Faithful Friday - "Prayer Needed"

Here it is Friday again. I’m so sorry for being away an entire week!  

Just to fill you in……..everyone is doing remarkably well with the loss of my Grandma, including all of her children. I want to come back and share another time on another post more about the love of her family. And even though she will be missed…….it was still a joyous occasion for her family to gather together and see the love that surrounded her….what a legacy she left!

The reason I have been away and the reason for the title of this post today is to ask for prayers for our family, especially Jason and his sister, Holly. Their dad (my father-in-law) is in the hospital with kidney failure. He has multiple myeloma (a form of cancer) which he was diagnosed with the fall of 2009. We knew this day would come as this is a final part of the disease, but it is sadly near now. There will be difficult decisions that will have to be made.

All of this came right after my Grandma’s death. There were also seven other deaths of friends and friends’ family within a two week period, making these past two weeks emotional ones. This past week feels sort of hazy, but God is walking through it with us every step of the way. Jason’s dad is a Christian so there are no worries there, and that means a lot.

So today, I am just asking for prayers for our family for wisdom, peace, comfort, a sound mind, physical endurance, and God’s grace as we face the days to come and prayers especially for Jason's dad (I call him Pawpaw)!  Thank you so much!

Hope you all have a great weekend! I’ll try to be back as soon as I can to share more information about the changes to the living room.

If you would like to participate in Faithful Fridays, please leave Joy a comment here on her blog and let her know you are participating! Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by my blog and I am always encouraged by your comments! God bless you all!

~ Tammy ~

Faithful Friday - "A Glad Reunion"

Today is a day of mixed emotions for our family. It is a sad one because of our loss but a happy one because of the gain in heaven. My Grandma, the one for whom we attended her 94th birthday weekend before last, passed away early this morning. She slipped peacefully from her earthly home to her heavenly one (an answer to prayer).

She was my last living grandparent and she has just been amazing! She still lived at home, even though she was 94 years old. She did have someone that stayed with her some of the day and her kids (the ones that lived close by) took turns staying with her at night for this past year or so.

I’m so glad that we were able to make it to her 94th birthday party two weeks ago. We all were able to visit with her a bit and kiss and hug her. She always especially enjoys the kids. Colt and Amber were able to go as well. All of my kids have gotten to know their great Grandma! I’m just so thankful for all of this!

Even through her loss, God has been so good! I was lying in bed this morning after I got the news and I couldn’t help but think of the glad reunion that was taking place in heaven at that moment. You see we lost Grandpa a little over twenty years ago. I can just imagine him waiting there for her as she slipped from this earth to heaven. He probably asked her , “Corene….what took you so long?”, and then I’m sure he had a good time showing her around. You see I’m sure he probably knows everyone in heaven because he never met a stranger. (I’ve often told Joy that she and Grandpa would have been such good friends because they were so much alike with their socializing!)

I spoke with my mom a little while ago. I asked her how daddy was (it was his mother) and how everyone was doing. Daddy is one of nine children (eight of which are still living). Her answer was “great”. I could hear a lot of talking and even laughing in the background. They were at the nursing home where daddy’s sister, Shirley, lives. She is 72. She has been there for a few years now. She suffered from polio as a child which left her crippled and unable to communicate normally. It became too much for her to be at home with Grandma. Anyway, they were really worried about telling Aunt Shirley that her mama had passed away. She loved her mama and the two of them were very close. My mother said they came in (all of the kids) and told Aunt Shirley that her mama had passed away that morning and she sat up and raised her arms up toward heaven in praise and said, “I know”. She said something about her mama, her daddy, and the baby. The “baby” is the baby Grandma and Grandpa lost at the age of 6 months to pneumonia (twin to daddy’s sister Brenda). So whether, she saw this vision or whether God just revealed it to her in another way, I don’t know. But what I do know is that God is good and he prepared Shirley. He not only prepared Shirley but he gave a blessing to them all through Shirley’s words and actions. They all sang together Amazing Grace. It makes me tear up just visualizing them all together. Grandma and Grandpa would have liked that. I can see them smiling.

Today it is hard to imagine going to Alabama and not seeing Grandma, but it’s hard to be too upset when I think about her life, the love of family, and Grandpa, their baby, and her heavenly home awaiting her. Yes, today there is a glad reunion in heaven! Praise the Lord!

***********************************************************************************

On another note, which is what I planned to share today, I want to tell you about a movie that is being promoted by the American Family Association. They are asking that we support this movie as Christian families and if any way possible to go see it this weekend, (on opening weekend) to show Hollywood that we want more wholesome movies like this. It is called October Baby. It is a movie about the value of life.

Here is a little more information about it.

Synopsis:
As the curtain rises, Hannah hesitantly steps onto the stage for her theatrical debut in college. Yet before she can utter her first lines, Hannah—unscripted—collapses in front of the stunned audience.

After countless medical tests, all signs point to one underlying factor: Hannah’s difficult birth. This revelation is nothing compared to what she then learns from her parents: she was actually adopted … after a failed abortion attempt.

Bewildered, angered, and confused, Hannah turns for support to Jason, her oldest friend. Encouraged by his adventurous spirit, Hannah joins his group of friends on a Spring Break road trip, embarking on a journey to discover her hidden past … and find hope for her unknown future.

In the midst of her incredible journey, Hannah finds that life can be so much more than what you have planned.

And the official trailer:



We plan to do so! I hope you will too!

***********************************************************************************

Because I can’t leave you all hanging after yesterday’s post, I will tell you that the change is what most of you guessed! I’m sure you could see how worn out my furniture is! Don’t you think it is time to get new furniture after 22 years? I've held out for a long time because I wanted what I wanted.  :)  Along with it, will come some changes mostly to the foyer area, which is the staircase area as well. But I am keeping my red. I do love my red walls and never have tired of them. I am a person that has to be surrounded with her color and red makes me happy! So it is staying!

And just to clear things up…….my home has never been in Country Sampler magazine! I wish! But no….. Donna was speaking of the Country Sampler forum, of which a lot of us were all members (and still are). It would, however, be a dream come true if my home were to ever grace the pages of a decorating magazine, but I still have a ways to go! I will share more about the furniture and plans in my next post.

Thanks for stopping by today for Faithful Friday. If you would like to participate, leave Joy a comment on her blog here, letting her know and we’ll come visit! Faithful Fridays was started by Joy as a day set aside to share something from our Christian Walk. Even if you’re not participating, we still thank you for stopping by to read! Have a great weekend!

Be Blessed!
~ Tammy ~

Change.......

Lord willing and the creek don’t rise, there are going to be some changes in our home in the hopefully not-too-distant-future.

Specifically, in this room…………..

It is a dream come true for me!

I’m really excited!

Can you guess what it might be?  :)

Okay a couple of you ladies know it already......you can't guess!  And no hints, Joy!

Spring Days

Spring is officially here, although we’ve actually had spring like days for quite awhile now! So much for our persimmon seed weather prediction of lots of snow for the winter, huh?

With weather so beautiful, Jason was able to (finally) finish Amber’s cabinet! He put the finishing touches on it Monday evening and the cabinet is now in its new home at the salon. I really like the way it turned out!  (I snapped a picture of it before it was loaded up and ready to go).

Notice the addition on the side? It is removable if Amber so desires. It holds her hair styling equipment……..hair dryer, curling irons, and flat irons….etc….

Nearly two weeks ago, on another beautiful weekend, we were blessed to attend my Grandma’s 94th birthday party. She is an amazing woman! She has done remarkably well for her age. However, we did receive word last night that she is in the hospital. She apparently had a light heart attack and has pneumonia on one side. I’d appreciate it if you remember Grandma in your prayers!

That same weekend of Grandma’s birthday party, we were blessed to meet a very sweet blogging friend, Betty of Through My Back Door! Betty made time to meet with us even though she had been cooking brunch for her granddaughter, Amanda, and her family (whom we have all been praying for). She is such a bubbly precious person! I felt like I have known her forever! Blogging friends are just awesome! Betty also works part time at The Speckled Hen, which is a wonderful primitive store! But as I told her, I’m not sure how she keeps from wanting everything in the store when she goes to work! I’m pretty sure I’d be in trouble if I worked there on a regular basis! Oh to have a store such as that near me! We have nothing of that sort near us. Sharon is the owner of The Speckled Hen and she is one talented lady! Her decorating skills are obvious by looking around her store!  It is such a charming place!

Sharon is a really sweet person too! She gave the kids a candle that they had been admiring (and smelling) the whole time we were there!  :) 

Thank you, Sharon, for opening your store to us, for the candle, and to you and Betty both for making us feel so welcome!

Here we are. That’s Betty next to Joy and Sharon next to Betty.  (Jason was there.....but he was the photographer).

This past weekend, while I was inside the house (all.weekend.long) nursing a migraine headache, and Jason was finishing up Amber’s cabinet, Joy worked with Luke on his baseball skills. The baseball set was a birthday gift from Uncle Richie and Aunt Missy. He loved it!

He had the stance down pretty well.

I don’t think he ever hit a ball though. But he never gave up trying!

I think he actually did more of this…….retrieving the ball.

Pitching was his favorite thing about baseball.  Can you tell by the grin on his face?

Along with spring comes the desire to give the house a good spring cleaning. That is definitely on my to-do list. (Bet you thought I was going to show you a nice clean house now didn’t you?) Not yet......remember I had a migraine all weekend!  We have a certain 4 year old around here that has somehow acquired quite a few toys that need to be organized and…….ahem….donated to kids that don’t have any toys.  :)  We haven’t taken a spring break (as such) from homeschooling, although we’ve had a little bit lighter load this week. I’m hoping to get a little of that spring cleaning done before this week is gone.

I hope you’re all enjoying this spring weather! Thank you so much for stopping by! Have a great day!  :)

A Winner!

It's time...............  :)

We used Random.org to generate the winner.

Are you ready to find out who it is?  :)


The four DVDs will be going to the home of Katy of The Country Blossom! Congratulations, Katy! I know you and your family will be blessed by them!  

Thanks to all those who entered, all those that follow my blog, and those that announced my giveaway on your blog! I wish I could give you all a set because they are wonderful movies and you’re all wonderful people!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great week!  :)

Faithful Friday - "A Home Going"

Yesterday we attended the "Home Going" for Mr. C., our dear friend from the nursing home. He passed away early Tuesday morning. Although we are sad that we will never see him again when we go to the nursing home to visit our friends, we rejoice because we know we will see him again one day!

I couldn’t help but think how his wife was waiting on him to take him by the hand……the wife he adored and talked about and told us how she wasn’t a “party woman, but a simple woman” and how much she weighed when they married, and how she could sew anything. And if stories are told in heaven, I know Mr. C. is right there telling his share with the best of them because the Lord knows he loved to tell his stories, especially those from World War II! I’ll sure miss hearing them here!

When we go to a funeral and we know the person has accepted Christ, as much as that person is going to be missed here on this earth, we know that it really is a “Home Going”. You see Mr. C. went to his eternal home in heaven.

God is not a respecter of persons. Anyone can know or be assured of a home in heaven. God offers this gift, extends His grace, to anyone that will accept it. It has nothing to do with how good you are, or how good you have been in the past. It doesn’t have anything to do with our works. We all come to God the same way……….through believing in what Jesus did for us on the cross, asking forgiveness, repenting (or turning from those sins) and asking God to guide us as His child from that day forward. That’s it. It doesn’t matter what your past is, how bad, or how good. God meets us all where we are. That’s it. Simple, isn’t it? Simple enough to know you have the security of eternal life with God in heaven! Now it’s up to you…..just find a quiet moment and talk to God about these things, if you haven’t done so! It will be the best decision you ever made!

I just couldn’t let this opportunity pass without sharing with my blogging friends how you too can know what Mr. C. came to know and experience what Mr. C. is now experiencing! I care about each and every one of you! Just think……we might not ever all meet here on earth, but can you imagine if we all could all meet in heaven?

I do thank you for your prayers too! God didn’t choose to answer our prayers of leaving Mr. C. here with us for awhile longer, but we are smiling today because we do know that Tuesday morning there was a big celebration in heaven as Mr. C. stepped into his eternal home!

"Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons." Acts 10:34


"Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6



"By grace you have been saved though faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works lest any one should boast" Ephesians 2:8-10



And just to lay it all out there in simple terms. I found these four basic principles that lay out God's plan for our lives.

The following four principals will help you discover how to know God personally and experience the abundant life He promised.

Law Number One
God Loves you and created you to know Him personally. (John 3:16, John 17:3)

Law Number Two
Man is Sinful and Separated from God, so we cannot know Him personally or experience His Love. (Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23)

Law Number Three
Jesus Christ is God's only provision for man's sin. Through Him alone we can know God personally and experience His Love. (Romans 5:8, 1 Corinthians 15:3-6, John 14:6)

Law Number FourWe must individually receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord; then we can know God personally and experience His love. (John 1:12, Ephesians 2:8,9, John 3:1-8, Revelation 3:20)


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you would like to accept God's Love it really is just a matter of asking. Here is a prayer you can pray:

Lord Jesus, I want to know You personally. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank you for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of the throne of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be.

**Source**  basic-bible-knowledge.com  (click on the site to take you there).

*******************************************************************************************
Faithful Fridays was created by my daughter, Joy, as a day set aside for Christians to share experiences from their Christian walk to encourage others. If you would like to participate, we would love it! Leave a comment on Joy’s blog (Doodlebug) letting her know that you participated and we will come visit!  And be sure and stop by for her Faithful Friday post even if you aren't participating!  :)

Remember my giveaway ends this Sunday evening! You can click here to be taken to the giveaway post and enter!

Thanks for stopping by today! Have a great weekend!  :)

Be Blessed!
~ Tammy ~

Giveaway Time!

It’s time for my giveaway! 

In the past, I’ve usually had something homemade to give away….and usually something decorative for the home. This giveaway is a little different. As I’ve said before, finding good wholesome, inspirational, and uplifting family movies is not always an easy task. But I feel very good about the movie bundle I am offering in my giveaway.

The winner of my giveaway will get the following bundle of four movies by Sherwood Pictures:

Flywheel
Facing the Giants
Fireproof
Courageous

Flywheel was the first effort of film making by Sherwood Pictures and was made on a limited budget.  It may have been made on a limited budget, but it's packed full of inspiration!  Here's a little synopsis for Flywheel:

Jay Austin wants to sell used cars in the worst way ... and that's exactly how he does business at his dealership. Promising much more than he can ever deliver, he'll do whatever it takes to sell a car. His manipulative ways permeate all of his relationships—even his wife and son know they can't trust him. But as Jay works on restoring a classic convertible, he begins to see that God is working on restoring him as well. Coming face-to-face with the reality of how he truly conducts himself, Jay Austin begins the ride of his life as he commits to honoring God with his business, his relationships, and his life!

The second of the Sherwood Pictures movies is Facing the Giants (one of my favorites). We went to the theatre to see this movie and I cried through a great deal of it. I could identify with Brooke, the wife of Coach Grant Taylor, with yearning for a child, though there’s much more than that to this movie. It’s really a story about fear and faith. Everyone should see this movie! Here’s the synopsis for Facing the Giants:

This is an action-packed drama about a Christian high school football coach who uses his undying faith to battle the giants of fear and failure. In six years of coaching, Grant Taylor has never led his Shiloh Eagles to a winning season. After learning that he and his wife Brooke face infertility, Grant discovers that a group of fathers are secretly organizing to have him dismissed as head coach. Devastated by his circumstances, he cries out to God in desperation. When Grant receives a message from an unexpected visitor, he searches for a stronger purpose for his football team. He dares to challenge his players to believe God for the impossible on and off the field. When faced with unbelievable odds, the Eagles must step up to their greatest test of strength and courage. What transpires is a dynamic story of the fight between faith and fear.

The third movie made by Sherwood Pictures is Fireproof. Kirk Cameron (from Growing Pains) stars in this one. Fireproof is a must see movie for anyone married, or anyone even thinking of getting married. The synopsis for Fireproof:

A heroic fireman locked in a failing marriage accepts his father's challenge to take part in a 40-day experiment designed to teach both husband and wife the true meaning of commitment in this faith-based marriage drama. When he's battling blazes, Capt. Caleb Holt adheres to the old firefighter's adage about never leaving your partner behind; back at home, it's an altogether different story. Caleb and his wife, Catherine, have been married for seven years, but lately arguments over career, housework, finances, and outside interests have driven the once-happy couple hopelessly apart. Just as Caleb and Catherine prepare to officially dissolve their marriage, Caleb's father John presents his son with a most unusual challenge: commit to a 40-day experiment called "The Love Dare," and take one last shot at saving his marriage. While at first Caleb agrees to take a chance on "The Love Dare," the discovery that it's closely tied in with his parent's newfound faith causes him to momentarily reconsider. Still, Caleb carries on with the experiment despite being constantly rejected by his skeptical, embittered wife. When Caleb asks his father how he can be expected to love someone who refuses to give him a fair chance, John tells his son that this is precisely the same love that God shows for humankind. Now, with a little help from above, the man who makes headlines for saving lives will fight to be a hero to the one person who matters most -- his wife.

And the most recent of the movies by Sherwood Pictures (released September 2011) is Courageous (my favorite one). I have seen this numerous times and never tire of it. It is the highest quality movie making of all the films thus far. One minute I was crying, and the next minute, I was laughing. Definitely a must see movie! Here’s the synopsis for Courageous:

Four police officers attempt to put their faith in God after a sudden and unexpected tragedy transforms their lives forever. This movie follows dedicated cops Adam Mitchell and Nathan Hayes as they work with their partners to keep the streets safe. But when these devoted peacekeepers face the challenge of fatherhood, both their faith and devotion to family are put to the ultimate test. In the aftermath of a devastating calamity, they are faced with a difficult choice that will ultimately come to define their lives. Fortunately, a wise mentor appears to help them understand that man's ambition and God's will aren't always in perfect harmony.

In times like these, I feel it is important to guard our families against what is considered “entertainment”. With these movies, you won’t go wrong and you will be inspired to build your faith as well.

Here are the guidelines for my giveaway:

This giveaway is open to residents of the United States and Canada. You will get one entry for leaving a comment on this post letting me know you would like to be entered. You will get a second entry when you leave a second comment on this post letting me know you are a follower (new followers are welcome!). Faithful readers that leave comments but don’t necessarily have a blog are considered followers too. Just be sure and leave me your email address so I can contact you if you win! You will be entered a third time if you post my giveaway on your blog, either in a post or on your sidebar, and let me know in a comment on this post that you did so. You have permission to use the first picture on this post.

**PLEASE NOTE** - You must leave a separate comment for each entry for it to be counted separately! The winner will be drawn by random.org on Sunday evening, March 18th. The winner will be announced on Monday morning, March 19th.

I wish I could give away many more of these because I do so highly recommend them! But maybe I can do another one on down the road sometime soon. But at least for now, one person will be a lucky blessed winner!  And if you already have one or all of these, wouldn't they make a great gift to pass along to someone else?  :)

Thanks for stopping by!  :)

Faithful Friday - "Heaven is Rejoicing!"

I could hardly wait until Friday got here to share this with you! It’s been a long week of waiting.  I’ve known since Monday what I wanted to share for this week’s Faithful Friday!

Some of you may recall that Joy and I (and sometimes Luke) love to visit a local nursing home. We have made many friends there and they are precious to us!

Well one man in particular, Mr. C., captured our hearts from the beginning, which has been about three years ago. He served as a cook in the army during the war. He cooked for Patton and Eisenhower! Oh the stories he tells with such passion, and we do love to listen! He is a spunky man with a contagious smile, and Joy claims him as a grandpa and he most definitely claims her. Actually, he claims us all and has our family photo posted on his wall.

Okay, on to my story for today. We try not to let much time get away in between visits. We take little things to our friends that they want sometimes or may mention they’d like to have, and sometimes we just go visit. Sometimes it is just a quick pop-in just to say hi. Sometimes we go and help do the ladies’ nails or help with bingo. Joy has even gone to knitting class with them.  Well three weeks had gotten by since our last visit there. As I said before, life has had us busy, and especially so with the string of birthdays. Well, Joy had a dream that Mr. C. had lost a lot of weight and didn’t know us. This really upset her. When she woke up and shared that dream with me, it was obvious she was really worried. It upset her to the point that she kept telling me we needed to get up there. This was a couple of days before we actually went. So we rushed through school the day I told her we would go (last Thursday) and headed up there. When we got there, we discovered that Mr. C. was indeed very sick and had been in the hospital with pneumonia, but had returned to the nursing home. He was lying in his bed (which he usually isn’t doing unless he’s taking his afternoon nap) and was wearing an oxygen mask and definitely not the full-of-life-spunky-Mr. C. that we knew. But when he saw us, we did get that smile from him that lights up the room, even through the mask! We visited with him, but when we walked out of the room, Joy couldn’t hold back the tears. She was heartbroken, especially because of her dream.  And I had a huge lump in the back of my throat trying to hold back my emotions too.

So we’ve been praying for him. But the thing that really had Joy (and me) concerned was whether he was a Christian or not. We never really knew for sure from our talks with him. But this is the good part!! On Monday, when we visited him, he accepted the Lord and prayed the prayer of salvation with us! This time when we walked out of the room, Joy was smiling (as was I)!

Heaven is truly rejoicing. Can you imagine? Here’s a 94 year old man accepting Christ! So needless to say, we’ve kind of been floating on clouds this week!  :)

“In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Luke 15:10 (NIV)

“I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.” Luke 15:7 (NIV)

We did visit Mr. C. yesterday afternoon and he doesn’t look well. He didn’t talk as much and when he did, he didn’t make a lot of sense. He may very well be in his last days. But one thing we know is that we will see him in heaven! I smile when I think about what he told Joy the day we prayed with him…..he said, “I’m going to get out of here and you and me are going to have us a good ole time”. And you know what, one day we will! It may not be here on this earth, but we will!

This brings me to another point. Speaking of talking to folks about the Lord or witnessing to them, we have been watching a lot of videos of Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron (remember the actor from Growing Pains). They are wonderful! If you want to learn how to be more at ease with speaking to people about this and finding the right words, you really should watch these. You can find many of their videos on youtube. They are real life examples of them walking up to folks and jumping right into a conversation (with all kinds of people). It helps with knowing how to respond to the many different replies as well. Just look on youtube for The Way of the Master or go to their website here.  We are trying to watch some everyday. Our goal is to become so comfortable with doing this (which is not in my nature) that it just feels natural to do it and strange to not do it. They make it look so easy!

Another great website is Fish with Trish. She has mini videos that show how you can share Jesus everywhere you go. One is even at the fast food drive-thru. Joy and I did this on Tuesday, and it works and it feels so good! As Trish says, it forces you to not be focused on yourself but to be looking for opportunities to think of others and share! She gives many examples, including even the gas station (we haven’t tried that one yet)! If you want to equip yourself with how to share the Gospel, check her site out!  And I'm not sharing this to say what "we did" because this was a first for us, but I just got to thinking that if people reading my blog from different cities could see this and possibly give it a try, just think how much we would all be sharing God's love and what He did for us!

And that, my friend, is what I’ve been so excited to share with you this week. If you would, please also remember Mr. C. in your prayers. We know he’s ready to go should that be the case, and he’s lived a long full life, but we’d love to have him around a little longer if the Lord sees fit.

*********************************************************************************************

Faithful Fridays was started by my daughter, Joy. It’s just one way to make a point of sharing our Christian faith or an experience from our Christian Walk in blog land once a week. We invite you to participate as well. Just leave Joy a comment on her blog, Doodlebug, letting her know you are participating, and we’ll come visit! And if you just stopped by to read today, that’s okay too and we thank you for that!  Be sure and stop by Joy's blog to expand a little more on this topic.  Our thoughts for Faithful Friday were very similiar this week!   Have a great weekend!  :)

Be Blessed!
~ Tammy ~

Bloggin' Friends

In the almost four years since I’ve been blogging, I’ve met so many “blogging” friends, some with blogs and some that don’t necessarily blog, but are avid blog readers! And they are wonderful!

I love the comments and the emails. And you might not believe it, but I talk about you folks to my family by name so my family feels like that they know you too! We pray for many of you too!

Today’s post is just one example of this kindness.

Eve of Lee Hill Primitives, after seeing the post where Joy was learning to sew, sent her a wonderful package!

It was such a thoughtful encouraging gift too. Not only is it a fun and challenging project for Joy, but she noted that it would be a treasure for her prim loving mama when she finished it. Wasn’t that sweet? Thank you so much, Eve!

And being the kind person she is, she also included something for Luke. He was excited to see there was something in there for him! He loves his books! Besides “reading” his books, he has other uses for them too. I guess he thought these four books made a perfect train. He said he had an engine with coaches.

And she sent something for me too……..a prim heart mold! I already have it displayed in my kitchen! Thank you, Eve!

Besides thanking Eve for her very sweet and thoughtful gifts, I also wanted to just take time to let all my readers and blogging friends know that I truly appreciate each one of you! Your comments brighten my day as well! Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy days to visit my blog!  :)

******************************************************************************************

And speaking of my blogging friends, I decided to offer a giveaway for you!  It's coming soon.......so stay tuned.........

Have a great day!

Happy (23rd) Birthday, Colt!

Okay, I know I’ve said this for each of my kids’ birthdays, but this one really seems unreal to me.

Today, Colt is 23 years old. Those years have passed so quickly. It seems impossible that so many years have slipped by since he was the little smiley boy that came home to us! Boy could he turn the charm on (and off) when he wanted!

As a little guy, he was quite the character. Well actually he still is, just in a more grown up kind of way.

Of course, I had to have him dressed to the T, which he didn’t always embrace. And he was a little booger when I wanted to get pictures. And to this day, he still acts up in pictures. I remember every Easter especially, or for Christmas pictures, it would be an ordeal just to get a decent cooperative photo. We would eventually get a picture, and no one (but us) ever knew what went down in order to get that photo!

He hated to take medicine. Oh boy, did he despise taking medicine. I am not exaggerating when I say it always took at least Jason and me to get medicine down him. But many times, my mom or dad (whom live next door) would come over to help......one (or two) to hold him, one to hold his nose, and one to give the meds. And then he still might not keep it down.  (I think he loved watching me clean up spewed out medicine).  :)

He was the little boy in preschool that found multiple uses of his diploma at graduation. Did you know a diploma makes a perfect telescope and a weapon for konking your buddy over the head?

One of my very favorite pics of Colt!

When he was in an uncomfortable position, or one that made him nervous, he went into silly mode. This meant he never wanted to perform in front of a group at all, to his mother’s dismay.

Colt couldn’t be still, period. Homeschooling Colt took a lot of creativity. He hung off the couch upside down as I read to him, or he jumped around. Whatever I could teach him with a game and movement, I did. But he got it. He always got it. He was a boy that needed to move. But if he could move, both of our lives were easier. He still does a lot of multi-tasking to this day.

I tell you all of this to say that he was strong-willed, and sometimes resistant and didn’t want to be in the public eye performing anything. Jason and I discussed this many times. We knew God made Colt to be Colt and that God would use his qualities to his glory, if we taught him to use them for Him. You know God can really use a strong-willed person to do great things for Him!

Okay, so this pic shows how old my couch is.....don't you think it's time for a new one?

Now fast forward. Let me tell you a little bit about Colt today. Since he was about 8 years old, he has been singing, playing the drums, or playing the guitar in church. He serves the Lord with his talents. This is the same little boy that never wanted to be in front of people. That’s what God does!

He still acts silly in pictures, but this is also the same young man that asked me the other night if I would take some pictures of him and Amber. He’s asking me to take pictures!

He is responsible. As a matter of fact, until about a year or so before he moved out into his apartment, he was the one that did most of our family’s laundry. It was a job we gave him at the age of 13, I believe. He is definitely a worker, and a good one at that.

We are so very proud of the young man he has become. He does serve the Lord. He is a responsible young man. Everyone tells us he is mannerly. I’m always glad to hear it! 

He will still always be the Colt that can turn the charm on and off and is a cut-up. That’s the way God made him and that’s just the way he rolls. But I wouldn’t want him any different.

Colt, I just wanted you to know that dad and I are proud of you. We see you making the transition into manhood, not always the easiest way, but with honor. We are so happy that you have chosen to live striving to please the Lord. Our prayer is always that you continue to live your life for God. That’s the one thing we desire for you above all else.

We love you! Happy (23rd) birthday!
~ Mom & Dad ~

Faithful Friday - "Already There"

I can’t even count the times that I’ve tried to second guess God, trying to figure out what He was thinking. I don’t think it’s all that unusual for us to wonder why God answered our prayer in a way other than the way we thought best or to ponder what God had in mind when He could very easily have changed the outcome of a particular situation.

When I heard this song, I didn’t really listen to the words that closely. That is until Joy asked me if I had really listened to them. So I did. And wow! I instantly loved it! First of all, let me just say that Casting Crowns has a beautiful way of putting such inspirational words into their songs that really touches and stirs my heart. It is called, "Already There".



I will never know this side of heaven why things happen the way they do. I will never know this side of heaven why my prayers weren’t always answered in the way I felt they should be answered. As much as I would like to know those answers, I don’t have to know that here. All God asks of me is that I trust Him. Trust that He has a plan for my life. Trust that He loves me and He will never leave me, even through my darkest days.

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6 (NIV)

“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5 (NIV)


And I believe when we do trust Him, we can even find joy, even though we don’t understand the why of it.


“Whoever puts his trust in me, as the Scripture says, rivers of living water will flow from his inmost being!" John 7:38


BUT……..one day. One day I will know and I will see it clearly. Oh what a day that will be! Really, it’s kind of like us, as parents, with our children. Our children want to do something that we know isn’t good for them. Or they want to hang out with people who will eventually lead them astray. We know that, but in that moment, at that stage in their life, they can’t see it. They just see parents depriving them of something desirable to them. But then they grow up and they look back and they can see clearly. I think that’s the way it is with God. Just like we want our kids to trust our judgement and our decisions, God wants us to trust Him, even though we don’t understand it at that moment.


“Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.” 1 Corinthians 13:12 (New Living Translation)


My favorite words in this entire song which make me tear up every time I hear them are these beautiful words:

One day I’ll stand before you,
And look back on the life I lived.
I can’t wait to enjoy the view,
And see how all the pieces fit.

One day I’ll get to stand before God and we’ll stand there together with a view of my life and all those pieces that were a mystery to me will come together perfectly. And when that day comes, it’s my desire that God will say to me…..”Well done. You trusted Me.”

*****************************************************************************************

If you would like to join Faithful Fridays, please grab the button above and leave a comment on Joy’s blog, Doodlebug, letting us know you are participating so we can visit you!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Have a great weekend!  :)

Be Blessed!
~ Tammy ~

Sam's or Costco?

I’ve mentioned before that we are seriously taking a look at ways to save on our grocery budget. For the next step, we’re considering either a Sam’s Club or Costco membership since we will be near one once a week. From what I’m hearing from folks, it is worth it.

I was discussing this with my friend Gina (Cat Nap Inn Primitives) and she suggested I ask about this on my blog to get opinions  (Why didn't I think of that?)  So, I am.  Actually I’m asking more than one question.

Are these two stores really similar? Any notable differences? Which one do you use and why? Can you tell me which one saves more, if that’s the case? If there are certain things that you really find to be a great deal there, will you share those? Why should I choose one above the other?

Okay, frugal shoppers, I appreciate the feedback! It would help so much!

And as always, thanks so much for stopping by! Have a great day!  :)