Tiffany and Cort take on a Mount Everest

THE VALLEY OF DELIVERANCE

9 months ago my family set out on what we thought would be an easy journey for our family. We decided to move closer to home state so our kids would have grandparents around them. It was amazing how God worked out every detail out.  However, what Cort and I thought would be a walk in the park journey turned out to be a more like a hike to Mount Everest and through a valley of deliverance.  

Cort spent 8 months looking for a job, and had to subject himself to another bar exam. The good news is that I married a brilliant man who passed the TN bar on his first try! Neverless, being licensed as a practicing attorney in two states did not speed the job hunt up any faster.  While on top of that, moving back to our home state brought back open wounds of hurt that I had never dealt with.

And if that was not enough, our girls were facing trails at school and being “home sick” for Texas. To say our family was walking through a tough time would be an understatement to our family.  Instead of dwelling on all of the things we walked through. I want to rejoice that our GOD has brought us some deliverance just when we thought we could not go any further.

Well get ready because this proud DAUGHTER of the KING OF KINGS is about to give her ABBA FATHER some GLORY!  I want you to know these past two weeks have been a fresh breath of air to our family. Cort received a job offer and is in the middle of finalizing the offer. We placed a contract to build a  brand new home zoned for the High School Rielly wanted to attend.  I remember writing on my white board in my office. ENJOY THE JOURNEY back in  Dec. 2011. At that time, I wanted to do everything, but enjoy the journey. I wanted to escape into never never land more like it.   While, I can’t say that I enjoyed ever trail and want to jump up and do spirit hands. I know that this past year has been a year of being faithful even when things seem not to be going well. It is easy to praise God when things are good, but the true testing of our faith comes when we face times of sorrow and trials.  But I am here to testify that MY GOD IS FAITHFUL! We never went without a meal. We always paid our bills. HE BLESSED US when I was ungrateful and angry at him for bringing me back to TN.  Yet through it all GOD BLESSED US!

I truly am a daughter who is blessed more than she deserves. I am rich beyond measure. I have a husband who is full of integrity and loves me.  I watched Cort time and time again make lemonade out a situation most would just stand looking at the lemons in their hands.  Now don’t get me wrong, there were dark days of depression that Cort walked through. Yet he never gave up and kept pushing on. Cort showed our daughters and me what it meant to NEVER GIVE UP and pushed through a time that was mentally wearing on a man.  He taught his wife and girls with his actions a lesson I pray we never forget.  My girls know now that the BETHMANN’s never give up no matter what.

The bottom line is God brought me through a valley of deliverance,  I have a man who loves me, three beautiful girls who know who Jesus is. The rest of the blessings in our lives are just icing on the cake!

My two cents for you today is…. So never give up. Believe and keep on pushing, because GOD is faithful. Sometimes we need the valleys in our lives so HE can get us ready for the mountain HE is about to place us on.

Thank you Jesus for being Faithful when I did not deserve your grace, and thank you for a husband that never gives up! 

TAKE OUT THE TRASH

TAKE OUT THE TRASH

Taking out the trash isn't fun, and since the majority of my household is made up four females and one male. Cort normally gets task with that one chore that every person hates to do taking out the trash.  It is gross.  It smells.  It’s sticky, slimy, and just plain nasty.   Not only do you have to be reminded of what foods you devoured over the past week, but you feel as if you are going to be choked to death with the foul odor.   

Last night, I tried to semi help take the trash out by placing it outside the door.  Well, let’s just say that plan totally back fired on me when to my astonishment; this morning I found those 2 same bags of trash setting on the porch. By the grace of God, and I do say GRACE no dog decided to have a midnight snack at my expense because honestly that would be a whole other level of trash duty that I am not ready for.

In my head I was thinking, “Really, I am so not taking those two bags to the trash. I mean that is such a man’s job. I just took a shower, and I do not need to smell like sunrise baked nasty shrimp. Then, it hit me like a sack of potatoes.  I realized that we all need to do a little taking out the trash in our own life.  

Taking out the trash and yuck and muck of our life is never fun, yet it is so necessary for us to do this. One way for us to take out the trash in our own lives is remove the lethal language that we are surrounded by in our culture. Basically, I realized taking out the trash is a lot like taking out the things in our lives that do not help us to be a better person.   

Looking back over the past several years in my life I will acknowledge that I have some rough edges that the Lord has been very kind in removing in my life. I have seen some knocked off, and working on knocking off others. I want to leave each one of you with this thought… We all have some trash we need to get out of our lives. BUT remember… this…. “When God calls you, there’s only one person that can stop you from doing what God has called you to and what he wants you to do and that is YOU!”  If we are not willing to take out the trash in our lives then we will never see the full measure of what he has called us to become.

So figure out what trash needs to be taken out and get going! I know our trash guys picks up once a week, but OUR HEAVENLY FATHER will pick up the trash every minute of every hour. Praise GOD! I am totally thankful because there are days I feel I need a 24 hour 7 days a week trash pick-up services.

Love y’all

Tiffany