Friday, October 31, 2008

Freebie Friday...........

Mini Hand Print
by Tammy Carlton



Yarn: Simply Soft (any color)
Hook size: G
Skill level: Easy

Rnd 1) Ch 4 – 12dc in 4th ch from hook (ch 4 does not count as a dc) join with sl st in first dc. (12dc)
Rnd 2) Ch 5 – hdc in 2nd ch from hook and in each back down ch. Sl st in next dc. (thumb made) Sl st in next dc – ch 7 – hdc in 2nd ch from hook and each ch back down. Sl st in next dc (pointer finger made). ch 9 – hdc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch back down. Sl st in next dc.(middle finger made) ch 7 – hdc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch. Sl st in next dc.(ring finger made) ch 5 – hdc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch down. Sl st in next dc.(pinkie finger made) ch 2 – hdc in each dc around to (thumb) sl st to first base st of thumb… tie off.

This completed hand print measured 3 inches from top of middle finger to bottom of palm.


Fun ideas:
* glue magnet to back... use as a fridgie
* glue or sew pin on back to wear
* make one representing each child or grandchild and sew to sweatshirt.

©Coffee n’ Crafts

When the prophet Elijah got discouraged, he ran away and fell asleep under a tree. What did God do? He gave Elijah food, rest, and comfort. Your heavenly Father will meet your needs in the same way

HUGS...
LOVE...
BLESSINGS...
.::T::.

**Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again…
Psalm 42:11**


Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Wonderful Wednesday......

Good Evening.................
What a wonderful day!!! The weather was awesome today. Ken and I had lunch out... ran a few errands... and then to see Michael give a report on the state of Idaho. He is so cute! Such a strong clear voice.
On our way to lunch... I was playing with some yarn I had received from a fellow Football mom. Her grandmother I believe was cleaning out some of the craft supplies that she just can work with anymore. Because I am almost NEVER seen without a crochet hook and yarn.... I was the first one thought of for being blessed with what ended up being a tote full of yarn.
I created this little drawstring bag to hold a votive candle. It made a great little gift to leave our waitress with her tip. :)
Here is the yarn I was given. WOW huh? Colors and brands I have never seen before. But oh so wonderful to have!!!
Wanted to share the progress of the Spiderman Prayer Blanket I'm making for Kasey. Its coming along nicely. I have a few more rows of red.. then back to blue... then on to the webbing and I'm done. I sure hope Kasey likes it.

Sometimes our fears creep in because it seems like God is taking too long to answer us. Is he out there? Hold on--he will answer you, so you must trust him while you wait.
I have to confess, though, that although for the most part ... I am a very patient person... sometimes I'm not so good at the patient waiting part. In fact, I sometimes carry around inside me an inner five-year old, jumping up and down and whining, “I wannit now, I wannit now, I wannit now . . .” Who enjoys standing in check-out lines? Who likes to be caught in traffic on the freeways? When the gift is bought and wrapped, why wait to give it? Once received, why wait to open it? And yet these are just the trivial examples.... of which for me.. really aren't a big deal. Like I said... I'm mostly a patient person. But when larger issued come into play... that go hand in hand with Trusting God for an answer to a prayer... well.. my patient can be poor.
When you find yourself faced with things a little more intense... its much harder to be patient. You find yourself wanting to solve the issue yourself... tend to the problem on your own. But remember.. once you do that .. you are telling God you no longer trust Him. We certainly cant have that. Patience and trust is a struggle we all have. God CAN and WILL help you through it. Just ask!
If I could give you patience simply by telling you to be patient, I would. But I know that true patient waiting is not something we can decide to do, nor can we force ourselves to be patient. We need to be patient with our impatience! To be able to wait patiently for the Lord is itself a gift of God’s grace, and we can only wait, be it patiently or impatiently, for that gift to come to us. So I will pray. I pray for myself, and for all of you, and for everyone who is waiting today. May we be blessed with the gift of patient waiting (and sound sleep!) May it be given to us to remember that the Bridegroom is coming. And may we ever hold ourselves in readiness, in hope, and in eager anticipation for wonders that Spirit still has in store for us.
Well... with that...I have a friend waiting patiently for Kasey's Spiderman Prayer Blanket to be done.. so I'm off to crochet a bit before bed.
Have a GREAT evening... a wonderful nights rest... and a better tomorrow!
huge hugs...
lots of love...
bountiful blessings...
.::T::.

**Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord. Psalm 27:14**

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Praising God....

Why?

Why is praising God important? The reasons are countless. Here are a couple.....


First, God deserves to be praised and He is worthy to receive our praise:
"For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods" (Psalm 96:4).
"Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom" (Psalm 145:3).
"I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies" (2 Samuel 22:4).
"You are worthy, our LORD and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being" (Revelation 4:11).


Second, praising God is useful and favorable for us. By praising God, we are reminded of the greatness of God! His power and presence in our lives is reinforced in our understanding. "Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant" (Psalm 135:3).

PRAISE GOD!!! He is always there for me.. even when I'm not sure of my own self. He's there to pick me up... brush me off and help me to get back on track! Thank you Lord for reminding me that I'm loved.. especially when I'm not feeling loved.
PRAISE GOD for giving me friends. They may mostly be online friends of which I have never met in person.... but they have become some of my best friends.
PRAISE GOD for my love of crafting... and my desire to share it with others.

Now here is a Praise Report. Remember the lovely lady I mentioned back in a previous post that was getting comfortghans made for all the Seniors in a Senior Center near her? These were the 12 squares I sent her to put together for a 'ghan..................................
She reached her GOAL of 100 'ghans for her Seniors.... PRAISE GOD!!
Check it out .... Sissie's Seniors


Here it is all put together with a wonderful border. I sure hope it makes someone very happy and warm!


Now this was a swap gift I was ever so blessed to receive! I love everything! The scarves are so darn neat! They are soft! I am going to bug my Swap Buddy (Colleen Rose) till she cant stand it anymore.. to give me the pattern............... hehheeeee!

I was extremely pleased to find that Colleen Rose finally received the package I had sent her. She was very happy with all that I sent her!!! *Whew!!!*
It was an absolute pleasure swapping with you Colleen Rose!!!!!

Well................. time to get more crocheting done before bed.

Hugs... Love and Blessings to you all!
.::Tam::.

**Praise the Lord with melodies on the lyre; make music for him on the ten-stringed harp. Sing a new song of praise to him; play skillfully on the harp, and sing with joy.
~ Psalm 33:2-3**

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Why is Trusting God so difficult?

The Bible says this about trusting God, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding" (Proverbs 3:5). Furthermore, it tells us that "He who trusts in himself is a fool. . ." (Proverbs 28:26). Still, most of us have difficulty trusting God at least at one point or another in our walk with Him. There are probably many reasons why trusting is difficult. God's ways don't always make sense to us. God told Noah to build an ark. It may have never rained up to this point and the nearest body of water was probably many miles away. It could not have made much sense to Noah at all. We want life to make sense. We always want to set our own terms and timetables. God works on a different timetable than our minds comprehend. God promised Abraham a son from his own body through his wife Sarah. It was at least 24 years before this promise was fulfilled in the manner in which God had promised. In the meantime, Abraham and Sarah had difficulty trusting God and tried their own methods to fulfill the promise. We want what we want and we want it. . .now! It is difficult to trust in a plan that requires us to surrender all control of the time for completion. In order to trust in God, you must totally surrender your will, your ideas, your desires, and your future in to God's hands. Many of us are "control freaks." We don't want to give the control of any part of our lives over to another. If you don't believe that God loves you fully and really does have your best interests at heart and desires the very best for you, trusting Him is going to be extremely difficult. It takes a very special relationship to allow that measure of surrender. Most of us have a tendency to claim trust in God. However, at the first sign of any difficulty or trial, we think that God must not love us because He is allowing this difficulty to happen. The trial is exactly what God is using to test the level of trust that we have in Him. In spite of the trials, we always have God's promise that the trials and tests that we go through are for our good (Romans 8:28, Hebrews 12:2, 2 Corinthians 4:17, James 1:2). We learn that it is through trust that our relationship with God strengthens and our love for Him grows.
I think I'm just going to leave that at that. I'm moving on... I'm trusting God... and I'm going to do what God shows me to do.... whether others like it or not.

I've gone Dish cloth crazy. Well... not really. I'm making these for a waitress/friend that I had given one to as a gift. She ordered 10 of them for Christmas gifts. Here they are laid out best I could to get then all in the picture.

Here they are all bagged up with a little poem card.

As usual... I have crocheting I want to do before bed. So............. have a great evening and a better tomorrow.
huge hugs...
lots of love...
bountiful blessings,
.::Tam::.
**For the word of God is alive and powerful.
~ Hebrews 4:12**




100th Post!!!

God is amazing....................... Just amazing. Last night I tried to post my 100th post ... I had other things I was going to share... but for some reason... Blogger wasn't cooperating with me.. so I was unable to.
PRAISE GOD for that.............. because today... I'm going to post my 100th post with a new outlook on things. Starting with a call from my Aunt to finding this poem in my archive email from an online friend (Dori... thank you)
Aunt Joycie............Thank you for your words of love and encouragement!!!
This is a much better 100th post than I had planned last night..................... God is so Good!

~ Start Over ~
When you've trusted God and walked his way
When you've felt his hand lead you day by day
But your steps now take you another way
...Start over....

When you've made your plans and they've gone awry
When you've tried your best and there's no more try
When you've failed yourself and you don't know why
...Start over...

When you've told your friends what you plan to do
When you've trusted them and they didn't come through
And you're all alone and it's up to you
...Start over....

When you've failed your kids and they're grown and gone
When you've done your best but it's turned out wrong
And now your grandchildren come along
...Start over....

When you've prayed to God so you'll know his will
When you've prayed and prayed and you don't know still
When you want to stop cause you've had your fill
...Start over....

When you think you're finished and want to quit
When you've bottomed out in life's deepest pit
When you've tried and tried to get out of it
...Start over....

When the year has been long and successes few
When December comes and you're feeling blue
God gives a January just for you
...Start over....

Starting over means "Victories Won"
Starting over means "A Race Well Run"
Starting over means "God's Will Done"
Don't just sit there
..............START OVER...................

By Woodrow Kroll of "Back to the Bible"


hugs ... love... and blessings,
.::Tam::.

**The one thing I ask of the Lord the thing I seek most is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord's perfections and meditating in his Temple.
~ Psalm 27:4**

Monday, October 20, 2008

Startin' off the week....

Not to much went on today.................
Had a nice business lunch with Ken and a buddy of his. Stopped at Michaels to get some yarn and such. Then off to get my midgets from school
Of course while sitting there waiting for my babies... I had time to crochet.. so I started this scarf. These types of scarves that have the hole in them to slip the other end through are called 'keyhole' scarves. I used a shell type pattern and totally winged it to make it a keyhole. I'm rather proud of myself.


Now here we have 'Red Teddy' He's 2 or 3 yrs old now. Pretty loved little guy. I made him for my (now 8 yr old)(David) for his birthday years ago. He Loves his 'Red Teddy' The other night... apparently bored out of my mind... because we all know... I had NOTHING I should have been working on.................... I whipped up this Oreo Cookie. I think its a bit big for Teddy... so I think I will make another one for him. But this one for David to just play with. I'm going to make him a few more. Its all fun!

Have you struggled with a secret sin? Do you know someone that is struggling with a sin? God offers healing for the pain you hide, and He can make you whole and new. Give it to Jesus; He'll give you his unconditional love. Pray for that someone that you know is struggling. God wants to help them.. .but needs us to intercede sometimes on there behalf. We are to be warriors for our fellow men and women..... for our friends... our neighbors... our families.
God loves unconditionally... He just waits for us to love Him ... ourselves and our neighbors.

Back to getting some crocheting done.
I have blankets... charity squares... Christmas gifts... etc. to get done.
have a Wonderful evening.. and a Terrific Tuesday.

hugs...love... and blessings
.::T::.

**This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
2 Corinthians 5:17**

Saturday, October 18, 2008

A day just to share................

This morning... Ken ran to the store for me to get a few things so that I could make a couple casseroles for one of Michael's Coaches. You see a couple weeks ago.. he had a serious heart attack. He's home now and doing well... but still quite tired. So in an effort to be helpful ... some of the families of ball players are making food for them. Ken was very helpful in getting two different casseroles made this afternoon to be delivered this evening. I sure hope they like them... I know we do! Tucked a nice bag of lettuce salad and a bottle of dressing in there with a nice loaf of Rotellas bread. Should make for a nice couple of meals!
So that starts out my day of Sharing with someone else.
My mailbox is blessed with others sharing with me. I received this beautiful blanket to be given to my *kids* with Nephrotic Syndrome. The colors were per Michael's request as he was asked for an opinion of colors and this is what he came up with. Jenny made it exactly as he said. I love it............. it turned out GREAT! Thank you Jenny!

This is my Christmas Ornament Swap I received. Kairi.. Thank you... its really sweet. The ornaments are done with such tiny stitches................. wow! GREAT work!
This is what I had sent to Kairi. My ornaments aren't near as detailed as hers.. but she said she liked them and thats all that matters..... *grin*Now some more sharing from me to others. There is a lovely lady on C'ville that is in need of 12" squares... in masculine colors.... so here are the two I'll be sending her.
Remember this? I started this for Kasey.... the 10yr old boy with brain cancer. Well.. little by little working on it in between getting other projects done... this is what I have so far. Not bad!
Last but not least... a Coffee Cup Cozy for a disposable cup. I made this one from scraps my Aunt sent me. Its all mine. I decided I wanted one. So there!
Ever been yelled at .. but LOVED it? Okay... so I didnt really get *yelled* at... more like a firm piece of truth put in front of me! Spoke with love!
Today has just been one of those ......... I'm so DONE days. There has been this personal family issue going on that I am just sick of. I emailed my Pastor and his wife with a need of prayer for myself. I explained my struggle today... and my Pastors wife sent back the most loving/scolding email.
This is some of what she said to me.........
We are for sure praying for you Big Time! Don't let the devil win! He wants to upset you, remember, he wants to kill, steal and destroy you....sound familiar? Don't let him! Take your God given authority over him and tell him you will not put up with this and he will not have any power over you! You are God's child and greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world! Don't let him get you down, that is just what he wants! Resist the devil and he will flee...don't fall for his trap! Tammy, you have the power of God inside you! God came down to earth in the form of Jesus to make a way for us to love God and know His love...he made the way for us back to the Father. Jesus left when His work was done and God sent The Holy Spirit to live inside of us! The Holy Spirit is GOD Himself! That means God is living in us! we have all the POWER of God living in us! That is a lot more power than satan has! God the Father , Jesus and the Holy Spirit are all equal...they are all the same person....If God is for you, who can be against you?
There was a bit more... but its a bit to personal to share. But WOW.. huh? She let me have it. Man I love her! She is so wise.. and so right!!!!
So... as I end this post................ I leave her words with you. Although the email was meant for me... I just felt I needed to share her words of truth with you all.
I'm off to crochet ... pray and get a bit of rest.
God Bless all of you.............
Sleep well.........
.::Tam::.
**The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. No one can measure the depths of his understanding.
~ Isaiah 40:28**

Friday, October 17, 2008

Needing God..........

Today started out with an immediate emotional draw! Then most of my day was a tug of war..... me being angry and hurt... then asking God to forgive me for rehashing an issue that I gave to Him to deal with. Ever have those days when you are totally done with an issue going on in your life? You are emotionally exhausted from it being brought up over and over again? A misunderstanding has turned into a HUGE mess of accusations and assumptions? you find yourself playing scenarios over and over in your head about what you did to make it right.. and what you would do to try and make it right again? The ones that feel you have wronged them just wont forgive you. They seem to want to punish you as long as they can to make themselves feel better. Which then of course draws you back into the rehashing of the issue in your own mind ... now leading you to taking it back from God. And now you're the one not forgiving. I am so glad God is bigger than ALL of this!!!!
Of all of the virtues forgiveness must be one of the hardest to put into practice. Our hurts can run so deep and painful that somehow we need to justify them with both anger and hatred against those who caused them. But, you know, anger and hatred are the most destructive of emotions and actually lead to physical illness as well as a heart never at peace.
Forgiveness does not mean having to like the person who hurts us. It simply means we have to let it go, release the heavy burden of anger, leave the past behind and look to a bright new day.
"Take heed to yourselves; if your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him" Luke 17:2-4. Take that scripture passage one step further and forgive whether the sinner repents or not. Forgiveness is a gift we give to ourselves, challenging us to believe that there is a better future and giving us the inner confidence to know that we will survive the pain and suffering. Healing of that pain comes faster when we can let it go and stop it from festering inside like a volcano ready to erupt.
God expects us to forgive others just as he has forgiven us. God, who is perfect, sacrificed his Son Jesus so that our sin penalty (death) would be paid. Because of our faith in Christ (and his sacrifice), God forgives us from our sin. If we then refuse to forgive another person for an offense, we are dishonoring the forgiveness that God gave us. God will hold us accountable for this as Jesus illustrated in the sobering parable of the unforgiving servant (Matthew 18:21-35).
Another important aspect of unforgiveness is that it is a form of pride. When we’ve been wronged by someone, we have a natural desire to see justice done. When we withhold forgiveness, we're basically passing judgment on the person. God instructs us to trust in him for the execution of justice. The scripture says, “Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord” (Romans 12:19). As God's followers, we must submit our desire for justice to him and trust it in his hand.
This can be very hard to do, especially if someone has spitefully mistreated us or someone we love. Forgiving someone is not condoning what they have done, but rather, it is laying the case before God’s throne and asking him to deal with it according to his will. We have to remember that God saw the evil that was done. He knows how deeply we've been hurt. If we can come to the place where we’re willing to forgive the person through Christ’s love, we will be able to move forward and leave the burden of justice in his capable hands.
I hung on as tight as I could today to God. It was a rough day. Its really neat how God will use all sorts of things to get your attention. Again today.. it was a song. *Tunnel* by Third Day. This is the chorus. Yep.... I'm holding on. I have to!

There's a light at the end of this tunnel
There's a light at the end of this tunnel
For you, for you
There's a light at the end of this tunnel
Shinin' bright at the end of this tunnel
For you, for you
So keep holdin' on

Along with God Blessing me with a song today to help me stay focused on Him.... He also Blessed my mailbox with Charity!
Here are the 5 blankets I received in todays mail................. Arent they just beautiful! Oh.. so many kids are going to be so blessed. These were sent by some lovely ladies that are helping me reach my goal of 21 Prayer Blankets for Christmas to be delivered to the Hospital ... for children with Nephrotic Syndrome.
I dont even know where to begin with my 'Thank yous' This is all just so amazing! I cant wait to see the look on Micheal's Nurses face when I hand her 21 blankets to pass out. God is so Good!
I'm going to call it a night here. I need to spend some time with my yarn and hook so that I can focus on God and His wonderful blessings.
Good night all...........
sleep well............
Hugs... love and blessings,
.::Tam::.
**For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Matthew 6:14-15**

Thursday, October 16, 2008

I will not be moved........

I will stumble
I will fall down
But I will not be moved
I will make mistakes I will face heartache
But I will not be moved
On Christ the Solid Rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand
I will not be moved


Pretty awesome for song lyrics.. huh? I hear this song and immediately think of things going on in my life right now. No matter what gets thrown at me ... I will not be moved. I will not turn my eyes from God.
Fortunately I didnt have too much of a struggle today. Satan must have been bored with me. Oh... but he'll be back... you can count on that! But I will stand Firm... as always. As the song says... I will stumble... but I will not be moved!
Had a lovely day... started out with running to the store for a few groceries.... then to the High School to watch Patrick race his little wooden Go Cart looking car that he made all by himself. I'm very impressed with his little car. For not working with equipment like he did ... and creating a finished product like this before.... he did great. Now he came in 3rd over all in the race... which he was a bit bummed about... but did walk away learning all kinds of neat new stuff about how weight and body structure works in order to get your best from your car. They were powered by little CO 2 cartridges and man did those little things move. Anyway.. we got to school early enough to have lunch with him and some of his buddies... watch his race and even get some photos and video. Then off to the Elementary School to see "The Bug Man" that came to visit David's class. Yep.... David was in Bug Heaven! It really brighten both Patrick and Davids days that Ken and I came to be part of their fun that day. I snapped a few pictures of the bugs Davids group were finding... along with a shot of David holding a Water Scorpion. Yikes. I have to admit... he was kind of a cute little thing. Anyway... I'll post the pictures of today in tomorrows post. Need to get them off my camera.. and well.... I'm going to be honest... I'm plain too lazy to do it now. *grin*
I will however show off a new little project of mine. I have been making dish/wash clothes... rolling them up....tying them with with a bow... placing a little poem inside and blessing folks with them. I leave them with a tip from a meal... I have given one to a lady I met at Walmart in the yarn isle.... and so on. Its my little random act of kindness.
These are a few of the ones I have on hand now. Its fun.
Well... as always... off to get some crocheting done before bed.
Sleep Well............ and wake to a fantastic new Friday!

hugs...
love...
blessings...
.::T::.

**May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ for this will bring much glory and praise to God.
~ Philippians 1:11**


Got a letter from my baby. He's doing well... misses us all alot.... but is succeeding at what is in front of him. I miss him... but I'm so very proud of him!

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

One day at a time...

Wow................... What a day. Talk about a ride of Satan vs God. Of course God wins... but the struggle game sure can be taxing. Looking to the future is a good thing.. planning your life out so to make the best of it while we're here is smart! But we need to take our life... One Day at a Time! Focus on the day at hand! When we spend so much time worrying about the future... we are opening doors for Satan. He comes in and places doubt and anxiety in out heads... which then takes our focus off God. Let God make each of your days.. new.. exciting.. and full of adventure.
Ken and I had a great day together today... but there were moments that Satan tried to get in there. First thing this morning... I wake with a grand look on the day... get the boys ready for school.... and plan my day out. I spend some great time in prayer in the shower ... yes.. the shower... stop laughing!!!! I actually feel my closest to God then. I have nothing to hide... no where to run. Anyway... I see prayers answered right away with a work related issue for Ken going good!!!
So what does Satan do... try to create an issue with one of my older kids (broken cell phone issue that becomes my problem) Nothing major.. not worth really hashing out here... but enough to try and dampen my morning and focus! Well... I get that issue cleared up... stick my tongue out at Satan and move forward. Ken and I then go on to have a lovely lunch meeting with a good friend of his. Ken and him have a nice visit along with talking business. We finish there and onto another business meeting. This time for me. There has been an opportunity put in front of me that I would love to take... but I need to really spend some time in prayer about it. I think that Satan is trying to spoil in for me .. by putting doubt in my head... but at the same time.. I want to be sure that this is where God wants me to be. While driving to get the boys from school... I was full of ideas and questions about this possible opportunity. My mind was busy with my own thoughts on it .. while trying to ask God in my head if this is what He thinks I should do. Well.. of course you spend anytime with God... Satan is going to do his best to spoil that... so of course.. I start feeling thoughts of doubt... and then that all draws me away from the subject at hand and steers me towards the other personal issues that have been going on in my life the last few months that have been emotionally draining on me. I almost said out loud in the van.................. 'What the Heck is your problem???!!!!' I regained focus... said a quiet prayer about the personal issue and moved back to looking to God to guide me in the business deal. All this brings me back to Trusting God. I feel like my focus of late is TRUST. I constantly hear Him say... 'Do you trust me?' Well of course I do... but my behavior tells Him otherwise. Trust God one day at a time. Trust Him with this personal issue in my life... trust Him to show me the answers to my questions about what to do next.. where to go from here... how to serve Him best. Will it be that I take on this business? Or is it that I continue to do what I do.. the best I can. Through all this ... Ken is also faced with some ideas and decisions of his own related to business opportunities. I need to trust that God will show us what that may be. I just want to do what is best... what in the end gives all Glory to God.
When a multitude of voices clamors for our attention, how can we hear God's voice? Satan uses the things of this world to deceive us. But God's voice is always clear. His words speak comfort, not confusion.
Its funny... I don't seem to have confusion over giving to others... but when it comes to giving to myself........... I cant seem to find a clear answer.
Which now brings me to some show and tell. More giving to others. *grin*
Well........... I shared my first Coffee Cup Cozy with you.... and thought that I would be making some for teachers for Christmas. I started on them today... two done... 18 to go. Yes you read that correctly... total of 20 to make. *sigh* My boys have such soft hearts. Of course Patrick has 7 teachers to give to due to being in Jr High now. Michael and David have a few teachers each........... but also want to give to past teachers they loved and staff members at the school that they love and and and ... which then brings the count to 20. Good thing I'm starting now. I made one Cozy for a ceramic mug and one for a disposable cup. I'm rather proud of myself over the disposable cup one. Made that one up myself.. from the inspiration of Ann's original Coffee Cup Cozy for the ceramic mug. Anyway.. .I will fill then all with goodies and wrap them nicely for gifts. I think I will make 10 of each and let the boys choose what to give to who.

Coffee Cup Cozy for ceramic mug...
Coffee Cup Cozy for disposable cup...
Now this is my newest 12 point round Prayer Blanket. I know I should be working on the ones for my "kids" (children with Nephrotic Syndrome) but I had a special request come in for this one. A dear online friend of a few years now asked if I would make one of my Prayer Blankets for a little boy she knows. His name is Kasey and he has Brain Cancer. He's 10yrs old and they found that the tumor broke apart and spread throughout his brain and into his spine. My heart just breaks to hear children sick and hurting. So you all know me by now. I thought I would at least start and work on his Blanket in between all my other projects... so that he will have one too. I decided to make him a Spiderman Blanket. I sure hope my friend approves and Kasey likes it!!! I'm on row 15 now!
Whew............... need to get a few things tended to... get some crocheting done and rest a bit before I take on a new day tomorrow!
Have a GREAT evening everyone. Focus your sights on God and your life WILL be blessed!
Hugs... Love... and Blessings,
.::T::.

if you would please ... say some prayers for me and Ken. That we hold strong to our trust in God that He will guide us accordingly. And prayers for all the children out there sick and hurting... Kasey... with Brain Cancer... Michael and all the other children with Nephrotic Syndrome.

**For God is not a God of disorder but of peace, as in all the meetings of God's holy people.
1 Corinthians 14:33**

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Trusting God...................

Praise the Lord.............. what a grand new day! Yesterday started out rough... but as the day went on... after speaking to my Pastor's wife and searching God's word and seeking Him.... I felt much better. Today... I feel even better! How can one feel so great... have such a wonderful day... and just LIVE.... when all the world seems to be crashing in on them? I ask this of myself... with the emotional roller coaster I have been on of late.. how can I possibly feel Blessed?

Because I trust God. I completely TRUST Him to tend to all that has been going on. With all the hurt.. all the accusations and finger pointing... I trust God. He will make hearts right. He will bring them to a place of repenting. My job has been and will be to PRAY and TRUST. I spent time searching God's word yesterday... looking for scripture to help me focus and understand... what kept being put in my face was scriptures on Trust.
1) "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths." (Proverbs 3:5)
2) "Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass ... Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him ..." (Psalm 37:4-7)
3) "Who walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord and rely upon His God." (Isaiah 50:10)
4) "Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds His people from this time forth and forever." (Psalm 125:1)
5) "He trusted in the Lord God of Israel ... For he held fast to the Lord; he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments ... The Lord was with him; he prospered wherever he went." (2 Kings 18:5-7)
These are just a few of the scriptures that were put in front of me. Amazing ... huh? I mean.. if you really read them... listen to what they say God will do for you if you just TRUST!
So.. with all that is going on around here... I had given it to God to deal with... but I'm not sure I completely trusted Him with it. So starting today.............. I totally trust Him with this. No matter what comes next... I trust He will do what needs to be done. For all parties involved.
I feel so much better. Such a relief. I don't have to worry about it anymore. God will deal with it. All I need to do is tend to my family. All else will play out as He guides it.

Well.......... today will be a spoil me kind of day. Ken is going to take me to get a manicure and pedicure. I'll get to go to the tanning salon and get 15 good minutes of RELAX time in. Its so weird how that few little minutes seem to rejuvenate you. Stop at the post office and mail out a couple of packages today. Then watch Patrick's Football game.
But for right now.. before we get moving... I'm going to share a few things I made yesterday.

These two beanies are from Donna (SmoothFox) on the 'ville. She allowed me to test the pattern for her and after forgetting to take pictures of the first two that I made and sent out... I made this one and remembered a picture. *whew*
Then I made another one and remembered a picture again.................... Yeah Me!
Now this................. is a Coffee Cup Cozy. A lovely lady named Ann from the 'ville shared this with us all. I snagged it right up and made one immediately. I LOVE IT. Now Patrick came in this morning and asked me why I had a sweater on my coffee mug. But then quickly dismissed it due to knowing I will make all kinds of things that don't always make since to him. I told him it was to keep my coffee warmer... longer. He just grinned and said... 'uh huh'
I'm going to make a bunch of these for Teachers for possibly Christmas gifts. I'll get a few mugs and yarn of School colors and start working on them. I need to get them done way ahead of time ... due to the fact that I will be making ALOT of them. My boys love ALL the teachers.. not just the ones they have for class this yr.
(Thank you Anut Joycie for my box of leftovers... see what I did with some of it.... the pink beanie and this cozy)

Okay.................. off I go. Have a GREAT day everyone. Do something for me today. Take just one thing in your life right now that may be troubling you and give it to God... then let go and trust Him with it. Bigger picture... you'll be doing it for yourself... and you'll open the door for God to Bless you.

Huge Hugs........ Lots of Love......... and Bountiful Blessings,
.::Tam::.

**For God is not a God of disorder but of peace, as in all the meetings of God's holy people.
~ 1 Corinthians 14:33**


Monday, October 13, 2008

Magnificent Monday???

Received this email from my cousin this morning.............. Wow... what a morning to get it too!! Turned my day around. After this email and a great talk with my Pastor and his wonderful wife (I love you guys... thank you)........I'm going to have a magnificent Monday... and Share the love of GOD with all......... as best I can!!!!!!

A young lady named Sally , relates an experience she had in a seminary class, given by her teacher, Dr. Smith. She says that Dr. Smith was known for his elaborate object lessons.
One particular day, Sally walked into the seminary and knew they were in for a fun day.
On the wall was a big target and on a nearby table were many darts. Dr. Smith told the students to draw a picture of someone that they disliked or someone who had made them angry , and he would allow them to throw darts at the person's picture.
Sally's friend drew a picture of who had stolen her boyfriend. Another friend drew a picture of his little brother . Sally drew a picture of a former friend, putting a great deal of detail into her drawing, even drawing pimples on the face. Sally was pleased with the overall effect she had achieved.
The class lined up and began throwing darts. Some of the students threw their darts with such force that their targets were ripping apart . Sally looked forward to her turn, and was filled with disappointment when Dr. Smith, because of time limits, asked the students to return to their seats. As Sally sat thinking about how angry she was because she didn't have a chance to throw any darts at her target. Dr. Smith began removing the target from the wall.
Underneath the target was a picture of Jesus. A hush fell over the room as each student viewed the mangled picture of Jesus;holes and jagged marks covered His face and His eyes were pierced. Dr. Smith said only these words.... ' In as much as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto Me .'
Matthew 25:40.
No other words were necessary; tears filled eyes of the students focused only on the picture of Christ.
This is an easy test; you score 100 or zero. It's your choice.
If you aren't ashamed to do this, please follow the directions.
Jesus said, 'If you are ashamed of me, I will be ashamed of you, before My Father .'
Not ashamed... pass this on.
Ashamed... delete it ..

Isn't it funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going all downhill.
Isn't it funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says.
Isn't it funny how everyone wants to go to heaven provided they do not have to believe, think, say, or do anything the Bible says. Or is it scary?
Isn't it funny how someone can say ' I believe in God ' but still follow Satan (who, by the way, also 'believes' in God! ).
Isn't it funny how you can send a thousand jokes through e-mail and! they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord , people think twice about sharing .
Isn't it funny how the lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but the public discussion of Jesus is suppressed in the school and workplace.
Isn't it funny how someone can be so fired up for Christ on Sunday, but be an invisible Christian the rest of the week.
Are you laughing?
Isn't it funny how when you go to forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it to them.
Isn't it funny how I can be more worried about what other people think of me than what God thinks of me.
Will YOU pass this on? ... I did

'nough said.
God loves you... and so do I! Each and every one of you!
have a Magnificent Monday and a Wonderful Week

God Bless,
.::Tammy::.

**In as much as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto Me .' Matthew 25:40. **

Friday, October 10, 2008

Fabulous Friday.................

Is it a Fabulous Friday for you? I have to say.. that although I'm having a day of emotional and physical struggles............... today is a Fabulous Friday for me! I'm alive for another day.... to love my family.. pray for my friends... and bless a stranger. God will handle my struggles!

Last night I couldn't sleep until I tried my hand at creating this square from a few different pictures I saw of it made up into blankets. The colors are just random balls of yarn I grabbed from the box of yarn my Aunt sent me. I'm actually pleased with how this turned out! Its suppose to look like a hat/bonnet.................. Whatcha think?
Well................Hubby and I have plans this afternoon and then an evening with our boys watching the Varsity Football game.
Have a Fabulous Friday............. and a Wonderful Weekend!
Our weekend is filled with football games of our boys. We will be busy! But wouldn't have it any other way!
Gods Blessings to you all!
hugs.....
.::T::.

**They will declare, "The Lord is just! He is my rock! There is no evil in him!"
~ Psalm 92:15**




Thursday, October 9, 2008

Totally New Look................

Well.............. What do ya think?
This started with an email from a friend. Whit that.. I visited her blog.. and found her background to be quite nice. Did some looking through the templates of the site she had hers from and found this lovely one. I felt it was time to really go for some change. I really like the new look of my blog... I had fun changing it over .. and it helped me feel better about other changes in my life that I have been dealing with.
God is so GOOD! Ken and I spent a time in prayer this morning over some very personal issues going on in our life... along with some other family issues. Ken told God that for today.. he was laying it all out for Him. I think taking that one day at a time step really helped Ken and I deal with things that have been going on. I mean the big picture is that we continue to lay all at Gods feet ... let Him deal with our issues completely. But reality is that we are human and easily distracted. Satan is good at what he does and can twist our mind in our days with any one thing that may happen. Taking our days one step at a time.. instead of all at once.. gives us better focus. We're able to stay on track and look through the eyes of God much easier. With that... Ken received a phone call late this afternoon as we were getting ready to go get the boys from school... that was a big encouragement to us. Thank you Lord for that Blessing! Thank you for rewarding our faithfulness and trust in you!
Our day was just filled with fun... relief and blessings. Ken and I stopped at Walmart today to get a few things... well of course you know I'm going to stop through the craft stuff to see what may be there.... especially when its looking as if they are cutting things out or something. We ran into the most lovely lady. A beautiful 82 yr old woman named Ruth. Oh my was she a treat! As I looked at the slim pickings of yarn on their shelves.. she struck up a small conversation with us... asking about some advise on yarn color and such. Before we left the craft isle... we were exchanging names.. addresses and pattern ideas. She is a serious crocheter and was such a blessing to visit with. As it would be... I had just finished making a dish cloth ... like the one in the picture below ... but in a different color. I had it in my purse and as we were talking about patterns... she showed me a blanket she was working on and needed more yarn for ... and I showed her my dish cloth. As we visited... Ken told her that she was so sweet and that she made him feel as if he was looking at me years from now. Still crocheting.. still lurking through the yarn isle of Walmart... and striking up fun conversation with a stranger .. talking about crocheting. As we started to part.. she went to hand back my dish cloth and I felt God say.............. "bless her" So I told her to keep the cloth... and enjoy! She was so sweet... hugged the dish cloth and wished us a wonderful day! Tomorrow.. I will be getting a few patterns together to mail her along with maybe a few crochet items.
After our shopping ... Ken and I went to lunch. Well... you know me... while waiting for our food and while visiting after we ate... I crocheted another dish cloth. As we were getting ready to leave... God said.... "bless your waitress" I folded the cloth to make a pocket.. and we put our tip in it for her and left. Boy did that feel good.
As we trust God with our lives .......... and bless others no matter what is going on in our own world... He will bless us and then some!!

This is a picture of the dish cloth I love to make. It works up soooooooooooo quickly and makes for a great gift. This particular cloth I made as a wash cloth for the shower. I made a body scrub with the rest of the ball of yarn. I used tulle and the cotton yarn together for the scrub side and then just a circle of cotton yarn connected to the other side. Used them this morning in the shower............ LOVE them. The scrub is GREAT for your feet.
These are kitchen scrubs. One side being made with cotton yarn and plarn (plastic grocery bag) held together and the other side being just the cotton yarn. Super easy to make... uses up the end of a ball of cotton yarn and recycles those darn bags that just keep piling up in my kitchen.
Well.............. I'm off to go relax. I'm not sure why... but I'm just not feeling myself this evening. This old body needs a nice long shower.
Have a wonderful evening. Before you go to bed tonight............... Give all your worries to God! Just hand them over.. let Him have them.. and deal with them. Sleep well and wake with a new mind. A new look on things! Let God Bless you!!!!

Hugs
Love
Blessings
.::T::.

**On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, "Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, 'Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.'"
~ John 7:37-38**

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Terrific Tuesday...........

Praise God...............................
Wow.............. What a day! My day starts off with getting a package in the mail from my Aunt. She is so good to me! Look at this box of left-overs! My Aunt does her own charity work. She makes Prayer Shawls and slippers for folks. She does beautiful work! I'm sure I shared this before .. but she is the one that taught me to crochet and knit when I was a little girl. Now look at the two of us........... what a great pair we make .. huh?! She uses what she can of yarn she gets for charity... and sends me the left-overs for me to create things for charity. I have used a bit over half of the other box of yarn she sent me mostly for charity squares. I cant wait to really dig into this one for more projects!
Thank you Aunt Joycie.................... I LOVE YOU! (pssssssst......... thank you SarahJo for helping her mail it!!! I love you too!)


Because I was so excited to get that box of yarn... I had to make something with one of the colors. So......... I made this little case! Isnt it cute!? *grin*

I may make a few more of these to put in packages just for fun ... when I mail out swaps or charity items! The stitch I did was pretty simple and quick. Wasn't sure about it when I started playing around with it.. but it came out really nice!
Alright..... need to cut this post short... busy busy busy!
have a terrific evening and a wonderful tomorrow!
huge hugs........ lots of love........ and bountiful blessings
.::T::.

**By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.
~ 2 Peter 1:3**

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Blessings.........

Do you ever really count your blessings? I mean really? Simply start by taking a look at your day today. When you got out of bed... were you thankful to have a new day? Thankful to do as you need or want?
My day starts like this........... I wake....... its 6am... I shower in a wonderfully warm shower... feeling the water wake me and refresh me ready for my new day. I spend time putting finishing touches on the Church Bulletin and getting it ready for print. Wake my family to get them all ready for Church... and off we go. Now... this particular Sunday morning... we wont be able to stay but for Praise and Worship due to David having a Football game at noon... which means we have to leave at 11am to get there for warm up and game. Do I fall prey to Satans attempts at making me feel bad for missing church? NO... I'm blessed to have my short time there.. and then my ride to the game full of Praise and Worship songs from my favorite radio station (KLove). While arriving at the game... we're asked if Patrick is going to be attending the Baseball clinic in town (home). Somehow or another we didn't get word of the event.. so hadn't signed Patick up weren't prepared for it. In comes our blessing. One of the families that have a boy on David's team (game we were at) have another boy that is on Patrick's Baseball team and was going to the clinic. The father took Patrick and let him borrow his ball glove until we could get there after David's Football game with his ball equipment.
David's game is over.. .we head off back home to be with Patrick and watch his fun.
Ride home... David had some dust or something fly in his eye... it swelled up pretty good and was irritated. We stop at the house to get Patrick's ball equipment.. and wash David's eye. It looks a bit better but not great. We decide to take Patrick his things.. watch David close to see if we need to take him to the doctor. More Blessings................ We arrive at the ball field... a few of the moms see David's eye... one suggests a cool cloth for the swelling.... another has Benadryl in her purse for her son... breaks one for David... and gives us that. Within 30 minutes of the Benadryl and cool cloth you could see the swelling going down and his eye clearing up really well.
Patrick has a great time at the clinic.... Michael had fun playing with buddies that were there ... and David was feeling much better ... ready for dinner! hehheeheeeee
We decide dinner in town at the local Bar & Grill would be just fine. Blessing to me... NO COOKING ............... *big grin*
Simple little things that may seem like no big deal one day... Satan will try to use at some point against you to make you question your life. All the running you do... all the things you spend time on.. all the things you miss out on.... all the things you forget... all you do and feel you get nowhere with. You aren't good enough.. you cant do anything right... you let people down... you just don't matter. hmmmmmmmmmmm Sounds an awful lot like words of Satan to me... because you know what God says about you?
Psalm 139:14 where God says,“You are fearfully and wonderfully made."
God tells us in Psalm 17, "We are the apple of His eye."
In Deuteronomy 7:6, God tells us that We are "His treasured possession."
In Philippians 4:8, God tells us to think about whatever is "true, noble, right, pure, and lovely." I like to think about the truth that God tells me and spend my time thinking about what God says is true.
The last Scripture I want to share is Psalm 119:114, “You are my refuge and my shield. I have put my hope in your Word.” My confidence and hope is in God. I know now that instead of being a mistake, I am the Lord’s treasured possession.

And now for this wonderful blessing..... First... the blessing of having a wonderful new cyber-friend (June) Next for her blessing me with being able to get closer to my goal of Prayer Blankets for Children with Nephrotic Syndrome by making this beautiful blanket. Thank you June... it arrived safely and I appreciate you and your help so very much! God Bless you my friend!!!
Off to tend to a load of laundry before I settle in for crocheting before bed.
have a wonderful evening everyone...

hugs...........
love.............
Blessings.............
.::T::.

**And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?
~ Matthew 6:30**

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Prasing God .................

for everything... good and bad! What a day................ started out getting an email from my favorite Aunt. It was a scolding email. She fussed at me for not blogging... not sharing my love and daily devotions with my family and friends. I love her!!!! I love God for her! It made me sad that I had upset her so.... but then God said to me..................... "Tammy.........my goodness... get out there and blog... did you not here the cry of your Aunt... she misses you... she loves you... she worries about you.... stop feeling sorry for yourself and listen to what she said."
Then after a few errands Ken and I stopped to visit with lovely couple from our church that Ken and I seem to have alot in common with and didn’t even realize it. The men went off to talk computers and stock options... while us girls chatted about our struggles of being the women we want to be. It was a wonderful talk... it was amazing at how much our lives are the same. She struggles with such similar issues. While I kind of felt I did most the talking.... she shared many things with me that helped me feel I wasn’t as crazy as I sometimes feel I am. You know ....... that feeling of you being nuts while the world around you is sane. When in reality ... it’s mostly just the opposite. It sure lifted my spirits.. talking to her!
I then had an evening of Football practices. From one school to another to a ball field to home. *Whew*
So............. Now I sit... re-reading my Aunts email... looking back at my day .... and realizing how much I am blessed with! I have been so consumed in this "issue" in my life.... I haven’t been myself. I keep rehashing things in my head.. trying to make since of it and during my visit today with my friend... while listening to her... I realized to myself.... there aren’t any answers to this issue. There will be no making since of it. The ONLY thing I need to be doing now .. is focusing on praying for the issue... leaving it all in Gods hands and moving forward with my life .. my husband ... children and grandchildren. Thank you God for putting my Aunt in my way today... thank you for her loving me enough to shake me up and bring my focus to where it should be.... Thank you for my visit with my friend... it helped me understand that I'm not alone... not as long as I have you my Father in Heaven and the family and friends you put around me. Thank you for this crazy issue in my life... because although its not something I like having go on in my life... I have been learning from it... trusting you Lord more from it .. .growing closer to my husband from it... and my husband growing closer to you Lord from it.
I've said this so many times before to others and myself... what Satan wants to use for bad... God turns to good! The things Satan is trying to accomplish in my life right now .. are self-doubt.. self-hatred ... division between Ken and I...... and just all around chaos. Well......... from this God is teaching us ... confidence... the decisions I made.. were right! Self Love.... I may make mistakes... but I am .. was and always will be a child of God... God loves me and so do I! Unity between a husband and wife... a bond that is stronger than anything Satan can throw at us. Basic love and faith. Patience and trust!
Isn’t it amazing how easy it is to believe all the bad.. but never the good about ourselves. We're told by others and/or Satan that we are no good.. and we believe this non-sense. But let someone tell us that we are good... that we are worth loving... and we doubt this.
Think about this for a minute... how many times has your husband told you that you looked pretty? Was your reply.............. "Thank you"....... or was it ......... "oh.. yeah... whatever" ???
do you really think your husband is lying? or is it that you don’t love yourself? Do you doubt yourself? Do you forgive yourself when you make mistakes? Have you forgiven yourself from very old past mistakes? Does your past seem to haunt you? This is all what really guides your present and future. If you don’t love yourself... believe in yourself .. and forgive yourself... how do you really expect to love others.. believe in others.. and forgive anyone? YOU CANT. No matter what excuse you have.. bottom line is... you cant love others as you love yourself!
Eight times in the Bible we are told to love our neighbor -- one of the Bible's most repeated commands. Loving your neighbor is the opposite of selfishness -- the common human practice. Acting in divine love demonstrates that unselfishness is possible for a human -- showing a reality that cannot be ignored or denied. Whether they appreciate you, or respond to your love, Jesus' command is still valid: You must show love to your neighbor in a practical way.
So.................. lets try this........... this whole weekend... when given a compliment... simply say "Thank You!" Learn to accept your own love... so that you may love others... which will show them Gods love. All along.. keeping you focused on God.... and not believing the lies of Satan.. which will eventually clean your life of any "issues" you are having!

Well............ before I call it a night... let me share a few things with you.This is a blanket and beanie set I made a dear friend for her newest Grandbaby!

Here are a few Duct Tape bags for Halloween! *Ghost*
*Candy Corn*...........
*Frankenstein*.................

Off to finish up a few things.... then to bed and up early. School for the boys and errands to run for me.
Have a Wonderfully Blessed evening and a Fabulous tomorrow!

huge hugs...
lots of love...
Bountiful Blessings...

.::T::.

**"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. ** MATTHEW 5:16

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Catching up.............

My oh my.....................
How time has gotten away from me. I have been so busy..... with my family... with crocheting and crafting .. and yes... I have to admit............. dealing with some personal issues that have slightly taken my focus. I seem to be stuck in the middle... feeling as if I'm the rope in a tug of war. Satan lies to me on one side... pulling me... wanting me to think his way... feel his way... and in the end destroy me. But then I have God ......... He's on the other side... pulling and fighting for me the best He can... but its ultimately up to me to turn to Him and listen to what He tells me. Believe in Him... Trust Him... Wait for His time to make things right. Thats a hard thing to do.. No matter how much you love God and trust Him.
You know without a doubt that you trust your Father in Heaven.... yet I find it so amazing how satan can so easily twist things in your mind to make you doubt. What doesnt help is when an issue in life seems to drag on. I'm so glad God does not treat us that way. We make a mistake... repent and are forgiven immediately and its forgotten. Humans on the other hand... we seem to hang on to things... hold grudges until we feel punishment has been served enough. How sad!
Why is the words "I'm Sorry" not enough? They are for God. He doent want us to grovel and carry on for hours or days over something........... You simply ask for forgiveness... and move on. Yes........... you will make more mistakes... sin again............... but guess what......... you go to your Father in Heaven.... ask for forgiveness and move on again. HE FORGIVES YOU! IT'S OVER AND DONE. Move on to the next mistake. As you will find... you will start to make less mistakes.... you will start to sin less due to the fact that you are seeking God. Gods guidance and Gods forgiveness. Will you ever be perfect and not sin... or make a mistake............NO! But you will find yourself not even questioning yourself on whether to do something or not. You will just know.... because God is with you and in you!
Life is confusing. It can be hard to know which way to go on the pathway of life. Thankfully, God offers us his wise leading and counsel, so we don't need to be anxious.
Today is new................... tomorrow will be new................. lets treat each day as such. Today... I will make a mistake.. I may sin......... I'm Sorry! Please forgive me! I am a child of God. I love Him and He loves me! Thats enough for me! Thats what wins the tug of war game for me and God. I chose. I chose to let Satan fall on his backside........ as I run to my God and let Him help me through my troubles. He's the only one that can. I challenge you today to forgive yourself. Let go of whatever is holding you in the middle of that tug of war. I know... its not easy... but with God............ it can be done!

Well... time for a little sharing before I head off to tend to other things.
Wanted to share this picture........... this is one of my older boys and his daughters. I took this picture the morning of the day he left for the Navy last week! Yep.......... my baby isnt so much a baby anymore... a grown man off to serve his country. Yes a proud and sad moment! I miss him! I would like to ask for prayers for him. I want this to be a grand success in his life!
This is Patrick... He plays Football for the Jr High School. He's the one closest to the front of the photo... (#40) He is loving Football so far this year. I sure am having fun watching him. He is so grown up.............. Omy.
My super-hero Michael... is the one with the ball. He's Quarterback for his team this year. He's having alot of fun with Football this year too! (#14)
And my little man David. The last one on the right. Blond .... looking down... you know.. the one in the yellow t-shirt and white pants.... hahhahahahahahaaaaaaaa (#7)
Okay........... I need to run...........have things I need to tend to. Have a wonderful day!!!!
As you take time to pray for someone .......... spend a moment praying for yourself. Not begging ... or groveling... but prayer of love for yourself. Just Love yourself!

huge hugs...
lots of love...
bountiful blessings...
.::Tam::.
**The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.
~ Psalm 37:23**