ASK #002- Who Am I?

 

written: January 18, 2022

So you probably are asking who is this new Blogger?  

My name is TammyLyn Clark and I am a follower of Christ. 

I have always followed the Lord being baptized as an infant, going through confirmation class and then confirming my faith in Christ as a teenager at Saint Paul's Lutheran church.

I grew up attending church on a regular basis with my mother, father and two brothers.   After being confirmed as a teenager at Saint Paul's Lutheran church, I was highly involved in the Sunday school program. Once I was old enough I taught Sunday school later on becoming the Sunday school superintendent and a VBS leader.

After  I graduated high school my study of God's Word became a little more formal as I attended the Lutheran college, Concordia Bronxville earning a  teacher's degree in elementary education.

After graduating college, I accepted a position at The Chapel school teaching 1st grade. There I stayed for about 2 years before moving back to upstate New York to start a family.

While living upstate, raising a family and earning my masters degree in early childhood education I became a home school mom for several years.  When the children got older I accepted a position at The King's school in Hadley, NY as the 6th grade teacher.  There I stayed for about 4 years. 

Home life was not always easy. Satan really seemed to attack on Sunday's. Sundays were probably the worst day of the week full of confrontation, conflicts and strife. 

Through all of this I know the Lord had a plan for me and my family. My 18 year marriage ended up in a divorce and this was probably the turning point for my spiritual walk with the Lord as I needed to cling to Him more than ever.  

 At this point in my life I was forced to discover who I really was….not just as a daughter, sister, mother or wife.  

But Who I was. 

Who did God call me to be?   

Up to this point in my life I was always living for others and really not fostering a deep connection and relationship  with my Heavenly Father.  After my marriage ended in divorce I didn't really have anything else.   I HAD to learn who I was and who God called me to be.

The next 3 ish years were not easy.   I went from being a stay home mom to having to find a job to provide for me and my children. I had to find a new place to live. And basically start all over again in my early 40's.    It wasn't easy, but looking back God's hand was ( and still is) all over my life.  

 After the divorce I fell into the trap of trying to find acceptance, love and security in others. I fell into relationships that were not wholesome and did not bring glory to our Father.  It took me a few years of searching my soul to see that even though I believed in God and knew Christ was my Lord and Savior I didn't have a strong heart relationship with Him. 

 A  little less than a year ago (It will be a year this February 2022) I found out about a ministry in a not so local church. 

A new friend of mine, with whom I met only by the grace of God, had told me about a class that he was going to be taking at his local church down in Hudson, New York and invited me to come along. I was a bit unsure about driving an hour and a half to some unknown church.  It wasn't like me to step out and go to unfamiliar places on my own.  So thankfully this class was being offered as a podcast.  (at this time I had only heard about podcasts but I really didn't know much about them and little did I know this particular Podcast was going to change my life forever) 

So February of last year (2021) I started listening to the class Victory Over the Darkness in podcast form and began corresponding with the facilitator.  I soon found out this course was going to be the first in a series of classes facilitated by MT Clark at Rock Solid church through his ministry with Freedom In Christ.  

 So to summarize I began attending the class Victory Over the Darkness in person in April of 2021 after being led by God (moreso pushed) to attend in person.  Little did I know this decision would help foster my ability to walk in the spirit.   I learned who I was in Christ.  I learned that I am accepted...I am secure...I am significant.  

This course was based on the teachings of Neil Anderson. I will now read some statements about who we are in Christ.  

WHO I AM IN CHRIST ORIGINALLY COMPILED BY NEIL ANDERSON

I AM ACCEPTED...

John 1:12 I am God's child.

John 15:15 As a disciple, I am a friend of Jesus Christ. 

Romans 5:1 I have been justified (declared righteous). 

1 Corinthians 6:17 I am united with the Lord, and I am one with Him in spirit. 

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 I have been bought with a price and I belong to God. 

1 Corinthians 12:27 I am a member of Christ's body.

Ephesians 1:3-8 I have been chosen by God and adopted as His child. 

Colossians 1:13-14 I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins. 

Colossians 2:9-10 I am complete in Christ.

Hebrews 4:14-16 I have direct access to the throne of grace through Jesus Christ.

I AM SECURE...

Romans 8:1-2 I am free from condemnation.

Romans 8:28 I am assured that God works for my good in all circumstances. 

Romans 8:31-39 I am free from any condemnation brought against me and I cannot be

separated from the love of God.

2 Corinthians 1:21-22 I have been established, anointed and sealed by God. 

Colossians 3:1-4 I am hidden with Christ in God.

Philippians 1:6 I am confident that God will complete the good work He started in me. 

Philippians 3:20 I am a citizen of heaven.

2 Timothy 1:7 I have not been given a spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind. 

1 John 5:18 I am born of God and the evil one cannot touch me.

I AM SIGNIFICANT...

John 15:5 I am a branch of Jesus Christ, the true vine, and a channel of His life. 

John 15:16 I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit. 

1 Corinthians 3:16 I am God's temple.

2 Corinthians 5:17-21 I am a minister of reconciliation for God. 

Ephesians 2:6 I am seated with Jesus Christ in the heavenly realm. 

Ephesians 2:10 I am God's workmanship.

Ephesians 3:12 I may approach God with freedom and confidence. 

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.

These are good promises found right in God's Word about Who we are.  We are not defined by the world but by the Word.

Let me say that again...We are not defined by the world but by the Word.

 After this class I continued with The Bondage Breaker and then The Freedom in Christ class. Throughout these classes my relationship with the Lord grew stronger and more personal.  I had a more intimate relationship with the Lord and decided to do the steps to freedom in Christ and declare my freedom verbally. 

During this time I became baptized by the Holy Siprit and since then I have continued my walk with the Lord on a daily basis. I continue to give my life to love Him and show His love to others.  

Through this faith journey God placed a wonderful man of God in my life and before the year was out in 2021 I was engaged to be married. 

What me? Engaged to be married?  I never thought that would happen again.  A mother of 5 children, the messy past I had and craziness of being a single, working mom.  Never did I imagine, but God had other plans.  

 In January of 2022, we solidified that commitment before our friends, family and our Lord.  I never thought after all I had been through and my brokeness would God bring such a man in my life.

 But it was through my faithful service to the Lord and my constant seeking of Him that Christ fulfilled His promise of a faith filled humble  and God fearing man to be my partner  for life and spiritual encourager.  

I am beyond blessed by what God has done thus far (and continues to do) in my life.  I will now live my life with my Lord and my husband by my side.  Thank you Lord for bringing MT Clark to me.  Thank you for preparing him and I for a life together in service to you.  

 So this kind of summarizes my life up to this point. I continue to seek the Lord daily and look for ways where I can show His love to others. I opened my life, my heart, my spirit and my soul to doing His will. 

Often God will put us in places where we feel inadequate or even unprepared but if we have faith in Christ we know that God never puts us in a place or situation that we cannot handle.

So go out…keep asking, seeking and knocking and He will swing the doors wide open and roll the stones away in your life.