Sanctus Real - “Lead Me”

I look around and see my wonderful life
Almost perfect from the outside
In picture frames I see my beautiful wife
Always smiling
But on the inside, I can hear her saying...

“Lead me with strong hands
Stand up when I can't
Don't leave me hungry for love
Chasing dreams, what about us?
Show me you're willing to fight
That I'm still the love of your life
I know we call this our home
But I still feel alone

”I see their faces, look in their innocent eyes
They're just children from the outside
I'm working hard, I tell myself they'll be fine
They're independent
But on the inside, I can hear them saying...

“Lead me with strong hands
Stand up when I can't
Don't leave me hungry for love
Chasing dreams, but what about us?
Show me you're willing to fight
That I'm still the love of your life
I know we call this our home
But I still feel alone

”So Father, give me the strength
To be everything I'm called to be
Oh, Father, show me the way
To lead them
Won't You lead me?
To lead them with strong hands
To stand up when they can't
Don't want to leave them hungry for love,
Chasing things that I could give up
I'll show them I'm willing to fight
And give them the best of my life
So we can call this our home
Lead me, 'cause I can't do this alone
Father, lead me, 'cause I can't do this alone



hugs...love... & blessings
.::Tam::.

Cougars take 1st Place................

in the DC West Duel Tournament!!!!

Along with all the boys ...... Patrick had a great day! He won 4 of his 5 matches... 3 of them being PINS! I am so proud of all of them!!

Way to go boys! You deserved that trophy!!!!

hugs... love & blessings

.::Tam::.

More Prayers Needed................

Well............ as some of you know........... hubby was diagnosed with Leukemia back in October of last year............ he's been doing pretty good up until recently. He's in the hospital with an infection. So any and all prayers would be so very much appreciated!

Thank you!!!!
hugs... love & blessings
.::Tam::.

Prayers Please............

My dear sweet cousin .......... is undergoing surgery today to have a defibrillator put in. Her name is Sarah. If you have a moment ....... please stop and pray for her .... her family....... and the doctors! Thank you so much!!!

:hugs.....love..... & blessings

.::Tam::.

My 2011 Charities.................

Morning all.............. I should have posted this the 1st week of this year... but ... well..... you all know me by now........... I get caught up in being busy with the family and such.... and then just plain forget........... Anyway..................... I'm still collecting 12 point round Prayer blankets for children with Nephrotic Syndrome..... I've gone to sending some out to other states to folks I found out online that their child has Nephrotic Syndrome. So if anyone would like to help me keep these kids Covered in warmth and prayers............ please contact me if you need the pattern or my address to send the blanket.



I'm also still collecting stocking caps for my "Cozy Cap" charity. I've decided to expand it to the hospital that hubby goes to for chemo and hand them out there at the Cancer Center. I talked to a nurse the other day and she is thrilled at the idea! So again.......... if you would like to donate a cap or 12 ... hehehehehe,..... I would love it! Any size cap... any color and all yarn but Wool.... No Wool yarn please.

My newest Charity... .Making "Orange Prayer Blankets" Anyone that would like to help........ They can be any design blanket... just as long as its mainly Orange. Orange is the color for Leukemia and in honor of my husband... I would like to cover in warmth and prayers... all Leukemia patients we come across.

Thanks so much to EVERYONE in the past years that have been helping me keep these needs filled! God Bless each and everyone of you! All that donate items..and all that give their time in prayer!!!

hugs... love... & blessings

.::Tam::.

Oakland-Craig Invitational........

Due to the meet being at 9am... the boys needing to be there much earlier for weigh-ins....and the school being 2 hours away... We all drove up last night to a town about 30min away. Stayed the night at the Holiday Inn Express. The boys had a nice relaxing time together.
Here they are ........ taking over the Hot Tub! :)

David found fun under the Mushroom ................

Michael pretended to ski on a Dolphin.........................

Some of the wrestlers decided to play on the slides...............

Patrick ................. GO

............. FIGHT...................

.............. PIN.................. WooHoo....... way to go!

Cougar Wrestling Team took 2nd Place! (out of 15 teams) We are super proud of the boys! They definitely showed what good sportsmanship... hard work and good teaching can do!

hugs...love & blessings

.::Tam::.

The Waiting Room.............

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

Picture a doctor’s waiting room: cushioned chairs, a display of colorful magazines, soothing music wafting above your head, perhaps an aquarium of sparkling fish. Why does the doctor provide such a calming environment? Because he or she knows that by and large, people do not like to wait there. Truth is, we don’t much like to wait anywhere for any length of time.

And we often cringe at the mere idea of waiting on God – more than any other kind of waiting. He is so frequently not in a hurry. We don’t want to learn patience by waiting, though it is often the best way to learn it.

But consider for a moment the flipside. Consider for a moment those times when the waiting room door has been thrown open but we’re still sitting in the chair by the fish, afraid to get up, get out and get moving. Sometimes we find ourselves in situations where we sense God nudging us to step out, but instead we’re oddly content to just wait it out – perhaps hoping someone else will make the move we’re supposed to make.

Just as there are times when God wants us to wait on Him; there are times when He calls us to action. And just as we need to listen for His voice in times of waiting, we need to obey His prompting when the wait is over.

When God told Moses to send spies into the land of Canaan, only two of the twelve came back from the mission ready to do what God was prompting them to do. The others wanted to head back to the waiting room, grab a magazine and hang out with the fish! They were afraid to move forward in faith, even though they had seen God time and again prepare a way for them in the wilderness and then lead them through it. God asked that these people take a step of faith and trust Him for what lay past the waiting room door. He didn’t kick them out of the waiting room. He asked them to leave it, and they chose not to. History shows us what they missed (Numbers 13:26-14:25).

Are there perhaps blessings you have asked for but then have refused to pursue? Have you been hanging back in the waiting room – perhaps because you’ve allowed fear to convince you it’s better to be safe and ineffective than risk being used by God?

The waiting room has its purpose. It is the place where you get mentally ready for what comes next. You are not meant to live there. You were designed for the world outside. And it waits for you!

Dear Lord, enable us this day to throw off self-doubts and fear so that we may obey You, serve You and live out our purpose for You. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit and empower us to do all that You have called and equipped us to do. Forgive us for being content with sitting in the waiting room when You’ve called us to come out. Ignite in us a passion to live our faith loudly. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.



hugs.....love & blessings
.::Tam::.

Purses...............

Just a quick Show & Share of a couple of purses I made recently. The cream color one reminds me of a pie or pizza with a missing slice. The little burgundy one looks small but opens to have a nice roomy bottom. They both need to be lined... but had to show them off. I do like how they came out! :)



hugs... love... & blessings
.::Tam::.

New Refrigerator .................

I know... to some this isn't a big deal... but to me................ its such a big deal.
We've had a very small fridge since we built our house. It was just to get us by until we were really settled in. Well..... life gets busy... the fridge worked just fine... we really kinda forgot about it. Years went by... the light went out ... the family grew... causing the fridge to become small.......

so....... after getting a new Washer & Dryer in November of last year.... Ken promised that before January ended... we would have a new refrigerator. And ....................... tah dah......... We do!

thank you for stopping by and sharing my excitement with me........... heheheheheee :)

hugs... love... & blessings

.::Tam::.

Video Camera Case................

That I made a few weeks back to keep our new Video Camera safe.
Just a simple tube type pouch with a drawstring closure. Works great! Keeps the Camera safe and doesn't take up much more space than the camera itself.

hugs.....love... & blessings

.::Tam::.

Will God meet all your needs?

Have you ever pondered the real meaning of Philippians 4:19, “My God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus”? If so, then you may also have encountered some frustration.

“What about this need I have had for years?” you wonder. “Doesn’t God care about that aching hole in my heart? Why doesn’t He just fill it by meeting my needs automatically?” The truth is, God wants us to trust Him and not look only for the blessing. In other words, keep our focus on the right thing, which is a personal relationship with the Savior. Circumstances have little to do with lasting joy. Peace, joy, and contentment come from knowing God and having a personal relationship with Him. The only way to be fully happy is to have a heart that is set on Jesus Christ. Then when difficulty comes, we won’t feel lost, confused, or disillusioned.

Many people attempt to meet their own needs apart from God. But this never works. It only leads to frustration and deep disappointment. There will be times when we wonder if He hears our prayers. He always does. And He also is the only One who can answer correctly and satisfy the desires of our hearts. So why do we struggle? Usually, it is because we think we know better than God. We fail to realize we cannot meet our own needs or compel Him to comply with our personal desires, schedule, or concept of how we think something should be done.

The first step to having our needs met is to trust Him completely with the entirety of our lives. He knows what is best for us, and His purpose in allowing any delay is for our good. Waiting prepares us for a greater blessing. It strengthens our faith and reliance on Him and consequently rids us of a desire to be self-sufficient.

The second step is to obey Him and allow Him to work fully in our lives. Many times, He stretches our faith by allowing us to have a need. He knows how we will respond, but He wants us to learn how to say yes to His design—even when we do not have all the information and facts.

The third step is to trust and wait for Him. In a very real sense, your unmet need is a form of trial and temptation. It’s a trial because its lack of fulfillment can feel truly painful, and it’s a temptation because it urges you to turn away from God to meet your own needs. But James says, “Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him” (1:12).

So what are you to do when the delay goes on, the pressure to give up increases, and you feel weary of beating yourself up with false guilt? It may sound like a platitude, but keep your eyes on the Lord and follow Him—no matter what. James tells us that the testing of our faith leads to perseverance, which works to make us “perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (1:4).


God bless
.::Tam::.

A psalm of praise by David................

I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever. Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever.
Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts. They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty—and I will meditate on your wonderful works.They tell of the power of your awesome works—and I will proclaim your great deeds. They celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness.
The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.
The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made. All your works praise you, LORD; your faithful people extol you. They tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might, so that all people may know of your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations.
The LORD is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does.The LORD upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.
The LORD is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all he does. The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them. The LORD watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.
My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD. Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever.
~ Psalm 145

hugs....love & blessings

.::Tam::.

Syracuse PIN Tournament............

Come on Cougars.................... Go................. Fight............. PIN!

This is Patrick's second year wrestling.......... He's 6ft tall... and wrestling in the 145lb weight class. He's a Freshman this year and mostly wrestling upperclassmen..... and he's doing a great job! I'm super proud of him!

hugs... love... & blessings

.::Tam::.

**I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God. ~ Job, 19. 25**

All Done...............

Prayer Blanket finished and delivered!!!

Robin really liked it! *whew*

I will be starting another one as soon as I get more yarn. It will be smaller as it will be going to a 10yr old boy who is fighting Leukemia. Bless his heart! Please pray for Colton!

hugs.... love... & blessings

.::Tam::.

**Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer ~ Romans 12:12**

HaPpY BiRtHdAy MiChAeL..................

Mommy loves you! Wow................12 years old................ the years went by way to fast!!!

Happy Birthday to you........... Happy Birthday to you............ Happy Birthday Dear Michael....... Happy Birthday to you!!!!

Oh..... Cool new game!

WHAT? A CELL PHONE? WOO HOO........................... :)Love you baby boy!

hugs... love... & blessings

.::Tam::. (mommy)

First Big Snow .................

Oh... what a fun day for David. He spent most of the day outside rolling around... making snow angels.. and snow forts!

Wow........... look at our driveway.
Across our yard .... a look at the bridge! COOL

Poor swing set!!!! :)

David making one of his snow angels!!!!

Fun Day!

Stay warm everyone!!!!

hugs... love... & blessings

.::Tam::.

Cougar Wrestlers...........

take 2nd Place in the Malcolm Invitational! Way to go boys!!!

Patrick goin' in for his shot.................

Takin' him down............

Patrick's gettin' him in a 'craddle'.......... Go Patrick

Very Proud of you boys!

You fought a good fight!

hugs... Love... & Blessings

.::Tam::.

A Special Prayer Blanket..........

is almost done!
Ken met a sweet lady at the hospital while going through his first consolidation chemo treatment. She happens to be in the very room he was in and has Leukemia also. We've visited her and her hubby and they are really nice folks. She's struggling much more than Ken has with this ............... so prayers for Robin would be very much appreciated!
I'm making her a special 12 point round prayer blanket and I'm a few rows from being done! I'm hoping to get it to her on Monday.

Have a Fabulous Friday everyone................. and a Wonderful Weekend!
hugs... love and many Blessings
.::Tam::.

Dare to Hope................

Have you ever cried until the tears would no longer come and your heart was broken in tiny pieces? Have you ever uttered, “Everything I hope for from the Lord is lost?” Then you, me and Jeremiah make three.

I've had and have long nights of crying myself to sleep. Some nights only silent tears fall; other nights loud wails accompanied questions and prayers. “Why Lord? What am I doing wrong? Why won’t you just fix this?” The prayers would end with “if it is Your will,” hoping that His will was different that what it appeared to be.

On these nights I would curl up in a ball under my covers, face the wall and hope this time there would be a break-through in my prayers. Many nights, as I cried myself to sleep, I believed everything I had hoped for was lost and the situation was hopeless.

Jeremiah, also known as the weeping prophet, found himself in a hopeless situation as he watched the Temple of the Lord being burned to the ground by the Babylonians. His heart broke. The elements of the Temple such as the water basin and lamp snuffers were stolen, taken to Babylon to be used to worship false gods.

Jeremiah prophesied God’s words to the people of Judah and Jerusalem. The Lord’s immediate future for His people was one of discipline and the utter destruction of Jerusalem as well as His holy Temple. Jeremiah was chosen by God to deliver these words to His people. He did his job and did it well, but not without punishment, ridicule, insults, and imprisonment.

Jeremiah cried until no more tears would come (Lamentations 2:11). His heart was broken for Jerusalem and for God’s people, his people. In anguish he lamented the words, “Everything I had hoped for from the Lord is lost” (Lamentations 3:18).

Then, out of the midst of his despair, he dared. He dared to hope in what he remembered.

Many of us know someone who needs hope; perhaps we ourselves need hope, therefore it would serve us well today to know what Jeremiah remembered. What he remembered as he lamented gave him the courage to dare to hope again. The remembrance changed his perspective on his present situation. Jeremiah dared to hope and so can we, regardless of our circumstances. In reading Lamentations 3:21-24 you can hear the expression in Jeremiah’s “voice” change from that of lament to that of optimism. In your mind’s eye you can picture his facial features transforming. What Jeremiah remembered was the key to elevating him from the pit of despair to a place of expectancy. It is our key as well. Jeremiah remembered this about his covenant Lord:

• His unfailing love for him
• His new mercies meant for him
• His never ending faithfulness toward him
• His inheritance due him


God’s Word is alive and active. It is designed to transform us from the inside out. Reading and applying its truths will change the expression in our voice and redirect our perspective for the future. During my desperate nights I longed for my circumstances to be different. I cried until the tears would no longer come. But when I remembered God’s faithfulness and mercies to me, my expression changed.

Did the circumstances surrounding my sorrows change because I remembered? No. What changed was my outlook. Hope means to wait with expectation, and this is what I chose to do during those hard nights.

Are you in need of hope today? Will you choose to remember His faithfulness, love, and mercy despite the despair and destruction around you? Will you dare to hope?



Dear Lord, I want to dare to hope but life around me seems uncertain and tentative. Will You help me dare to hope? Will You help me remember Your faithfulness, love and mercy? Thank You advance for what You are going to do. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.





hugs...love... & blessings
.::Tam::.

The Mother Load...................

We moms should never build the stability of our identity on the fragility of our kid’s choices.

Have you ever felt like a failure as a mom because you got a not so great call from the principal’s office? Me too. On the flip side, have you ever felt like the greatest mom ever because your child got some special recognition? Me too. So, let me say it again just so this crucial truth can sink in a little deeper. I’m repeating it for no other reason, sweet sister, than the fact I need this message. So, forgive me if this devotion preaches a message only to myself.

We moms should never build the stability of our identity on the fragility of our kid’s choices.

I’ve got six amazing kids. I really do. They are wildly funny, imaginative, moody, opinionated, strong, weak, happy, sad, good and sometimes not so good. In other words they’re pretty normal. And while I’ve done everything in my power to raise them to turn out amazingly awesome – and they very well might turn out amazingly awesome – there aren’t any guarantees.

Sometimes bad parents raise terrific kids.
And sometimes terrific parents raise kids that chase bad things their whole life.
So, what’s a mama to do?

Embrace the process. Learn from the process. Let God speak to us during the process. And see the process of raising kids as an ongoing opportunity to invest beyond ourselves.

We get to love our kids like crazy. Pray for them faithfully. Talk to them regularly. Listen to them tenderly. Model honesty and integrity. And point them to Jesus at every turn.

We get to do all that.

And tucked within these privileges is the reward. As long as I look for the reward within the process, I won’t misplace my expectations. I have to rest in the assurance that God sees everything I invest in these kids.

And He will use every step of this process for good. The process will be good for me. And this process will good for my kids. It will be good. But this process won’t always make me feel good or look good.

If I always expect my kids to make me feel good or look good, I am setting us all up for failure. My kids were never meant to carry the weight of a mama’s need for validation. I can’t let their failures send me to bed. And I can’t wear their successes like mommy medals of honor.

Motherhood is tough you know?

It really is.

However, it’s also our only opportunity to reach into the generations to come and make a difference. So, an imperfect but wonderful difference I will make.

Dear Lord, help me to embrace the privilege and process of motherhood. I see parenting as an opportunity to invest beyond myself. But I also admit that I really need Your help. Please guide me so that I can model You every day in every way. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Good Morning............

Little Ryan started his morning off bored to pieces when he thought him and grandpa were going to play games on the computer... only to find out that grandpa had work to do...... *sigh*

later he thought it would be a good idea to empty the toy basket and rearrange the toys.......

Well.......... Charlie decided that the empty basket was a good place to rest for awhile.

A good *SMILE* day!

hugs... love & blessings

.::Tam::.

When people let you down...........

“Trust in Him at all times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.” Psalm 62:8

Disappointment feels like a heavy rock sinking to the bottom of my spirit. I’ve felt disappointed in many situations – a business opportunity that didn’t pan out, a writing door that didn’t open, and a relationship that broke my young heart.

The heaviest disappointments for me, however, stem from people. And not just any people; people who I’m closest to. People who turn out to be not at all what I hoped they’d be, or not who I thought they were.

I know I’m not alone in wondering how to deal with people who let me down. Just last week a friend said with a choke in her voice, “I wish my mom and I could be closer, but I don’t think we ever will be.” Another woman said with sadness, “My husband and I just don’t talk.” I’ve heard the edge of bitterness in women’s voices as they vow never to trust again because of a friend’s betrayal. And most of us have swallowed the hopelessness that comes with a broken heart, “I thought he was the one.”

I’ve tried different ways to handle disappointments in relationships. One way is to ignore the disappointment, to shut it in a box and hope the lid holds. Another way is to gloss over it with a quick statement such as, “People will let you down, but God never will.” True, but does this really help me process the hurt?

One morning in my quiet time I was pouring out my sadness, anger and disappointment about a close relationship. As the tears slipped down my face, I begged God to show up. What do I do with all this? Show me and I’ll do it because what I’ve been doing is not working.

Clear as a bell ringing in my spirit, Jesus said, Grieve.

Really? I questioned. I remembered that Jesus knew all about disappointment – Peter’s denial, Judas’ betrayal, and the disciples falling asleep during His anguish before His crucifixion (Matthew 26). I remembered people in the Bible who were well acquainted with people they loved letting them down, such as Joseph or Job. I felt reassured that Jesus wouldn’t misunderstand my sadness as a lack of faith.

So I cried, feeling every ounce of the disappointment. I told God all the things I wish were different about this relationship, all the things I thought this person had done wrong, and what I wish this person would do differently.

After the winds of grief subsided, I was done. Grieving was the bridge I had to cross to move beyond the disappointment. On the other side I found myself in a place where I could embrace the relationship for what it is, not what it’s not.

On the other side of grief lies a place where we can consider how to respond to the person who disappointed us. There are a number of possible responses. Sometimes we need to talk to the person or get godly counsel. Other times we may need to create healthy boundaries, or we may need just to let it go. Only after we’ve allowed ourselves to grieve, however, will we know how to respond to this person in the way that God wants. Then the words, “People will let you down, but God never will,” will be truly comforting, not just empty words.

Dear Lord, I’m so thankful that when it feels like no one else understands, You do. You understand about being disappointed in people but You loved them in the midst of that. Lord, I want to follow Your example. I’m thankful You know this sadness is a part of healing from the pain of disappointment. Give me guidance in handling this -I trust that You can bring good out of this. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

hugs...love....& blessings

.::Tam::.

On my knees............

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

Bending down with rag in hand, I wiped the coffee spills off the kitchen floor. Then my eye caught the spills dribbled down the cupboard door. Whoops... I didnt see that, I thought to myself as I continued to clean. Okay, I’ll just spend some time on my knees on this kitchen floor. Wow, there’s more cat hair down here than tile. And there’s that ball the boys have been looking for.
I thought I had thoroughly cleaned the kitchen, but on my knees I could see many things I had never seen before. So it is in my prayer life. Whether I’m literally on my knees or sitting in my bedroom as I usually do when I pray, I’m often amazed to see how my perspective changes in prayer.
A quiet time of humbling ourselves before the Lord will allow Him the time to reveal anything that doesn’t please Him. Psalm 139:23, 24 offers us a model of a prayer: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.”
When we see the dirt in our lives, we need to make sure we don’t move to self-condemnation, but instead take the step God desires from us: confessing our sin to the Lord.
It’s important to recognize that sin grieves our Holy Father, so much so that He sacrificed His precious Son for our sin. We need to call sin what it is; it’s not a bad habit, a bad choice, or a mistake. Sin is sin, and its roots are rebellion and independence from God. By His death on a cross Jesus has already forgiven us, but confessing our sins is a way of acknowledging and remembering that we need a Savior.
By being honest with God about our sin, we discover a great treasure: He loves us just as we are, and at the same time He wants to transform our character to be like His.

Dear Lord, thank You, Jesus, for Your death on a cross. I never want to take that lightly. In a world where it’s more acceptable to be tolerant, I want to remember that You are a holy God who does not tolerate sin. I am a sinner in constant need of Your grace, forgiveness, and love! Thank You for paying the price for my sins. I need You every minute of every day to empower me to be more like You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.





hugs...love & blessings
.::Tam::.

2011

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`·.,(¯`·´¯)..........★。＼｜／。★

(¯`·´¯).·´(¯`·´¯)...♥ Happy New Year ♥

..` ·.·´(¯`·´¯).....★。／｜＼。★

......`·.,(¯`·´¯)........。☆。

May this new year hold wonderful blessings for you all.....

hugs......

.::Tam::.