HE is risen!

This is an email letter I received this morning and I just had to share it with my readers.  So often I get so caught up in the stuff of the day and the season that I forget the reason we celebrate.  I hope you will take this message to heart as I am.  Also sign up for the onemillionmoms.com email alerts.  When you see what's going on in the world of advertising you too will want to stand up and say, NO MORE!  Let me know what you think if you like it or not.  I'd love to know your side. 

Happy Resurrection week! 

Abundant Blessings,

Tami

He is Risen!

April 20, 2011


Dear Tami,

Many will celebrate Easter this weekend with colored eggs, candy and bunnies, but we must not forget the truth behind Easter. Easter is a time to Rejoice! Jesus Christ died on the cross for EVERYONE'S sins so that one day we could be with our Heavenly Father. Three days following, he rose again from the dead. This is what Christians celebrate, His Resurrection! He is ALIVE! And one day our Savior will return.

Jesus paid a debt for us that no one else could ever repay so that we could be in heaven with him for eternity. God gave the perfect sacrifice, his only Son, and if we believe in Him and become saved, then we will be forgiven for our sins. He will set us free!

To be saved you must ask God into your heart. If you have never done this, take time to do it right now.

Jesus had the power to come down from that cross, but He knew this is what had to be done for His believers to be saved. He did this because of His love for us. He loved us that much!

If you know of someone who is not saved, please pass this on to them. Share the greatest gift of all with them: a relationship with Jesus Christ and eternal life. Also share this with your brothers and sisters in Christ so they may use this to share with others. God commands that we share the gospel with others. We need to help one another become passionate followers of Jesus Christ.

For a powerful resource to use while witnessing, or if you need more answers yourself, go to http://needhim.org or call 1-888-NeedHim.


Sincerely,

Monica Cole, Director
OneMillionMoms.com


P.S. Please forward this to your family and friends! Become a fan of OneMillionMoms on Facebook! If you use Twitter, keep up with the latest information by following us.

Stay Tuned...

Sorry gang, taking a few days off of Sisters blog.  Stay tuned for more to come. Thanks for staying with me!

Blessings, Tami

Blessings Continue...

I know most people think I'm crazy to "unplug" from the outside world.  My husband got home today from being gone over 2 weeks.  He's not sold on the idea either!  What amazes me is how quickly I've let go of the urge to turn on the tube in the morning.  I used to turn it on first thing every morning, like it was my friend or something!  I do still want to pick up my computer fairly often.

I was chatting with one of my besties last night and she really pegged how I was feeling and what my impulse was.  I was really exhausted (something that happens when you turn off the tube and get moving) and my first impulse was to turn on the tube or get on the net to just zone out on trash.  I can't believe how many years I have done this.  It's mind boggling how much sleep I have missed out on too.  I'm not saying I'll never do this again or that this is a horrible thing.  It's just for me, this is not the way I want to live anymore.  Now that I see it, I am choosing to change it.

One of the best things that has come from this new quiet way of living is the time my 15 yr old son is spending around his mom and his baby sister.  We have had really great conversations this week.  He has shared that so often I didn't hear what he was saying to me.  This breaks my heart that I put my computer and TV before my son.  I also put these things before my God and Savior.  In some ways it's like I was deaf and blind before and now I see. 

This is just my journey and the "idols" in my life that needed to be done away with.  I know I will watch TV again but I hope and pray that I'll never give anything, other than Christ, the time I devoted to my TV schedule and computer, again. 

I hope that someone who reads this will be helped in some way to recognize the changes that need to be made in their life too.

Abundant blessings my friend,

Tami

3 Days and Counting!

If you read my last post on Sunday, you know I decided to unplug from the modern world for 7 days starting when I woke up on Monday morning. 
I SO badly wanted to post here on Monday how great it was.  Here's what I have learned so far...

a. the withdrawls from my TV, FB, & net life ended by noon on Monday 
b. life is so much better when all is quiet
c. my head is much clearer and my brain is better focused on what really needs to get done
d. there really isn't much on TV worth watching
e. living the FB voyeuristic lifestyle isn't reality! FB has it's purpose which shouldn't include being on it  24/7
f. I enjoy visiting with my 15 yr old and playing w/my 2 yr old!  The interesting this is, my 15 yr old actually has enjoyed talking too.  I know he feels more important than he used to.  Let's face it, my computer was getting all the attention!  Pretty sad.
g. junk in, junk out!  What I had been feeding my mind for years was NOT good!  Now I spend part of my day listening to programs from Focus on the Family and great praise and worship music.  Ahhh, so refreshing.
h. I have been able to think and process the book I am reading which is a pretty heavy subject.  There is some past "gunk" that needs to be dealt with.  I am sure if I was plugged in that I wouldn't take time to process it, I would just continue to stuff it all down.

Life is good unplugged.  I have checked email and a few business things on my computer this week.  I also have gotten on the net to search for a few things but I haven't spent hours and hours on here.  I do really miss blogging and sharing with you.  I miss getting the stuff out of my head.  I feel blogging is very helpful for head-clearing.  Last night my son and I watched 2, 1/2 shows together.  When they were over, we turned off the TV.  I realize this concept of being unplugged or only watching one show isn't new to most people, but I also realize that many people have adjusted to living this way.  I would love all of my readers to take and spread the challenge via FB starting Monday the 18th of April. The challenge will be called "Seven Days Unplugged."  The challenge is for families and individuals to "unplug" from the technical world and get back to real conversations.  I challenge you to eliminate "sport" texting from your kids and yourselves.  Turn off the TV unless you decide to watch one program as a family.  Unplug from social media outlets and the internet, other than for business purposes. 

The other parts of the "Seven Days Unplugged" is;
* Have at least one meal per day together.  A meal where everyone participates with food prep, clean up and conversation at the dinner table.  Family Dinner Conversation Starters
* Play at least 3 non-electronic games during those 7 days. 
* Do a devotional together or talk about world events each evening before bed. Family Devotional Ideas
* Do one home improvement project or clean out an area of the house together.

Remember, you are the adult in the house and you can set and/or change the rules at any time!  I realize that husbands may not buy into this concept but we all know that we can do anything for a week and our families can too.  I talked to a friend on Monday who said she and her husband decided to do this for 3 weeks and it was such a blessing.  I believe this could be a memorable week for you and your children and maybe you'll decide to stay unplugged. 

So here's the most interesting find of the week so far, I haven't spent much more time house cleaning.  I did do some yard work yesterday and did some planting, but not a ton of house cleaning. 

By far, the best things are the fun times I have had with my kids.  I haven't been distracted and I know that I've said, "hold on, let me finish this"  whatever I was doing on the computer.  My son says I actually hear him now and I didn't before.  Again, how sad that I have traded computer and TV for my life.  NO MORE!  Life is good and it is sweet.  I'll continue with my blogging but everything else will take a far backseat to my family.

Thanks for reading my

Leave a comment to share with my readers and myself if you are taking the "Seven Days Unplugged" challenge.  Once you are finished we would love to hear your fun stories.

Abundant blessings,

Tami

How Embarassing is this!!!

Obviously I have a serious addiction to facebook, email, facebook games, my computer, TV (in a big way) and texting.  Though texting isn't that big of a deal for me.  It seems as if a year has passed from my life and I have spent it in front of these "techie" things.  It's like I am addicted and I can't stop.  How crazy is this but moreover, how STUPID is this!  It is also very embarrassing to think I'm over 40 and I am so undisciplined. 

So starting tomorrow I won't be doing any of those things, even my blogging ;  (  for a whole week.  I will check my email twice a day for business reasons ONLY.  I was thinking today about how much I should be able to get done as I waste a LOT of time on these things.  It's really sad how I have allowed all of these time-wasters to take over my life.  I don't know if it's the boredom or the challenges of motherhood.  The reality probably is that it is my selfishness, wanting to do the things I want to do instead of the things I should be doing. 

 If I worked a 9 to 5 job I would have been fired LONG ago due to my lack of productivity.  Obviously I get the most important things done, but I leave a LOT that still needs attention and maintence.  BTW maintenence has been the theme of my year and also something I don't love about life.  God has really been working on me this year about the things that need daily attention.  I don't like those things, isn't that crazy?  I don't know if it's due to my ADHD or what?

So, dear friends if you would like for me to be praying for you this week please let me know via EMAIL and no offense, but keep it short, I will only have a few minutes A.M. and P.M. to check it.  I will have lots of free time to spend in the Word and in prayer time.  Really, there's no better way to invest my time.  Seriously, I would love to pray for you this week, please let me know how.
The best way to reach me is; mkdtami@q.com

Abundant Blessings my friend, see ya next Monday!

Tami off-line Smith

A Change Is A-Comin'

For a few months now, maybe it's been since I've been studying Isaiah, I don't know, however long it's been, this has been a year of learning about myself.  It seems as if God is ready to clean out some gunk in my life.  UGGGHHH!  I hate this kind of thing cause it's so painful.  I'm at a place where I have to go back and fix some mistakes that I have made recently, and face some of the issues that have been shoved down deep for years.  Let's assume things are gonna get better before the get best!  (Maybe not proper grammar, big surprise, I rarely use proper grammar or punctuation!)  But I am going to assume it's going to be a great thing to move through this so my past can truly be my past. 

For the last ten years or so I have known that God would have me lead others through their past pain.  I can see that this is one of the steps in this process.  I gotta get through mine first.  Stay tuned to see what God is going to do. 

Today was another divine appointment with one of my besties.  God used that conversation to shove me to the next place where He is taking me.  Forgive me if I've said this before, but blogging really helps me think and feel, something I've never been good at in the past. 

We all are works in progress.  Thank You Lord that You don't give up on us!

Abundant Blessings dear friend,

Tami-Learning to feel-Smith

Extreme Couponing!

Okay so I saw this new show being featured and I must say it peaked my interest.  Saving hundreds of dollars on groceries, count me in!  So I recorded this new show "Extreme Couponing" and it takes the word extreme and magnifies it by a gazillion!  Oh my goodness the insanity of this extreme lifestyle just blows me away. 

The first gal was married and had 2 dogs.   She has literally YEARS worth of products in several rooms of their home.  For example, toilet paper, they have enough for the average couple to last them OVER 40 YEARS!!!  This couple seemed to buy just because it was super cheap or free with coupons.  They don't need it, don't share it and surely they can't even use it all in their lifetime.   She was angry with the cashier because her bill was over $1200 so the register froze.  They had to start over and she was upset with THEM!  They were very helpful and nice, from what I could see.   It was disgusting to see how upset she was with the mess she created.

The second gal made a bit more sense as she appeared to buy only what they used.  She had a great system of rotating her products.  Still extreme but there was a semblance of sanity to her madness.

The third lady made the most sense to me.  She bought only what she needed, she didn't buy and hoard things like the other people did.   She was so cute in the store, she would help other shoppers save money.  She was more like a coupon teacher than she was an extreme couponer.

The fourth guy, I don't know, I was just speechless.  He had enough deodorant to last a person, or maybe a family, for 150 YEARS!  He bought over $4000 worth of cereal because he could get it for $150.  He did insinuate that it could be donated to the local food bank.  It looked like he had enough product to supply a small town.  He bought over 100 toothbrushes during this episode because they were free.  He didn't need them, they were just free. 

I had a myriad of thoughts swimming in my brain but here are my main thoughts;
1.  Are we a country of excess or just plain greed?
2.  Are these people savers or hoarders?
3.  Is this a lifestyle or a type of drug?
4. As a business woman and retailer, this makes me mad!

One of my early thoughts was this, if a camera crew followed me for a week what would my life look like?  If I watched my life on video would I be shocked and make changes?  What part of my life would be revealed as extreme and insane?  We all have things we do that seem normal but if others saw it they would think we were crazy?

I would LOVE to know your thoughts on this issue.  Did you see this "couponing" special, if so, what did you think?  Maybe I'm just too critical and opinionated.  I don't see how, even a large family, could eat 100 containers of yogurt before they expire. 

I guess the ABUNDANT part of my blog title applies here!

Abundant blessings my friends,

Tami

I brought you into this world...

Yes, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.  Finishing up JBF tagging & packing, getting ready to go volunteer in the morning. PRAISE GOD for spring break and having Austin to help out. 

Next is taxes and finishing up my website for my new business venture, I'll let you know soon what that is!  I'm praying on a few other things that I would like to do but I am uncertain what God wants.  I realized that I will pray for my friends, family and our nation but I often forget to pray for the things I want to do.  Whether it's volunteering or starting a new venture I just get so excited that I just jump in and don't even consult the Lord.  He is the One who should govern my every decision and yet I still jump ahead of Him.

Here's an interesting thought; for parents we feel justified in setting the rules for our children, right?  We feel that since we brought these kids into the world and they live under our roof we have the right to have them follow our rules.  I think most of us feel justified in doing this.  I wonder why it is we feel justified to follow our own rules?  What I'm saying is, God is the creator of the universe and man.  He has the right, as our creator, to expect us to follow His rules.  

This year in Bible Study Fellowship we are studying the book of Isaiah, which I have never studied before.  I can't tell you right off hand which chapter it's in, but it reminds us that as our Creator, God has the right to expect us to follow His rules.  What I love about Him is He doesn't make us follow Him and accept His Son, though He loved so much that He gave us His Son.  He also loves us so much that He gave us free will to choose Him or not.

I pray that with Easter coming you will really reflect on who Jesus is and what price He paid for you and me.  I pray that you will choose to ask Him to be the Lord of your life.  You will be amazed at the freedom and peace you experience when you give up your life to Him.  Seems like it would be the other way around, but it's not. 

Well, gotta get back to work.  I will continue to pray for God's guidance in my future plans and I hope and pray that you will too. 

Abundant Blessings dear friends,

Tami
AKA The Tagging Queen!

What follows a busy, busy week?

Of course an even busier weekend!

Taggin, taggin, taggin!  Keep this old girl taggin!
 
No time to post I'm working on 3 huge projects.  Just wanted to let you know if you are getting ready for the JBF sale in your area to keep your clothes in the order that you type them in to the computer, as much as possible.  It makes attaching them so much easier.

I hope you have an amazing day and you will go enjoy corporate worship at a Bible teaching church tomorrow.  May God bless you in a mighty way this weekend!


Faith isn't the ability to believe long and far into the misty future.
     It's  simply taking God at His Word and taking the next step.
                                                                   - Joni Erickson Tada