garden glimpses

Simple Woman's Daybook for February 13

2012-02-13T08:20:00.001-06:00

For today February 13

Outside my window.....the skies are mostly sunny and it was below zero when I woke up.

I am thinking.....about how quickly this short month is going by with so many activities filling the pages.

I am thankful.....for the Lord's provision for our family. He's never a moment too late!

I am wearing.....my bathrobe and fuzzy socks as it feels too chilly in the house to get dressed yet.

I am hearing.....the furnace running since the woodburner can't quite warm the whole house when it's this cold outside.

I am wondering.....how this political primary system ever got started. Seems totally unfair to the later primary states as candidates drop out because of early results. Guess this is a homeschool research project just waiting to happen.

I am creating.....valentines for a group of volunteers.

I am going.....to make an appointment for a daughter's ear piercing as she turns thirteen next week.

I am reading.....Humility and Absolute Surrender by Andrew Murray.

I am praying.....for a group of girls who really need to know the Lord.

I am remembering.....how cold winters typically are and this rare cold morning reminds me of how much I'm not missing that weather this winter. Thankfully it is suppose to get up into the 30's today and the rest of the week.

I am hoping.....that the winter hibernation mode my body has been in for the past several weeks will begin reversing soon.

On my mind.....is a brave son.

From the learning rooms.....we're keeping up pretty well these days.

Noticing that.....the daylight hours are beginning to stretch a bit.

I am looking forward to.....a possible brief time away in warmer weather.

Pondering these words....."Oh, you who love the Lord Jesus, take time daily in the inner chamber with Him to drink in a fresh supply of His heavenly love. It will make you strong in faith, and your joy will be full. Love, joy, faith—these will fill your life each day through the grace of the Lord Jesus. " ~ Andrew Murray

From the kitchen.....will be some simmering bowls of chili in the days ahead.

Around the house....are little piles of fabric as I work on cutting quilt blocks.

One of my favorite things.....is the cozy warmth of our woodburner on cold winter days.

A few plans for the rest of the week.....include mid-week Bible study, sewing together quilt blocks, filling out college paperwork, a ski day for the kids, and enjoying Valentine's Day.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you....

A peek at the valentines I attempted to make over the weekend. What they may lack in creativity will hopefully be made up by the fact they come from my heart of thankfulness.

Thank you for stopping and visiting my daybook on this day. If you'd like to visit others who are participating in the February daybook or write a journal yourself, please stop over at Peggy's at Simple Woman's Daybook

Blessings,

Tammy ~@~

prayer conduct

2012-02-11T08:34:00.001-06:00

Here's my thought for the day:

"If your crowd knows you as a man or woman of prayer, they have a right to expect from you a nobler type of conduct than from others." ~ Oswald Chambers

Lately it seems that God is placing a LOT on my path about prayer. In my main morning devotional the topic for February is Intercession and at the same time I've picked up a couple of books stacked next to my bedside about prayer that have been begging for me to open once again to read some more.

There is so much that could be said about prayer at the moment, yet my quiet time for the day is ending as the weekend calls my name. Instead I'll leave you with the quote above and say that if you persevere as a person of prayer your relationship with God and others does change as well as your conduct because the intimacy of prayer changes your heart. May that news warm your heart on a cold winter day!

Blessings,
Tammy ~@~

you're invited

2012-02-09T08:16:00.001-06:00

Here's my thought of the day:

"It is faith in the power of Jesus' name and in our right to use it that will give us the courage to follow where God invites us." ~ Andrew Murray

Where is God inviting YOU to go today? Have courage! He'll be right there with you as you take steps of faith that
s-t-r-e-t-c-h who He has created you to be.

Blessings,

Tammy ~@~

the hugeness of ordinary

2012-02-07T07:30:00.001-06:00

From my devotional:

"The man who missed his opportunity and met the doom of the faithless servant was not the man with five talents, or the man with two, but the man who had only one. The people who are in danger of missing life's great meaning are the people of ordinary capacity and opportunity, and who say to themselves, 'There is so little I can do that I will not try to do anything.' One of the finest windows in Europe was made from the remnants an apprentice boy collected from the cuttings of this master's great work. The sweepings of the British mint are worth millions. The little pivots on which the works of your watch turn are so important that they are actually made of jewels. And so God places solemn value and responsibility on the humble workers, the people who try to hide behind their insignificance the trifling opportunities and the single talents. Our littleness will not excuse us in the reckoning day." ~ A. B. Simpson

He's referencing the parable of the talents found in Matthew chapter 15 as well as this verse - "Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much..." (Luke 16:10)

You may feel ordinary. You may feel little. You may feel insignificant.

But I'm here to tell you that you aren't any of those things. You are indeed hand crafted by a loving God who considers you a treasure.

Step out in faith using every little simple opportunity to serve Him because no act is insignificant when your heart is focused on loving God.

Blessings,

Tammy ~@~

inclusive love

2012-02-04T08:03:00.000-06:00

Here's my thought of the day:

"Love makes people do strange things. A couple in love will go to great lengths to demonstrate their exclusive devotion. Likewise, a mother loves a child like no other person on earth. Yet the love between Christ and the believer is not just between the two of them. It is the strangest love of all, for it does not thrive on being exclusive. In fact, it is the only love relationship that grows by being inclusive of others. We must love others with Christian love in order to show our devotion to Christ. We show Christ extreme love if we are willing to love those who have not loved us back. Who is God asking you to love today for his sake?"

~ From Extreme Devotion by The Voice of the Martyrs

God's love truly is unlike any description or experience of love found on this earth. Share some today!

Blessings,
Tammy ~@~

perching on hope

2012-02-03T08:03:00.000-06:00

"Hope" is the thing with feathers

That perches in the soul

And sings the tune—without the words

And never stops at all.

~Emily Dickinson

May HOPE be something that always sings in your soul!

Blessings,
Tammy ~@~

loving through prayer

2012-02-02T08:25:00.003-06:00

"If you surrender yourself to the guidance of the Holy Spirit and live a life wholly for God, you will realize that the time spent in prayer is an offering well pleasing to God, bringing blessing to yourself and power into the lives of those for whom you pray." ~ Andrew Murray

This past week a friend and I spent some time praying through a list of people who do not know the love of Christ. We used Scripture as our guide for this prayer time as we read through Ephesians 3:14-21 using the person's name for each YOU found in the verses. We would like to do this weekly and trust God for the results which we may not personally see during our lifetime since most of these people are not people we have regular contact with in our lives.

Do you know someone in your life who needs to find God's love? Let me save you a step by providing God's Words here allowing you to pray for them right now:

"For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen (NAME) with power through his Spirit in (NAME)'s inner being so that Christ may dwell in (NAME)'s heart through faith. And I pray that (NAME), being rooted and established in love, may have power together with all the saints to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that (NAME) may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him to glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! AMEN" (Ephesians 3:14-21 NIV)

Use whatever version of the Bible you may have - we used the Living Translation that day because that was the Bible we had on hand - and mark this Scripture so you can regularly use it for a prayer time. You never know how God will use your faithfulness to prayer!

Blessings,

Tammy ~@~

love in February

2012-02-01T09:05:00.000-06:00

A new month stretches out before us! February tends to delight me because it is the shortest month in midst of a long winter. Even with this year being a Leap Year and adding an extra day it's still the shortest month. And it's also the month of LOVE....

God's love

"Beloved, if God so loved us, then we ought also to love one another." I John 4:11

Ponder how you will love others in the month ahead!

Blessings,
Tammy ~@~

share the love

2012-01-31T07:43:00.001-06:00

"For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power together with all the saints to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine, according to the power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Jesus Christ throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." ~ Ephesians 3:14-21

One of my favorite things to do is to prayer Scripture and this is one of my favorite passages to use. Fill in the word "you" with a person's name. A person who is especially in need of knowing how amazing and abundant God's love is for them. I'm guessing that could be just about every person you know! So what are you waiting for....get busy going through your list of people who need to know God's love by praying this Scripture for them! You may never know how much it could impact their life TODAY! (and that's the cool part)

Blessings,
Tammy ~@~

shooing the shoes

2012-01-30T08:53:00.000-06:00

No wonder there's no room in our mudroom. As I was recently trying to clean that room up a bit, I counted eight pairs of soccer shoes from last summer/fall in the midst of the tangled mess of boots, scarves, mittens, hats. Interestingly there's NOT eight kids that are wearing them which means we have the pairs that ended up not fitting for this season never being taken back downstairs. Time to put ALL those shoes in the downstairs closet until they'll be needed again later in the year.

A mother's work is never done, eh?

Blessings,
Tammy ~@~

be free

2012-01-28T08:14:00.000-06:00

Well, my husband filed a complaint. At first I was taken back and hurt. Then I realized it wasn't personal and it was something I could work on to help him not be so annoyed.

What was it? He said the scent of his clothes made him feel sick to his stomach. Really sick to his stomach. Even being outside when the dryer was running was making him feel that way as the air wafted in his direction in the breeze.

After my initial reaction, I was stumped. I had basically used the same detergent and softener sheets for my laundry for as long as I could remember. Tide© - with bleach once it came out - and Bounce© dryer sheets. For years. It was a combination that worked well with lots of boys and their dirty clothes combining with our dry static-filled winter air.

But my current reality is that my family is growing up and my youngest son is almost 18 years old and not playing in mudpiles much anymore these days. The last few kids at home are girls who change clothes frequently which means those clothes hardly see a dust speck.

Take that information with the consideration that perhaps those two favorite laundry products have changed their formulas over the years making them much more scented which is a disaster to my husband who already is known for his sensitive sniffer.

Time to consider change.

Here's my first attempt at change. Sticking with products I know but in their scent free sensitive line. So far so good as the scents in our clothes are gradually coming out with each washing and my husband is much happier which means I'm much happier, too.

Time to get off my computer and spend some time using those products this weekend!

Blessings,
Tammy ~@~

head to heart

2012-01-27T08:23:00.000-06:00

Yesterday for our devotional time, we were on Psalm 136. Growing up in a liturgical kind of church, I thought it would be fun to read the beginning of each verse and have the kids reply together with second half of the verse - His love endures forever. We were about a third of the way through the psalm and the kids weren't thinking it was so fun. To them who had not grown up in a liturgical kind of church it seemed like a silly thing to do.

So we talked about why the author of this psalm kept repeating that phrase - because he felt this was an important lesson to sink into the hearts of those who read it. As the author - inspired by God - considered so many things about God, his only heart response could be that His love endures forever.

Ya ya, they agreed. Ya ya, they know that in their heads was my realization. Ya ya, someday when they are perhaps older they will know it in their hearts was my other realization.

Because as they live their lives that thread of faith will weave throughout each day. They will pass through deep waters and dark valleys and when everything falls apart there will be that thread of faith still evident when they realize in their hearts the one and only truth that will truly matter - His love endures forever.

And then they will read Psalm 136 with eyes filled with emotion. Like their mom.

His love endures forever.

Don't forget it!

Blessings,
Tammy ~@~

all the Bread

2012-01-26T08:50:00.000-06:00

It's always cool to me how God reinforces what He's teaching me through Scripture that jumps out at me. Here's the verse that went with my devotional today:

"Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." ~ Matthew 4:4

Eating daily is essential to life. When our bodies are not being properly nourished with good foods, life fades away.

So it is spiritually. Jesus talks much about being the Bread of Life in John chapter six. We need to be feeding on the words of God daily to become nourished as we allow God's words to fill our hearts.

What does that have to do with yesterday? Think of bread. How many people pull off the crusts to only eat the the soft middle? Or just the opposite as I knew someone who use to pull off the crusts to eat them and left the soft middle uneaten.

Jesus is the Living Bread. We need to be nourished with ALL of His Word. Nothing is optional. It's all essential. It's all life giving.

Think about that today when you eat your sandwich for lunch....

Blessings,
Tammy ~@~

not optional

2012-01-25T07:54:00.001-06:00

Just passing along what has been my thought for the week. It was something the pastor said at a church I was visiting on Sunday and it has kept me searching my heart.

"We often treat things in God's Word as optional."

It made me think of all the topics and things I've read about through the years such as books on pregnancy, parenting, gardening, homeschooling, and my Christian walk - and how I've treated the information I've read. Some of it has been valuable and useful; other things have not seemed worth doing anything with and are disregarded in my mind.

Have I treated God's Word in the same manner? Picking and choosing what I want to live by and disregarding in my mind that which I don't think is worthy doing?

Fortunately a primary Scripture passage - Psalm 139 - used in churches across the country this past Sunday has the key in its final verses to helpi me with that question:

"Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!" ~Psalm 139:23-24

Yes, search me, O God, as my heart's desire is to treat your Word as necessary and essential for living a life that is pleasing to YOU!

Blessings,

Tammy ~@~

lemony goodness

2012-01-21T07:00:00.000-06:00

One of our new favorite crockpot recipes is Easy Lemon Chicken I found the recipe on Pinterest and I love it for two reasons - it's quick and it's tasty. It is very lemony so if you don't want to be overpowered by the flavoring either reduce down to one lemon or do a lot more chicken (I do the second option and it's wonderful!). When the chicken is done, it shreds so very wonderfully for hot chicken sandwiches which our family loves to eat using hard rolls. Yum!

Try it! You'll like it!

Blessings,
Tammy ~@~

some timeless writings

2012-01-19T14:28:00.003-06:00

At a conference I attended last fall, a man named Andrew Murray was quoted by a couple different speakers. Although I had heard the name before, I wasn't too familiar with his writings until recently when I picked up a couple of his books and began reading them. It makes me smile when I realize how relevant God's Word continues to be as I can read an author's reflections upon Scripture back in the 1800's and see how well it can be applied in today's world.

So, you may see quotes from Andrew Murray here in the days ahead as I ponder his writings. Things like this.....

"Christian, you live in a dangerous world; cling to the Lord Jesus. As He teaches you to shun the world and its attractions, your love will go out to Him in loyal-hearted service. But remember, there must be daily fellowship with Jesus. His love alone can expel the love of the world. Take time to be alone with your Lord." ~ Andrew Murray

Take time each day to be alone with the Lord. You'll never regret it!

Blessings,
Tammy ~@~

in order

2012-01-16T08:46:00.003-06:00

Although I had heard others mention it before, I think the timing was right when I read Kimmie's I DID IT! post about finishing up her chronological Bible reading for the year. It immediately had me thinking about doing that myself since I had never read the Bible in the order in which the events actually occurred. My thought was to get a reading guide to use my own Bible until I found that our local Christian bookstore sold one year chronological Bibles and I couldn't resist purchasing one.

I've enjoyed it so far. It was fun to start in Genesis and go from Noah's ark, then the tower of Babel, and then suddenly jump into the book of Job where I'm still reading now.

If you haven't read through the Bible over a year, you're not too late to start. Go for it! You'll never regret your journey through God's Word.

Blessings,
Tammy ~@~

hey bubble

2012-01-14T08:36:00.002-06:00

There's always a surprise or two when I download my camera onto my computer. Here's one of the latest:

Actually, I consider it photographic evidence proving where my husband's Christmas gift of bubble gum is quietly disappearing. Guilty as charged!

Enjoy your weekend!

Blessings,
Tammy ~@~

to dream or to ask

2012-01-13T08:57:00.000-06:00

"At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, 'Ask for whatever you want me to give you.'" ~ I Kings 3:5

"So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong." was King Solomon's reply in I Kings 3:9

At this moment there are several situations that I need God's wisdom in order to make important decisions or to be able to advise with discernment. I would simply love it if the Lord would appear to me in a dream and allow me to ask Him for whatever I wanted Him to give me because there is truly nothing else I can think of I want at the moment except W.I.S.D.O.M. Not any old wisdom, but HIS wisdom.

And yet, I do not need to long for a dream when I am reminded of this verse in the New Testament:

James 1:5 - "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him."

Lacking wisdom? Ask God and He will give wisdom generously. But there's a catch....

"But let him ask in faith, with no doubting....." ~ James 1:6

When asking for wisdom, it must be in complete confidence of what God will reveal. With complete confidence you can take that step of faith to obediently follow Him where He faithfully leads.

So to dream or to ask in prayer? What's your choice?

Blessings,
Tammy ~@~

are you laughing yet?

2012-01-10T07:55:00.000-06:00

How often have you told one of your bored children to go find a book to read from one of the many bookshelves you have and then you've had them come up to you with this kind of book in their hands?

This is the kind of book that brings a mother to her knees saying, "Mercy! Mercy!" because the child who has found this kind of book will follow you everywhere you go in your house as they read each and every single line.....

Just sayin'.....knock knock....

Blessings,

Tammy ~@~

Simple Woman's Daybook for January 9

2012-01-09T07:30:00.000-06:00

For today January 9

Outside my window.....the skies are cloudy in this warmer than normal weather.

I am thinking.....about how much harder it is to take off holiday weight gain the older I get :::sigh:::

I am thankful.....to know that the Lord always has my kids in His sight and will take care of them when they are out of my sight.

I am wearing.....a denim skirt and a peach and pink striped t-shirt.

I am hearing.....my dog snoring by my feet.

I am wondering.....how my little grandson managed to get the chicken pox before his older sister.

I am creating.....a list of some goals for the winter months.

I am going.....to finally make an appointment with my eye doctor. I give up on the "glasses on, glasses off" routine that I've developed.

I am reading.....Humility and Absolute Surrender by Andrew Murray

I am praying.....for some work to keep my husband busy during the winter months.

I am remembering.....that today would have been my mom's 74th birthday. I miss her!

I am hoping.....that this warm weather lasts a bit longer before the typical January deep freeze settles in.

On my mind.....is a list that is longer than the time I have to accomplish it (I think I could keep this statement here every month!)

From the learning rooms.....we are trying to get back on track with our schooling this week after having a challenging time of getting any schoolwork done last week.

Noticing that.....the reason I love my cups of coffee so much is because of the milk and sugar that get stirred into them. If I'd go back to black coffee like the olden days I could probably kick this habit. But do I want to? is the question.....

I am looking forward to.....spring! Is it too soon to say that?

Pondering these words....."Watch God's ways in your life, you will find He is developing you as He does the trees and the flowers, a deep silent working of the God of creation. " ~ Oswald Chambers

From the kitchen.....I've been trying some new recipes that I found on Pinterest and so far they've been the thumbs up kind.

Around the house....things are finally getting settled again. I discovered I hadn't put the Christmas music away yet and hopefully that is the last of the holiday stuff!

One of my favorite things.....is sitting by our woodburner in the mornings while doing my devotions.

A few plans for the rest of the week.....include dentist appointments this afternoon for four kids, working on my husband's monthly bookwork (and starting to think about the end of the year tax bookwork), mid-week Bible study, hopefully some sewing(it's on my goals list), and preparing for a weekend of the grandkids staying with us.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you....of my favorite present that I received for Christmas which was a wonderful surprise! A photo calendar put together by my children. I love how their pictures are on their birthdays :-)

Thank you for stopping and visiting my daybook on this day. If you'd like to visit others who are participating in the January daybook or write a journal yourself, please stop over at Peggy's at Simple Woman's Daybook

Blessings,

Tammy ~@~

a heartfelt prayer

2012-01-07T15:43:00.001-06:00

A prayer for the day....for any day....for every day!

"O LORD, for greater sweetness and beauty and roundness of character, I pray; for the gift of spiritual energy and full-patienced life toward all and in Your presence. Your sweetness, patience, beauty--manifest them, O Lord. Preserve me from the pattern and print of the age I live in. Today, O Lord, cleanse me from hurry, and keep me purely and calmly Yours. Renew your joy and power in and through me for your glory, keeping me clear and pure for You." ~ Oswald Chamber

Blessings,
Tammy ~@~

crafty relaxin'

2012-01-06T07:00:00.000-06:00

It seems I got bit by the crafting bug shortly before Christmas this year. The only item I had planned on making was a Christmas stocking for my grandson, but then my daughter-in-law mentioned that she'd like her own stocking.

So a new Christmas stocking was made for her, too, although that ended up being an after Christmas project since I was busy with a couple other projects before Christmas.

Like the chenille hot pads I made - one for each of the married girls of our family. A friend showed me one in the middle of December and they looked so easy that I thought I'd try making them as gifts. Fortunately they were fast and easy to make which means I should probably consider making a few for myself.

Or the flour sack towels which weren't part of my plan either until I was doing some other shopping during December and walked past them at the store. Hmmm, on sale and with a bunch of embroidery iron transfer patterns on sale next to them. So, again, I worked on three so each of the married girls of our family could have one.

Although doing these extra unplanned things added a little more stress to an already full and busy schedule, what I ended up finding out was that I really enjoyed sitting and working on them. It's been along time since I've spent much time on my sewing machine and I could feel my whole body hum with happiness as I stitched away. It really was a wonderful way to RELAX doing something that I enjoyed doing.

AND :::::whispering::::: I really think I need to schedule some regular daily unwinding time doing this kind of stuff. Even if it's only fifteen minutes a day working on one of the many quilts that I've already started or sketched out in my mind. Fifteen minutes of relaxation a day for some creative crafting.

It almost sounds like a resolution, doesn't it?

Guess we'll see as the year goes by, won't we?

Blessings,

Tammy ~@~

potato eatin' good

2012-01-04T19:42:00.000-06:00

As I was downloading my camera from our holidays, I ran across the picture I had taken of a special salad I made. My husband loved it the first time I made it quite awhile ago, but because he's the lone eater of this type of salad I hadn't made it again, well, until New Year's Day when we had a houseful of people here who would enjoy it with him.

I think of it as Donna's German Potato Salad as I first read through the recipe on Donna's Quiet Life blog and it sounded like a winner PLUS it is so very simple to make. Here's the recipe: German Potato Salad

Enjoy!

Blessings,
Tammy ~@~

choosing beauty

2012-01-03T08:44:00.001-06:00

A new year! A new calendar! A new verse!

The new year begins with:

"He hath made everything beautiful in His time."
~ Ecclesiastes 3:41

As you look to the year ahead, choose to look with new eyes. There is beauty all around you each and every moment of the day. Perhaps it's a choice of whether you choose to look or not. Even more so, it's a choice of whether you choose to have a positive attitude or negative attitude as you go through each day because that will greatly affect whether you are looking and what you are seeing.

So to see beauty in the month - or year - ahead you must:

*Choose to look around you

*Choose to have a positive attitude when looking

*Choose to see things through the eyes of Jesus

Blessings,
Tammy ~@~

vision focus

2011-12-29T14:20:00.000-06:00

My thought to ponder for the day..."You have to walk in the light of the vision that has been given to you and not compare yourself with others or judge them, that is between them and God." ~ Oswald Chambers

God has a special purpose and plan which only YOU can fulfill. Keeping your eyes and focus on that vision will keep you plenty busy not allowing any extra time to start thinking about others and what they are doing. A thought to take to heart right now!

Blessings,
Tammy ~@~

the best nutrition

2011-12-28T09:16:00.000-06:00

Sharing a bit of my devotional from this morning as it's a wonderful thing to consider as we begin a new year in just a few days. Plus it's written by one of my favorite authors :-) The devotional was based on this verse:

Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart. ~ Jeremiah 15:16

"When we read God's Word, we have to be doing more than checking it off our to-do list. We have to read it to digest it. Slow, thoughtful absorption of the Word of God with quiet reflection on its implications is high in nutrition. His Word provides all the ingredients we need to thrive spiritually:

*a direct connection to the sustainer of our soul

*brain food that makes us wise and discerning

*a daily check-up revealing the condition of our hearts

*preventative medicine keeping us from sin

*a spiritual shower of peace, hope, and comfort

Eat God's Word. It's a spiritual feast! ~ Joe Stowell

What a wonderful prescription for good spiritual health as we come into the new year! Start your new year with a way to make your heart rejoice each and every day!

Blessings,
Tammy ~@~

the changing holidays

2011-12-26T08:25:00.002-06:00

The life of a family is constantly changing. As much as we want to freeze certain moments of time - and speed up others! - time marches on at a steady pace.

We've had many crazy Christmas years as our family has been growing up. There's nothing in the entire world like watching lots of young children opening presents - be sure to put that on my favorite list of life things - and then it seems that suddenly the small children have grown up. Not only do they grow up, but they move away from home, get married, start their own families, and begin their own traditions. And that's a very good thing :-) However, it's part of the changing of the life of a family especially when it comes to holidays.

All that to say....our Christmas this year was very quiet. The children home ranged from eight years old to nineteen so present opening was much more low key. Older children want more expensive items which means a LOT fewer packages. The youngest was still delighted with the present opening and everyone was happy at the end of this brief encounter with their gifts, but once it was over everyone got into high gear. Within thirty minutes, the house was suddenly quiet again as all the older ones were gone. Only myself and the youngest who has a coughing cold at the moment were left behind.

And a new tradition was born on this Christmas Day....

....as they headed out for a day of skiing and snowboarding! They had a wonderful fun day as the ski hills were rather quiet on Christmas Day. It was perfect as two of them went snowboarding for the first time on a real ski hill instead of practicing on the hill by our house. They arrived home tired and sore and full of stories.

Back home my youngest found quiet activities to do throughout the day which was just what she needed for a change. My time was spent making a few more holiday treats, working on some sewing projects for gifts, and wrapping the last of the presents.

For you see, while everyone else in the world is at the end of their Christmas holiday, the life of our changing family means our big holiday event is yet to come as we will all celebrate together toward the end of this week when everyone travels home. That is when the wrapping paper will be flying, the conversation will be loud, the laughter will be contagious, the conversations at the kitchen table will be boisterous, and the wrestling of the boys will begin.

THOSE are the moments a mother treasures in her heart for a long long time with a very thankful heart!

Hoping your holidays have been merry and bright! Enjoy!

Blessings,

Tammy ~@~

packages of all sizes

2011-12-21T07:45:00.001-06:00

Coming home after being gone all day, I was delightfully surprised to see that shipped packages had arrived as they were stacked in the kitchen. However, after looking at them closer I had a concern. For the life of me, I could not figure out what was in the biggest box. My memory could only pull up one small thing I was waiting for and it certainly wouldn't require a box that big. I was going to check my order online before bed, but I was ohhh sooo tired and forgot all about doing that when I couldn't keep my eyes opened any longer.

This morning I pulled up the order in my email and had one of those "Aha!" moments as I reviewed the list realizing that the majority of the things in the box weren't mine. The order had included several things that my children needed for the family members they were Christmas shopping for this year. WHEW!

As I thought about it while exercising this morning, it reminded me of a conversation I had yesterday with a friend. We were talking about sin and how when we make what may seem like a small fall into temptation it often comes with HUGE consequences because there is a ripple effect often into the lives of others that suddenly makes that small sin into a huge elephant in a room.

What we thought was a small package is suddenly a large box because other people are involved either directly or indirectly. The ugliness of sin

And that brought me to one place. A baby.

As prophesied in God's Word, a small package would arrive on this earth in the little town of Bethlehem in the form of a baby. But as happens with all babies, they grow up into adults and the world would come to know this big package as the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. He lived, He died, He rose again...all to take care of those HUGE packages of sin each person on this earth accumulates. He offers complete forgiveness of sins and the free gift of salvation as you turn from your sins and turn toward him.

God, the greatest gift giver of all, offers the greatest gift of all. Don't turn down this gift because your life does depend upon it!

Blessings,
Tammy ~@~

ironing out change

2011-12-20T08:36:00.000-06:00

For those of you who have read here long enough, you know that ironing and homeschooling go together for me. For years I've ironed clothes while giving spelling tests. And once it seemed I regularly fell asleep sitting next to my younger readers while they were reading to me, I moved them into our laundry area where they could read to me while I was upright ironing.

I realize that there are people out there who would consider this ironing task with dread and distaste, but I honestly LOVE it! It's relaxing to me :-)

So, how interesting was it yesterday when I asked my youngest to come into my bedroom to do her reading. I told her she could sit in my comfy rocking chair and read aloud while I wrapped presents nearby on the card table that I had set up. She went and got her books and charts and settled into the chair. But then there was a look of obvious distress on her face as she began reading. Tears were forming in her eyes. As I watched this process worsen, I asked her what was wrong.

"I can't read here. It's too hard. We need to go downstairs so you can iron while I read."

:::::thud:::::

Well, that was a first!

I hadn't pegged this little one as someone that would have a problem with "change", but there it was clearly in black and white.

We talked a bit and I encouraged her to finish the reading she was doing which she did get through, but was she ever relieved to be done.

You know, just when you think you have your kids figured out, then something new pops up. Knowing that she may be sensitive to things changing around her, I'll have to be more watchful in the days ahead to help her ease into situations that may come up.

The reality as we know it is that life is all about change, isn't it? We can either kick and scream about it OR see what the Lord has in mind. I'd prefer the second choice as I find His plan is always more interesting than what I had in mind. How about you?

Blessings,
Tammy ~@~

finding Truth

2011-12-19T09:17:00.000-06:00

A week has passed! I can't believe I haven't been here to post in a week. It's not that there's a lack of things that could be written about and posted as there's lots of life happening right now. It's more a lack of knowing how to put many big thoughts into few small spaces so that people will actually read them.

These words from Oswald Chambers expressed it perfectly for me last week: "If you cannot express yourself on any subject, struggle until you can. If you do not, someone will be the poorer all the days of his life. Struggle to re-express some truth of God to yourself, and God will use that expression to someone else. God through the winepress of God where the grapes are crushed. You must struggle to get expression experimentally, then there will come a time when that expression will become the very wine of strengthening to someone else; but if you say lazily--'I am not going to struggle to express this thing for myself, I will borrow what I say', the expression will not only be of no use to you, but of no use to anyone. Try to state to yourself what you feel implicitly to be God's truth, and you give God a change to pass it on to someone else through you."

It's easy to summarize all of that to say I'm struggling on several levels. There's a raw emotion that comes with it and I'm sorting through the feelings to find God's truth. The challenge comes with being in *the season* that also brings a rush of emotions mixed with memories of Christmases past. The sense of being incredibly blessed in a world that lives in darkness and heartache is sometimes overwhelming. All that to say....

The Truth is out there shining His Light. Watch for it!

It's in places like churches that return every Christmas to children who very simply tell the old old story as angels sing, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." ~ Luke 2:14 It is this story of the greatest love of all given to the entire world as the the greatest gift of all.

His peace, love, and joy! May it be yours today!

Blessings,
Tammy ~@~

Simple Woman's Daybook for December 12

2011-12-12T13:30:00.001-06:00

For today December 12

Outside my window.....the skies are almost foggy with a misty snow coming down.

I am thinking.....about finding my cross stitch fabric this afternoon so I can get going on a Christmas stocking.

I am thankful.....for the good health of our family at the moment despite all the *bugs* going around right now.

I am wearing.....a pair of blue jeans and a warm green top.

I am hearing.....Christmas music playing in the kitchen where the girls are *ice skating* on the kitchen tile floor.

I am wondering.....how to best handle a situation with one of my children that I know will NOT be well received by them when I address it.

I am creating.....a list of the final items I need to order online.

I am going.....to stop by the Christian bookstore this week to see what new devotional journals are available for the new year.

I am reading.....With by Skye Jethani

I am praying.....for a son who has college finals this week.

I am remembering.....making Christmas cookies at my grandma's house when I was a little girl.

I am hoping.....to wrap some Christmas presents today so I don't have to worry as much about possible snoopers in the house.

On my mind.....is a list that is longer than the time I have to accomplish it.

From the learning rooms.....we are busy trying to get our schooling done before the holidays PLUS I have to get a high school transcript typed up ASAP for a college application.

Noticing that.....these dark mornings and late afternoons make me sleepy putting me into a hibernation mode these days.

I am looking forward to.....when our family will be all together over the holidays.

Pondering these words....."Finding our hope with God rather than in our circumstances means that if our external circumstances suddenly change, perhaps even tragically, our hope can remain intact. " ~ Skye Jethani

From the kitchen.....we are washing up brand new dishes which will replace the pieced together patchwork dishes we've been using for a long time.

Around the house....are - simply put - lots of MESSES!

One of my favorite things.....is watching the snow come down outside our windows during the month of December.

A few plans for the rest of the week.....include the children's Christmas program tonight and again on Sunday morning, working a bit, doing my husband's monthly bookwork, a chiropractor appointment, mid-week Bible study, picking up a son from college, present ordering and wrapping, Christmas letter writing, and.....isn't that enough when added to the normal routine?!?!

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you....of a gingerbread house. Friends of ours had an extra one and gave it to the girls who enjoyed frosting and decorating it last night.

Thank you for stopping and visiting my daybook on this day. If you'd like to visit others who are participating in the December daybook or write a journal yourself, please stop over at Peggy's at Simple Woman's Daybook

Have a wonderful Christmas season celebrating the coming of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords!

Blessings,

Tammy ~@~

tree worthy

2011-12-09T08:12:00.001-06:00

Last Saturday we went Christmas tree hunting and cut down the perfect tree for us. Over the week the kids have been putting on the ornaments and trying to keep them high enough that the cat won't knock them down. I've noticed that as our family is growing, the ornaments on the tree are decreasing as each child takes the ornaments they've collected over the years with them as they start a new family. It's actually kind of nice in a way because you can really notice different ornaments instead of so many ornaments making a blur together on the tree.

It only took me a moment to find one of my oldest favorite ornaments. I hadn't grown up with an ornament tradition, however my mom had given me this one during my senior year of high school.

I love it not only because it is dated, but also because it was so fitting at the time as the group of friends I spent time with began downhill skiing that winter. We had a lot of good clean fun during those times and every time I see that Precious Moments girl skiing the memory makes me smile.

Do you have a favorite ornament on your tree that brings a smiling memory?

Blessings,
Tammy ~@~

the gift of Bread

2011-12-07T07:51:00.001-06:00

This morning I had one of those "I never knew that" kind of moments. I never knew that the name Bethlehem meant "House of Bread". Yes, it was located in a grain producing area in the Old Testament, but I was more struck by the fact that in the New Testament it was the birthplace of Jesus who is the Living Bread.

"I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread he will live forever." ~ John 6:51

As I consider how many people are searching and struggling after finding emptiness in the world around them, our Advent celebration of our Coming King is the answer! What a perfect season to share about the Living Bread who was born in the House of Bread. Jesus provides nourishment and life for all spiritual hunger and He offers it freely to anyone.

JESUS - a perfect gift idea for anyone and everyone on YOUR Christmas list!

Blessings,

Tammy ~@~

walking until the end

2011-12-06T07:59:00.001-06:00

My devotional this morning was about following family lines through genealogies which is a popular thing these days. My mother-in-law had traced her family line quite far back and it's interesting to read the names as well as some occupations of ancestors. I also have a cousin who has done a lot of research of my mom's side of the family and he has collected interesting information, too.

The devotional, however, was talking about the family lines listed in the Bible found in Genesis chapter five with one person highlighted who escaped the other eight whose life story ended with "and he died" - Enoch. Enoch is noted in verse 23 for the fact that he "walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away."

When I think about my family tree, it is interesting that little information is given unless it is important. The same thing seems to apply to this family line listed in Genesis with only more information listed because it was important. He walked with God.

Can you think of anything more important to be noted for when your life is over and done and only a line jotted in a genealogy?

It's a daily moment by moment lifestyle to walk with God - one that takes commitment as you build that relationship with Him. Yet what a blessing it would be if the only thing noted about your life when it was over was that you walked with God!

Off to go walking.....how about you?

Blessings,
Tammy ~@~

the best Fireman

2011-12-03T08:58:00.001-06:00

Often people will comment to me about how I must have LOTS of good stories having raised a large family. And often I respond to them that I know I have LOTS of good stories which are unfortunately locked up in my steel trap of my mind. Life was so busy when all of my kids were little that my memories were savored as we lived them and only arise again when my older ones go through reminiscing moments when we are gathered together. Those times are worthy of many smiles! How I wish the world was blogging back when they were all little so I could at least have a written journal to look back upon instead of those hastily written at the end of the day jottings on a calendar page.

So, when my daughter-in-law recently had one of those wonderful moments happen in her life with my getting close to four year old grandson, I had to ask her if I could borrow it to share. Here it is:

The mom: What do you know about Jesus?

The son: He helps us!!

The mom: That's right!! Why does He help us?

The son: ....(pause, then triumphant hand raise) ...Because He's a fire-fighter!!!

I've either failed as a Biblical educator, or he's a junior theologian...not sure which.

Isn't this delightful? And wouldn't you agree that he is a junior theologian? Jesus does help us because He is a fire-fighter. He helps fight the fires of Hell and offers Living Water to put them out.

Yup, yup. I have a smart little grandson! I think I need to get him a fire truck for Christmas :-)

Blessings,

Tammy ~@~

great joy

2011-12-01T09:46:00.001-06:00

Welcome to December!

"Do not be afraid; I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people." ~ Luke 2:10

Great joy for all people!

It's a season that we can so easily lose JOY as the days get weighted down with extra activities, shopping, baking, and general busyness that comes with the holidays. Yet it also happens to be a season where hearts are more tender to hear about Jesus.

I think back to the "make haste slowly" of the other day and how important it is that we slow down the busyness of the season so we can listen to God. So we can open our eyes to those who are in need. So we can share the love of God and the joy that flows from our hearts. None of that will happen if we are too busy.

For we truly do have good news of great joy for all people and there's no better time than right now to share it as we celebrate the coming of our newborn King throughout the month of December!

Blessings,

Tammy ~@~

give a hand

2011-11-30T07:33:00.001-06:00

As I was working on cleaning out my emailbox over the Thanksgiving break , I was overwhelmed by the number of prayer requests I have had over the past year for people who had lost loved ones. Over the passage of time, I hadn't realized the amount of loss as I considered those families who were coming upon their first Thanksgiving without those who were loved sitting at their tables.

Add that to others who have lost dear friends and family in recent years or even in not so recent years and it makes the holidays - which are filled with memories - a difficult sad and lonely time.

How appropriate to read this poem this morning:

Some of us walk into Advent

tethered to our unresolved yesterdays,

the pain still stabbing,

the hurt still throbbing

It's not that we don't know better;

it's just that we can't stand up

anymore by ourselves.

On the way to Bethlehem,

will you give us a hand?

~Ann Weems

As we enter this advent season preparing for the celebration of our coming King, keep your heart tender toward those who are having a heart hard time. Extend a smile, a listening ear, a hug, a whispered prayer, some extra love, and maybe a tear or two. Doing the "Jesus with skin on" is never wasted, especially now.

Blessings,
Tammy ~@~

making haste slowly

2011-11-28T17:35:00.001-06:00

Here's a glimpse at the creative name holders for our Thanksgiving guests that my daughter-in-law and one of my daughters made after looking for ideas online:

Aren't they nice? A pilgrim's hat, a big turkey drumstick, and a corn tassel. Our table was much less crowded than past years as there were only eleven of us gathered together for our traditional Thanksgiving meal. However, having fewer people around for the long weekend didn't make the time go slower. In fact, the time passed quickly and here we are in the last few days of November.

We're entering into the love-hate season of the year for me. I do so love many things about the Christmas holidays, but I do so hate the stress that comes with them, too. So many more extra things to do that aren't part of our usual routine.

More baking. More shopping. More writing. More sewing.

Money squeezed. Time squeezed. Work squeezed. Sleep squeezed.

Gaining shipping charges. Gaining additional weight. Gaining daytime darkness. Gaining fluffy snow.

Singing favorites quietly. Telling secrets quietly. Crying memories quietly. Hiding presents quietly.

And all in less than thirty days!

"The old Latin motto festina lente, 'make haste slowly', has a great lesson for us. The more work we have to do, the more frequently we have to drop our head upon our desk and wait a little for heavenly aid and love, and then we can press on with new strength." ~ A.B. Simpson

What a wonderful reminder to drop my head upon my desk and wait a little for heavenly aid and love so I can press on with new strength as I am reminded about the most important thing of this season which isn't on the list above. Celebrating the coming of the King!

My heart's desire is to make haste slowly as I savor what this season is all about moment by moment not wanting to come to the end of this time weary and discontented, but joyful and expectant for the celebration of our newborn King!

Blessings,

Tammy ~@~

don't bite that bait

2011-11-26T08:51:00.001-06:00

This past fall we had some unexpected excitement around here when my husband had a restless full moon night of sleep and decided to get up and go fishing. He whispered an invitation to me to come along as he was getting dressed, but falling back to sleep in a bed all to myself sounded much more inviting.

When he returned back home that morning about an hour before we needed to leave for church, it was hard to read his eyes as he extended a new invitation to me to come out to his truck. My mind wandered to a possible damaged truck from a running deer. However it wasn't the truck he wanted me to see, but rather a peek into his boat.

And there it was.

A BIG FISH!

I mean a really big fish.

A fish that he hadn't intended to catch as he was using a bait that would look appetizing to a larger version of a smaller fish which we love to eat.

But the fish took a bite and apparently kept swallowing as the bait lodged too deep to do a "catch and release" move by my husband. The consequence of his big bite was certain death and future mounting for our wall.

As I was reading Scripture verses about sin this morning, I thought about the consequences of sin in our lives. We are often tempted by little temptations and toy around with them not thinking they'll really affect us. But all sin - no matter what it is - has consequences. Once we take the bite it's only a matter of time before we've swallowed the entire bait way too deep to be able to easily release ourselves from it. How easily the aftermath of such a sequence of events will land us on being mounted on the enemy's wall as his slave. Ugh.

"Jesus replied, 'I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.'" ~ John 8:34-36

We all have a choice as to who we will call master. It's either the enemy or Jesus Christ. There's no such thing as being neutral. You can either be enslaved by sin and its deception OR you can follow the Master who offers you freedom from sin as you enjoy a new life walking with Him. Take a bite of the enslaving bait OR accept the free gift of new and eternal life. It's your choice....

Seems like kind of a heavy topic as we enter the holiday season. But you know what? The God of abundant and amazing love sent His Son as a baby to this earth for one reason.....to die for OUR sins which have separated us from Him

So when you are making gift choices for the Christmas season, make sure you don't overlook the most important and greatest gift of all!

Blessings,

Tammy ~@~

the importance of now

2011-11-25T08:35:00.001-06:00

Here's something I don't think I've ever really thought about before:

Eternal life, then, is unending union with God. Many people have accepted the idea that eternal life begins when their body dies, and that their present life is therefore of less importance--it is a temporary life, they believe. But if we see that union with God is promised to us today, in this present life, then our perspective changes. If we are with God, then our eternal life begins now and will continue forever. The life we are now living with him will never cease." ~ Skye Jethani

Yet don't we live like that as believers? Like this is only a temporary life and therefore it's not as important? Many believers walk through this life rather ho hum :::yawn::: getting by until someday when the Lord will take them home. THEN life will begin.

No, my friend, eternal life began the moment you accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Opening the gift that He is will take your entire lifetime and is part of living fully and completely with Him. NOW is important.

"Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory." ~ Psalm 73:23-24

Yup, He's holding our hand as we walk with Him through our NOW days. Always.

Stop yawning and start living!

Blessings,
Tammy ~@~

doing and not doing the pc thing

2011-11-24T06:53:00.001-06:00

One of the favorite things about Thanksgiving preparations is the PC. Pie Crust. At the end of my pie making duties, all the scrap crust pieces are thrown into pie pans, sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon and baked for a little bit while the last pie of the day is baked. It's a yummy traditional treat to eat on the day before Thanksgiving and we love doing PC.

This past week I've been *chewing on* the Scripture from Sunday which came from Colossians 3:12-17. Lots of good nourishing stuff in only a few verses. There were three phrases that jumped out to me (ESV):

*be thankful

*thankfulness in your hearts to God

*giving thanks to God

The disciples often talked about thankfulness and I recently wrote about this when I flipped my calendar to the new month of November as I considered the verses bringing me to always.thanks.everything The disciples developed a habit of thankfulness long before the Pilgrims ever came to America. Every day for them was a day of celebrating thankfulness. It was part of who they were as they recognized who God was and continually gave thanks to Him.

Giving thanks always for everything in today's world probably wouldn't be considered PC. Politically Correct. Yet as we come to know God's goodness and love which grows our trust and faith in Him, how can we not celebrate thankfulness every day for everything. It's going against the PC culture we live in which is wrapped around self-centered living and instead keeping our hearts on God centered living with thankfulness.

Do enjoy this celebration of Thanksgiving today and everyday as you keep your heart God-centered impacting the world around you!

Blessings,

Tammy ~@~

giving in to the white

2011-11-21T08:43:00.001-06:00

I feel like I'm kicking and screaming every time we hit this time of the year. But alas, it does me absolutely no good. Winter starts moving in whether I like it or not during these gray gloomy November days.

The snow covers all the sandbox dumptrucks and toys and the beloved baby swing that were so busily in use not so many weeks ago.

The snow freezes a clothespin to the line for the winter ahead as no one will be hanging clothes there for a long time. Notice the rusty brown oak tree leaves in the background still hanging on for dear life, too!

The garden gate is done being opened for the season as the piling snow will prevent it from moving until spring. The kiwi vines on the garden fence will rest, too.

The pine trees which offer the only color in the winter woods are even covered for the moment.

The crabapple tree that was abundantly covered with crabapples feeding the deer all fall is now a maze of empty branches.

The fall pumpkins and cornstalks are still out there reminding us that it is still autumn on the calendar and Thanksgiving is right around the corner. And yet, this early lasting snowfall is whispering to me :::Christmas::: and has prompted me to get started earlier than I normally do. So how can I kick and scream about the snow when there is such an obvious prompting to reduce my future stress?

Now, check your observation skills and tell me what you see mixed in the cornstalks. It'll give you the clue to know what my children were interestingly playing in the snow.......

So, are you ready? Winter is here!

Blessings,
Tammy

praising the growls

2011-11-19T07:43:00.001-06:00

From a devotional for today:

"When any great blessing is awaiting us, the devil is sure to try to make it so disagreeable to us that we shall miss it. It is a good thing to know him as a liar, and remember, when he is trying to prejudice us strongly against any cause, that very likely the greatest blessing of our life lies there. Spurgeon once said that the best evidence that God was on our side is the devil's growl, and we are generally pretty safe in following a thing according to Satan's dislike for it." ~ A.B. Simpson

As I've been pondering an incident that happened this past week, a friend gently reminded me that this growl from the enemy was perhaps a gift from God. Hadn't thought about it in that light at all.

Aren't gifts suppose to come in brightly wrapped pretty packages? Aren't they suppose to give us that heady feeling of excitement when they are placed in our hands? Aren't our fingers suppose to wiggle with delight as we anticipate pulling the ribbons to open the gift?

Hmmmm, all those things have been missing. Instead there has been an aching heart with a tear or two as I wander through the process of seeking the truth of the matter.

Gingerly I hold this gift in my hands knowing that the weight of it has pushed me to my knees as I draw closer to my Heavenly Father. It is from that position that I begin to see the treasure of this gift which didn't come in the expected wrappings.

The gift of salvation didn't come in a pretty package either, did it? It came with blood, sweat, tears, and scourging as a life was sacrificed on the cross. Not any life, but the life of the Son of God. Jesus.

My heart is humbled knowing His sacrifice for my gift of eternal life.

Suddenly the incident that is still playing out in my life looks differently. The enemy may growl, yet my praises of thanksgiving to God will sound out much louder for HE walks with me as I open this gift knowing that the treasure inside is a deeper walk with my Lord and Savior.

May you keep praises on your lips when the enemy growls along your pathways knowing there is a gift of blessing ahead!

Blessings,
Tammy ~@~

only five ways

2011-11-17T19:29:00.001-06:00

This week has definitely flown by! It's hard to believe that we are almost to the end of the week already. I finally took a few minutes to download all the recent pictures off my camera and I realized I had totally forgotten about all the pictures I took on:

My intent was to show what a normal day 11/11/11 was around here, but it seems ridiculous to post about that now since that was almost a week ago.

Instead I'll post about a delicious surprise that arrived at our house on our Bible study night this week. Back in early October a couple little guys who come with their mom and dad to our Bible study were busy promoting their annual boy scout popcorn drive. When they said they'd be delivering the order right before Thanksgiving I knew that I had to take the plunge - well, it was for a good cause since it helps them go to a special scouting event - and buy the big can of special popcorn.

For you see, I had a special purpose in mind for this special popcorn as I thought it would be WONDERFUL to eat with all my girls on the day after Thanksgiving when all the girls enjoy some girl time while the menfolk are hunting for the day.

Yup, you read it right.

CHOCOLATE LOVERS FIVE WAY POPCORN.

There's White Ruby (white chocolate), English Magic, Chocolate Covered Cherries, Chocolate Covered Peanuts, and Chocolate Covered Pretzels.

Yup, YUM!

Unfortunately, it doesn't sound like all of our family will be together for Thanksgiving this year. My plan is to tuck this special treat away into a closet until Christmas time when we will hopefully all be together because such yummy goodness needs to be shared with my girls at a single sitting :-)

Until then, we'll settle for our regular old buttery popcorn that my husband pops for us every Sunday night....

Blessings,

Tammy ~@~

encouraging a vote

2011-11-11T19:21:00.001-06:00

The Homeschool Post is in the midst of its 7th Annual Homeschool Blog Awards. Voting is going on now through November 19th in twenty categories and nearly 1200 blogs have been nominated throughout those categories. That's a LOT of homeschoolers blogging!

This blog - Garden Glimpses - has been nominated in the category of Best Encourager. Your vote would be greatly appreciated and can be done simply by clicking right HERE which will take you to the list of nominees. Scroll down to Garden Glimpses and click in the empty circle.

Thank you so much!

Blessings,
Tammy ~@~

living a greater love

2011-11-11T08:05:00.001-06:00

"Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends." ~John 15:13

My heart is grateful on this day as we recognize those who have served in our military both past and present. They are willing to lay down their lives for the love of their country and endure the sacrifice that goes with the task of preserving freedom. Having a son in the military has allowed us a glimpse into that commitment and a new appreciation for the sacrifice they and their families make on a daily basis.

Take a moment to shake the hand of a veteran and be touched by the humbleness found in their character. And always keep them in your prayers.

Blessings,
Tammy ~@~

snow in context

2011-11-10T07:20:00.000-06:00

No matter how many times you read the Bible, there's always those verses that pop out at you that you don't remember reading before which is what happened to me this morning. Here's the verse:

"Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest is a faithful messenger to those who send him; he refreshes the soul of his masters." ~ Proverbs 25:13

The timing of reading this verse is interesting because we received our first significant snow fall of the season yesterday. We ended up with about three heavy wet inches of snow instead of the six to ten inches that were predicted. Seeing the snow coming down, my heart was soooo thankful that for once I wasn't harvesting my carrots for canning as it seems I typically put off digging them out of the garden until forced to when the first main snow comes. The cold of snow at harvest is NOT a good thing for me. Refreshing would NOT come to mind.

Of course, I've missed the whole context of the verse since I got all tangled up with that snow because the verse is really about the faithful messenger. His master has sent him on an important mission with an important message and the servant has carried the task out successfully and well. There was no mishaps in the delivery of the message and his master is very pleased. So pleased that the comparison was made to the coolness of snow refreshing those who are harvesting crops while enduring the burden and heat of the day as they labor in hot countries.

The verse was all about context and the context was quite contrary to my own experience. Thank goodness for commentaries that provide information that we may be lacking.

Now if I could only pass on some of this refreshment to those harvesters.....

Blessings,
Tammy ~@~

choose uneasier

2011-11-09T07:31:00.000-06:00

Here's my thought for the day worthy of pondering a bit as you consider your life and the choices you have each day:

"It is easier to serve God without a vision, easier to work for God without a call, because then you are not bothered by what God requires; common sense is your guide, veneered over with Christian sentiment. You will be more prosperous and successful, more leisure-hearted, if you never realize the call of God. But if once you receive a commission from Jesus Christ, the memory of what God wants will always come like a goad; you will no longer be able to work for Him on the common-sense basis." ~ Oswald Chambers

Blessings,
Tammy ~@~

hastening for centuries

2011-11-08T07:49:00.000-06:00

Perhaps the thing that makes me grrrrrr the most about technology is that it has put our culture on such a fast pace. There is no patience. Everything must happen NOW. My tail end children have a much harder time with the concept of WAIT than my older ones as the younger ones are used to things happening instantly at the touch of a button.

Sure makes it harder to teach them the concept of waiting on the Lord, doesn't it?

Enter God's sense of humor this morning.

My devotional listed Psalm 70 as the Scripture reading and I honestly did laugh out loud as I began reading it:

"Hasten, O God, to save me; O LORD, come quickly to help me." ~ Psalm 70:1

Seriously? Even the people of long ago wanted things to happen quickly? Weren't they used to waiting long periods of time on God?

Hmmmm, I guess human beings have always been self-centered wanting the universe to revolve around them NOW, eh?

Make sure you hasten to God's Word today and see what He has to make you smile!

Blessings,

Tammy ~@~

Simple Woman's Daybook for November 7

2011-11-07T08:18:00.002-06:00

For today November 7

Outside my window.....the skies are blue, temperatures are in the 30's, and it is WINDY!

I am thinking.....about Christmas already. How weird is that?!

I am thankful.....for a kind part-time neighbor who shared his produce from his farm in another part of the state. We were blessed with lots of apples, cabbage, cauliflower, onions, and various squash!

I am wearing.....my black exercise pants and a white t-shirt from Hawaii.

I am hearing.....a daughter getting her school books out from the cabinet as the time change has her up early and ready to do school.

I am wondering.....how to make changes when you know the rest of your family won't be on board with what you are suggesting.

I am creating.....my family Christmas list.

I am going.....to write a note of encouragement to a couple who are going through a very difficult time in ministry right now.

I am reading.....Radical by David Platt

I am praying.....for my oldest daughter who randomly got a very painful kink in her neck yesterday morning.

I am remembering.....how faithful God is as we take steps of obedience.

I am hoping.....to avoid all the extra candy around here that was purchased at a much discounted price last week. Fortunately there is very little chocolate!

On my mind.....are a couple teen girls from our church who are having a hard time living their faith out in the local high school.

From the learning rooms.....we have finished the first quarter of our schooling and I'm starting to see where different kids are dragging their feet in certain subjects.

Noticing that.....there's a LOT of flying squirrels around this fall.

I am looking forward to.....getting some new living room furniture delivered this week as our old furniture seriously has no springs left. You feel like you are sitting on the floor no matter which thing you sit in since this furniture has seen years and years of hard kid use.

Pondering these words....."The reward of the American dream is safety, security, and success found in more comfort, better stuff, and greater prosperity. But the reward of Christ trumps all these things and beckons us to live for an eternal safety, security, and satisfaction that far outweighs everything this world has to offer. " ~ David Platt

From the kitchen.....we are now back to making apple dishes since we've received all these apples from our neighbor. YUM!

Around the house....are clothes we've been sorting through as we move into a new season.

One of my favorite things.....is sitting by the warmth of the woodburner on chilly mornings.

A few plans for the rest of the week.....include a couple of work projects, a congregational meeting, more raking if the wind settles down, catching up on reading with my youngest, and some sewing I've been itching to do.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you....one of our Thanksgiving decorations that I pulled out this weekend. Time to get the inside of the house looking like autumn before the snow starts making a regular appearance here!

Thank you for stopping and visiting my daybook on this day. If you'd like to visit others who are participating in the November daybook or write a journal yourself, please stop over at Peggy's at Simple Woman's Daybook

Enjoy this month of thanksgiving!

Blessings,

Tammy ~@~

taped to trouble

2011-11-04T16:37:00.000-05:00

I knew something was wrong the moment I picked it up out of its place in the junk drawer. Something was very very wrong with the tape dispenser that we've had for a kazillion years because it was as light as a feather.

It looked normal from one side. But the other side and end revealed the truth of the matter. A whole chunk of plastic was now completely missing. You'd think the one who had committed the damage would have at least attempted to tape the broken piece back onto the dispenser since there was already tons of tape stuck all over the old dispenser.

Even though I found the tape dispenser in the drawer where it belongs which is NOT where I usually find it when I girls have been using it, I started the questioning with them. They all gave me the blank stare. No amount of questioning gave me a lead at all.

That left the menfolk of the house. Since one was busy providing for the family, that meant I needed to check with the one doing school in his bedroom.

I couldn't believe it! GUILTY!

Ahhhh, but the tale was ohhhh so interesting. He had been outside doing some filming for a video he was making and needed the tape for something. So he came into the house to get it. Not a problem. The problem was when the tape dispenser went flying off the GO KART while he was driving. YIKES! It's not really a surprise knowing how the go kart bounces around on the gravel driveway or on the paths in the woods. I just found it interesting that he calmly put it back into the drawer without saying a word to anyone or thinking that perhaps no one would notice.

Let's just hope his video will be award winning so he can earn enough money to replace my favorite old tape dispenser....

Blessings,

Tammy ~@~

the downside of down

2011-11-02T07:29:00.000-05:00

Once upon a time there was a little girl who loved her pillow. It was a wonderfully squishy pillow filled with downy feathers and it went with her everywhere she ever slept. For years. And years. And, well, many more years. Until the last week of September of this year when that very much older girl said, "Honey, since I'll be gone for a week, will you please take my pillow to the cleaners to get the feathers fluffed and cleaned? I talked to the man who owns the business and he said it only takes a week to do it and since I will not be able to take my favorite pillow with me this would be the best time to do this task since it has never ever been done in all these many many many years I have owned this pillow."

Returning home a week later there was much dismay that the beloved pillow was not home from the cleaners. Nor was it done a week later. Nor a week later, but at least now the girls at the counter were quite sympathetic as the whimpering over the loss of a favorite pillow was becoming much louder. To the owner they would speak and relieve themselves of such a sad weary customer.

Alas! A week later the pillow was ready!

Poor sad thing. Apparently as they took apart the pillow, the feathers in the pillow had been covered, recovered, and recovered again over the years which must have been done before the little girl took ownership of the beloved pillow for she herself had never added a cover. Due to all the coverings many of the feathers had crushed between the layers and had turned to DUST. The scant feathers left behind were cleaned and fluffed and a new bag of fluffy down feathers were added to the new restored pillow.

Poor sad thing. It was one flat pillow whose new white feather protecting cover sounded crunchy whenever the much older girl tried to bunch it up into a snug soft spot to lay her tired head.

Poor sad thing. Doesn't make any difference what is inside the cover of this pillow now. It's just not the same. Not even close to the same. The kind ladies at the cleaners said more bags of fluffy down feathers could be added to the pillow, but will it ever be the same?

Stay tuned....

Blessings,
Tammy ~@~

alway.thanks.everything

2011-11-01T07:25:00.000-05:00

November has arrived!

It tends to be a month that goes quickly in our home with huntin' season for the menfolk and Thanksgiving with family. I'm thankful that it does go quickly as it also tends to be one of the gloomiest months of the year. Often too many gray cool days for this sunshine loving person.

The verse is appropriate for this month: "Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." ~ Ephesians 5:20

Always. Thanks. Everything.

Those are the three words that jump out at me. Not easy to do in our humanness. We are certainly self-centered creations of God who often prefer to murmur and complain a bit. Yet that attitude is not what Scripture is calling us to do.

Always. Thanks. Everything.

I think the key is actually in the verse before: "Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord." ~ Ephesians 5:19

When you feel a pity party filled with whimpering coming on, try opening your Bible to psalms. Even the lamenting chapters have a praise to God tucked in their midst. Put on some praise music and see how long you can keep up your badattitude. Suddenly you find that your attention is drawn away from yourself and back onto God which is where it belongs. Life is really not about us. It's about HIM!

Always. Thanks. Everything.

We have a choice with every situation that comes across our path. Be thankful knowing that even the difficult trials are molding you into the person HE wants you to be as you have the opportunity to develop Christ-like character. He is developing strength in you as you trust His faithfulness to see you through whatever the days may bring.

Have a Happy Thankful November!

Blessings,
Tammy ~@~

sunflowers and squirrels

2011-10-29T08:15:00.002-05:00

Must be a long hard winter ahead because the squirrels are just crazy this fall. They are getting blatantly brave right now with their primary spot being our front deck as they empty out the sunflowers from the birdfeeders despite our and the dogs best efforts.

Then this week I looked out my bedroom window and noticed a squirrel swaying on the sunflower stalk that I had stuck into my cornstalks by our kitchen door porch. (Note all those cute little pumpkins that came from my garden and the big ones, too!)

He kept grabbing the seeds out of the sunflower which was really quite fascinating to watch, but I soon got tired of him ruining my fall decorations and opened the kitchen door to scare him away while noting that the other sunflowers that were part of the decorations were now eaten away. Guess it's a good lesson on how God provides for ALL his creatures, eh?

Thinking of the weekend ahead, my heart goes out to those on the East coast and their significant snowy last weekend of October forecast.....yikes!

Blessings,

Tammy ~@~

the quilts of fall 2011

2011-10-28T07:43:00.000-05:00

It is one of my favorite times of the year! Amy's semi-annual Quilt Festival! I wish I had a quilt to enter, but alas, my quilting time has been non-existent for quite awhile. But if you are a quilter, I encourage you to stop over to visit Amy and take a tour of hundreds of creative beautiful quilts that will be posted by participants around the world.

Bloggers' Quilt Festival :: Fall 2011

Enjoy!

Blessings,
Tammy ~@~

upside down YUM

2011-10-25T07:36:00.000-05:00

It may be old-fashioned and the younger generation may not have even heard of such a thing, but it is the yearly choice of my husband for his birthday - pineapple upside down cake. It's most delicious served warm right out of the oven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream to melt into the gooey yumminess.

Enjoy the picture and perhaps make one for YOUR family!

Blessings,

Tammy ~@~

rejoice!

2011-10-24T07:40:00.000-05:00

As I was looking through my posts, I realized that I had never published my first post of the month which is always my calendar post. There it was still sitting as a draft. Completely ready and set for publishing. It made me wonder about what distracted me that day. Then I thought back to the first day of October and remembered that I had an early morning check-out from a hotel with a day of waiting in airports, flying over our country, and driving home. That was only a few weeks ago, yet it feels like it was much longer than that as life quickly picked up pace as soon as I returned home.

So, here's the original post for October first and a good reminder for me as we get close to closing out this month....

Honestly, I cannot believe how fast September went by :::::blink::::: and it was gone! I'm looking forward to things perhaps slowing down a bit once we get through the first week of this new month.

I love the happy sunflowers on this calendar page as it reminds me of my happy sunflowers growing in my garden this summer. Even more, I love the verse that goes with October:

"Rejoice in the Lord always; I will say it again, Rejoice!" ~ Philippians 4:4

We don't always feel like rejoicing, do we? Perhaps that is why Paul needed to say it again....REJOICE!

When I look back over my life at some of the difficult moments that certainly didn't feel like ones that were worth rejoicing over, I can see now that God had a plan for those moments for GOOD. Those moments actually formed my character in positive ways. Realizing that as well as seeing God's faithfulness firsthand makes rejoicing a little easier task.

Try it! When life is difficult, say out loud or even in a whisper, "Thank you, Jesus!" and see what happens......

Blessings,
Tammy ~@~

taking a flying leap

2011-10-21T08:41:00.000-05:00

Whenever I download my camera onto my computer, there's always a few pictures that are a surprise to me. Sometimes my kids will quickly grab my camera to take a picture of interest. Here's two of the latest surprises that showed up:

Apparently while the girls were sitting at the kitchen table doing their schoolwork, they noticed a squirrel out on the deck who was robbing the birdfeeder of sunflower seeds.

As soon as one of the girls opened the screen door, the squirrel took a flying leap!

Both of the pictures are kind of neat, don't you think?

Of course, the pictures immediately made me sad as the brillant colors of that day are long gone as our woods is now back to the browns and grays that will remain until spring....

Enjoy your day whatever the color!

Blessings,
Tammy ~@~

about the inside

2011-10-19T08:17:00.001-05:00

There is no doubt in my mind that homeschooling allows parents to place a wonderful godly foundation into the lives of their children. It is a wonderful gift that we can give our children as we can freely talk about God in any subject area of their schooling. As they memorize Scripture and come to know God's Word through their studies, their knowledge of who God is deepens. Yet, this morning I was reminded of the hollowness that can be there.....

"These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men." ~ Matthew 13:8-9 (see Isaiah 29:13, also)

As parents, all we see are the outsides of our children. We can even go through a checklist of all the things we see as positives in their faith in God. Yet, we as parents cannot see their hearts and can so easily be deceived by what we see on the outside. Only God sees the heart.....

"But the LORD said to Samuel, 'Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.'" ~ First Samuel 16:7

We can continually pour knowledge about God into their lives which is a wonderful and honorable thing, but if their little hearts within remain unchanged it is meaningless.

We cannot change their hearts, only God can.

As I consider how much darker the world around us is getting, my heart pleads with those of you who are in the midst of parenting to get on your knees and tap into the power of prayer for your children. Pray for the Holy Spirit to work in the hearts of your children as they recognize the work Jesus Christ did on the cross for them to become their Lord and Savior. This will allow them to grow in their love for their Heavenly Father and give them the ability to use all their knowledge about God to spread His love, forgiveness, and hope in the world around them.

Truly, your prayers have much more influence and power than all the knowledge in the world. Use prayer OFTEN and trust God to do His work in heart changing so that the inside matches the outside!

Blessings,
Tammy ~@~

what if thanks

2011-10-14T08:20:00.000-05:00

One statement has been stuck on my mind all week long. It was a simple question that someone had as their Facebook status:

"What if you woke up today with only the things you thanked God for yesterday?"

What if?

Immediately I was thankful for having had children in my house for so many years as our prayers have been simple and thankful:

*Thank you for our warm house.

*Thank you for providing work for our dad.

*Thank you for our garden and yummy things to eat.

*Thank you for watching over our brother so far away.

*Thank you for the clothes we have to wear.

*Thank you for keeping us healthy.

And the list continues.......

There has been a good blend of thankfulness with requests and the children have witnessed God's faithfulness as He has answered their simple requests and they have responded with thankfulness.

Perhaps at times the prayers have seemed repetitive, yet a pattern was set in their lives to be thankful for all things, especially the daily basic needs.

So, back to the question which I think is more relevant for adults than perhaps children.

"What if you woke up today with only the things you thanked God for yesterday?

What if?

Are you mindful of the extravagant outpouring of God's love that is present in your life whether it be during trials that come or for your daily basic needs? Don't worry about being repetitive about simple things as you consider thankfulness. Ask Him to open your eyes to the little details that He provides and remember how much your Heavenly Father wants to hear from you as you thank Him for His provision for your life. He loves you. He cares for you. He wants a relationship with you.

"Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations." ~ Psalm 100:4-5

Blessings,
Tammy ~@~

nomination time

2011-10-11T06:58:00.000-05:00

It's that time of the year again! If you are a homeschool blog hopper or writer, NOW is the time to nominate your favorite homeschool blog in one of TWENTY possible categories. There are prizes to be awarded to those who will win in the various categories. My favorite part of this process will come in November when the lists of nominations are available and voting begins. I love meeting new homeschool bloggers through this process :-)

If you are interested in learning more about these awards and the various categories and prizes available OR if are ready to make a nomination or two, please go to 7th Annual Homeschool Blog Awards

Have fun!

Blessings,
Tammy ~@~

Simple Woman's Daybook for October 10

2011-10-10T08:34:00.003-05:00

For today October 10th

Outside my window.....the skies are once again blue as a beautiful day ahead is forecast.

I am thinking.....that I would love to sit outside in the yard all day and not move since it could be the last day this warm and beautiful for months. I just want to soak it in!

I am thankful.....that the Lord is soooo faithful and I have nothing to fear.

I am wearing.....summer-like clothes for one last time before I put them away in the closet for next summer.

I am hearing.....birds cawing out in the field by the house.

I am wondering.....when some things will be your "thorn" or when they aren't meant to be your "thorn" and change needs to occur. Does that make any sense?

I am creating.....a list of people that need thank you notes. I don't like getting so far behind on this task.

I am going.....to head to the garden this morning and plant my garlic.

I am reading.....only my devotional and Bible right now.

I am praying.....for a family who suddenly lost their wife and mother last week.

I am remembering.....how a cousin and I were both due with a baby on Columbus Day twenty-five years ago. She had her baby about two weeks before that date and I had mine about two weeks after that date.

I am hoping.....that since several main events are now over that life will really truly settle down into a routine. It will happen, right?

On my mind.....is my daughter and her family who are still looking for a place to call HOME. You keep hearing about how incredible the housing market is right now but that hasn't been their experience.

From the learning rooms.....my children have been working quite independently and I need to catch up on checking their schoolwork.

Noticing that.....the woods is looking mighty bare as most of the leaves have already fallen.

I am looking forward to.....catching up indoors now that the outdoors work is completed for the season. There will be leaf raking left to do yet, but that doesn't feel like a MUST DO as we always do it in the spring, too.

Pondering these words....."No verse of Scripture yields its meaning to lazy people." ~ A.W. Pink

From the kitchen.....are all the jars of carrots that were canned yesterday. I need to write the number on the lids and put them away in the food pantry downstairs.

Around the house....are flip flops which the girls seem to think they'll wear until the snow starts flying.

One of my favorite things.....is the scent of autumn which is alive and well each time I step outside.

A few plans for the rest of the week.....include getting some boxes in the mail, many projects for work, Bible studies, and in general a slower pace.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you....

A peek at some of the jars full of carrots before canning them yesterday. Carrots are the prettiest brightest things to have on my pantry shelves.

Thank you for stopping and visiting my daybook on this day. If you'd like to visit others who are participating in the October daybook or write a journal yourself, please stop over at Peggy's at Simple Woman's Daybook

Blessings,
Tammy ~@~

never useless

2011-10-06T08:29:00.000-05:00

Love what I read this morning:

"We cannot be useless while we are doing and suffering God's will, whatever it may be found to be. And we can always do that. If we are bringing forth the fruits of the Spirit, we are not useless. And we can always do that. If we are increasing in the knowledge of God's will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, we are not useless. And we can always do that. While we pray, we cannot be useless. And we can always do that. God will always find us a work to do, a niche to fill, a place to serve, nay, even a soul to save, when it is His will, and not ours, that we desire to do; and if it should please Him that we should sit still for the rest of our lives, doing nothing else but waiting on Him, and waiting for Him, why should we complain? Here is the patience of the saints." ~ Anthony W. Thorold

I hope you found this as encouraging as I did! Remember......you can always do that!

Blessings,

Tammy ~@~

peace on the horizon

2011-10-05T06:51:00.000-05:00

"What is meant by the peace that passeth all understanding? It does not mean a peace no one can comprehend. It means a peace that no amount of reasoning will bring. You cannot get it by thinking. There may be perfect bewilderment and perplexity all round the horizon, but yet your heart can rest in perfect security because He knows, He loves, He leads." ~ A.B. Simpson

My heart is thankful for encouragement right when I need it! If your horizon is currently full of bewilderment, perplexity, confusion, uncertainty, you name it - turn your heart to the One who knows, loves, and leads! He is faithful!

Blessings,
Tammy ~@~

patiently loving

2011-10-03T07:30:00.001-05:00

As I glanced at my calendar and the busy full week ahead, I knew there was no mistake in the timing of this paragraph in my devotional this morning:

"Bursts of impatience only demonstrate that we are more concerned with our own agendas than with the needs and struggles of others. So let's all take a deep breath and turn our focus away from ourselves by patiently loving others instead of ourselves in the midst of stress." ~ Joe Stowell

Thinking I've had enough more than enough experiences to make me an extremely patient person, God has ways of gently humbling me to grow more of this fruit of the Spirit by giving me opportunities to be stretched a bit more.

This will be a week of practicing that very thing and it will begin this morning when I head to the Department of Motor Vehicles to renew my driver's license. I'm guessing this place in my area is no different than others around the country - long lines with lots of people who have unusual questions when they finally do get to the window which makes everyone in line wait more.

Now that I've read this devotional this morning, I'm going to challenge myself to see how I can show the love of Jesus even in a long line of people at the DMV. Think I can do it?

What about you? Have a challenging situation coming up that will need patience that is over and beyond your usual levels? Take a deep breath, forget yourself, and focus on others!

Blessings,

Tammy ~@~

grasping the possible

2011-10-01T05:05:00.000-05:00

Faith is a grasping of Almighty power;
The hand of a man laid on the arm of God;
The grand and blessed hour
In which the things, impossible to me,
Become the possible, O Lord, through Thee.
~ Anna E. Hamilton

Blessings,
Tammy ~@~

befriending

2011-09-27T07:36:00.000-05:00

Last night I read through Psalm 37 and kept coming back to the third verse because I was struck by a word.

Befriend.

"Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness."

Befriend.

Befriend faithfulness.

I looked up this verse in various translations for that specific section and found "feed on his faithfulness", "enjoy safe pastures", "find safe pasture", and "cultivate faithfulness".

I still like the word befriend best. Perhaps it's because of what the word means and its synonyms. Things like help, promote, lend a hand to, stick up for, go with, chum together, hang around with, back up, stick together, work side by side, pull together, show willingness, join, keep company, unite, mingle, open doors for, favor, run around with, be in cahoots, partner with, to encourage, to praise......and the list goes on. I think you probably get the point.

Isn't befriend a wonderful word?

And when I think of the word faithfulness of think of one person - JESUS.

Befriend Jesus.

My heart's desire is to befriend Jesus. To help Jesus. To promote Jesus. To lend a hand to Jesus by being his hands and feet on this earth. To stick up for Jesus who was willing to die for MY sins. To go with Jesus wherever He takes me. To chum together with Jesus by keeping His word close to my heart. To hang around with Jesus even in places I'd rather not be when He places me there. To back up Jesus by standing firm on His word. To stick together with Jesus knowing He will be faithful no matter what the circumstance. To work side by side with Jesus knowing He will give me the strength I need to serve Him. To pull together with Jesus when times are difficult. To show willingness to serve Jesus in whatever task He has for me. To join Jesus in the purposes He has for me. To keep company with Jesus knowing He's there when no one else may be there. To unite with Jesus knowing His way is best. To mingle with Jesus during my down time instead of indulging self. To open doors for Jesus by being His light in dark places. To show favor to Jesus in all my thoughts, words, and deeds. To run around with Jesus as I marvel as His wonderful creation. To be in cahoots with Jesus as He reveals someone in need that I can help. To partner with Jesus in ministry that needs the gifts and talents He has given me. To encourage Jesus as I choose Him instead of the things of the world because I love Him more. To praise Jesus because He is my life, my truth, and my way.....and the list goes on. I think you probably get the point.

Yup, I sure love to befriend faithfulness!

May you find Jesus worthy of your befriending!

Blessings,
Tammy ~@~

Simple Woman's Daybook for September 20

2011-09-20T06:59:00.000-05:00

For today September 20th

Outside my window.....it's partly cloudy with a chance of windy rain later on today.

I am thinking.....about how quickly my children are growing up and out of my nest.

I am thankful.....for the wonderful surprise all my children played on my husband and myself as it has blessed us from head to toe.

I am wearing.....a sweater thrown on for warmth as it's chilly in the morning.

I am hearing.....the sound of the dog pawing on the door to come back in the house and wishing I didn't have to get up to let him in the house.

I am wondering.....if life will ever slow down or if that is just a figment of my imagination?

I am creating.....a treasure of memories to smile about on a rainy day.

I am going.....to be glad when my garden is all finished up and canning is wrapped up for the season.

I am reading.....only my devotional and Bible right now.

I am praying.....for our family to get through this *bug* and that I would not catch it!

I am remembering.....how God reveals something better ahead after we go through a time of disappointment.

I am hoping.....for good weather this coming weekend.

On my mind.....is about a million tasks I need to get done by the end of the week.

From the learning rooms.....the children have all begun their studies and I'm still behind on finishing up my school charts.

Noticing that.....the leaves are very very slowly turning colors this fall.

I am looking forward to.....a conference next week!

Pondering these words....."Prayer is not merely an occasional impulse to which we respond when we are in trouble: prayer is a life attitude." ~ Walter A. Mueller

From the kitchen.....we are rejoicing in all the apples that the trees around the area are providing which means lots of applesauce and yummy desserts!

Around the house....are LOTS of messes as all my children have been home visiting since Friday night.

One of my favorite things.....is kissing my grands goodnight :-)

A few plans for the rest of the week.....include work projects, goodbyes to family, meetings, planning for the conference I'm attending, canning salsa, finishing up school charts, soccer practice, and participating in a local fall event on Saturday.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you....

A peek at our stacked for the winter wood which was also the backdrop for our family picture which will be found in Christmas cards in just a few months.

Thank you for stopping and visiting my daybook on this day. If you'd like to visit others who are participating in the September daybook or write a journal yourself, please stop over at Peggy's at Simple Woman's Daybook

Blessings,
Tammy ~@~