Known

Known by Tiffany Ward

“I want you to let go of all of it!” He said strongly. “What do you mean?” I asked. He continued on patiently and with empathy; “I want you to put down everything that feels heavy and that you don’t want to do or carry anymore, and let us help you with it all. Especially if you are tired Tiff.” With an exhausted and relieved sigh, my watery eyes spilled hot tears onto my face. The salty tears left a sticky trail on my cheeks as I began releasing my heartfelt and mixed emotions with my husband.

Empathy is a human capacity that everyone has to some degree and it is the ability to understand or share another person’s feelings. It’s a skill everyone can practice. An empath on the other hand is a person who is naturally wired to experience empathy at an intense level, often physically or emotionally feeling what others feel. An empath is like a radio that tunes into every station. Empathy is a skill whereas empaths are wired for felt sense. This wiring is powerful and when spirit led, a wonderful place for compassion to flourish into maturation the way a flower fully blooms in the right conditions.

It reminds me of the sunflower. A sunflower naturally turns toward the sun, following its light throughout the day. In the same way, empaths—and really all of us—are invited to turn toward God’s light for guidance and strength. When we orient ourselves to Him, our compassion doesn’t wither under the weight of the world but grows strong and life-giving. This is the hope, life, and clarity that He gives.

I have witnessed many real expressed thoughts and emotions from others and I have also had my own deeply heard. I have heard wonderful stories and read books that elicit a deeper desire to understand our life, our humanity, and setting healthy limits with a biblical understanding. A particular context I want to extract today that I believe speaks to felt and seen emotions, is found in the book of Ecclesiastes 3:1-8; it says:

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.

A time to be born, and time to die;

A time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;

A time to kill, and a time to heal;

A time to break down, and a time to build up;

A time to weep, and a time to laugh;

A time to mourn, and a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;

A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to seek, and a time to lose;

A time to keep, and a time to cast away;

A time to tear, and a time to sew;

A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

A time to love, and a time to hate;

A time for war, and a time for peace.

This passage describes to me the different seasons of life with incredible imagery, certainty, and familiarity. It speaks to the monotony of life and of all the things we face in life while having clarity of boundaries that so often elude our human understanding. It’s all in God’s hands. I can fully trust him no matter the season I am living in.

As a believer, we are called to love God with all our hearts, souls, and minds. Then we love our neighbors as we love ourselves (Matthew 22:39)! I understand too that we are also to weep and rejoice with others, living in harmony, not returning evil for evil and being at peace with others as far as it depends upon us. (Romans 12:15-18).   

In my mind, heart, and emotion I know I am fully seen and fully loved by God because He tells me so in His holy word. Psalm 139 is a psalm of David. One particular verse says, “You have searched me, Lord, and you know me.” It emphasizes The Lord searching and knowing David. We too like David can embrace truth saying to ourselves; the all-knowing God knows me. He doesn’t just know everything—He knows me. It’s not just that God is everywhere—He is everywhere with me. It’s not just that God created everything—He created me. When no one else understand, know this, God does. God cares deeply for you. That’s why he sent his son to die for you, so that you may live, and live abundantly with him (see John 3:16). Not in the darkness of shame, or the shadow of sin. But rather, buried with Christ in baptism and raised to walk in the newness of life (Roman’s 6:3-11).

In this lies a hope for a new belief to form in my human mind and soul. With a new belief comes a new feeling. Redeemed and free. I felt loved and I was deeply known by another. I was cared for and it was a hard fought road for our savior.

God’s role in setting boundaries and sustaining our compassion for ourselves and others is center stage when we are surrendered to Him and his presence fully. When I have Holy Spirit led compassion, I know I’m not taking on too much. My empath radio station is being fine tuned and sometimes tuning into only the quiet and gentle whisper of his voice. Which is the voice that matters most for me. My body begins to rest as I know I don’t have to tune into all the noise around me. My song of confidence is playing gently and purposefully and it fills me with gratitude and thanksgiving.

Practical steps

For empaths:

~Prayer: giving burdens back to God instead of holding them

~Rest: intentional rhythms to release what’s not ours to carry

~Community: safe relationships where you’re not the only one carrying the weight and you are connecting with others around you

For developing empathy:

~Listen before you respond: ask one more question before offering advice

~Practice perspective-taking: imagine what it’s like to walk in someone else’s shoes fully

~Spend time prayerfully in the word: looking at scripture that shows God’s compassion Reading about the life of Jesus, God in human form who sought out the sick, grieving, and outcasts

~Small acts of kindness: look for one intentional way each day to encourage or serve others

Prayer

Lord, thank you that you know us fully and love us completely. Teach us to live in the balance of mature empathy understanding Spirit-led compassion and healthy boundaries, trusting you with what is too heavy for us to carry. For those of us wired deeply as empaths, give rest and renewal through Your Spirit. For those learning empathy, give eyes to see and heart that respond with Your love. May we weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice, always remembering that you are the One who carries us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

—Be Treasured

The Meaning of Calling

The Meaning of Calling by Tiffany Ward

Have you ever asked yourself, what am I even here for? I have—more than once. I have tried to find meaning through achievement and performance. I have looked to others like my parents, friends, spouse, and children to affirm me in order that I might be clear on my thoughts about myself. I have had a myriad of emotions that I have felt so strongly meant something real for my purpose. I have even sat through an amazing coaching session using a framework—created by Simon Sinek— to Find My Why.

There seems to be a lot of confusion on the word calling. We often think that it is a big mysterious, one-time event. This tends to leave people feeling stuck, anxious, or left out. As humans, I believe we all long for meaning, purpose, and direction. We experience the sensation of longing very regularly as we see and want, as we hunger and thirst for food and drink everyday. We even might find an outer sense awake to us. That sense connects a physical touch from another human who is warm, nurturing, and loving towards us from the outside inward.

I have read 1 Peter 2:9 many times but recently, I read it again after a conflict with someone I love deeply. It says: But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be holy people, God’s instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you—from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted. The message translation by Eugene Peterson is wonderful to read. It makes me say, “Wow!” Translation Tiffany says in short: you are chosen, made holy, called for purposeful living.

This truth of being called out of darkness coupled with the words of a loving pastor and friend who encouraged me to consider the voices I allow to be in my mind. She asked me, “Who am I giving voice to in me?” These simple words struck a chord inside my soul and the verse I later found worked powerfully together. It blew me away because I realized calling and real life purpose wasn’t just for missionaries or pastors—it’s for all of us. Calling is first about relationship with Jesus, then about living like Him, then about using your gifts.

Primary Calling:

Our calling begins with relationship with Jesus, not assignment. In the New Testament, before the disciples had a ministry task, Jesus first said: Follow me. (See Matthew 4:19) Our worth isn’t tied to what we do for God, but who we are with God. Much like a parent with a child, the child’s first calling isn’t chores or achievements, it’s simply to live in relationship as a son or daughter. This isn’t about striving or performance. We are present with him and he with us. We trust in dependence on him, obey saying yes, to his ways, and over time we see our lives transformed and our character shaped into who we are becoming. This walk is steady and eternal.

Daily Calling:

Living in a way that honors Him is the everyday expression of our faith. This is in both the seen and unseen moments of life. This daily practice is about a strong character and posture beyond tasks and jobs. We are developed with endurance for things to come as we face challenges and life struggles. James 1:2–4 says, to consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. This is in our home life, work place, physical and virtual communities and our personal life when we make space for prayer, rest, and healthy choices.

Unique Calling:

Using your gifts and your story to serve others is a wonderful expression of your life with Jesus. It’s where your gifts, passions, and story meet the needs of the world. Unlike primary and daily calling which are the same for every believer, unique calling looks different for each of us. Ephesians 2:10 says, For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.   This biblical anchor is powerful to help us see the point in our purpose which is to glorify God and not ourselves. 1 Peter 4:10–11 says, each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others. Using our gifts involves discovering them in prayer, community, affirmation and trial & error. We don’t have to wait for the perfect platform; we start where we are and grow in our gifts. They are refined in each of us. Like a mosaic, God takes the broken pieces in our lives and arranges them into something beautiful that reflects his light.

Reflect:

—Where do I sense God inviting me into deeper relationship with Him?

—What are the ordinary places I’m already called to shine light?

—What am I uniquely passionate about that could serve others?

Call to Action:

Let me encourage you! Our calling is not a secret puzzle to be solved, but an ongoing walk with Jesus. I like to see it more like a path or a trail. You aren’t finding a hidden treasure chest in the woods. We aren’t finding it all at once. It is unfolding while we are on the journey of life. We just take the next step with Jesus, and the trail opens up as we go. We move, we grow, and we trust. We discover our calling while we walk with God. As we look back, we see that God has arranged our broken pieces into a beautiful mosaic picture.

Be free. Take your own walk, read a new book, journal your own gratitudes or paint a picture. Find something you can do that fills you up and doesn’t drain you!

Let God’s melody, which he is already singing over your life, wash over the ears of your heart. Allow the song he sings to become the one you believe. The more you catch the tune, and let that sound bite turn into the song you sing. You will feel alive with purpose and others will want to tune into your radio station too because it’s tuned into the source of living hope.

Prayer:

Father God, thank you that you still invite people to follow you. We are so thankful you call us first to yourself. Draw me closer in relationship with you so I remember my worth is being your child, fully known and fully loved by you. Teach me to walk faithfully each day, even in trials, with perseverance, joy, and love. Show me how to use the gifts and story you’ve given to me to serve others and bring you glory. Tune my heart to your melody and help me sing it in the world. May we all believe. In the name of Jesus. Amen

—Be Treasured

Get Comfortable With the Uncomfortable: That’s How We Grow

Get Comfortable With the Uncomfortable: That’s How We Grow by Tiffany Ward

Giving Up:

• My fight for my own timetable (impatience)

• My despair

• My fear

• My anger

• My confused way of thinking

• My demand to be loved in a certain way

Accepting & Receiving:

• God’s love

• God’s friendship

• God’s comfort

• God’s affection

• God’s faithfulness

• God’s timing

• God’s care and gifts

• God’s presence

• God’s strength

The pain we experience in our human bodies is uncomfortable. One truth I’ve often heard is that hurting people hurt others. But the greater truth I want to highlight is this: broken people can be fully redeemed.

When we know our redemption story, we can move beyond our brokenness into the flourishing that God is already working in us. Like seeds germinating beneath the soil, roots grow deep before anything is visible. Eventually, something breaks through the hard ground and pushes upward, showing signs of life—maybe a beautiful white flower, like the ones now covering my yard.

The heat might try to scorch this new growth. Weeds might propagate freely, threatening to choke it out. Storms may come, overwatering and drowning the fragile plant. Yet spiritually, our God is here, tending to us, giving us all we need. He allows us to be in the season we’re in and propagates us where He wills.

We may be the flower that fades at the end of its season. But while we are alive in that season, we can stand confident—growing upward, downward, and outward. We unfold, beautiful to behold, because God made us that way. And when we fade, that version of us still carries beauty in its time and place.

We keep growing and changing, and those changes can be hard to experience or even to see in ourselves. Yet it is all necessary. The hard things are lesser than the gain that comes from them. As we die away, our seeds of life spread by the grace of God’s created wind—something we cannot see but can feel.

In a new season, we might be carried to another area. How beautiful! We begin to burrow down where we land, embracing the stillness for a moment. Then the working begins again. We rise, unfolding in a new place, a God-ordained place, where we can be nurtured and nurture others.

Maybe you’re impatient like me, longing for a transplant into a garden where there’s more tending and care than what a wildflower gets along the roadside. Or maybe you’re like a rosebush, surrounded by thorns. The thorns may be part of who you are, and you can’t seem to stop them from pricking others, even as they reach for your beauty and delight in your fragrance. God tends to each of us uniquely, whether we are wildflowers, roses, or something else entirely.

Those white flowers popping up across my yard remind me that God meets us wherever we are—garden, field, or path. Each season has its purpose. Each fading blossom leaves behind the promise of new life. And every scattering of seed is another chance for His beauty to unfold again.

That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,

which yields its fruit in season

and whose leaf does not wither—

whatever they do prospers.

— Psalm 1:3

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,

because the Lord has anointed me

to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

to proclaim freedom for the captives

and release from darkness for the prisoners,

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor

and the day of vengeance of our God,

to comfort all who mourn,

and provide for those who grieve in Zion—

to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,

the oil of joy instead of mourning,

and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.

They will be called oaks of righteousness,

a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.

They will rebuild the ancient ruins

and restore the places long devastated;

they will renew the ruined cities

that have been devastated for generations.

— Isaiah 61:1–4

Prayer

Lord, we know that we are here for a purpose larger than ourselves. Our desire to grow and mature is given to us by you. Anything good we long for comes from you. May we fully rely on you, knowing you are our master gardener in this big garden of life. As we move through this life would we lean into our redemption rather than staying stuck or focused on our brokenness. May our message to ourselves and others be one of fullness of joy. Hoping in you and your plans because we know we have been made right by your son Jesus. Would we remember your word is Psalm 34:4 that says we sought you and you answered us. We need your answers. We are desperate for your truth. The world we live in is messy and chaotic. Your love is safe and trustworthy. Show us we can fully rely on you despite the wind, the scorching heat, or the hard circumstances that we face daily, weekly, monthly, and annually. Our true hope is YOU. Nothing can stand against that kind of power.

In Jesus name,

Amen

—Be Treasured

Fire in the Field, Fire in the Heart

Fire in the Field, Fire in the Heart by Tiffany Ward

“Fire! Fire! Help!” shouted Jeremey as he burst through the back door.

My husband who was on the back patio was on high alert, he sprang into action, racing to the pantry, grabbing our fire extinguisher, and chasing after our son to see where the flames were. I quickly told my daughter to stay safely inside. She was sick with a viral infection and recovering from strep throat—back to school germs are tough on little kids. I hastily slipped on a pair of clogs laying conveniently by the back door and I stepped outside. Without thinking, I grabbed a long patio pillow and I ran down the hill after my guy and my boy. My already tired body was buzzing with tension as I raced as fast as I could in my risen barrel jeans and button down collared shirt. Not exactly what you would normally take a sprint in towards a fire I noted mentally.

When I reached the scene, the mower was smoking. Sparks flickered, and small flames had begun to spread into the pasture grass. Thankfully, it was a slow burn. My husband tossed the apparently expired fire extinguisher aside and was already on the phone with the fire department. That’s when I looked down at the pillow in my hands—and realized the real fire I had come to fight wasn’t the one in the grass, but the one inside my son.

Jeremey stood with his hands on his head, spiraling with guilt and fear since he had been the one on the mower and trusted with the task gone awry:

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to. Please don’t be mad. I’m such a bad kid.”

I ran to him and called his name. Pressing the pillow into his chest, I wrapped my arms around him.

“Just breathe with me,” I whispered. “Inhale… exhale… inhale… exhale. It’s going to be okay. I’m not mad. I’m glad you are ok. Accidents happen. You did the right thing. Just breathe.”

As I held him tightly, stroking his hair, the actual fire behind us grew stronger. My husband ran to open the gates for the fire trucks. Jeremey’s trembling slowly eased as he matched my breathing, and I reminded him, “You’re safe. What matters is that you are safe.” Noticing the horses began their own frantic gallop across the pasture, and sensing the danger I asked, “Can you help me put the horses in their stalls?”

Clutching the pillow, still shaky, Jeremey nodded and walked with me. Together we secured the horses, my own body trembling now as the adrenaline wore thin. I realized how much worse things could have been, how quickly an ordinary moment of mowing had turned into chaos.

Jeremey had run all the way from the back of our ten acres to the house for help and then back down the hill again. It was hot! I said to him, “Let’s go back to the house for some water.” On the quick walk back, I made another point to reassure him it was all going to be ok we could hear the sirens on their way down the road. We quickly got him water, and checked on his sister who was still safe inside. I grabbed my phone off the charger and told my daughter to call me on the family iPad if she needed anything. We were going to go outside and face the fire and watch the firemen put it out. But Jeremy’s fear lingered—“Dad is going to be so mad at me!”

Isn’t it interesting that even though he knew he had my affection despite his mistake, what he longed for most was to know he still had his father’s?

When the first fire truck roared through our gate, Phillip turned toward us. I lifted my hand and said, “He needs you. He thinks you’re going to be so mad. He’s afraid of your rejection.”

Jeremey sobbed loudly, fresh hot tears spilling down his face, “Daddy, I’m so sorry. I made such a bad mistake, will you ever forgive me?”

Phillip pulled him close and wrapped him in a hug. “Jeremey, it’s going to be okay. This was an accident.” Jeremey melted into his dad’s embrace, and when he finally relaxed, Phillip said gently, “I’m going to help the firemen now.”

We all moved toward the hill looking down into the pasture where the flames were being put out. Jeremey didn’t want to go. He didn’t want to see the fire, the burnt mower, or the blackened circle in the pasture. But he went anyway. We watched from a distance as a third brush truck came from our local fire department.

When it was safe, I turned to Jeremey and I said, “let’s walk down together even though you don’t want to.” We made our way through the flattened grass and prickly pear cactus down the hill. He didn’t want to talk, still feeling ashamed and his little boyish sparkle diminished. Normally, my son is filled with curiosity and confidence!

As we approached a fireman turned to my son and said, “Were you on the mower?” Jeremey responded, “Yes, sir.” The fireman said, “It’s ok, accidents happen, just ask the youngest guy on our team why he is on this fire team.” The younger firemen standing beside me said to Jeremey, “Hey, when I was your age, I burned down a whole barn.” He winked, and Jeremey’s shoulders relaxed. His head nodded in relief and gratitude—he wasn’t alone.

How many times in life do we make mistakes and find no “prepared grace” waiting for us—especially from those who love us most?

As followers of Christ, we are called to extend that kind of grace: for the unknowns, the accidents, the trials we never saw coming. Scripture reminds us, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance” (James 1:2–3).

That day, Jeremey didn’t try to put the fire out on his own. He did exactly what we had trained him to do in the face of danger: he came for help. And I saw so clearly how God provided everything we needed—from the quick feet of a little boy determined to get help, a phone to call for help to the fire department nearby, and to the comfort of a mother and father’s loving embrace.

How often do we, as adults, still try to fight our fires alone? Maybe what we really need is to be reconditioned—not in self-reliance, but in full dependence on Christ. Because it is only in Him that we find the strength to keep moving, even when we are vulnerable, shaking, or on the verge of breaking.

God’s grace meets us in the fires of life every time. His arms are always ready to hold us until we can breathe again. His gentle whispers of love and reassurance are available with every trial or challenge we will face on this journey called life. His grace is bigger than our mistakes!

Don’t journey through this life alone! Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in every way acknowledge him and he will direct your path (Proverbs 3:5-6).

—Be Treasured

Lighten the Load

Lighten the Load by Tiffany Ward

Have you ever felt so poured out that you had nothing left to give—not even to the people you love most? Like a well that’s been drawn from too often, our compassion can run dry. And when it does, we call it compassion fatigue.

The phrase compassion fatigue may sound clinical, and in fact it has its roots in the counseling and trauma care fields. Psychologist Charles Figley first used it in the early 1990s to describe what happens when caregivers—whether professionals like doctors and counselors, or everyday people like parents and ministry leaders—become worn down by constantly tending to the needs and struggles of others. Over time, this “cost of caring” can leave the heart feeling drained, hope diminished, and joy harder to find.

Yet, long before researchers gave it a name, God already knew our human tendency to run dry when we pour out without being filled. Scripture reminds us of His invitation in Matthew 11:28; Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Compassion fatigue may be a modern phrase, but the solution has always been timeless—returning to the One who restores our soul.

I recently found myself in a poured out state. I felt saddled much like my horses looked when we go on along trail ride. For me it was a weight that was more than I could bear on any given day. I make a point to offload heavy and hard things before the Lord everyday—sometimes moment to moment. I love the phrase one step at a time. It makes life feel a bit more livable.

I have a habit of often praying Matthew 13:16 over myself, my family and my friends. The scripture is a moment where Jesus says to his disciples, “But blessed are your eyes because they see, and ears because they hear.” I am praying for eyes that see and ears that hear in my life, for a desire to have an awareness for what breaks God’s heart. Putting on compassion is not natural for most people. It is a conscious decision. You cannot give something you have not received yourself which is why so many of us get stuck in the ditch of pride which shows up at times as false humility, prideful loudness, or even a sense of worthlessness. These are equally devastating and inappropriate to the God mission Christian communities declare they are devoting themselves to.

Control has played a big piece in my personal life struggles. Being controlled by others is not something I want to be part of, I also don’t want to be trapped but free to move and do what I’m meant to. When I first became aware of my fears and began to notice how I ran from control or tried to control my outcomes safely, I rejected the reality. I declared it to my sister and close friends, “I don’t have a problem with that at all.” Denial can be a real road block to growth. I don’t know many people who want to see or say what is broken or negative inside themselves. That requires grace, self awareness, and humility.

I want to share a few examples for when I have personally run from control; when I have felt trapped in circumstances, other people’s opinions and commentary in regard to me, and also in myself and what I think of me. In light of a beautiful conversation I had with my Dad, I was reminded that my natural tendency is pleasing in effort to protect myself and be at peace with others. This in and of itself is a form of dishonesty that traps myself in situations I don’t want to have any part in. In effort to move toward clarity, I have to first recognize my own fallen and broken tendencies. Ouch. Self awareness is hard. But God awareness says, it’s going to be ok, even when you aren’t ok.

Some truths that must be considered is that true happiness is not based on circumstances, people, or my own opinion of me or others. It is based on joy found in a loving Father who has paid it all. I often walk myself right back into the courtroom metaphorically speaking as though I’m looking for the ultimate verdict. I have done this by looking to others and my situations to tell me who I am and what I have done in relation to others due to my own issues with my ego and low self-esteem. There is so much real freedom found in releasing myself from those chains and putting on the real identity I have already been given. Detaching myself from personalizing every conversation and situation as though it holds a direct connection to me and my worth.

God has already given me a new life, and I can rest in that. He says to my soul often, “Beloved, Rest in ME.” Not them, not the circumstance and not my own of opinion. Only God sees the BIG picture. Read in the book of Romans chapters 12-15. You will find that book is full of beautiful promises about christian living and how we can behave towards others and ourselves. Our worth is not built on self-love but God’s love. His love is powerful and full of bright light that pushes back the darkest of days. The darkest of moments in life can not overwhelm that kind of light. We know our time here is temporary. We don’t have to perform to prove our worth. We don’t have to explain ourselves. As a believer in a community of believers, we have a responsibility to God. He is who we must give an account of ourselves. If we are to be poured out, it is as a living sacrifice in worship to the GOD WHO SEES. He knows everything about you and loves you anyway. Rest in that. Accept that. Leave the changing of others to the one who is changing you into all you are meant to become while loving you as you already are. We were made for so much more than ourselves.

Pause and reflect:

Consider where you are poured out. What do you worship. Who does your worship edify? Are you trying to prove your worth and build up your own self-esteem? Are you striving for affection and validation in others and being filled with sadness or anger when people don’t see you? How can you take real power back? Establishing peace and rest in your now?

If you have found yourself in compassion fatigue, remembering that we cannot give what we do not have. Rest and renewal is something we have access to constantly. Reach out to the source of life. Rest in Him. Let Him define you. He has compassion for you. You can share that with everyone you meet, because his compassionate love is steadfast and never runs out. A call to care is a call to grow in mercy. Mercy and grace walk hand in hand with truth and love.

We are not abandoned (John 14:18) and we are not left without peace! The Peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. (John 14:27)

—Be Treasured

Relevant in Every Season

Relevant in Every Season by Tiffany Ward

“Mom, look at me! Watch this handstand!! Oh, and this cartwheel!!” says my daughter as she enthusiastically demonstrates her skills to me tumbling across my bedroom floor. I found I had more than enough energy to watch her as she becomes more confident in her body. I noticed right away how delighted she was with herself and her abilities and she wanted to share her success with me. As I focused all of my attention on her, it wasn’t long before I cheered her on delighting in her, and with her. She is easy to love with her sweet little heart-shaped face, soft brown freckles, sparkling blue eyes, and her musical laugh which fills up a whole room with warmth and light.

Children are precious and grow so quickly. I witnessed this first hand after the back to school frenzy. Summer has come and gone and both of my children have changed. My son has grown quite a few inches and that’s not the only thing that has changed about him, he has matured. He is in the sixth grade now. He kindly helped me get his sister and all her back to school things in her classroom with her sweet teachers. Then we walked over to his classrooms, dropping his books, which he labeled himself, onto classroom shelves. He will be in and out of these doorways over the next two semesters. As we walked down to the main hall where his friends and upperclassmen were assembled, I did the one thing I have done since he came into this world especially when I left him in someone else’s care for the first time. I kissed him goodbye right on his cheek. Right there in front of all of his friends. I saw his face and the expression only a mother intimately knows. Oops! I quickly said, “Oh no, I am not supposed to kiss you in front of all of your friends, am I?” And then because I don’t always discern when I shouldn’t speak and save it for later, I proceeded to say, “I am so sorry if I embarrassed you son, I love you goodbye!” This all following my smile for the camera with all of your friends for me moment. He may have put his hoodie up if it hadn’t been too obvious he was feeling any kind of way. Thankfully, he was wearing his favorite ball cap, which allowed him to hide a bit better from my expressed affections. I left him right there. And off I went. And yes, I am the mom who both delights in back to school moments of being free of the responsibility to care and to watch over my children. I am also the momma who makes room in her day to cry, to let go of what has been and embrace what is.

Later, after pick up I got to hear fun stories of the day. Tuck in time came quickly and my son said, “Mom, after your shower, I need to talk to you.” I knew it was important by the intention in his voice and the look on his face. As I traveled up the stairs to his room and crawled up into his bed. He greeted me with love and affection. He said, “Mom, I love you but you cannot kiss me in front of my friends!” And just like that, my little Peter-Pan-like boy, grew up.

Thankfully, my spouse knew how to comfort the mother in me that felt just a little less relevant to someone I love so deeply. He also knew how to coach the son he is raising to become a man. His effort to teach our son that embarrassment is really a state of mind that is focused on an idea of normal rather than a long lasting feeling might have been lost on our son. It was not lost on me. Maturation has many stages. Embarrassment is temporary. Love is forever!

I think there is a time in every person’s life where they question their own feelings, thoughts, and desires. The question is often related to relevance. Do I like this, do I want this, do I matter? Does what I have to say matter? Does what I have to give to others still feel relevant to them?

Later, as I got ready to sleep, my thoughts video-log in mind as they usually do. I thought about my own relevance. How each stage of my life has had changes that haven’t always felt relevant to me. In relation to time, How did I get here? Is it really wrapped up in age, in youthfulness versus the aged. The Bible has a verse in 1 Timothy 4:12 that says, Don’t let others look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity. This verse means a lot to me, although I have gotten trapped in pleasing others due to my age and lack of experience. The Lord has grown me to have more empathy towards others and where they might be coming from. Considering a person as a whole, their family, their story, and even understanding their broken patterns that might have negatively impacted my own life. As I drifted off to sleep, I wasn’t asleep long before I heard a rustling in my room… you know what that precious Peter- Pan-like-boy of mine did? He snuck into my room and he had snuggled into the small cream-colored, old leather loveseat in our bedroom. I smiled in the dark. Knowing in my heart nearness to the ones we love is always relevant. My heart churned with love and compassion toward him, knowing how hard it is to start something new. I quietly turned on the bedside lamp and I asked him, “Son, are you ok?” He smiled at me and I said, “Would you like to sleep the rest of the night between me and daddy?” He warmly said, “Yes.” He crawled into our bed at midnight and lay down between us like he did when he was an infant. Safe and sound. Growing up is hard. Being human, we do seek comfort and assurance often. That is always relevant. Our proximity to God, that is a choice we make.

To God we are relevant. 1 John 3:1-3 says, See what kind of love the father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are…beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared. But we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. For me, HE is the ultimate authority and HIS voice of truth in my life is relevant for my daily living. I am a child of God.

Prayer:

Lord, I thank you for making me. You cherish and love me with an everlasting and unbreakable love. Your voice matters to me. Let the light of your love shine bright and light up every space of my mind, body, and soul.

My need for you is great. The desperation in myself is evident to me everyday. I am thankful to you for taking all of my burdens and loving me through a sacrifice named Jesus. Understanding this gift of life and love is not something I could ever buy, earn, or prove I’m worthy of. This gift is a powerful force to be received. Death so I could live, it’s not just for me but for those whom I love and also for those I have struggled to love at all. True joy and peace can abound in my life and the lives of those who are fully known and loved by you. For those who say, I surrender all, knowing Jesus paid it all. Your precious presence is more powerful than I could have hope to experience or ever imagined. I am glad for the comfort I find in you my sweet Jesus. Amen.

—Be Treasured

Fight, Flight, or Faith — What My Horse Taught Me About Boundaries & New Beginnings

Fight, Flight, or Faith — What My Horse Taught Me About Boundaries & New Beginnings

by Tiffany Ward

We talk about fight, flight, or freeze as if it’s only a human thing—but animals know it too. And sometimes, God allows them to become our greatest teachers about fear, safety, and boundaries.

I’ve had my Appaloosa mare, Kiah, for a long time. Her name means new beginnings, which I didn’t fully understand for years. She came from a wonderful family who donated her to me as a senior in high school. Back then, the project was simple: take a horse fresh from the pasture, do all the training yourself, and then show them to the world.

That was the plan—until life shifted. I graduated from high-school in the fall, took a semester off to plan my wedding, and married my husband, Phillip. Showing Kiah never happened. But over the years, she has been a living classroom for me—teaching me about fear in animals, fear in people, and fear in myself.

I remember noticing her fear early on. It was distinct—visible in her eyes, in the way her body moved, in how quick she was to react. And that fear revealed something in my own mother too. She wanted me to get rid of the horse. “She’s not safe. She doesn’t have a sound mind. I don’t trust her with you.” And she was right. Kiah has never truly been a safe horse.

She’s always been flighty and unsure. But, much like my other horse, Treasure, there was something in her that spoke to me. I felt the Lord say, “Stay. Believe in her. Train her.” And I did.

Fear That Pushes In

Now she’s older. Her sight is fading, and her fear has only grown. She’s become more pushy—sometimes even biting or striking out. Recently, I realized I had underestimated her fear, and that could have caused serious harm to me or someone else.

When I enter her pen, she often moves her whole body into mine, searching for comfort. But I’m a small woman, and she’s a large horse. If she panicked, she could seriously injure me.

Still, the Lord has told me to stay with her. This time, though, I’m staying differently. And maybe this is another kind of new beginning—learning to interact with her in a way that’s safer for both of us.

I’m moving her feet with my own assured confidence. I’m telling her, with the tone of my words, body language, and a lead rope in hand, what I am and am not okay with.

In the horse world, safety comes first. A halter and lead rope are basic tools for controlling a horse’s movement. My horses stay in long rectangular runs at night—bigger than stalls—where I feed them and keep them contained. Even without tying her, I’m learning to use my presence and the rope to ask her to back up and respect my space.

The other day, something shifted in me. For the first time in my 33 years, I felt the full fight-flight-freeze response in my own body toward this horse. My gut said, “I don’t want to be near you—not like this.” And I knew: this is what a boundary feels like.

God’s Lesson in Boundaries

In that moment, the Lord spoke to my heart:

Tiffany, I am allowing people like this in your life—people who will push in, overwhelm you, and make no room for you. Your job is to lean into Me and create a God-honoring boundary. Not to shrink, suppress, or protect yourself out of fear, but to establish a caring and kind bubble that honors Me and allows for change to happen.

God used my horse to show me that some boundaries aren’t about self-defense—they’re about making space for His glory to be revealed.

Even my rooster, territorial as he is, reminds me of this lesson. With both animals and people, God invites me to trust that He is my shield, that His truth is my sword, and that my safety comes from abiding in Him.

Safe in His Care

No matter what someone else thinks or does, if I surrender my whole heart to Him, I am safe. Even in horrible, confusing, or conflicting situations, I can flourish because my safety isn’t in my own strength—it’s in Him.

Fittingly, Kiah’s name means new beginnings. And that’s exactly what the Lord offers us: the truth that we can end something and step into something new at any point in time. We aren’t trapped in “the way it’s always been.” In Christ, there is always the possibility of change, always the hope of a fresh start.

Jesus said it this way:

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit.” — John 15:5

And maybe that’s the deeper calling: to become a peacemaker in the middle of crucial conversations and complicated relationships, trusting the Lord to guide my steps… and to keep me safe in His care.

—Be Treasured

Hurried Stillness

Hurried Stillness by Tiffany Ward

If you have followed my blogs recently, you will notice my focus on the topic of stillness this month. In my own life, I am cultivating more moments to be still and enjoy my surroundings with intention. Earlier this summer, I purchased a beautiful stained glass window hummingbird feeder, being that I am a bird-loving and bird-watching kind of gal. Hanging this feeder strategically where I make time to be still and quiet on my porch is part of my effort to attract peace and joy in my daily life!

The nectar inside the colorful glass vase is clear in appearance and sweet to taste. It has a potent, desirable aroma and I quickly attracted several hummingbirds. As I observed the tiny feathered birds, I found I really enjoyed watching how they approach the feeder. Seeing how their wings move rapidly to guide them up or down with precision. I love that even though their wings move so quickly that they blur, you can still see the complexity in them. I have noticed in my encounters in the early morning or the late evening, it’s usually not until they sit still on the feeder that they can place their beak into the nectar and get a refreshing drink. It has ministered to me the message and teaching of sabbath rest, and soul respite in a way I never really grasped before.

So many of us are like this in life—hurried to seek after the things we want the most. Desperate for a drink. Yearning in flight, questioning, is it safe? Can I stay? Or should I fly away.

A friend of mine reminded me that the hummingbird shows the contrast of busy and seeking and when she finds it, she calms down, dwells and quenches her thirst! ❤️

I also noticed another hummingbird come along and distract—or even dissuade the original hummingbird from lingering. It’s quite interesting to me, how nature seems to mirror the very things we are encountering with people.

We often want the same things, yet we act in our own territorial bubbles, pushing others away with our own hang-ups and dysfunctional behaviors we’ve grown comfortable in—rather than just drinking peacefully on the other side of the feeder.

Another dear friend of mine reminded me, we can learn so much from nature if we take the time to stop and listen. A spirit of observation is key. God speaks to us through all things - especially the challenges! He has taught her to develop her own awareness and understand what so many of us are too stubborn to accept: the challenges are the lesson that will help us grow.

She shared this prayer with me yesterday and I just love it, and I want to share it with all of you! The prayer is not one she or I have come up with on our own but one that could be used to help you. This is a prayer to say with intention for others we struggle with, or for our enemies.

Compassion Meditation Prayer
—to help us forgive and let go of bitterness—
May you be happy, may you be free.
May you be loving, may you be loved.
May you know the fulfillment of what God has planned for you.
May you experience God's deep, profound love for you.
May Jesus Christ be formed in You.
May you know his peace that passes all understanding.
May all good things be yours.
May Jesus' joy be in you and may that joy be complete.
May you know the Lord in all his goodness and compassion.
May you be protected from the evil one amidst every temptation that comes your way.
May the Holy Spirit fill and permeate your entire being.
May you see his glory.
May you be forgiven of every sin.
I forgive you (or "will try to forgive you") of every wound and hurt with all my heart.
May God's goodness and mercy follow you all the days of your life.
By William Meninger, Trappist Monk

A prayer in my own words is a heartfelt moment that allows the soul a free connection to the heart of God. Yes, He hears. He knows. He is God. Yet, he invites us to be still before him. To pour out our own hearts. So even when we know he knows, we talk to him anyways. Leaving a little room for Jesus allows for a little less of us being stuck or frightened.

Philippians 4:4-6 says, “Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness (faith in God) be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving; let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus.” Verses 8 & 9 go onto say we should focus on what is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and worthy of praise. What we have learned and received and heard and seen through he work of Christ—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

As you are in flight, searching for nectar in this life, let your hurried pace still. Sit a little while longer and drink deeply of the peace and joy available to you always. Let that be your focus in the daily challenges and ups and downs of this life.

Just some hummingbird food for thought…📝🕊️🙌🏼

—Be Treasured

Trails, Trees, and God Winks

Trails, Trees, and God Winks by Tiffany Ward

My family and I just came home from a quick trip to Arkansas. We enjoyed a beautiful time of fellowship in Magnolia as we connected with loved ones who have just moved back to the states from Greece. The little town they are getting established in is neat and had many wonderful God winks for me personally; where He reminded me of His promises found in His word as I explored nature. A joyous feeling came over me as we walked together on their nearby community trails. Logoly State Park had a forest that welcomed us to adventure and explore with our kiddos and our sweet little Aussie, Lucy.

We found pinecones, the tiniest jumping frogs, and fallen trees covered with foliage as they slowly decay. There was one fallen tree among the growing trees that attracted my attention fully. I was in awe of its size. Even though there were no signs of life left in the tree itself, it still amazed me how tall it had been before it had fallen.

At one point of our journey, the trail split, the guys lovingly took our children to the left, and my dear friend and I went to the right so we could enjoy connecting and chatting without the sweet and incessant interruptions of our precious kiddos. Dare I say we may have muted the shared walkie-talkie! Their energy is boundless. What a gift to see how they thrive and move through life with their fresh ideas and words. The next generation is beautiful to see and learn from. With that being said, the quiet of the forest as we walked away from our families was awe inspiring. A silent song of majesty began to hum in me. A sense of awe. This world we live in. It’s so beautiful.

I have been a sun and stars, beach, and mountain lover for much of my life. I appreciate the created things since they remind me of my Maker. Here, I find there is a significant realization for me, how small we actually are. Yet, we make so much of ourselves. There is such a fine line between a biblical definition of self-love and understanding our identity and worth is found in our Creator (see Psalm 139) and the selfishness promoted by our world, looking to find our identity inside ourselves. Jesus says in Matthew 22:37-39 “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest command, the second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

If we could just pause and ponder His glorious might long enough, we could see how near He is. We can feel it in gentle, kind, and compassionate words shared between sweet friends. This type of abiding is precious and rare for most. For my nature loving friends, when you are in nature, have you ever wondered why you feel so calm? Lean into that curiosity a little further. Why does your nervous system feel so regulated after a moment in nature? Could it be because you are beholding the beauty of our Maker as you enjoy His Creation?

When we dwell in both spoken and felt gratitude, we discover thanksgiving and praise. As we stand in awe of Him and what He created, we can begin to feel true gratitude. This type of gratitude cultivates energy in us that motivates us to life. To worship. To experience life abundantly!

Back to the trail, as we continued on our way, we encountered a closed trail…maybe some of you are encountering some closed trails on your path. Are you working on cutting a new trail? Or do you find your way carefully around the challenges? Maybe you are blazing ahead with blinders on.

After visiting with our friends, we traveled onto Lake Catherine State park to hike to a waterfall, which I didn’t personally find that impressive (I think Colorado has more exciting waterfalls) but it was neat to walk the trail. We also hiked in Hot Springs National Park, where the four of us plus doggo Lucy took a trail to a place called Goat Rock! 🐐 🪨 Wow what a view, we backtracked and onto another enchanting view at the Hot Springs Mountain Tower.

Goodness, as we walked our children enjoyed and fussed about the hike. I giggled as I thought this must be what we sound like to our Father in heaven who has adopted us and chosen us as His own. I birthed my kids and joke I won’t be returning them, they are home grown (I can’t have any more babies by way of my body)! They think their momma is crazy and fun. And it’s neat to learn from them as much or more as I know they get to learn from me.

Our need for God is great, it is literally moment to moment. I got distracted by the different rocks along the path, enjoying myself as I picked them up, imagining drilling tiny holes to turn them into pendants. These would be tangible reminders of such a meaningful family trip.

We can ponder His glorious might. How great He is. He speaks daily, do you hear him? Can you feel that he is near?

“Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.”  - James 4:8a

He sees. He knows. He cares. Pause and ponder.

Lean into the moments that help you practice patience rather than trying to avoid them so much. I know it’s not easy, but there is a gift in really living with authentic connection to the source of life in the good or bad times. Find life, eat that fruit, dwell there, and enjoy with abundant gratitude. From my point of view, there is no other way to live on this side of eternity.

—Be Treasured

Washed in Grief, Held in Grace

Dedicated to those grieving and lost from the Texas flooding

By Tiffany Ward

“The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.” —Psalm 34:18

Oh dark night of my soul, filled with fear of the unknown

Could you let the light shine in, to make the path known?

Oh Lord, you have shown your power and might

Be still my soul, in His light, He makes all things right

When I feel buried under the weight of grief

My soul has no words to speak

It aches, it mourns, it despises the storm

Yet, even then, His love is sure

You are there, present to our pain

Taking the weight of all our shame

God, You lean close, You whisper your hope

We are not alone

This loss is too much

The devastation from the rainy rush

Rivers so deep

Waters came in while people were asleep

So many are lost here and now

Show us how your love abounds

Eternity holds healing our earthly souls don’t yet fully know

It’s partly why so many humans feel anxious and low

There’s heavenly peace like a gentle river far above

Flowing from the heart of Jesus, filled with love

Freeing us of pain, tears, and fears

Lifting hearts far and near

Our pain is loud

Shutting You out

We understand things are broken and wrong

Give us a new song to make us strong

Light our path in this dark hour

Give us hope with each passing hour

Let us lean into you

Trusting and believing you can see us through

All feels lost here and now

In our desperation, guide us with your vow

Your love is endless

Your love is fearless

Nothing we face is too much for your love

The Holy Spirit still descends like the dove

You are the God who provides

Nothing else can divide

Come rest on us

Let an awareness of your mercy

Wash us clean of this calamity

As the grief wrecks the soul

Would the love you have heal us tenfold

Our neediness is constant

Your provision helps the despondent

You, Oh Lord, are near to the brokenhearted 💔

You collect our tears

You know our fears

Our prayer has power even when we’ve lost our laugh

The Holy Spirit will intercede on our behalf

Making us wholeheartedly new

Let us be desperately dependent on You

In our darkest hour, Creator God, we worship You

—Be Treasured

Love Jesus + America Too

Love Jesus + America Too by Tiffany Ward

Boom, Bang, and Pop! The sounds of chirping, whistling, and crackling visibly explode into color and patterns in the sky. Fireworks are known for their volume and the burst of flame rocketing into the sky. For me and the ones I love most, the week of the 4th is a yearly celebration filled with summertime excitement and fun. I’m a pyro wife. I love watching the shows my fella gets to string together each year with his pyro crew for a city nearby where we live. I find I look forward to watching the countdown video that is taken behind the control panel and shared with me later. I love being far off with the kids, sitting on a picnic blanket with a community of people who are glad to celebrate and see rhythms and pretty sprays of light patterned in the sky. For me it is a breathtaking form of artwork in the sky like paint on a canvas. I especially love the music and cheers in the background. I’m quite fond of the shooter too. He is patient and intentional with his set up, rigorously working in the summer heat with his crew, and sometimes rainy, dreary weather. His process is methodical and intentional, so that everything can come together seamlessly for a moment of celebration.

We celebrate American independence on the 4th of July the same way we celebrate a birthday. As I recall from history class in elementary school, the earliest celebrations were marked with parades, bonfires, and public readings of the Declaration of Independence while also firing muskets and cannons whereas now in more modern times we have parades, barbecues, and fireworks.

Working closely with people in my profession, I have heard many stories about fireworks and what happens on the home front. I have heard of evenings gone awry from many of my animal loving friends. In particular, this holiday is not the most favorite night for them. Things can be too loud and messy, frightening their animals or young kiddos. I heard of a dog so scared to be outdoors that it broke through an external window to hide under its owner’s bed leaving a bloody shattered trail of broken glass. There are other expressions of how careless neighbors can be with their homemade shows and shots fired. I realize this moment of celebration isn’t enjoyed by all. Hearing the disappointment of others mixed with the overall theme of the 4th in our country in celebration of American birth, made me pause to reflect on light, faith, and life.

When I’m watching the fireworks each year, it reminds me of the words of Jesus found in Matthew 5:14: ‘You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.’ We were never meant to blend in—we’re called to stand out with radiant grace, steady hope, and love that sparkles like a thousand bursts in the night sky. Just as fireworks burst into the sky and capture our attention, our lives can be a visible display of hope and truth in a hurting world. The shooter’s careful planning mirrors how we intentionally position ourselves to be used by God—methodical, unseen worth that makes the light shine all the more beautifully.

American freedom is celebrated outwardly. Our spiritual freedom in Christ runs so much deeper, liberating us from shame, fear, and sin. Just as our nation fought for freedom, we can all walk our personal journey toward inner freedom through our own growth, surrender, and leaning into God’s unshakable truth. What a God, What a God!

Fireworks are temporary, but the light of Christ is constant. As a believer and follower of Christ, I can be more than a fleeting burst of light. I want to reflect His steady flame through my daily choices, kindness, integrity, and peace.

The show always comes to an end, the sky darkens, and the smoke drifts off. The light of Christ however, remains. What if we lived in such a way that people didn’t just remember the fireworks, but remembered the light we carried into their world. Your life is a gift. Take that that as seriously as a pyrotechnic does when setting up a shoot site. Get real with yourself. Could it be that you’re drawn to someone else’s bright light? What if you carried that same light inside of you too, able to share with anyone you meet on the path of life. Who are you becoming?

—Be Treasured

Be Intentional: Work Hard, Play Softly

Be Intentional: Work Hard, Play Softly by Tiffany Ward

You have probably heard the phrase, “Work hard, play hard!” Great right?! It’s a mantra people seem to live by on the daily. My family certainly works hard and plays hard. After a recent short trip to the beach, I came back to a full plate of work and very little time for sitting, resting, or making space to breathe.

I want to share a brief anecdote about Bible characters with you. This true story is found in Luke 10:38-42 and also the gospel of John chapter eleven. The narrative is about two sisters—a dynamo pair. One was a mover and a doer. The other embraced quiet, softening herself and sitting. Both gals are marvelous and wonderfully made. Their names are Mary and Martha. Their brother was the super cool dude named Lazarus, who died and was raised from the dead by Jesus. He gets a lot of props in the Bible—not only because he was a friend of Jesus who died and was raised back to life (quite frankly, I’m thinking he ran out of that tomb), but also his death moved our Lord to weep. We see how Jesus comforted Martha and Mary. How tender and compassionate a moment shared with Jesus and the two sisters Mary and Martha. What a beautiful space the Bible holds for grief and crisis. What a gift to process the emotions we have associated with loss. Not just loss of life, but maybe also the loss of how we understood life. Whatever the case for you, I love this intentional picture written in the narrative of the Bible for us to see how wonderfully we are made.

You don’t have to read much of my work to know I’m someone who values feelings and thoughts. I find them extremely interesting. I love how thoughts and feelings affect each other. There is power in understanding the dynamic of feelings that are valid but not always factual, and thoughts that aren’t always true, but are instead thinking traps. It is important to understand how they shape our decisions and actions if we let them. It’s essential to know what’s valid and true in order for us to move through life with fluidity. Sometimes the feelings or thoughts can help us see we might need to pause. Or slow down like Mary who sat at Jesus’ feet. Or maybe we need to take action the way that Martha does. I will share that I have emotionally and mentally processed many emotions. I have especially done this with Jesus in prayer, my husband, a close friend or family member, and intentionally with my therapist and/or mentor. I have also processed some meaningful thoughts with my business and writing coaches, helping me to shape a clearer understanding of where I am headed—and allowing my vision and dreams to come into focus. Gosh, there is so much to learn and experience in the short time we live here on earth.

I can share that I especially have felt familiar with grief, sadness, and anger as well as joy, hope, and peace. I have been Martha trapped in my many distractions and worries. Sometimes the voice of shame will whisper the lie that I am not good enough. I have learned I am wonderfully made. If I am good enough, it’s because Christ is in me. Shame or grief don’t get to drive me or stop me in my tracks. I love having this type of God-Confidence. I find myself often sitting at the feet of Jesus like Mary. Having a new life in Christ has helped me understand what it really means to live.

There is definitely a time to abide in the work, and there is a time to play. There are times to weep and mourn and times to laugh and dance. We approach each of these things in our own season. There are new ideas that need to be considered. Such as becoming intentional in our own approach to living. Yes, we do want to work hard, but how about playing softly? What about sitting? How about directing our attention and affection toward slowing down, listening and holding space for others—or maybe even for ourselves. You are wonderfully made.

I encourage you to be intentional. Start today. Push pause, sit, and lean into the quiet. I love to take time each day to meditate. Setting my mind and mood through this practice has been so essential to the tone of my day ahead. I love to say a prayer and attach it to a biblical truth. I know that I can carry this intention with me in the working hours of the day, and I can also remember the intention in the moments of sitting in my day. Can you practice a pause in your daily living? Maybe start with sitting, noticing, not judging—just breathing. Inhaling peace, and exhaling anxiety, grief, and anger. You matter. You are wonderfully made.

—Be Treasured

Be Still

Be Still by Tiffany Ward

We recently took an extended weekend trip to Crystal Beach on The Bolivar Peninsula near Galveston, Texas. It’s a neat area that we have been to many times with our family. The pace of life—as a woman, wife, mommy, and business owner—is often so full that even planning a trip for our family can feel like a chore — mentally, emotionally, and physically! My inner voice reminds me that taking time for breathing room is worth it. God has allowed this desire to strengthen in me and He has helped to soften areas that have been strung tight in my own life by intentionally pausing and resting. I can feel this tension leave my body with gentle and intentional breathing. Relaxing in the moment and being present to what’s in front of me. I can feel myself mentally and emotionally unwind at the beach. These moments in a beach chair often leave me pondering what it means to be still in this season of life. How is God meeting you in the stillness rather than in daily striving?

Let’s move past prepping for the trip and unloading our items at the Airbnb. That’s the striving part that we are most familiar with… I want to share about our arrival to the beach! Oh the excitement coursing through us as we finally reached our destination—sinking our toes in the sand and feeling the waves moving past our feet and ankles. The skyline was stretching far beyond our eyes reach. After this moment of welcome reprieve and respite… we began setting up our beach camp. And just like that, we were back to the striving. The wind was blowing, the tent was flapping, the cooler was heavy, and the kites had to be assembled carefully…the struggle and effort began again. When we accomplished our goal of an anchored visible location and shade, I shamelessly collapsed in the beach chair and rested my feet on our pineapple patterned beach throw blanket. My husband lovingly and endearingly called me a beach diva as I sat in my floppy hat in my sand-free zone. I told him beach divas don’t have belly rolls! He then informed me I only needed to tip my chair backwards to add an angle to the chair and I wouldn’t have any rolls left! I just laughed out loud because I think he is so funny! And then…. That’s when something holy hit me—in the ordinary. Our son was like, uhhh, “Mom, you aren’t practicing body insecurity right?” He says, “You look great!” I smiled with a swollen heart. I noticed our daughter digging away in the sand with her plastic shovel. I felt proud that our son had a strong belief about physical beauty, personal strength, and the human body. I didn’t expect this angled chair moment to feel like worship, but here I was, praising God. My feet on sacred ground. I leaned back further and I said, “No, in fact I like my body just the way it is!!” I giggled and said, “You three go get into the water and let me chill here in peace!”

A sweet God moment came in this angled beach chair. A moment of proof that God can grow us through laughter and playful family moments.  As I sat there on the beach where the water is NOT Crystal Blue Perfection. I noticed how much it means for me to sit today and feel content, and to BE STILL while I observe my family from afar. I noticed how it feels to take the background role instead of being front and center. Watching them ride the waves and enjoy their experiences in the water together. Past me, would have been there in the thick of it, riding the waves, demanding attention and affection in those waters from the ones I loved the most. I still planned to get out there eventually….But I wanted to rest in the moment knowing God is growing me up. And I’m so thankful He is. He is helping me see that—just like with the chair—if we adjust our angle instead of critiquing ourselves, we may feel the peace we long for. It makes me pause to reflect: what else could we tilt in life to see things more kindly? For me tilting, means adjusting my pace. Striving and being still. Moving with a cadence like the ocean waves coming in and going back out. Like our breath. With a gentle Inhale… exhale… on repeat…this stillness created space for joy, reflection, and even humor. I came to the beach expecting fun, and God gave me peace. I am learning to rest instead of rush. What is God doing in your life that requires rest, not hustle?

Be Treasured — Tiffany Ward

Becoming a Father

Becoming a Father by Tiffany Ward

Daddies love their daughters

With their grins, grit, and bows

A shared kinship that no one else knows

Snuggles, hugs, laughter, and tears

Are all part of parenting her through the years

Fathers grow up with their sons

Strong, stronger, and strengthened they become

Their shared challenges show

With surrender to God, all things will flow

When a man has a wife

She is the joy of his life

Their love joined together

Makes everything bright

Who he’s becoming

God only knows

The boy inside still abides

He hides behind those masculine eyes

How he leads others is proof

The process of becoming doesn’t happen under one roof

It’s in the bumps of life a man is made

The challenges he faces on any given day

Fatherhood is sacred to be sure

Children may feel loved and adored

But struggles in life can leave one insecure

Lean in, choose your path, become the man who is sure

First love God with all your heart

You love your kids because they are a work of art

It’s important to remember to love their momma too

God let her be the one who brought them to you

Be a man, a father, a friend

Stay faithful to God to the end

Enjoy this journey of life

As you are becoming you

Happy Father’s Day!

—Be Treasured

Summer Sunsets

Summer Sunsets by Tiffany Ward

Hey you! Have you found your summer legs yet? Are you finding ways to balance work, play, and rest? Or is chaos still on repeat?

I live in a house with a wonderfully large common space and three other humans! We have adapted to the school time routine, and now that school’s out we have been completely unstructured and loose in our habits. The first couple of weeks free of school, we live and let live. It’s a nice change of pace. In the summertime with the kids home all of the time, we find things a bit strewn everywhere! This beautiful mess is partly because, in Texas, we try to get outside before it’s too hot. Then in the afternoon, if we aren’t splashing around in our stock tank cowboy pool, we enjoy little projects such as: crafts, movies, or books during the heat of the day. I love these little projects left undone, toys strewn about, and crumbs on or under the table. My heart feels so much joy when I see this in the summertime!

My husband and I both work through the summer, and there are a few spaces that have to stay managed in the household. The common space, kitchen, pantry and laundry are the main spaces we keep in order during this nice break. I typically incorporate some structure into the day for the kids with rhythms and routines they can follow themselves. I help them create a list at the start of the day. They use a clock and timers as their guide so they don’t have to keep coming to me and looking for me to tell them what to do. This is wonderful because it allows me space to be free from decision fatigue. We don’t allow our kids endless screen time and if they do use screens it is usually in the afternoon. This boundary helps them know that’s not even an option for them in the morning. There are, however, these two drawers in our kitchen, and they frequently become unmanageable.

I remember a time in my life when I would have rage cleaned those drawers…unleashing my inner Monica from the show FRIENDS in one moment! One particular Tuesday, I asked my husband to please tend to the mess while I mowed the grass. He graciously said yes to me, and handled it. I felt thankful to walk away and let him deal with it. I have since reorganized it again, and know the drawers will likely need attention in the coming month because of the role they play in our kitchen.

I digress, as I was sitting on the mower mowing straight lines and affecting change on the grass with every cut the blade made and enjoying the smell of fresh-cut grass, I was thinking. Wow. I really have a struggle with control. I’m either walking away from it, or leaning hard into it. I took a test from a ministry program called Regeneration by Watermark Church. The test is called the struggles finder’s test. It showed me how my childhood themes of worry, insecurity, and fear have matured into depression, pride, and control. I reflected back to another moment earlier in the year when I had shared my testimony with the regen community in our church. Through this process of awareness, owning my broken places and fully trusting God I began to break free from the things that weighed me down in the past. I used to be so desperate for love that I unknowingly worshipped God’s creation. I loved the order he made and the pleasures I felt in all that He made. I looked to those people or things for acceptance and for joy. The first Biblical commandment in the Bible is Don’t have any other gods before Him.

There are many things we as humans worship instead of God. Our culture is fully absorbed with the worship of self and things that bring us pleasure or comfort. We spend our time idolizing aspects of His creation instead of really knowing the Creator ourselves. I am not ashamed to share that some of the top things I have elevated is fun, friendships, order, and my own comfort.

I have learned that we were made for worship by our Creator. The relationship with our maker is a sacred and special space to spend our time and give our affections. This treasured worship between us and God comforts us as He speaks kindly and lovingly to us, calling us out of ourselves, out of our broken places to higher places!

I want to share a passage that means a lot to me. The Bible verse referring to “deer feet” or “hinds' feet” is most famously found in Psalms 18:33 and also found in 2 Samuel 22:34 and Habakkuk 3:19. The passage says:

“He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, and sets me upon my high places.”

This verse emphasizes God's ability to make a person strong and sure-footed, even when faced with difficult or challenging situations. It signifies that God provides the stability and confidence needed to navigate life's obstacles. 

We have deer that graze in the back of our property early in the day, and again at sunset. The kids and I like to watch them quietly as they forage for what they need. When they are startled they look up, they look around, and they bound away to safety with sure feet. Today, and everyday forward I want to be like the deer! 🦌🦌🦌

They’re sure-footed because of Jesus! I can also see the picture of the deer painted in Psalm 42:1, which reads: "As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God." This verse expresses a longing for God, similar to how a deer thirsts for water.

So wherever you are today—balanced or unbalanced in work, play, or rest—I pray you find your summer legs. That you can experience treasured worship and true appreciation for the one who made it all. One of my favorite things to do in the summer with my family is to watch the sunset! Sunsets are a favorite for us, as are sun rises! We don’t want to miss them! We know we can walk away from all of those things strewn about the house, and we can enjoy the beauty of the moment despite the chaos of the summer day!

—Be Treasured

Breathing Room

Breathing Room by Tiffany Ward

Inhale, exhale. I noted the smell of salt in the air as I breathed deeply. I breathed in again, deeper this time. I paused, and then I exhaled slowly. The sound of the waves rising and falling on the shoreline lulled me to sleep. I laid on a sturdy lounge chair with white lattice backing, lathered in sunscreen. The warmth of the sun on my pale skin was comforting and cleansed my soul. The taste of a mint mojito lingered on my lips and encouraged no sense of time. Relaxed was an understatement for the feelings that ensued; I felt euphoric. I breathed deeply, opened my eyes, and surveyed the ocean with its contrasting colors of crystal blue waters and sea foam green bubbles. The early afternoon sun was high and the cloudless sky a brilliant blue made the waters even more reflective. I readjusted the wide nautical striped burlap pillow under my head and I noticed Romando, the beach attendant, headed my way. As he approached, I smiled encouragingly. “Hola Senorita,” he says in his foreign tongue. “Another Mojito?” I smiled and declined politely. As I recall this sensational vacation experience that I took with Phillip in 2016, I noted it was there on the beach that I learned the personal importance and gifts God gives through sunshine, healthy self-care practices, and no sense of time. Meaning, being fully present to the moment.

Far back into my childhood, I can remember the thrilling sensation of the sunshine on my skin. Especially on my face. The sun’s warmth radiated through me, cheered my spirits and elicited happiness. Nature, in all its beauty, has had a constant voice in bringing me to my senses. A bird’s song, the rush of wind through my hair, and the smell of lilacs and honeysuckle bushes, all have a fond place in my memories. The same peaceful feeling enraptured me on the beach that day. The day started with my husband and me racing to the beach to catch the sun as it rose over the sparkling water. We were not disappointed in the least. I am someone who looks for constants amidst the changes of life to feel secure. No matter where I have been, the sun has risen and set.

On the sandy white beach of Mexico, I had a real taste of self-care. Self-care is any activity we do deliberately in order to take care of our mental, emotional, and physical health. Although, it’s a simple concept in theory, it’s something very often overlooked and misunderstood. This idea was not impressed upon me during childhood but rather a learned practice. I was a young bride, married to my childhood sweetheart at eighteen. Then, some years later, I had become a nurturing mother, inexperienced business owner, and an active member of our church community. Immature and naïve, busy, stressed, and overwhelmed, I navigated the tumultuous ocean of life with its unexpected waves and frequent changes. I was not at peace. I was a hard worker who experienced burnout and thought the way I was living was the way everyone lived. To my delight and surprise, on the shoreline of Mexico, I discovered there was a better way to live. It started with making a conscious decision to properly care for myself then and every day to come. Self-care to me also includes a spiritual approach. Partnering with the Lord in this endeavor, as John 15:4-5 reminds us that abiding in Him is essential, because nothing apart from Him is fruitful.

Practicing present time is also a difficult endeavor; we are trained to live in the busy and the hurry from youth. Having no sense of time is hard for someone like me, who is so used to planning everything.  I have had to learn that life doesn’t go as planned. In the past, I have defined comfort and security in the black and white decisions of day to day. More recently, I’ve focused on being present and doing only one thing at a time. I practice this with my husband, with our family, and on my own. Looking back, we enjoyed every moment in Mexico. We lost ourselves to the sound of waves lapping the shoreline and the smell of salty air, as we received massages in a straw roofed bungalow. We snorkeled, paddle boarded, ate flavorful foods by candlelight, and salsa danced on the beach. I napped in a hammock, waded in the water, and took long walks.

I took a vacation that changed my perspective about life. The over-planned, overwhelmed, stressed, anxious, and burned out feeling was a terrible way to live. Now, I take breaks from my reality, step outside, look skyward and breathe deeply. I have learned it is important to “smell the roses” and to lose myself to my senses as well as the passing time. I have embraced a newfound belief in the quality care God gives to us through sunshine, self-care, and no sense of time.

My soul feels confident in the presence of God! This can be experienced anywhere. I often feel I can’t get enough time with God. I enjoy the feeling and awareness of His presence in my life. Whether that is in the mundane of everyday life, or standing on a beachfront staring into the horizon. The renewed hope I have in Him and comfort I experience everyday even in this broken world is wonderful! I want that for you too. In the book of Matthew 11:28, Jesus’ invitation to "come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" highlights the importance of seeking refuge and rejuvenation. It leads me to ask, when was the last time you had breathing room? What are you doing to slow down and take your time? Do you practice the gift of self-care?

— Be Treasured

Chaotic Beauty

Chaotic Beauty by Tiffany Ward

Life is so fun and ever so full! The pace has been a bit much for my liking. I have felt the weight of overwhelming feelings. I am sure many of you have heard the term “Maycember.” It is a playful mashup of May and December, typically used humorously to describe how hectic and overwhelming May can feel, especially for parents, teachers, and students. I have personally felt the physical and mental exhaustion that these last few weeks have held for our family and it’s been too much! Are you feeling the pace? How are you embracing the beauty? I want to encourage each of you to find time to rest, to play, and to remember. There is a powerful gift in pausing and reflecting.

One of the ways I pause and reflect is on a weekly date night with my hubby. He is my favorite, and he knows it. We recently went on our weekly date and found ourselves at the peaceful oasis of Cresson Bluff Winery. We purchased a bottle of Cabernet to sip and enjoy the atmosphere and reflect on life together. As a follower of Christ, we find a clear understanding in the work of God in our lives versus the work of a dark force which we call the enemy, Satan, or the devil.

The enemy lives in the darkness and his goal and plan is always the same. He is looking for ways to steal our joyful moments especially after we have done something that honors our Maker. As our weekly rhythm causes us to connect and grow closer together, we realized we needed to focus some conversation on our financial budget, as well as our calendar where we budget time. As we were attempting to look at something in the budget on our phones, my husband accidentally knocked my glass of red wine all over me. Oops.

We had a moment where we made eye contact. He had shocked himself and I felt shocked too because oh my goodness what just happened?? Ironically, our budget conversation was centered around the costliness of buying new clothes, and I had saved this not-so-budget-friendly new outfit for our date. He was kindly apologetic. And I calmly replied, “May we go home?” He said, “I’ll go close our tab.” He handed me the keys and I began walking back to the car.

I found in that moment how comical all of this was. I began to laugh as I pulled myself into our Lunar Rock colored 4Runner. I laughed because I realized that in that chaotic moment, I did not feel angry or annoyed or victim minded. What a work of Christ in my life. I researched how to remove red wine from clothes and thankfully have these same pants and shirt free of red wine stain today! Phillip and I came home together. We shared a beautiful exchange with our family where in the past we would have both pulled away from each other to distance ourselves from the whole situation.

I am glad to see how God works in our life! He changes us completely. With thanksgiving, we can hit pause, reflect on what is, what we want to be, and the changes we can make individually and together to grow into who we are becoming. With this being Memorial Day weekend, it’s a great time to consider the sacrifice of another so we could live in the freedom we have today! What a testament of kindness, goodness, and strength. What a testament to sacrifice. Could you find some time this weekend to pause, to reflect, to remember?

— Be Treasured

The Garden of Our Life

The Garden of Our Life by Tiffany Ward

My husband of almost fifteen years and I met when we were children. Being so very young there was a sweet curiosity and friendship formed from our youth. As we grew older we spent hours riding horses together, talking about life, and navigating all of its complexities. He is a bit more quiet so let’s face it, I did a lot of the talking. He was ever so sweet to listen and respond to many of my wondering thoughts and impulsive ideas. I remember the first time an invader of sorts was on the path of one of our favorite places. We were both astride powerfully strong and attentive horses. As we walked the trail with an energetic jaunt, both of our horses came to a momentary halt as they noticed a snake wrapped in a tree above the pathway we would normally walk. Thank goodness between the horses and Phillip, we were able to avoid its potential danger to us. I still don’t know what type of snake it was, or if it was poisonous. We didn’t have Google back then to snap a photo in real time and access instant information at our fingertips. So, I think of it as a tree snake. We found another path forward on our trail ride and avoided the path under the tree altogether. We rode that trail many times after and never did see a tree snake there again, just the one time. What’s interesting as I recall this memory is it was a foreshadow of an even darker force we would one day encounter—one that would affect the purity and sanctity of our marriage, and help us more clearly define what motivates us as we move through our life together.

As we grew up, we connected so deeply emotionally and spiritually that Phillip pursued me with the intent of marriage. This is significant for me because as we grew together he became the standard I would measure other boys—and eventually men— by. I knew from the age of seven, we were meant to spend our time on earth together. When he professed his ‘like’ for me I was sixteen, he was so relieved that I returned his affection. We married ever so young. He being four years older than me, and I was only eighteen when we married. My goodness, what you think you know about the world around you at eighteen and twenty-two is only a fraction of what the larger picture is. God was ever so kind to give us to one another, to grow up together.

In my early twenties we felt sure we were meant to grow our family. We had our son when I was twenty-two. We learned so much about God’s immeasurable love for us as we began parenting our little boy. Our son was a sweet figurative plant to nurture and love, that God— The Master Gardener—had planted and popped up in the garden of our life. Not quite a year later, I found I was expecting again! This excited us greatly! We wanted to have two kiddos close together and maybe a few more later as the first two got bigger. Another snake in our path came that we could not avoid, and the bite was painful. I lost our precious baby about eight weeks into the pregnancy. It was painful and messy for me personally, and especially for our marriage.

In this same season I had stepped into a new world of entrepreneurial goals and dreams. I had launched my own small spa with a focus on skin and body through the practice of esthetics and massage therapy. This was always meant to be a stepping stone in our life so I could pursue a larger calling in the life I lived. Sadly, feeling the poisonous pain of loss and not enduring the suffering well, I encountered another snake. Deception and false comfort. I stepped out on my marriage emotionally because I could not process my pain with God or my husband well. I have a deep sense of sadness when I reflect on this time in my life because in my own selfishness and desire to be comforted, I hurt other people along my path in my effort to feel better inside myself. I allowed myself to fall prey to the lies of the snake in the garden of my own life. My marriage, my Eden became broken. God is so faithful to give us His love and kindness and bring healing to our hurts. He thankfully allowed Phillip to stay tender to me despite my emotional unfaithfulness to him. It was not effortless on his part, he was intentional and committed even when I had not been. I know now that this is how God is with each of us. Referencing the story of Genesis and the fall of man, see chapter three for the full context. When sin entered the world. Something beautiful God had made was marred by brokenness and darkness. Thankfully, that darkness didn’t get the final say. God was not through growing his garden despite the tempter’s lies and misbehaviors in the shape of his serpent body. There was another stronger force that hung on a tree, and his name was Jesus. He made all things new with his sacrifice. He hung there on the cross, God as man, and he took our shame, took our pain, and he said, “forgive them, they know not what they do.” I’m thankful he didn’t stop there but showed his power and might by overcoming darkness and the decay of sinfulness and our brokenness in our humanity. He came back to life. The light must have been so bright to behold.

Thank goodness that healing comes through God’s love for us. I myself, could not disconnect from my pain of loss on my own. Yet, he used the pain of wrong things in my life to shape me for something greater than myself. My husband and I began to heal our hurts and step into the spiritual calling of healing  marriages and helping them grow in God’s way. It has not been easy but it has been so, so good. We had another bloom in the garden of our life, our precious daughter. She is such a joy to know, easy to love, and effortlessly beautiful.

One day this past fall before the cold of winter set in, my girl and I traipsed down the hill to care for our chickens with some scraps of fruit and vegetables from our refrigerator. When we were near the plateau she ran ahead in her sparkly purple crocs. Unbeknownst to us, she ran right past a snake in the grass. It whipped around so fast with tension and alarm. As it coiled back, it popped up it’s tail full of rattles and gave them a wiggle. The snake began tracking my precious daughter with such intensity. It was frightening. When my daughter turned around she faltered and was stricken with fear. I very calmly and firmly told her to stop her feet and to back away slowly. I told her not to come to me, since the path was blocked with the snake between her and me. It was not safe for her to come back to me. I told her to crawl up onto the nearby white horse panel fencing we had for our horses. She thankfully, suppressed every urge to come running back to me and climbed the fence. I had no weapon, and no way to contact my husband or my son who were both home. I did something a mother could never fathom, I left my daughter on the fence with a poisonous snake tracking her with his eyes and his body like it was his only mission in life. He was not moving toward her but rather very aware of her, assessing her as a potential threat to him. It was eerie and unnerving. I assured my daughter I was going to go get a weapon to get rid of the snake, and find her daddy and come back for her. I knew she was temporarily safe, and I would not leave her on the fence for long. Even though she was filled with fear, she responded tearfully. I reminded her of a scripture we had been reading only the night before as she faced her bedtime fears of the darkness. She began praying out loud the verse in the Bible from the book of Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” She was ever so brave. I returned with help, the serpent was put to death, and my daughter was restored to the comfort and safety of our home.

This was not our last encounter with a real serpent on our land to be sure. We have had to work with our girl to help her overcome her fear of potentially encountering another snake on our path outside. I know this lesson is good for her to learn as a child even if it felt scary to her. The lesson taking root inside of her will be necessary as she encounters other allegorical snakes in her life.

Recently, with spring in full bloom, my son and I decided to sit outside by our fire pit. It wasn’t really cool enough to start the fire but we have such a joy around the flicker of a flame and the conversations we have there. My son was reaching down to open the hinged grate and a green head with a very small mouth popped out. His eyes glistened and his head bobbed as he looked at my son. The green head retreated back inside of his hiding place, and my son looked very surprised at me. He excitedly asked me to investigate more closely, and we found that a small very green garden snake had coiled itself around the propane tank connection and igniting switch of the fire pit. The idea of kicking back and relaxing with a harmless nonvenomous snake was not part of either of our plans. He needed relocation. I have grown out of some of my childhood tom-boy tendencies and could not bring myself to grab the snakehead and uncoil him from the connection point myself. So, instead, I got a pair of kitchen tongs to do the job. We showed the snake to my husband, who confirmed his harmlessness, and told us to release the snake into the grass further out. When we did the green snake effortlessly blended into the green growing grass along the hillside and slithered away about his day.

These encounters cause me to pause. I question how many times in our own life will we encounter these snakes in the grass, in the trees, or along our path? The snakes that slither through in the shape of suffering and pain. Or the ones that invite our human curiosity and tempt us to do things that would not bring life to our flesh and bones. Snakes can be harmless but oftentimes they are quick and ready to strike, or perhaps assessing you with their eerily intense eyes. One thing I have come to conclude, there will be unwanted forces of pain and darkness in your own garden of life. There will be enticing and desirable opportunities on our path that if we follow will bite us and lead us to our own destruction. One thing I have learned fully from The Master Gardener in my own life, we won’t be able to prevent the encounters. We can however, choose how we respond to them. We can let fear drive our response. Or we can let love drive our response and be the primary motivation for all the hope we have as we traverse through our very big garden of life.

— Be Treasured

Treasured Motherhood

Treasured Motherhood by Tiffany Ward

As we enter Mother’s Day weekend, we do so with an awareness of the mixed emotions one might feel. We know this is a day we celebrate motherhood and the mother figures in our own life. It is not without a note of emotion for the loss one may feel in regard to their own mother or perhaps their own desire to be a mother to no avail. With that being said, I would like to offer a thought of being a spiritual mother who nurtures others in the kingdom of Christ, and I would love to explore what motherhood looks like to me; providing encouragement to anyone who might be looking for it as it relates to their own circumstances.

MOTHERHOOD

noun

the state of being a mother; maternity.

the qualities or spirit of a mother.

mothers collectively.

adjective

having or relating to an inherent worthiness, justness, or goodness that is obvious or unarguable.

To me, my own definition of Motherhood also means: Chaos coordinator, unknowns manager, heartache embracer, constant interruptions master, and attempting to do everything you need to do but failing to accomplish anything visible at all person. A gift to a child in their developmental progression through life. An opportunity to nurture someone to greatness. A worker in a shared toil of The Master Gardener’s Garden.

I believe Motherhood offers a pathway to change and grow in love, patience, and endurance. There are many benefits to mothering such as a full heart, felt gratitude, personal growth, shared smiles, experiencing joy to the fullest, utmost blessings as one learns and grows, and a strong sense of identity in nurturing life.

One morning, like many mornings, I got up early to have my coffee and chair time. I like to get my day started on the right foot. Waking up to either of my young children demanding milk and Cheerios is not my idea of getting my day started right. I want to sip and savor, to read from my leather bound Bible, listen to a riveting podcast, and make my six most important things list for the day ahead. The big difference about this morning is it’s the morning after vacation. Vacation blues are a legitimate thing. They nab your mind and body and you can feel sapped rather than refreshed. I think it’s because the realities of your regular daily living stare you straight in the face. I have to be honest with myself here. I don’t like my realities right now. The constant demands, with the endless, right now needs.

I went to work out on the peloton bike and my daughter manages to hurt herself not once, but twice, leaving me to choose between my daughter’s highest good, or my desire to care for myself physically, emotionally and mentally. Internal growl, external sigh.

This circumstance leaves me feeling like: What is the point? Is there purpose in all of these unknowns and interruptions? Am I just fulfilling the definition of insanity by doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result every day? Why are children so messy? Why are they so chaotic? What is my draw to peaceful and uninterrupted living? To comfort? Did I actually think I could achieve such a goal with children living in my house??

As I mentioned before, it is a struggle to find time, space and energy to do the things that I want to do. Whether that is through movement, connecting with others or creative expression. There are many daily sacrifices required to be a nurturing mother to children. Writing is a deep passion of mine. It’s a way I process life and I can be filled back up after being so poured out. I mean, I journal daily. I would love to write a book one day and I have vision for that even now! I keep talking about it with my husband and close friends. Yet internally, I often battle insecure thoughts such as “What do I have to say someone else hasn’t already said?” The book of Ecclesiastes found in the Bible says there is nothing new under the sun. I want to write! I crave new experiences, sharing them with others and to be a positive influence! God is showing me by way of these beautiful distractions in the shape of tiny, sticky, grabbing fingers, and insatiable appetites. Like a sprouting seed, I’ll have to push my roots deep into the ground so I can break through the hardened soil and stand strong against the windy distractions above.

How bad do you want it? How hard are you willing to work for it? My dad’s voice entered my mind, and my mom’s too. They are a tenacious couple who together showed me how to work hard for the things you want most.

I read an anonymous facebook post once that said, “My biggest flex is that I've become the woman who would have protected me as a child.”

This may have been meant as a parental bash or perhaps a self-empowerment moment. I’m unsure without checking it out with the wordsmith, but for me it was not a “my mom bash” moment. It stirred something in me. Something greater than dissatisfaction.

What stirred in me was very true for my own hearts identity. A personal realization that led to the seed sprouting from a very dark, hidden, buried place inside of me. You know, the part we keep secret inside from anyone’s prying eyes, or lofty opinions. It prompted a tangible, current event in my own parenting journey.

I homeschool my children part time. My son has neurodivergence. The way he learns and synthesizes information is not average. Through the help of a learning specialist, I started using a whisper phone which acts as an auditory guide where your speech is conveyed into the speaker and travels vertically toward your ear while reading. I was literally telling my son the day before reading the post, while we were doing homeschool work, “Son, are you feeling shy about using your whisper phone to do your schoolwork today with Momma?” He replies, “Yes, I just don’t want to have to do this.” I pause, and then I lean in, I put my arm around his shoulders and I say, “I know this feels hard, but this is a tool that will help you because you learn by hearing and doing and that makes you so special!”

I realized in that moment that my own inner child wished my mom had told me that I learned by feeling, and that made me special. But instead, my perception of what I heard was the message that I was weak for feeling, and even more so for sharing or showing those feelings. I never want my son’s greatest strength to translate as weakness for him. He hears everything, and when he listens strong, that’s how he grows!

I am not here to blame my mom for messages I may have perceived wrongly. My mother loved me, and I loved her. I love both of my own parents very much, and they know this even now. As I parent my own children, I have a growing awareness that most of us are doing the best we can with the tools we have. We are developing and learning as we go. When it came to my feelings and navigating those in my own life, God sent other influences to shape me. This was pivotal in my own growth as a human, as a momma, and as a follower of Jesus. Picture a house. I believe my mom’s parenting foundation looked very different than the ceiling that was her parenting reach. Yet, her ceiling, became the foundation I have been able to stand on in my own journey, and I have metaphorically, opened and walked out of the door and brought in a repairman. His name is Jesus. He has performed foundational underpinning, and He also vaulted my own ceilings to create space for new perspectives and embracing new messages for myself to which I can share with my own precious children. I do hope I can protect them well and give them things I wasn’t able to have. More importantly, I think my greatest flex, is recognizing my own brokenness fully before a God who loves me and sees me. He cares about what I think and how I feel. He has equipped me with good gifts and He has healed my heart so I can step out and guide my own children well. I believe God will heal any cracks in their foundation as he has healed mine.

Treasured Motherhood is a sacred journey full of highs and lows. It’s a way to pause and reflect on what’s been and what could be. Let new growth take root in your own heart and sprout to full bloom as it moves towards light, love, and healing. Feel it. Share it with the world. Be A Mother.

—Be Treasured

The Master Gardener

The Master Gardener by Tiffany Ward

“Look Mommy!” says my daughter with so much delight and joy in her voice. She stops pedaling her pink bike, complete with training wheels and a brown wicker basket. She comes to a halt in the middle of our normally secluded road. I smile both inwardly and outwardly as my eyes take in the beauty around us. Spring has sprung, and we were surrounded. Wildflowers were everywhere, with a bright array of colors and a potent sweet aroma! The sun was shining brightly, with a gentle breeze and a few puffy clouds floated in the sky. Alongside the blooming wildflowers were butterflies flitting and birds singing! It was quite breathtaking and moving. I glanced back over my shoulder and I saw my husband calmly waiting with the dog on the leash as our son got his personal transporter of choice, a hover board, down our unpaved drive to the road. By the time I looked back at my daughter she had abandoned her bike to pick the wild flowers. My daughter would “ooh and awe” as she pulled yellow, pink, and purple clusters, and then run back to her bike to put it in her basket. I caught up with her and joined her in the harvest.

As my daughter and I picked the wild flowers along the path on our family walk I remembered a Bible verse about flowers — how they grow decked in beauty, in splendor, and then wither and fade away. Worry tugged at my mind reminding me of our earthly concerns and eventual fate. The challenge of navigating our own health in our human bodies with a holistic and wholesome approach has been forefront in my mind. I think often about what makes up a person beyond our physiological design. How we need to be nurtured in all areas of our lives spiritually, mentally, emotionally, physically, nutritionally and hormonally. Knowing full well that we were pulling at these beautiful flowers removing them from their life source in their season of bloom, and yet after sometime they would fade away and so would we. The particular Bible reference that came into my mind especially refers to our worry of earthly things. Such as our provisions, our comforts, and even our demise. Matthew 6:28-34 compares the beauty and provision for the lilies of the field to God’s care for humans and 1 Peter 1:24 tells us, “For all flesh is like grass, and all its glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall.”

As a follower of Christ I believe in an eternal destiny filled with hope, healing, and light. I am not alone in my understanding that all the darkness of this world will come to an end as I have read many wonderful devotionals that remind us of this eternal destiny. I realized even in the darkness of the earths soil, seeds germinate, roots are formed, and plants push out of the earth with such a strong force.

A quote by Sarah Young from her book, Jesus Always:

“There will be no night in heaven, for the Glory of God gives it Light. You will not need nighttime for sleeping, because your glorified body will always be full of energy. Tiredness is one of the main things people have to contend with in this world, especially as they grow old or sickly. But there will be no fatigue in heaven and therefore no need for sleep.”

As I wrote this very article it was energetically so in the dark of night. I had woken from a deep sleep, either from my own restlessness or my husband’s nighttime stirrings. I have navigated some significant health issues in my thirty-three years on this earth. I’m recently learning by way of my healthcare provider and many blood tests that my body operates as an unhealthy sixty-five year old woman. This has come with nighttime wakings. Thankfully, I am coming into a more balanced state for my age and getting better rest most nights. I digress, in the night waking, I paused and I prayed for peace in my body and for my family. I also prayed for sleep to come back over me. The Lord smiled at me kindly. He instead prompted me to get up out of my bed where I lay in the darkness, and to get to work in the light of my living room lamp to write these words!

Real tangible provision is found in our sitting and stepping with our maker. Our strength comes through Him alone. He alone can meet our soul’s true desires and help us to grow into who we are truly meant to become. He is the creator of restful rhythms. You can look at the creation story in Genesis. He is a victor for us; we only need to let our awareness for his presence in our lives grow and He will move us.

How are you connecting with our Creator and finding restful rhythms as you process life? Writing has been so essential for how I process life, and I’m ever so thankful for words that help me express and articulate the deeper thoughts and feelings I have. I came to write by way of my mom. She homeschooled me in my formative years. I was a very emotional child and mom didn’t know what to do with all of my tears. I remember that she and Dad bought me a journal and told me to write things down there. They pointed me towards words bringing freedom and healing. By the grace of God, He has allowed that to be restful for me. It also inspires me and stirs things up inside, allowing curiosity to flow.

There is a song by Emmy Rose and Bethel Music called Tend. These beautiful lyrics speak to me! They help me look at the landscape of my own life and think about how in each season there is a gentleness in the time taken for renewal and growth. The reference to the removal of dead things in our lives, and the pruning of what is running wild is essential for each of us as we build the foundation of belief and trust in our Heavenly Father. God is the gardener of our hearts; He tends the soil of our soul. We want him to break up the fallow ground, cut back the overgrown, and help us see what needs to go. May we have an awareness of the things He wants to stay in our life and flourish in us. He wants to grow in the soil of our lives.

Walking in the light and abiding in God’s grace are part of what makes me tick. There is a particular passage in 1 John 1:5 that says, “This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.” Read in full context you will encounter the truth of the gospel and learn more about the eternal hope we have in Christ. John 15:5 says, “I am the vine, you are the branches. If you remain in me, and I in you, you will bear much fruit. Apart from me you can do nothing.”

The message of hope, abiding, and becoming, are all essential to our growth. If we abide in grace as we grow through change, we will flourish. Trust in God’s timing. Spring is here, Enjoy it! The season will continue to change as the earthly pattern does. Get your proverbial roots deep into the hope we have in Christ, wholly abide there because when the heat comes and you wither and fade, there will be a day you will spring up in eternity where beauty and splendor never fade away. Gracefully and lovingly abide in God, let Him grow in the soil of your life and you will be truly changed in every way.

—Be Treasured