Wednesday, August 14, 2013

5 Ways to Crave God

hamburger-craving-krystal-little-cooked-onions
"It must be these little cooked onions"



Sometimes, you just gotta have a Krystal! Do you ever feel this way? You may not crave "gut bombs" but I'm sure there is something you do crave. I crave Krispy Kreme doughnutsPsychology Today reports "Cravings are a fact of life: up to 97 percent of Americans get seized by strong and specific urges to indulge. And for women in the U.S., chocolate tops the list." You're probably shaking your head yes if you're that person with a stash of Hershey's kisses in your desk drawer or in the nightstand.

Here's a thought. You have to taste something and like it before you can crave it. For example, I'd never eaten authentic British fish 'n chips before visiting London this summer. I can truthfully say, "I'll never crave them." I love fish but I just didn't like the British style (they left the skin on). YUCK!  I tasted it, I didn't like it. Psalm 34:8 says "O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him." Now, you might ask "How in the world can you taste God?" Just like I tasted the fish 'n chips, you must experience God. Here's a few ways to taste him:

  • Go to his house. There are many churches everywhere you can experience God.
  • Read his book. The Bible is the best selling book EVER.
  • Hang around his people. We do have our bad days but we try on a regular basis.
  • Listen to his music. Gospel music shares good news and is uplifting.
  • Breathe in his air.  Realize God provides every breath you take.
I could go on and on about how to experience God. I'm convinced the reason only 20% of Americans attend church (churchleaders.com) is that they don't crave his goodness. Once you truly feel the Holy Spirit of God in your being, you just gotta have it! Feel awful without it! Some days I wish I had an IV connected directly to Jesus flowing his goodness through my veins 24/7 without the hindrance of Tammy. That's another story for another day. Today, I wonder, have you had a craving for God lately?

What do you crave? Leave me a comment and we'll resist together!

Craving His Goodness,
Tammy
The Happy Handicap

Monday, August 12, 2013

DIY: Oversized Chaise becomes a Bench

 whtie-dog-on-chaise
 This is my oversized chaise and my Mom's Pomeranian Peachie. She's an ornery dog and hates me! Don't get me started on my sister (tell me all about your sister with a comment) and now, let's resize a chaise. This piece of furniture is awkward. It just didn't fit into my room the way it should. So, I had an idea. Why not cut it down to make a bench? And...we did! Here's how we did it.

 We removed the top cushion held in place with Velcro. Pretty simple...but we will remove this from it's cover and downsize it later. Please notice the zipper in the cover which makes it difficult to cut down and re-sew but we managed and you'll see how.
velcro-cushion-sofa
Then, my  dear Mom cut the lining covering the stuffing inside the chaise.
 We turned the chaise on it's side and removed the bottom two feet.
A ratchet tool makes removing the feet so much easier!
We carefully cut back the upholstery fabric leaving it attached whenever we could. We also removed the stuffing uncovering the horizontal boards we will cut to shorten the chaise.
We moved the chaise to the porch to saw. I wanted it to be 23" from the back of the chaise to the end. We measured and drew "guide lines" for an even cut.
My sweet husband did his thang!
After the sawing was done, Steve beat it like a bad wife gently removed the end cover to screw back to the raw end he had made. All the while, we were very careful with the attached upholstery fabric. I used this fabric to recover the bench.
We cleaned the bench removing the sawdust and moved it back into the house. I carefully stapled the bottom lining back onto the underside of the bench. I was amazed at how accurate our measurements were when the black lining fit perfectly.
I stapled all the upholstery fabric back around the outside corners. Then, I cut the inside stuffing to 23" to fit the new bench and stuffed it in!
Then, I cut the beige topside lining down to fit and stapled it into place.
If you can believe it, cutting the top cushion to fit the bench was the worst part.
We did it with teamwork, me and Mom. After it was cut, we placed it back into it's original covering and folded the extra material under.
We covered the back cushions that were brown in a nice green & purple matisse fabric to match the existing floral chair in the pic above. Here it is... Oversized Chaise turned Bench!!! 
 Whatta ya think? How'd we do?
Have you done any furniture remodels? Please leave me comment and tell me about them. You can give me some tips for next time!


Loving my new bench,
Tammy
The Happy Handicap













Sunday, August 11, 2013

Pin It Monday Hop #21

Welcome to Pin It Monday Hop # 21!
1 Rule, 1 Party, 4 Blogs
Please follow your Host and Co-hosts.
If you are feeling extra super nice you can always follow us on all our social media sites. It would be great if you can tweet and or share it in FB :) We appreciate it very much.
Tammy of The Happy Handicap
Barb of Second Chance to Dream
Judy of  Pursuit of Functional Home
Don't worry if you do not have a Pinterest account, everybody is welcome here. If you don't have any blog, just send in your entry at do8urself{at}gmail{dot}com, we'll enter it for you.
We appreciate for taking the time to follow us at any social media above.
Each co-host will get to choose 3 favorite projects that will be included in the Top 10 Features next week. Stay tuned.
Were you featured? Check it out here.
All projects submitted will be pinned at Pin It Monday Hop Participants Board.
Featured Post will be re-pinned to Pin It Monday Hop Top 10 Features Pinterest Board
Pinterest Hop

What are you up to lately?

Hop on over,
Tammy
The Happy Handicap

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Introducing LANYARD365

lanyard365

lanyard365
It's a dilemma. Lanyards are boring! They are basically "clingers", hanging around your neck all day and they never let you forget they're there catching on everything you come close to. Worst part about lanyards is you have to have them. You'll get locked out of the building without your badge hanging at the end of your lanyard or worse, NEW SECURITY GUARD CHECKING EVERYONE'S BADGE FOR ID! Security is awesome it's just the lanyard/badge thing that's annoying.

Cheer up! Look over the horizon! Lanyard 365 is THE solution for the once boring neck fashion. We have a "fashion for every season". You can change your lanyard 365 days a year and match every article of clothing you own. These lanyards are hand-crafted from 100% cotton fabric, soft and flexible. Measures approx. 18 inches from neck to lanyard clip, thin 1" wide for easy wear and care, machine washable and iron as required. Lanyards come with a swivel clip, key ring and plastic snap holder. Best part about our lanyards is the affordable PRICE! The other big advantage is the 100% cotton fabric lays smoothly and positively clings to your clothing keeping your lanyard out of your way.

Fun designs such as chevrons, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Spiderman, "Puzzled" for autism awareness, "Black Tie" black and white chevron, The Little Mermaid, Cat in the Hat and many more. New designs every month and especially near holidays and season changes. Look for your favorite college team. Order yours online today at LANYARD365 or you can simply browse our huge selection of quality handsewn lanyards. We actually prefer you buy!

We welcome suggestions too! You want a lanyard designed, we'll try our best to create what you are looking for. If you are not fully satisfied with your lanyard we offer a 100% money back satisfaction guarantee. We believe you'll love them! We live for random comments and irrational feedback too.

american-made
Our products are proudly made in the U.S.A.

Sending lanyard love,
Tammy
The Happy Handicap

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Christ Alone

praise-hymn
In Christ Alone is probably the most powerful, stirring hymn I've ever heard. Currently, my favorite gospel song. When I need encouragement I sing it or simply recite the words to soothe my being. The song was written in 2001 by Keith Getty (Northern Ireland) and Stuart Townsend (England). I say BRAVO and thanks guys! I hope you find joy in reading it today or listening to a nice version. This video is performed by the writer Getty and his wife.

"In Christ Alone"

In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song;
this Cornerstone, this solid Ground,
firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
when fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My Comforter, my All in All,
here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone! who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones he came to save:
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied -
For every sin on Him was laid;
Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain:
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave he rose again!
And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me,
For I am His and He is mine -
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death,
This is the power of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath.
Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home,
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.
In Christ Alone,
Tammy
The Happy Handicap