Take Me Back

Oh, what is it with the nostalgia of our teen years?  Ahhhh I've been revisiting many of the moments of my youth lately.  As I write this, I'm listening to one of my favorite country artists - thee one and only Kenny Chesney - sing, "I Go Back." 

I've experienced over the course of the past few weeks the innocence of youth! I fondly remember the few times I was able to experience innocence as a young girl.  One of those times were with a guy, Jason.  We were in like 8th grade I think.  We both went to Homecoming alone, but he asked me to dance.  We ended the night with a long kiss on that dance floor!  The lights came on and we had no knowledge of it because we were just so into our own moment. I'm so surprised we didn't get into trouble by the teachers!  Soon after that night, we went out on our one and only date, because he was getting ready to move away.  During that date I remember sitting next to him at the movies in hopes that he would just hold my hand!  I can't even remember what movie he took me to that night because I was just waiting for him to hold my hand.  Oh, c'mon,  you know what I'm talking about.  You've experienced those times.  You're not paying one bit of attention to the movie,  you're paying attention as to what position his hand is in and how close it is to yours and dying to have him just take that leap of faith that you'll hold his hand back if he grabs yours.  It was just innocent and beautiful!  

 

The time of innocence in my life was very short lived, yet when I captured a few moments in my youth, I held onto those times in my memory bank.  I've been thinking a ton about my best childhood friend, Hans.  Let me tell you about him.  Hans, was my lifesaver as a teenager!  I could just be real with him.  He was my safe place!!  One our favorite things to do was fix cars together.  Well, he would fix the cars and have me believe I broke them.  LOL!  He would always change the oil in my moms car for her.  She was a single parent and money was tight for our family, so  Hans would always help out in the area of our car.  Well, one day we were at the shop together and he was teaching me how to change spark plugs.  Well, I broke one off trying to take it out.  Hans had me convinced for like 15 minutes that the car was irreparable!!  I was freaking out.  Then of course after my series of panic attacks, he busted out laughing!  I chased him all over that shop trying to punch him!  Hans and I had so much fun down at that shop.  That was our place I think.  I enjoyed our crazy times so much!  They were innocent times! 

 

Recently I've been building a friendship with someone that takes me back to that place of innocence in my heart.  He has so many of the character traits that remind me soooooo much of Hans.  He's genuine, and kind, and just real!! As he and I have spent time together, I just notice how easy it is to be with him.  It's relaxing and refreshing to me. 

 

Why God is "taking me back" to those times of my life, I'm not sure.  I can tell you, it is ministering greatly to my heart!  Obviously, He wants to restore something in my heart that I think was broken as a child.  See, God never forgets about any detail of your life.  You can be so far over past hurts in your life, but God never ever forgets about them and He'll touch your heart and make it new.  He's the God of restoration and reconciliation.  He will leave no place untouched in your life if you allow Him full access!  

 

I wanted to share this with you because I think at times we forget that God knows you intimately - whether you know Him or not.  He's in the business of restoring our lives!  He cares about everything - even those times that are long gone in your mind.  This journey we call life and being human can wreak havoc in our hearts.  Yet, when you realize that God's got your heart and will supernaturally heal those broken places if you let Him, and make your life experience better than it ever would have been, is miraculous!!!  I love that God knows all things!!!  I love that He is my safe place to fall!!  I love that He saw beyond the temporal and gave us the eternal in Jesus!  Ahhhh the extravagant love of God!!!!

 

Letting His love wreck my life in an amazing way,

 

TDahl    

Princess of the Swamp



Jeff, (pictured right) getting my carriage ready....

 

Another TDahl Adventure....

 

On August 31st, I went muddin' with my new friend, Jeff.  I had met Jeff back in July at my best friend Beth's, birthday party.  Jeff is Beth's cousin, and so it doesn't surprise me that we hit it off.  We just talked and talked the first night we met.  We even got thrown up on by Beth's grandson!  That was hilarious!  Carter was sitting between the two of us on the couch.  Carter had been acting kind of under the weather you could say.  As Jeff and I were sitting there, I was like, "Carter, are you going to throw up?"  I didn't even get the last word out of my mouth when it went flying!  Jeff and I jumped up (scared poor little Carter) and Jeff got hit pretty good!  LOL!!  I got hit a little bit.  We couldn't help but laugh.  We talked that night about him taking me muddin' and so when the invite came, I was there!  Hmmm I'm seeing a pattern here....if its messy, I guess that's where we might be.

 

 

I arrived at the "swamp" at around 2:30 PM.  My mind immediately took me back to my teenage years.  The loud trucks; being out in the middle of nowhere; and people just having good clean fun!  Well, maybe not so clean, but you get my point!  It made me homesick actually.  The small town I grew up in often had these events.  I had so much fun that day.  I felt like a Princess - even if I was at a swamp!  Rednecks we're standing in line to hug me.  I'm not joking!  I had one guy run up to me and throw his arms around me to give me a hug, and another guy was like, hey, let me in there.  The guy hugging me was like, stand in line!  Jeff quipped, "yea, well she cut me off at two!"  It was sooooo funny!!!  

 

 

After awhile, Jeff got the truck ready, and we loaded up.  I had to stand on some contraption to even get into the truck.  Then his daughter Lexis, and her friend Miranda, jumped in.  I was sitting in the middle, straddling the gear shift.  Wow, did that bring back some memories!!  Jeff, got in and fired the truck up.  I seriously felt 15 again!  No joke!!  Only this time, I really was a Princess!  In my teens, I didn't know I was a Princess, so I got myself into not so good situations with guys.  Call me weird, but I feel like a little puzzle piece was put back together from my childhood.  God restores things we've long forgotten!  Anyway, we weren't out there long before the truck broke.  Jeff was trying to pull someone out who had gotten stuck and we ended up having to be rescued!  That was an adventure!  Jeff had this huge slog (is that word?) of mud fly into the truck while he was trying to pull this other person out.  When another truck came to our rescue, Jeff exited the truck and I had to slide over that mud slog on the seat.  I had to go from his truck to the tailgate of another truck.  Jeff extended his hand to me, and I told him, he better not drop me or let me slip, otherwise I would be taking a swim.  After our rescue, and we made it to dry land again, I seriously was lifted out of the back of the truck by Jeff and his friend Cedric!   I asked where my tiara was!  LOL!!!!   

 

 I had such an amazing day and seriously did feel like a Princess!  We're going to go again soon!  Ahhhhh I love adventure!!!  Especially adventure that takes me back to the little town that still holds my heart! 

Taking Responsibility

This blog came as a result of a conversation with one of my dearest friends and ministry partner, Beth Bennett.  We we're on the phone yesterday morning having our traditional Saturday morning coffee together and just discussing life as we usually do, and as usual, we both were able to mine some awesome life treasures (these are life lessons to me). 

 

First let me tell you a little about my friend Beth.  She is like this breath of fresh air to me!  She's hilariously funny and has a heart like no other.  She is seriously one of my safe places to fall and literally is one of the first people I call when I'm fleshing out life lessons.  She is also one of those people in my life that will tell me straight up what I NEED to hear, not what I want to hear.  I've purposely surrounded myself with friends like this because this girl doesn't need life advice that tickles my ears.  I want people in my life that are going to challenge me to take responsibility in life!  As we shared our hearts, she confirmed some things Daddy God has been showing me.  So, here goes.... 

 

When you hear the word "responsibility" your mind may begin to associate a negative response.  When one takes responsibility for something they often times have the mindset that whatever it is they're taking responsibility for, is their fault!  Let me set the record straight!  Taking responsibility is simply acknowledging your part in a success, failure, victory, defeat, tragedy, and so forth.  It should not carry a negative association.  In fact, it should be very freeing to you! 

 

Photo Credit - Abundant Highway

 

 

Earlier this week Daddy God gave me a strong correction!  Now, when Daddy God corrects me, I do not feel like a failure, or less than!  His correction actually empowers me!  He gives me wisdom, and of course with wisdom, also a full understanding, as well as an opportunity to get it right the next time!  

 

So, with that said, those who follow my blogs or know me on a personal level, know that I entered the dating world again after about 18 years of singleness.  Can I tell you that I'm less than thrilled about it.  Trying to navigate this after so many years of being single is very difficult.  Well, believe me I'm missing the mark!! 

 

Over the course of the past few months, I decided to end my dating adventures because I needed a 21st Century download!  Wow, have I been out of the loop!  I managed to forget a very HUGE foundational principle of dating.  It's called "friendship!"  As I was sharing with Beth yesterday, it hit me like a brick.  I've been healing from what I term as a serious relationship I entered awhile back because we went from 0 to 180 overnight and I missed the mark huge!!!  I was angry at how selfish I felt this man was because I knew God had connected or I should say re-connected us and it just ended horribly.  As I've explored my part of the equation, Daddy got my heart to a place that I could receive His correction.  This is what He said...."Tammy, I didn't call you to a relationship with him, I called you to build a friendship!"  OUCH, OUCH, OUCH!!!  He continued with telling me that my expectations in a relationship are totally different than my expectations in a friendship, as they should be.  The problem was that I jumped the gun, and dove head first into a relationship without first clarifying what my role was in this connection.  Because of that, my plan, overrode God's plan, and well, it got really broken, really fast!  He was trying to be something he wasn't, to try and live up to my expectations relationally, and when it all unraveled, we cut all ties because there was no other option.  I take full responsibility for my part.  And you know what, taking that responsibility brings such a freedom to my heart!!!

 

 

Throughout my dating adventures this year, God has shown me that men are going to be attracted to the Jesus in me!  My friend Mandy told me this when another guy had been attracted to me earlier this year, and she told me again when she met this last guy.  I didn't get it at the time, but I sure get it now!!!  In hindsight, there are many things I would have done differently.  However, I cannot go back and undo what was done.  Going forward, I realize that the mantle I carry is that of restoration and with that comes a huge responsibility!!  God has given me a deep and genuine love for men!  I believe in them!!!!  I also believe that they are starving to have their God natures engaged!  I engaged the God nature of this man I dated, but because I was on a different playing field, relationship vs. friendship, it made him feel like he couldn't measure up.  That was not my intention but that was the result!  I identified with this quickly because years ago the shoe was on the other foot.  I had this godly man in my life and I was trying desperately to measure up to his expectations, and the bottom line was, I simply just wasn't there yet!      

 

One thing I know for a fact is that men have been emasculated!  Because of the emasculation that has taken place throughout generations, men have come to "think" the trough of life is comfortable.  Of course that is the furthest from the truth because nothing is required of them and that is what I believe has caused this "starvation" among our men!  It is a man's nature to be a warrior!  It is his very nature to protect!  Yet because our society is so sex saturated it has unfortunately led women down a road that says their worth and value to a man stems from their vagina and breasts - so the more you show, and the more you know in the sexual arena, will get you the love you want.  Ladies the only love you'll get is the fleshly kind!  You cannot win a man's heart that way.  In fact, if you win him that way, you'll lose him that way, because there is always someone that's going to be hotter than you!  So ladies, listen up!  Short, shorts, and your junk all hanging' out emasculates a man!  Yep, you read that correctly!  When you seek to get his attention by your physical attributes, you are requiring little of him!  If you had any idea how a man was created by God to win your heart, you would put some clothes on, and be the lady, God created you to be!!   

 

It is no accident that worldly men are attracted to godly women!  It's because their very nature was designed to be attracted to godliness.  They truly desire a godly relationship and although they wouldn't describe it in that way, because they are clueless about godliness, I can assure you there is a God connection to that attraction.  God's girls, discern the connection!!!  Don't jump into a relationship that is just ordained for friendship.  Us God's girls hold the keys to reversing this emasculation of men!  Don't underestimate your power as a woman!  Know your place and take responsibility! 

 

Becoming God's Leading Lady,

 

TDahl 



Identity Theft

So my mind has been pondering this blog for the last few weeks....

I am a grace girl!  Holy Spirit taught me the message of grace and then connected me with individuals that taught this message several years ago.  Since then, God has expanded my connections, as well as grew me in several areas, and continues to grow me.  The cool thing about having the connections I do, with other grace teachers, is you get a different perspective through each and everyone's viewpoints.  I love it!  One thing we must never forget is we all know in part and one day, these amazing puzzle pieces will connect and we'll see the truth as it is meant to be seen. 

 

One thing I feel needs to be taught more in the grace circles is how the enemy seeks to rob us, and when he is successful, also robs others, as a result of robbing us!  I've heard things like "the devil" can't talk to you; he has no authority; he was stripped of his power, etc.  And while it may appear to be truth when you hear that, I believe its only a partial truth.  That's how the enemy works though.  He twists truth!

 

"Our identities are robbed when we choose to wear a mask"

 

 

John 10:10 - The Msg   A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.

Let me give you my viewpoints:

#1 - I do believe the devil can talk to us.  I believe he speaks to us personally, as well as through circumstances, people, social media, television, news casts, etc.  I believe this because he spoke to Eve in the Garden of Eden, and he spoke to Jesus in the desert.

#2 - The devil has no authority is only a partial truth.  He has the authority we give him. 

 

#3 - He was stripped of his power - this is true, however he was not stripped of his ability to deceive.

 

Lets look at the temptation of Christ in Matthew 4:1-11 - The Msg

 

1. Next Jesus was taken into the wild by the Spirit for the Test. The Devil was ready to give it. 2. Jesus prepared for the Test by fasting forty days and forty nights. That left him, of course, in a state of extreme hunger, 3. which the Devil took advantage of in the first test: "Since you are God's Son, speak the word that will turn these stones into loaves of bread." 4. Jesus answered by quoting Deuteronomy: "It takes more than bread to stay alive. It takes a steady stream of words from God's mouth." 5. For the second test the Devil took him to the Holy City. He sat him on top of the Temple and said, 6. "Since you are God's Son, jump." The Devil goaded him by quoting Psalm 91: "He has placed you in the care of angels. They will catch you so that you won't so much as stub your toe on a stone." 7. Jesus countered with another citation from Deuteronomy: "Don't you dare test the Lord your God." 8. For the third test, the Devil took him on the peak of a huge mountain. He gestured expansively, pointing out all the earth's kingdoms, how glorious they all were. 9. Then he said, "They're yours - lock, stock, and barrel. Just go down on your knees and worship me, and they're yours." 10. Jesus' refusal was curt: "Beat it, Satan!" He backed his rebuke with a third quotation from Deuteronomy: "Worship the Lord your God, and only him. Serve him with absolute single-heartedness." 11. The Test was over. The Devil left. And in his place, angels! Angels came and took care of Jesus' needs. Teaching and Healing.

 

Do you see the enemy's tactic?  He was using truth, in an attempt to get Jesus to question His identity.  How did he do that you ask?  I mean, if he was using truth, then how was it a temptation? Well, Jesus knew solidly who he was, however I think there is something deeper to this scripture.  Do you notice the character trait of the enemy?  The character trait of the enemy is rooted in arrogance and pride! In fact, that's the reason Lucifer was kicked out of heaven, along with many angels that followed him.  The bottom line is, the enemy is an egomaniac.  So when he was tempting Jesus, he did it through trying to demean Jesus and basically tried to get an egotistical rise out of Him.  Didn't happen!  Christ, in all humbleness, shot the devil down with the Word!

 

What is an egoist?

 

dictionary.com defines it as an arrogantly conceited boastful person. 

 

Lets look at another word - Solipsism.  This is defined as, extreme preoccupation with one's feelings, desires, etc., extreme self-absorption. 

 

Is that not totally the character of the enemy or what!!!

 

I think of when Jesus was going to die on the cross, it was as if He was a sheep being led to the slaughter.  He gave us such an example of humility and humbleness! We know He experienced every form of humiliation known to man!  We as mankind, are so afraid of humiliation, embarrassment, and failure that we've become egotistical maniacs to try to preserve an image that is so false!  Why can't we just be real??  Is our self preservation really that important?? 

 

Listen, if we are going to touch people authentically, we need to live authentically.  Why is it so hard to say, my heart is broken, I'm hurting?  Why must we put masks on and act as if we are OK, when we're not!!!  It angers me that we are so pre-occupied with putting an image out there that says "I'm immune to hurt!"  It actually makes me sick!  I guess, I'm so passionate about this because for years I lived in torment to wearing a mask!  When I chose to live beyond the mask, I chose to be vulnerable and live with an open heart!  Am I ever tempted to reach for a mask?  Absolutely!!!!  Yet, when I pick a mask up,  I find it doesn't fit me!  I choose to remove it - embrace whatever pain I'm experiencing, and choose to share with others who can benefit from my journey! 

 

What kind of mask are you trying to wear?

 

What kind of identity theft are you allowing in your life?

 

Let's look at some masks of identity theft:

 

The "I'm never wrong" mask. 

How about the "I so don't need you" mask.

Then there's the "I can do this on my own" mask. 

What about the "I'm not hurting over this" - [insert circumstance] mask.

What about the mask of "accusation?" 
Finally, there is a huge mask that keeps us trapped and that is the "what will everyone think" mask!

 

Examine your masks and then challenge yourself to take them off, and choose to live in the identity Christ died to give you!  Use your life as a tool - mistakes, wrongs, hurts, and the list goes on! 

 

And a simple reminder - the enemy cannot make you do anything!  He can only attempt to deceive you and he'll do it through character assassination!  He'll try to trip you up by making you feel less than!  He'll attempt to get that ego to rise up in you!  Don't allow it!  Take the high road and if you're embarrassed or humiliated....so be it!  Use it for good by sharing with others!

 

Lets choose life!  Let's choose abundant life!!!  Lets be everything we were meant to be, AUTHENTICALLY!

 

TDahl