This Life We Live

By Tamie Bixler Lung

This life we live presents challenges and changes every day. Some are subtle and rarely noticed, while others are observed and recognized for their purposeful existence. In This Life We Live, author Tamie Bixler Lung offers a devotional containing stories and biblical references meant to inspire you to appreciate life and all the changes it can bring.

A spirit-fueled, daily devotional offering Bible-based wisdom, Lung pulls stories of sorrow and joy, laughter and heartache, lessons and observations from her own life to provide daily doses of encouragement. Her experiences have allowed God to demonstrate his provisions, grace, and inspiration.

This Life We Live contains a host of stories, challenges, and victories to which many can relate. It encourages you to reflect how God can help you in various areas of your life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Feb 28, 2019
• ISBN: 9781973651932

Tamie Bixler Lung

Tamie Bixler Lung is a wife, mother, grandparent, business owner, inspirational speaker, and author.

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Copyright © 2019 Tamie Bixler Lung.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Unless otherwise indicated, scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

ISBN: 978-1-9736-5192-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-5191-8 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-5193-2 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2019900735

WestBow Press rev. date: 02/25/2019

Bennett, TJ, and MaeLynn

May you always know that this life we live is a gift and never take that for granted. I love you so very much. ~Grammy

Contents

Day 1     Replacing Fear with Peace

Day 2     Inspired to Persevere

Day 3     Trading Your Sorrow for Joy

Day 4     Hard Work Pays Off

Day 5     Feeling Helpless

Day 6     Never to Young

Day 7     Blessed with Miracles

Day 8     Living Within Gods’ Boundaries

Day 9     Believing in a Plan

Day 10   Seeing Value Through God’s Eyes

Day 11   Living with Betrayal

Day 12   Is There a Hidden Camera?

Day 13   Do You Have a Lifeless Faith?

Day 14   A Time for Change

Day 15   Being Still in a Fast-Paced World

Day 16   Being Courageous

Day 17   Inspiration to Press On

Day 18   When It Feels Like God is Gone

Day 19   The Heartache of Transition

Day 20   His Father’s Son

Day 21   It’s What You Do … … Not Who You Are

Day 22   When Bad Things Happen to Good People

Day 23   The Pursuit of Happiness

Day 24   This Life We Live

Day 25   When There Is No Plan B

Day 26   Living a Life of Truth

Day 27   From Generation to Generation

Day 28   Living Out Loud

Day 29   I Want to Know What Love Is

Day 30   Discernment and Deceptions

Day 31   Walking in Victory

Day 1

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Replacing Fear with Peace

There’s one thing that all of us experience throughout our lives and that is fear. Webster’s Dictionary describes it as the painful emotion caused by a sense of impending danger of evil or dread. For a Christian, fear can be a struggle or even a stronghold if we allow it.

Some children experience fear when they have nightmares. Many will wake up their parents or caregivers for immediate comfort. As a teenager, the fear of not meeting up to others’ expectations can be a control factor that influences making poor decisions concerning life choices. Fathers usually have the pressure of supporting the family financially, and fear can easily set in if his job is unstable or terminated. This can send fear through the entire family. A single parent, especially a single mom, can have added fears, such as rejection or inadequacy in trying to provide for their children or the fear of the unknown, which can be gripping.

There are genuine fears within families who have a terminally ill member. The finances and stress can be overwhelming. Fear can literally destroy a family before the illness has taken its final toll if not dealt with.

There are people who live in constant fear of what their futures hold. They watch the news, listening to all the fearful events taking place around the world, as well as their local communities. The economic fear of not having enough to live on can be devastating, especially if primary income is based on one of the many companies laying off workers.

Fear can wreak havoc on any individual who chooses to embrace it and not trust God for peace. There are so many scriptures in the Bible that tell us not to be afraid. One of them is John 14:27 NIV: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

When I look back over the last several years as a parent, I can recall so many different memories of moments when I was overwhelmed with fear. One situation stands out to me that happened when our daughter, Mariah, was only a few weeks old. It was early in the morning, and I heard her stirring around in the bassinet. After picking her up, I kissed her forehead, and she seemed unusually warm. There were no other symptoms of sickness, but I felt compelled to take her temperature. I was shocked when the thermometer read 104 degrees.

A genuine fear gripped my heart as the thoughts of what could be wrong began to set in. I began to pray, but I was scared and wanted to talk with my husband, Tim. He was a catastrophe claims adjuster at the time working for the next few weeks out of state on the east coast. He had already contacted me that morning to inform me that his phone had a weak signal and he would be out of range for most of the day. In 1996, cell phone technology wasn’t like it is now. The frustration of not being able to communicate with him only added to my growing fears of what the day was going to hold.

In those moments, I prayed for God to be with Mariah and myself. I contacted my pediatrician, but she was out, and a different doctor was on call. Another wave of fear came. Could this doctor give Mariah the attention she needed? All of this went through my mind as the receptionist told me to bring her to their office immediately.

After arriving at the doctor’s office, he informed me of his concern with her being an infant and running such a high fever with no other obvious symptoms. Fear gripped my heart making my stomach turn as he suspected meningitis. The doctor sent us to the hospital, where Mariah was admitted.

As the nurses took Mariah away to run a spinal tap, my heart filled with desperate fear as I could not be with her when they did the procedure. I felt helpless and alone. As I stood by the window of the hospital room, a television was left on, and I heard a familiar song. To my surprise, a soap opera of all things was featuring a scene where this woman was singing His Eye Is on the Sparrow. I began to laugh through my tears at how the Lord can use even the most unusual things to speak to us.

As I listened to the words, my spirit began to fill with a peace that I couldn’t explain. I began to recall the words of an old friend, the late Matthew Key. When one of his twins was in the hospital for meningitis many years before, he said something in conversation that inspired me. He and his wife, Robin, were both fearful and concerned. His attitude was remarkable as he told the Lord how thankful they were for their lives and would be so grateful if he would see fit to let them enjoy her life longer. He told the Lord he would still love and serve him regardless of the outcome. At that time, I thought to myself, I just don’t know if I could say that if I were in their shoes. Now, here I was… in their shoes!

However; in that moment, I began to thank God for Mariah and what her life meant to us. Somehow the fear that had been gripping me all morning began to turn into an unexplainable joy.

The doctor’s determined that she was treatable with intravenous antibiotics. I was so relieved. She would stay in the hospital a few more days and then be able to go home. I thanked God for helping me through the difficult time and for speaking to my heart in such a special way.

Tim called late that evening when he got back to his motel. The messages left him fearful as well. He was relieved to know that the outcome was good. I told him about the emotional rollercoaster that I’d been on throughout the day and how God was so good to fill me with a special peace.

If you’re living with fear and anxieties, I encourage you to turn to God for strength. He loves you and cares about all your needs. The unexplainable joy that God can give is very liberating and well worth the time spent in his presence, even if