Wednesday, December 17, 2014
What Will You Give?
Tis the giving season! Matthew 2 tells us the story of the wise men. Verse 11 says "And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshiped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh."
One verse gives three examples of things we should do year round for the Christ child. Bow or fall down before him in reverence, worship him and bring him gifts. I wonder why we only reference this verse at Christmas? I want to focus on the fact the wise men brought him gifts. Think about the question: What will you give?
Often times when we think about giving to Jesus it involves someone else; taking a meal to a shut-in, visiting someone in the hospital, giving time or money to missions or building an access ramp at someone's home. In the wise men example, it wasn't recorded that they gave Mary, Joseph or anyone else gifts. We are not told they offered the couple a camel to get to Nazareth or took care of Baby Jesus while they ate a nice quiet meal on them. The Bible specifically says "they presented unto him gifts".
What will you give? Please note every time you give something to God, you always get something back. The wise men were warned in a dream not to return to Herod. God saved their lives. The woman with an issue of blood gave Jesus her faith and she was healed. The disciples gave Jesus five loaves and two fishes and they fed a hungry multitude. Jesus was given water and turned it into wine for the wedding guests. Give him a sinful black heart and you'll get it back cleansed whiter than snow.
I accepted my birth defect at an early age. I gave it to Jesus completely when I quit hiding it and started using it for his glory. What can you give him? Something personal to you. Bitterness from being wronged? Sickness that doctors have told you can’t be helped? Fear of your finances? Open wounds from a failed relationship? After I shared this message, a lady told me she was giving him her food addiction. Amen! I know he can't wait to give her something awesome in return! Over the next few days until Christmas, think about what you can give him. Write it down. Wrap it. Put it under your tree. Open it on his birthday. Present it to him and celebrate a special time of giving.
Merry Christmas,
Tammy
The Happy Handicap
If you'd like to share something you will give him, please leave a comment!
Saturday, December 13, 2014
Easy and Inexpensive Strawberry First Birthday Party
You will need 1/4 to 1/2 yard of 3 to 4 coordinating fabrics for streamers. She used a Strawberry Shortcake fabric, olive green and beige chevron, pink and white polka dot and pink and white chevron. Cost $10 Be sure to use coupons for fabric at Hobby Lobby or JoAnn's. Streamers were draped from the light fixture over the food table as shown and hung from the curtain rods in the dining area. Sydnee used chalk and a small decorative chalkboard for Lisette's name as seen in the picture. Cost $5 You can find all these supplies at Hobby Lobby or JoAnn's.
The Birthday Girl's high chair was decorated in the same fabrics as the streamers as seen in the pic. Buy about 1/4 yard extra of the two fabrics you want to use to decorate the high chair. Cost already included above. We try to reduce costs by clipping coupons also.
FOOD. Food is the biggest expense. Pink Princess Punch I'm serving above was a hit with everyone. I used this recipe. I bought a cute water bottle label on Etsy. Cost $2.50 for label file. I had the label paper on-hand.
Strawberry Shortcake for all Adults! I used fresh strawberries and Classic White Duncan Hine Cake Mix as the shortcake baked in cupcake tins. I used 1 to 1 1/2 cupcakes per cup with about 1/4 cup strawberries each cup. I whipped more cream from the recipe above layering in the cups with cake and strawberries. 1 bag of frozen strawberries and 1 cup sugar pureed together made the strawberry sauce which was drizzled into each cup just before serving. The perfect touch! Cost $35-$40 depending on price of strawberries.
A plate of white chocolate covered strawberries fit the theme perfectly!
THE SHOES. Red Baby Converse from shoemall.com Cost $24
One Tired Tammy,
Tammy
The Happy Handicap
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Is There Really Peace on Earth?
God is not dead nor doth he sleep!
Peace on earth.
Goodwill
to men.
The bells are ringing.
Does anybody hear them?
Please listen to this
song "I
Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" by Casting Crowns. Click the
link in haste just like the wise men went to find Jesus. Turn it up LOUD and
really take it in. Click replay at least a dozen times! Soak it up!
Every time I listen to the song I get cold chills just thinking about what Jesus rescued us from. Let me try to describe what I feel when I listen intently to the song, eyes closed. I'm transported to the middle of an Old English countryside with a beautiful church in the foreground. The reflection of the warm glow of candlelight flickering in the windows bounces off the winter landscape. I'm aware of a choir at my side angelically repeating "Peace on Earth", "Peace on Earth". The heavy clang of the church bells begin to ring. My head lifts toward the sky to feel delicate snowflakes trickle down from the heavens softly, gently touching my face. As the snowflakes fall, I feel the pure white cleansing power of Jesus almost as if he's standing right above me touching the air with his finger making snowflakes just for me. The music moves me to raise my hands and extend my arms up to praise Him. The One the bells are ringing for! I'm light as air. Any moment, I may start floating into the atmosphere of cloudy white fluff.
Every time I listen to the song I get cold chills just thinking about what Jesus rescued us from. Let me try to describe what I feel when I listen intently to the song, eyes closed. I'm transported to the middle of an Old English countryside with a beautiful church in the foreground. The reflection of the warm glow of candlelight flickering in the windows bounces off the winter landscape. I'm aware of a choir at my side angelically repeating "Peace on Earth", "Peace on Earth". The heavy clang of the church bells begin to ring. My head lifts toward the sky to feel delicate snowflakes trickle down from the heavens softly, gently touching my face. As the snowflakes fall, I feel the pure white cleansing power of Jesus almost as if he's standing right above me touching the air with his finger making snowflakes just for me. The music moves me to raise my hands and extend my arms up to praise Him. The One the bells are ringing for! I'm light as air. Any moment, I may start floating into the atmosphere of cloudy white fluff.
Oh, the wonderment!
Is
this peace on earth?
The song ends and I return to myself but not before I've lingered in
his glory wanting to stay there forever.
What does peace on earth mean to you...personally? Everybody wants peace on earth for the planet that spins around daily but what about for yourself? Jesus said in Luke 12:51-52 "Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you , Nay, but rather division: For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two and two against three." What's this division Jesus talks about? He's talking about peace in your earth, your body, your tabernacle, your soul. The peace that only comes from Him. Accepting Jesus as Savior divides us from eternal damnation and brings us eternal peace.
John 14:27 Jesus says "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."
What does peace on earth mean to you...personally? Everybody wants peace on earth for the planet that spins around daily but what about for yourself? Jesus said in Luke 12:51-52 "Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you , Nay, but rather division: For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two and two against three." What's this division Jesus talks about? He's talking about peace in your earth, your body, your tabernacle, your soul. The peace that only comes from Him. Accepting Jesus as Savior divides us from eternal damnation and brings us eternal peace.
John 14:27 Jesus says "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."
Not troubled
Not afraid
Peace
So, is there
really peace on earth? Yes! How do you find it? Accept that sweet little Jesus
boy that was born in a manger as Lord of your life. The song "I Heard
the Bells on Christmas Day" will take on new meaning. Can you hear the bells ringing? Peace on Earth. Like a choir singing. Peace on Earth. Like the angels singing. Peace on Earth. Goodwill to men.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote the poem in 1863 that was later set to music in 1874 during a desolate time in his life. His son was killed in war and his wife died in an accidental fire. The bells on Christmas day gave him renewed hope. In 2008, Mark Hall of Casting Crowns recorded his own arrangement of the song which is heard in the link above. God bless you this Christmas season. May you hear and embrace the message of the bells.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote the poem in 1863 that was later set to music in 1874 during a desolate time in his life. His son was killed in war and his wife died in an accidental fire. The bells on Christmas day gave him renewed hope. In 2008, Mark Hall of Casting Crowns recorded his own arrangement of the song which is heard in the link above. God bless you this Christmas season. May you hear and embrace the message of the bells.
Peacefully,
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
Will you be rewarded?
I became a Pampered Chef Consultant in August. I love my new
business despite almost cutting the tip of my finger off at my first show! Who
wouldn't? I set my own hours, order lots of stuff with other people's money and reward my
hosts. Best of all, I get paid for having so much fun. This isn't a plug for my
business, okay, maybe it is but God certainly gave me a message this week
through The Pampered Chef!
This is how the Pampered Chef Host Opportunity works. I coach you on several things; number of people to invite to your show, getting outside orders, what to cook at your show to get the most sales and how many sales you need to get the rewards you want. The larger your sales, the higher the rewards. The most important thing to understand is you have to have $200 in sales to get rewarded. No exceptions!
The last 3 months have been very interesting as I've watched how some hosts are very eager, work hard and exceed their expectations of rewards. I've had some hosts sell just over $200 to barely get the reward. I've had one host that didn't meet the $200. Instead of not rewarding her, I purchased the dollar amount she needed to get her reward.
The Bible says in Proverbs 24:14 "So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: when thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off." Here's the Pampered Chef for the soul message. We host our own soul. Ministers and others coach us how to get the reward. We know the reward requires the forgiveness of Jesus. No exceptions! Some will give their whole heart and life to him for the greatest reward. Some will give him their sins to receive forgiveness narrowly escaping but still get the reward. Then sadly, some will totally disregard the coaching, oral and written, missing the reward forever. We can't obtain the reward alone. We will always come up short. Jesus gave the amount we can't purchase. Will you be rewarded?
Do you like to be pampered? I can pamper you with kitchen tools. Want the ultimate pamper? A reward of salvation from Jesus! He has all the right spiritual tools to cook you well done. He is the recipe for reward and great expectation!
This is how the Pampered Chef Host Opportunity works. I coach you on several things; number of people to invite to your show, getting outside orders, what to cook at your show to get the most sales and how many sales you need to get the rewards you want. The larger your sales, the higher the rewards. The most important thing to understand is you have to have $200 in sales to get rewarded. No exceptions!
The last 3 months have been very interesting as I've watched how some hosts are very eager, work hard and exceed their expectations of rewards. I've had some hosts sell just over $200 to barely get the reward. I've had one host that didn't meet the $200. Instead of not rewarding her, I purchased the dollar amount she needed to get her reward.
The Bible says in Proverbs 24:14 "So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: when thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off." Here's the Pampered Chef for the soul message. We host our own soul. Ministers and others coach us how to get the reward. We know the reward requires the forgiveness of Jesus. No exceptions! Some will give their whole heart and life to him for the greatest reward. Some will give him their sins to receive forgiveness narrowly escaping but still get the reward. Then sadly, some will totally disregard the coaching, oral and written, missing the reward forever. We can't obtain the reward alone. We will always come up short. Jesus gave the amount we can't purchase. Will you be rewarded?
Do you like to be pampered? I can pamper you with kitchen tools. Want the ultimate pamper? A reward of salvation from Jesus! He has all the right spiritual tools to cook you well done. He is the recipe for reward and great expectation!
Be pampered,
Tammy
The Happy Handicap
Friday, November 28, 2014
10 Ways You Can tell You Are A Senior Citizen
1. The neighbors can hear what TV show you're watching three houses down. If your volume is 40+, it may be time to look into a hearing aid.
2. You start your automatic coffee maker to come on 10 minutes AFTER you plan to get up because it will take you at least 10 minutes to get out of bed and find your way to the kitchen.
3. You have a pair of magnifying glasses in every room of the house and one pair on your person and you still can't find your glasses.
4. You need to do laundry more often due to annoying sneeze peeing and the fact you can't seem to eat anything without spilling it down the front of your shirt.
5. You stop to look at that odd person you saw in the mirror and for the first minute or so you don't recognize yourself.
6. Your clothes begin to resemble your parents. If you're a girl, you need sunglasses to keep from squinting choosing an outfit from your closet. You know how mom loves the shiny stuff. If you're a guy, you need a belt to hold up the jeans your booty used to support and an extra long shirt to hide your belly.
7. You begin to floss more because now you realize these teeth need to last you a lifetime.
8. You finally don't need to shave your legs every day. YES! My mom always told me leg hair would stop growing when I got old. She was right!
9. There's a down side to less leg hair....more facial hair. This wouldn't be a problem if I were a dude. I now hear my children say to me what I used to say to my mom "MOM, I've got to pluck those black hair out of your chin!"
10. You have to re-read numbers 1 - 9 because you really didn't understand them the first time you read it. The old gray mare and stallion just ain't what they used to be.
Here's a bonus one:
11. Black Friday makes you think of Jesus instead of shopping because you're closer to meeting him.
Tammy
The Happy Handicap
p.s. I hope no senior citizens are offended reading this blog. I feel your joint pain, go to rooms in my house then wonder why I'm there and genuinely cherish folks who are wiser than me!
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