Season for Change

Sometimes I just want to write it all down. Every little (and big) bit of it. So much happens from one day to the next, but I never even know where to start. Someone suggested just writing like you are talking to a friend, and she is right in the room with you. I feel like if I would just start I could write and write and write. About the Goodness of God. About his awesome and amazing ways. About the tremendous and (sometimes) trying people he has placed in my life. About the blessings and the not so blessed. I could write about how he profoundly spoke straight to my heart last week and reminded me exactly why I do the things I do...I am not my own. I have been bought with a price, and because of that I want to continually pay the price that he asks of me. I never want to let Him down. I want to serve Him and His people ...which at times is tiring. But His strength is made perfect in my weakness. I can do ALL things through Him...He will give me His strength. He will NEVeR let me down. He always comes through.

So, the last few months have been a season of change...our Church has in so many words been climbing uphill. Seems like we are at the top...(of this mountain,I know there will be more)God has been working and getting us ready for what He is about to do. And I know it is going to be big. What a great time for it...Autumn. A season of change...a time for reaping the harvest of all the hot, summer months .

Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest. Luke 10:2

We are Praying for labourers. And we are thanking God for the Harvest He has sent.

Autumn is also a time for the leaves to fall...and a few have. The Lord knows his plans for us though and they are to prosper us.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Jeremiah 29:11

I am so thankful to know that He holds all of my tomorrow's in His hand.

Pit Stops and Coffee Shops

Life has been busy!! It feels like I have been running a race. A never-ending one. Keeps things exciting...My life is definately a journey. We have been working on my dream. A little Shop with coffee. A place to make friends. An outlet for creative people to sell their items. And a place to have a great cup of Coffee. Now that it is almost done, I think I need to have a rest. I think I will sit right here and do just that. Maybe I should have called it the Pit Stop.

pit stop

noun 
pit stops, plural

A stop in the pits for servicing and refueling, esp. during a race


A brief rest, esp. during a journey


A place where one takes such a rest

I'm Not Enough

Every now and then I get this overwhelming feeling of inadequacy...how am I going to do it all? Accomplish it all? Keep up with it all? I am just not enough...
I cannot reach the hurting, I on my own am not enough.
I cannot make the right kind of difference in someones life, I simply am not enough.
I cannot be what He has called me to be, do what He wants me to do, speak the words He would have me to speak, I am just not enough...
Then the Lord, oh so sweetly reminds me..."No, you are not enough...but I AM more than enough, my grace is sufficient, You can do all things through me, I will give you the words in that hour, I am a lamp unto your feet, I will not leave you or forsake you, I am with you" He is all I need. His grace, His Mercy, His love, His direction. Thank You Jesus for your reminder. I am nothing. You are more than enough. You are everything.

Ode to the Tallest Redwood (poem for church planters) - Christian Articles Archive

Ode to the Tallest Redwood (poem for church planters) - Christian Articles Archive

Just Growing Pains

Do you ever feel alone? Even when your surrounded? Having one of those kinds of days...or weeks...well OK for about a month now. YIKES! Dont really know what to do about it. I think I am just having a hard time adjusting to the sudden (and amazing!)growth of our Church and the way relationships change so much when you are "the Pastor's Wife" People don't realize what all it entails or the burdens that come with it. I think the majority just thinks that it is an easy job and there really is nothing to it. I beg to differ. Is it OK to be transparent here??
I have rearranged my life for this Calling...don't get me wrong...I LOVE it and wouldn't want to do anything else, but sometimes (like right now) I remember how Human I am, I am far from perfect.
I would be lying if I said it doesnt hurt just a little that I haven't visited Family in ID in almost 5 years.
Or, that We haven't gone out of town even once for more than 3 days since we started our Church in January 2008.
If I said that it isn't hard to feel like you live in a glass house, and everyone is watching everything you do and say...and same for our kids.
If I said that sometimes I give and do and be even when I just don't even feel like I can...I have 4 children at home and all of my normal responsibilities. I can't meet everyone expectations...I can't do everything that needs done...I can't tie up ALL of the loose ends. Sometimes I just run out of "me."
The hardest part though is the feeling of loneliness... Every friendship I have has been altered in some way...I am no longer just Tiffany...I strive to be, but I am not. Atleast not to some. I am now the "Pastors wife" Who wants to pal around with her? So you see, I am surrounded by all these precious people in my Life, but I feel like I am held at arm's length.
I know the Lord hears my prayers though and I am trusting that He has something in His plan for me to fill this void, this sudden feeling of loneliness. Until then I will continue to lean on Him...He is, afterall, the Friend that sticketh closer than a Brother. He never leaves us or forsakes us. He Knows my Name. He calls me Friend.

Yay for Family Time...Boo!! for the Flu

Yes...we are having a week of family time, while Michael's Mom is here visiting from Hawaii. Unfortunately, the flu has decided to visit at the same time. Thankfully it seems to be a short one and leaves almost as quickly as it comes. It has hit each of us one at a time tho, so atleast one of us has been sick all week. :o(
Susan is experiencing first-hand what life is like in a 2 parent, 4 children, 1 cat and 1 dog home. Busy. Loud. Demanding. Beautiful. Happy. Fulfilling. Sometimes Messy. Loud...did i say Loud already? :o) We are having a fun time shopping, eating, and just spending time together. Life gets SOOO busy sometimes, and it is just nice to have some down-time. The kids are loving having their Tutu here, and also their Daddy off work for the week. I love my babies...they make my life complete. each of them. Even if they are puking.

Dog Days of Summer

So we have a new member in our Family...a cute little maltese puppy named Lola. It is a very good thing she's cute at this point. Because she is most definately a puppy. In every sense of the word. What was I thinking?? We already have four children, I guess I needed another.
Today, Keegan decided he was going to baptize her in the pool...by immersion, yes. He threw her in the pool...luckily I saw, and she kept her head out of the water. All fun and games until I took her out and she no longer looked like cute little Lola. She looked like a drowned rat. Her head was all fluffy still and the rest of her was "skinny to the bones", the girls said. The boys were both terrified of her and I had to carry them screaming into the house. Poor Lola didn't know what happened to her. Ashlynn asked, "Is she ever going to look the same again?" and ran to her room crying. It was all quite hilarious, after the fact. I brushed her out and gave her a little blow-dry and she was just as cute as ever.
Never a dull moment at the Tempke's.