Terrie's Tender Touch

Christmas time is here! My husband and I have been reminiscing over all the Lord has done and we are truly amazed at His grace, His mercy, and His marvelous provision. I have also been hustling and bustling around my house because this year all my kids are coming over! My husband has been laughing at me as I have been preparing and getting little goodies and things for the grandkids to do. He asked me a question that caused me to think – and that is what I am sharing with you all today. The other morning as I was telling my husband some of my plans for while the kids are here he smiled and looked at me and said, “you’re so excited that the kids are coming, aren’t you?” I replied to him that I was indeed and told him that I knew he was too! He is the one that has everyday written down, all the places he hopes to go with the kids, and a schedule of various things to do (and he was laughing at me). We are both so thrilled to have them “come” here. When my husband asked me that quest...

This morning I was reading from the Book of Jeremiah. This book of the Bible holds a special place in my heart each time I read it because I am reminded of a very specific promise that God gave to me during the most difficult time in my life. The specific promise to me was that God would hear me and answer my prayer, and show me great and mighty things…and that He would heal my daughter. It was shortly after my daughter had been diagnosed with cancer – in fact just a little over a week after her diagnosis she suddenly developed excruciating pain and my husband had to take her to the hospital in the middle of the night…again. I honestly feared for her life and as I prayed the Lord gently directed me to Jeremiah 33 where I read 2 verses that helped me then, and have continued to help me since that time. Jeremiah 33:3 which says, “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” As I continued reading verse six of the same chapte...

When I was a little girl – I was, from every account I have heard, very precocious! I have heard wonderful stories of many of the adventures I had as a young child from my parents, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. I know that I was adventurous because at 18 months old I braved the wide outdoors to sneak out of the house and cross 2 streets to visit my grandmother Nanny! I know that I was a hostess in the making because at the full age of 2, I served my mother’s friends “tea” in my own tea set. My mother wondered where I was getting the water for my tea – and to her horror discovered that I was serving her friends water fresh from the toilet! I also know that I was very interested in my appearance because the one story they all told me about was of my insatiable desire to wear my aunt’s make up! My grandparent’s owned a home that was a multiple dwelling – with 2 upper levels and a basement. My grandparents, my parents, and my aunt and uncle each lived on one of the levels of the h...

“The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness; but of every one that is hasty only to want.” Proverbs 21:5 While reading this verse I began to think of the role of a mother. What an awesome responsibility we have to train up our children for God! If we try to rush through teaching our children to learn or understand something – we’re going to keep wanting them to learn it…but if we are diligent, we will continue to think of ways to help them understand what they need to know. By the grace of God, my husband and I have raised four children that today are all living for the Lord, they love the Lord, and they are serving the Lord with their lives. They are all married and have children that they are now raising up for the glory of God. As I am sure every mother has noticed – all children are different – each child is an individual. As a young of mother of 4 (I was 27 when my 4th child was born) I discovered early that what worked for one child did not always work for the ne...

Recently I was at Macy’s seeking to purchase new face powder. I know that is an expensive place to shop, but I have found that most make-ups cause me to get rashes and make my eyes water, so I have to spend a little extra to get something that will work for me. I normally use Estee Lauder powder, but the Clinique counter was having a special gift offer, so I thought I would try it and see if it would work for me. I had a very unusual encounter with the sales girl that caused me to think…and I will share that with you today. When I approached the counter I asked the girl for a powder that would set my make up, explaining that I wanted something that would last all day. The girl said, “No, we don’t have anything like that – if you buy our powder you will have to reapply your powder all day long…it won’t last all day.” I spotted some mineral powders (loose powder) and asked about them and again she gave me a similar response saying, “You have to keep putting the powder on all day if...

"My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah. Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity."   Psalm 62:5-9 It seems that almost daily we meet people that refuse to go to church, refuse to listen to the Bible, or refuse to trust in God because of the mistakes that Christians (actual or “so-called”) have made. Many times, the mistakes they are blaming for their decision are so trivial - like something said to a family member that may have been unkind; or perhaps the preacher or Christian layperson has a family member that is not holding as high a standard as the preacher - so somehow that makes th...

When my husband and I were dating waaayyy back in the 70s, I wore an Avon perfume, Timeless. I was very impressed with my then future husband and I took great care to make sure I looked and smelled my best. I never wanted to smell like the office building where I worked with avid smokers – so I carried my perfume with me at all times. I kept the bottle in my purse and would be sure to give myself an extra spritz before we would go out. Well, I was a teenager at the time (I was only 17, a senior in high school) when we began to date, so I probably wasn’t as careful with my things as I would be today. I am sure that I was somewhat careless with my purse and where I placed it, so of course in time the cap on my bottle of Timeless broke. To my wonderful advantage, it broke in my husband’s car leaving the broken cap hiding under the seat of his car. I say it was to my advantage because everyday when he drove his car he thought of me because he could smell my perfume...the pleasant odo...

This week my husband and I have had the joy and privilege of having 6 of our grandchildren with us. Before they arrived we set a plan for each day as well as some ground rules. We gave them certain boundaries for their own protection. When I was growing up the entire society practiced those same beliefs. We had dress standards at school, and believe me if we didn’t meet those standards we were sent home! Girls were required to wear a dress or skirt – they had to be long enough and modest…not too tight. The boys had to wear collared shirts (tucked in) and pants with a belt. I recall girls being sent home if their dresses were too short – they held strictly to their rules. The truth is that as long as we stayed within the boundaries we were free to wear what we wanted. Sometime in the early 70’s a boy fought for “freedom” to dress as he pleased – claiming his constitutional right to have freedom of speech (or expression) – he won the case and the dress standards went away; to man...

For 25 years I have been a Christian. I received the Lord on May 9, 1985. From that day to today there have been many changes in me and in my life style. There are many things I do and don’t do because of what and how the Lord has worked in my life, and lately I have had several ladies asking me questions because they were curious – so here are my answers…for the record. I will be answering one question a day as this article would be too long to give all my answers in one day! Do I always ONLY wear dresses (skirts) and why? Yes, I always only wear a dress or skirt because the Lord placed that conviction on my heart shortly after I got saved. You see when I first became a Christian I heard that all the answers I needed in my life could be found in the Bible. To my thinking I imagined then that the Bible was somewhat like a cookbook. I could look something up and find the “recipe.” Well, as a young mother (I was 27 at the time with 4 children ages 5 and under) I wanted the “reci...

I have been heavy hearted and praying for someone that is very dear to me as she is struggling with discouragement, depression, and even leaning towards bitterness. In my prayer for her the Lord brought the book of Ruth to my mind. I began to think of Naomi who suffered through financial reversal that caused her to leave her home land. She then lost her husband, and both of her sons! Naomi was so distraught she didn’t even want people to call her by her given name which means “pleasantness;” and requested that people instead call her Mara which means “bitter.” On one hand I can understand why she felt that way, but as a Christian we know that the bitterness she felt could do nothing to help or heal her broken heart – she probably didn’t really want to be healed, she wanted her life to be the way she wanted it – with her husband, sons, money…with everything that made her happy and met her needs. God had a different plan for Naomi, and He brought her exactly what she needed…Ruth. ...

Its summer time! I remember as a child being so excited for summer – not having to go to school, no homework, being able to stay up later at night and sleep a little longer in the morning –but after about 2 weeks the excitement wore off. We all do better when we’re on a “planned” schedule than when we are just loafing and wandering through each day. Pretty soon the day seems too long, and well it’s easy to get in trouble when we are not occupied! As the oldest of five children, and the only girl – I was rarely not occupied:) My brothers on the other hand were younger and had less responsibility than I did, so they definitely had too much time on their hands. This reminds me of the parable in Matthew 19. Verses 13 and 14 say, “And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.” In other words they didn’t want to submit to who a...

Yesterday was the 4th of July – the day we celebrate the birth of our nation. We call it Independence Day because on that day we became a nation “independent” from the Kingdom of Great Britain. A great price was paid for our freedom by the founders of this great country. Our independence is recorded in the Declaration of Independence which we celebrate each year on the 4th of July. Yesterday, I received a call from my 5-year old granddaughter Brooklynn letting me know that she got saved – meaning that she had received Christ as her personal Saviour. According to the Bible, yesterday was the day she was “born again” (John 3:3, “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”) Tears of joy streamed down my eyes as I heard my precious little granddaughter tell me of her great decision. As I spoke with my son he told me all that had transpired, how that Brooklynn had told her mom in the afternoon that she wan...

Because God loves me… He sent His only Son to shed His blood, die on the cross, pay my sin debt, and purchase my pardon so that I could have eternal life! He sealed my salvation with the Holy Spirit – that dwells in me to comfort me, teach me, prompt me, interpret my prayers to God on my behalf, fill me so that I can be used of God. He gave me the Word of God – a love letter from God Himself! A guide map to show me the way I should go, and which ways I should avoid and the history lessons that help me to learn from other’s triumphs and mistakes. He gives me love, joy, peace, understanding, wisdom, knowledge, strength, health, air to breathe, water to drink, a means to get food to eat, to earn money, basically – He Gave and continues to give Everything! Because I love God… I want to spend time with Him – in His Word, in prayer, in His house! I show my appreciation to Him for all He has done for me He died for me, I live for Him I try as best I can to do what pleases Him Because I love ...

On May 9, I celebrated the 25th anniversary of my salvation date. I remember that day so clearly – I remember the fear I felt when my friend started telling me about what the Bible says, and then the calm that came over me as “a still, small voice said, “its okay to listen Terrie, it’s the Bible.” I remember the “joy unspeakable” I felt as I was driving home from my friend’s house KNOWING I was on my way to heaven. So much has happened since that time – so many changes have occurred in my life and my family. Some of the changes that have occurred obviously would have happened anyway because of time; but there are so many changes that happened specifically because of what Christ did in my life. Some of the changes the Lord has made in me – some things I have changed by decision after being convicted by the Holy Spirit. The Lord has worked and created a new heart in me; He has made me a new creature in Christ. This morning as I was reading my Bible I read the following verse, “And t...

A couple of weeks ago we were able to visit with one of our sons on the occasion of his son’s K5 graduation, as well as our son’s birthday. While visiting we were treated to a day of fun at Disneyland! We were not exactly prepared for that type of day trip so we did not have the right kind of shoes for a day of walking. We tried as best we could to rush to the store and get what we needed so that we could be on our way. On our way out of town we stopped to get gas for the 1.5 hour drive. We waited in the car while my husband was filling the tank. After a couple of moments he opened the door of the car to grab a Gospel tract, and then a minute later he grabbed another – this did not surprise me as my husband is an avid soulwinner:) Several moments later we watched as my husband lead the woman at the gas station to bow her head and heart in prayer asking the Lord to save her soul – Praise the Lord! When my husband got back in the car we discussed the transaction that was made and ...

Today as I sit to write this blog, I am praying that I may be able to convey to everyone that might read this all that God has placed in my heart. As you know this past six months has been indeed a life changing experience for me...and I am not talking about the "change" that occurs to women in my age group. I am talking about this wonderful adventure that we are experiencing by the grace of God. My husband was called to plant a church in Oakdale, CA, and so here we are! We moved here believing that God would take care of us and meet our needs and He has miraculously provided exceeding, abundantly ABOVE ALL that we have asked or even thought He would do! Right now I am sitting in my new home - at the time of my last writing I knew that God was going to provide it - at the right time - and He certainly did...without a minute to lose! We moved on a Friday morning - and as of the Thursday morning before our move, the house we hoped for (and also the only one available at th...

On November 14, 2009, we packed our belongings and moved to Oakdale, CA, where God was sending us to begin a new work for His Glory. We left behind our children, grandchildren, parents, other relatives, church family, and friends in answer to God’s call. We had no promise of income, no idea of where our new church would meet, and did not know a soul – yet, we went knowing that this is what God wanted us to do, and where He wanted us to go. As we began to attend local churches in the area (within an hour) before our Grand Opening service, we found that many folks had been praying that a church would start in Oakdale – in fact one church had nearly started a work here, but God closed that door at the time...He had it all planned for us to come to Oakdale before we had any idea. Little by little we began to be amazed at God’s mighty provision – He provided a home in the country free of rent or utility fees for 6 months! We began hearing nearly daily from pastors of the many churches we...

Today I spoke at a Mother/Daughter Banquet. I thank the Lord for the privilege and opportunity to share with others the truths He places on my heart. The theme was “Moments of Grace.” As I pondered and prayed asking the Lord what He would have me bring to the ladies, I was blessed by the awesome realization that every moment we breathe is by the grace of God. Grace – I have heard of several meanings for that word – the acrostic God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense Grace: getting something good that we don’t deserve as opposed to mercy which is not getting something bad that we do deserve Grace is the influence or spirit of God operating in humans to regenerate or strengthen them. It is a virtue or excellence of divine origin: the Christian graces. It is moral strength: the grace to perform a duty. In Ephesians 3, (3:1-13) Paul is talking to the church about the grace God had given him…the grace to learn, the grace to teach, the grace to serve, the grace to preach, the grace to make men...

I have always been considered by my husband (and children) to be on the picky side when it comes to restaurants, hotels, or even general places we would go for entertainment. It would not be unusual for me to go to a restaurant, perhaps get seated, and then determine that the establishment was below my "standard" for "acceptable." I always think that if I am going to pay for something, than it should be worth the time and investment. The thing about "standards" is that they are individual because what may be acceptable to one is not acceptable to another. For example, I am not comfortable with most restaurants that have the name "pit" in them. Not because of the name, but because most of the ones I have visited have been just that "pits." My husband on the other hand usually looks around and says, "I don't see anything wrong with it." Is he wrong? No. Am I wrong? No. We have our own standards and there is no law t...