Tammy Strait
About the Author

An encourager, contemplator and deeply soulful spirit, Tammy writes candidly on her blog about the common struggles that bond us together as women, and how we can boldly design unhindered lives.

(in)side DaySpring: things we love
& you will too!
Find more at DaySpring.com
(in)side DaySpring:
things we love
& you will too!
Find more at
DaySpring.com
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Thank you for this, Tammy. “Courage is the ability to do something you know is difficult or dangerous because you have a faith that is bigger than fear… you believe in a love that is deeper than the pain you have been through.” I’m choosing faith today instead of fear. I hope to live in such a way today to inspire others to choose faith instead, too. And yes, His love does go much, much deeper than pain, than unanswered questions, than confusing relationships, than my own brokenness. Thanks for this post, Tammy. Congrats on your new book.

  2. The timing of this…I have lived most of my life in fear and in the illusion of self-protection. For several months now I have been thinking, processing, feeling…finding and discovering the puzzle pieces of my life and fitting them together to reveal the me God created and loves. I have just taken some difficult first steps of sharing deep secrets, past hurts, heart pain…and as hard and scary as it was, I now know a freedom and lightness.
    I still have much to work on, as the practices I have done for so long are comfortable and come as 2nd nature. Each day is a challenge to be conscience of a new way of thinking, living and believing.
    Thank you for the encouragement. Knowing I am not along in this struggle helps tremendously.

    • Oh yes Kim, you are not alone! We’re all just trying to do our best, every day. Remember imperfect progress is still progress. I’m so proud of your courage reaching out to safe community to share your story and finding freedom. He is a God of miracles, isn’t He? Keep pressing forward. Blessings to you!

  3. Thank you for posting this, Tammy! This is something I struggle with and have for a while.”Deep in The strands of our DNA is the harriers need for relationship”…. This is so true and as much as I have tried to fight this very truth… I am still left with a need for relationship. My past hurts and rejections have set up great walls in my mind causing me to block any kind of deep relationship from happening, even with my husband. “courage is the ability to do something you know is difficult and dangerous because you have a faith that is bigger than fear… You believe in a love that is deeper than the pain that you’ve been through.” this statement empowers me and pushes me to step out in faith and tear down the walls I have built around my heart and be vulnerable to being loved and loving others. Thank you so much 🙂

    • You’re welcome Kristen! I’ve tried to wall off my heart too and it just never work! He is always challenging us to reach out to find our community, even through our heartache. Because of our heartache! It’s the only thing that will set us free. I pray you will continue to find courage and reach out in faith, trusting He will meet you every step. Blessings!

  4. Your words come at a moment when what I want most is to live mostly hidden, yet I’m called to live vulnerable and open. Sometimes it seems much too hard to be seen. The truth is I need to be seen, to be open in order to be encouraging. “Morning by morning He wakens…”

    Thank you.

    • You’re welcome Joni! I’m praying for Him to minister to your heart and help you break free. To come out of hiding and find the community you so long for. Blessings.

  5. This is it….this is exactly what I’m going through right now. This is why I find myself so isolated and so lonely, why I can’t open up no matter how hard I try, why I never let anyone see the real me. I have trained myself to live a superficial life with most people, and it’s so exhausting! How I LONG for real relationships, deeper friendships and intimacy with others. Oh God, please help me. I’m so alone.

    • Oh Sharon. God knows the intimate desires of our heart and He longs to give them to us! I’m praying for you to find the courage and strength to open your heart and let Him lead you into safe community where you can set your heart free. He loves you so.

  6. Thank you so much Tammy for your encouragement today. I really needed it. What a blessing!

  7. Sometimes its easy to live on the internet you can leave instead of sticking it out and making it work. I hope to work for authenticity

    • You’re so right Alli. I wrote a chapter in my book on social media called “my so-called life.” It’s so true! We need to step out of our preferred reality and into our real one. I pray for you to be bold and find your courage to be real. Blessings to you!

  8. Today I took courage in both hands and was honest with a friend where I was at fault. Vulnerability is scary, but surface relationships more so. Right now I feel vulnerable, may I lean more on His grace.

    • YAY Ruth! I’m SO proud of your bravery! It’s is bold and brave to admit when we are wrong and seek reconciliation. I pray that through your vulnerability God will set you free. Awesome!

  9. “We were created to go deep”. I’m so glad you made that statement…..your blog really touches on the heart of the matter….sometimes those who have that thing….make me feel I should be fine without it….”be happy where you are”. …so as I’m waiting I’m working….feeling tired waiting for that oasis…I never thout that meant I was courageous…

    • Janine, you ARE courageous! Working on ourselves while we wait on God is one of the bravest things we do. One of my favorite life quotes comes from Mark Batterson, he says: “Work like it depends on you, pray like it depends on God.” God can do more than we can ask or even imagine but we have to step out in faith first. Blessings to you, brave girl!

  10. I so needed this today…God Has been telling me this for a while..thanks for the confirmation!!! It really blessed me…

  11. When I read this, I felt you were writing specifically about me. Your words ring so true for me. I’ve had these struggles my entire life. I go through a period of time when all seems to be in place and then out of no where I get a rude awakening and I’m walking through this dark valley again. Carrying this baggage has made me so weary and I find myself surrendering it to the Lord, again. For years I’ve thought to myself “there is something wrong with me”. As I mature and grow in my faith, I’m realizing it’s not me and there is comfort in knowing my Savior loves me! After all, He created me and He makes no mistakes. Thank you for the encouragement and your obedience in sharing the message the Lord wants many of us to hear! Blessings to you!

    • He does love you, so much Barbara. An extraordinary life is charted imperfectly by faith. You are certainly not alone as you grow and surrender and step out in faith. Proud of you!

  12. deeply hardwired for relationships … such truth! the struggles to not allow this realm’s apparent failures to become my focus continue to send me heaven-ward …. God is our ultimate, faithful and full of grace friend

  13. i so needed to hear this – it’s a message god has been hammering into me this week. i hide behind noise, and work, and social media sometimes. but i’m taking a step today to sit in the silence, to be real with my thoughts and emotions and see what deep wounds he wants to heal. thank you tammy!

  14. For years I hid in my home. Oh I did things out and about but not with many friends. A lot of that was due to my hearing and speech troubles. Over time God has shown me that when I go deep and open up to people–they like me and it is ok to be the me God made me!

    I struggle some with “failure” and self esteem. I don’t openly admit it, but it is there and I feel it a lot of days. I think I’ve chosen a wrong career path for myself and don’t measure up to others in this field. Thus the hurt and pain I feel at work most days. My faith is taking me to deeper levels by praying for my co-workers. God is showing me that to go deep I must live intentionally and be kind & caring for others.

    Blessings 🙂

    • It sounds like you are well on your way, Beth. It is more than okay to be the you God made you to be! Praying for your journey into deeper faith and living intentionally. Proud of your courage!

  15. Thank you for this, I needed this reminder this morning. There have been times in my life when I definitely skimmed the surface, afraid to go to deep, get hurt again. But there have been times I’ve reached out and taken some risks in friendships, and been blessed by beautiful fellowship because of it. Yes, this life is painful, but God has so many beautiful blessings for us, if we’ll only step out in faith and trust Him.

  16. Thank you! I pretend to have courage, I’m working on it. I do not have any close friends, I try but it never works out, I’m never included! My husband just lost his job, again, it makes me with draw, I’ll try to get your book from the library!
    Keep writing:)

  17. Thank you! God started to speak to my heart about a year ago, encouraging me to be authentic and genuine in my relationships. Many years of my life have been filled with people and many have not. Through each of those seasons I longed for true friendship. I longed to feel not lonely. He showed me that all the times I had been wounded had taught me to share just enough to be ‘friends’ but nothing more. I held myself at arms length thinking I’d save myself hurt. Instead, I had no one who even really knew me and lived in hurt. It hasn’t been easy. But I truly believe it has been so worth it – relearning how to share myself and choosing to trust God to put the pieces back if I should be hurt. Every single one of us are wounded and we operate out of those woundings, we WILL get hurt in this life but God is so much bigger and so able to heal our hurts and our hearts. He has created us for relationship and created us with something worthwhile to give. Loving is a risk but something I want to continue to choose to do.

  18. Tammy,

    I read your work everyday! I was meant to find you… it was perfect timing! Thank you for your words, they are truly healing. You have found your gift and calling.

  19. Sarena, thank you so much for your encouragement. It really fell on a needed heart this morning. I love how God uses each of us to minister to each other’s hearts. Blessings to you. xo