Terrific Tuesday....

Well................... this picture doesnt show the colors very well.. now does it. Fire that photographer!!! These are suppose to be shades of purples. Hmmmm... look blue to me.
Anyway.. these are my latest charity squares. They are off to a wonderful lady who is making a surprise comfortghan for a fellow 'viller. Cant tell you anymore than that..... until she gets her 'ghan. Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..... be vewwy vewwy quiet.

One of my favorite things to do is watch my three younger boys play Baseball.... I’m their biggest fan. Even though I know as a mom ...I can be embarrassing from the stands, I cheer as loudly as I can knowing my cheers encourage them. When I’m watching their games, I am completely focused on my boys. This is how God looks at each one of us. We.... His children.... are the focus of His attention.
The Bible tells us in 2 Chronicles 16:9 exactly who God focuses on and why: “the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.”God’s focus is on “those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.” I can just imagine God’s eyes searching for the woman who would become the mother to his son Jesus. Then He sees Mary, nods His head and says, That’s the one. I can imagine God searching for the person to have faith to build the Ark even though he’s never seen a drop of rain. Then He sees Noah, nods His head, and says that’s the one. Imagine Him searching for the person who would persevere in the wilderness for forty years. He sees Moses, nods his head, and says that’s the one
What are your thoughts as you imagine God’s eyes resting on you? Sometimes I’ve been unsure and even afraid of God’s eyes resting on me. I look at my failures and think I don’t measure up, that I won’t be the one God’s looking for. I see so clearly the days when I’ve selfishly thought of my own needs, instead of my husband’s. I see the days when I’ve spoken harsh words to my children, instead of responding with patience. I remember times when I’ve judged or criticized other women.
We have to be careful not to make this mistake. We have to believe what is true, not the lies and accusations of the enemy. God is not looking for the woman who’s perfect or serves in the most ministries. He’s not looking for the woman who never misses a quiet time with Him or who never doubts.
God is looking for the woman who’s fully committed to Him, a woman like you or me, whose heart is saying yes to God. Yes, I’ll love my husband for You, Lord. Yes, I’ll turn off the TV to read a Bible story to my kids. Yes, I’ll call a friend to encourage her. And yes, when I fail to do what You want me to do, I’ll confess my sin, receive Your forgiveness, and press on in faith.
God is our greatest cheerleader, not our greatest critic. When His eyes light on His children, they are eyes of compassion and lovingkindness, not criticism or judgment.

Wow... sure does make you think huh?
Have an excellent evening... and a terrific tomorrow!
God Bless you all.....
hugs...
love....
blessings...
.::Tam::.

**"For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” 2 Chronicles 16:9 **

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord” Psalm 33:12

Tomorrow, November 4th, millions of Americans will have the opportunity to elect new leaders of government. If you live in the United States, I encourage you to be among them and exercise your right to vote. I encourage you to vote for both your national and your local leaders.
While the Bible does not command us to vote, it does command us to be good citizens wherever we live. One way we can be a good citizen, honor God, and assist in guiding our nation is by voting.
There’s no doubt about it, voting is both a duty and a privilege. However, I realize that some people won’t take the time and trouble to vote because they don’t believe their ballot will make much of a difference. That’s not true. Statistics show that many elections have come down to only a handful of votes.What would happen if most people felt that their vote didn’t really matter and didn’t bother to vote? It would mean that our country’s future would be decided by only a few of its citizens— who perhaps don’t hold the same convictions as yours.
November 4th is a day of opportunity for America. It’s a day to stand up for what we believe in. It’s a day to voice those beliefs and be heard. It’s a day to take the time to vote as we honor our Christian heritage, and bring glory to God. For “blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord!

**Dear Lord, in this upcoming election, I pray that You will move in the hearts of Your people in this nation to vote. I pray You will work in and through our leaders to guide and bless this nation – may it be so in all nations, Lord! Guide us by your Spirit, in Jesus' Name, Amen.**


TESTED New Square.....

This is called *Heart of a Hippie* (7" square) designed by SmoothFox (Donna)

I was given the pleasure of testing her pattern for her. It worked up quite nicely... and was easily transformed into a 12" square by additional rows.

12" square..............

with a few more rows... Donna was able to create yet another great square to use for blankets.

Thank you Donna for letting me test this one for you.... I really like it!!!! It came out great in Christmas colors too.

These three squares are going to a lovely lady in my crochet yahoo group. She has requested 12" squares in Christmas colors and these are the ones I made for her. I sure hope she likes them.
Well.. you all know me by now... off to get a fresh cup of coffee hang up a few clothes and crochet till bedtime.

Have a Wonderful evening...

God Bless you all!!!

Hugs...love...blessings,

.::Tam::.

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**

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**

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**

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**

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**

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**