Getting back in the groove….7 quick takes on the past few weeks….
I’m linking up with 7 quick takes this week to share a little bit about what’s happening over here in the CTDW household, and some random thoughts for this week. Giddy up…..
A profound and overwhelming thank you to all of you who have lifted up our family in prayer, in regards to my post about my husband’s chronic lung disease. We instantly felt covered in so many prayers. Friends and family all flooding our facebooks with messages of love, support and encouragement. Friends dropped off dinners, sent gift cards, and called to lend kind words and comfort. It is in times like this that you become truly aware of how blessed you are. The Lord, in His Divine Wisdom, used this simple post to also speak to the heart of so many of you who struggle as the “silent sufferer”. Thank you for sharing with me your struggles, your hardships, and allowing me to find comfort in your prayers as well. Please continue to pray for my husband that his lungs continue to remain strong and we can be hospital-free this winter. Please continue to look for those people that God may have placed in your life who struggle as well. If you didn’t get a chance to read my last post about Dan’s health,you can read about that post here.
Christmas was a beautiful end to a tough year. After weeks of worry and fear, My greatest Christmas gift was having my husband sitting next to me feeling pretty great. I was comforted by his loving smile and his willingness to hop up on a ladder and hang Christmas ornaments on a tree. Watching him struggle to climb stairs for lack of energy, it was truly a beautiful gift to watch him enter the holidays with the same luster that he always has had for the holidays. The joy in the picture below is just that….pure joy. We all felt it!
Joy.
This word has taken on new meaning for me this year. I have always loved the verse in Timothy that says “Be prepared to give a reason for your joy”. However, a little girl named Joy, who miraculously recovered without brain injury after drowning in a pool and being without a heart beat for over 20 minutes has really made me re-evaluate the reason for my “Joy”. This little girl and her family, who were college friends of mine, have deepened the faith of countless people who dropped to their knees to pray for the health of this baby girl. Every day I stalk facebook waiting for Joy’s mother, Kristin’s update on Joy. Her family has allowed us to witness the raw, painful journey of suffering and yet also experience the joy of her miraculous recovery. This little girl has brought so many souls to Christ. You can read about Joy’s story here. A gofund me account has also been set up to help her family with all her medical expenses.
My day was spent watching the inauguration of President Trump while emptying vomit buckets. Lord…have mercy! For anyone who is unaware of “vomit” etiquette…..you must quarantine your home. Stomach viruses are no joke and you don’t want to “bless” another family with this precious, vile predicament…haha. I’m feeling pretty sleep deprived, as those of you who handle these sticky situations in your home know, you can’t sleep through that ever distinguishable sound of vomit hitting carpet….arghhhhhhh. So gross. Praying that these two little girls don’t “spread the love” to their other siblings or dear mom and dad.*** edited…just added my son to the quarantine…(sigh..)
In addition, I have found one of my passions through starting as a consultant with Thirty-one gifts!I am busy growing my thirty-one business and would like to invite all my readers to check out my VIP group on Facebook. This is a great group of ladies who love a great deal, love our bags, totes, and jewelry, and want to be apprised of all things “thirty-one”. We would love to have you as a member….www.facebook.com/groups/partycentralwithtammi. You can also purchase directly from my site at http://www.mythirtyone.com/tammimccarthy. We currently have a 20% off 20 items from our fall catalog that we are retiring through the end of January. Our Spring/Summer catalog full of bright colors and patterns will be available online February 1st. Make sure you check it out!
The Catholic blogger’s conference that I attended this past Spring opened my eyes to a few amazing Catholic bloggers…and the Blessed Is She group. Since joining their Instagram, I have saved so many of their bible verses to my phone. Please preorder your Lenten journal from Blessed is She. You can order it here. Trust me….you will LOVE it. It’s perfect for those of us who have little time but want God to do a mighty work in us. Elizabeth Foss has a beautiful three step process of Scripture, reflection, and a call to action (journaling, doodling, etc.) I preordered my Advent journal and I loved everyday of it. I snagged up my Lenten one this morning!
I have seen many bloggers refer to their “word for the year”. A word that they are going to focus on; a theme for their year. After giving this concept some thought, I do believe this is a profound way to project confidence and clarity into my year. To examine my weaknesses and areas that need the Lord’s guidance. My theme for this year is to be intentional. I feel that too many things in my life are not intentional enough. I know that the Lord is calling me to be more intentional in all my decisions. To take control over my house, my finances, my children’s education, every aspect of my life that just has drifted into normalcy over the past few years. I know that the Lord is calling me to be more intentional….to gear my life in a specific direction allowing God to lead me. I eagerly await the Lord’s clarity for this year.
Thank you for continuing to be supportive readers of my blog. This blog started as a way for me to offer “tips” to my fellow homeschoolers and Catholic moms but has really turned into more of a place for me to share my heart. Thank you for always being willing to “listen” to my voice. My goal for this year is to provide more consistency in my blog and yet to allow the Lord to lead the path for the blog this year.
God bless,
Tammi
