Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Does God Care What We Wear?

clothesline
photo credit: thedollclothes.com
Does God care what we wear? It's a touchy subject especially in my family. My mom was raised to strictly wear a dress to church, absolutely no pants and God forbid shorts! She's changed her thinking in recent years but still has family that frowns on wearing anything but a dress to God's house. You may disagree with their thinking, I do. To show you just how deeply rooted this tradition is, my aunt was returning from a doctor appointment in Chattanooga. She dreaded stopping at the funeral home, on her way home, wearing pants. She wished to avoid attack by her sister whom she knew was there. Honestly.

I can't wear pretty shoes. I just got fake calves in 1991 with my amazing prosthetics. I always felt ashamed and uncomfortable wearing dresses with boots during the summer or long dresses which weren't in style to cover my lack of nice shoes.  I know firsthand God wasn't worried about my shoes or dress. We talked about it a lot. But I had to please people, right?

I Timothy 2:8-10 says "I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting. In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works."  I believe the shamefacedness here means not brazen or bold; modest. I don't think it means to feel ashamed about what you have on, unless it's not modest. For example, pants are more modest than a short dress. I fear men and women may have missed the mark in this passage.

Thankfully, this is where Jesus steps in. A man came to him naked in Mark 5 and he clothed him. I can't remember a parable about Jesus teaching fashion, do you?  Adam and Eve were naked in the Garden of Eden. The important point about their nakedness was spiritual not physical. Their ashamedness was two-fold. They knew they were naked on the outside but more significantly they realized they sinned against God and were naked on the inside. No covering or forgiveness available between them and God.

God does care what we wear. Isaiah 61:10 says "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for the hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels." The garments of salvation and the robe of righteousness are the only clothes required in God's church and the only pre-approved dress code for heaven. 

Wearing what matters most,
Tammy
The Happy Handicap

Now it's your turn. Leave me a comment and let me know what you think!
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Monday, August 25, 2014

Mom-ism Monday #15

I've been blogging momisms for almost four months now. I hope someone likes them as much as me. They sure are fun to reminisce.

I thought to myself today, "I'm a mom. Do I have any momisms?" This one came to mind. Not an original. Someone way more important than me said it way before I did! I used it to keep my girls in-line or so I thought. They still remember it though because sometimes they recite it to me. lol
I also love that it is a direct promise from God and one of the ten commandments. Have you ever said this to your kids? Leave me a comment and let me know if you follow this yourself.

Honoring my parents,
Tammy
The Happy Handicap
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Wednesday, August 20, 2014

What is Holy Ghost Protocol?

I got the idea for this inspirational theme from the movie "Mission Impossible:Ghost Protocol". Have you watched it? Ghost protocol means if you accept your mission, act in terms of rightness and fail, you are on your own. No covert operators to come to your rescue. MI:Ghost Protocol is an exciting, action-packed show. The challenges of the agents, once ghost protocol was invoked, got me thinking,

What exactly is protocol? Simply stated, protocol is a code of correct conduct. We follow protocol in our jobs, our emergency plans (i.e. fire drills), even churches follow a detailed guideline of some protocol be it Baptist, Methodist, Catholic, etc. You and I, if we profess Christ, live a code of correct conduct through faith in Jesus.  The Bible is our system of rules or code. Once we accept Christ our mission is to do right, but if we fail, we're never on our own. We are rescued by a supreme protocol..."The Holy Ghost Protocol"!

Here is a comparison of Ghost Protocol vs. Holy Ghost Protocol:
QUICKLY! Choose to follow Jesus and be led by the Holy Ghost because eventually you will self-destruct and it could be in the next 5 seconds. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.....Did you choose?

Following protocol,
Tammy
The Happy Handicap





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Tuesday, August 19, 2014

3 Holes in the #ShareaCoke Campaign

I have a love/hate relationship with Coke. I admit there is nothing more pleasing than the thirst-quenching taste of Coke. That sweet 10 teaspoons of sugary goodness billowing out of a bottle and splashing into your mouth tingling your tongue with a dash of effervescence! Definitely sensual and almost sexy. Then there's that awkward after-Coke regret.

I always hate that I've just drunk poison, albeit a great tasting poison. Coke has the same rotten effect on my body every time I allow that rich dark liquid to penetrate my lips, stain my teeth and erode my esophagus as it spills down my gullet to make war with my stomach acids. I'm not sure which one is stronger; the Coke acid or my stomach acid? I can never cover up the morning after fact that I've drunk a Coke due to the tell tell sign. The delicate skin under my eyes look like I somehow turned into a basset hound during the night.
bassett hound


My love/hate relationship is not the subject of this post. The unsettling experience I had while selecting a Coke from my local Dollar General cooler is! I hadn't shopped for a single 20 oz. Coke since the #ShareaCoke campaign began. I had bought a 12-pack. I can't remember anything distressing about reaching for a 12-pack #ShareaCoke can.  But, as I stood in front of that cooler with the door open trying to decide, I ran into the following 3 holes in this particular advertising campaign:

  1. The very first Coke I saw opening the cooler was the name of my first high school sweetheart. "Awwww! How sweet." It might have been a Hallmark moment if he hadn't passed away several years ago. For a split second, I thought about sharing a Coke with him and then remembered he was no longer here. For Coke's sake, I'm glad I didn't close the cooler and go home depressed. I pushed past the sour emotions until I found the perfect bottle.  #ShareaCoke with Steve...my husband! "Awwww! How sweet!" Finding the perfect named bottle felt good but I still have doubt about the coziness of this campaign.
  2. It felt eerie and downright strange for me to select a Coke to share with a stranger. I saw Kim, Alex and Kyle. I know a Kim or two, one Alex came to mind and so did one Kyle but I've never shared a Coke with any of them so I didn't feel all warm and fuzzy about buying their bottles. Am I the only one that finds it weird to buy a Coke with someone's name on the bottle you don't know?  I finally found two Diet Cokes that I was comfortable buying that said "Friends" and "Family". 
  3. "Friends" and "Family" reminded me more of a Sprint cell phone commercial than it did Coke. Whatever happened to the 1979 campaign  "Have a Coke and a Smile" or the 2009 campaign "Open Happiness"? I wouldn't have wasted so much of my time simply buying a soft drink with either of these campaigns and I'd be thinking happy thoughts while doing it.
I wish I had the money to buy the world a Coke and keep it company. Grow apple trees and honey bees and snow white turtle doves. But I think perfect harmony can best be kept in the Coke world without putting names on Coke bottles. I wonder if Coke stopped to think about how miserable the people feel who can't find their names on a bottle? I haven't asked my daughters Sydnee and Sloane if they've found their names yet. Chances are high they haven't!

Halfheartedly sharing,
Tammy
The Happy Handicap
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Monday, August 18, 2014

Mom-ism Monday #14

My mother-in-law Elizabeth Fronnie Stafford was a ringtail tooter! Oops! Nobody, I mean not one soul was supposed to know her middle name. She hated it! Lizzy left us in 1997 but her mom-isms are alive and thriving in our family.

I never really understood the extremely dire meaning in the mom-ism for today until I read the poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. You can read it here. When Elizabeth didn't shower or she'd had a hard, sweaty day at work or if she was just generally unkempt on a lazy day, she'd always apologize for her looks by saying...


After reading the dreary poem which ends:
Such was the wreck of the Hesperus,
      In the midnight and the snow!
Christ save us all from a death like this,
      On the reef of Norman's Woe!
I'm figuring looking like The Wreck of the Hesperus is as ugly and ghastly as one can get! 

Are you familiar with the poem? I hope you are now and...you have a new way to say "I look terrible!"

Learning new poetry,
Tammy
The Happy Handicap

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Sunday, August 17, 2014

Word of the Day - Kinkered

"Word of the Day" is...

Does your family make-up or change words? And then use them in every day conversations? We do! Kinkered is my Dad's substitute word for "canker" or "cankered". Yeah, you know... the necrotic fungal disease that grows on the barks of trees or an ulcerous condition such as ear cankers! The word is multi-talented. Kinkered can be used as a noun or a verb.

I thought of this particular word of the day from our crazy made-up language our family uses. The other day when my Dad was eating a Cadbury egg. Yes, from Easter 2014, way back in April. He was carefully peeling the foil paper from the edges of the egg and experiencing great difficulty as the foil refused to let go of the old chocolate. I said "You know that egg is from Easter. It's only 4 or 5 months old." My mom coaxed him on "Candy don't ruin!" I continued with a worried look saying "It's got a spot on the side of it." My Dad wielded his handy dandy pocket knife to investigate the spot. He said "That thang goes all the way through!" I said laughing "Don't eat that thang. It's KINKERED!" 

He ate it. Every bite. He also licked the chocolate off his fingers. He said "I've eaten older things than this and I'm still here." It's been five days since he ate the egg and all is well. I guess kinker won't kill ye. 

Put the word to work in your vocabulary. It's fun and functional! Have you ever heard of it or used it? Leave me a comment. :)

Crazy talk 365,
Tammy



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Thursday, August 14, 2014

Disney Maleficent Prize Pack Giveaway


**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. 


Enter to Win the Reebok Maleficent Giveaway Pack 
Something wicked could be coming back to school! Five lucky winners will receive the Reebok Maleficent Giveaway Pack: the limited edition Maleficent Top Down Sneaker, a Disney Maleficent Backpack & Beanie, and a $100 Reebok.com gift card! Bring a little of the dark side to the first day of school! Contest ends 8/20, so click here to get your entry in today!

While you're back-to-school shopping, don't forget to check out all of the Disney-themed Reebok shoes to find this year's new favorite pair for your little ones!

 Hope you win these sweet shoes,
Tammy
The Happy Handicap
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Wednesday, August 13, 2014

10 Simple Yet Extraordinary Ways to Please Jesus


1. LOVE HIM. Matthew 22:37. Remember that crazy love you had for a boyfriend or girlfriend that may or may not have become your spouse? Passionate love convincing you that you couldn't live without them. Love Jesus like that! You really can't live without him.

2. LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR. Mark 12:31. If you love your neighbor as yourself, you'd grill him a steak or have the pizza delivery guy stop at her house before yours.

3. REMEMBER HIM. I Corinthians 11:24-25. When is the last time you took communion in his honor?

4. BELIEVE HIM. John 14:1. Believe him like you believe your power bill will come in the mail this month.

5.  HAVE FAITH. Matthew 21:21. I'd like for Steve to wake up one morning, look out our window and notice Fort Mountain has moved, even if it's an inch, he'll notice! Then I'd like to say "Yeah, my faith did that!"

6. JUDGE NOT. Matthew 7:1. Jesus is my measuring stick. I said "my" not "yours".

7. SHOW HIM OFF. Luke 8:39. Your child scores the winning run. Do you relive it over and over by telling everyone you know and some people you don't? Tell others about Jesus with the same enthusiasm!

8. PRAISE HIM. I Peter 2:9-10. Can't think of anything to say? Sing that song you learned in Bible School to him. Praise him, Praise him, All ye little children, God is love, God is love.

9. THANK HIM. I Thessalonians 5:18. For EVERYTHING! Don't leave anything out.


10. LIVE. Luke 20:38 Need a little extra life in you? Read the scriptures I've noted. God's Word is alive. If you read and believe (oh, and also please), it will put some pep in your step!

Can you think of ways to please Jesus to add to this list? Leave me a comment with your thoughts.

Aiming to please,
Tammy
The Happy Handicap
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Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Proven Herbal Supplement for a Sensitive Ailment

irritable bowel syndrome
IBS isn't pretty as the picture. If you're a sufferer like me, you knew what the 3-letter acronym stood for when you saw it. Seeing the letters probably caused an unwanted emotion associated with pain, persistence and paranoia. I am afraid to eat foods I haven't tried before or foods from restaurants I haven't tried before. I don't want to awaken the slumbering 22 feet long digestive giant in my body. Do you have the same fear?

My IBS is controlled better now than ever before. The stress in my life is low. My diet is easy to control from home. I found a supplement that works quickly for flares when I have them. If I took the product daily, I might not have a problem at all. IBS is a sensitive ailment in two ways; the subject is sensitive and the digestive tract is sensitive!

My proven herbal supplement for IBS is Nature's Sunshine Intestinal Soothe and Build. Taking 3 pills, 3 times a day for a week calms down my noisy, gaseous, painful colon. I increase or decrease my dosage based on my symptoms. I may take less pills per day for a longer period or more pills per day for less days. Listen to your body signals to use the supplement best for you. At first, I used Intestinal Soothe and Build for 6 months to help heal my colon. Now, I use it for flares only.

nature's sunshine

Want to try this proven herbal supplement? If you can't find a Nature's Sunshine Distributor in your area, I can help you get it. Simply email me at tammy.stafford@hotmail.com. Leave me a comment with ways you've learned to control IBS. Your suggestion may be the help someone is looking for.

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor. I am not prescribing supplements. My statements have not been evaluated by the FDA, only my bowel. If you have IBS, please see a licensed medical doctor.

Sensitively,
Tammy
The Happy Handicap
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Monday, August 11, 2014

Mom-ism Monday #13

Are you a mom or dad that gets annoyed with your child asking "who"? Maybe you have a friend that asks "who?" after everything you say! You've met these people, haven't you? I do it to my family sometimes.  Ever feel like you've fell down the bunny hole and wound up in WHOVILLE?

dr. suess whos

My mother-in-law had a saying she used with her kids when they asked "who?" I had never heard it before my husband shared it with me (after I asked "who?", of course). Leave me a comment and let me know if you've ever heard it before. It's pretty cute. The next time you run into a "Who" you can use it. When someone says "who?", you say "WHO? Your foot don't fit no limb!" I bet you get their attention.

momism

Being a wise guy owl,
Tammy
The Happy Handicap
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Sunday, August 10, 2014

Sonspiration Sunday #1

And in the morning when I rise,
He brings a tear of joy to my eyes
And tells me everything is gonna be alright...




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Saturday, August 9, 2014

CAUTION: May have fishy smell!

Turns out, our family are not the only people that make up languages. What about acronyms? The English Language is full of them. The popularity of social media created a whole new meaning for the word acronym. Everybody that uses facebook or the twitter uses and understands them, lol. We use them in our everyday speech more than we realize. Here's a few for examples:
  • We eat them - BLT (Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato), PBJ (Peanut Butter & Jelly)
  • We tell time with them - PM (post meridian), BC (Before Christ) EST (Eastern Standard Time)
  • We swing by them and need an acronym to use - ATM (Automated Teller) PIN (Personal Identification Number)
  • We drink them - OJ (Orange Juice), BYOB (Bring you own bottle)
  • We even talk dirty with them - SOB, SOL
Acronyms are a standard in our language usually consisting of three letters. They are easy to use. They are simple to understand.  I expect folks know the meaning of acronyms of their era. I ask my kids the meaning of some social media acronyms. They know the younger ones while I know the older ones. Sometimes, acronyms become more familiar to us than the actual name of something. Heard anyone say something like this lately? "Yeah. I'll be there around 5 post meridian. I've got to run by the Automated Teller. I can't remember my Personal Identification Number." I didn't think so! Humans tend to embrace lazy and our languages are no exception.

I love to learn. You might enjoy reading The Top 10 Things I learned in London or 5 Things the New Grandmom Learned. I heard a word during a sightseeing tour in London. I had always thought it was a word but our guide says it's an acronym. See if you can guess the word/acronym before we embark on a bit of a vocabulary lesson:
  • definition of mystery acronym - a level quayside area to which a ship may be moored to load and unload. noun
  • every waterfront city has one
  • a lot of restaurants are named this acronym
  • these are commonly converted to housing or apartments
  • picture clue 
san francisco wharf
photo credit: Pedro Szekely
The guide told us the word WHARF is an acronym for Warehouse at River Front. According to Merriam-Webster, "wharf" is a middle English word used before the 12th century. I have to admit I was amazed at my lack of knowledge surrounding the word. The acronym was so believable, not only was his story convincing but the acronym made so much sense. Internet sources say the acronym for wharf is untrue. I say "It's an English word. Been around for a long time. If a Londoner wants to spice up his tour by making up acronyms for his country's language, I'll eat it up all day long and repeat his story to entertain others!" Warning: proceed with caution to your nearest warehouse at riverfront....may have fishy smell for a couple of reasons.

Ever heard this big fish story too? Leave me a comment with your thoughts.

Happily gullible,
Tammy
The Happy Handicap
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Thursday, August 7, 2014

Money-Saving Thursday #4: Tips for FREE Hilton Hotel Stays

Sydnee and I enjoyed our quick trip to Chicago this past weekend. We attended the Lollapalooza Music Festival where Trey's band Crass Mammoth rocked the BMI stage! The music was so powerful and loud it shook my insides, literally. Don't worry my heart seems to still be attached and upright.
Best part of the trip? Staying on the Executive Floor of the Chicago Hilton at 720 South Michigan Avenue in a King Room for FREE! Hilton Honors is THE BEST hotel reward program ever! I love Hilton Hotels because you know what you're getting when you stay with them: a clean, fresh room that feels like home.

5 Tips for staying free:


  • Join the Hilton Honors Program
  • Book as many stays as possible at the Hilton Family of Hotels. You receive points/bonus points for every stay
  • Use your American Express card to maximize your points with Membership Rewards. Receive 1 point for every dollar you spend on the card. AMEX runs bonus points offers too!
  • Redeem hotel stays when points are on sale
  • Sign up for Hilton Honors emails to receive news of discounted rooms
I've taken some pretty sweet family vacations with FREE hotel rewards. We stayed at the Double Tree Times Square in New York FREE! Everyone wants a reward program that works for them...this one is it!

Racking up the points,
Tammy
The Happy Handicap
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Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Are there Christian homosexuals?

chicago
Would you be surprised to see me standing on the streets of Chicago holding this sign? I saw a group of people in Chicago this weekend attempting to proclaim Christ holding a sign that said "There are no Christian homosexuals".  I was shocked!

 Before I begin, let me confirm my belief. I believe sin is sin and God hates it. In short, Christians should avoid sin at all costs using Jesus as their strength to do it. However, I also believe that we, as Christians, like to pick and choose what we believe to be sin and not sin. I don't agree with this sign! I don't agree with what I saw happen on the streets of Chicago in the name of Jesus either.

 A man (don't know his sexual preference) confronted the man holding this sign. He hissed and booed him. Then he spit at his feet. His actions didn't surprise me. The actions of the guy proclaiming Jesus surprised me. He shouted at the man "What are you? A poster child for drug abuse!" and "Can we take up an offering to get this man a bath? You need a bath!". Not exactly the words or condemnation that I would expect to come from a Jesus follower. Matthew 7:22-23 rang in my head "Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then I will profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." 

 Some may agree wholeheartedly with the words on this sign. But, what if the sign said "There are no Christian adulterers" or "There are no Christian liars"? Could we agree with these words or would they make use think twice. I'm sure every Christian has not followed God's law to the letter concerning marriage. Has there ever been a situation where you told a "white" lie or stretched the truth just a bit? Still a sin according to God. Just as ugly and deadly as homosexuality. Will our repeated sins, after we've accepted Christ, prevent us from going to heaven? I hope not! But, it's definitely something to ponder to help us keep temptation at bay. Jesus told the woman that was taken in adultery in John 8:11 "Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more."  Think we can do it?

 I'd love to hear your thoughts. Leave me a comment!

 Perplexed,
Tammy
The Happy Handicap
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