Friday, July 10, 2015
How to Obtain Greatness
I've meditated and asked God for years about homosexuality. He showed me it is like any other sin. Before you gasp, inhale too much saliva and choke, please let me try to explain. Ask yourself this question: Do I sin with Jesus in my heart? The answer is "Yes, you do." But, homosexuality is repeated sin. I don't keep repeating the same sins. If gay people were truly saved, they'd turn from that lifestyle and please Jesus. Right there, I want to say "Point out someone else's faults and run the risk of having all yours exposed!" Numbers 32:23 But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the Lord: and be sure your sin will find you out. My girls heard this verse many times AND believe it!
I've been thinking of Matthew 18:3-4 since the gay marriage ruling. Jesus talking "And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." Glance back at the picture of my beautiful granddaughter Lisette. That's a picture of humbleness, so innocent and unknowing. Sometimes I get lost in her undemanding, unselfish love! I remember a line from the old song Blessed Assurance that says "Filled with His Goodness, Lost in his love." If you've got a grandchild you've probably experienced being lost in love. Have you ever had the same feeling for Jesus?
As I contemplated writing this week, I wondered if Jesus would be pleased with me saying homosexuality is just another sin in a long list that we all commit. I always want some blessed assurance from him that I'm sharing His Truth. I got it! I've been in VBS this week with seven Kindergarten boys. Last night, we studied about the fiery furnace and trusting Jesus. I asked the young sprouts whom they trust. They gave me great answers; Mom, Dad, Grandpa, Grandma, my uncle, etc. Then Javier looked at me with big brown innocent eyes magnified through his adorable glasses and tenderly said "I trust everyone." What faith! What compassion! What love! What humbleness from a child. If we could only see through their eyes, speak with the kindness of their tongues and love out of the abundance of their hearts, we could obtain greatness in the kingdom.
Humbly,
Tammy
The Happy Handicap
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
The Moral of the Story
Pete the Cat walks down the street singing "I love my white shoes, I love my white shoes!" He steps into a big pile of strawberries. OH NO! Does Pete cry? Goodness NO! He starts singing "I love my red shoes, I love my red shoes!" He walks on to step into blueberries and mud. You get the picture of how his shoes changes colors. Eventually, he steps into water turning his shoes white again but now they are WET! Does Pete cry? Goodness No! Because "He loves his wet shoes, He loves his wet shoes!"
Pete's story can be applied to our Christian lives.Let's imagine Pete's shoes are our hearts. Do we love the condition of our heart? Is it happy and singing a song or miserable and weighted down? Is it black with sin or white as Pete's shoes? Isaiah 1:18 says "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." We step into situations every day that turn us one way or the other. Do we keep singing or let small things interrupt our journey? Does our sweet song turn to rage and contempt?
Pete stepped into water to clean his shoes. We must step into the forgiving blood of Jesus to clean our heart. The moral of Pete's story is: No matter what you step in keep walking along and singing your song because it's all good! Romans 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose."
Another moral of the story is: No matter what...Watch Your Step!
Carefully,
Tammy
The Happy Handicap
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
Pinterest Recipe Review: Fish Tacos with Watermelon Salsa
Pinterest Recipe Review: Fish Tacos with Watermelon Salsa
- Save time ( always great recipes)!
- Save money (no wasted ingredients)!
I found the recipe for Fish Tacos with Watermelon Salsa at dryhyman.com. I pinned it. This recipe intrigued me so much I made it the day after I first read the ingredients. The dish turned out beautifully, so colorful and delicious!
Find the recipe here. I did not make a single modification to this recipe. The salsa is very easy to make with a combination of taste from sweet to tangy. I used white flaky grunts caught in Panacea, Florida by my brother and sister-in-laws. Dr. Hyman's Special Seasoning added to the flavorful enjoyment of this gluten-free dish. I used my Pampered Chef Grill Pan to put a sear on the fish. Marking this one as a healthy family favorite!
Tammy's Taste Stats for Flavor =
1 =save your time, 2 =try if you got the goods, 3 =just so-so, 4 =close to Mom's and 5 =grab a recipe card
Preparation Difficulty =
1=kid proof, 2=easy, 3=worth the time, 4=difficult and 5=enroll in culinary school
Easy Mediterranean Chicken is a FIVE for flavor
and
2 for E.A.S.Y.
Took about 15 minutes including cooking the fish!
Never buying a fish taco again.
Making it myself,
Tammy
The Happy Handicap
Friday, June 12, 2015
How to Make your Living Room look like You Paid a Decorator
I started with my inspiration picture...
TIP: Be sure when duplicating a room setting that your room is similar to the one you're lusting over. For example, compared to the picture above the similarities in my living room are:
- the fireplace
- TV over the fireplace
- window to the left side of the room
- open space to the right
- similar room shape; square to rectangle-ish
- wood flooring
- a multi-light chandelier
Let's get started with
How to Make your Living Room Look Like You Paid a Decorator!
I'll explain each of the numbered elements in the room that I recreated. (Please refer to the numbered picture above.) These are the things that attracted me to this room setting:
- Black Fireplace Mantel. The black accent in the inspiration room is a powerful statement color which according to HGTV, never goes out of style. I painted my mantle black leaving some white to resemble the fireplace in this picture.
- Wall Color. I selected Valspar Aspire paint from my local Ace Hardware store. The color name is "Fog Rolls In".
- Black Bookcases. I positioned mine on the outside wall due to lack of space on my fireplace wall. Feel free to make some modifications when needed confidently knowing you'll get the same end result. I bought tall, skinny bookcases from sears.com. You can find them here.
- Bright White Ceiling. I've always used an off-white ceiling paint but this time I chose a brilliant bright white to mimic the ceiling in my inspiration room.
- Black Light Fixture. My existing chandelier is simply gorgeous after two coats of black glossy spray paint. I'm excited about upcycled chandeliers. Check out another one of my projects here.
- Striped Accent Fabric. Two wing back chairs boldly add a striped statement to my room. Again, take some liberties and don't think you have to be so exact. I didn't have a place for benches beside the fireplace so I embraced the stripe with accent chairs instead.
- Gray Sofa. My search for a gray sofa left me exhausted and unsuccessful. I went with a natural earthy beige fabric sofa. I found mine locally (and the rest of my furniture) from Cochran's in Ringgold, Georgia. Their selling point was Laura Bush has five in her home. The selling point for me was comfort!
- Orange Throw Pillows. Love, love this accent color. Got my orange pillows!
- Artwork. Everything I found similar to the inspiration room was too pricey for my budget. I decided on a homey, modern feel with wooden signs.
- Warm Vibe. The ambiance of the inspiration room invites me to come in and sit down. My goal was to recreate a warm, welcome room using all the elements that inspired me.
You tell me...how did I do?
 |
| Taken at Christmas |
 |
| Love how the fixture turned out! |
 |
| My "Laura Bush" sofa and new wall pieces |
I'd love to know what you think. Leave me a comment. Please share with a link or photo a room makeover you are proud of!
Feeling like a decorator,
Tammy
The Happy Handicap
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
5 Positives to Glean from Caitlyn Jenner
I don't want to keep a can of worms open but I do want to
weigh-in on the Caitlyn Jenner topic. I've seen various Facebook posts from my
friends that are disconcerting, unsettling at the least. I feel sad for Bruce
Jenner. What would make an Olympic Champion want to change genders? We have the
20/20 Special dvr'd but I haven't watched it yet. I'm suspecting the cause goes
deeper than "I've always felt more like a woman than a man."
Here are the positives I've gleaned from the highly publicized situation:
1. God wants to give us a new name. Revelation 2:17 says "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it." When we overcome the world through Jesus Christ, we receive a new name. God may have already given Bruce a new name. I just doubt it is Caitlyn.
2. Judgement is scary. If you believe what the Bible says in Matthew 7:1-2 "Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgement ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again." I don't think you'd be criticizing Bruce Jenner. My husband calls it karma. Call it what you want, just know God has the final say-so. You could wake up tomorrow morning with the burning desire (from your flesh, of course) to change genders!
3. Is a gender change sin? I don't know. Do you? This may be too much information but I had a complete hysterectomy when I was 30. Did I change my gender? No, but I have to take estrogen to keep myself sane and female. But that's ok because mine was medically necessary, right? Of course I'm gonna think that's a better reason because it was me! But if I really truly believed Jesus, couldn't he have healed me? Surgery was so much easier!
4. Could Caitlyn Jenner be a Christian? Possibly. I don't know the heart of Bruce Jenner and neither does anyone else except God. The Bible says we will know people by their fruit. Remember, lemons are a fruit! I've seen people whom I believed were Christians do some awfully strange things. The good news is a gender change is forgivable if it is sin. So is judging others. Don't get me wrong. I believe sin is sin is sin. I just don't agree with the way Christians pick and choose what is sin and what isn't.
5. Is Caitlyn happy now? Probably not. Bruce Jenner proved to the world that achievement, wealth and fame does not a happy man make. He'll also prove it does not a happy woman make. What people, especially Christians, must realize is God gave his son so we can have eternal life through him. That's my belief. I believe our eternal life begins the moment we accept Jesus as Savior. So here's a nugget...If you aren't internally happy right now as a Christian don't expect to die and suddenly find happiness in heaven. Ain't gonna happen!
Those are the 5 things I gleaned from Caitlyn Jenner. Do you agree, disagree, don't care? lol What have you learned from his/her situation? Reply to this post or email me at tammy.stafford@hotmail.com.
Here are the positives I've gleaned from the highly publicized situation:
1. God wants to give us a new name. Revelation 2:17 says "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it." When we overcome the world through Jesus Christ, we receive a new name. God may have already given Bruce a new name. I just doubt it is Caitlyn.
2. Judgement is scary. If you believe what the Bible says in Matthew 7:1-2 "Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgement ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again." I don't think you'd be criticizing Bruce Jenner. My husband calls it karma. Call it what you want, just know God has the final say-so. You could wake up tomorrow morning with the burning desire (from your flesh, of course) to change genders!
3. Is a gender change sin? I don't know. Do you? This may be too much information but I had a complete hysterectomy when I was 30. Did I change my gender? No, but I have to take estrogen to keep myself sane and female. But that's ok because mine was medically necessary, right? Of course I'm gonna think that's a better reason because it was me! But if I really truly believed Jesus, couldn't he have healed me? Surgery was so much easier!
4. Could Caitlyn Jenner be a Christian? Possibly. I don't know the heart of Bruce Jenner and neither does anyone else except God. The Bible says we will know people by their fruit. Remember, lemons are a fruit! I've seen people whom I believed were Christians do some awfully strange things. The good news is a gender change is forgivable if it is sin. So is judging others. Don't get me wrong. I believe sin is sin is sin. I just don't agree with the way Christians pick and choose what is sin and what isn't.
5. Is Caitlyn happy now? Probably not. Bruce Jenner proved to the world that achievement, wealth and fame does not a happy man make. He'll also prove it does not a happy woman make. What people, especially Christians, must realize is God gave his son so we can have eternal life through him. That's my belief. I believe our eternal life begins the moment we accept Jesus as Savior. So here's a nugget...If you aren't internally happy right now as a Christian don't expect to die and suddenly find happiness in heaven. Ain't gonna happen!
Those are the 5 things I gleaned from Caitlyn Jenner. Do you agree, disagree, don't care? lol What have you learned from his/her situation? Reply to this post or email me at tammy.stafford@hotmail.com.
Learning and growing every day,
Tammy
The Happy Handicap
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)