Tina Samples > Quotes

“A woman will endure many wounds in her lifetime, but the betrayal of a friend is one of the most difficult to overcome.”
― Tina Samples

“God is the burden crusher and the freedom fighter. He has the power to change lives.”
― Tina Samples, Messed Up Men of the Bible

“Praise God for people who step with us, not on us”
― Tina Samples, Messed Up Men of the Bible

“When fathers struggle with being authentic, they leave muddy footprints on little girls' hearts.”
― Tina Samples, Messed Up Men of the Bible

“We all struggle. Even when writing this chapter, my husband and I began a discussion, that turned into a disagreement, that turned into...well, you know. We weren't quick that day in God's ways, and we weren't slow either. "Quick to listen"--nope, didn't get there. "Slow to speak"--nope, not there either. "Slow to get angry"--strike three, and we parted ways like the Red Sea. I like that we always come back together to sort through those moments. The only way we can do that is to remind ourselves of what God's Word teaches, and cultivate the fruits of the Spirit that help us live in a Christlike manner with one another.”
― Tina Samples, Messed Up Men of the Bible

“In the words of my counselor and friend, 'It's not a mess!' It may look like one, but trust that God is working in all things.”
― Tina Samples

“Chaos broke out. Screams and shouts resounded through the entire house. The fighting drove them to the back yard. One raced here and the other there, still raising their voices at one another. My parents continued to fight stronger, louder, and with greater intensity. This fight was worse than any in a long while.

As hostility raced, clouds gathered over head and rumbled with them. In the heated moment, my father clenched his fist and hit the tall Texas pine next to him. My mother prayed silently: "Lord, help me to know what to do.l" And just as their anger rose to its highest level, something unimaginable happened.

A bolt of lightning struck the tree that stood between my parents. Bark flew from its side and hit my father in the head. Smoke drifted upward as the two jumped in fear and confusion. With deafened ears, they closed their mouths, walked inside, and remained married for fifty-two years.”
― Tina Samples, Wounded Women of the Bible: Finding Hope When Life Hurts

“I love what Sarah Young wrote in her book, Jesus Calling. She wrote it as if God were speaking: Make Me the focal point of your search for security. In your private thoughts, you are still trying to order your world so that it is predictable and feels safe. Not only is this an impossible goal, but it is also counterproductive to spiritual growth. When your private world feels unsteady and you grip My hand for support, you are living in conscious dependence on Me. Instead of yearning for a problem-free life, rejoice that trouble can highlight your awareness of My presence.4”
― Tina Samples, Messed Up Men of the Bible: Seeing the Men in Your Life Through God's Eyes

“At the beginning of my healing journey, I cried a lot. But over time, I could actually speak to someone about my abuse without crying. It was as if God had pulled back the curtains of a dark room and I was peeking out at a bright blue sky. What a glorious place! Years later, the Lord placed on my heart that I needed to tell one of the persons who abused me that I forgave him. I knew he wasn't the same person anymore; at the time of the abuse, he was just a kid. I had already forgiven him, but he need to hear it. One day, at just the right time, the Lord opened the door for me to visit with him. After saying, "I forgive you," I watched as his strong shoulders shuddered and tears fell to the floor. Then he said, "I have really been longing to hear that." At that moment, my freedom became his. My dear sister, your freedom awaits. Step into the light.”
― Tina Samples, Wounded Women of the Bible: Finding Hope When Life Hurts

“In Job, it says, "Man is born for trouble, as sparks fly upward" (Job 5:7). We women have seen sparks fly upward, around, and upside down. We've seen the spark of love that ignites the beating of a heart and the spark of pain that stops it. We know the trouble we've had with man, and man with us.”
― Tina Samples, Messed Up Men of the Bible

“When I was a teenager, a woman from my church once asked me to help make salad by cutting a tomato. My heart raced as I held the knife. How do I cut it? It wasn't that I didn't know how; my mother taught me how to do things in the kitchen. My hesitancy was rooted in something my father had planted in my heart--fear. What if I cut the tomato wrong? Finally I asked, "how do I cut it?" The woman looked at me and smiled. "Any way you want." Even then I didn't know where to start. It's strange how something so simple can become a huge obstacle, but that's the impact another person's anger can have.”
― Tina Samples, Messed Up Men of the Bible

“We know Job's faith survived because his reaction to his devastating loss was to worship God: "Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped. He said, 'Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I shall return there. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord'" (Job 1:20-21). Let me encourage you and your messed up man, should he be willing, to begin to worship God from your place of brokenness.

Tina shares a dramatic story from her work as a music therapist for hospice. One day, as she prepared to leave the hospice floor at the hospital, a nurse called her back to work with a patient in respiratory arrest. Music therapists use music to match the beat of a patient's heart rate, and as the therapist slows down the beat of music, most of the time the heart rate follows, as well as the breathing. At the start of the process, the patient's wife shouted, "Sing 'Amazing Grace'?" Deciding to minister rather than work, Tina sang "Amazing Grace." The patient's distress was overwhelming. He could hardly take in air, and his chest heaved while his wife wept. Right in the middle of "Amazing Grace," The wife once more blurted out, "Sing 'Jesus Loves Me'!" Tina, switched gears and sang, "Yes, Jesus loves me." Tears streamed down the man's cheeks as he sang with her, "Yes, Jesus loves me." His words were broken and he could hardly say them, but in that moment, he worshiped the God who was about to take him home. Whatever you're facing . . . worship.”
― Tina Samples, Messed Up Men of the Bible

“Can we attest to moments of blowing it? I'm not a very good cook. One day, while my husband and I worked upstairs in our home offices, I heard a loud pop. The pop sounded like a gun. We both jumped up and ran downstairs. I turned toward the kitchen and found our lab looking up at the stove, tail wagging as if to say, "Up there!" Upon further investigation, I realized I forgot that I had put eggs in a pot to boil My forgetfulness created an unfolding of events that ultimately led to eggs exploding. Fragments of egg were everywhere! In my attempt to fix the situation, I grabbed the scalding pot and thrust it under cold water. My husband yelled, "No!"

You guessed it. When the water hit the eggs, those that hadn't already burst exploded at that very moment. Shrapnel of egg hit me square in the face speckled my hair, and splattered my clothes. I stood dumbfounded--frozen as if I really were hit by shrapnel. I expected my husband to do what I felt Jesus would have done--grab a towel and help clean me up. Instead, he stood there, lips curled and eyebrows raised, and said, "You have egg on your face."

Isn't that what we often do when the men in our life mess up? Sometimes our messes lead to those moments; sometimes they leave us broken and weeping--or at the very least, with egg on our faces.”
― Tina Samples, Messed Up Men of the Bible

“When we've lost someone close to us and choose to move forward, there is fear in the unknown. We get to choose to run toward something healthy or unhealthy. There are roadblocks to hurdle, challenges to conquer, and painful emotions to sort through. But God, in His tenderness, waits for us. He tries to settle our hearts and when we are ready, He steps with us.”
― Tina Samples, Wounded Women of the Bible: Finding Hope When Life Hurts