Author: Tammy M Cardwell

Thankful for the Hard Things

Tammy M Cardwell1 Comment

I’ve explained before that God uses the trials and tribulations in our lives, that even the hard times can result in great good if we let God lead us through them. Growth is usually part of the good, as is the gaining of tools. Today I’m thanking God for turning my most recent trial into a tool.

I had already made some definite lifestyle changes before I had the TIA (mini-stroke) last month. I’d cut way back on sugar, dropped sodas almost completely, and begun intermittent fasting to help me gain control of my eating habits in hopes of losing weight.

I’d also started taking some very important supplements. If you read my post Tired of Exhaustion?, you’ve heard of them. Both are from Solle Naturals; they’re Vital and Cinnamate. Oh, and I’d started on Terry Naturally’s Adrenaplex. I started it because it helps your adrenals, and that helps with hormone issues. I’ve since discovered that it’s helping me with a lot more!

So when I had the TIA, I was already on the right course. My A1C was 5.9, which was a bit of a surprise, but since I was already a few weeks into multiple products that help control sugar issues (plus I’d made my dietary changes), it didn’t concern me much. When we discussed my cholesterol numbers, pretty much everything that was suggested I already do-or don’t do since I neither drink nor smoke.

I was able to assure the counselor that I did all the right things until she said, “Cut back on processed foods.” My sister instantly spoke up. “Oh, she’s bad about that! But she’s going to start eating with me!” I didn’t hesitate to publicly accept that offer! Now I just eat like a queen and give her most of what I used to spend on groceries. Win! The only other facet that needs attention is exercise, and I’m working on becoming more serious about that.

So yes, there are lots of great changes being made. I’ve since discovered that at least one of those supplements I take for other things helps with cholesterol as well, so I’m at a double win. And of course I’m taking what the doctor prescribed.

Back to the TIA and why I’m thanking God for it. You see, I know me, and I am well aware that as I get farther down the road I tend to forget the importance of what I’m doing. I forget to buy a supplement and forget why I was taking it in the first place. I forget why I got off sodas and pick them back up again. (I’ve done that so many times!) I forget all too easily.

But this time I have a tool. Its name is TIA. I thank God often that it was only a TIA, that there is no permanent damage, and I thank Him that it now stands in front of me as a clear warning to stay the course. It could have been a full-blown stroke, but it wasn’t. It was a warning I won’t forget.

Was it a trial? Yes. Am I honestly thanking God for it? Yes. Has it helped me grow? Also yes. Thank God!

I hope you’re having a blessed Thanksgiving.

Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C

LYDIA DARRAE.

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The brave man is not he who feels no fear,
For that were stupid and irrational;
But he whose noble soul its fear subdues,
And bravely dares the danger nature shrinks from.
                                                           Joanna Baillie.

We find the following anecdote of the amiable and heroic Quakeress, Lydia Darrah, in the first number of the American Quarterly Review:

When the British army held possession of Philadelphia, General Howe’s head quarters were in Second street, the fourth door below Spruce, in a house which was before occupied by General Cadwalader. Directly opposite, resided William and Lydia Darrah, members of the Society of Friends. A superior officer of the British army, believed to be the Adjutant General, fixed upon one of their chambers, a back room, for private conference; and two of them frequently met there, with fire and candles, in close consultation. About the second of December, the Adjutant General told Lydia that they would be in the room at seven o’clock, and remain late; and that they wished the family to retire early to bed; adding, that when they were going away, they would call her to let them out, and extinguish their fire and candles. She accordingly sent all the family to bed; but, as the officer had been so particular, her curiosity was excited. She took off her shoes, and put her ear to the key-hole of the conclave. She overheard an order read for all the British troops to march out, late in the evening of the fourth, and attack General Washington’s army, then encamped at White Marsh. On hearing this, she returned to her chamber and laid herself down. Soon after, the officers knocked at her door, but she rose only at the third summons, having feigned to be asleep. Her mind was so much agitated that, from this moment, she could neither eat nor sleep; supposing it to be in her power to save the lives of thousands of her countrymen; but not knowing how she was to convey the necessary information to General Washington, nor daring to confide it even to her husband. The time left, was, however, short; she quickly determined to make her way, as soon as possible, to the American outposts. She informed her family, that, as they were in want of flour, she would go to Frankfort for some; her husband insisted that she should take with her the servant maid; but, to his surprise, she positively refused. She got access to General Howe, and solicited – what he readily granted, -a pass through the British troops on the lines. Leaving her bag at the mill, she hastened towards the American lines, and encountered on her way an American,  Lieutenant Colonel Craig, of the light horse, who, with some of his men, was on the look-out for information. He knew her, and inquired whither she was going. She answered, in quest of her son, an officer in the American army; and prayed the Colonel to alight and walk with her. He did so, ordering his troops to keep in sight. To him she disclosed her momentous secret, after having obtained from him the most solemn promise never to betray her individually, since her life might be at stake, with the British. He conducted her to a house near at hand, directed a female in it to give her something to eat, and he speeded for head quarters, where he brought General Washington acquainted with what he had heard. Washington made, of course, all preparation for baffling the meditated surprise. Lydia returned home with her flour; sat up alone to watch the movement of the British troops; heard their footsteps; but when they returned, in a few days after, did not dare to ask a question, though solicitous to learn the event. The next evening, the Adjutant General came in, and requested her to walk up to his room, as he wished to put some questions. She followed him in terror; and when he locked the door, and begged her, with an air of mystery to be seated, she was sure that she was either suspected, or had been betrayed. He inquired earnestly whether any of her family were up the last night he and the other officer met:- she told him that they all retired at eight o’clock. He observed – “I know you were asleep, for I knocked at your chamber door three times before you heard me; -I am entirely at a loss to imagine who gave General Washington information of our intended attack, unless the walls of the house could speak. When we arrived near White Marsh, we found all their cannon mounted, and the troops prepared to receive us; and we have marched back like a parcel of fools.”

______

Excerpted from Noble Deeds of American Women
(Patriotic Series for Boys and Girls)
Edited by J. Clement
——
With an Introduction by Mrs. L. H. Sigourney
Illustrated
BOSTON: Lee and Shepard, Publishers
Entered by Act of Congress, in the year of 1851,
by E. H. Derby and Co., in the Clerk’s Office of the Northern District of New York
______

Tiny House Part 9: This is the Life

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I decided to take a break from the tour to talk about the reality.

I love my home. I love life in my tiny home. Many have asked me how it’s working out, and I answer honestly; I’ve never been happier anywhere else!

I don’t at all feel like I lost all the “stuff” I let go of when I downsized. On the contrary, hardly a week has gone by without me leaving random things on my sister’s island because I’ve realized that I’m never going to want them after all.

Yes, when I downsized, rather than losing things, I lost pressure. I lost stress. I have what I need, all within pretty easy reach, and there’s nothing getting in my way.

My favorite art, decor, and personal pieces are here with me, and I can even see how I’ll be able to do a little Christmas decorating. The space says, “Tammy” (thanks to my decorator friend) while also being practical.

Cleaning? It’s a piece of cake to keep clean, especially the floors. First I dust mop, then I flip the combo mop over, spray the floor with a multipurpose cleaner, and wet mop. I’ve never timed myself, but I’d be surprised if the whole room took twenty minutes.

And laundry? It’s all right here, so when the washer or dryer finishes I know it instantly and can take care of it right away. I will not confess how many times I forgot about laundry before, how many wrinkled shirts I’ve had to deal with.

This place is also astoundingly well insulated. Just a few days ago, I was chilled while working in the house even while wearing a jacket. When I returned to my little apartment, though, I sat around comfortably in a TShirt.

The sound insulation is just as impressive. Unless I turn the window unit off completely, I hear absolutely nothing from outside. That is a huge difference from every home I’ve lived in for the past… actually, ever. I’ve never had a home that protected me from neighbors’ parties, the too-common sirens, and even trains like this. Never, except when we lived there, have I ever been so close to feeling like I’m out in the country again.

I was right. I’m made for this. I’m not sure you could ever talk me into moving into a regular house or apartment again. The space I have is the space I want.

Celebrating Jesus!

Tammy C

COMPLETION OF BUNKER HILL MONUMENT.

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The tardy pile, slow rising there,
With tongueless eloquence shall tell
of them who for their country fell.
                                                Sprague.

                        Ladies, you deserve
To have a temple built you.
                                                Shakespeare.

The Bunker Hill Monument Association was incorporated in June, 1823. Nothing further was done that year. At the second annual meeting, which was held on the seventeenth of June, efficient plans were devised to carry forward the enterprise; and at the end of another year, just half a century after the battle, the corner stone was laid. General Lafayette was then on a visit to the United States, and was appropriately chosen to take a leading part in this interesting ceremony. The monument did not get fairly under way till the spring of 1827. This apparent tardiness was owing to the circumstance that the material was to be brought from a granite quarry in Quincy, and a rail road – the first in the United States – had to be built from the quarry to the wharf in Quincy to convey the stone.

In 1828, the funds were exhausted, and the work was not resumed till 1834. Within a year the work was again suspended for the same cause. Nothing further was done, and but little said, till 1839, when it was announced that two gentlemen -Amos Lawrence, Esq., of Boston, and Judah Truro, Esq., of New Orleans – would give ten thousand each, provided a sum sufficient to complete the monument could be raised. This liberal offer caused some momentary stimulation; but no proposal immediately made was deemed expedient.

The affairs of the Association now wore, as they had done once or twice before, a gloomy aspect. In the annual report, made on the seventeenth of June, 1840, doubts were expressed whether the present generation would see the monument completed. The same discouraging remark was made soon after, in one of the sewing circles of Boston, when, instead of depressing the spirits, it raised the ambition and quickened the thoughts of the ladies, and several of them proposed to get up a Fair. It was a happy suggestion; was forthwith sanctioned by the board of directors; prompted the issuing of a circular by a sub-committee of the same; raised the stentorian voice of a free and patriotic press, and met with immediate favor all over the land.

The ladies had moved in the matter- had taken the work into their own hands -and all doubts in regard to its speedy completion seemed to vanish. The Fair was announced to be held in Quincy Hall, Boston, to commence on the fifth of September, 1840. Every female in the land was invited to contribute some article of her own hands’ production, to the exhibition. The patriotic spirit of the mothers of the Revolution was now warm in the hearts of their daughters, and ten thousand hands, engaged in the work of preparation, were “plying the needle with exquisite art.”

The ladies were to have the complete management of the Fair; and, all things in readiness, it commenced. The product of so much industry and ingenuity, dispensed at the hands of the ladies, presented a scene to the thousands who gathered around the numerous well-stored tables, that is described by a writer -doubtless an eye-witness-as

“brilliant and inspiring.”*

The Fair continued till the fifteenth of the month. Its success was chronicled from day to day in a journal called “The Monument,” printed in the Hall. It was the grandest movement of the kind ever made in the country; was conducted throughout in the most admirable manner, and wound up in triumph. Its net proceeds were $30,035 50. To this sum and the $20,000 pledged by the two gentlemen before mentioned, was soon added enough, from other sources, to make the fund $55,153 27; and the work went on to its completion.†

Thus, at length, a “duty had been performed;” this imperishable offering to Freedom, “which had its commencement in manly patriotism,” was “crowned by garlands of grace and beauty.”

* Frothingham’s Siege of Boston.

† The last stone was raised on the morning of the twenty-third of July, 1842; the government of the Association and a multitude of other people were present on the occasion. Just before this act took place, a cannen was raised to the apex and discharged – a morning salute to call the people together to engage in the matins of Freedom. Edward Cares, Jr., of Charlestown, accompanied the stone in its ascent, waving the American flag as he went up, and the Charlestown Artillery were meanwhile firing salutes to announce to the surrounding country the interesting event.

______

Excerpted from Noble Deeds of American Women
(Patriotic Series for Boys and Girls)
Edited by J. Clement
——
With an Introduction by Mrs. L. H. Sigourney
Illustrated
BOSTON: Lee and Shepard, Publishers
Entered by Act of Congress, in the year of 1851,
by E. H. Derby and Co., in the Clerk’s Office of the Northern District of New York
______

I Repeat: Get Into the Bible!

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I’ve leaned a lot, lately, on getting into the Word of God, making the Bible a vital part of your daily walk. And I’m not just talking about reading a chapter a day so you can mark it off some checklist. James 1:22 (NLT) hands out a warning: “But don’t just listen to God’s Word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.”

Most people who call themselves Christians think the Bible is optional. They’re wrong. It’s not. Period. It is no more optional than food is. Without food, our bodies aren’t healthy. Without the Word, our spirits aren’t healthy.

And don’t think you get enough Word while sitting in a pew on Sunday morning. You don’t. I don’t care how good your pastor is, he cannot “feed” you enough to make you grow into a mature, healthy Christian. That requires you digging into the Word for yourself on a regular basis, just like you eat meals regularly. If you doubt me, I challenge to you read – truly read – Hebrews or James and see what those ministers had to say about the importance of actively making God’s Word part of you.

Fact: It’s easy to assume you don’t need something you don’t have. I can testify to that on a physical level. For years, I’ve been dealing with some issues that I finally took to my NP friend who put me on a supplement that not only dealt with those issues but others as well. I had no idea I needed this stuff, but I did. The same holds true for the Word of God in our lives.

Am I hitting hard on this today? Yes. I try to be kind and loving and all of that, but I see great unrest in the church, many who are giving up because they don’t know how to fight, others who… Not going there. I’ll just say this: In all the falling away that I see happening, one thing that seems consistent is a lack of grounding in the Bible. Our faith must be rooted in the Word of God. Jesus, in the Parable of the Sower, in Mark 4:17, says, “But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word.” As I see it, one of the largest failures in the church today is the failure to develop a relationship with The Word. 

In case you don’t realize it… John 1:1-2 (NLT)
“In the beginning the Word already existed.
The Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
He existed in the beginning with God.”

The Word is Jesus. Jesus is the Word. Do you want to know Jesus? Well, then…

So yes, if you are a member of the majority that hasn’t made the Bible a priority in your life, I challenge you to adjust your priorities right now. With the challenge, I’ll also suggest two tools that can help you start and maintain a Bible habit.

First, because it goes into a lot about Bibles and how to study as well as offering reviews and a whole section that gives you the chance to apply my personal Bible study method, I encourage you to snag a copy of my book, Experiencing the Bible. It comes in three formats.

Experiencing the Bible: A Guide and Journal

PRINT
In Experiencing the Bible, I not only explain various study methods, including my own, but also give you the chance to try my method out for yourself. Part two of the print version is literally passages from the Bible accompanied by my personal reactions to them, all running parallel with journaling lines that allow you to respond to the passages I’m focusing on.

EBOOK
Experiencing the Bible is also available for ebook lovers. You can get it at Amazon. You can also find it in a variety of formats at Smashwords. (Hint: At Smashwords you set the price. Honestly, you can pay whatever you want, including nothing!)

AUDIO
If you prefer to listen to your books, Experiencing the Bible is also available on Amazon in audiobook format, recorded by Nancy Higgins.

Experiencing the Bible Journal
Obviously, the ebook and audiobook versions don’t offer the journaling option, but you can still read or listen to my notes and then pause to journal your own. Any paper will do, of course, but I went ahead and created a matching journal as well. 

Through the Word Bible App
(Excerpted from Experiencing the Bible)

I’ve used the Through the Word app pretty much every day since I first discovered it. The concept is simple. They’ve put together teachings on every chapter in the Bible and then offered up a variety of ways in which to listen to them. 

To start, download the Through the Word app, register, and then take time to complete their introductory session. While you might want to dive right in (and you can, by heading straight to Browse), it really is best to start here. I know because I didn’t and wish I had. 

Once you’re ready, you can walk through the Bible one book at a time in any order, or you can browse their topical options under “Bible Journeys” or “Bible Topics.” My first foray was into their End Times collection, which uses chapters from Daniel, Thessalonians, Jude, Revelation, Proverbs, Joel, 1 Peter, and 2 Peter, and I could not limit myself to one session a day. The things I found myself learning were fascinating and valuable! 

Since my current course is to read through the whole Bible, I’m working through the books in order, and I’ve fallen into a rhythm with its chapter-by-chapter audio guides. I begin by reading the current chapter in my Bible, making notes as I read, then I listen to the audio guide, usually making more notes as I do. I learn so much in these short messages! And when I say short, I’m talking less than 10 minutes per chapter. At the completion of each chapter’s audio guide, I’ll then listen to a reading of that chapter in whatever translation I’ve chosen. 

The app offers options. Hit browse and you’ll see that you can follow various Bible Journeys. (i.e., The Big Picture [Overview of the Bible in 25 key chapters], Foundations [Genesis, Daniel, Romans], Glory & Grace [Isaiah, Galatians, 1 Corinthians]) You can also select specific chapters, Study by topic (i.e., Faith, Peace, Marriage, Anxiety, Prayer), or choose selections from your preferred teacher. 

The commentaries are done by a variety of teachers: Kris Langham, Peyton Jones, Jonathan Ferguson, Sandy Adams, and Skip Heitzig. Each has his own personality and presentation style, and I appreciate them all. 

One thing you’ll want to do right away is hit Settings and choose your preferred Bible translation so that you’re listening to the passages in the version that best serves you. Your options as of this writing are CSB, ESV, NIV, and NLT. 

All of this is FREE. You will have the opportunity to make donations to the ministry to help keep it free, but you’re never asked for money; you’ll hardly ever hear money mentioned at all. 

CURRENT NOTE: There have been updates, including the introduction of some new instructors, since I wrote that review. They’ve also recently released a major app update that, among other things, introduces the option of inviting others to join you in your studies. I am looking forward to trying this option!

Please, understand that I only hit hard on things like this because I care. The Christian walk isn’t easy. It isn’t supposed to be easy. We’re caught up in a war with the devil whether we like it or not, and babies don’t fight battles.

Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C

Submit or Be Burned

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No, this is not a “turn or burn” post. I’m straight up talking to Christians today.

A few months ago, God told me that the Church, meaning the individuals who make up the Body of Christ, has two choices: Submit to the fire of the Holy Ghost or be burned up by the fires of tribulation.

Not surprisingly, I was in no hurry to share these words publicly. They could be taken in several different ways, and I’ve been talking to God about what He meant by them. I do think there is an element of us having to submit to the Holy Spirit if we don’t want to miss the Rapture and be burned by The Tribulation, but I believe this warning is more immediate in nature.

I’ve been doing some intense Bible study lately, working my way through several Old and New Testament books, and see more clearly than ever the truth Jesus spoke when, in John 16:33, He said, “In the world you will have tribulation.” That’s the New King James. In the New Living Translation (NLT) it’s, “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows.”

We like to think that when you accept Jesus as your Savior life becomes a walk in the park. Consequently, we’re sometimes surprised when things don’t go the way we want them to, when we pray and our prayers aren’t answered like we would choose to have them to be answered, or when others in the body of Christ hurt us whether intentionally or on accident. We don’t want tribulation, trials, or sorrows. But you know what? 1 Peter 1:6-7a (NLT) says, “So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine.” (emphasis mine) So your godly reaction to the trials is the proof of your faith.

I know there is also the stance that says if things are going badly for you it’s because you’ve sinned. Now, before I go any further let me say we can, through our sin, open doors that invite the devil in. I did that very thing once while driving. My husband and I were arguing, and I was so angry with him that I couldn’t have heard the voice of God if He’d been sitting beside me yelling out a warning. As a result, we were in a potentially deadly accident. My sinful anger opened the door but thank God His grace brought us all through it alive. Having said that, no, the fact that you’re going through “It” does not necessarily mean you’ve sinned. As I quoted above, Jesus said we WILL have tribulation in this world.

Yes, it’s clear in the Old Testament that Israel’s sin brought on God’s judgement repeatedly. But here’s the thing, it’s also clear that the judgement was to serve a purpose: It was to draw God’s people back to HIm. In Ezekiel alone we see the phrase, “Then they will know that I Am the Lord,” 54 times!

Throughout Scripture we see that it is the fire, the trials and tribulations, that purifies us. Walking through the fires of tribulation with our focus on God, actively choosing to submit to Him and His Spirit, burns off the things that don’t belong. For illustration, the bonds that held Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego burned off when they were thrown into the fiery furnace. They were in the fire, but they were in the very best company (Jesus) and were walking around freely. And to top it all off, they didn’t even smell of smoke when they walked out.

It is going through the fire that strengthens us, building our faith and enlarging our testimony. That sounds counterintuitive but think about a metalsmith forging a sword. The heat and the pounding of the hammer are both necessary to turn a simple length of metal into a warrior’s blade. If the metal could talk, would it choose to be treated so? Maybe, if it had a vision of what it was destined to become.

So, understanding that fire is necessary for spiritual growth, there are a few things we need to consider. First, just like Israel had the choice to move on into the Promised Land or spend forty years walking in circles in the desert, we have a choice. When going through trials we can either actively submit to the Holy Spirit in the midst of those trials, doing what God tells us when God tells us to do it, so that we can learn, grow, and be purified and strengthened by them, or we can lean on our own strength and not only be burned up but face having to go through the same fire again. We’ve all seen this happen. That’s why there’s the saying that one definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over while expecting to get a different result.

And then there’s this, which is the point I believe God was getting to: Although trials are a natural part of this life, they don’t have to be a necessary part of our growth. Yes, I mean some trials can be avoided, IF.

“Submit to the fire of the Holy Spirit.”

Do you remember from when you were a child, or if you have children, how some things are learned the hard way and others by paying attention? One child learns not to touch the hot stove because he ignores his father’s warning and gets burned. Another child doesn’t need to touch the stove to grasp the concept because he pays attention to what Dad says. For him, the physical fire isn’t necessary for growth because he understands and submits to His father’s instruction. He avoids the fire because he obeys.

The Holy Spirit, if we submit to His will, can bring us through the fires of our lives uninjured just as surely as those three Hebrew boys were brought through their fire, but that’s not all. If we submit to the fire of the Holy Spirit, obeying God’s will and doing what He tells us instead of having to learn through hard experiences, we can grow without trials and troubles. I would much rather grow this way!

Also, do you remember what I said about the blade being willing to go through the “torture” if it had a vision of what it was destined to become? The Holy Spirit can give us that vision. My pastor says often that it’s not what you are today that has the devil attacking you; it’s what he knows you have the potential to become. It is a sad thing when the devil has a more powerful vision for your life than you do! Ask for that vision; it will carry you through anything!

Not so sure about that? Jesus dreaded the Cross. In the garden, He begged God to find another way to save us from our sin. Nonetheless, He submitted, and in Hebrews 12:2 we see the vision He had, how He focused on what really mattered. “Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame.”

And I think I’m going to leave it right here: Submit to the fire of the Holy Spirit or be burned up by the fires of tribulation.

Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C

Check me if you still doubt. Here are a few verses to get you started.
Isaiah 41:10, Isaiah 43:2, John 16:33, Romans 5:3-4, Romans 8:28, 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, Hebrews 12:11, James 1:2-4, James 1:12, 1 Peter 1:6-7, 1 Peter 5:10

What Would Happen?

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Consider the situation.

You are sitting in church. Your mind has been wandering, but suddenly your pastor says these words and they catch your attention.

“…especially since you are spiritually dull and don’t seem to listen.”

“What?” You jerk up. “What did he call me? ‘Spiritually dull’?! I listen!”

And he continues, explaining that, while you’ve been saved long enough that you should be teaching others, the teachers keep having to come back and instruct you in the same basic principles over and over.

His previous words still ring in your ears: “Especially since you are spiritually dull and don’t seem to listen.”

You’re perturbed, but as you glance around the room, wondering if anyone else thinks he’s preaching to them personally, he continues. “You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food.”

“Now wait a minute! That’s going too far! I am no baby!” The thought surges forward even as, deep inside, you start to wonder. “Am I?” You listen intently, growing increasingly uncomfortable even as a new hunger starts to build inside you.

“For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn’t know how to do what is right.”

You want to shout, “I don’t know how to do what is right? I’m here aren’t I?!” but you sit silently, not so sure the words are true…not really.

“Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong.”

You hear what he says. You are truly listening now, and your attention is caught by two words: Training and Skill. “What training?” you wonder. “What skill?”

My question is, “What next?”

If a random pastor were to stand up and preach this sermon to his congregation today, what would happen?

If your pastor were to preach this sermon to your congregation, what would you do?

What would be the result?

Hebrews 5:11-14 NLT
There is much more we would like to say about this, but it is difficult to explain, especially since you are spiritually dull and don’t seem to listen. You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food. For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn’t know how to do what is right. Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong.

Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C

But Do You KNOW Jesus?

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I asked Jesus, “Why are you crying?”
He answered, “So many are pretending.”

This really happened, during worship, at my church. Jesus was crying. No, I couldn’t see it with my eyes, but it was truly as if He were standing in front of me, looking over my shoulder with tears running down His face. I asked Him “Why?” twice before He answered me.

Are you like those who were making Him cry? Are you pretending? Do you go through the Christian motions thinking you’ve got all your bases covered while your heart is actually turned elsewhere?

Jesus, in Luke 6:46 (NLT), says, “So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say?” That is a profound question, and one that demands an answer. If we’re not doing what He’s saying, He is not our Lord. And if He isn’t our Lord, can He be our Savior?

This is hard, I know, but I’m seriously concerned about the Church. Anyone who has even a tiny bit of understanding of the times we’re living in, just a little bit of knowledge about End Times prophecy, can see clearly that we are on borrowed time. We are rushing toward the Tribulation at warp speed. Those who prefer to ignore End Times prophecy and toss off the same old, “People have been saying that my whole life,” are in grave danger.

Yes, I firmly believe in the Rapture of the Church, specifically in the pre-Tribulation Rapture of the Church. My conviction has me praying constantly for people to be saved. I don’t want ANYONE to go through the Tribulation, even though I know the majority will.

“What if you’re wrong?” you may ask. Ok, what if I am wrong?

If I’m wrong then I go through the Tribulation too, or at least half of it. My faith is and always will be in God, and I know that He will keep me in all things; yes, even to death. So, if I go through the Tribulation, I go through it standing firmly on the Rock of my Salvation, having built my house on the Rock. (Read the rest of Luke 6 if you don’t know what I’m talking about.)

But what of the others? If you think it’s hard to live for God now… You’ve not seen anything yet.

Salvation is not just saying a prayer and accepting a “Get out of Hell free” card. Jesus is to be our Lord and Savior. He is LORD. What does that mean? It means He reigns supreme. If Jesus is my Lord, HE rules my life – not me. If He is my Lord, I do my utmost to always ensure my ways please Him. (Do I fail? Yes, and when I do I repent!)

How do I do that? Relationship! Get to KNOW Him. I do that through actively staying the Bible. (Jesus and the Word are one. Did you know that?) I do it by praying, by having an ongoing, ACTIVE relationship with God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit. I do it by being actively in church – not just filling a pew and pretending, but by truly taking part in all that is church.

It’s nearly impossible to truly, consistently, please someone, to do what they want you to do, if you’re not close enough to them to learn their heart and voice. Pretend all you want, and you may fool those in the pews around you, but when the rubber meets the road, when it’s time to be caught away, it will be those whom Jesus KNOWS who hear the call.

Should that call come, should the Rapture happen and you find yourself still standing in a (hopefully) mostly empty church, repent, turn to God, and get just as close to Him as you possibly can, because the next seven years will be worse than anything you could possibly imagine, and those who don’t turn to God will fall in with the devil and the Antichrist. That road leads straight to Hell.

But don’t make that necessary. Don’t miss out, I implore you. If you don’t know Jesus, you can accept Him as your Savior and Lord right now. If you’ve known Him, but have backed away, you can repent right now. No matter where you’ve been or what you’ve done, He stands ready to accept your repentant heart and wash it in His own blood.

Some people think God hates the world, but He loves us all so much that He asked Jesus to die for us. And Jesus loves us so much that He did.

Accepting Salvation is simple. Just open up your mouth and talk to God. Let Him know that you accept the sacrifice that was made for you on the cross, and that you are unconditionally HIS. If you are uncomfortable right now and want to “cover all the bases” of prayer, you can say something like…

God, I know you love me, that you love me so much You asked Jesus to step down out of Heaven and live like me, facing every temptation I would ever face. And He never failed You. His birth was a miracle, His life was filled with miracles, He lived without ever committing even one sin so that He would be the perfect sacrifice you needed to make me right with You. I repent of my sins right now and accept you, Jesus, as my personal Savior and my Lord. I choose to serve You, not myself, and I ask You to help me walk every day doing what you tell me to do. I am determined to be right with you when you return to take your Church home. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Friend, I urge you, focus every day on getting to know Him better and better. A thousand years from now, it won’t matter who won the Word Series or what your paycheck was. What will matter will be who held your heart while you waited.

Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C

Tiny House Part 8: The Library +

Tammy M Cardwell2 Comments

The “+” comes before the library.
It seemed to be a good time to give an
overall look at the main room, so here goes.

In this photo you can clearly see the stained concrete I like so much. To me, it looks like well-worn leather. It’s a breeze to keep clean, which is especially good since I have access to a pool; coming in wet is not a problem. Another thing this photo reveals is the curtains I’m using instead of doors on both the closet and bath. The closet curtains don’t reach all the way to the floor since I ordered them long before I knew what my actual measurements would be. Eventually I’ll order a longer set or add something at the bottom, but for now they’re fine. The bathroom curtain is also short, but that was intentional as I wanted to leave a large space at the top of the doorway for airflow on those rare occasions when I have the curtains closed.

One last bit of randomness about the “kitchen.” Those white boxes you see beside the mirror are the same box frames I use elsewhere. The friend who spent several hours not only redecorating my tiny home but also making things (like the lamp and book easel on my desk) to use as accents in it, hung those there and gave me orders to fill them with art I liked. They mark a goal. My primary care recently told me, “It’s time to do something just for Tammy.” I took his advice to heart and, since I’ve been wanting to learn watercolor, I ordered some supplies. I am determined to not only learn, but to create pieces I feel comfortable putting in those frames.

Now the Library and, yes, I use the word loosely. You get two photos because I thought it would give a better idea of how everything fits together. Bonus peek at the bath included free of charge.

The first thing you likely noticed about my library is the small number of books. I wasn’t kidding when I said I did a hardcore purge in all areas. These physical books that remain are my essentials. The bulk of them being Bibles should not surprise anyone given my book Experiencing the Bible (shameless plug). The others I refuse to get rid of for one reason and another.

I shared previously that I’m an aphant (one who has aphantasia); people as high on the scale as I am can remember what people and places look like to a certain extent, but that knowledge is conceptual, not visual. Consequently, I need photos and that’s why pictures of my kids and grandkids take the primary position in these shelves. Even the parrots on the wall were photographed by my sister on my surprise cruise getaway. (No kidding. She literally scheduled with my boss and booked a cruise for my birthday. She’s the best!) They serve both as art and vacation reminder.

The blue basket on top is convenient for extra storage; right this minute it just holds my lighters and matches; it’s nice knowing I have storage waiting for me to use it! The flowers and the gold-painted dictionary were gifts from my decorator friend. She knows my love of words, so the dictionary is not just an accent piece but a nod to my passion.

If you’re wondering about the framed quote on the top shelf, it’s from Mark Twain. It says, “The man who does not read has no advantage over the man who cannot read.”

Now, the reason I’m able to have so few physical books…

Bonus: You now know about one of my favorite authors.

I’ve lost pretty much everything twice in my life. The first time taught me a hard lesson and led to my getting my very first kindle as a gift from a friend who had upgraded. Honestly, I wasn’t sure about reading ebooks in the beginning, but learned quickly that I liked it. By the time that Kindle had died, I was carrying an iphone and started using the Kindle app. That was hard on my eyes, though, creating strain I didn’t need. (I tended to read for literal hours at a time. I still can.) So, after much research, I bought a Kindle Paperwhite that, a couple of years ago, I replaced with this Kindle Oasis.

I love this thing! You can tell by the wear on the cover that I use it a lot. As they say, it’s not the age; it’s the mileage. The Kindle Paperwhite (and Paperwhite Oasis) uses an e-ink that is very easy on the eyes. This Oasis also has adjustable lighting as well as the up/down buttons you see on the side. The regular Kindle Paperwhite did not have these buttons, and I would probably not want to go back to doing without them. And this e-reader is waterproof! So yes, reading in the tub is just fine.

So, to get back to my original point. I pretty much stick to paper books for non-fiction, which is what you mostly see on my shelves, because I mark those books up. I want to be able to come back and find things of note and relocate where I’ve recorded my thoughts on a topic. On the other hand, except for a few random non-fiction books, my Kindle is filled with fiction across a variety of genres. I don’t even know how many books I have on this thing and it’s nowhere near full. My TBR (To Be Read) list is massive, which would not be possible if I were limited to what I could fit in this room.

Since I’m on the topic of ebooks, here are some hints for those concerned about ebook prices. First, subscribe to BookBub. You’ll get alerts every day of books in your preferred genres that are on sale or free. A large number of my ebooks were picked up this way. Another thing I do is keep an ebook wishlist on Amazon. I update it any time I find a book I want to buy eventually, and every couple of days I’ll log onto Amazon and check out that list. If any have gone free or been marked down dramatically, I’ll hit the Buy Now button. So loading your kindle doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. You only need to pay full price when you want to read it today.

And that’s it for this week. Like last week, I’ve chosen to put all of the product links here, at the end of the post.

SMILE Weaver Peacock Blue Curtains (closet)

Deconovo Turquoise Curtains (bath)

Experiencing the Bible

Kindle Oasis

Huasiru Case for Kindle Oasis

Celebrating Jesus!

Tammy C

I Knew My Words Were Slurring

Tammy M Cardwell2 Comments

I was sitting at the front desk and took the call like normal, but something felt off. As the call progressed, I understood the conversation, but became aware I was slurring my words. I also suddenly felt drugged, like I was moving through sludge. After completing the call, I sat there for..,honestly I’m not sure how long, trying to figure out what was going on. Honestly, I knew something was off, but was just enough disconnected in the moment that I didn’t know how off it was.

Then my office manager was standing in front of me. Suddenly, her eyes were huge and she said, “Ms. Tammy, I think you’re having a stroke!” In moments, she was on my side of the desk and dialing 911.

That was Thursday. Today is Saturday. I’m home, all my scans were clear, and it has been ruled a TIA/mini-stroke. I have no permanent damage. I just have to take it easy for a few days, follow up with my primary care, and make some changes based on the results of the lipid panel.

So why am I writing this? Education, more than anything else. Having walked the medical path with Jack, I will of course make the necessary changes. (Have to after I complained about him for so many years. 😁) But I also want to say, “Be Aware,” or as aware as you can and, “Don’t ignore it.”

I’m not sure what would have happened had my office manager not come to my desk at that time. I recovered quickly. By the time the ambulance got me to the hospital there was almost no visible evidence left that it had happened. In the usual course of our day, I can be alone at that front desk for a long time. What if I’d sat there until it passed and then just picked back up as if nothing had changed?

Yes, I have to admit such a thing is entirely possible. I’m not proud to admit that I could be so stupid, but I know me. So yeah, don’t ignore it.

I’m glad I’m still here to be…

Celebrating Jesus!

Tammy C