Author: Tammy M Cardwell

No Turning Back

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You can’t afford to go backwards. You have too many people following you!

My pastor said these words this morning, and they seared my soul. We tend to think that what we do is our own business and only our own business. We think wrongly.

The Bible refers to us as being surrounded by a cloud of witnesses. We are. As Christians, we can never forget that we are being watched. We are being watched by those in the church. We are being watched by those in the world. But we are not merely being WATCHED. We are being FOLLOWED.

There are those who simply watch me, I’m sure, but there are others-often I don’t know who they are-who are watching me and following my example. If I’m walking in the right direction, setting them a good example, great. If I’m not, their blood may well be on my hands.

It’s a sobering thing to consider, this influence that we have. What if we consider something to be perfectly fine, but someone watching us believes it to be sin? Drinking is a good example here. Many Christians see nothing wrong with drinking while others consider it sin. If one who considers it sin is influenced by one who considers it not sin and chooses to drink, then in his own heart he has committed sin. Who is responsible for his sin?

Paul addresses this in 1 Cor. 8:10-13. His context is eating food offered to idols, but the principle remains. See, in particular, verses 12 and 13. [AMP]

And when you sin against your brethren in this way, wounding and damaging their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.

Therefore, if [my eating a] food is a cause of my brother’s falling or of hindering [his spiritual advancement], I will not eat [such] flesh forever, lest I cause my brother to be tripped up and fall and to be offended.

I cannot afford to do anything but move onward, forward, with God. I truly can’t afford to go backwards, to backslide, to drag my feet-or even to do something that makes it appear that I am. If I do, and if in doing I lead others to do likewise, I can get myself in a heap of trouble.

Celebrating Jesus!

Tammy C

Marcelle 3-in-1 Micellar Solution

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Marcelle 3-in-1 Micellar Solution

$21

This 3-in-1 makeup remover/toner/cleanser was a revelation to me. For years, regardless of my chosen cleanser, I’ve used Make Up For Ever’s Sens’Eyes and loved it: The tiniest bit removes eye makeup exceptionally well. But then this 3-in-1 Micellar Solution appeared in my Birchbox shipment and I was hooked!

I use round cotton pads soaked in this solution to remove everything. Eye makeup and lip color practically melt off. Makeup removal takes all of two minutes, even if I’m wearing resistant mascara. Its calming ingredients are also great for my skin and never leave it feeling like it’s been stripped.

The bottle is also a great surprise. Pop open the top, lay your cotton pad on the slightly cupped surface, and pump. You can put just what you need on the pad—no waste, no fuss, no mess.

Love it!

Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C

I buy my Micellar from Birchbox (referral link).

Just as the Lord had Commanded

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In reading Exodus 15:16-32, we see one phrase repeated many times.

…just as the Lord had commanded him.

Moses is setting up the Tabernacle and we see in these words that he has learned a great truth. We aren’t called simply to do what God tells us to; we are called to do it “just as the Lord has commanded.” It is for us to live our lives not by our own standards, but by His.

Because Moses paid such close attention to God’s commands…

Then the cloud covered the Tabernacle, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle. Moses could no longer enter the Tabernacle because the cloud had settled down over it, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle.

Oh, that we could reach this place!

Celebrating Jesus!

Tammy C

It’s All Connected

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I’m dealing with Plantars Fasciitis, and this is proving to be an educational experience. Truly. 

See, the pain is in my heel, so I assumed that was where the problem was. I was wrong; the root of the problem is in the arch of my foot. But get this; that problem is made worse when my calf muscle is too tight. You see, it’s all connected. 

So is pretty much everything else in life. Just like a too-tight calf muscle can cause problems in my seemingly unrelated heel, someone who is “too tight” in life can cause problems in and for other people. Whoever said that no man is an island spoke truly. Like it or not, we are connected to others, and the decisions we make-even those that supposedly affect only ourselves-can trigger definite consequences in the lives of those around us. It’s a fact we would do well to remember. 

Celebrating Jesus!

Tammy C

The Next Show Starts In…

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You walk in the door carrying your take-out coffee and get offended when you’re told you’ll have to leave it outside. You let your cell phone ring repeatedly. You let your child wander around. When you can tell it’s getting close to the end you start gathering your stuff together, and right before the official end you walk out the door.

It’s all pretty standard behavior in a movie theater, but I’m talking about church. I’ve seen all of this through the years, and much more, and it sickens me that we’ve reached a place culturally where such behavior is acceptable (by some) even in God’s house.

People leaving during the altar call is the worst. There are souls hanging in the balance. If we really are Christians we should be praying for those around us. Unfortunately too many seem to think they’re in a theater and the altar call is like the credits: Let’s leave now to beat the rush.

Celebrating Jesus anyway!

Tammy C

Store My Commands

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“Store my commands,” he says, and “Write them deep in your heart.”

God’s Word isn’t just a book meant to sit on a shelf between church services. It is the very Word of God, words from God that He gave us for a reason. We aren’t just to look at them, or simply read them. We are to learn them, to interact with them, to use them. Yes, we are to KNOW them, to have them be so truly part of who we are that it is as if they were physically written in our hearts. 

God’s Word is THAT important. 

Celebrating Jesus!

Tammy C

Without Love 

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…though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

1 Cor. 13:2b

We tend to think of faith as IT. Without faith, it is impossible to please God, and to him who believes (has faith) all things are possible. But here we see that faith itself must be built on a foundation of love or there is no true profit in it. 

This makes sense, because God IS love. Given that God is love, if our faith is in Him it must be built on love. So it is not enough that I pray and ask for help in building up my faith; I must first determine to build up my love. 

Celebrating Jesus!

Tammy C

A Timely Word

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Here’s a good Word for a new year.

My Child, listen to what I say, and treasure my commands. Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding. Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures. Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God.

Proverbs 2:1-5 NLT

Years ago, I realized how often the book of Proverbs commands us to seek out three things: Wisdom, Understanding, and Knowledge. I made it a practice to ask for them, and as I did I learned how they build on each other. For instance, knowledge is great, but without wisdom and understanding there is only so much you can do with it. 

There is much to be gained by listening to the wisdom in the book of Proverbs. It really is a great place to go when starting a new year. 

Celebrating Jesus!

Tammy C

They Began to Worship?

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There’s a verse that bothers me every time I read it, and I’d like some input. 

Adam and Eve, and clearly Cain and Abel, had fellowship with God even after being kicked out of the Garden. So why, in Genesis 4:26, do we see that, “At that time people first began to worship the Lord by name.”?

I’ve thought of several possibilities myself, and I may share them later, but I’m honestly looking for input and others’ thoughts. Has someone, somewhere, studied this verse? 

Thoughts?

Celebrating Jesus!

Tammy C