From a Cluttered Desk

I am Tammy Cardwell, she of the cluttered desk. (Hey, you think I'm kidding?!) I'm having a blast here in Blogland and invite to you to peruse my ramblings. Like a buffet, they offer variety - essentially whatever makes it to the top of the piles that sometimes clutter my brain. We'll eventually cover it all - homeschooling, God, our church, the Eclectic Homeschool Online, books I'm writing and publishing, conferences I speak at, the joys of grandmotherhood, and hopefully chocolate. Of course, this is only what's near the top now. Who knows what's in those piles?

Leviticus 17:10-11
"And I will turn against anyone, whether an Israelite or a foreigner living among you, who eats or drinks blood in any form. I will cut off such a person from the community, for the life of any creature is in its blood. I have given you the blood so you can make atonement for your sins. It is the blood, representing life, that brings you atonement.

I’ve been reading Leviticus (this is the New Living Translation) and have seen once again the huge importance God places on blood. Considering all I’ve read and what I know of the rest of the Scriptures, the import of these two verses is almost overwhelming. There is so much here to consider.

First, God gives the command that no one can eat or drink blood because He gave it specifically to serve two purposes (both holy) – to give life and to bring atonement for sins. The blood was to be kept separate and given special treatment even when preparing to cook the daily meal. Never, for any reason, could man take blood into his own body; were he to do so, rather than covering his sin as it would if offered on the altar, it would, through his misuse of it, result in him being cut off from the community.

God is clear. Never abuse the blood!

And then we move to the New Testament and to Jesus, who says, “This is My blood. Drink it.” Now everything has changed. THIS blood we must drink, we must partake of. The Old Testament showed the blood being offered on the altar repeatedly to make atonement from sin. The New Testament Blood was offered up one time only, to redeem us from sin. In the Old Testament we could not drink the blood because it was holy. In the New Testament we are commanded to drink The Blood because we have been made holy. The Blood-giver lives in us; the life of our ‘flesh’ is in His Blood.

There is so very much to be seen, to be learned, about The Blood, and the learning really does start with the Children of Israel in the desert.

Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C

Pastor made a passing remark in last night’s sermon that really stuck with me. It was in reference to people who go into church thinking, "I hope the preacher is really prayed up today!" - meaning they want the man or woman of God to preach an awesome sermon. As Pastor said, the man of God should be prayed up, but so should I!

How many Wednesday evenings have I just walked into the sanctuary and dropped into my pew? How many times have I struggled through the service, unable to keep my focus on what the man of God was saying or, worse yet, feeling as if it were flying over my head? Did I spend even two minutes in prayer before any of these services? I doubt it.

Thinking back to my college days, I only got out of a class the equivalent of what I put into it; just walking in and dropping into a desk was never enough. How much more does this hold true when I come to the sanctuary to learn from God? Even more, since things of the Spirit must be learned by the Spirit, it is my responsibility to ask that the Holy Spirit help me to receive, to ‘get,’ everything He wants to teach me in that service.

In short, no matter how good the preaching is, for me to receive from it I must "be prayed up."

Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C

A friend and I were talking, this week, about people we know who are doing everything ‘right’ and still not enjoying the blessings we know God wants them to have. I don’t even remotely have all the answers, but I did share with her one thing that God has taught me.

It started in a church service in November of 2005. God spoke to me and told me that one of the biggest problems I had in life was that subconsciously I was convinced that I was unworthy. I believed, deep down inside, that I wasn’t worthy of having a business that was a success, wasn’t worthy of having people listen to me, wasn’t worthy of…

What He said took me by surprise, but even though I’d never consciously seen this in myself I knew in that instant that every word He’d spoken was true. And then He gave me an assignment.

It took me back to grade school, but I knew something profound was happening, so I took Him seriously. I pulled out a spiral notebook and a pen and wrote, "I am worthy of every good thing God has for me." I wrote these words at least ten times every day for days on end, speaking each sentence aloud as I wrote it, and eventually I realized I was truly beginning to believe.

Then I added to the assignment. I started writing, "I am worthy of every good thing God has for me, and I receive all He has to offer." And eventually I knew that there had been a foundational change in me.

This didn’t happen overnight. Those feelings of unworthiness were a part of my core belief and such things don’t usually change suddenly. But writing the words with my own fingers (not typing, which can be pretty mindless) and speaking them aloud with conviction made lasting changes in me that have born fruit. As a result, 2006 was completely different from any year that had preceded it.

Yes, I still fight feelings of unworthiness on occasion, but they are just that - temporal feelings. They no longer reflect what I truly believe about myself.

Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C

The world of the generous gets larger; the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller.

The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed; those who help others are helped.

(The Message Bible)

I came across these proverbs in today’s time with God and had to smile because they are so very true. I look at those around me who are blessed and see that their generosity and their blessings really do seem to walk hand in hand.

Mind you, I’m talking about people I’ve known for years. These are all people who were generous even when they didn’t have much to give. They have been giving, they have been given more, they have continued giving generously, and they have continued to receive more.

I’m also talking about me. I have not always been the most generous person, but as I have grown spiritually I have grown in the area of generosity as well, and I am blessed.

It is true. Those who bless and help others will see their worlds enlarged, will be blessed, and will find help when they need it.

Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C

Every year, either at the end of the previous year or early in January, God gives me a word for the year. In 2006 that word was “Restoration,” and I saw restoration happen all around me, not only in mine and my family’s lives, but in many others.
 
I’ve never done this before, but I’ve decided to share what God has given me for 2007.

A New Day Dawning

He spoke these words to me in November of last year and I have been pondering their meaning ever since. I have some definite ideas about some of the things He may mean by them.

And then, on December 7, He gave me this.

A new day is dawning,
   a new awakening for My people.
A new age is coming
  and those who are Mine will rise to meet it.
The future is here, not near,
  and the time has come.
THIS is the Day of the Lord.

Needless to say, I have REALLY been pondering this!

Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C