Faithful Friday - "For the Man Who Hated Christmas""

While we enjoy all the fun aspects of Christmas and the excitement of the season, we try to keep our focus on the true meaning of Christmas by not letting these other things take center stage.


On that note, (for Faithful Friday), I want to share with you an inspirational story that brought tears to my eyes, because we need to remember that the tradition of gift giving during this Christmas season comes from that first gift given to us by God on that first Christmas when baby Jesus was born in that manger in Bethlehem. And this type of giving is what it’s all about.

For the Man Who Hated Christmas

It's just a small, white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree. No name, no identification, no inscription. It has peeked through the branches of our tree for the past ten years.

It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas. Oh, not the true meaning of Christmas, but the commercial aspects of it – overspending and the frantic running around at the last minute to get a tie for Uncle Harry and the dusting powder for Grandma – the gifts given in desperation because you couldn't think of anything else.

Knowing he felt this way, I decided one year to bypass the usual shirts, sweaters, ties and so forth. I reached for something special just for Mike. The inspiration came in an unusual way.

Our son Kevin, who was 12 that year, was on the wrestling team at the school he attended. Shortly before Christmas, there was a non-league match against a team sponsored by an inner-city church. These youngsters, dressed in sneakers so ragged that shoestrings seemed to be the only thing holding them together, presented a sharp contrast to our boys in their spiffy blue and gold uniforms and sparkling new wrestling shoes.

As the match began, I was alarmed to see that the other team was wrestling without headgear, a kind of light helmet designed to protect a wrestler's ears. It was a luxury the ragtag team obviously could not afford.

Well, we ended up walloping them. We took every weight class. Mike, seated beside me, shook his head sadly, "I wish just one of them could have won," he said. "They have a lot of potential, but losing like this could take the heart right out of them." Mike loved kids – all kids. He so enjoyed coaching little league football, baseball and lacrosse. That's when the idea for his present came.

That afternoon, I went to a local sporting goods store and bought an assortment of wrestling headgear and shoes, and sent them anonymously to the inner-city church. On Christmas Eve, I placed a small, white envelope on the tree, the note inside telling Mike what I had done, and that this was his gift from me.

Mike's smile was the brightest thing about Christmas that year. And that same bright smile lit up succeeding years. For each Christmas, I followed the tradition – one year sending a group of mentally handicapped youngsters to a hockey game, another year a check to a pair of elderly brothers whose home had burned to the ground the week before Christmas, and on and on.

The white envelope became the highlight of our Christmas. It was always the last thing opened on Christmas morning, and our children – ignoring their new toys – would stand with wide-eyed anticipation as their dad lifted the envelope from the tree to reveal its contents. As the children grew, the toys gave way to more practical presents, but the small, white envelope never lost its allure.

The story doesn't end there. You see, we lost Mike last year due to dreaded cancer. When Christmas rolled around, I was still so wrapped in grief that I barely got the tree up. But Christmas Eve found me placing an envelope on the tree. And the next morning, I found it was magically joined by three more. Unbeknownst to the others, each of our three children had for the first time placed a white envelope on the tree for their dad. The tradition has grown and someday will expand even further with our grandchildren standing to take down that special envelope.

Mike's spirit, like the Christmas spirit will always be with us.

 

Source: (Author) Nancy W. Gavin

 

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Thanks for stopping by for Faithful Friday. You can link up if you’d like to participate on Joy’s blog (Doodlebug) here.
 
I’ll be back tomorrow with the first of a series of Christmas décor photos of our home (our living room and foyer).   :)

♥ Tammy ♥ 

Pinned it, Made it! Monday ~ Week 19 ~

Have you been browsing and pinning on Pinterest lately? I know you have……all those wonderful Christmas ideas…..recipes, crafts, and decorations, right? Well, now’s your chance to share what you’ve tried or made!


This week I had other ideas but just didn’t get around to any of them. However, I do have a recipe to share that I pinned and put together from my What’s for Dinner Pinterest board. It’s called Chili Dog Casserole. Here’s the original pin:

Source:  Peace, Love, and Understanding

Now I have to tell you that Colt (our oldest) was talking to me on the phone earlier in the day asking what I was having for supper. I guess he was considering dropping by for supper, but when he heard what it was, he wasn’t impressed. He said, “Mom, that just doesn’t even sound good”. Needless to say, he didn’t drop by. :) 

This is one of those dishes that I may or may not make again. It IS a nice twist on just plain chili dogs and I liked them in the tortillas, but it just wasn't my favorite dish ever. Jason and I added mustard to ours too.  This is one of those dishes that's nice to fix when you have these few ingredients on hand and want something quick and easy. I added a salad along with ours for our supper, but I might even just add fritos or chips to make it even easier if I make it again. Anyway, here it is. You’ll just have to judge for yourself.

Chili Dog Casserole

2 (15 oz) cans chili with beans 
1 (16 oz) package beef frankfurters (I prefer Ball Park)
10 (8 inch) flour tortillas (the fajita sized ones)
1 (8 oz) package Cheddar cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Spread 1 can of chili and beans in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Roll up franks inside tortillas and place in baking dish, seam side down, on top of chili and beans. Top with remaining can of chili and beans, and sprinkle with cheese.

Cover baking dish with aluminum foil, and bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes.

**Note from Tammy** I failed to read the part about covering it with aluminum foil in my haste and thus mine was not as juicy and turned out darker (it wasn't burned, although it looks it in the photo, just darker, I promise)!  :)  I will remember to add the foil next time.

Okay, now it’s your turn! Will you join me this week for Pinned it Made it! Monday and share something you’ve pinned or made from Pinterest?

To participate in Pinned it, Made it! Monday, here are the guidelines:

1) Just do a post about what you’ve pinned and made from Pinterest, then come back over here to Country Girl at Home and link that particular post (not your blog in general) on this post below.

2) I don’t mind if you link up more than one post….multiple entries are fine.

3) You must add my Pinned it, Made it! Monday button on your post or sidebar of your blog linking back to Country Girl at Home. You may get this button code on the page at the top of my blog labeled “Buttons”. Just copy and paste the code into your post.

4) Be supportive and visit blog entries. I do ask that you visit at least one and leave a comment there. And don't forget to leave me one here! :) We all love comments, don’t we? It’s encouraging and uplifting!

5) By linking up and participating, you give me permission to use your entry photo if I decide to feature an entry.

Thanks for stopping today!  :)  I plan on sharing some "Christmas in my home" pics on my next post!

Have a great week!  :)

♥ Tammy ♥ 

Faithful Friday - "Give of Yourself"

I’m still here! Life has been busy since we returned from our trip over Thanksgiving to Alabama, and Luke has been under the weather since we got home, so there hasn’t been much time to be on the computer. I have missed it (and my blogging friends)! I do apologize for missing Pinned it, Made it! Monday altogether! I will be back at it this Monday though.

Today for Faithful Friday, I’m want to share a devotion that I read yesterday from what’s become one of my favorite devotion books.

From experience, I know that when I’m feeling the bleakest, doing something for someone else raises my spirits and gives me joy! Isn’t it funny how that works?

Anyway, here’s the devotion I’m sharing today (from His Princess – Love Letters from Your King by Sheri Rose Shepherd). I hope it’s just what you need today to refuel you!

My Princess……Give of Yourself

I see how you pour yourself out to people. I love your heart and how you extend a helping hand to those in need. You will discover the true source of serenity and joy every time you step outside of yourself and give your life for My sake. I want you to remember you can never outgive Me, My love. Anything you do or say to further My Kingdom will be given back to you abundantly. Now go……give your gifts of time and tenderness to a world that desperately needs a touch from Me through you.

Love,
Your King and giver of life

If anyone gives you even a cup of water because you belong to the Messiah, I assure you, that person will be rewarded.

Mark 9:41

If you’d like to join us for Faithful Friday, you can link up with Joy here. I know that Joy would love for you to stop by even if you’re not linking a post.  And thank you so much for stopping by today!

Have a great weekend! :)

♥ Tammy ♥

♥ Happy Thanksgiving ♥

From our family to yours.............

"Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name."

Psalm 100:4

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All of us ladies here in Alabama are off bright and early in the morning for Black Friday shopping!  Fun, fun!  :)

♥ Tammy ♥

Chats on the Farmhouse Porch

My last guest for the Sunporch Chat was Kim of Field of Dreams.  During a visit to her blog, I discovered that she participated in something called Chats on the Farmhouse Porch hosted by Everyday Ruralty.  Chats on the Farmhouse Porch is a linky party that takes place every Tuesday and anyone can join in.  I thought it would be fun to participate.  If you'd like to participate, you can click on the picture below and link up as well.



So here we go....here are the questions for this week:

1)  What's the last thing you baked?

I baked three pecan pies late Saturday night as I mentioned in my Pinned it, Made it! Monday post here.  We ate two of them by Monday and the third one made it with us to our trip here in Alabama, but is now gone too.  They were delicious!

2)  What's your favorite condiment?

Definitely ketchup, unless onions are considered a condiment.  I LOVE onions!

3)  Do you have a smart phone, dumb phone, or no phone (we're talking about cell phones)? 

I have a dumb phone, but hey.....at least I do have a full keyboard for texting now!  Wow...that makes such a difference!  :)

4)  Do you have a favorite card game?

I don't play card games very often, unless you count the Curious George Matching Game that I play with Luke.  :)  I do like to play Uno and Phase 10 though.

5)  Tell me ten things you're thankful for...please.  :)

My Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ
My Hubby
My Kids
My Parents
Our Good Health
Our Home
Freedom
Homeschooling
Our Military and their families
Friends - including my blogging ones.


That was fun! :)

Thanks for stopping by!  :)   And my intent is to be back here before Thanksgiving, but just in case I'm not, I hope you all have a Blessed Thanksgiving!  :)



  

Pinned it, Made it! Monday ~ Week 18 ~

Being that it’s Thanksgiving week, I know many of us will be busy cooking and baking! So for this week’s Pinned it, Made it! Monday, I’m sharing something really yummy with you!


Have you seen these on Pinterest?

Source:  Bakerella

These pecan pies looked so wonderful, and I wanted to give them a try because Jason loves pecan pies. This recipe also claims to be THE BEST PECAN PIE EVER.

Here's the recipe, but you really should go over to Bakerella's blog here and read the specific step by step instructions and the pics to go along with it.


Mama’s Pecan Pies
Makes 3 pies or about 33 mini pies

16 oz. pecans (Stone Mountain Pecan Company)
2 sticks margarine (Parkay)
16 oz. package light brown sugar (Domino or Dixie Crystals)
1 heaping tablespoon (serving tablespoon, not measuring spoon) self-rising flour (White Lily)
16 oz. bottle light corn syrup (Karo)
1 tablespoon (serving tablespoon, not measuring spoon) imitation vanilla
6 eggs
3 regular size (not deep dish) frozen pie crusts (Pet-Ritz)

• Melt margarine in the microwave for about 2 minutes or until melted and set aside.
• Prepare your pecans. Remove any unwanted brown pieces from the pecan crevices and shake out pecan crumbs in a colander.
• Place brown sugar in a large bowl. Work out any lumps with the back of a spoon. If the brown sugar is too hard, you can loosen it up in the microwave. Heat it for a few seconds and it will be fine.
• Add a heaping serving tablespoon of self-rising flour and stir until the flour disappears into the brown sugar.
• Add a bottle of light corn syrup. Then add 1 serving tablespoon of vanilla and stir until thoroughly combined.
• Add melted margarine. Fold carefully into the mixture so it doesn’t splatter. Fold until the margarine is thoroughly worked in and disappears.
• In a separate bowl, crack open six eggs. Remove the “roosters” and loosely beat the eggs with your spoon.
• Fold the eggs into the pie mixture until they disappear.
• Add pecans and stir until completely coated.
• Remove three pie shells from the freezer at this point and check for cracks. If you do have a crack, thaw and knead the crack together and refreeze.
• Pour the mixture evenly into the three shells. You’ll probably have a little bit leftover in the bowl. Tap tops with a spoon to check consistency and make sure there is the same amount in each pie. Redistribute pecans if necessary to make equal.
• Bake for 45 minutes to an hour at 350. Cook pies until they swell and then fall. At that point they are done.
• Remove and cool for about three hours. Store on the counter or in the refrigerator depending on how you like your pie.

For mini pies: chop pecans, use mini frozen pie shells, removing them from the freezer as needed and bake in three batches on a baking sheet for about 35 minutes each. I’m guesstimating the time. Watch them and make sure they are done.

Enjoy!



And here are my pies! Jason and I double teamed it and made these together late Saturday night (really late Saturday night) and one pie is already gone as I type this Sunday evening.

They ARE delicious!

It’s hard to pass by without being tempted to dig my fork into one!  :)



Now, it’s your turn! Won’t you join me this week and share something you’ve pinned and made or tried from Pinterest?

To participate in Pinned it, Made it! Monday, here are the guidelines:

1) Just do a post about what you’ve pinned and made from Pinterest, then come back over here to Country Girl at Home and link that particular post (not your blog in general) on this post below.

2) I don’t mind if you link up more than one post….multiple entries are fine.

3) You must add my Pinned it, Made it! Monday button on your post or sidebar of your blog linking back to Country Girl at Home. You may get this button code on the page at the top of my blog labeled “Buttons”. Just copy and paste the code into your post.

4) Be supportive and visit blog entries. I do ask that you visit at least one and leave a comment there. And don't forget to leave me one here! :) We all love comments, don’t we? It’s encouraging and uplifting!

5) By linking up and participating, you give me permission to use your entry photo if I decide to feature an entry.

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As always, I thank you so much for stopping by!  I'd love for you to follow me here on Country Girl at Home and on Pinterest too (you can find that link on my sidebar).  :)

 

Have a great day!  :)

 

 

Faithful Friday - "Random Acts of Kindness"

It’s Friday and that means it’s time for Faithful Friday. It's one day we've set aside, as Christians, to share something from our Christian Walk to encourage others.  Be sure and stop by Joy's blog (Doodlebug) for her Faithful Friday post, and we'd love it if you linked up and participated too!

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It’s so amazing how God works in me through Faithful Fridays . I always hope to be an encouragement to others through my sharing on Faithful Fridays, but in the process, I’m the one that’s blessed. God is SO good that way!

I came across this story when I was praying about what to share today. When I began reading it, I instantly recognized it as having read it before.  I loved it then and I love it now.  :)

I hope you are blessed by it and encouraged to be a light in this world by being a blessing to others by showing kindness. You just never know what God is up to and what He will do!



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This young man was driving home one evening, on a two lane country road. Work in this small mid-western community was almost as slow as his beat-up Pontiac, but he never quit looking. Ever since the factory closed, he'd been unemployed, and with winter coming on, the chill had finally hit home.

It was a lonely road. Not very many people had a reason to be on it, unless they were leaving. Most of his friends had already left. They had families to feed and dreams to fulfill, but he stayed on. After all, this was where he buried his mother and father. He was born here and he knew the country. He could go down this road blind, and tell you what was on either side, and with his headlights not working , this came in handy.

It was starting to get dark and light snow flurries were coming down. He'd better get a move on. You know, he almost didn't see the old lady, stranded on the side of the road. But even in the dim light of day, he could see she needed help. So he pulled up in front of her Mercedes and got out. His Pontiac was still sputtering when he approached her.

Even with the smile on his face, she was worried. No one had stopped to help, for the last hour or so. Was he going to hurt her? He didn't look safe. He looked poor and hungry. He could see that she was frightened, standing out there in the cold. He knew how she felt. It was that chill which only fear can put in you. He said, "I'm here to help you Ma'am. Why don't you wait in the car where it's warm? By the way, my name is Bryan."

Well, all she had was a flat tire, but for an old lady, that was bad enough. Bryan crawled under the car looking for a place to put the jack, skinning his knuckles a time or two. Soon he was able to change the tire. But he had to get dirty and his hands hurt. As he was tightening up the lug nuts, she rolled down the window and began to talk to him. She told him that she was from St. Louis and was only just passing through.

She couldn't thank him enough for coming to her aid. Bryan just smiled as he closed her trunk. She asked him how much she owed him. Any amount would have been all right with her. She had already imagined all the awful things that could have happened had he not stopped.

Bryan never thought twice about the money. This was not a job to him. This was helping someone in need, and God knows there were plenty who had given him a hand in the past. He had lived his whole life that way, and it never occurred to him to act any other way. He told her if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the assistance that they needed, and Bryan added "...and think of me." He waited until she started her car and drove off.

It had been a cold and depressing day, but he felt good as he headed for home, disappearing into the twilight.

A few miles down the road the lady saw a small cafe. She went in to grab a bite to eat, and take the chill off before she made the last leg of her trip home. It was a dingy looking restaurant. Outside were two old gas pumps. The whole scene was unfamiliar to her. The cash register was like the telephone of an out of work actor--it didn't ring much.

Her waitress came over and brought a clean towel to wipe her wet hair. She had a sweet smile, one that even being on her feet for the whole day couldn't erase.

The lady noticed that the waitress was nearly eight months pregnant, but she never let the strain and aches change her attitude. The old lady wondered how someone who had so little could be so giving to a stranger.

Then she remembered Bryan. . .

After the lady finished her meal, and the waitress went to get change for a hundred dollar bill, the lady slipped right out the door. She was gone by the time the waitress came back. She wondered where the lady could be, then she noticed something written on the napkin under which were 4 one-hundred dollar bills. There were tears in her eyes when she read what the lady wrote. It said: "You don't owe me anything, I have been there too. Somebody once helped me out the way I'm helping you. If you really want to pay me back, here is what you do: Do not let this chain of love end with you."

Well, there were tables to clear, sugar bowls to fill, and people to serve, but the waitress made it through another day. That night when she got home from work and climbed into bed, she was thinking about the money and what the lady had written. How could the lady have known how much she and her husband needed it? With the baby due next month, it was going to be hard.

She knew how worried her husband was, and as he lay sleeping next to her, she gave him a soft kiss and whispered soft and low, "Everything's gonna be all right - I love you, Bryan."

** Author Unknown **

 

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Just think if we could just perform one random act of kindness toward someone every day.....paying for the meal of the person in line behind us in the drive-through, leaving a very generous tip for the server at the restaurant, taking a cup of hot chocolate to the Salvation Army bell ringer..........the possibilities are endless!   We might not ever know how it blessed them, but God knows.  :)

 

 

♥ Tammy ♥