You Inspire Me

By Tondeleya Allen

Inspirational, encouraging, and uplifting, You Inspire Me is a devotional straight from Tondeleya Allen's heart. An optimistic attitude and positive words are liquid gold that can benefit each of us every day. Readers will find tools to triumph struggles, overcome negative thinking, and marginalize the naysayers and dream killers in their lives. 

You Inspire Me explores the strength of women, our purpose in life, and steps that can be taken to transform our lives and make our dreams a reality. When we maintain hearts of gratitude and positive attitudes, there is no task we can't handle.

Author of "The Blessed Woman Endeavor," "You Really Do Deserve Me," and "A Good Sandwich Can Save a Marriage," Tondeleya Allen believes that faith is the cure for what ails us and that women have enough grace and strength coursing through our veins to handle every ounce of pressure life sends our way.

 

Tondeleya Allen describes You Inspire Me and many of her works as "just a conversation or a love letter from me to you." 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tondeleya Allen
• Release date: Mar 20, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201074807

Tondeleya Allen

Quick note from Author: "I'm God's girl. The characters, events, and thoughts in my writing are not always squeaky clean because real, imperfect people, although striving, never are. I strive to tell honest stories about authentic people in the most genuine way possible. And despite messy bumps along the way, I love happy, uplifting endings." Recovering chocoholic, eternal optimist, and home-schooling mother of three beautiful daughters and one handsome son, Tondeleya Allen loves to inspire and motivate people, especially women, to be their best, to believe in themselves, and to live the dreams God has placed in their hearts, regardless of their current situation. She believes that marriages can be like a piece of heaven on earth, when we center them around Christ. She believes that women were made to manifest God's love in every area of their lives, making everything around them more beautiful. She believes that positive, affirming words are like liquid gold. When we use the power of our words, we can transform our lives and create a more beautiful world. She enjoys crafting stories, reading, baking, cooking, gardening, saving money, upcycling, making jewelry, sewing, anything creative, and spending time with her family.

Book preview

Faith Abounds Beautifully

Faith believes in the promise on the horizon.  Faith continually hopes in the Lord, our promise keeper.  Living by faith is the greatest adventure, its destination not fully known.

Faith is a little like consciously making the choice to step onto the roller coaster, the newest, biggest attraction at the theme park, strapping yourself in, and going wherever the ride takes you.  With no control over the speed of the dips, the turns, or the duration of the journey, your faith cries out, I’m all in.  Faith is being distinctly seated first chair in the orchestra, with the Lord setting and adjusting the crescendo. Faith is like getting a flat tire, then walking alone in the dark, but trusting the Lord to deliver you safely.  Faith trusts in His perfect timing.  What may seem to us like an extended amount of tortuous time may be just the blink of an eye to Him.

Have you ever thought, "God has done this or that for me, He can definitely do it again?"  Well, have you ever considered asking and believing that God will do a new thing for you?  Faith makes this possible.

Human nature makes it logical for us to believe on God to perform the same miracles He already has.  If we’ve already seen it happen it’s not much of a reach to believe it can happen again.  A real leap of faith, however, is needed to believe on God for the trusted as well as greater miracles-  more provision, healing, and wisdom.  God is too big to fit into our preconceived ideas.  Faith reveals the ever-widening love and mercy that the Lord has for us.

Our faith should expand, reach toward rapturous heights, and accept the higher plan for our life.  Our faith must stand and soar even when the people in our lives don’t see what God is doing or where He is taking us.  Faith flies in the face of naysayers.  Faith is knowing that while people may fail us, the Lord never will.

When trials leave us struggling to maintain our hold on hope, we must patiently wait for the Lord.  Once, I heard a pastor say that waiting on the Lord doesn’t mean that we sit and just do nothing.  Waiting on the Lord means that we actively believe, meditate on His word, and treasure His love in our hearts.  Keep watering and nourishing the word He has placed in you.  When we decide to wait on the Lord, our love for Him is our daily meditation, not a footnote at the bottom of the page.

Entering and staying put in the faith zone may be challenging at first, but the rewards and blessings are undeniable.  Even when you don’t perceive it, know that God is lifting you.  Mountains are crumbling even when you don’t see them.  Strategy meetings about your well-being are happening in heaven, even though you weren’t patched in for the conference call.

There’s no proof. Nothing on paper would give anyone reason to believe that victory can happen, especially not for you.  However, faith knows that there is a plan for us. Faith knows that an excellent solution exists. Like the tiny mustard seed that yields a glorious protective bush, where birds perch, rest, and find provision, God can abundantly bless us where we are, no matter how little we possess.

Faith lifts and carries us through uncertain, harrowing experiences.  Faith connects us to the power of God’s love, gradually illuminating our way, like the irrepressible light of a star spreading out an invincible net for us.  Faith crushes any fear that our blessings will never be realized. Faith counteracts the thought that victory will be violently snatched away from us.  Resting in our faith, with our anticipation-mode fully switched on, blessings flow, mountains crumble, giants fall, storms hush, and healing commences. 

Our faith anticipates the harvest. Faith claims every blessing long before its arrival. Faith celebrates with others as they are blessed with your heart’s desire.  Faith refuses to be shut down.  Faith gives us the strength to live for the Lord privately, as well as publicly. Faith is the cure for what ails us. 

Having faith is like being a long-distance runner, with unknown miles stretched out ahead.  What lies around the corner doesn’t matter because the sustaining victory of the Lord is already there.  You may not feel like it, but you will get through this.  You will make it out.  You are not alone. No matter the weather, climate, terrain, or exhaustion, faith is the fuel that replenishes and gives us the energy to proclaim, Yes, I will sing until my miracle arrives.

Not Looking for a Hero

In heaven, I do believe there must be a special cloth from which every queen and princess is cut.  Its beauty is only rivaled by its strength and usefulness.  When you’ve been intricately fashioned by the Master’s hands from royal fibers, there is no trial too difficult or pain too crushing to bear.

You may wish that life was easier and the road was smoother.  Your strength is always greater and more powerful than the heartaches, the mishaps, or the complacency that threatens you.  Believe that you can do anything.  You are stronger than the tough road you face.  Just imagine the place you want to go.  Set your intentions and get moving.   Half an inch.  One step. Just turn your head, lift your eyes, and fix your gaze there.  The best way to cut fabric in a straight line is to look to the end –your destination, as you move the scissors with your hand.

When the hand you’ve been dealt is unimaginable and unfair, know your power.  When life breathes fire, stand on your strength and refuse to be swallowed up by the situation.  When you’re fraying around the edges, don’t listen to the thoughts that creep into your mind.  Exhaustion has a way of magnifying problems, rather than recognizing solutions.

What we feel is important, but the knowledge available to us breathes life into us.  There are times when we just feel way too much.  There are times when we place far too much value on what others feel about us.  We allow our feelings or what we think about their feelings to rule our behavior and dictate our actions.  Feelings are far less important than some basic truths.  Are you tired of being tossed to and fro by waves of emotions?  What we know can help us successfully navigate life.

Roadblocks happen, but God often uses them to give us wisdom, direction, and reveal our strengths.  So, expect increase in your areas of knowledge, discretion, and skill. Let’s not be afraid to reach.  Be more concerned about what may happen if you don’t give your life everything you have to invest.

A big ship needs one-third of a mile to turn around.  So, don’t feel discouraged if you need time and space to move your situation in a new direction.  Commit to your goal and remain steadfast.  A bird just keeps flying because it knows how.  Go where your dreams and dedication can take you.  Fight for what you believe in most.

With enough grace and strength coursing through your veins to handle every ounce of pressure, you’re not looking for a hero.  Much of life is about pushing through even when you’re being stared down by a menacing, exhausting situation.  We will never find a greater inspiration to face life than everything