Month: May 2015

The Second Serving of Coffee Cake

Published on by Amanda Tero3 Comments
Tonight I am working on “Coffee Cake Days” – at least trying to get a few paragraphs jotted down tonight.
Here are two passages that have influenced the lesson in “Coffee Cake Days:”
“And when the day began to wear away, then came the twelve, and said unto him, Send the multitude away, that they may go into the towns and country round about, and lodge, and get victuals: for we are here in a desert place. But he said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they said, We have no more but five loaves and two fishes; except we should go and buy meat for all this people.” (Luke 9:12-13)
” And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.” (Luke 9:23-24)
What are some verses that have influenced you this week?

And the Winner Is…

Published on by Amanda Tero2 Comments

After twenty-two participants and 143 entries, I am happy to announce the winner!

DRUMROLL please…

Congratulations Rebekah N!!

Thank you to everyone who stopped by and entered the giveaway. Keep your eyes out as, Lord willing, I’ll be having other giveaways in the near(ish) future!

If you’re interested in obtaining a copy of “Letters from a scatter-brained sister” I have ebooks available for sale here.

Word Wednesday #54

Published on by Amanda Tero4 Comments
“And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.” Micah 4:2

This is the attitude we should embrace when going to church: we make the effort to go, expecting to be taught of God’s ways, willing to walk as we have been taught.

Share a verse that God has given you today or copy the button if you’d like to join in Word Wednesdays with your blog!

 
 

Psalm 119:16

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(16)  I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.
Delight – OT:8173 sha`a` (shaw-ah’); a primitive root; (in a good acceptation) to look upon (with complacency), i.e. fondle, please or amuse (self); (in a bad one) to look about (in dismay), i.e. stare:
“In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delightmy soul.” (Psalm 94:19)
“And I will delight myself in thy commandments, which I have loved.” (Psalm 119:47)
“Their heart is as fat as grease; but I delight in thy law.” (Psalm 119:70)
All of these verses have one thing in common: delighting in God’s words. Do we find God’s Word our delight? or has something else taken its place?
Forget – OT:7911 shakach (shaw-kakh’); or shakeach (shaw-kay’-akh); a primitive root; to mislay, i.e. to be oblivious of, from want of memory or attention:
If God’s statutes are my delight, then I won’t easily forget them. In a way, this makes me think of 2 Timothy 2:15, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” I have found that whenever I put forth effort to study God’s Word, I am less likely to forget it than if I merely read it over or hear someone else mention it. If we are applying the former verses of this passage and seeking God and His Word, we will not be likely to forget it. If we find that we are forgetting God’s Word, perhaps we should dedicate more time to seriouslyseek His Word.
There are so many verses referencing our ability to forget God and His Word – may we not be proud to think that “I’ll never forget” but take these warnings to heart.
“Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons’ sons;” (Deuteronomy 4:9)
“Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the Lord your God, which he made with you, and make you a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, which the Lord thy God hath forbidden thee.” (Deuteronomy 4:23)
“Then beware lest thou forget the Lord, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.” (Deuteronomy 6:12)
“Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day:”(Deuteronomy 8:11)
“All this is come upon us; yet have we not forgotten thee, neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant.” (Psalm 44:16)
“If we have forgotten the name of our God, or stretched out our hands to a strange god; Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.”(Psalm 44:20-21)
“Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver.” (Psalm 50:22)
“That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:” (Psalm 78:5)
“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:” (Psalm 103:2)
“I will never forget thy precepts: for with them thou hast quickened me.”(Psalm 119:93)
“I am small and despised: yet do not I forget thy precepts.” (Psalm 119:141)

“My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:”(Proverbs 3:1)

Letters from a scatter-brained sister | Giveaway

Published on by Amanda Tero31 Comments
Yep! I’m finally doing it: my first personal giveaway!!! I must admit, I’m a sucker for giveaways. They’re just loads of fun. 🙂
So, up for giveaway (obviously) is a printed version of Letters from a scatter-brained sister(yes, you read “printed” – something that I don’t offer for sale via online yet). But before we get into the giveaway, I like “behind-the-scenes” so here’s a little…
Letters was one of my original short stories that I wrote for my younger sisters’ Christmas gifts (Maggie’s Hope Chest, Noelle’s Gift, and Deb’s Bible were written for other sisters). I had begun writing Letters a few years before, but, as was normal with writing projects, never completed it. My sister, Rachel, begged me to write more so as Christmas neared, I decided it would make a great gift and, with the Lord’s help, finished it!
Letters is full of fun cooking stories and mishaps – stories which are actually taken from life (me, my sisters, cousins, and friends). In fact, much of this short story is based on real life. For example, the following excerpt (from Letters) was taken primarily from one of my real-life journal entries:
            Day before yesterday was full of company, it seemed. Easy company – family. You surely remember the difference it makes to have “just family” over versus “company-company” when you have to scour the house, prepare a full-course meal, and get into decent clothes and shoes. Blessed family-company means a straight house, normal food, and marvelous bare feet!!!!
            We played a lot of games with Uncle Marvin, Aunt Jo, and Betsy. Betsy and I were neck-to-neck but Uncle Marvin and Mom aced us all. Imagine that! Then, Anna and Thom came to spend the evening/time with Uncle Marvin and family. That, of course, meant enough players for volley-ball. It’s getting cold, but I braved the bare feet (so far, no consequent cold!). Those were some miserable games!!! It was me, Betsey, Thom, and Joe against Jonathan, Mark, Anna, Caleb, and Ben. Of course they had more “age” than us. We were slaughtered the first game. Then Ben and Caleb dropped out so Joe somehow thought he needed to switch teams to help “even us out.” What? My three brothers (and Anna) against me, Betsey, and Thom who never play together? I gave up. It was getting colder since it was close to evening, so I never moved from my new position: crossing my arms and keeping my hands tucked between my arms and warm body. I actually managed to hit a few balls and you know what? We even won!How did that happen? I guess I figured out my best way to play!!! By the way, you can pass the message on to Nathan that I missed him helping me out. Why did you have to move so far away?
            Of course you know we girls didn’t manage to get early to bed. Well, it was early – I think we stayed up until 1:00. But that doesn’t beat the boys. I woke up in the middle of the night and as I went to get a drink of water. I heard some laughing from upstairs so immediately trotted up to proclaim, “Boys, this is ridiculous! Do you know what time it is?” Jonathan, Thom, Mark, and Joe looked up from battling over the world in Risk. Mark’s reply was, “Oh, a little past 3:00.”
            “No! It’s 5:00!!!”
            They gave me a sheepish look, shrugged their shoulders, and continued playing. I didn’t even ask them what time they got to bed finally – I just know they didn’t drag it out until about 10:00. We gave them a hard time.
As you can see, Lettersis written in a very lighthearted, easy-going, and informal. If you want more of a peek, you can visit here.
Now! For the giveaway! 

(Note: even if you don’t have FaceBook, you can still visit my FB page and gain one entry! :))




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Word Wednesday #53

Published on by Amanda Tero4 Comments
“So two or three cities wandered unto one city, to drink water; but they were not satisfied: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord.” Amos 4:8

Wandering from one place to another, gather from others what we do not have will never bring satisfaction. Only when we return to God will we truly be satisfied.

Share a verse that God has given you today or copy the button if you’d like to join in Word Wednesdays with your blog!

 
 

Psalm 119:13-15

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Psalm 119:13-15
(13)  With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth.
From God’s mouth to our lips. Do we take what God has taught us and, in return, teach others? This reminds me of the Psalm I read this morning: “God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us; Selah. That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations.” (Psalms 67:1-2) God has given us amazing blessings and mercy – do we, in return, share that with others? that His way may be known upon the earth? We must remember our responsibility: “For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.” (Luke 12:48)
(14)  I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches.
Rejoiced – (7797 – siys) be bright, i.e. cheerful
We are not to simply rejoice in God’s testimonies – but in the way of His testimonies! If we were to suddenly gain wealth, wouldn’t our way seem so much brighter? Our fears dissolved? In the same way, we are to view God’s testimonies. We have all that we need by God’s testimonies (“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17). Are we rejoicing in that way or view it as a burden? (a ridiculous response to wealth: “*Sigh* I have all this money; it’s such a burden to deal with, to provide what I need.” – but how often is that our attitude towards God’s Word?)
 (15)  I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways.
Meditate – OT:7878 siyach (see’-akh); a primitive root; to ponder, i.e. (by implication) converse (with oneself, and hence, aloud) or (transitively) utter:
It is interesting that this Hebrew word is translated not only as “meditate” but also “to speak.” To meditate on God’s Word is not only to hoard it to ourselves, but to think on it so much that it then becomes our manner of speech:
“Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works.” (Psalm 105:2)
“Princes also did sit and speak against me: but thy servant did meditatein thy statutes.” (Psalm 119:23)
“Make me to understand the way of thy precepts: so shall I talk of thy wondrous works.” (Psalm 119:27)
“My hands also will I lift up unto thy commandments, which I have loved; and I will meditate in thy statutes.” (Psalm 119:48)
“Let the proud be ashamed; for they dealt perversely with me without a cause: but I will meditate in thy precepts.” (Psalm 119:78)
“Mine eyes prevent the night watches, that I might meditatein thy word.” (Psalm 119:148)
“I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I museon the work of thy hands.” (Psalm 143:5)
“I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works.” (Psalm 145:5)
Respect – OT:5027 nabat (naw-bat’); a primitive root; to scan, i.e. look intently at; by implication, to regard with pleasure, favor or care:
To respect God’s ways is not to merely think highly of them. It gives the same implication as verse 14, “I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches.”God’s ways, to the believer, should be that which we dive into with delight and carefulness.
This is the same Hebrew word used in the following verses:
“Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments.” (Psalm 119:6)
“Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.” (Psalm 119:18)

“Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.” (Proverbs 4:25)

R Family | Photoshoot

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My second photoshoot in April was of a family of boys. And did I have a blast with them! At first, the mom said, “You know how guys are with pictures,” but honestly, they were all super easy to work with and I think that whether or not they’d admit it, they also had some fun. 🙂

And I can’t post about this family without sharing about God’s amazing work in their lives. Last February (2014), Tyler was out cutting trees. One kicked back and hit him in the back of his head and neck, causing traumatic brain injury. Quoting from his dad, “His brain was swelled and had three bruises on his brain stem. Three long weeks of ups and downs while in ICU. We know prayers were sent up on Tyler’s behalf and God chose to perform a great miracle in Tyler’s life. We are still thanking God and praising Him for what He has done. Thanks to all that have prayed and are continually praying for him.” This young man who was not supposed to live and if he lived, was doubted that he’d be able to walk …

Just saying… we serve a BIG GOD with no limitations! He is Creator, Sustainer, and Healer!

What a blessing to know this family who give God all praise and glory for His work in Tyler’s life!

Some of my favorite pictures are those that I didn’t ask to get. Being just a boy, Seth hopped on the “kiddie swing” – don’t do things like that around a photographer. 😉 This is one of my favorites!!

~*~*~
“Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.” Psalm 68:19

Of Coffee Cakes and Orphan Trains | Writing Update

Published on by Amanda Tero3 Comments
I am always a little hesitant to publicly update my “WIC” (works in progress) because I know my past of unfinished projects. But, trusting in the Lord’s direction in guiding me, here’s a glimpse of what has been going on in my writing journal.
Coffee Cake Days
The idea for this new short story came one morning when I had gotten up early, spent quiet time, and then was preparing breakfast. Out of all of the short stories that I have currently written, it is probably the most auto-biographical. Meg, a homeschool graduate, is learning many of the lessons that I learned (amidst many struggles!) in balancing time with God and time with her family. The main lesson that Jesus has seemed to bring to my life over and over is servanthood. It’s easy to read the Bible and agree with its teachings — but am I applying it to my daily life?
Here’s an excerpt from “Coffee Cake Days”:
“Read to me!” Crystal was back in the room, this time with a book in her hands.
“Okay, okay!” Meg flipped her legs over the edge of the bed and jumped to the ground. She let Crystal trail behind her as she hurried to the living room and sat on the couch.
“But I wan’ ‘nother un.” Crystal held out the book she had selected with a small pout.
“Well choose one but be quick about it.”
Crystal squatted by the bookshelf and flipped through the books. When she stood up and turned around, an impish grin lit her face. “Ac’ally, I wan’ four.” True to her word, she had selected four books.
“I said one, so it’s going to be one,” Meg said firmly.
The toddler looked down at her selection, her mind in debate before selecting her favorite and bounding back to Meg. Nestling beside her, Crystal put a chubby arm around Meg’s back as Meg began to read.
That night in bed, Meg stared at the dark wall. Today had been hard to keep her goal of twenty chapters, but she had done it. She should feel satisfied, but instead, a frustrating bubble welled inside of her. Lord, what is it? What am I doing wrong? I’m trying to draw close to you but ever since graduation it seems like a failure. Please, Father, show me what You would have me to do.
Journey to Love
I am praying about doing a novella series called Orphan Journeys – what links together the orphans in all of the novellas is that they travelled the American orphan train at one point in history (historical tidbit: there was also an “orphan train” that brought children from London and Liverpool, England, to Canada). My first novella is Journey to Love (if the Lord allows, I also have plans for Journey of Choice and Journey of Redemption – plus a few others floating around). Main character Marie has become a part of the Bowles household in body, but she’s not so sure about being the child they had always prayed for.
First two paragraphs:
Marie glanced down the row of children, and a shiver slipped up her spine. She took a slow, deep breath as she turned back to Mrs. Rawson. Look pleasant, Mrs. Rawson had said – was her pasted smile supposed to be their example? Marie pressed her lips into a small pucker as Mrs. Rawson attempted to give the final admonition before the crowd was admitted into the room.
The close eye of Mrs. Rawson urged Marie to answer the questions and examinations of the couples that crowded around her. According to Mrs. Rawson, who wouldn’t want her? A sturdy thirteen-year-old with a back and mind to work. Or were they looking for a boy? Marie glanced sideways at the long line of boys – some bordering into manhood. The crowd was decidedly thicker there.

I would greatly appreciate your prayers as I work on these two projects. Recently, writing time has been very limited as my family and I continue working on our house (you can see updates at my family’s blog: www.terofamilyministries.com). I’m not concerned about getting these projects done quickly, but I am concerned that in writing these, I am sensitive to the Lord’s leading and what He would have me to write.