Tammy Moore - Standing on God's Promises

Day 3 Blogging Challenge - My Views on Drugs and Alcohol

2011-09-04T14:18:00.002-05:00

Day 3 - My view on drugs and alcohol

Somebody really worked on these questions to keep people either (a) out of their comfort zone, or (b) on their soapbox.

My view on drugs, and I'm assuming the creator of this list is referring to illicit and/or recreational drug use, I don't agree with the practice. It is dangerous because the drugs lower inhibitions and create more avenues for people to be taken advantage or, get hurt, or hurt others. If the drugs used aren't lower inhibitions, then they are amping up the person's metabolism and heart rate in order to "stay alert" and party longer. I've heard so many excuses over the years as to why drug use is cool, most being "It helps me relax and feel good." Yes, when I was younger, that was me. Now that I'm older, I have to shake my head and wonder, why in the world did I want to be in situations where I was so uncomfortable that I had to drug myself in order to have a "good time." What was I thinking? Well, that's an easy question to answer. I wasn't thinking. I was trying to be part of the "cool" people. I wish I could reach out to my younger self and talk some sense into me.

As for alcohol, that is an exceptionally touchy subject around here. Yes, alcohol is in the Bible. Yes, they drank wine. However, there are so many warnings in the Bible, as well as in our current culture, to drink responsibly. Absolutely no good comes from getting drunk, not in Noah's time and not now. The smartest and safest thing by far is simply, don't do it.

30-day Blogging challenge - Day 2 - Where would I like to be in 10 years

2011-09-02T14:38:00.000-05:00

Where would I like to be in 10 years

Good question, one that keeps changing. In the 90s, my 10-year goal was to earn the rank of Sergeant Major. Alas, an injury and other events caused that goal to get sunsetted. In the late 90s and early 2000s my goal was to be a successful business person. Pushing for big, better, best, and allowing myself to get into the "The one with the most toys wins" syndrome was very taxing. I was very goal-oriented and ambitious, well, truth is I'm still very goal oriented. These aren't necessarily bad character traits, but they can be when personal priorities get out of sync. Poor priorities equals poor personal relationships which equals extra stress, which is very avoidable.

So, what is my new 10-year goal? First, I want to be debt free, including our house, if at all possible.

Being debt free will lift a great burden as well as required commitments that keeps us tightly bound to home and work and away from our extended family. Being debt free would allow us to visit with our children and grandchildren more often. What a great joy that will be!

Next, I want to be better acquainted with my guitar, which has grown very lonely over the years . My piano and clarinet are also crying out for attention.

I want to be more involved in ministry, whether it is supporting a ministry or actively leading one, whatever door the Lord opens. It is so inspiring watching what the Lord is doing in the lives of the young people around me. I want to roll up my sleeves to get more involved as well. I would be so exciting to have the Lord open a door to a ministry overseas. However, I know there are vast fields right here at home that need attention as well. So, wherever the Lord leads, I will follow.

So, where will I be in 10 years? Only the Lord knows. I'm looking forward to seeing what great gifts He has in store for me.

30-day blogging challenge - Current relationship

2011-08-31T12:42:00.001-05:00

Current relationship

I really enjoy writing, but I've fallen away from it this year. I allowed work and other things to pull me away. When a friend shared this 30-day challenge, I picked up the gauntlet. It took me a few days to let things settle in and get a game plan together for my writing time (yes, I stole back some of my time!! Yeah!!) Let's see how things go.

The first day's assignment is to write about my current relationship. I'm in an incredible relationship that is truly standing the test of time. I heard of this man a while before I began hanging out with him, which was when I was 14 years old. See, I told you the relationship was standing the test of time. :-) He's been with me through all the highs and lows in my life. When things were at their worst when I was a teenager, he was there to comfort me. We would lose ourselves in music and talk, and that would give me a better perspective and I'd feel a lot better.

Then there were the years when my life's worst became even darker. I admit, I became very frustrated with my wonderful friend and turned my back on him. For a few years I tried to walk in this world on my own, thinking I could make all my decisions and plans without any input from anyone. Yes, I'm a very stubborn, independent-minded person. However, this wonderful man waited for me. He didn't stray, he never changed, he stayed right there waiting for me to realize that this world is too big and too deceptive for me to handle things on my own. What a glorious reunion when I made that realization and went running back into His open arms! Ever since that time, we've been inseparable. It is so comforting to know that no matter what, He's always there.

I would like to introduce you to the man in my wonderful relationship. His name is Jesus. I learned all about him as a child, literally studying about him at least 6 out of 7 days a week because I attended parochial school during the week and church on weekends. I thought that all that head knowledge was all I needed to know about Jesus to get me safely through my life. When I was 14 I went to a get-together at a church that changed my life forever. The speaker was saying things that kind of went against the grain of what I'd been taught throughout my younger years. I don't remember who the speaker was, but I remember the message. We were told that even the devil and all his demons know about Jesus. They know all of Jesus' teachings, His miracles, and His sufferings. That's right, they know the scriptures. Even with all this knowledge, they chose to turn their backs on Jesus, His Father and the Holy Spirit. Oh, that so struck a chord in my young heart! I didn't want to just have a head knowledge of Jesus, I wanted to truly know this wonderful Man who chose, yes freely chose, to leave all the glories in heaven to come to earth as a baby, go through all the temptations of a man, and then be persecuted, prosecuted, and then horribly executed. I had to get to know Him better because He went through all of this for me! For me?! Wow! That still boggles my mind!! He made this decision and went through everything just for me, before I was even born! Yes, He went through all He this for you as well. Do you know Him? Truly know Him, with a relationship like you have with your friends and family? If you don't, and you want to, you can right now. Jesus will accept anyone as a friend, at any time. The wonderful thing is that we don't have to wait until we've cleaned up our life, wear the right clothes, make enough money, or done anything special in order to qualifty to get to know Jesus better. We simply invite Him into our life. It is something you can do right now, and it is literally as easy as A, B, C.

Admit that you're a sinner:

Romans 3:22-24

"This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."

Believe that Jesus Christ died for you, was buried, and rose again (Yes, He Lives!)

John 3:16-17

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."

Romans 5:8

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

Confess that Jesus is your Lord and Saviour

Romans 10:9

"That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."

After that comes the great part, you get to keep growing our relationship with Jesus. How? Read His Word, the Bible, every day. Once a day, twice a day, whatever you choose to do. You say you don't own a Bible? Well, until you can get one that you can hold in your hand, find a Bible online. Check out sites like http://www.biblegateway.com/ or http://www.bible.com/ or http://www.bible.org/. There are even Bibles you can download to your cell phone, iPad, etc., and many include extras like Bible reading plans, devotionals, etc. These are handy applications when you're away from home and want to check out what the Word has to say about something.

Next, if you don't have a church, go visit a few. Don't decide on a church just because it is the most popular church in your area. Find a church that preaches the scripture the way the Lord wrote it. You wouldn't buy a house or a car without doing research and finding out for yourself that you're being given the facts, so do the same thing when you're looking for the right home church. Take notes during the sermons, and then test what was preached by checking the Bible for yourself.

I pray that you decide to build a wonderful relationship with Jesus. He is truly the best and most reliable friend you will ever have.

Lessons Learned in the Round

2010-09-20T20:55:00.000-05:00

Ahhh, these long hot days of summer are hanging on. But that means I get to spend more time exercising in the pool. This Monday evening I took advantage of some quiet time since my hubby is in school and my youngster is hanging with his buddies, to get in some pool time. My routine is to check the filters, skim, check the pump, and then get in my laps. Earlier in the summer our pool pump quit. Well, I couldn't find an exact match, matter of fact I couldn't find anything close, so I had to get a pump about 1/3 stronger than the old pump. It has actually turned out to be a very good thing in a number of ways. Our pool is round so I found out right away that this bigger pump did more than just move the water in a circle to the skimmer. This pump actually creates a current, one that you can feel pushing you. This is a huge benefit for me because my exercise time is usually somewhat limited, so I want to get the most "bang for my buck" with my time. When I swim my laps for exercise I always swim against the current. It seems like in no time my arms and legs are burning, so I know I'm getting a good work out. When I've hit my exercise goal, I swim the other direction....or rather I coast in the other direction (that big ole pump does a really good job of pushing me along).

This evening as I swam I was doing some thinking. Some thoughts about work, some about home, school I'd like to finish up, and so on. Then I realized I really wanted to stop and spend this wonderful quiet time with the Lord. I really needed to have a good chat with my Lord. Sometimes these "chats" can go on a long time, but tonight was totally different. My puzzlement of late was why it is such a challenge for me to stay close to God. I know what I need to do, I read, I pray, but I feel like I'm always struggling. Then....quick as a flash God spoke to me. No, not in a clear voice, but to my soul. He said, "Oh, child of mine. You are so impatient. When you exercise, do you push your arms and legs against the air with no resistance and expect results?" Just that quick I was humbled and different scriptures began to come to mind. I knew I had to dig further into this Word from God right away, so out of the pool I came and straight to the Bible.

First I went to James 1:2-4 "Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. But endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing."

Oh, yes. I want to build up my endurance! That's the point of my exercise. I want to be able to do things like I used to be able to, walk farther, ride my bike for miles upon miles. Shouldn't my walk with God be the same way? Well, I have to exercise my faith, stay in the Word, pray, and spend time with God.

I then turned over to Romas. Paul wrote: " For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it." "What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!" NIV Romans 7:19-20 and 7:24-25.

Paul struggled, and stayed in prayer, and he endured. Growing stronger and closer to the Lord. Oh, how I want that.

Then I paused for a bit and realized that even Jesus took time to get alone and talk to God the Father. What a "Wow" moment to realize even Jesus needed time with the Father to renew Himself. I don't see many places where it is shared exactly what Jesus prayed, but it is mentioned frequently that Jesus would rise early to prayer....or go to lonely places, quiet places, to pray. However, Jesus' prayer in the garden is shared in scripture. In Gethsemane Jesus was troubled. Scripture tells us that He said "His soul was overwhelmed." Jesus knew what awaited Him, so I can clearly understand why He was overwhelmed. He knew that the persecution, the beatings, was coming upon him very soon. He was in human form, so He knew this was going to be agony. In Gethsemane, not only do we see Jesus asking God to give Him an easier path, but also saying "Not as I will, but as You will." (Matthew 26:39). I'm not a theologian by any means, but it seems like He's not only asking for relief, but strength to see everything through.

Yes, I was sorely humbled by word I received. What a wake up call. Why did I spend so many years assuming that things should come easily, fall smoothly into place, and be a snap for me? How silly. It didn't happen for John, James, Paul or even Jesus. Why did I think I was an exception. Thankfully, that self-deception has been lifted. I see clearly now that it takes resistance, trials, some hard lessons, and spiritual exercises in order for me to build "muscles." I know that God has a plan for all these spiritual muscles He's building. It is going to be exciting to see how He plans to use them.

Don't overlook God's blessings

2010-08-31T08:52:00.001-05:00

What a morning! I woke up with a busy, busy morning in front of me. Or, rather a very busy 1-1/2 hours. Today is grooming day for my 3 little dogs. This means I must rise extra early, let all 4 dogs out, get myself showered, dressed, and hopfully woken up minus caffeine (there is never enough time to drink a cup of coffee or tea). Then it is load up the 3 little dogs while keeping the big dog penned up and get to the groomers. Doesn't sound too hectic until you consider the drive to the groomers is about 20-30 minutes (depending on school bus route times).

This morning I fully intended to keep my focus on the simple things in life, the beauty that God has all around me for me to appreciate. Instead, here was my lesson.

God works all things for my good.

How did that lesson arrive? Well, part of our grooming day schedule is (weather permitting) to ensure that the backyard gets mowed because one of our little dogs is allergic to grass. Of course, he's the shortest dog as well so literally can spend his life up to his neck in grass if we can't keep it mowed. Well, the grass was damp because we've been blessed with much needed rain. This means that I wasn't about to try and learn all the inner workings of my husband's new riding mower (just enough different from our old mower to get me in a LOT of trouble), so I got out the push mower. Granted, it is self-propelled, but it is still a push mower. I gas it up and off I go.

As I mow I realize that all the edging around the heat pumps, patio, and fence line needs to be done as well. Then here comes my fleshy self. I was just ranting and raving in my mind about things like "How come no one ever runs the weed-eater the way it needs to be done? Why do they wait until a 30 minute to an hour touch-up job turns into a full morning chore?" I got myself quite worked up, when suddenly Romans 8:28 came to mind.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (NIV)

WOW! Suddenly the Holy Spirit convicted me of all the negativity I had been building up. I was humbled as a new light was shed on everything I had been looking at through a dark glass. My God, even though I was so undeserving, has blessed me with a house and some land. We have a yard that He allows us to enjoy and it does need regular maintenance. All the opportunities that come with having this glorious gift came flooding into my mind. I don't have to have an extra gym membership. My Lord has provided a way for me to get regular exercise and enjoy the outdoors while caring for the land He's given us stewardship over. I don't have to search for opportunities for my children and grandchildren to learn the feeling of a job well done with their own hands. The Lord has provided a way for them to have a regular job in helping care for this blessing the Lord has bestowed upon us.

Instead of allowing myself to wallow in the anger and rage that had been rearing its ugly heard earlier (and setting a potentially ominous tone for the day), my soul raised up a huge praise to my Lord! Thank you, my wonderful Father in heaven, for blessing me so generously. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for showing me this wonderful lesson today. Help me to forever keep my heart, mind, and soul open to You and your teachings to I can walk more closely to You, my sweet and precious Lord and Saviour.

Trixie supervising morning mowing chore

Beautiful rain!

2010-08-17T07:46:00.000-05:00

It has been dry so long the grass was getting brown and crunchy. We've been gloriously blessed with rain. Things that were shriveling up and about to waste away are green and growing. It is simply beautiful. It is awe-inspiring to watch the growth that rain can produce. A simple thing, rain. It is water produced from condensation in the air and falls to earth. What it does is magnificent. It helps things to grow.

It amazes me how things all around me remind me of what God does in my life. Without Him I begin to "get crunchy." Okay, not literally. But I get cranky. My words become more coarse and less a reflection of the Lord I serve. I begin to dry up and wither without the daily reign of the Lord in my life. He is the Living Water and I need Him in my life.

³⁷On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. ³⁸Whoever believes in me, as^b the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” ³⁹

^bOr / If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me. / And let him drink, who believes in me. / As

The Holy Bible : New International Version. electronic ed. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984, S. Jn 7:37-39

Sunshine and Son's shine

2010-08-03T09:28:00.000-05:00

Sitting here looking out my window enjoying the sunshine pouring in my window. Sunshine, such a beautiful thing. A shimmering reflection spreading light. Saying something is sunny is a kin to saying something is happy. Seeing the sun in the morning, watching it rise and cut through the fog, does make me smile. The sun aids in processes to help plants grow. It even helps us stay healthy. Lack of sunshine causes things to be dreary. In the fall and winter when there is less sunshine, people tend to get depressed.

I can't help but notice the remarkable similarity to the Son. He is the Light in the darkness, and oh what a Light He is. Darkness must flee from Him. It gives me joy to be in His presence, a joy that goes beyond words. His light cuts through the fog the world throws at me. He guides me along my way. Jesus is the Light of the world. What a privilege to reflect His light and share His news. Do you know Him? Do you spend your days in the Son's shine?

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. (2 Cor 4:6 NIV)

Been too long

2010-07-31T08:56:00.000-05:00

For the last 2 weeks we've had 3 of our 5 grandchildren visiting. That is a good way to get some priorities back in line. Dinner, that can't wait. Checking bathroom for flooding, that can't wait. Breaking up arguments, that can't wait. Time with grandchildren, priceless. All the other "stuff" is just stuff that either waits, or gets pushed off the iceburg. It is definitely time to assess my life more and find what other "stuff" can get moved on out and make more time for the important things in life.....God, family, others. Once God is back in the right place in my life, everything else will fall into the proper priority.

Good things?

2010-04-05T10:14:00.001-05:00

A lot of things have been weighing on my mind of late. Batting around many thoughts and ideas. One thought keeps returning to my overly busy mind. Are all things that we considered good from God? I'm not entirely convinced that the answer is "yes." If the "good" things continue to make me take time away from my family, so much so that I miss important milestones, is it a "good" thing? If the "good" things make me so tired and bone weary that I cannot exercise my muscles to keep my body in shape, is this a truly a "good" thing? When I realize that the "good" things have taken over the time I used to spend in midweek worship of my Lord, is this truly a "good" thing? When the "good" thing keeps leading me back to the scripture, "Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matt 11:28 NIV), is this truly a "good" thing? When the "good" thing pulls my time away from the project the Spirit laid on my heart at the beginning of the year, is this truly a "good" thing?

I have come to the realization that just because something is "good" doesn't necessarily mean that it is meant for me to accomplish. The deceiver is always setting traps for me. That is what he's all about, deceving, lying, etc. His primary mission is to keep me, to keep us, from fulfilling the mission God has given each of us. It seems that the deceiver's choice of weapon for me is to hit me at ego level. However, I could have prevented this by taking control and not allowing the deception in the first place. The ultimate responsibility is mine. I have control of my choices (Thank You God, for allowing me free will). And now I realize that some of the "good" things that came across my path were things I allowed to become distractions by making poor choices and losing precious time for the goals God had established for me to accomplish.

A distraction sent my way was spending too much time working, always looking to make more money. But when I was reading the scripture, what jumped out at me but Proverbs 23:4, "Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdome to show restraint." I tried to justify working extra because I was helping pay off bills, put money in savings, help fix the house, and so on and so forth. I didn't think I was concentrating on "getting rich" but rather just "breaking even." Here I was spinning my wheels trying to do things my way, pumping up my own ego with what I could do in this situation. When I realize that my Lord was right there the entire time waiting for me to realize that He had the answer, I feel so foolish.

Now I find that I'm doing something oh so similar with some projects/missions that have come across my path. Just because something good, some wonderful mission project for the Lord comes to my attention, doesn't mean that I physically have to be the one to accomplish the mission. God gave us each gifts and talents to use wisely. When we use our gifts in the way He designed, every part of the Christian body participates in the mission. Some parts are the face, voice and feet. They are out there parts of the body going forth and speaking, being the presence in the world. Others are hands who work in the background, providing support in numerous ways. The hands make goods and build funding for for the other parts of the body to go forth. Is one more important than the other? Absolutely not. In Ephesians, the apostle Paul tells us that the Lord called some to be preachers, some teachers, some evangelists, etc. Everyone has a job. We do our jobs together "to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ." (Ephesians 4:12-13). What a wonderful plan. Share the work so that one person isn't loaded down; so one person doesn't become weary. We all grow through the tasks, the missions. We all learn from the different aspects we participate in. Again, in Ephesians, the scripture tells us, "Speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up in Him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work." (Ephesians 4:15-16.).

These words really hit home. They tell me that yes....there are many good things that the Lord wants to have done. He's allowing me to see what these good things are, but He expects me to allow the body to work as a whole. He's not telling me that I must do each thing. I now realize that He's pointing out to me areas that need work so that I can relay a message. When I look back I now realize the difference in the messages I've been given. Some were given to me in a way that left no doubt that I was the the responsible party for the task at hand. I had the gifts, the talents, to accomplish the task. Other messages were in regards to tasks that I sat here wondering about with thoughts like, "Dear Lord, I know that I know that You need this accomplished. I know you'll give me the skills I need to do this task." But, in these particular instances in my life, I now realize I totally ignored part of the message. Not only did He tell me what needed to be done, he brought a particular person to mind. Did I go to that person and share the message? I'm sorry to say that, no I didn't. I let me ego take over and told myself "He'll equip me." Does the Lord equip us? Oh, yes, He definitely does.....when they are things that we need to be equipped with. However, in these cases, these weren't things He wanted me to do so I wasn't equipped to complete the tasks. I spent numerous hours trying to do things that weren't mine to do. What a hard lesson to learn. But, thankfully I have learned. Now, I will be sure to stay in pray, use discernment and certain of who the message, who the task, is for.

He created the body for a purpose, His purpose. We are here to work together, to accomplish a wonderful mission. So yes....good things are from God. However, I must use discernment to be sure that the "good things" are things meant for me. If they aren't, and I am to pass on a message, then I must ensure that the message gets to the right person so there isn't distraction and delay.

Yes...oh yes...God is good all the time...and all the time God is good.

Snow and Rain

2010-02-15T07:50:00.000-06:00

Friday, February 12, 2010, brought a winter wonderland to lower Alabama. We don't see snow very often, and when we have in the past it wasn't much. A dusting at best. This snow was gorgeous. It was the heavy wet flakes that made the best snowballs and snowmen. The children, young and old alike, had the best time playing in this lovely, lacey gift from God.

Oh, how I hope I can embrace and enjoy all of God's gifts as openly and freely as I did on that Friday. I need to share the news of his grace even more than spreading the news of this shortlined snow because God's grace is everlasting. He gave His Son to that I could have salvation. He blessed me with a loving family and my health. Thank you, dear Lord, for all you've given me. I will shout Your good news to the world!

Ponderings on a windy Sunday morning

2010-01-24T11:49:00.000-06:00

It has been a while since I took a moment to write anything, other than items for work. It is so early in the new year, yet I've allowed the world to push, pull and tug me away from my purpose. I feel like the apostle Paul. I want to do right, I truly do, yet I end up doing the opposite. No, that doesn't mean I've gone running down the wrong path, but rather taking my eyes off of my Lord. He's right here, and He has a plan for my life, and I know this beyond a shadow of a doubt. Why do I insist on trying to do things my way when I know that only opens a door for the enemy to begin throwing distractions at me. And, silly me, not only do I know they're distractions, but then I begin to entertain them. Do you have a similar challenge? How do you move beyond it?

As I sit here listening to the wind batter my house and watch the wind toss things around my yard, I realize that I've been similarly allowing things to blow me around. Just like this pool, I've allowed "things" to turn my life upside down by trying to deal with things all by myself. How silly of me.

I know where my answer lies, and I know Who my answer is. I've been spending some time with God in prayer and reading His Word. The key word here is "some," but it isn't nearly enough. Playing this ridiculous "technical game," letting my mind tell me, "Yes, you've crossed that item off your day's to-do list," was a dangerous thing to do. Allowing myself this rationalization means that my solid ground has gotten slippery, my roots aren't as deep as they used to be. Thank You, Lord, for allowing me choices!! It is high time that I make a choice to change my circumstances!! The answer is so simple. Spend more time with a loving, caring Lord and Saviour, who has a perfect plan for my life.

Here I come, Lord, once again, asking forgiveness for my stubborn willfulness. I need You to lay Your hand on my life, guide, protect and comfort me. Show me the path you'd have me take, because I know it is a perfect path. It know that it isn't a trouble-free path. There will be trials and tribulations along the way, You told me that in Your Word. But I know that it will be a perfect path to continue drawing me closer to You. Amen.

The Noticer by Andy Andrews

2009-12-23T19:56:00.002-06:00

This is a story about a man named Jones (or Garcia, or Chen...however he appears to people). Jones comes into people's lives when they need a friend, some guidance, some perspective. The story is set in a town in Alabama where Jones moves in and out of lives. This book shares a few stories of the lives Jones touches. No one knows where he came from, where he sleeps, or even how to contact him, but he seems to be there when people need him the most. He offers them words of encouragement. But the words are not just platitudes, but rather words and ideas that are gems that can truly change a life. For instance, that someone's bad choices can put them in a place that is exactly where they need to be so they can grow and do things beyond their wildest dreams. Perspective means we look forward at the consequences of the choices we make today (a paraphrase of one of Jones' bits of wisdom). I think my favorite Jones interaction is with a widow who thinks that "she has outlived her usefulness." He shares with her about people who became successful when other people would "normally" be retiring. Overall I truly enjoyed this book. It is uplifting and gives a reader plenty to think about. I believe this book would be better if it shared God's improvement plan with the reader rather than being delivered as a self-improvement plan.

Gift Giving

2009-12-22T08:05:00.000-06:00

At this time of the year most of us turn our thoughts toward finding the perfect gift; the gift our family member or friend has wanted for a long time, a gift that shows how much we love them, a gift that will change their lives. I don't know about you, but I get so caught up in the busy-ness of all the gift shopping and making that I often forget that there is only one reason I give gifts. It is in honor of the best Gift Giver of all time. I'm sure you've heard the old saying, "You can't out give God." I have heard it many times, but I hadn't honestly taken the time to think on it. I'm embarrassed to say that many times I have simply thought, "Yes, He sent His Son for me." Oh, but there is so much more to God's gift giving.

He knew who I was before I ever set foot in this world. He created this world for me and for you. He set the temperature and climate so plants, animals, water, everything, would be just right for us to live.

He gave me intelligence and free will. A free will to choose to use His gift of intelligence in any manner I choose. I have the choice to study, work hard, create, sing, read, and so much more. Or, I can choose to sit on my rearend, feel sorry for myself that I don't have the biggest and the best of everything there is to have in the world. Another choice He has given me is to accept His mercy and grace in my life. He always gives me the choice of whether or not a spend time time in prayer, praise, and worship. It is all my choice. My God didn't mandate the I love and worship Him. He has left this all all in my hands. He wants my love, but He wants it to always be something freely given from me to Him. He didn't have to do this. He could have made me so that I always do whatever He says, but He gave me the wonderful gift of free will, free choice. My God is so awesome!

He gives me forgiveness. With all my free will, I mess up...sometimes a lot. Because God sent His Son to earth for me, He gave me the opportunity to accept His Son, Jesus, into my life as my Savior. Because of Jesus' gift of sacrifice, His pure and perfect life given freely on a cruel cross, He made a way for me to come directly into the Holy of Holies and ask forgiveness of my sins. Thank you, Lord, for this truly awesome gift. It is a gift I was not worthy of, but because of Jesus sacrifice of His precious life I am now worthy to come to You and ask for your forgiveness, Your guidance, Your grace.

God gave His Son for me. Jesus stepped down from His thrown. He left all the glory of heaven to come to earth to live as a man. He spent His life as a man, giving us all the gift of His words, His knowledge, His teachings. He felt what we feel. He went through temptations like we go through temptations. He didn't have to do this, but He gave us the gift of His life any way. He then went through torment, beatings, torture and ultimately gave His sinless life as a gift, a perfect sacrifice, so we no longer have to search for perfect sacrifices in order to come to the Lord with our prayers.

The gift giving didn't stop with the sacrifice. Jesus conquered death and the grave. He rose again to once again walk among us. For 40 days He walked among us and then He rose into heaven. But He didn't leave us alone. The Lord then sent us the gift of a Comforter, the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is here, with me, every day.

What a wonderful God! There is no way I can ever dream of outgiving my God. He has given me everything I will ever need. When these thoughts finally registered in my brain I realized that the gift I need to give my friends and family is to be sure to share God with them. They all need to know what God has done, to hear about the love of Jesus and learn about the way He opened for us. So this year I purpose to share the great news of Jesus wherever and whenever the opportunity presents itself.

Ponderings for the morning

2009-12-17T07:54:00.000-06:00

After many soggy, dreary days, the gold, silver and white have broken through. The sun's rays are spreading warmth, cheer and more colors throughout this early morning. The shining brightness is a wonderful smile smile with the animals and trees and now me. No matter how many shiny decorations or lights we've strung to make our house festive, we simply can't out decorate God. With one light He creates so many glorious colors that dance all over. It is fall so the leaves are turning brown, yet the sun still picks out beautiful colors...colors that aren't quite orange, aren't quite red, aren't quite brown, just totally unique shading and tone that is incredible to behold.

Thank you, Lord, for gracing me with another day to behold Your handiwork. You are the Master, the Lord of Lords and King of Kings.

Beautiful wet rainy day

2009-12-14T19:53:00.000-06:00

Ahhh, what a day! It was a glorious day, although we had torrential rain. How could it be beautiful, you ask. Well, it was another day the Lord blessed me with. We made it through weather warning after weather warning, and the Lord's hand was on us. My NOAA weather radio went off about 4 pm notifying us that there was a tornado in the area. I listened close for the location, and yes it was very close, but I figured we were still safe. Ahhhh, yes, but we were safe, but only by the grace of God. Someone reported to us that the tornado passed right over our house! Wow! I am blessed by the Best! The is my God...and He is totally awesome!!

Book Review: "5 Cites that Ruled the World: How Jerusalem, Athens, Rome, London & New York Shaped Global History"

2009-12-13T13:23:00.000-06:00

In "5 Cites that Ruled the World" the author, Douglas Wilson, gives us glimpses at the history of 5 influential cities, Jerusalem, Athens, Rome, London, & New York. The history walks us through ancient past into recent times, but in a clear, concise manner rather than dragging us down with loads of detail. In my opinion, a better title for this book would be to replace the word "ruled" with the word "led."

At the beginning of the book I was unsure how this read would go. I found myself somewhat taken aback by some of the author's comments. Those weren't something I was anticipating in a book that I thought would be straight history. That was a poor assumption on my part. I had to make myself read this book with a completely open mind, which worked out well. The author used refreshingly different methods to explain his thoughts about each city, as well as tying in historical events and scripture. He described Jerusalem as a city that gave us a legacy of the spirit; Athens as a city that gave us reason and the mind; Rome a city that gave us law; London as a city that gave us literature; and New York as the city that gave us industry and commerce. When Douglas Wilson first presented these concepts in the introduction I wasn't sure that I completely agreed, but I pressed on. In his look at each city's history he did prove his concepts very well. He even managed to explain London's history so well that I wasn't confused (I usually find the twists, turns and numbers of the various English kings and queens highly confusing).

In the author's epilogue, he ties together all the cities with the theme of freedom and liberty. While I did enjoy reading this book, I believe I would have enjoyed it more if the theme would have been expressed through each city rather than saved for an "epilogue" because it left me feeling a bit like the "epilogue" was an afterthought. All in all, I did enjoy this book and I did learn some things. I wouldn't use this book as a text book, but I am going to recommend it to family and friends who find history a less than pleasing subject. I believe they will enjoy this quick walk through history with an entertaining author.

I am a member of the Thomas Nelson Book Review Blogger program (http://brb.thomasnelson.com/)

Veteran's Day and Thanksgiving

2009-11-11T08:26:00.000-06:00

A couple of very profound holidays fall in November, Veteran's Day and Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving was first and is a holiday to give thanks for all we have. And we have so very much. A land where you can get almost whatever you want. A land with opportunities to excel and achieve your dreams, if you're willing to put in the time and sweat. A land where we can worship as we like...or choose not to.

And Veteran's Day. A day to honor those men and women who serve our country and community selflessly; army, navy, air force, marines, coast guard, police, fire, etc. They give of themselves so that we can be safe and free. Free to continue to do what we need and want to do. They give us even more reasons to be thankful. Hopefully we all can take a few moments to thank a veteran, not just today, but every day.

We all have so much to be thankful for.

Where has the week gone?

2009-10-29T08:14:00.001-05:00

Wow...another wow! It is already Thursday. The week has just flown by. Does time speed up as we get older, or is this something occuring because of the fast-paced life I've set for myself? It has to be the life pace because time hasn't changed. God set time in motion and it is a constant...so I know that this rush, rush, rush is all my doing.

This morning, however, I had one of those "SLOW DOWN" moments. On my way home from the gym I always listen to the radio...usually a Christian radio station (if the signal will cooperate). This morning I caught an entire episode of Focus on the Family. Yes, another WOW. Today's episode was an episode with an amazing family, the Barrett family. This family lives in Colorado and has 9 children...5 of whom are adopted. Not such a big deal, right? Oh, but it is. They were led to troubled children, children who were literally categorized as being "unadoptable" for many different reason...institutionalized children. Still...this is the direction God led them and they listened and followed Him. That is incredible enough...but on this same broadcast they aired interviews with the children themselves...okay...yes another WOW. Oh my goodness, the insight these young people have. They tell unabashedly how their parents love them, and loved them through some very trying circumstances of the children's own making. A self-protection mode of causing chaos and strife that the children had grown accustomed to using....to push people away before they could push them away. But these parents were there for them forever. But the truly awesome testimony these children gave was that they see every day how their family, their parents who chose them, turn to God and follow Him daily. That is so, so awesome.

Link to The Barretts: An Amazing Adoption Story (part 1 of 2) (http://listen.family.org/daily/A000002279.cfm)

Then I realized that as incredible as this family's story is....a story of adopting "unadoptable" children...God's story is even more incredible. I'm adopted by God into His family. I was definitely "unadoptable." I was such an ugly sinner that God couldn't even look upon me, I couldn't come into His presense. Yet, God wanted me as part of His family. So, in order to adopt me, He sent His only Son....Jesus...so suffer and die as a sacrifice. A sacrifice that totally covered my sin...MY SIN...not Jesus' sin because He was totally sinless...but MY SIN in His precious blood so that God could now look upon me. Because of God's sacrifice, His great mercy and love, I am now a daughter of the King and I have all the priviledges of a child of the King. I can go to Him whenever. This is such an amazing love, such an unselfish love that it boggles the mind.

Thank you, Lord, for opening the door for me...for continuing to knock and coming after me...to bring Your child home to You. Oh Lord, help me stay forever close to You. Show me what You would have me to do for You. I want to always stay in Your will, always moving under Your Kingdome Authority because without You, I'm nothing. All praise, honor and glory are Yours, might King. In Jesus name I pray...Amen.

Rainy Tuesday - Where did Monday go?

2009-10-27T08:32:00.000-05:00

Wow...it is already Tuesday. It is pouring rain here today. Monday totally slipped right by me. How did that happen? I know...work, work and more work. My life definitely needs to become more balanced. Funny, that is exactly what the Sunday School lesson was that I taught this week. God wants me to have a balanced life. He never intended for me to spend the majority of my life tied to work. He's definitely drawing me in a different direction.

One direction I feel His draw is definitely toward writing. The Lord wants me to write about an episode of our family life where He led us out of a big hole. The hole was 6-figure debt. Yes, it was a deep hole, but not one that was created by tragedy...but rather one created by us playing dangerous games of "I want" and "How can we finance this." Oh so very dangerous games.

Another direction the Lord is leading is back toward livestock, but this time not something typical. I feel a draw to some of His lovely, precious creatures...alpacas. They are pretty amazing animals. They aren't loud or aggresive. They aren't raised for meat. They are raised for the fiber (hair). It is so soft, warm and strong. But (and this is a big but) the door hasn't been opened for me to move through and acquire my own alpacas. I don't know what the Lord has in store, but I have no doubt it is going to be an incredible adventure.

Happy Friday - It's early, but what a day already

2009-10-23T08:10:00.000-05:00

Good morning. Rising early to great the Lord's new day is such a blessing. It is dark when I get out of my comfy bed, and oh so tempting to stay all cozy in the bed. But, when I know that there are blessings to getting up early to spend joyous quiet time with my Lord, out of the bed I go.

All days are wonderful, and today is the same, just in its own unique way. It is obvious that weather is trying to blow it. Gray clouds looking like murky gray cotton are stretched across the sky, rolling along like they are in a race. Periodically behind these racing clouds, lovely blue sky peeks through with some fluffy white clouds. What an interesting sight. Every day there is something glorious from the Lord to rejoice in.

For a while now, my morning song has been accompanied by construction sounds of the road crews working on the nearby road. The plan is to turn the old clay road into a paved road, so I've been told. It seems to be a never-ending project because the road crews get everything looking wonderful, then the rains come. With the rains come people on their 4-wheel drive vehicles to play on the road, causing lots of damage. Even before this road project we'd tried getting the police involved to stop the damage, without much effect. Either the people would leave before the police arrived, or the police couldn't follow because the road was too hazardous due to the slick red clay. Even though the landscape still looks pretty bad in the area after the new owner harvested the vast majority of the trees, it seems that the local wild life has decided it is once again safe to return. I was trying to get some pictures this moring of the new landscape, the scrub brush that has grown up, and trying to frame a far off tree in the picture. I was a bit annoyed with myself because I heard a noise to my left and failed to look in time. Lo and behold it was a doe and what appeared to be an older fawn. The critters are back! Well, I didn't get a picture of the deer, but I did find evidence that they are definitely active in the area.

Yes, the wonders of God's work are every where. Fall is upon us, yet when I walked the yard this morning not only were my azaleas looking quite lovely, but I found a beautiful red rose in bud. I had given up on my last rose bush, but God hadn't. It is still alive and still showing hope and promise. It reminded me of me. When I was dead inside, filled with and wallowing in sin, with nothing of worth to share with the world, God didn't give up on me. He sent His son to die for my sins so that I might have eternal life with Him, if only I would accept His gift. That sacrifice is so huge that I still don't fully understand it. I've accepted that God did this for me, but when I think on it, trying to reason it out, it just leaves me speechless. I've often pondered if I could do what God did, sacrifice my child for someone else's life. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I couldn't do that. I could sacrifice myself for someone, but not my child. Thank you, God, for seeing me, seeing us, as we are, sinners, and for sending us the perfect sacrifice to redeem us from our sins, Your most precious Son, Jesus.

While I was spending time with the Lord this morning, He laid on my heart that I'm to write about a trial He has brought us through a few years ago. I learned long ago to not bargain with the Lord, but to accept the mission or ministry He gives. But...oh my....this task is definitely going to push me far out of my comfort zone. I've written in the past, but always total fiction with a lot of fun characters, intersting twists and color. This story will be a challenge since it is going to be either fact explaining how we dug a big hole and God pulled us out...or (and this may be a bigger challenge)...fictionalizing the situation and still sharing how God's miracles brought us through. Please keep me in prayer as I follow God's direction and guidance for this writing project.

On to see what this wonderful Friday has in store.

Book Review - "Little Sins, Big Problems" by Sarah Onderdonk

2009-10-22T17:23:00.000-05:00

This book is a wonderful little treasure! The author shares her own vulnerabilities with us, and does so touchingly and with humor. Then she points out the "little" sins that we probably very often over look, or hope aren't seen, again with compassion, humor and the Bible to help us deal with these issues. Vanity, shopping for that new skirt just to look better then someone else; broken promises, or failing to followup on what we said we would do; boredom, just "having" to fill in silences with "news" of a friend, etc. This book will make a marvelous Bible study and/or women's discussion topic. Of course, men have the same sins as we do, but this book is directed more towards women's stumbling blocks like "competitive shopping". I highly recommend this book. But don't make the mistake I made and think that just because it is small that it will be a quick read, it is loaded with things to make you stop and think. I spent a lot of time putting this book down to pray for forgiveness over things I had overlooked as sins, and spent much time in contemplation of myself and my actions before I picked the book back up to digest another chapter. I want to share this book with a lot of friends and family, but I will be giving them their own copies. I know I'll be going through this book a few more times to learn some more about myself. (originally reviewed Aug 2003)

Thursday in the South

2009-10-22T09:26:00.000-05:00

Wow, what a glorious day the Lord has made! Sun shining, breeze blowing, mild temps. WOOT! Yes, fall is on its way, but the leaves have barely started to turn yet. It is just a matter of time before they wave their last for this year and fall to the ground. The birds are chirping away outside. It is so peaceful, or it was much earlier this morning. Once the work day began, in came the road workers. Ahhh, progress. The county road crew is working hard on the old clay road so it can be paved. However, I've dubbed this the never-ending project. The road crew works hard, grating, leveling, brining in more dirt, etc, and then we get rain and...here come the kids with their 4-wheel drive vehicles to go "mudding" on the road. All that hard work turn to slush, muck and mire.

Back to the day...it is difficult to believe that soon the leaves will fall and these gorgeous trees will be bare for a winter. The pines, of course, will stand firm with their needles.

It is time to head to work. Fortunately, it isn't a very far commute...from one computer to another (an advantage of telecommuting). More later.

Psalm 119:11 I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. (NIV)

2009-10-21T21:36:00.001-05:00

Too cool. I can update this blog from my phone. My goodness, how times have changed!
Tammy

Welcome to my adventure

2009-10-21T21:26:00.000-05:00

I have been thinking about getting back into writing for a long time. There are so many avenues to explore with writing these days. Who would have ever thought...way back when...that I could write with anything other than paper and pencil or a typewriter. Way back then I would write on just about anything...people, animals, landscape, travels; you name it, I'd write on it. Now we have computers (word processors), myspace, facebook, twitter, blogs...the options seem endless. Yet, I've been in such a dry spell writing-wise. Lately I've felt an overwhelming urge to write. So, it is time to plunge in.

This adventure will likely travel through uncharted virtual areas (landscapes in my mind), as well as through places I visit in real life. I'll do my best to describe and share what I experience. The ponderings will come as they likely do for everyone else...somewhat sporadically some days and moment-by-moment on other days. Along the way I'll try to find some pictures to share...pictures are said to be worth a thousand words after all.

So, as this day comes to a close a new chapter in my life adventure opens...sharing my thoughts with others. Lord, be with me as I venture out. Let me be a light for You. Amen.