step, or many steps, and nothing seems to change? What if you take step after step, doing what you know to do, and you still feel like you’re walking blind?

If that’s the case, you might consider something radical. Maybe you don’t see because you don’t need to see.

God is your Father. He knows what you need more than you know it. And that means He knows what you don’t need. You may be stronger than you think. Your faith may be more robust, your trust more solid than you realized. You may have the precious ability to walk in faith, not sight.

But you’ll never know that, either, until you take a step.

*Oswald Chambers, “Whereby Shall I Know,” My Utmost for His Highest, October 10, http://www.oswaldchambers.co.uk/Readings.php?day=10&month=10.

Order The God Who Sees You here. The God Who Sees You

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God Sees What You Do Right

by Tammy

in Lifegiving Devotionals, The God Who Sees You

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Did you ever see the television show Undercover Boss, which premiered in early 2010? It’s a reality show that follows the heads of companies who go “undercover” in their own companies. The CEOs or other high-ranking executives disguise themselves and join the ranks of ordinary employees—scrubbing toilets, assembling burgers, loading trucks, cleaning motel rooms, and getting to know their fellow workers. Usually they struggle to keep up with the work, and they gain new appreciation for what these jobs entail. They also come to appreciate the hardworking, creative, enthusiastic employees who struggle to do a good job while coping with money woes, medical problems, and other personal issues.

At the end of all the shows, the undercover bosses reveal their true identities and express verbal appreciation along with more tangible rewards—bonuses, vacations, promotions. Tears flow at these “reveals.” But it’s not the tangible rewards that touch the employees most deeply. What matters most to them is realizing their efforts have been noticed.

There’s power in those tearful moments because they touch us where we all live. We work so hard and pour out our lives and mean so well, and too often we feel that nobody notices what we do. Perhaps nobody even cares.

But God does.

Matthew 6:4 says it clearly: “Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

Since God sees what is secret, that means He’s well aware of what nobody else even notices. He sees your faithfulness and your obedience, even in the face of doubts. He sees the choices you make to follow Him and persevere in doing right. He sees you trying again, even when you’re weary. And because God looks at the heart, I believe He sees and honors your attitudes and your good intentions, even when you don’t quite succeed. He honors your attempts to act on what you hear Him saying, even when you get the message wrong. He even honors your honest doubt and your feeble attempts to move toward Him despite those doubts.

In fact, just as Jesus once held out His hand to a sinking Peter, God responds to your smallest attempt to reach Him. He sees what you’re trying to do and reaches down His hand to help you up.

I truly hope that you receive approval and appreciation for what you try to accomplish here on earth. I hope you enjoy the satisfaction of knowing your efforts are successful and appreciated. But even when you feel like nobody sees you, keep reminding yourself that God does. In fact, He’s your best and most appreciative audience.

When you take a step of obedience and faithfulness, He’s applauding all the way.

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Why We Long for God to See Us

by Tammy

in The God Who Sees You

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Not long ago, I accompanied a friend to the hospital for surgery.

After she was wheeled away, I began talking with one of the nurses. Somehow the conversation came around to the nurse’s brother, who had been killed in an accident three years earlier. Like most untimely losses, the brother’s death had dramatically disrupted this woman’s family. Her mother still struggled with bitterness. Her parents’ marriage had faltered. Her baby son, born two weeks after her brother’s death, would never know his uncle.

Soon my new friend was pouring out her heart to me. And at some point I shared with her something I had been thinking about a lot.

“Do you understand that God sees you in all this?” I said. “He really sees—”

I hadn’t even finished the sentence before she started to weep. She cried so hard that another nurse walked over to see if she was okay. She was completely undone at the thought that God saw her pain, her fear, her broken heart. She kept saying through deep sobs, “He sees me? He really sees my reality?”

That was just one simple encounter, one more reminder that the message of the God who sees you is one that needs to be shared again and again—with those who don’t know the Lord and with those who do. There’s a reason we hunger to be recognized, acknowledged, appreciated, and cared for. There’s a reason our hide-and-seek life—yearning to be found by God, yet fearing it at the same time—leaves us feeling so bruised and unsatisfied. It’s because God has intentionally and wonderfully created us to see and be seen, to live in intimate and joyful relationship with Him and with others.

More important, He put that need in us because He wants to meet it. He’s put the longing there to draw us closer to His heart.

We hunger to be seen—because He really does see us.

The challenge is to really believe it … to live in the confidence that we are recognized and accepted and included and, most of all, loved.

Can you do that? Can I?

I’ll admit I’ve had my struggles, but I can honestly say I believe it with all my heart. Here’s why.

First, the Bible tells me so, and the Bible has proven a reliable guide in my life. The whole sweep of the Bible can be understood as the story of a God who saw His people, even when they couldn’t see Him. A God who came to earth and paid special attention to the unnoticed—the meek and the mourning, the children everyone turned away, the powerless rather than the ones on top. A God who cared so much about what He saw that He came to earth in human form, turning hide-and-seek into the ultimate show-and-tell.

But I also believe because God has shown me, again and again, in the circumstances of my life. He has shown me through the whisper of His Holy Spirit, through the timing of my experiences, through the love and example of other people and the mysterious provision of what I have needed most.

I’ve seen too much evidence not to believe God sees me. I’ve been loved too much not to make it the story of my life.

I want it to be the story of your life as well. I want it to change everything, including the way you look at God and yourself and other people. I want you to live in confidence that when God looks at you, He sees beauty. He sees value. He sees hope. And even when you’re hiding, even when you’re so beaten down you can’t see anything clearly, He’s still hard at work, crafting a beautiful future of relationship with Him and with others. . . .

That’s . . . my personal witness as someone who at times has felt forgotten, uncared for, unloved, invisible. I truly believe I have a word from God for those lonely, aching times in your life.

The message is this: Regardless of how you may feel, God does see you.

He knows your name, and He loves you—passionately and tenderly.

He sees your needs, and He yearns to fill them.

At any given moment, even when you feel most alone, He is working all things together for your good.

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The Gift of Your Authentic Self

by Tammy

in Breads and Muffins, Drinks, Holiday Recipes, Hospitality, Recipes, Special Events, The Christmas Kitchen

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“To be a good host don’t pretend to be other than what you are.” Emily Post 1922

I would say that would be true of being a guest as well.

I think one of the most important parts of hospitality is learning to find your own style and feeling good in your own skin both as a host and as a guest. Learning to walk out lifegiving with comfort and care. Making room for yourself and others to just be.

No pretending. No performing.

Isn’t that what we all want anyway? A place we can go and just be our true authentic selves? No matter what the season.

I was talking to a friend this week who shared how difficult Christmas was for her last year. Her family has experienced a tragic loss and there was only energy to get though each day. She was feeling stress thinking she needed to get her act together but truthfully didn’t have any desire to put up a tree or wrap one gift. She said, “I still just need time. I feel like a foreigner to this season and what I really crave is comfort and quiet. A few close friends who get it and can handle my pain. A few friends that I can share a meal with and feel okay about both laughing…and crying. I just need to be.”

Lifegiving Hospitality is just that. “Lifegiving”…giving true life. For yourself or someone that sits at your table.

This season I encourage you to make room for yourself and others to be their true authentic selves.

In my opinion it is the best gift of all.

A Christmas Tea for Friends

Start simply. But simply start. Remember hospitality is giving others a message about their value. So sometimes just a great sandwich filling for an afternoon tea is just about the most comforting thing around. Finger sandwiches are classic fare—and these fillings are to die for! You will love the hot tea recipe. And your home will smell simply divine!

Salmon and Lemon-Caper Cream Sandwiches

½ cup mayonnaise

1 Tbsp. drained capers

½ tsp. finely shredded lemon

½ tsp. Dijon mustard

1/8 tsp. white pepper

Butter or mayonnaise

32 slices bread (your choice)

Curly endive or lettuce leaves

8 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon (lox) or smoked turkey

In a small mixing bowl, stir together first 5 ingredients. Spread 32 slices of bread with butter or mayonnaise. Top 16 slices with greens and divide salmon or turkey on lettuce. Top with 1 tsp. mayonnaise mixture per sandwich and finish sandwich with remaining bread slices. If desired, garnish with fresh dill. Serve at once. Makes 1/3 cup dressing, or 16 servings.

Curried Chicken-Cashew Sandwiches

Here’s another amazing tea sandwich that’s great for luncheon as well.

½ cup plain yogurt

2 Tbsp. soft-style cream cheese (from a tub)

2 Tbsp. snipped chives or thinly sliced green onion

1 tsp. curry powder

¼ tsp. salt

1½ cups (8 ounces) cooked chicken or turkey, finely chopped

¼ cup cashews (or almonds), finely chopped

Butter or mayonnaise

24 slices bread (your choice)

Curly endive or lettuce

In a bowl, stir together first 5 ingredients, then add chicken and cashews and blend thoroughly. Spread 24 slices of bread with butter or mayonnaise. Top 12 slices with greens and 2 Tbsp. chicken mixture. Top with snipped chives or thinly sliced green onion and cover with remaining bread slices. Makes 1½ cups filling, or 12 servings.

Simple Tip

Use the bread of your choice to make tea sandwiches—regular white or wheat, pumpernickel or rye party slices, tiny croissants, or miniature bagels. If your bread has crusts, cut them off before filling. (You can stack 6 slices of bread at a time to cut off crusts.) Always spread bread slices thinly with butter or mayonnaise to keep the bread from becoming soggy.

Simple Tip

The best tea sandwiches are practically bite-sized. Use a serrated knife to cut large sandwiches into triangles or small squares. Or try cutting out simple shapes with a Christmas cookie cutter! If you do this after the sandwiches are filled, the cutter will seal the edges and help keep the filling from leaking out.

Simply Beautiful Tip

Hold sandwiches together with toothpicks stuck through a sprig of herbs or a slice of green stuffed olive—or sprinkle top of sandwich with chopped basil or dill. Arrange on a pretty platter topped with a paper doily.

Simple Tip

For a very simple, delicious, and beautiful tea sandwich, spread thin slices of your favorite fruit-nut bread with flavored cream-cheese spread from a bagel shop.

Christmas Tea

Sweet with a hint of spice - Great for parties, easy to make in large batches

2 cinnamon sticks
6 to 12 whole allspice
1 teaspoon whole cloves
12 cups water
12 individual tea bags
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup cranberry juice
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup lemon juice

Directions

Place cinnamon sticks, allspice and cloves on a double thickness of cheesecloth. Bring up corners of cloth; tie with a string to form a bag.
Place water and spice bag in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Remove from the heat. Add tea bags; cover and steep for 5 minutes. Discard tea bags and spice bag. Stir in brown sugar until dissolved. Add juices; heat through. Serve warm. Yield: 3 quarts.

Russian Tea

I triple the recipe and add a 9.5 oz bag EACH of red hot candies and lemonheads into the mix-after mixing the rest of the ingredients. Then using a canning funnel, I pack the mix into 1/2 pint, pint and quart jars. Try layering it is beautiful and makes a wonderful Christmas gift!

3 cups instant tea with lemon-flavoring dry mix
3 cups orange-flavored drink mix (e.g. Tang)
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves

The Christmas Kitchen Pinery 2

From The Christmas Kitchen a gathering place for making memories:

Purchase The Christmas Kitchen at http://tammymaltby.com/the-christmas-kitchen for more wonderful holiday favorites!

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James and Betty Robison and Life Today!

by admin

in The God Who Sees You

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Hello Friends!

I wanted to share some of the interview I did with Randy Robison with Life Today TV. Life Today

I will also be on Life Today with James and Betty Robison tomorrow
Tuesday September 8th. I hope you will join in and share the lifegiving
message of The God Who Sees You! Life Today with James and Betty

Lifetoday

Every Person You Meet

Jesus called it the Great Commandment—to love God with all
we have and to love our neighbors as much as we love ourselves. But it’s not
always that simple, is it? Some people are easy to see and to understand, easy
to love. Some people invite our compassion and make us want to reach out. But
what about:

• that
woman at work who just won’t stop talking.

the pushy phone solicitor.
the guy on the corner, holding up a “will work
for food” sign.
the tattooed, pierced teenager hanging out at
the coffee shop.
the kid who beat up your kid at school.
the ditzy teen who just cut you off in traffic
because she was texting.
the frumpy, middle-aged woman ahead of you in
the grocery line.
the woman at the rest stop that you suspect is a
prostitute.
the young man with Down syndrome.
the old woman with Alzheimer’s.
the guy who stole your identity.
the IRS agent who audits you.
the self-righteous Christian you encountered at
the church you’ll never, ever visit again.
the out-of-control young mother you had to sit
next to in the emergency room.
the rude clerk who messed up your bill.
the hotshot who always manages to make you look
bad at work.
your friends when they get involved in their own
lives and neglect you.
your mother when she’s being needy and
demanding.
your father when he’s being stubborn and dictatorial.
your husband when he’s acting clueless.
your wife when she just won’t let it drop.
your children when they push every button you
have.

Every encounter with another human being brings a test.
And with some of them, the test is really a challenge. Will we choose to see
this person as God does? As our neighbor? As someone to love? Can we really get
it through our heads that God sees every person we encounter exactly the way He
sees us?

Each one was created in the image of God and bears a
divine spark within him or her.

Each one is a sinner—just like you and me.

Each one has been sinned against—just as you and I
have—and bears the scars of that sin. Each one suffers and struggles in ways we
probably don’t know.

And every single person you and I meet is someone Jesus
died for. Someone God loves passionately. Someone He wants to provide with a
future and a hope.

Can you get your mind around that? Can you manage to look
that way at every single person you meet?

Probably not. I know I fail at it all the time.

I have absolutely no difficulty seeing my husband or my
kids and grandkids or my brother and sisters that way. (Well, most of the
time.) But seeing people as God does becomes an uneasy choice when it comes to
the people who make me uncomfortable. People who push my buttons. People who
are tiresome and boring. People I don’t approve of. People who intimidate or
hurt me. People I fear. People I just can’t stand.

I’m sure that’s true for you, too. So how do we learn to
see those people as God sees them?

First, I’m convinced we won’t be able to manage it until
we understand how God sees us. We can’t love others unless we know what it is
to be loved. And we’re going to have a hard time seeing others unless we take
it to heart that our heavenly Father takes notice of us and cares for us.

Second, I’m convinced we need to depend on the Holy Spirit
within us to show us what we can’t easily see on our own. Our human empathy and
understanding can only go so far. We need Christ within us to be able to see
with God’s eyes.

And we won’t get it perfectly, of course—not here on
earth. Just as we can only see God through a fog, we’ll always struggle to see
other people clearly as well.

But every time we manage it, each time we shift our
perspective to view another person the way God sees him or her, a little
miracle happens.

Maybe even a big one.

Adapted from The God Who Sees You by Tammy Maltby (with Anne Christian
Buchanan). Copyright 2012 David C. Cook. Used with permission. Permission
required to reproduce. All rights reserved. The God Who Sees You

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God sees you my friend. Pass it on.

May 23, 2012

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God is deeper than all your disappointments, failures and discouragements. He is the God who steps in and delivers.

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A Miracle You Choose

April 23, 2012

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“Tammy I’ve learned that sometimes the greatest miracle is just a perspective change.”

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