Tammy Rentsch
My dreamboard, this year, says: “Be Free…Believing the Best!” To me, those are powerful, encourageing words, but how does one live those words? I think just a few ways woud be to: •Look for the “silver lining” in whatever you may be going through. Or put another way… •Look for the “hidden blessings” in whatever hard or difficult situation you may be going through. They are there; we just need to look for them!
“Can I give you a hug?” were the words I heard from a sweet, young girl at school, this week, right after our chapel service. Little did she know the difference her words and caring gesture would make! We hugged. I cried. We prayed. She listened and gave me words of truth and encouragement. And all this, because she turned and offered me a hug! I was unaware of it myself, i.e., how much I was in need of a hug that day. It was only while we were in prayer together, that I realized that I just had not slowed down enough or gotton still, to realize all the things that were going on inside of me. And as
As we celebrate the Easter season and the new life that is offered in Jesus, I got to celebrate new life in a different way today, as well. I became a great aunt today! My grand nephew was born this very morning. I am blessed by the fact that I live just 25 miles away from the hospital where he was born, so I was able to go and see him when he was only 6 hours old! There is something very special about a newborn baby. Everything with the world just seems to be right, when you look into the face of a newborn. All the cares of the world seem to just fade away, when you hold a little miracle in your arms. There was nothing but joy and lots of love in that hospital room this morning, as family gathered together to celebrate his birth!
I went for a walk this week, which is something I try to do at least four to five times a week, but this day it was different. I was walking the same “route” that I usually take to get my 30 minute walk in, when all of a sudden my ankle twisted and I was down on the ground, on the black top, on the side of the road! I hit the ground hard and was stunned.
I was reading 1 Peter chapter five from The Message this week. When reading my bible I always look for the truths found in the passage of Scripture that I am reading and then I make an application question to apply the truth to my life. This particular morning, I said a prayer (which was my application question) asking God to please show me the way forward. Below are just a few of the things God spoke to my heart and/or showed me, in response to my question. I journaled:
I picked up a book off my bookshelf this week titled, When God Winks: How the Power of Coincidence Guides Your Life, written by SQuire Rushnell. What a great title! What a great thought to ponder, When God Winks. In the first chapter of his book, Rushnell writes:
“Whoever wants to embrace life and see the day fill up with good, Here’s what you do: Say nothing evil or hurtful; Snub evil and cultivate good; run after peace for all you’re worth. God looks on all this with approval, listening and responding well to what he’s asked; But he turns his back on those who do evil things.” (1 Peter 3:10-12, MSG)
What I want to say to you today seems so short and simple. But it is also very powerful, especially once we let it seep deep down into the core of our being and we begin to really believe it, which then leads to living it! I believe one of the main things God wants me to tell woman is: 1) You are beautiful and 2) He loves you!
“Relax, take the bumps as they come and enjoy the ride!” Those were the words of a young silver medalist winner, of the sledding competition, in the recent Olympic Games. She was being interviewed on NPR radio this past Monday evening. When asked, “What advice she would give others?” she replied with the above words saying, “Relax, take the bumps as they come and enjoy the ride!” Then she added the exact thought that I was thinking, by saying, “That’s good advice for life, too!”
While in school, at Asbury Theological Seminary, I have the blessing of attending chapel each week and hearing a sermon from one of our many professors. What a gift! This week the professor preached on the Gospel of John, chapter two where Jesus turns the water to wine. The question that was driven home to us was: Why this?
Always Pray & Don’t Give Up
This little book is a profound demonstration of God’s power and of true faith in action. It is a guidebook for learning how to pray Scripture, filled with eighty-nine weekly Prayer Sheets for your marriage — eighty-nine pages of power that will change your life and the lives of all those around you, as you too learn to always pray and not give Up!
Testimonials
“Praying Scripture is the most powerful and effective way to pray for your marriage. It can be a daunting task to search out all the passages that apply, though. In this book, Tammy has done the hard work for us in compiling a beautiful arrangement of God's attributes along with verses to pray for myself, as a wife, and verses to pray over my husband and marriage. The Lord has used many of these passages to bear fruit in my own life and marriage."
Mariel Davenport , Author
Knowing God Through His Names
A Housewife Desperate for God
“Tammy Rentsch is passionate about prayer. She prays faithfully and frequently. She is also committed to loving her spouse enough to pray for their marriage. Read this book and you will be equipped and encouraged to pray consistently and powerfully for your marriage with the Scriptures as your guide.”
Brian D. Russell
Professor of Biblical Studies
Dean, School of Urban Ministries
Asbury Theological Seminary