From the inside..........

our beauty shines.
The old saying, 'Dont judge a book by its cover' has been on my mind alot lately........ for a few reasons.

It started the other day with the unbelievable talent of a British woman (Susan Boyle) An unemployed, “never been kissed” 47-year-old who lives with her cat is the talk of Britain and a YouTube sensation. This lovely woman came out on the stage of the 'Britain's Got Talent' show and showed the audience and judges exactly why you don't judge someone by the way they look. You may end up missing out on something spectacular. Many looked upon her with sour faces as they thought she was unattractive and not such a bright individual. As she spoke and answered questions... snickers and rolling eyes continued to come from the audience and the judges. When given the okay to sing........... she shed her cover and the beauty within her shined so brightly ... that not one person saw her 'odd' cover anymore.

Of recent ... because of the edema that has set in on Michael.. his face is quiet noticeably puffy. Going to school has been tough for him. The snickers from children as he walks by... the name calling of classmates ... and even the sad looks of pitty from teachers and staff. Michael hasn't changed on the inside....... he is the same wonderful ... loving .. compassionate.... smart boy. So why the looks.. the name calling.. the judging?

The boys have all signed up for baseball again this summer. Practice has started and new children have come along. There are a couple boys on the teams now.. that (well....... from looks) don't seem to be 'baseball material' these are the boys that get looked at with almost a pitty... just knowing they will be sitting on the bench most of the game because they cant catch.. or hit. Well.. those boys have proven themselves to be hard little working and determined little ball players. Size and shape and looks aren't what matters!

I am so glad God doesn't treat us like we tend to treat others!!! Wow... how heartbreaking that would be.
Our Father in Heaven created us exactly the way we were to be. So we put on a few pounds over the years... He loves every extra pound.... its just a sign of enjoyed life. So we have a few more wrinkles than last year. He traces those wrinkles on our faces as we sleep... welling up inside full of love for all the beauty He sees within us as we've grown. The visible scares........ Oh... those are just reminders of the times we came crying to Him for love and help. All the stuff on the outside isnt 'what' we are... its just signs of 'who' we are on the inside. Look close... look past the over weight lady that runs the check out at the store.... do you see a sparkle in her eye... do you see the love in her face... do you see how she shines at the sight of children as they come through with their parents? Do you snicker to yourself as you check out and then make fun in your mind as you leave? Or do you tell that lovely woman that God created that she has beautiful eyes? Watch out.. she may talk to you.... you may find out she is your future closest friend.
God makes NO Mistakes. He created us to be who and what we are in His image. Yes.. we have the choice to follow Him....or not. That doesnt change who He created... that just means some dont want or dont believe in God and want the free gift of everlasting life ..so chose to walk a different road.
We are ALL God children. Brothers and Sisters. Love each other in that manner. Stop looking at folks as if they are weird... odd.. or freaks. Their your family ... love them!

I love you Lord God............. thank you for loving me back. No matter how I look.. no matter how many mistakes I make. NO MATTER..................

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

**Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each day.
~ Lamentations 3:23**

This is GOD.......

Today I will be handling All of your problems for you.
I do Not need your help.
So, have a nice day.
I love you. P..S. And, remember... If life happens to deliver a situation to you that you cannot handle, do Not attempt to resolve it yourself!
Kindly put it in the SFGTD (something for God to do) box.
I will get to it in MY TIME.
All situations will be resolved, but in My time, not yours.
Once the matter is placed into the box, do not hold onto it by worrying about it.
Instead, focus on all the wonderful things that are present in your life now. If you find yourself stuck in traffic, don't despair.
You are to be where you are in line, either to miss something about to happen, or to have an opportunity become available to you.Should you have a bad day at work; think of the man who has been out of work for years.
Should you despair over a relationship gone bad; appreciate the opportunity it is giving you to finally be available for the Right person to love and be loved in return. Should you grieve the passing of another weekend without anything to do; think of the woman in dire straits, working twelve hours a day, seven days a week to feed her children. Should your car break down, leaving you miles away from assistance; think of the paraplegic who would love the opportunity to take that walk. Should you notice a new gray hair in the mirror; think of the cancer patient in chemo who wishes she had hair to examine.
Should you find yourself at a loss and pondering what life is all about, asking what is my purpose; be thankful.
There are those who didn't live long enough to get that opportunity. Should you find yourself the victim of other people's bitterness, ignorance, smallness or insecurities; be grateful that you are not one of them!
I love you whether you decide to share this with a friend or not; but thank you if you do.
We may touch their life in ways you will never know!
Now, enjoy this lovely day... and the remainder of your blessed life.

Lovingly,
GOD

Sit...Pray...& Wait

"Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." Psalm 119:105

Do you pray for direction, and hear nothing?Do you wonder if God even heard your prayers?

Friend, you are not alone. Often I come before God, pouring out my heart in prayer, seeking His will for different areas in my life. Then I hear nothing. He is silent. Not wanting to wait, I forge ahead on my own. In my busyness, I fail to sit and wait. No time, I say, because someone is waiting for an answer. No time, I say, because I need to act now.Yet, when I examine Scripture, God consistently teaches: sit, pray, and wait.

Jesus began His ministry by fasting forty days alone in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11).

He spent an entire night alone in prayer before choosing His twelve disciples (Luke 6:12).

Esther fasted and prayed for three days before she took the bold and courageous step of going before the king on behalf of her people, knowing it could mean her death (Esther 4:8-16).

Elijah went into the wilderness for forty days to hear the "still small voice" (1 Kings 19:11-18).

What do these great people of faith teach us? To know God's leading, to hear His voice, we must listen and wait. Maybe we think God is silent because we never take the time to sit in God's Word and wait. When we do, He promises it will penetrate us to the marrow of our bones, to the deepest places in our heart. Hebrews 4:12 says His Word is living and active and "sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow".

When we choose to get alone with God, He promises to meet us there. Jeremiah 29:13-14a says, "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you". Take the challenge to meet Him in His Word.

Do you want direction? Follow these steps.

1) Read God's Word: 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man [woman] of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work" God was actively involved in the writing of Scripture. It is the Word of God written to speak Truth into your life today.

2) Study God's Word: 2 Timothy 2:15 says, "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth". When you study His Word, He plants it deep within your heart. His Spirit then takes the Word and bends your heart in His direction, enabling you to hear His Voice.

3) Pray God's Word: Isaiah 55:11 says, "...so is My Word that goes out from My mouth: It will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purposes for which I sent it". Prayer is God's living Word spoken out of your mouth. When you pray in faith, you hold God' Word up to Him in prayer. You put Him in remembrance of His Word, and His promise is that Word will not return void. It shall accomplish that which He purposes and pleases.

Lets do this together... join me today in applying God's Word to the circumstances in your life. Know that when you do.... God promises to do abundantly more than you could ever ask or imagine!

Heavenly Father, I need direction in my life today. You seem distant and silent. Yet I know that You are not because You promise to never leave me or forsake me. Today, I commit to search Your Word. Open my eyes that I may see the wonderful things in Your Law. Give me eyes to see and ears to hear Your direction in my circumstances. Thank You, Lord, that in my seeking You will meet me. Thank You that as I trust in You completely, You will lead me down Your paths! In Jesus' Name, Amen

GOD BLESS YOU ALL....
.::Tam::.

**I refresh the humble and give new courage to those with repentant hearts.
~ Isaiah 57:15**

Happy Easter................

He isn't here! He has been raised from the dead, just as He said would happen. Come, see where His body was lying.
~ Matthew 28:6

And the Winner is......................

Congratulation rose$bud

You are the WINNER of this cute little set. I don't seem to have an email address to contact you... so I'm hoping you will read my blog over this Easter weekend. If I haven't had a response from you ... I'll have to draw again. So PLEASE .......................... come post your email or email me(address on side bar) your address.
Yeah................ everyone congratulate rose$bud!

I know I kinda ended up dragging this out... but darn we had so much go on/happen to and around our family this last few weeks.... it was tough to stay focused on things that needed to be done.
But here we are ... winner found.
I think I will be doing this again for Mother's Day... so keep an eye out.

have a GREAT day all......
hugs... love & blessings,
.::Tam::.

**Jesus replied, "I am the bread of life. No one who comes to me will ever be hungry again. Those who believe in me will never thirst."
~ John 6:35**

Its fun to be different........

David giving his Presidents Report

I was going through pictures today ... sorting them out.. saving them and such... and came across this one. Just a couple weeks ago my littlest man David had to give a Presidents Report.
As I helped him research information about the President he had been given... I got to reminiscing about Michael this time last year doing his report. Michael is a bold ... self confident child. David is shy and unsure. So helping David with finding information was easy... but finding a style of presentation was something to think about. I knew David wouldn't be able to just stand up in front of everyone and present his report like his brother did. Michael presented his report as if he was the president himself ... giving a Presidential speech. It was wonderful and he got an A. Now David.. he is more of a crafty kind of kid... more hands on... 'create it' guy. So as we did the research together ... I kept thinking... how could David present his report in a 'crafty' way?
Well.......... through determination to help my little guy... we came up with a great plan. His entire report was placed in pieces on the backs of pictures representing what he was talking about. As he shared the information... he place the pictures on a report board. He was able to stick the pictures to the board with Velcro dots. So you see... he gave his report and in a crafty way created the report board he was to do also. It worked GREAT. He was given several compliments on how he presented his report.... both by classmates and teachers that were there to hear reports given that day. One teacher commented on how he kept everyones attention so well with his method of presentation... because the children were anxious to see what picture was next... and the information about it was simple and straight to the point. Teachers also made comments on how they had never had someone do their report in that manner before. We don't know what kind of grade he was given... but in my book... It was an A+ job!

As I spent time in prayer the other day... I was reminded of how different we all are. Which then as I came across this picture really got me to thinking of how the whole process of helping Michael and David with their reports is not alot different than God helping us learn and do things. As a mother ... I had to spend time researching my own children in my head as far as their own individual personalities go. What would be the best method for them to present their reports... so that it was THEM and not me ... or their dad... or even teachers that was really giving the report. Well.... like I said... Michael is my bold guy. Slight actor you could say. Confident.... speaks well... and all around will tell you like it is... even when he probably shouldn't have... (heheehe) So him presenting his report "as" President Ronald Regan was the perfect style. He was complimented by teachers on what a creative method it was. No one had presented their President that way before.
Then we come to David... shy... unsure of himself... yet very confident in his crafting abilities and quite proud of them. The report had to be 'him' ... not just reading a paper and not even understanding what he was reading. So he crafted the life of President Warren G Harding on a board and knew exactly what he was talking about. Understood all he needed to know about his President.

I think God does that with us. He knows us inside and out. He knows exactly what to put in front of us to get out attention. He know exactly how to use us to get to others. He knows how to do all this and we feel confident about it. We're proud of ourselves. Pleased with our work.
He loves us so much that He spends specific time creating things in our lives (good or bad) to get to us individually. Things that happen in my life will only work to get 'my' attention. He has to do something different to get my husbands attention... or my children... or a dear friend... or family members. And you can tell someone all about how God did something in your life and they may find it great... but don't really understand it. But God will do something in their life that only they will benefit from.
Its fun to listen to folks tell a story with the same ending... but the means of getting there were so different. That's your Father in Heaven ... caring enough about you individually to help set up your "Presidents Report" in your own style.
Thank you dear God... for loving me 'Just the way I am' and showing me things only I will understand and benefit from.

have a wonderful day all............

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


**Instead, let us test and examine our ways. Let us turn again in repentance to the Lord.
~ Lamentations 3:40**

Prayers Needed................

For my son Michael.................
Well… many of you know... Michael was diagnosed with Nephrotic Syndrome and is in the middle of a relapse... we're on the weaning end of this …. Headed toward remission.
This morning his protein levels tested 300++ which is bad. We need him at trace or zero. He has also caught a cold. He is stuffy and just not feeling good.
I know in my heart Michael is healed… he’s not sick. This is all lies from satan.
Satan can and will put physical lies upon us that we can feel and see. But bottom line… they are lies!!!!
So I’m asking for prayers against the lies!!!! And prayers of Gods healing power! To heal Michael… and to heal our minds from falling prey to satans lies.
MY BABY IS NOT SICK!

I pulled a card from my purse just minutes ago that had been hand written and given to the kids by a lovely lady that is tending to our kids at church in absence of our Pastors wife (Margie)
“… He Himself took our infirmities and carried away our disease” ~ Matthew 8:17
God Bless you!
Thank you all for your love and prayers!!! They are appreciated so very much!

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

**Examine yourselves to see if your faith is really genuine. Test yourselves. If you cannot tell that Jesus Christ is among you, it means you have failed the test.
~ 2 Corinthians 13:5**

PipeFox "Dragon"...........

Here we are ... a bit of a late night post. But I had to share this with you. Remember in the previous post I mentioned I was working on my 3rd Fox that was going to be for Michael? Well............ He decided it looked like a Dragon and wanted to know if I could make wings for him so that he would be a Dragon instead of a Fox.
So................... with a wonderful designer (Shaz) and her pattern. A 10yr old and his imagination..... and a mom with determination................... I am proud to say........... I created Michael a Dragon. He hasnt given him a name yet... he's still trying to decide on the right one. But he is already loving him to pieces!

Thanks for stoppin' in and taking a peek!

I appreciate each and every one of you that stop in to see what I'm up to ... share in my stories and devotionals.... help support my charity needs and just all around show your love and support!

God Bless you ... all my friends and family!

off to do some more stash diving........... I've been asked to make another one. OMy!

hugs... love and blessings,

.::Tam::.

**Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts.
~ Psalm 139:23**

Tested a pattern..............

Pipe Fox(es)

A lovely lady from over at the 'ville put out a request for pattern testers. Well I thought this little guy was the cutest.... so I asked if I could test for her. Yeah!!! She said yes!

Now you know there has to be a little story behind this ... its me we're talking about here.

So.... I took a dive in my yarn stash and came out with this fun orange yarn that was given to me by my Aunt who had sent home several large bags of yarn back at Thanksgiving time.

I sat down... went to get out the required hook... and .... hmmm... where is my hook? Oh man... I cant find the one the pattern called for. Oh well... this yarn feels a bit on the thin side... so I'll just use a smaller hook. As you see... there are two Foxes here.......... one with the smaller hook... and one with the hook that was called for in the first place .. which I found as I was finishing up the smaller one. *sheesh*

The small one is going to a friend for her son.. and the bigger one is for David! He got a 100% on a spelling test the week before last... and a 100% on a pre-test this last week. So this was his prize for doing so well.

here they are coiled up.

here they are laying out straight

Thank you Shaz for letting me test this for you.......... it was really fun.. and turned out adorable.

I'm staring #3 now.. .hehehee... that one is going to be for Michael.

have a wonderful rest of the weekend everyone

thanks for stopping in to take a peek at my fun today.

hugs... love... & blessings

.::Tam::.

**I pondered the direction of my life, and I turned to follow your statutes.
~ Psalm 119:59**

Keeping God to yourself......is it worth it?

Do you keep God all to yourself?
Do you share Him with anyone?
Do your friends or family know you have a relationship with God?
Do you only display your love for God at church?
If you were to die today... would half the folks at your funeral be shocked to find out you had a love for God? And from that... how many of those folks arent walking with God and may have been if you had shared God with them?
Does it take your death to open their eyes and let them look for God?
Is there a separation in friendships or relationships because of all this?

Why do you keep God to yourself?
What are you afraid of?
Why dont you share Him with your friends and family?
Do you not want them to know God? Would you not like to see them in Heaven someday? Or are you living in the world of ... *If people know I love God... I cant live the life I like to live.* ?
Are you really that comfortable with the way things are....Praising God at church on Sundays ... talking to Him only when you are alone and probably only when you want something from Him.... and living the carefree " I can do what I want" life the rest of the week. ?

Would you be okay knowing someone dear to you died without knowing God? And you could have simply shared God with them.

You dont have to walk around with your bible spouting off scriptures every 15 minutes. Although that would be awesome... I would even love to do that. But in reality of most of us humans. The most simplest of things work. They are the things that plant the seed. They are the things that people hold on to.

* When someone tells you of their troubles.... simply say... I'm sorry to hear that.. I'll pray for you. Dont help them wallow in their sorrows by offering advise or stories of your own.
* My Pastor talks about this one all the time. When eating out... and you are about to say grace... ask your waiter or waitress if there is anything you could pray for them for.
* Family Pray time. Now dont freak out... you dont have to get out your bible and schedule some grand family time. Simply gather in the morning before leaving the house for school and/or work. Hold hands in a circle... everyone simply say what they would like God to help them with that day. Could be a spelling test... could be a meeting at work.. could be a child at school that has been picking on them... and so on. Thank your Father in Heaven and have a wonderful day. Do the same at night before bed.. this time.... instead of seeking Gods help .. Thank Him... Thank your Lord for a beautiful day.... for the good lunch at school... for making a new friend... for a successful day at work.... and so on. Then off to bed. Wow... that was easy.
* When sending someone a card... (Thank You card... Thinking of you card... Birthday card... etc) write a scripture under your signature. With email being the way the world is today... having a scripture in your signature line would be great!
* On the back of your business cards... write a scripture
* Write a bible scripture on your receipt from a dinner out that you leave for the waitress.
* When you go visit a friend that is sick... at home or in the hospital... before you leave... say a prayer for them / with them.
* Pick a scripture to be your focus for the day. Share it with your family and friends by simply applying it to your day... or telling others of it.

These things and so many more are just simple ways to share God with others and not hold Him all to yourself.
Do any or all of these things and watch God move in your own life. Do them with the love of God completely in your heart... dont be a poser .... or just go through the motions... you wont be helping anyone else... or yourself.
God has so much to give you and show you.............. just simply let Him! And share Him with others so they can be blessed with you!

I love you all.......... I want you all to know God. I want to share Him with you ALL!
Have a Fabulous Friday and a Wonderful Weekend!
God Bless you!
huge hugs... lots of love and bountiful blessings,
.::Tam::.






**Put me on trial, Lord, and cross-examine me. Test my motives and affections. ~ Psalm 26:2**