The book of Malachi was written around 420 BC as a warning to the nation of Israel. God accused the priests of offering “defiled” sacrifices (Malachi 1:7). Specifically, He was concerned with the nation’s direct disobedience in not giving Him their best (v.8), and for withholding the tithes He had commanded them to give for His work (3:8-14).
So what does this have to do with us? We don’t bring God animal sacrifices. The death and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ was the one-time sacrifice for our sins (Hebrews 10:1-18). Malachi doesn’t apply to us, right? Surely we’re not guilty of giving God blemished sacrifices! Or are we?
Let’s look at just a couple of areas where I give God “blemished sacrifices”:
Time. I get up in the morning and have a hundred things to do. So I race into my day planning to take time to pray and read God’s Word in a minute. All throughout the day, I sense a nagging urge to spend time with God. Eight or nine hundred minutes later I’m tired and ready for bed. Not only did I not give God second-best—I didn’t give Him anything!
Money. There are so many things we need! We tell ourselves "I’ll give money to the Lord’s work next month, when I can afford it." But the biblical principle is clear: God wants our best in every area. He doesn’t need our money; He wants us to invest it in His work so that He’ll have our heart. “Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be” (Matthew 6:21).
Because of Jesus’ once-for-all sacrifice, we don’t sacrifice bulls and goats anymore. But God should still come first in every aspect of our lives—time, money, talent, friends, choices. What sacrifices do you need to make today
hugs... love & blessings
.::Tam::.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Another Comfortghan..............
created from donated squares!!!! I asked for 12- 12" pastel squares and these are the beauties I received!!! I found some variegated pastel yarn to join them with and here we are......... A great Comfortghan for charity!
Friends are GREAT!
hugs... love... & blessings
.::Tam::.
Friends are GREAT!hugs... love... & blessings
.::Tam::.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Dishcloth "Gifting" game..........
Over on the 'ville........ a group of us ladies pitched in and make a great big stack of dishcloths that would be mailed to one of us lucky ladies as a wonderful gift!
It was so much fun seeing all the different patterns... and colors come through!!
This is all the cloths spread out ............... arent they awesome!?
mine is the green knitted mitered corner one on the left. :)
All the cloths were mailed to me......... I drew a name from the stack of ladies that played along and sent all the cloths plus these few goodies to the winner!
It was so much fun seeing all the different patterns... and colors come through!!
This is all the cloths spread out ............... arent they awesome!?mine is the green knitted mitered corner one on the left. :)
All the cloths were mailed to me......... I drew a name from the stack of ladies that played along and sent all the cloths plus these few goodies to the winner!Here is a neat tote bag from Walmart... a doggie bag keeper to have on hand when wanting to bring home leftover goodies to our doggies.... and a hook case that I made and filled with goodies.
heres a couple shots of the hook case I made!
CoNgRaTuLaTiOnS Judy!!!! hope you like all your cloths and goodies!!!!
Hugs... Love... & Blessings
heres a couple shots of the hook case I made!
CoNgRaTuLaTiOnS Judy!!!! hope you like all your cloths and goodies!!!!Hugs... Love... & Blessings
.::Tam::.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Your 'Zest' for life?
How's your day going so far?
I wonder if the weather where you are is pretty or if you woke to clouds and felt a little blue. I wonder if your family, friends, co-workers or boss have aggravated you today. Has it dulled your mood? Are you mulling over an unpleasant interaction, dreading a task, or maybe griping about some aspect of your life this morning?
I recently read that 80% of working Americans have no passion for their work. Do you find passion or beauty in your work? Be it an office job, a self-employed business, or the business of changing diapers and sweeping up Cheerios; are you reasonably happy as you go about your work? Could you be? What would it take?
What about the people in your life – your family, friends, church members, neighbors – have you enjoyed their company today? Or recently? Have you loved the ones you're with?
I wonder too, have you noticed any beauty today? Have you looked for it? Have you even looked up?
God is in the beauty making business. Just glance outside and see what I mean. Even if it's cloudy or rainy, there is beauty to be seen. And felt. And experienced. When did you last take a walk outdoors, maybe through a park or down a shady trail just to enjoy the surroundings? Just to breathe the air.
We see God's beauty most clearly in creation but you can also see it in the way a mother cradles her baby, or the way a woman looks adoringly at her fiancé, or the way a child splashes joyously through puddles in his rain boots.
You can hear it too, in the sound of birds, the sweet whisper of "I love you," or the sound of a choir joining voices in praise. Have you heard it today?
Throughout the Bible, especially the Psalms, I see a link between joy and worshipping God. I see commands to be joyful, to rejoice, to bless and be blessed. I believe the Bible calls us to cultivate a joyful, "zesty life" that looks for His beauty daily and thanks Him for it. "Who out there has a zest for life? Can't wait each day to come upon beauty?" (Psalm 34:12,).
Did you wake this morning with an expectation of encountering something of the splendor of God? Did you swing your feet out of bed anticipating enjoying the God-ordained beauty in your day? Are you cultivating a zesty life, or drudging through your days, ticking off your to-dos, oblivious?
If you've been less than zesty, or even oblivious, it's not too late. Ask God to open the eyes of your heart today to see and savor Him, in the miraculous and in the mundane.
Dear Lord, thank You for the beauty You surround each of us with daily. The greens of grass and trees, the reds of tomatoes and strawberries, the smell of the air after a rain. God You are magnificent in Your beauty and goodness! And You're gracious in Your blessings. Open our eyes to notice them. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
hugs... love... & blessings
.::Tam::.
I wonder if the weather where you are is pretty or if you woke to clouds and felt a little blue. I wonder if your family, friends, co-workers or boss have aggravated you today. Has it dulled your mood? Are you mulling over an unpleasant interaction, dreading a task, or maybe griping about some aspect of your life this morning?
I recently read that 80% of working Americans have no passion for their work. Do you find passion or beauty in your work? Be it an office job, a self-employed business, or the business of changing diapers and sweeping up Cheerios; are you reasonably happy as you go about your work? Could you be? What would it take?
What about the people in your life – your family, friends, church members, neighbors – have you enjoyed their company today? Or recently? Have you loved the ones you're with?
I wonder too, have you noticed any beauty today? Have you looked for it? Have you even looked up?
God is in the beauty making business. Just glance outside and see what I mean. Even if it's cloudy or rainy, there is beauty to be seen. And felt. And experienced. When did you last take a walk outdoors, maybe through a park or down a shady trail just to enjoy the surroundings? Just to breathe the air.
We see God's beauty most clearly in creation but you can also see it in the way a mother cradles her baby, or the way a woman looks adoringly at her fiancé, or the way a child splashes joyously through puddles in his rain boots.
You can hear it too, in the sound of birds, the sweet whisper of "I love you," or the sound of a choir joining voices in praise. Have you heard it today?
Throughout the Bible, especially the Psalms, I see a link between joy and worshipping God. I see commands to be joyful, to rejoice, to bless and be blessed. I believe the Bible calls us to cultivate a joyful, "zesty life" that looks for His beauty daily and thanks Him for it. "Who out there has a zest for life? Can't wait each day to come upon beauty?" (Psalm 34:12,).
Did you wake this morning with an expectation of encountering something of the splendor of God? Did you swing your feet out of bed anticipating enjoying the God-ordained beauty in your day? Are you cultivating a zesty life, or drudging through your days, ticking off your to-dos, oblivious?
If you've been less than zesty, or even oblivious, it's not too late. Ask God to open the eyes of your heart today to see and savor Him, in the miraculous and in the mundane.
Dear Lord, thank You for the beauty You surround each of us with daily. The greens of grass and trees, the reds of tomatoes and strawberries, the smell of the air after a rain. God You are magnificent in Your beauty and goodness! And You're gracious in Your blessings. Open our eyes to notice them. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
hugs... love... & blessings
.::Tam::.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
July "Hooked on Independence" hook case....
Is on the move South to its new owner! I sure hope the recipient likes it!!!
This is this months RAOK. Flag design...............
filled with hooks.... scissors.... yarn needle and stitch markers.
This is this months RAOK. Flag design...............
filled with hooks.... scissors.... yarn needle and stitch markers.
Hugs... Love... & Blessings
.::Tam::.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Just another story?
Or something to really think about? Worth reading!
When I got home that night as my wife served dinner, I held her hand and said, I've got something to tell you. She sat down and ate quietly. Again I observed the hurt in her eyes.
Suddenly I didn't know how to open my mouth. But I had to let her know what I was thinking. I want a divorce. I raised the topic calmly.
She didn't seem to be annoyed by my words, instead she asked me softly, why?
I avoided her question. This made her angry. She threw away the chopsticks and shouted at me, you are not a man! That night, we didn't talk to each other. She was weeping. I knew she wanted to find out what had happened to our marriage. But I could hardly give her a satisfactory answer; she had lost my heart to Jane. I didn't love her anymore. I just pitied her!
With a deep sense of guilt, I drafted a divorce agreement which stated that she could own our house, our car, and 30% stake of my company.
She glanced at it and then tore it into pieces. The woman who had spent ten years of her life with me had become a stranger. I felt sorry for her wasted time, resources and energy but I could not take back what I had said for I loved Jane so dearly. Finally she cried loudly in front of me, which was what I had expected to see. To me her cry was actually a kind of release. The idea of divorce which had obsessed me for several weeks seemed to be firmer and clearer now.
The next day, I came back home very late and found her writing something at the table. I didn't have supper but went straight to sleep and fell asleep very fast because I was tired after an eventful day with Jane.
When I woke up, she was still there at the table writing. I just did not care so I turned over and was asleep again.
In the morning she presented her divorce conditions: she didn't want anything from me, but needed a month's notice before the divorce. She requested that in that one month we both struggle to live as normal a life as possible. Her reasons were simple: our son had his exams in a month's time and she didn't want to disrupt him with our broken marriage.
This was agreeable to me. But she had something more, she asked me to recall how I had carried her into out bridal room on our wedding day.
She requested that every day for the month's duration I carry her out of our bedroom to the front door ever morning. I thought she was going crazy. Just to make our last days together bearable I accepted her odd request.
I told Jane about my wife's divorce conditions. . She laughed loudly and thought it was absurd. No matter what tricks she applies, she has to face the divorce, she said scornfully.
My wife and I hadn't had any body contact since my divorce intention was explicitly expressed. So when I carried her out on the first day, we both appeared clumsy. Our son clapped behind us, daddy is holding mommy in his arms. His words brought me a sense of pain. From the bedroom to the sitting room, then to the door, I walked over ten meters with her in my arms. She closed her eyes and said softly; don't tell our son about the divorce. I nodded, feeling somewhat upset. I put her down outside the door. She went to wait for the bus to work. I drove alone to the office.
On the second day, both of us acted much more easily. She leaned on my chest. I could smell the fragrance of her blouse. I realized that I hadn't looked at this woman carefully for a long time. I realized she was not young any more. There were fine wrinkles on her face, her hair was graying! Our marriage had taken its toll on her. For a minute I wondered what I had done to her.
On the fourth day, when I lifted her up, I felt a sense of intimacy returning. This was the woman who had given ten years of her life to me.
On the fifth and sixth day, I realized that our sense of intimacy was growing again. I didn't tell Jane about this. It became easier to carry her as the month slipped by. Perhaps the everyday workout made me stronger.
She was choosing what to wear one morning. She tried on quite a few dresses but could not find a suitable one. Then she sighed, all my dresses have grown bigger. I suddenly realized that she had grown so thin, that was the reason why I could carry her more easily.
Suddenly it hit me... she had buried so much pain and bitterness in her heart. Subconsciously I reached out and touched her head.
Our son came in at the moment and said, Dad, it's time to carry mom out. To him, seeing his father carrying his mother out had become an essential part of his life. My wife gestured to our son to come closer and hugged him tightly. I turned my face away because I was afraid I might change my mind at this last minute. I then held her in my arms, walking from the bedroom, through the sitting room, to the hallway. Her hand surrounded my neck softly and naturally. I held her body tightly; it was just like our wedding day.
But her much lighter weight made me sad. On the last day, when I held her in my arms I could hardly move a step. Our son had gone to school. I held her tightly and said, I hadn't noticed that our life lacked intimacy.
I drove to office.... jumped out of the car swiftly without locking the door. I was afraid any delay would make me change my mind...I walked upstairs. Jane opened the door and I said to her, Sorry, Jane, I do not want the divorce anymore.
She looked at me, astonished, and then touched my forehead. Do you have a fever? She said. I moved her hand off my head. Sorry, Jane, I said, I won't divorce. My marriage life was boring probably because she and I didn't value the details of our lives, not because we didn't love each other anymore. Now I realize that since I carried her into my home on our wedding day I am supposed to hold her until death do us apart.
Jane seemed to suddenly wake up. She gave me a loud slap and then slammed the door and burst into tears. I walked downstairs and drove away.
At the floral shop on the way, I ordered a bouquet of flowers for my wife. The salesgirl asked me what to write on the card. I smiled and wrote, I'll carry you out every morning until death do us apart.
That evening I arrived home, flowers in my hands, a smile on my face, I run up stairs, only to find my wife in the bed - dead.
My wife had been fighting CANCER for months and I was so busy with Jane to even notice. She knew that she would die soon and she wanted to save me from the whatever negative reaction from our son, in case we push thru with the divorce.-- At least, in the eyes of our son--- I'm a loving husband....
The small details of your lives are what really matter in a relationship. It is not the mansion, the car, property, the money in the bank. These create an environment conducive for happiness but cannot give happiness in themselves. So find time to be your spouse's friend and do those little things for each other that build intimacy. Do have a real happy marriage!
If you don't share this, nothing will happen to you.
If you do, you just might save a marriage.
Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.
A CHRIST-CENTERED MARRIAGE IS A MARRIAGE THAT IS SURE TO LAST A LIFETIME.
So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate. Matthew 19:6
hugs... love... & blessings
.::Tam::.
When I got home that night as my wife served dinner, I held her hand and said, I've got something to tell you. She sat down and ate quietly. Again I observed the hurt in her eyes.
Suddenly I didn't know how to open my mouth. But I had to let her know what I was thinking. I want a divorce. I raised the topic calmly.
She didn't seem to be annoyed by my words, instead she asked me softly, why?
I avoided her question. This made her angry. She threw away the chopsticks and shouted at me, you are not a man! That night, we didn't talk to each other. She was weeping. I knew she wanted to find out what had happened to our marriage. But I could hardly give her a satisfactory answer; she had lost my heart to Jane. I didn't love her anymore. I just pitied her!
With a deep sense of guilt, I drafted a divorce agreement which stated that she could own our house, our car, and 30% stake of my company.
She glanced at it and then tore it into pieces. The woman who had spent ten years of her life with me had become a stranger. I felt sorry for her wasted time, resources and energy but I could not take back what I had said for I loved Jane so dearly. Finally she cried loudly in front of me, which was what I had expected to see. To me her cry was actually a kind of release. The idea of divorce which had obsessed me for several weeks seemed to be firmer and clearer now.
The next day, I came back home very late and found her writing something at the table. I didn't have supper but went straight to sleep and fell asleep very fast because I was tired after an eventful day with Jane.
When I woke up, she was still there at the table writing. I just did not care so I turned over and was asleep again.
In the morning she presented her divorce conditions: she didn't want anything from me, but needed a month's notice before the divorce. She requested that in that one month we both struggle to live as normal a life as possible. Her reasons were simple: our son had his exams in a month's time and she didn't want to disrupt him with our broken marriage.
This was agreeable to me. But she had something more, she asked me to recall how I had carried her into out bridal room on our wedding day.
She requested that every day for the month's duration I carry her out of our bedroom to the front door ever morning. I thought she was going crazy. Just to make our last days together bearable I accepted her odd request.
I told Jane about my wife's divorce conditions. . She laughed loudly and thought it was absurd. No matter what tricks she applies, she has to face the divorce, she said scornfully.
My wife and I hadn't had any body contact since my divorce intention was explicitly expressed. So when I carried her out on the first day, we both appeared clumsy. Our son clapped behind us, daddy is holding mommy in his arms. His words brought me a sense of pain. From the bedroom to the sitting room, then to the door, I walked over ten meters with her in my arms. She closed her eyes and said softly; don't tell our son about the divorce. I nodded, feeling somewhat upset. I put her down outside the door. She went to wait for the bus to work. I drove alone to the office.
On the second day, both of us acted much more easily. She leaned on my chest. I could smell the fragrance of her blouse. I realized that I hadn't looked at this woman carefully for a long time. I realized she was not young any more. There were fine wrinkles on her face, her hair was graying! Our marriage had taken its toll on her. For a minute I wondered what I had done to her.
On the fourth day, when I lifted her up, I felt a sense of intimacy returning. This was the woman who had given ten years of her life to me.
On the fifth and sixth day, I realized that our sense of intimacy was growing again. I didn't tell Jane about this. It became easier to carry her as the month slipped by. Perhaps the everyday workout made me stronger.
She was choosing what to wear one morning. She tried on quite a few dresses but could not find a suitable one. Then she sighed, all my dresses have grown bigger. I suddenly realized that she had grown so thin, that was the reason why I could carry her more easily.
Suddenly it hit me... she had buried so much pain and bitterness in her heart. Subconsciously I reached out and touched her head.
Our son came in at the moment and said, Dad, it's time to carry mom out. To him, seeing his father carrying his mother out had become an essential part of his life. My wife gestured to our son to come closer and hugged him tightly. I turned my face away because I was afraid I might change my mind at this last minute. I then held her in my arms, walking from the bedroom, through the sitting room, to the hallway. Her hand surrounded my neck softly and naturally. I held her body tightly; it was just like our wedding day.
But her much lighter weight made me sad. On the last day, when I held her in my arms I could hardly move a step. Our son had gone to school. I held her tightly and said, I hadn't noticed that our life lacked intimacy.
I drove to office.... jumped out of the car swiftly without locking the door. I was afraid any delay would make me change my mind...I walked upstairs. Jane opened the door and I said to her, Sorry, Jane, I do not want the divorce anymore.
She looked at me, astonished, and then touched my forehead. Do you have a fever? She said. I moved her hand off my head. Sorry, Jane, I said, I won't divorce. My marriage life was boring probably because she and I didn't value the details of our lives, not because we didn't love each other anymore. Now I realize that since I carried her into my home on our wedding day I am supposed to hold her until death do us apart.
Jane seemed to suddenly wake up. She gave me a loud slap and then slammed the door and burst into tears. I walked downstairs and drove away.
At the floral shop on the way, I ordered a bouquet of flowers for my wife. The salesgirl asked me what to write on the card. I smiled and wrote, I'll carry you out every morning until death do us apart.
That evening I arrived home, flowers in my hands, a smile on my face, I run up stairs, only to find my wife in the bed - dead.
My wife had been fighting CANCER for months and I was so busy with Jane to even notice. She knew that she would die soon and she wanted to save me from the whatever negative reaction from our son, in case we push thru with the divorce.-- At least, in the eyes of our son--- I'm a loving husband....
The small details of your lives are what really matter in a relationship. It is not the mansion, the car, property, the money in the bank. These create an environment conducive for happiness but cannot give happiness in themselves. So find time to be your spouse's friend and do those little things for each other that build intimacy. Do have a real happy marriage!
If you don't share this, nothing will happen to you.
If you do, you just might save a marriage.
Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.
A CHRIST-CENTERED MARRIAGE IS A MARRIAGE THAT IS SURE TO LAST A LIFETIME.
So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate. Matthew 19:6
hugs... love... & blessings
.::Tam::.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Good day fishin'...............
Ken took the boys fishing again yesterday to the pond on our neighbors property.... and they had a blast!
Look at the fish David has! He had so much fun! They caught plenty... but only two were keepers!
This is Christopher helping his younger brothers get hooks ready!
Here he explains some pointers on fishing.
aww.... one of the small ones that got thrown back.
YUM............. the two keepers will make for a GREAT dinner!
Thanks dad for going fishing!!!! What a great day!
Look at the fish David has! He had so much fun! They caught plenty... but only two were keepers!
This is Christopher helping his younger brothers get hooks ready!Here he explains some pointers on fishing. 
aww.... one of the small ones that got thrown back. 
YUM............. the two keepers will make for a GREAT dinner!Thanks dad for going fishing!!!! What a great day!
hugs...love... & blessings
.::Tam::.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Gone Fishin'..............
Ken took Patrick ... Michael and David fishing yesterday on the land next door. The guy that owns the land bought it so he would have a place to hunt. He brings us deer meat of some sort each hunting season. He has a few ponds on his land..... one which he stocked with bass the other year. So told us we were welcome to fish whenever we wanted.
This is the pond he stocked................. isnt it beautiful!?!
David getting weeds off his hook...........
Michael fishin'............
Ken is off with the boys again this morning............ Christopher even went this time!
This is the pond he stocked................. isnt it beautiful!?!
David getting weeds off his hook...........
Michael fishin'............
Ken is off with the boys again this morning............ Christopher even went this time!
I sure hope they come home with dinner................. hahahahaha :)
Mostly......... I just hope they have fun!!!
hugs...love...... & blessings
.::Tam::.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Pony All Star East Team....
Summer baseball comes to an end with an 'All Star Game' today..........
Two or so players from each team that played through the season are picked as "All Stars" The boys are then split into two teams... East and West.
They then get to play one last game for the season as Friends!
Its quite and honor to be picked!
This is the 'East' team. Patrick was on this team along with a couple other boys from his season team. Patrick is on the far right in the back row. One of his coaches "coached" the team.
Here are the Nehawka boys starting the role call line up for the "East" team
This is a shot of both teams.............. East vs West
The boys all get to play several different positions in this game. Here's Patrick catching.
This is Patrick up to bat... it was a GREAT hit!
He got into a "pickle" from third base to home..... pulled a matrix move... flew over the catcher... twisted in mid air... slapped home plate with is hand and was called SAFE!!! It was amazing!!!
This is Patrick up to bat... it was a GREAT hit!
He got into a "pickle" from third base to home..... pulled a matrix move... flew over the catcher... twisted in mid air... slapped home plate with is hand and was called SAFE!!! It was amazing!!!But................. in the process his helmet wiggled loose and hit him in the mouth. He really cut up his lip................. :( My poor baby!
Patrick pitched really good!!! (even after busting up his lip)
EAST WINS!!!! Way to go boys!!!!
hugs....love... & blessings
hugs....love... & blessings
.::Tam::.
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