Pray for Me Monday!

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JAMES 5:16 "Therefore confess your sins to each other and
pray for each other so that you may be healed.
The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." (NIV)

PSALMS 116:2 "Because He has inclined His ear to me,
Therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live" (NKJV)

Join me as I blog with Pray for Me Mondays hosted by Tiffany at Home Grown Families and Pamela over at Troop Petrie. Basically, it works like this: both blogs are hosting this blog link-up and will post about relevant topics and may perhaps have a prayer request and will pray together with their readers, coming together in agreement to go before the Throne of Grace.


It's a very chilly, gray kind of day here. One that (depending on your mood) could induce you to cuddle and get cozy or could add to the oppression or depression within your heart and magnify it. I hope and pray that you all experience the first.

Time is short this week but I didn't not want to miss this opportunity to pray with you.

Tiffany has requested prayer for dealing with insecurities. Pamela is going through some personal struggles and needs prayer to find Godly strength to rise above the circumstances and do things the way God wants her to instead of the way her flesh wants to. Please pray for these beautiful women when you think of it this week.

As for us here, we are thankful that most of the sickness and dental issues seem to be running out of steam in our home. It's been a wild ride. All the while, God has been reinforcing some things in my life, some things I need to take care of and one of them includes this blog and it's direction which seems to have gotten a little off-track. Please, if you think of it this week, take a moment to pray that I follow God in all things and that I seek Him first and that I heed the words He lays on my heart.

I would also like to send out a more "generic" prayer request. It seems that so many of our friends are enduring things right now that are designed to bring them down and discourage them, or to rile up their anger or just plain distract them. Please pray that God show each of us our weaknesses and remind us to go to Him and that we get direction for strengthening our spiritual armor.

What about you? What do you need prayer for?

Feel free to leave a prayer request here in the comments, or you can go to Tiffany or Pamela's blogs and do so there (or find their emails if you wish to send a private prayer request). If you are a blogger, we would love to have more company and you can link up at Tiffany or Pamela's blogs. :)

Until next week, much love and prayers,

If you have a prayer request, please feel free to post on this blog or be sure to visit Home Grown Families or Troop Petrie to add your request(s) there.
You can also find the linkup for your own blog, if you wish to participate in that way.

How Many Kings ~ a Sing Your Praise Sunday! Post

It's December, and whether you celebrate Christmas or not, if you love God then you cannot help but be touched by the reminders of just how much He loves us!

One song that has been on my heart these past few days sums it all up perfectly. It's by a band named Downhere and the song is titled "How Many Kings."

If you know it, sing along and thank God for this ultimate display and action of love. If you don't know it, please sit back and listen to the lyrics and enjoy.

(video link removed, please visit YouTube if you are interested in viewing.  Thank you)

Thank you, Lord, for the ultimate gift of yourself and for everything you did for us then and now. We praise Your name!

God bless you all,

Hospitality Book Giveaway

Hi all! Sorry I have been MIA, it's been a little crazy around here the past two weeks, but good to know that God is in charge no matter what. Will try to catch you up over the next few days/weeks, but until then, I wanted to share a great giveaway with you.

My sweet cyber-friend Rebecca is hosting a giveaway on her blog today!

If you would like an opportunity to win "Given to Hospitality...Cottage or Mansion" by Judy Ann Lewis, then please go visit Rebecca over at Rebecca's Hearth and Home.



There are several ways to increase your entries, so be sure to read through her post thoroughly! While you're there, tell her that Tamara said, "hi!"

Be Aware - A Mr. Monday Post

It's Monday and you know what that means--time to celebrate our fabulous misters.

I just have to say, this past week or two, Darling Groom has once more gone above and beyond, what we thought was an illness turned out to be some dental issues and he helped take care of everything so I could concentrate on dealing with this. He's such a ...

***WE INTERRUPT THIS REGULARALY SCHEDULED POST
TO BRING YOU AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE
FROM DARLING GROOM***

If you've read my blog or know us personally, then you know that my husband is all about safety. He has asked me to use this Mr. Monday to share some safety tips with you.

First, however, he wants me to encourage you to not be bound by a spirit of fear. If you find yourself falling into this trap, remember that God is always with you and that perfect love casts out fear. This post is not designed to make you afraid, rather to give you a few tools to be more aware. He has such a heart for women's safety (I did mention he has a wife, daughter, mother, two sisters, seven step-sisters, aunts, cousins, countless nieces, etc., right? LOL).

Darling Groom's thoughts are that God did not create us to live in fear, but neither did He create us to be oblivious. Everything is in God's control, no matter what, but that does not give us a pass to stop looking out for ourselves or our family. If you knew a snow storm was coming, you would most likely stock up and make sure your family had what it needed for shelter, food and warmth during that time. You trust in God to keep you safe, but you also use the knowledge He provides to care for your loved ones. The same thought-process applies here.

While you are out and about this season (actually, all year) these are some things Darling Groom wants you to keep in mind:

~ If at all possible, shop during daylight hours.

~ He realizes that it does get dark earlier now, so if you do go out after nightfall try to shop in groups of 3 or more.

~ At night, park underneath parking lot lights.

~ No matter what time of day, try to park next to a cart well, that way you only have one side of your car exposed. If you are by yourself, try to make sure the driver's side is the one next to the cart well.

~ Wear an over-the-shoulder hip purse (one that crosses your body and allows the purse to be put in front, by belly or hip). A fanny pack could work too, IF you put your clip under your clothing (not exposed for someone to loosen). Better yet, if you could find a small coin purse and put in your front pocket with everything you need. Do not use wristlet purses (they can break when pulled on), shoulder bags (they can be yanked off or ripped at straps) or anything that can tempt others to reach inside or grab. Also do not put your purse in the cart! Make sure it's on you at all times.

~ Only carry the cash, credit/debit cards you intend to use. Leave the rest at home. Also, make a note of what you carry with you.

~ When using cash, be aware of your surroundings and do not put it all in one lump. You do not want to be flashing cash around. Even if it's a bit, when it's in a bundle it can appear to be a lot from a distance.

~ Take care of everything before you leave the store. Make sure your money, receipts and phone are put away, your keys are in hand and walk out with purpose.

Darling Groom says, "Do not be distracted!"

I cannot tell you how often we will be out shopping or at dinner and we see women coming out of stores/restaurants and they are so preoccupied with their phone conversations or their texts. His heart just breaks because they are busy talking, digging in their purses and not paying attention to their surroundings. It's a sad state that we need to be so aware, but the truth remains that we do.

He put it to me this way...if there were a thief and two women came out of a store at the same time that thief had a choice. One woman had her keys in her hand, looked all around to be aware of her surroundings, head up. Not fearful, but purposeful. The other woman had her phone between shoulder and ear, was pushing her cart with one hand while the other was digging through the purse she was looking into. Now, back to the thief, which lady do you think makes an easier target to steal from?

~ When you get to your car, lock your purse in your car before you begin to put your things in the trunk, or put it in the trunk before you begin loading. Less temptation.

~ If you feel uncomfortable in any situation, leave as quickly as possible and do not worry about hurting anyone's feelings.

But most importantly, Darling Groom wanted me to remind you all to stay safe so you can enjoy your family during this (and every) time of the year.

***WE NOW RETURN YOU TO YOUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED POST***

...and that is why I just thank the Lord that He gave us such a wonderful provider and protector in Darling Groom!

For more information about Mr. Monday,
please visit my friend Heather over at
Servant, Wife, Mother

Five Question Friday

So, Pam over at Troop Petrie participates in a fun little Friday link-up (sponsored by My Little Life) and I've been reading her posts for it when she puts them up. Decided this week it might be fun to participate as well.

This week's questions (and my answers):

1) Do you have a go-to song that always puts you in a good mood? While the song changes with the seasons in my life, would definitely say YES! Right now, my go-to song is by Steven Curtis Chapman and is "Do Everything" (found on the album, Recreation). I can't help but be cheered by this bouncy little reminder of the command given to us in Colossians 3:23. When I remember that I'm serving God by wiping up spilled milk or picking up a dirty sock, the chore and my attitude suddenly don't seem so terrible! (You can find the video at the end of this post, if you'd like to hear it and cheer your Friday up!)

2) Are you a real-Christmas-tree kind of person or do you go with a "real" fake one? Real trees smell nice (when they are watered properly) but I cannot abide the pack of pine needles left behind and the time it takes to get them out of the carpet beneath. The fake tree we have now is getting very old and it is a huge thing (at base it is 5 feet across). I think I'm going to talk to hubby about replacing it with a Jesse Tree.

3) What are you thankful for? Oh wow, this one is a good one and it would take up too much space to list it all. If you check out my blog on Thursdays, I've been trying to list these things (22 items each week). But if I had to give a very short answer, my God and my family.

4) Which fashion fad from the past do you wish you could wear today? Oh, that would be easy--the dresses from Regency era (only without all the hassles of past undergarments or lack of them, lol). So much so that I did purchase a pattern from Sense & Sensibility patterns to make my own "updated" version of a day dress. That will be a winter project as I've never sewn a dress before.

5) Do you wait until the "low fuel" light comes on before you fill up the gas tank? Um, no. We have a very good and very trusted mechanic. The cars we drove before, well, he told us that their gauges were weird and that we could actually do more damage to the car by letting it get under a fourth of a tank (wear and tear on engine). Sfter years of driving those cars, now we automatically just fill it up when it gets to the half-way mark but if we forget, a fourth of a tank is our lowest limit.

Thanks to My Little Life for such fun questions this week. Be sure to visit her site to find more fun answers (and link-ups!) for Five Question Friday.

And for those of you who wanted to see the video, here ya go! Enjoy. :)

Have a fabulous Friday!

Oh, Wow! Thank You!!!

Oh wow! Just have some wonderful news I have to share with you all. Linda over at My Work-At-Home Plan awarded this blog with it's first ever blog award!

If you have never visited Linda's blog, I encourage you to do so! She has all kinds of information on her blog from helpful tips to money-saving offers to lessons on life. :) It's always fun to see what she's up to. My most recent favorite post about being "debbie downer" really prompted me to put on my big girl panties and move forward with good cheer and faith in God! Thanks for that, Linda.

Anyway, after reading up on her blog about the Liebster Award, I'd like to share it with you. "Liebster" is a German word meaning friend, love or dearest. This award is shared and given to up-and-coming blogs that have less than 200 followers.

Here's how this award works:

~ 1 ~ When you receive this award, copy and paste it to your blog.

~ 2 ~ Thank the blogging friend who awarded you and make sure you link back to their blog so others can check out their fabulous blog too.

~ 3 ~ Choose your five (5) up-and-coming blog picks then go share the love by commenting on their blog.

~ 4 ~ Hope and encourage that the recipients will spread the love to other up and coming blogs! (Be sure to check their blogs for the list to check out other great blogs!)

That's all there is to it.

For my part, here are some of my favorite up and coming clogs.I sure wish I could list a bunch more (you can find some to the right of this blog). To check out these blogs, simply click on the name of the blog!

In no particular order:

Servant, Wife, Mother A Godly blog dedicated to helping women fulfill the commandments of God while living out their lives as servants, wives and mothers

Sandy's Cape Cod Originals ~ Blog about Sandy, her family and all her darling little crochet patterns

Renewing Housewives ~ Godly encouragement for women to use and share in their every day lives

Rebecca's Hearth & Home A wonderful blog complete with recipes, time-saving tips and all kinds of homemaking goodness as the Lord prompts her to post

Soni's Front Porch ~ A slice of life blog by one of the sweetest, most precious women I know. Her faith is intermingled with every day life as well as a healthy sampling of creativity

Thanks again, Linda! I really appreciate you and all you do.

Hugs,



PS...This list was so difficult to come up with, there are a lot of wonderful blogs out there that didn't make the cut. Some blogs were not in the running because I could not discover if they fit the criteria of 200 or less followers. One of those blogs in particular belongs to a dear friend of mine, and is Walk With Me As I Follow The Fish . Love ya, Kim!

Operation Shoe Box - Boxes due this week!

I am not sure if any of your are familiar with this charity, but it is a good one to reach the world's children in a way you might not ever be able to again.

If you want more information you can visit the site at Operation Christmas Child. Please note, this week is the week they are collecting shoe boxes!! I believe you can find drop-off locations for your area through their website, if not, google for groups in your area.

Basically, you create a gift of little things in a shoebox for a child who would not otherwise receive a gift. The wonderful thing is that these gifts are prayed over before you pack them away.

One group that is often neglected is older children (10+ years in age). Jessica over at Muthering Heights and Other Senseless Sensibility has really had her heart given over to the girls in this age group and in fulfilling the commitments to being a Titus 2 Woman and also to care for those children, she has created an awesome FREE downloadable pdf file to give these girls lessons in crochet. Knowing that they do not speak English, the instructions are in photo form.

If you aren't a crocheter or knitter, then you might find it easier to go to a "box" store for yarn rather than a yarn store. A lot of crafting stores have yarn on sale for the craft projects that are feverishly going on. For example, Michaels has Vanna's Choice yarn for $2.99 per skein. You could use the 40% off coupon to purchase some hooks. Hobby Lobby also has yarn and a 40% off coupon this week. You could check other stores like local hobby stores, Joann's etc and if you are a knitter/crocheter be sure to support your local yarn shoppe!

Add some other items like a sweet (no chocolate--don't want it to melt over yarn) and maybe a cute notebook and pencil or even personal care items.

Then pray that these items will find the girl they belong to and that God will use these things to greatly bless her!

If you want to know more about the printable instructions, please visit Muthering Heights and follow Jessica's directions and while you are there take a few moments to read her blog, I think you'll find it entertaining and instructional. She's a gem with a passion for helping others.

What Has Become of Us? ~ A Mr. Monday Post

My friend over at Servant, Wife, Mother posed a very prayer-provoking question for Mr. Monday...How can we stop squelching, and start nurturing?

If you haven't read her post, I encourage you to click the link above (the name of blog) or her blog button on the right. Be warned, it might make you say "ouch" before you go to God to ask for guidance to help encourage your mister and not squelch his natural tendencies.

As for our house...wow, I cannot tell you how much has changed, some for the good and some for the necessary or even not-so-good. While Darling Groom and I have always tried to encourage each other in pursuits and our tastes, we sometimes fall short. It is something we do continue to strive to accommodate and help each other with. Thankfully, he's very patient with me, lol.

Some of the good things that have been changed since we've been married is how much my husband has grown. Darling Groom was already quite a man when we married, but I've been so blessed to watch him flourish. He's become a third-degree black belt (working on fourth), graduated college, received promotions at work, has learned that he loves to teach, learned how to handle some minor plumbing issues, and so much more. I think one of the biggest and best changes in his life is that he has come to know God in a more personal way and it shows in his behavior and his lifestyle. He has really matured in his walk with God and he has taken it to heart to lead our family in a more dedicated way. That has been the biggest blessing our family could receive.

Can you tell I'm putting off the bad? It's hard to think that I've squelched some things in him or his lifestyle, but I know I have.

Heather mentioned her husband liked Coca Cola themed items and now they have been replaced by sturdier dishes that can handle the hands of a child. I know Darling Groom has endured a similar fate. He doesn't necessarily care about themed dishes, but when he was a bachelor, his eating habits and lifestyle were simple, neat and organized. Now, it's pretty wild and while it adds variety and color to his life I think that sometimes he does miss the singular simplicity in that. I have been working hard to re-simplify our life and I think that he appreciates that. He's patient in that it takes a bit.

Darling Groom is a fitness fiend and some of his workouts have been put off because dinner wasn't scheduled to accommodate or to help one of the children with a history question. He never complains, just puts off his own needs to help us out. He's given up some activities to spend more time with us. He says it's his knees or some other excuse to help us and I do appreciate him being home more, but I wonder if he's doing it for us or him.

There is so much more to our lifestyle that has changed and I will be praying to God to show me areas that don't have to be squelched for him, but rather that we can come together and work out a solution that will blend our tastes and schedules to more better "become one".

Again, if you haven't read Heather's post, I encourage you to head on over there now and take a peek. Then really ask God to help you find ways to show your husband that his desires, though maybe squelched, do matter to you and make an effort to do something about at least one of those things. :) I know that's what I'll be doing!

Thankful Thursday

So, over at Becoming A Strong Woman of God they are participating in the Thankful Thursday challenge to list 22 things each week (on Thursday, of course, lol) for which they are thankful for. You can read more about it by clicking the name of the blog. (Please note, it may be on hiatus for November's 30 Days to Being Thankful series.)

I am a little behind in my blogging and I apologize. It has been a most interesting week, and good and bad I am thankful to God for the lessons I've learned and the things that have touched my heart.

Without further ado, here are some blessings I am thankful for this week.

~ 45 ~ To all those who touched my life
~ 46 ~ Forgiveness--given and received
~ 47 ~ Humility
~ 48 ~ Refinement
~ 49 ~ God's touch to heal
~ 50 ~ Bible studies and Godly men and women to lead them
~ 51 ~ Moving forward
~ 52 ~ Prayers for blessing
~ 53 ~ Redemption
~ 54 ~ Changed hearts and lives
~ 55 ~ Ability to laugh through tears
~ 56 ~ That God is not finished with me yet
~ 57 ~ Supportive and praying family and friends
~ 58 ~ Clean drinking water
~ 59 ~ Rest and naps when it's cold and you are ill
~ 60 ~ Soft tissues during a cold
~ 61 ~ Hot and cold packs to help sinus issues
~ 62 ~ My husband's cousin, Mike, who touched so many lives
~ 63 ~ Memories of good times
~ 64 ~ Hot chocolate
~ 65 ~ Vacations to warmer climes
~ 66 ~ Grandparents

You may have noticed a theme and I just have to say that the past few weeks, this song has been on my heart, so sit back and enjoy and know that there is someone who loves us no matter what and died to forgive us and gives us grace to grow in that and to change who we were!



Much love, hugs & prayers,

Offense Breeds Bitter Fruit ~ A Pray for Me Monday Post

JAMES 5:16 "Therefore confess your sins to each other and
pray for each other so that you may be healed.
The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." (NIV)

PSALMS 116:2 "Because He has inclined His ear to me,
Therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live" (NKJV)

Join me as I blog with Pray for Me Mondays hosted by Tiffany at Home Grown Families and Pamela over at Troop Petrie. Basically, it works like this: both blogs are hosting this blog link-up and will post about relevant topics and may perhaps have a prayer request and will pray together with their readers, coming together in agreement to go before the Throne of Grace.


Typically I would post about the topic of the week yet this week I hope you can bear with me and pray with me. It is with a very heavy heart that I come to you tonight. I had almost completely skipped posting this week but I selfishly need prayer and am reaching out to you, my cyber sisters.

The past two weeks have been filled with circumstances that seem designed to either pull me down into hurt and pain or to push my buttons, pulling me down into another kind of muck. The one thing they all have in common seem to be that they all deal with offense.

John Bevere calls offense the bait of satan (book by same name). And it is true. Offense begins with a hurt--most often simply perceived, not even real--and escalates from there. It leads to anger, depression, bitterness, pain, gossip, slander, spitefulness, and so much more wickedness. We know that God tells us what we do bears fruit. When we let offense take hold in our lives even when we think we are over it, it can remain buried until the fruit comes to bear. It can hit us out of the blue when we least expect it, manifesting itself in ways designed to increase it's fruit of hurt and pain.

One of the circumstances that has been bearing fruit lately has roots that go back several years. It was over a misunderstanding of all things. Some erroneous things were believed and though it took some time, the Lord let them come to light and thankfully one of the most important relationships in my life was healed. The others are not quite the same as they were, but there is hope on some levels.

And the Lord, faithful as ever, has used these circumstances to open my eyes to some truths and to understand some of His ways. He has shown me that the people we associate with do make a difference in our lives. I'm as guilty as anyone of "backing my friend" and of gossip and slander in my life. I know what it's like to take on another's offense in the name of caring for them. But are we called to do that? We are called to bear one another's burdens but are we called to carry their offense?

No.

When we do this, we can allow ourselves to sin if we are not careful. We can take up anger and hate against the person who did us no wrong and sometimes it could even be a person we've never met. When we do this we fall into the danger of slandering and gossiping about that person to "make our friend feel good." But the truth is we can become mischief makers and pot stirrers and neither is acceptable before our God. To my shame, I have done that. I have also been on the receiving end. Neither way is edifying or uplifting or gives glory to God.

This time I intentionally purposed to do this His way and not the way I wanted to (which never ended well anyway). I went to trusted friends and asked them for prayer. I briefly explained the situation, sticking to the facts as closely as I could. And they all prayed. Not one of those precious women slandered or gossiped about the other parties involved. Not one said anything poor against another. It was such an uplifting and encouraging experience and did not stir the anger in my heart but rather the Lord showed me that this is the importance of our friends and how He designed it. We are created to Biblically correct and uplift and encourage one another. When we do it God's way and not ours the experience is almost beyond understanding. The pain and anger melted under their prayers and loving kindness.

Anyway, these past two weeks (most especially tonight) I learned just how deep those roots of offense can grow and branch it's bitter fruit out into the lives of others who were not involved and even to those who do not even know you. Actions made in the heat of offense can grow buried beneath the surface for years, quietly waiting to spring from the cold ground and bear it's fruit, reaching out to feed and mingle with the offense of others. The only way to nip it and rip it completely out of our lives is to hand it over to God. Not always an easy thing for our flesh to do but to overcome and come out with grace, we must remember to extend the grace given to us.

Please, I beg of you, pray for me as I continue to deal with the actions of offense from years ago. If it's God's will, I pray the relationships be mended at least enough to part on good words. Pray that the truth comes to light in His way and not the way my flesh wants it to. And please, if you have offense in your life, pray for God's touch. It is the only way to keep it's ugly, bitter fruit from bearing in your life and will help you plant His loving, patient and peaceful vines in your life which will bear such fruit that can and will also touch so many other lives outside of your own in such a wonderful way you will be amazed.

Be Still And Know I am God ~ Day 1 of 30 Days to Being Thankful Challenge

Today's Challenge is to:

Dig deep into your trials or storms and find the blessings that God has in disguise just for you. Write them down and look to them often when you feel like He is not there. Seek Him, Trust Him and know that He has already been through what we have been through and has His best for us.

There have been many instances in my life when God has taken things that had the outward appearance of trouble or trials and turned them into blessings in disguise. In fact, one could say that 2008 was a year of such instances.

I can still remember the night that I turned into a screaming harridan for no reason whatsoever. I had been fine, then, BAM! Major mood swing. I can recall it with crystal clarity, that standing there, almost like I was trapped inside my head yelling at this stranger to be quiet and stop harrassing my family. When it was over, I stood there, aghast. What was happening to me? After apologizing to my precious family and crying on my husband's shoulder I remember telling him that we couldn't go through the next 15-20 years like this (it was like peri-menopause).

You've heard the expression, be careful what you wish for? Well...

The very next evening I ended up in the ER with abdomen pain. After waiting what seemed like forever to see a nurse they gave me a pain pill and sent me for tests (CAT scans and a BUNCH of ultrasounds). It was not long at all that a very concerned doctor rushed into the room. I had a massive tumor that had killed my ovary (hence the menopausal-like symptoms) and they were concerned that it might be cancerous. After consulting with an oncologist, I was admitted with surgery scheduled for the following Monday. To make a long story short (I know, too late), the tumor had grown even more from that night the ultrasounds were taken. I had to have a total radical hysterectomy and ended up being cut from navel to bone. Test results came back and praise God, it wasn't cancer.

That could be enough to seem like a trial, but the true trial came afterwards, during the healing process. You know what I'm talking about. When you are well enough to hate sitting still and feeling like you should be taking care of your family, not the other way around. This hit me at about the third week.

I remember crying to God about why this happened to me? Why had the tumor come up out of nowhere and grown so quickly? Cried because I wasn't healing as fast as I thought I should (though really, it was right on schedule) and I wasn't able to do more than shuffle back and forth when I could get up and walk. Yet, sitting there, I felt fine.

It was during one of those episodes, late at night when everyone had settled in and our home was filled with silence that I heard an answer.

"Be Still And Know I am God."

Remembering that verse from my childhood, I quickly looked it up (well, as quickly as I could shuffle to the computer). Psalm 46:10 (KJV) "Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth."

I learned that while He had been trying to get my attention, I had been too busy, running around like a crazy woman trying to do it all on my own, not wanting to "bother" anyone--even God--with the things on my heart. It was only then, when I could do nothing but sit and be still that I could get to hear what He was trying to tell me. From that moment on, it was easier to sit still and heal while also drawing near to Him and receiving the love and forgiveness and instruction from Him through prayer and His Word.

2008 may have not been a great year for us on the outside, but had I not had to heal from the drastic surgery, I would never had found some measure of peace I hadn't realized was missing. I would never have found out what God had been laying on my heart. It changed me dramatically. Yes, sometimes I forget and sometimes I will even ignore it, but it's not long before my soul remembers that precious time. I had known this before, but God used what could have been a serious trial to teach me a deeper understanding of Him and His love.

I encourage you, no matter what your situation, to be still and know God. The rewards are way more than we could ever deserve and you will never view "blessings in disguise" the same way again.

For more posts about today's topic, visit
Becoming a Strong Woman of God

The 2011 30-Day Giving Challenge

November is often a time of reflection as well as giving thanks. It is also a great time to just plain give! Many of you know that I'll be participating in the 30 Days to Being Thankful Challenge and I feel that giving is part of what can help us remember to be thankful. So, in in line with that thought, The 30-Day Giving Challenge dovetails quite beautifully.

For those of you unfamiliar with this challenge, let me take a few moments of your time to share this vision with you.

The 30-Day Giving Challenge began November 1, 2009 (by Kingdom First Mom blog). Alyssa had a "vision for a giving project" and challenged those around her and readers of her blog to do the same. They were encouraged to give each day in November, intentionally and not-so-intentionally (those spur of the moment opportunities can be fun!) and I believe they were also encouraged to document and share the journey. There was no limitation on giving, so those wonderful givers gave of their varied resources through sharing time, money, talents, gifts, and more!

November 2010 was the year I learned of this challenge and participated. While I did not finish as faithfully as I would have liked I do hope that those who received were as blessed as I was in the giving. This year, I would like to participate more fully and so each Tuesday in November I will blog about the 30-day Giving Challenge and will provide the link-up party so you can see how others are participating and get more ideas on giving.

It will take some organization (an area I'm still working on), some planning and lots of prayer, but I am believing that in spite of the economy and in spite of the situations around us, participants will make the most tremendous impact to-date!

You can participate too. If you are interested, I challenge you to spend tomorrow thinking about ways you (and your family) can bless by giving! You can also check out some ideas for giving on the 30-Day Giving Challenge site's Get Involved page. There is also a Facebook page where you can get some great info.

I hope you can join me in November for this challenge! I'd love to share ideas and giving stories with you. The fun begins this Tuesday over at Saving and Giving.

On Husbands and Wives ~ a Pray for Me Mondays Post

JAMES 5:16 "Therefore confess your sins to each other and
pray for each other so that you may be healed.
The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." (NIV)

PSALMS 116:2 "Because He has inclined His ear to me,
Therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live" (NKJV)

Join me as I blog with Pray for Me Mondays hosted by Tiffany at Home Grown Families and Pamela over at Troop Petrie. Basically, it works like this: both blogs are hosting this blog link-up and will post about relevant topics and may perhaps have a prayer request and will pray together with their readers, coming together in agreement to go before the Throne of Grace.

This week the topic is "husbands". You can see what each of those precious women feel about having husbands and what it means to their lives by clicking on the links to their blogs (their blogs, above). One of the things that popped out at me on the post was about praying for our husbands.

I have a confession, this is an area that I have not always been disciplined in and if I am not careful I will lapse back into assuming that he will be taken care of by God without prayers on my end. Yet, the truth remains, this is the man I chose above all others and if I pray for anyone it should be him. Only good can come from lifting Darling Groom up before the Lord.

To help with this end, I read a wonderful book by Stormie Omartion titled, "The Power of A Praying Wife." Really recommend this book, especially if you aren't used to praying for your husband or if you need some help to guide you in prayers for your husband.

I also realize that funds are tight these days, so until you can purchase it or see if your local library carries the book, here are just a few ways you can go about praying for your husband. I've prayed these often and do see God moving through these prayers.

ASK HIM! Ask your husband what his concerns are. If you don't get a chance to talk often it can be difficult to hear what is bothering him. Sometimes he won't tell you because he doesn't want to burden you. If need be, take the direct route and ask him what you can pray for. He might be surprised, but it will worth it. He knows that you are caring for him and lifting him up.

WHAT ABOUT YOU? Think about what you want. If I find myself at a blank point when it comes to praying for my husband, I think of my own issues and then pray them for him too. Do I worry about being a good mother? A better wife? Providing what my family needs? Ministry needs? Pray those things for him too!

BE SPECIFIC! When you pray, be specific in your prayers. Maybe he has a meeting coming up that week that is bothering him. Don't simply pray for a good outcome, pray that God move through him and give him the words he needs. Pray for Godly confidence to witness to those around him. Pray for well rested sleep the night before the meeting and calming peace during the meeting. It does make a big difference!

There are so many different lists out there that you can pray for your husband. Click HERE to find a list by Stormie herself, complete with some prayers.

No matter how or when, no matter if your husband knows you pray for him or not, it will be heard by God. And I can tell you from personal experience, no matter what is going on in your relationship, praying for our husbands does help keep our hearts tender toward them. When we sacrifice what we want (sometimes our anger and selfishness) to pray for good and blessing over our husband, it does help make us see the good in him all the more. Can't we all benefit from that? :)

If you have a prayer request, please feel free to post on this blog
or be sure to visit Home Grown Families and Troop Petrie
and add your request(s) there.
You can also find the linkup for your own blog,
if you wish to participate in that way.

The Race Well Run ~ A Mr. Monday Post

This week, I want to cheer and hope you can forgive me for bragging on my Darling Groom! You see, he completed his first ever 5K. I am so proud of him!

Project 58 hosted a 5K in our area this weekend to raise donations for their organization. Our daughter had wanted to do this with Darling Groom as a father/daughter thing and even trained with him early on. Little did we know that she would not be able to participate.

While I'm proud of Darling Groom, I'm more inspired by his integrity and his willingness to complete the task no matter the obstacles and he set an example for me and our children. You see, he was involved in a nasty car accident just a bit back that set aside his training/warm-up. And just when he could get back to it, he had to take some medication and one of the side affects was potential muscle trouble (including having major tendons snap).

Most people would have understood had he simply donated his race fees and yet sat out. Most people would have understood and encouraged him to remain home where it was warm and cozy. He's not a "runner" in the sense that most people are. In fact, I think he told me the last time he participated in anything remotely resembling a 5K was when he had to do laps in high schools (let's just say a couple of decades ago).

Not him. Not Darling Groom!

He honored his commitment to the race. Not only that, he finished the race!

Our family is so proud of him and thankful to him for showing us in word and action what it means to stick to something, to give it your best no matter the situation! In doing so, he showed us the witness of the power of prayer (there was a lot before and during the race) and the witness of having our "yea mean yea".

Congratulations, Darling Groom! I know that with God's help you'll reach the goals you've set for the race next year!



PS...Thanks to everyone who was there, cheering him on and encouraging him in this endeavor!

For more information on Mr. Monday and link-ups,
be sure to visit my friend Heather at Servant, Wife, Mother

Faithful Friend ~ A Sing Your Praise Sunday Post

It's Sunday and that means it's time to share a special song to praise God. This week has been quite interesting and God has shown me several things. Mostly that no matter what happens here on earth, He is our faithful friend always by our sides, or as Matthew 28:20 states, "I am with you alway, unto the end of the world. Amen." That the Creator of the Universe cares so much about each of us individually is just amazing and almost too awesome to grasp.

Thank you, Lord!

Song: I am a Friend of God, version sung by Phillips, Craig and Dean

A Thankful Heart

"Enter into his gates with thanksgiving,
and into his courts with praise:
be thankful unto him, and bless his name."
~ Psalm 100:4 (KJV)

This November, Sonja over at Becoming A Strong Woman of God will be hosting challenges to all women who want to become more intentional in blessing others and also being more thankful in their hearts and lives. For myself, this 30-day-challenge couldn't come at a better time.

From Sonja's blog...

"30 Days of Being Thankful" will challenge you daily through out the whole month of November to be thankful for every gift that the Lord has provided to you as well as teaching your children simple ways to be thankful."

This is a journey to learning to be thankful for the smallest things and seeing God all around you as we move through each day. I pray that this challenge will stay with you long pass the 30 days.

I will spend the next few days preparing my heart for living out a more thankful life and it would be an honor and a blessing if you join me and others over at Becoming A Strong Woman of God. It is my hope and prayer that we can all grow while investing rich blessing into the lives of those near us.

Hugs & Prayers,

National Chocolate Day!

Okay, here's a holiday I can get into!!

What are you going to do to celebrate?

I think I'm going to splurge on the calorie counting and raise a chocolate bar in celebration!

Thankful Thursday

So, over at Becoming A Strong Woman of God they are participating in the Thankful Thursday challenge to list 22 things each week (on Thursday, of course, lol) for which they are thankful for. You can read more about it by clicking the name of the blog.

Sorry to be a tad late getting my Thankful Thursday list in. I watched the baseball game tonight and also have been deciding what to do about a personal situation and would love prayer because as you all know, I'm far from perfect and if I handle the situation my own way it would not be pretty. Oh, my flesh might be happy but certainly not God's way.

So, here's this week's Twenty-two Things I'm Thankful for:

~ 23 ~ Tonight's baseball win
~ 24 ~ The friends in my life who love me, flaws and all
~ 25 ~ Blogging (reading and writing)
~ 26 ~ Popsicles!
~ 27 ~ craft fairs
~ 28 ~ Bonfires with friends
~ 29 ~ Encouragement just when needed
~ 30 ~ Birthday parties
~ 31 ~ Classic TV like Burns & Allen
~ 32 ~ New yarn
~ 33 ~ Puppies
~ 34 ~ A freshly vacuumed carpet
~ 35 ~ Watching my children excel at their passions
~ 36 ~ Learning to overcome adversity
~ 37 ~ Cozy blankets on chilly days
~ 38 ~ Fresh baked bread
~ 39 ~ Chocolate scented candles
~ 40 ~ Scrapbooking and memories
~ 41 ~ Grace
~ 42 ~ Vine-ripened tomatoes
~ 43 ~ Kissing at stoplights
~ 44 ~ Changing fall colors

If you appreciate all the good and perfect gifts in your life, go ahead and take a moment to be thankful. You can also join the blog hop for Thankful Thursday at Becoming a Strong Woman of God .

Until later,

Call to Care for the Widows and Orphans - A Pray for Me Mondays Post

JAMES 5:16 "Therefore confess your sins to each other and
pray for each other so that you may be healed.
The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." (NIV)

PSALMS 116:2 "Because He has inclined His ear to me,
Therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live" (NKJV)

Join me as I blog with Pray for Me Mondays hosted by Tiffany at Home Grown Families and Pamela over at Troop Petrie. Basically, it works like this: both blogs are hosting this blog link-up and will post about relevant topics and may perhaps have a prayer request and will pray together with their readers, coming together in agreement to go before the Throne of Grace.

This week, Tiffany blogged about the emotional upheavals that single mothers often deal with as they find their way to glorify God in their families. Her post reminded me of another blog I read this past year.

I can't remember which blog I read it on (so sorry, and if you know please share) but the blogger wrote about widows and orphans. Specifically, that some women and children have reached this point not because of a death, but maybe through other means such as becoming pregnant outside of marriage or through divorce.

These precious women are often overlooked when we consider the Scripture's call to care for the widows and orphans, though their situations are the same (lack of husband/father) and they struggle just as greatly as those made widows and orphans by death.

When we look at it that way, it sure makes your heart realize just how much we should care for these families.

So, please take a few moments to pray for single mothers and their children and take that Biblical command to care for widows and orphans of all kinds to heart. Find some way to encourage and uplift a single mom. There are all kinds of ways you can do this and here are a few ideas to get you started:

~ Babysit her children so she can get a little rest or do something she's neglected for herself
~ Take her family a home-cooked meal (and be sure to let her know ahead of time so she doesn't stress about dinner)
~ Send a card and spend time in prayer with/over her
~ Buy her some fresh flowers
~ Invite her and her children into your home for dinner
~ If you know her well, maybe take over a task for her for a day or two to give her a break (like maybe cleaning or laundry, or washing the car, etc.)
~ If you can afford it, maybe give her a few gift cards to various restaurants or grocery stores

There are so many ways you can reach out and care, but mostly you just need to be there for her in whatever way works best for her.

This week's prayer request: My prayer request this week is just to ask the Lord to show you how to bless and encourage the single mom's in your life!

Praise Report: My last Pray For Me Monday request was for a friend diagnosed with breast cancer and the discovery it had spread to her lymph nodes. They went to remove a lump and found out that it was only in one lymph node and it appears it was caught very early. They believe they were able to remove most, if not all, of it. She is currently undergoing therapy, but is much relieved and praying for full recovery and remission! Thank you for your prayers.




If you have a prayer request, please feel free to post on this blog or be sure to visit Home Grown Families and Troop Petrie and add your request(s) there. You can also find the linkup for your own blog, if you wish to participate in that way.

A Good & Perfect Gift ~ A Mr. Monday Post

James 1:17 ~ "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."

This Monday I'd like to take a moment and give thanks to God for the wonderful gift of my husband. He is just perfect for me.

The past two weeks has just shown me what a good man he is and how much he loves me. He employed his love language in the extreme by helping me out with our home, the homeschooling and various other activities while also encouraging me, holding me when doubts tried to overcome me and even prayed for me all for my very first craft fair.

There is no way I could have made it this far without him, but knowing he is by my side through it all makes this journey more comfortable and precious. Times like this just show me that all the more.

Thank you, Darling Groom!

For more information on Mr. Monday and link-ups,
be sure to visit my friend Heather at Servant, Wife, Mother

My Redeemer Lives - Sing Your Praise Sunday!

Every day we praise the Lord, but here on this blog, I will try to share some of my favorite praise songs (new and old). Today, this song has been on my heart. Actually it has been on my heart a lot lately, especially when I witness the beautiful changing of the seasons that could only be brought about by His hand.

This version is an acappella version and just a beautiful. I hope you enjoy it!

Um, Nope, Not Me! Not Me! Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday, where we can share a few of our secrets we'd probably rather forget, yet keep it real. Why? Because it sure helps to know we are not alone. This blog carnival was created by MCKMAMA. You can head over to My Charming Kids' blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

Wow, cannot believe Monday is here again and I cannot believe that the week has flown by as quickly as it has. Let's see, the past week I surely didn't do all the things I could have done, nope, not me!

I wasn't the one who spent an entire day going through all of her craft supplies, trying to find things to take to weekend crop. And I most certainly did not take about a third of said supplies because I simply couldn't decide what I wanted to work on.

Nope, Not Me!

While at said crop, I was not so busy chattering and socializing that I only managed to pump out four cards and half an altered letter when I was there overnight.

Nope, Not Me!

Sleep is important, so much so that I know I could never have only had 3 hours of sleep Thursday night (okay, Friday morning) and then only 4 hours of sleep on Friday night.

Nope, Not Me!

And it wasn't me who cried Sunday morning because she hurt (because I would NEVER attempt to lug folding tables from the Fellowship Hall up to the Mason Hall by myself...at least not all of them). And I wouldn't sigh with relief when hubby and son said they also hurt and hubby made the executive decision that we would stay home as a family that day.

Nope, Not Me!

But it was me who said a thank you prayer to the Lord for such a wonderful weekend and praised Him for His goodness, no matter what my situation, no matter if I'm sore or healthy, sleepy or wide awake. :) While sad to have missed services on Sunday, am grateful for recorded sermons and for friends who checked to make sure things were okay--you know who you are! :)

McDonald's Again?

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to a MckMama's Blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

Oh, this is going to be interesting...do you really want to know this much about me?

Well, I can tell you that I did not join this link-up to show you what a great SAH housewife and mother I am...definitely NOT ME! (Edited to add: That is said in all earnestness...and I'm okay with that. May not be a great SAHM, but am certainly a blessed SAHM covered in some serious grace!!!) Nope, in fact, with Not Me! Mondays you may wish that you didn't know me and all my loverly imperfections that well. (I don't use made-up words either, nope, not me!)

But if you wish to know, continue to be brave and have a tank of oxygen because I'm sure at some point it will make you laugh until you cry. Go ahead, I often have. Though at the time, I did not. Nope. Not me!

For example, the time (years ago, mind you) it was NOT ME who burned dinner that made our entire home smell.

I was busy upstairs working on sorting through the boys' clothes, doing such good mommy/housewife chores to keep our home running smoothly. So there was no way I could forget that the beans were on the stove simmering away. Not me.

It was not me who came down to find the entire first floor smoky though Darling Groom and precious ones seemed to ignore it. And it wasn't me who tentatively headed to the stove to discover all of the water had boiled out of the pot and our dinner was burned to a crisp.

...

And I know my sweet little, chocolate-smudged faced child would not look up at me two nights later, and ask me if I would burn dinner so we could have McDonald's again.

Nope not him.

This is not what our family is like. Nope, no way. Not us!

Ken Loves Tam ~ Another Mr. Monday Post

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church,
and gave himself for it; (Ephesians 5:25, KJV)

A few weeks ago I wrote about our duty of love (aka submitting to our husbands as we would our Lord) and it has been on my heart as I have gone about the weeks since. I have been praying that no matter the status of our "romance" that I would do what is commanded of me in genuine charity.

Well, if you know my husband, then you are aware that he has a fine wit, strong, and while he is not ashamed to cry he does not do it often. When we were dating/first married (in the '90s) he used to joke that he was a man of the '90s--the 1890s. Yup, that's my Darling Groom. While not given too often to external shows of sentimentality, he does have a deep streak of it and will sometimes surprise me with a physical reminder.

Such as he did today. Before we left to go to the city, at some point he wrote out this little sign, then put it smack dab on the middle of the freezer.

(Sorry for the bright spot, not sure what was going on with my camera.)

Imagine my surprise when I came home to find that on my fridge! While he shows me each day that he loves me with his many acts of service, this note honored me. It really does make my heart flutter when I see such proclamations posted for the world to see.

So, I had to brag on him today and thank him for loving me as commanded and for taking the time to show me in a much more physical way.

Oh, and Darling Groom...Tam Loves Ken, too!

For more information on Mr. Monday Link-ups,
be sure to visit Servant, Wife, Mother

Are you secure in your insecurities?

JAMES 5:16 "Therefore confess your sins to each other and
pray for each other so that you may be healed.
The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." (NIV)

PSALMS 116:2 "Because He has inclined His ear to me,
Therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live" (NKJV)

This week I hope to begin participating in Pray for Me Mondays hosted by Home Grown Families and Pamela over at Troop Petrie. Basically, it works like this: both blogs are hosting this blog link-up and will post about relevant topics and may perhaps have a prayer request and will pray together with their readers, coming together in agreement to go before the Throne of Grace.

This week's topic is about dealing with insecurities.

AYE YI YI!

Most people, who know me intimately, know that I am an introvert by nature. Being awkward and clumsy both physically and verbally, it is much easier to keep things on the surface for instances like group meetings or outings but it does not develop rich and loving relationships with other women of God that I desire.

A confession...this is something I have struggled with greatly most of my life and while God has helped me much as I grow older, there are still many times that I struggle with the thoughts, that will snowball if I do not cast my cares on Him. See if any of this sounds familiar:

~ "They just tolerate me."
~ "I don't know how to do it, would just mess up."
~ "They will think I'm nuts if I say/do that."
~ "There are others who can do this better than I, time to give it up."
~ "I have no true friends, just lots of acquaintances."
~ "I'm not a good enough wife, mom, friend, worker, etc."
~ "I'll never be as good as so-n-so at this or that."

That's just a sampling of things that can run through your mind when you are in the throes of insecurity. And I want you to take just a moment and really look at those comments. What do they have in common?

Not one of them is focused on God!

Instead of focusing on the opportunities He provides, we focus on the lack or what we suppose others might think or worse, we compare ourselves to others. That comparison steals any joy or confidence in Him that we might have. It robs us of blessing others.

Recently on Facebook, Dr. Caroline Leaf's status read: "Brainy Fact: A woman's anterior central gyrus (ACG) is larger than a man's. That means she can get stuck on negative emotions more easily."

The enemy knows this! He knows that we are responsible for the atmosphere in our homes and the world around us. He knows that we are by nature, nurturers and encouragers of our husbands, children, family and friends. If he can get us focused on ourselves and our issues, then we are incapacitated to do the work God has laid out for us. We cannot encourage well when we are discouraged.

So, how do we combat this? GO TO THE WORD!

First of all, whether from your own mind or the enemy, know that insecurity is a branch off of fear. The Bible tells us, "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love" (I John 4:18, KJV). We know from reading the earlier verses in that chapter of I John, that God is love.

The next time you find yourself falling into negative thinking because of insecurity, ask yourself these questions... Where am I focused? Am I focused on God and His perfect love or am I focused on myself/others. Will I trust in what God tells me, that He can cast out this fear or will I continue the cycle of negative emotions which will affect not only myself, but my family, friends and the world around me? How will this witness and show God's love to others? Will I allow this insecurity to rule my life or will I make the choice to lay down what my flesh desires and instead stand secure in the will of God?

Again, not always easy to think about and stop, but as time goes by it does get easier and happens more quickly, then it becomes a conscious choice to continue in fear or continue in the path God laid before you.

Pray for me about this and I will pray for you.

Now, I do have a prayer request. Recently a friend was diagnosed with breast cancer. She went in to have it removed and they discovered that the cancer has spread to her lymph nodes. God is a God of healing if it's His will. He may have another purpose we might not understand. No matter what, I would request prayer for peace for her and her daughter, as well as that His will be done and that this woman be reached for Him and that she shine His love through the entire ordeal.

If you have a prayer request, please feel free to post on this blog or be sure to visit Home Grown Families and Troop Petrie and add your request(s) there. You can also find the linkup for your own blog, if you wish to participate in that way.

Much love and prayers,

Thankful Thursday

So, over at Becoming A Strong Woman of God they are participating in the Thankful Thursday challenge to list 22 things each week (on Thursday, of course, lol) for which they are thankful for. You can read more about it by clicking the name of the blog.

I have to admit, my spirit needs this tremendously tonight. I had considered waiting until the new year to begin this, but it cannot wait. I need to remember the things I am so very grateful for and that the Lord provides each and every day!

So without further ado and in no particular order, here are my first 22 Thankful Thursday thanks offerings:

~ 1 ~ My Heavenly Father
~ 2 ~ My husband...after the Lord, he is my rock here on earth
~ 3 ~ Taters, my firstborn and only daughter
~ 4 ~ Toughy, my delightful son
~ 5 ~ Roughy, my youngest and another precious son
~ 6 ~ Internet, to reach out to others and touch and be touched
~ 7 ~ Sunny Days
~ 8 ~ Rainy Days
~ 9 ~ Fresh picked apples
~ 10 ~ Homemade Applesauce
~ 11 ~ Knowledge to can and put up for later
~ 12 ~ The cars we drive
~ 13 ~ The song, "My Redeemer Lives"
~ 14 ~ My Mom
~ 15 ~ Peach Pie and other peachy goodness
~ 16 ~ The ability to crochet
~ 17 ~ Prayer Shawls
~ 18 ~ Lazy Saturday mornings
~ 19 ~ Homeschooling
~ 20 ~ Date nights with my hubby
~ 21 ~ Twinkling Stars on a balmy night
~ 22 ~ Cardinals baseball

If you appreciate all the good and perfect gifts in your life, go ahead and take a moment to be thankful. You can also join the blog hop for Thankful Thursday at Becoming a Strong Woman of God.

Until next time, much hugs and love and prayers,