Faithful Friday - "Love Does"

I know it's Saturday, but even so, I wanted to join Joy's Faithful Friday this week!


Joy received the book, Love Does, by Bob Goff, as a birthday gift.  We'd heard it was an awesome book.  She started reading it and kept passing along snippets of it to me as she was reading, and just how much she loved it.  Since I couldn't wait until she was done, I've been picking it up and reading when she puts it down.

It is so inspirational.  And although I'm only chapter 7, I have to say, it's so thought provoking.  And it's funny!

Just from those first seven chapters, the thought that keep flooding my mind is just how much of a difference we can make by demonstrating love.  Even if that little act of love doesn't seem like much to us.

Particularly, in this book, I'm talking about a young Christian man that, although he knows that Bob (the author of the book) is probably headed in a direction that isn't ideal for his life (quitting school and going on an adventure), wisely lets him know that he's "with him".  That wasn't just something he "said".  No, he put action to his words.  He grabs his backpack and sleeping bag right then, and goes with Bob on this crazy adventure.  He sticks with Bob.....showing him love, God's love, even though he knows it's not going to work out.  He never once says "I told you so" or "I didn't think this was a good idea."

Looking back,  Bob sees what an awesome sacrifice it was for this young man to make. This radical young man made an impression on Bob's life because he was someone that didn't just say he was a Christian and "preach to him," but he sincerely loved Bob and lived out what the Bible said.  When they returned from the adventure, Bob learned even more of what a sacrifice this young man made by going with him.  (I don't want to tell you everything because you really should read it).  So get the book and read it!

Anyway, it really got me to thinking.  I'm sure this young man that sacrificed his time, comfort, and more to go along with Bob (on a crazy adventure that he knew was crazy before they began), probably never thought just how many people that one decision would impact.  When I think about not only the lives that this young Christian man has touched alone, but all of those that Bob Goff has touched, just because he invested in Bob at that point in his life, it is just an awesome picture of what Love Does!  It snowballs!

Love Does.  It catches on.  It spreads.  It makes a difference.

What if that young man hadn't invested in Bob?  I wonder if Bob would have lived a life for Jesus?  I wonder if he would have traveled the world touching lives?  I wonder if he would have written a life-changing book?

If nothing else, this reminds me that even the smallest acts of love.....doing....showing love.....make a difference.  And in that moment that we are demonstrating that small act of love, chances are we probably don't have a clue just how much difference we are making until it has the chance to completely manifest.  That may take years.

Because God IS Love, letting God work through us by being his hands, feet, and voice, is doing what God called us to do.  We are doing God's work.

God IS Love.  If we are Christians, we have God.  We have love.

And Love Does!  That's an action word!  :)

♥ Tammy ♥

Faithful Friday - "The Screwtape Letters"

Have you read The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis?

I'm not finished with it yet, but it is such a great book...a timeless classic.....really an eye-opener as to the many ways Christians are being "tripped up" in our everyday lives!

If you're not familiar with the book, it is written in the form of letters from a "demon" corresponding to his nephew instructing him in wordly-wise subtle ways to "trip up" Christians so as to win them over (or in this case, one particular young man).  He uses tactics such as thoughts, temptations, actions, beliefs, intellect, and much more.

It reminded me to be more aware that there is spiritual warfare going on around me constantly, and that I have to stay anchored in Jesus and His Word and be on guard to the Temptor's guiles and ways.

Here's an excerpt from what I read this morning that especially caught my attention (The uncle demon, Screwtape, is telling his nephew demon, Wormwood):

"Think of your man as a series of concentric circles, his will being the innermost, his intellect coming next, and finally his fantasy.  You can hardly hope, at once, to exclude from all the circles everything that smells of the Enemy: but you must keep on shoving all the virtues outward till they are finally located in the circle of fantasy, and all the desirable qualities inward into the Will.  It is only in so far as they reach the Will and are there embodied in habits that the virtues are really fatal to us."

Wow!  Keep shoving the virtues out - this is exactly what is happening!  This is our culture today.  Also the Bible is being pushed to the "fantasy" circle where it has become just stories - instead of accounts from history!  Oh, there are so many ways this is true!

If you haven't read this book, you really should add it to your reading list.  Satan really is working over-time and we don't even have a clue as to all the ways.  This book is an eye-opener! 

We CAN overcome though!

 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Philippians 4:8

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

 

John 16:33

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You can link up or read more Faithful Fridays posts on Joy's blog by clicking on the Faithful Friday button above! 

 

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

 

♥ Tammy ♥ 

Faithful Friday - "Exercising Faith"

For the past couple of weeks, I've been reading the book, God's Smuggler, aloud to Joy.  It has made me realize just how weak my faith really is.  This guy (the author - known as Brother Andrew) worked behind the Iron Curtain smuggling Bibles into those communist countries during the height of the Cold War.  I admire him so much and praise God for men like "Brother Andrew".

It is amazing to me how strong his faith was (and still is) and how he exercised it to the greatest extent, fully expecting God to come through for him, which of course, God always did.....from getting him through security checks into countries where Bibles were in clear sight in his suitcase or vehicle - yet he was allowed through.  Many times Andrew would pray, "Lord you know those Bibles are in clear view in my suitcase or in my little Volkswagen.....would you please let them be hidden from their eyes", and there are amazing stories of how he made it through time after time.

Then there were the times when he needed an exact amount of money for his ministry, for tuition, to print Bibles, etc.., and it was so exciting to see how God provided exactly what he needed, sometimes at the very last possible moment, when most folks (including me) would be ready to say that it just wasn't going to happen this time.  But he also tells of the times when God urged him to do something that he really didn't want to do, like giving away money to a homeless person who would "probably just blow it in a tavern", because he knew he needed that money for his mission field.  Yet he did what God said, and God turned around and immediately blessed him with what he needed when he needed it.

And then there was the time Andy prayed for a wife - a helpmeet to him - one that would love him and understand and put up with his life as a missionary....... and God gave him his precious wife, Corrie, who has been by his side all these years as they live out their ministry to God.

I can't even scratch the surface of the many times Andrew exercised his faith, fully putting his trust in God in the smallest and largest of circumstances.  This book has brought tears to my eyes many times as I read how God provided every.single.time.  And it was also fun to see that Andy was like me in a way - always trying to guess how God would provide - and God with his sense of humor, never did it the way he would guess, but always His way - a way Andrew called The Royal Way (the way only a King would do - never stooping to lowly ways).  :)

I've enjoyed sharing these stories, or experiences as I prefer to call them, from the book with Jason on our walks in the evenings as we talk about our desire to live out that kind of faith - to exercise it to its fullest extent.  It seems so hard, yet I know that what God did for Andrew, He can and will do for me.  After all He's the same yesterday, today, and forever!

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

 

Hebrews 13:8

And God will do the same for you too!  Wouldn't it be great to exercise our faith to the fullest every day and just see what God can do? 

Do YOU have a special testimony or story of a time that you fully trusted and exercised your faith and God came through for you?  It is encouraging to share these stories with each other!

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Thanks so much for joining me today for Faithful Friday.  For more Faithful Friday entries, click on Joy's button above, and better yet, link up your post! 

Have a great weekend!  :)

 Blessings,

♥ Tammy ♥

♥ Books, Books, Books ♥

We love books around here.  So much so, that we accumulate stacks of them.  We have books a little bit of everywhere.  Jason built the bookshelf upstairs in the loft to accomodate many of them.

It occurred to me the other night just how many read-aloud books we have going on at the moment.  Reading aloud is something I've always done with my children since they were babies and it's something I've continued all the way through high school (and beyond if they're around to hear it).  There's nothing like sharing a book.  It's an integral part of our homeschooling and family life.  It is my single most favorite part of homeschooling. 

My kids have always had to narrate (tell back in their own words) or answer a few questions or even ask me a few questions about what was read.  I let them ask me questions because I find that they have to listen closely to find a question to try to stump me.  They're only allowed to ask a question that they know the answer to.  It builds listening skills.  :)

After I read the other night, Jason and I were talking and counted just how much time is spent by me reading aloud.  We figured that I probably read aloud at least 2 hours of every day, except maybe the weekends.  Sometimes it is more.  It's a bad thing when I lose my voice.  :)

Here's the stack of read-aloud books that are ongoing right now.

Those are the ones I'm currently reading aloud everyday between reading to Joy, reading to Luke, and reading to the family. 

Right now, Joy has two readers going.  She sometimes has more, but at the moment, these are her two she reads personally everyday.

And this is Mr. Luke's stack of books from the Library.  We read him one or more of these everyday until time to take them back, then we'll get a new stack for him.  Plus he has many books around here that we read to him as well.

Jason is not that much of a reader.  He's more of a listen to CDs or talk radio kind of guy, but he listens in on our family read alouds, which at the moment include the Chronological Bible (we're reading through the Old Testament) and the Lamplighter book, Ishmael.

Colt has always been a reader too.  I'm not sure how much of it he does these days, but he grew up with all the read-alouds and reading alot independently as well.  I miss him being a part of our read-alouds!

I just realized the other night that I had never shared this particular thing about us..  But it is so much a part of our lives that it's just as normal as getting up, getting dressed, and eating.  :) 

I like the feel a book in my hand too, so ebooks just don't appeal to me that much.

 At the moment, I'm not reading a book independent of the read alouds for me personally, but many times I have that going on too.

What about you?  Are you a reader?  Do you enjoy reading aloud? 



 

♥ Tammy ♥

Faithful Friday - "Mary Jones and Her Bible"

A little book that Joy and I read together this week, Mary Jones and Her Bible, really got me to thinking just how much I take the Bible for granted. Most of us probably have several Bibles in our possession. Speaking for our family, I know we even have several different versions as well.

But do we really appreciate them for the treasure they are?

In the book we read, Mary Jones and Her Bible, which is a true story by the way, Bibles were in shortage. Mary saves for 6 years (as a child) just to own a Bible of her own, meanwhile traveling to a neighbor’s farm to study the Bible (and commit its verses to memory) every weekend. When she was nearing her 16th birthday, she finally has the money saved to purchase a Bible. But the next obstacle is that the closest place that has an order of Bibles is 25 miles away. She walks the 25 miles one way alone over the mountains to purchase her Bible. And that’s not the end of the story, Mary is one of many who played an important role in the reprinting of more Bibles across the world through the creation of Bible Societies. She sacrificed much during her life time to help make sure that those that wanted a Bible could have one, and her life was a testimony that she lived out what she learned and commited to memory from the Bible as a Christian. She was loved and admired by many.

This really convicted me. I know that I take the Bible for granted. What if Bibles weren’t so readily available? Would I want one so badly that I would be willing to make the sacrifice she made and go to such lengths just to own one? Do I read it often enough so that I have it stored away in my heart? Do I treasure God’s Word as much as I should? After all, it IS our light in this world of darkness that guides us and leads us down God’s path for us.

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

Psalm 119:105 (KJV)

I hope you’ll stop by Joy’s  blog for more Faithful Friday posts. If you would like to participate, you can link up on her blog here.

Have a great weekend! :) 

♥ Tammy ♥

♥ The Simple Life ♥

The Amish and their lifestyle have always intrigued me. I admire their gentleness and simple approach to living life. I like their priorities. They serve the Lord and honor and cherish their families. They choose to live life simply. Sometimes I secretly wish I had that lifestyle. Sure, I’d miss my computer. I already know I can do without TV, because we do it, for the most part. There would be adjustments to make, that's for sure. The Amish really work, but they also take time to play and enjoy their families too.

Just this week, I found this book at the library while there for the kids and I’m taking every moment I can to read snippets from it. It is written in a manner that I can do just that…….just read a few pages when I have a few moments because it was done in journaling form by Amish families. Since it is actually journals and pictures taken by the Amish, it makes it different from the rest of the books about the Amish. 

It’s called A Day in the Life of the Amish. With wit, wisdom and unique personal photos, Amish men, women and young people share a firsthand look at life in the “slow lane”. Sixty three Amish families were asked to keep a diary – all on the same day – of their dawn-to-dusk activities.  They were given a disposable camera to use on any photos they were comfortable taking and told to send the camera back to them and the folks compiling the book would have it developed.  This book is an inside look at the hard work, pleasant play, hearty meals and devout worship of these “plain people”.

Maybe your library has it. I highly recommend it if you love the simple life, are interested in the Amish, and just want to feel refreshed about the things in life that are most important. If your library doesn’t have it, it can be purchased through Amazon.   I think you'll love it!  

If my family is reading this post now, they’re probably getting a little worried because they know how I am when I'm interested or passionate about something  . They’ll be sure that I've decided to become Amish and that I'm making plans to move us to an Amish community. Lol!  :)  But truly, the Amish with their slowing down and simpler lifestyle is something to admire and take to heart, even if we can’t live exactly as they do. They have the basic right idea, don’t you think?

Thanks for stopping by today! I’d also love for you to join me on Pinned it, Made it Monday, which I will have ready for link up Sunday night. (And thanks to all the ladies that have been participating)!

And if you haven't signed up for my fall giveaway.  You can do that a couple of posts below. 

Have a great weekend! Enjoy “the simple life”!

I'm linking up today with Elaine for Sunny Simple Sunday.

♥ Tammy ♥ 

Faithful Friday - "Guard Your Mind" (And Foodie Friends Friday)

Good morning friends! Are you enjoying your summer? Are you as ready for fall as I am?  :)


I have been sharing little devotions the past two Fridays from the devotion book that we gave Joy for Christmas, His Princess (Love Letters from Your King). I hope you’re not growing tired of them, because there’s another one I’d really love to share today!

This topic came up in a conversation between Jason, Joy, and me last Saturday night. Then Sunday morning at church, Pastor Alex’s sermon was on the very same thing. Joy was asked to read the scripture that day from the pulpit too. And this devotion flows right along with it.

Thoughts are something that we can’t always control. I mean sometimes you just can’t help what “pops in there". BUT, we can help dwelling on them. And God gives us direction as far as our thoughts are concerned:

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:8 (NIV)

That scripture is one of my favorites!

If we are watching, listening or allowing things in our home that are contrary to true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, or praiseworthy thoughts, we are setting ourselves up for thoughts that are of the same nature.  And here’s the thing. Pastor Alex said two things that I want to always remember. I like the way he put it. “Our thoughts are either lofty or they’re lowly.” And, “the genesis of action is imagination”. Boy that’s good there! In other words, the things that we act on all begin with a thought. Just take a look at our culture and the things thrown our way. It doesn’t give us very noble things to think on, does it?

And the devotion:

My Princess….Guard Your Mind

I want your mind fixed on Me, My beloved. But I want even more from you. I desire great things for you, so I want you to guard your mind by making an “aware list” – all the things you watch, listen to, and read. Let Me show you the things that can carry you away from your calling and destroy your dedication to Me. Even your thoughts can be held captive by the ways of the world. I want to protect you, but I will never force you to listen to My Spirit or make your mind dwell on what is true, pure, and right. The choice is yours, My love. You can have an abundant life, a blessed life – a life of influence for others to follow; or you can join the way of the world. I, your God, am asking you today to let your mind dwell on Me, and you will discover the kind of life you long to enjoy not only now, but forever.

Love,
Your King and Your Peace of Mind



And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7 (NIV)

But we don’t have to despair when thoughts creep in. God also tells us we can bring those thoughts into the captivity of Christ. He will take them and hold them captive. That’s good news. Then we should strive daily to think on those noble, pure and right things. What goes in, we'll think on, and what we think on, we'll act on.  Oh how I want my thoughts to be lofty! 

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5 (NIV)



Won’t you join us for Faithful Friday? Grab the button code (from the button page at the top of my blog or on Joy's blog)  and link up with Joy so we can come visit you too? Faithful Friday is a day set aside to share an encouraging word from your Christian Walk with others.



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I’m also linking up today with Lois of Walking on Sunshine for Foodie Friends Friday. This recipe is so delicious! Of course, it's a Mexican dish, which is my very favorite kind of dish! I'm telling you it tastes like it should be served in a gourmet restaurant!  I found it on Pinterest and have made it several times.  As a matter of fact, we had it for supper last night.  I posted this recipe before, but I'm going to share it again here today for the linky party.

Chicken and Black Bean Enchilada Casserole
Source: The Girl Who Ate Everything; recipe from Allrecipes

2 cups diced or shredded chicken breast meat (or for extra lazy days use a rotisserie chicken)
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon garlic powder
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (4.5 oz) can diced green chili peppers, drained
1 (10 oz) can red enchilada sauce
8 (6 inch) corn tortillas (I used flour ones instead)
2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
1 (8 oz) container sour cream

Preheat the oven to 375°. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and spray with vegetable cooking spray. Sauté chicken with cumin and coriander until chicken is cooked through. Transfer to a medium bowl. Stir in the cilantro, black beans, and green chili peppers.

Spread half of the enchilada sauce over the bottom of an 11x7 inch baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Place 4 tortillas over the sauce, overlapping if necessary. Spoon half of the chicken mixture over the tortillas, and sprinkle with half of the cheese and half of the sour cream.

Spoon the remaining enchilada sauce over the cheese, and make another layer of tortillas. Layer the remaining chicken mixture over the tortillas.

Cover dish with a lid or aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven.

Remove the cover, and sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top and dot with sour cream. Continue cooking, uncovered, for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until cheese melts.

Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

A piece was already gone before I remembered to get a pic!   

Thanks so much for stopping by and for leaving a comment!  Have a wonderful weekend!  :)

♥ Tammy ♥

Faithful Friday - "Guard Your Heart"

For Faithful Friday, I wanted to share another devotion taken from His Princess (Love Letters from Your King).  This one was special to me this week.  Guarding my heart from all things coming my way that would tarnish it is always a constant task and it's not easy.  But it's so worth it!  It's what God asks of us!  This "love letter from God" really blessed me this week.  I hope it does the same for you.



My Princess…..Guard Your Heart

If I were to hand you a fragile, newborn baby girl, I know that you would protect her with your life. Your arms would be strong, your feet sure, and your eyes ever watchful. Be careful, My trusted one! For I have placed something just as precious and delicate within you. It is your heart…your very life! Treasure it. Protect it. Watch over it with all your strength. For the world and all its pleasures are like kidnappers who stop at nothing to steal your heart away from Me and destroy it. I want what is best for you, My treasured one, and although you sometimes feel that the sinful pleasures of this world don’t seem harmful, they will separate you from Me. Just as a newborn is helpless without loving care, you also will suffer if your heart is taken from Me. So I’m asking you to guard your heart and cling to Me, the Source of your life.

Love, Your King and your Life Giver

Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.

Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)

Won't you come join Joy of Doodlebug today and grab the button code from her blog (or from my button page at the top)?  Just go over and link up a Faithful Friday post with Joy.  We'd love to stop by and see what you have to share!.  It's all about being encouraging as we share something from our Christian walk.  And I think we could all use a little encouragement.  :) 

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

 

Faithful Friday - "Fill Your Home With Peace"

For Christmas, we gave Joy a devotional book and it’s just precious and so personal. It’s written as love letters from God. As a matter of fact, the name of it is His Princess (Love Letters from Your King). I just love it. Many days Joy reads it aloud to me. Some days she does it alone. And some days I grab it and just read random letters. There are no set dates for each devotional, just pages of love letters on different subjects. It's very uplifting.

The one I want to share with you today is for all of us homemakers out there. I think you’re probably like me. Being keeper of your home means so much. As homemakers, we sometimes feel the pressure to do as others do in their homes, or to have what others have in their homes. Maybe we’re not always content. But what we must remember is that more than having things, or doing as others do, we need to decorate and adorn our home with love, joy, and memories! So today (for Faithful Friday) I want to share with you what I read (last night). It touched a chord with me and blessed my heart. I hope it does the same for you!

My Princess….Fill Your Home with Peace

I know how hard it is for you to feel content in your home when you’re always wanting one more thing to make it the perfect place. I long to give you beautiful things that turn a house into the haven of a home; but My princess, you must first learn to let Me build in you a place of peace and contentment. Do your best to rest in Me and wait for Me, and then I will give you what I know will benefit you the most. I want you to make your home a place that builds relationships and reflects who you are in Me. Remember that your loved ones need you more than any material thing. So decorate your home with joy, fill it with timeless memories, and create a safe place to grow up in Me.


Love, Your King and your Resting Place

Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you; I do not give as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled….. John 14:27 (NIV)

Won’t you join us for Faithful Friday? You can link up your post on Joy’s blog, Doodlebug. Grab the button code (so you can link to her blog) either here on the page at the top of my blog labeled buttons or you can get it on Joy’s blog. We want to come visit and read your Faithful Friday post too! And if you just stopped by to read, thank you! Be sure and leave an encouraging comment though! It means so much!


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I'm also linking up my strawberry freezer jelly recipe today with Lois (Walking on Sunshine) for Foodie Friend Friday Linky Party.  There's always great recipes.  Check it out!

Blessings!

♥ Tammy ♥

Faithful Friday - "Choosing to See"

I recently read Choosing to See by Mary Beth Chapman. Mary Beth is the wife of Christian recording artist, Steven Curtis Chapman. What a wonderful thought provoking, soul-stirring, emotional and inspirational book it was!

For those of you that aren’t familiar with this family, they were suddenly thrust into the nightmare of living life after the tragedy of losing their five year old daughter, Maria, through an accident in their driveway that also involved their precious 17 year old son, Will.

Mary Beth is very candid and honest about her feelings.  She unveils the emotions and thoughts as only a mother experiences.  She relays how God gets them through the hard times. This family has allowed God to use what was meant for evil and what could have destroyed their family to be used for good and for God’s glory. They chose to see what God can and will do.

My heart just felt ripped in two as I read the events that occurred that day and the days that followed. I can’t imagine living through what they experienced. In addition to losing a child, helping their son through the guilt he experienced, they were also faced with the fact that Maria’s two sisters were in the backyard with Maria and witnessed the accident.

There were so many similiaries between Mary Beth and myself.....age, time we were married, personality, family, etc..  Especially dear to my heart was their adoption experiences. You see not only did they have three children by birth, Emily, Caleb and Will, but their three youngest daughters were adopted from China: Shaohannah, Stevey Joy, and Maria. Stevey Joy and Maria were virtually twins (both five years old). Mary Beth tells the story of how each one came to join their family.  And what a beautiful family they are!

In this book, Mary Beth tells of her struggles to allow God to write her life’s story. She addresses the questions like “Where is God when things fall apart? Why does God allow terrible things to happen? How can I survive these hard times?

Mary Beth learns that her family can do hard through God’s help. She shows that even in hard times, there is hope if you choose to see.

I wanted to share this song, Cinderella, by Steven Curtis Chapman, which most of you have probably already heard many times. This song always makes me tear up anyway every time I hear it on the radio, but especially knowing the Chapman family’s loss of sweet and spunky Maria. Steven wrote this song after being on “bath and bedtime duty” for the three youngest Chapman girls. He was experiencing a very busy night and was in a rush to get the girls to bed, wanting them to hurry through their baths, say their prayers, and get tucked in. Through the rush of it all, the girls aren’t cooperating and get out of bath and put on their dress up clothes and say they’re going to a ball. He says “No, you’re not; you’re going to bed.” He manages to get them rallied again, baths completed, and tucked in bed. Then God spoke to his heart. He spoke one word, “Emily”. That’s his oldest daughter…his grown daughter. God reminded him how quickly time passes and to cherish each moment. That’s the story behind this song. What a beautiful one it is. It was also little Maria’s favorite song by her daddy.




This book and this song serves as a reminder for me to stop and enjoy the simple moments. One day my house will be quiet. The kid will be grown. I won’t be so busy one day, but I will wish for those busy days again. I want to cherish these times.

I hope it does the same for you.

And it would also be wonderful if we could all remember the Chapman family in our prayers! They are healing, but every day is a struggle! I pray God will use their entire family in a mighty way and I know God has BIG plans for their Will Franklin and I can’t wait to see what that is. And I know Maria will be smiling down on her big brother, whom she adored, when that plan unfolds.

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Thanks for stopping by today for Faithful Friday. We would love for you to join in as well. Just stop by Joy's blog and leave a comment letting her know you are participating, so we can stop by!

Be blessed!
~ Tammy ~

Faithful Friday - "Jesus is the Reason for the Season"

I am very relieved to see many of the stores where I shopped on Black Friday and where I love to shop sticking with the greeting of “Merry Christmas” instead of “Happy Holidays”. After all, the holiday is Christmas and Christmas is the holiday we celebrate Christ Jesus’ birth.

We all know how commercialized Christmas has become. We have always made the point of making sure our kids knew why we were celebrating and why we give gifts and we’ve try not to put the emphasis otherwise. But every year still we get caught up in the commercialization of Christmas as well. This year we are trying especially hard to make it all centered around the real reason for Christmas. We are starting an advent called What God wants for Christmas. It was given to me by someone at the end of the season last year, and for the life of me, I can’t remember who. Isn’t that terrible? Anyway, I had tucked it away since it was at the end of the season last year and just found it this year.

 It is an interactive kid friendly nativity with things to read and activities to do and they are all centered around Christ’s birth. In the past we have made birthday cakes and sang happy birthday to Jesus as well. This year we are committed to especially making an effort to put the emphasis on the birth of Christ and not everything else. We are even checking into our family helping to serve dinner on Christmas Eve at a homeless shelter, random acts of kindness throughout the week, and anything else that involves the real reason we celebrate Christmas – the ultimate gift of love given to us in Jesus.

When I go to a store, no more Happy Holidays for me, I make a point to say Merry Christmas. By the way, that reminds me……have you seen Christmas with a Capital C? It’s a movie revolving around an attorney who returns to his small home town in Alaska and quickly rocks the boat by getting an injunction against the nativity display tradition and attacking Christmas. It can viewed instantly on Netflix.

Also I wanted to share a naughty or nice list concerning stores that still use “Merry Christmas”, those that are borderline, and those that do not use Merry Christmas, but instead Happy Holidays. Choosing not to shop at those that don’t support Merry Christmas and shopping at those that do, is just one small thing I can do and have done and intend to continue doing. You can view that list by clicking here. 

I would like to challenge you to make a point of taking the Reason for the Season, Jesus, and do something He would want us to do. First of all, make sure He is foremost the center of our celebrating. Just a pleasant “Merry Christmas” (instead of Happy Holidays) to the clerk who checks us out; picking up someone’s tab at a restaurant, random acts of kindness, helping out the needy……….those things. Those are the things I want my family to be all about this Christmas season, and we’re going to try really hard this year to make that the center of our celebrating. Just thought I’d share………wouldn’t it be nice if we could all do that?

We'd love to have you join us in Faithful Friday too. If you have something you'd like to share from your Christian walk, just let us know in a comment either here or on Joy's blog, so we can come visit you too! (Joy's Faithful Friday post is coming....later tonight...she's babysitting today.) :)

Have a great weekend! Be Blessed!

A Package for Luke

Oh what an exciting day it was for Luke when our mail lady left a package at the front door for him! He knew that a package was on its way, so he was waiting.

Recently, we entered Joy G.'s (Miracles, Markers, and Me) contest for adoptive parents. We joined her for “Thursday Tea”. The contest question for her giveaway was to tell your child’s favorite book(s) after bringing him/her home. Her two sweet daughters and the third grade class would be choosing winners based on the answers. Well, imagine our surprise when Joy G. left me a comment letting me know that Luke was one of the winners! The winners were to receive a pair of pajamas and a book.

Luke’s favorite book when he came home (and one which he still loves) was (and is) Caps for Sale. He loves the silliness of it, and of course we have to put a lot of drama into it as we read it, which has always made him cackle. And it has a lot of repetitiveness to it, which I think helped him learn his English as well.

Another favorite was (and is) The Little Fur Family. All of my children have loved that book. It tells the sweet story of the love of a family portrayed through little “fur people”. This story just has an air of coziness, sweetness, love, and the security of a family and home. Plus it has a song at the end in which I made up a tune when Colt was little. I have continued to sing it to each of my children.

And as of lately, a favorite book of his has been Green Eggs and Ham. He loves quoting that book. And of course, it helped when we made him his green eggs and ham which I posted about here.

So fast forward………the third grade class made Luke one of the winners……….and his package arrived Saturday! Luke was SO excited!

And wow! How generous they were! Joy G. knew Luke loved cars (and any type of vehicle), so it also included a Cars book and stamp set.

And going with the theme of Caps for Sale with the monkeys and all…………an album of Curious George stories! Luke loves these! 

They included a special (very sweet) inscription inside:

He's had the whole family reading it to him. Joy received the first honor:

And a sneak peek of something else “monkey”…….

Aren’t these pajamas (which can also double as a costume) the most adorable thing you’ve ever seen? Oh my goodness!

And since he plans on wearing it to our Harvest party the first week of November, I’ll save a photo of him as a little sock monkey to share for then!

Thank you so much Ms. Joy G, Olivia, Lian, and the third grade class for picking us! Luke thanks you and he thinks you girls rock too!

Green Eggs and Ham

Lately, Luke has been borrowing lines from one of his favorite books, Green Eggs and Ham. When he doesn’t want to try something, he proclaims, “I no like it in a boat, with a goat, I no like it in a train, in the rain, in a house, or with a mouse”………and on and on.  And he says it with such drama too!

So the other day, for lunch, Joy asked me if we could make green eggs and ham for him. So without letting Luke in on the lunch plans, she went to work. She pulled out the green food coloring and ham. While she did that, I worked on the eggs.

He LOVES surprises, so no problem getting him to close his eyes and wait at the table. He did and we put the eggs and ham before him. He was pretty tickled about it….obviously.....see that grin?

And he ate every single bite too. We put an old shirt over his clothes because I was envisioning green everywhere. However, he did very well and didn’t even make a mess. Joy was the one with green fingers!

Luke was happy to tell everyone that he had green eggs and ham for lunch. Who knew a simple thing like that would make him so happy.

Soaking up the Sonlight!

This past Wednesday was like Christmas at our house. Really! That's how much we look forward to our Sonlight Box Day. That's the day our box of living books arrives at our doorstep! The excitement of going through the box and seeing what adventures are in store for our school year is greatly anticipated!







It's always exciting for Joy and me, but this year, I guess Luke could sense the excitement and knew it was really "something great"! :) Joy was saying, "Yes", and "Awesome", and Luke mimicking Joy's every word, was echoing her as he pulled books out of the box. This made me smile because when Luke first came home, he wouldn't sit still very long for a book at all, and just wasn't interested in books much, but we're slowly seeing changes in his attitude toward books. That's very important around this house! He definitely caught the "Sonlight fever"!





This year's books are from Core 5 - Eastern Hemisphere. This will especially have meaning to us since we spent three weeks in China. It's stacks of books related to Asia. We're really exciting about diving into these adventures!

Want to know what Luke pulled out of the box for him to make this face?



It was this book: (He didn't like it all all and said, "Yoo (which is his way of saying Ew) Yucky, yucky". lol! It does look kinda creepy!



The kids didn't make it very far in the foyer and perched themselves on the stairs soaking up the books. Joy was reading hers and Luke, of course, not to be left behind, was right next to Joy and captivated by his own book (and hers). I'm planning on using this well to my advantage. ;) I'm hoping & thinking between our love for books and Sonlight's exciting feast of books, we're creating a book lover in our newest little family member.





We truly are big fans of Sonlight. It is so literature rich and as I've said before, reading together, is our very favorite aspect of homeschooling. Having spent many years (with Colt) pulling together my own curriculum plan and finding appropriate books, I really appreciate that Sonlight has the best book selections already done for me!





After soaking up all the Sonlight, it's now time for us to organize all these stacks of books and then dive into them!

For previous years Sonlight Box Day posts and pics, you can read and see more here and here.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend! :)