Posted on by Dr. Tammi Love

Follow the Breadcrumbs

Dr. Tammi Love standing next to her chest filled with precious memories.

This past week, my husband and I took on a DIY project at home. A few joint aches and sore muscles later, we stood back, pleased with the finished product. After snapping the before-and-after photos, we faced the next reality: cleanup. A cleanup we were determined not to let spill into a new week.

Little by little, we cleaned the space, which included relocating some furniture, namely a chest filled with precious memories. Determined to sort through it before moving it, I began uncovering its contents. That’s when I saw the breadcrumbs.

Nestled between old photos and historical documents were printed firsts. Some were in plain sight, others carefully tucked away in folders and envelopes, protected from wear and tear. I read through each one, gathered each memory mentally, physically, and spiritually. It was a full meal that nourished my soul in one sitting.

Each breadcrumb was significant: my mother’s 1997 written speech from our first family reunion in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The program from her homegoing service. My old newspaper articles from South Carolina. Our children’s first award certificates. Church bulletins. Ministry reports. High school photos. Family portraits.

Every breadcrumb affirmed my present and reminded me of a past I could only know through my mother’s storytelling. In her 1997 speech, she wrote of her Southern upbringing, the family tree, the nicknames that carried stories of their own, and her unwavering encouragement to know who we are and where we come from.

That was the breadcrumb of all breadcrumbs. Though her physical presence is gone, her wisdom remains, preserved in ink and paper. I just had to find the breadcrumbs… and follow them.

God often leaves trails like that for us, footprints in the sands of our wandering, guiding us back to Him.

Jeremiah 29:13–14 reminds us:

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity.”

We are liberated when we stop pretending and abandon superficial quests. There is no weakness in seeking God, no shame in longing for truth. You don’t have to wander any longer. You still have meaningful work to do.

This is your breadcrumb: a reminder that fulfillment is found in the seeking, in the journey, and in the One who waits to be found.

Follow the breadcrumbs.

Be well, y’all, and much love!

Posted on by Dr. Tammi Love · 2 Comments

I Saw God

I recently came face to face with a buck. Well, almost face to face. I was traveling home from work on a rural road soon after sunset. I approached an intersection, and suddenly, in my peripheral, I saw a large object dart to the edge of the road. I instantly reacted. My body tensed up and my eyes darted to the road’s edge and my rearview mirror. I gripped the steering wheel and my foot slammed on the brake. My heart beat like it was pounding out of my chest. I screamed; inwardly and outwardly.

After coming to a complete stop, I turned my head to face the object and recognized it as a large buck. My eyes seemed to bulge out of its sockets and fastened on the buck’s antlers, then later to its majestic stature. The buck stood still and calm, unbothered, as if nothing could disrupt who and what it was. My presence didn’t upset, bring fear, or alter its intention to cross the road. When the buck was ready, it chose to cross the road behind my truck. And in seconds, it was out of my view.

I sat at that intersection shaking. Thoughts of what could have happened raced across my mind. I gathered myself, cautiously looked in all directions, and slowly continued my journey home. My mind continued to race. I then remembered to breathe.

My inhale and exhale settled me. I heard God whisper, Tammi, breathe again. So, I did. God repeated his instruction, and I obeyed His whisper each time. He then began to pour wisdom into my spirit like an overflow of refreshing water. He allowed me to recall what I just experienced – this time with revelation, accompanied by a force of unmovable strength. The impact was undeniable. God consoled me and His creation was reborn.

I saw God that day. God showed me His majesty, protection, power, and provision – yet again. He has sustained me and has allowed me to walk in stillness, no matter the terrain, for such a time as this. God’s got me. I’m mighty grateful!

God is intentional in ways that get our attention. When He reveals Himself, we are wise not to dismiss Him. Instead, we should lean in closer in hopes of receiving a fresh perspective. No one is exempt from the refilling God offers. We all need to see God for who and what He is. 

Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders? – Exodus 15:11

Posted on by Dr. Tammi Love

Make Your Request Known

At the close of 2021, my family and I created a short list of prayer requests to God. We titled it 2022 Love Family Prayer Requests. When determining what to place on the list, we agreed to spend time searching within for those things that truly mattered to us and those things we knew we needed God to do – make a way out of no way. Once our hearts were on one accord, we typed a short list and were intentional to match the name with the request. We called out each request before God in prayer, pleading the blood of Jesus over each listing and proclaiming we trust God to do it. And do it, He did!

As the year 2024 began, I was led (by God) to search for our 2022 Prayer Request list on my phone. I was excited to find it. As I read the words of the brief opening prayer and traveled down the screen to the prayer requests of each of our children, then my husband, and finally me, my heart leaped. God answered most of our requests within two years! He did it with power and grace. Nobody but God could do what we asked Him to do. His doing wasn’t always instant, but certainly it was on time.

Seeing what our hearts longed for in that season, organized on a list, reminded me of each instance when God blessed us. At the time of each blessing, we praised God for His love and might. In difficult moments, we shared the list as a reminder of what we believed God for. Taking another look at what God had done during that time in my family’s life caused tears to rush down my face and a “Thank you, Lord” to rush out my mouth. My heart was overcome recounting the ways and means God chose to alert us to what mattered as we continued to journey our paths. 

My family made a new list of prayer requests to God. It’s titled 2024 Love Family Prayer Requests. Our prayer over this list included thanksgiving and a plea, “Do it again, God. We trust You”. And we do.

As new years begin, some make vision boards, some proclaim resolutions, and others throw caution to the wind and profess to live life how they want to. I implore those that don’t, to consider spending isolated time with God to learn from Him what truly matters concerning you. Spend time with your Creator, learning His voice and His comforting touch. Then make your request known to Him. Specifically, make known requests that honor God, not requests that center on glory directed to yourself.

The world is looking for answers in all the wrong places. Our lives are spared, for such a time as this. We must practice pointing to the source of our blessings, our overcoming, our breakthroughs, and our accomplishments. Take a breath and step back. Take another look at what God has done in your life. Shift your talk and your walk. Make your heart’s request known to God. He’s been waiting.

“Don’t be anxious about anything; rather, bring up all of your requests to God in your prayers and petitions, along with giving thanks.” – Philippians 4:6

The photo featured in this writing shows my excitement after receiving the Yellow Fever vaccine shot for an upcoming life-changing trip I listed as a prayer request in 2021.

Posted on by Dr. Tammi Love

We Have What We Need

Some years ago, my family spoke an affirmation that we recognized as an undeniable truth. The affirmation was all we need is in the house. Proclaiming and believing this truth yielded our determination to lean on God and the gifts God blessed us each with as we approached the uncertain moments of life. My husband introduced our family’s affirmation to the congregations we served across the country, reminding church leaders that ministry work begins with the critical work of discerning the gifts in the house (of God) and championing the truth that our gifts and callings are enough to reach those in need.

Now experiencing a new season, our family’s affirmation has remixed to – we have what we need. As before, my husband shared this affirmation with our new church family. We have what we need is a vision cry for what is on the horizon. It is also a reflection of what has been and what is. We don’t have to chase fickle people who have no fear of God. We don’t have to rely on systems that leave us stranded. We don’t have to consent to selfish egos. We don’t have to be lazy in our pursuit of joy.

We have what we need means we must take the time to invest in what God invests in. God doesn’t succumb to distractions. God persists in getting our attention and nudging us to learn more about the power within us to move mountains. We have what we need.

God is the one who enables you both to want and to actually live out his good purposes. – Philippians 2:13

Posted on by Dr. Tammi Love · 1 Comment

Name It!

I have a practice that affirms me. When God allows me the privilege to journey to His oceans and seas, I purposely plant my feet in fresh sand, walk to an isolated space on the beach, stoop down, and write the words, My Journey Matters. I usually sign and date it, take a photo, and sit (or stand) in meditation. In that isolation, shut off from distractions, I recall my spiritual journey, assess my “right now” circumstances, and then embrace a newfound perspective of my now and my later. Most importantly, I thank God for leading me to this seemingly sacred conversation between Him and me. I thank God for reminding me to speak life and to name our encounter before I left that place.

Our predicaments may change from day to day. But our mindset and our speech must champion the willful fight within. We must give voice to our God-inspired dreams and determinations. Whether it’s I can – I will – I am – I shall. We are wise to honor our overcoming with words that affirm who we are and whose we are.

This series is purposefully named My Journey Matters because I’m living the manifestation of these words in thought, word, and deed every day. Even with the highs and lows, God is relentless in His whispers to me that all of it matters, and that the journey is for my good. I love how God, in my lowest moments, reassures me of his promises, sealing those encounters with the sign of His rainbow. Naming it works! Name your encounters with God. Name your becoming adventures and your overcoming. Watch God position your journey to bless you and someone else needing a breakthrough. He knows what He’s doing.

“Rain and snow fall from the sky. But they don’t return without watering the earth that produces seeds to plant and grain to eat. That’s how it is with my words. They don’t return to me without doing everything I send them to do.” -Isaiah 55:10-11

The featured photo for this writing is from my recent travels to the Bahamas.