Love is Teamwork. How do you play?

Do you love watching the Olympics? Do you love being married or want to get married? What do Marriage and the Winter Olympics have in common? They both require major teamwork and superhuman commitment. Zig Ziglar shared an important attitude toward marriage and teamwork. His motivational advice still helps people succeed in life even after his death in 2012. Do you view your spouse as a teammate? Are you on the same side? Marriage works best as a loving, supportive team of ONE comprised of two.

Olympians train and practice most of their life to just be part of their country's team. Making the team doesn't always mean glory and winning, sometimes it means heartache and defeat. Dedication, commitment and love for their sports are required to make the team. The team supports each other.  Mark 3:25 reminds us "And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand." If teammates are working against themselves, they cannot win. Teamwork is the very epitome of marriage.

Let's look at  the famous "love" verses in I Corinthians 13:4-8 thinking of  "your spouse" as part of them for better understanding.  "And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor (my spouse), and though I give my body to be burned, and have not love, it profiteth me nothing. Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in inquity, but rejoiceth in truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Love never faileth...

So, so much knowledge in four verses of scripture, but I want to concentrate on "seeketh not her own".  We could say "sticks with the team", "includes team members in all ideas, decisions and choices for the team", or "puts the team before herself." THIS IS TEAMWORK!  Imagine your marriage as a 2-person Olympic team. You journey to a foreign country with a teammate. You walk in before the world together. You share agony and triumph together. You leave the event a stronger team than you came. The same process should happen every day in a marriage.

Marriage is a "give, give, give" and "did I say give" type of team. If you don't like giving, marriage may not be a team you want to make. Some days you'll be rewarded with a gold medal, some days a bronze and others, no medal at all. The important things aren't the rewards but the strength of the team.  Do you and your spouse clearly understand you are on the same side?  When you watch the Olympics tonight, I hope you view them differently.

Going for the Gold,
Tammy
The Happy Handicap

devotional

Love Nested on a College Campus

Berry College is located in Rome....Georgia, that is. The college founded in 1902 is the world's largest college campus. The romantic, Gothic architecture is the perfect setting to find love. The 27,000 acre campus delights students and visitors with woodlands, meadows and streams. Berry College is a campus splendid enough for higher education yet cozy enough to spark up true love...even in the trees! 

Martha and Henry are a couple of love birds. Martha is named after founder Martha Berry and Henry is named for contributor Henry Ford. Mates for life expecting their first baby any day now. Momma Martha is patiently awaiting the new bundle of joy being overly protective during Winter Storm Pax. The couples' story made the Fox5 Atlanta news. Tacoma Perry, Fox 5, interviewed Berry Assistant Professor of Biology. "Wow! It's just amazing!" said Dr. Renee Carlton referring to the couple. This is the first documented love story of its kind in the modern history of Floyd County. People as far away as Japan are "google-ing" over them. View Martha and Henry's love nest here.

If you're a bird, I'm a bird...

Yes, folks, Martha and Henry are a pair of American Bald Eagles waiting on their first eaglets! Such a cool story of love for this Valentine's Week 2014. You can watch history being made via the live webcam trained on the love nest. February 18th will be the 35th day of incubation for the first egg. Hatching could take place a few days earlier or a few days later. Follow the Berry College Eagles on their facebook page for up-to-date info on hatching progress.

You just never know. Your soul mate may be watching you from afar or from a treetop...keep your eagle eyes open!

Bird watching,
Tammy
The Happy Handicap

current news

Medical Marijuana: YAY or NAY?

dark green = state with both medical and decriminalization laws; light green = state with legal medical cannabis; blue = state with legalized cannabis; olive green = state with decriminalized cannabis possession

The map above shows states that have legalized medical marijuana and/or decriminalized the possession of it.  Is your state next in the fight for legalization of cannabis?

Georgia House Bill 885 goes into a hearing today at the Capitol. GA HB 885 allows the use of a non-psychoactive cannabis oil to be given to epilepsy patients in Georgia on a limited scale.

An article in the Huffington Post reports medical marijuana is gaining momentum in the Deep South. Twenty states and Washington DC have legalized medical marijuana. An excerpt from the story reads "The key to swaying the hearts of conservative lawmakers has been the stories of children suffering up to 100 seizures a day whose parents say they could benefit from access to cannabidiol, which would be administered orally in a liquid form. And proponents argue the cannabis oil is low in tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the psychoactive compound in marijuana that makes users feel high."

If you were told cannabis oil would help your child with seizure control or avoidance, would you try it? What if there was proof that it helped, would that sway your decision? A Tennessee couple moved to Colorado to get cannabis oil to help their daughter's seizures.  My hometown of Chatsworth has a couple fighting to get their daughter cannabis for infantile spasms/seizures.

Cannabis receives mixed reviews about scientific validity; proven or unproven to help seizures. Isn't that the way every medication reacts within humans, a drug that may cure an illness for one individual will not touch the disease in another individual? Whatever the results, if my family member could potentially benefit from the use of cannabis oil, I want it legal in my home state and readily available.

There are major health benefits of medical marijuana. Do you or a family member suffer from a condition listed here?

Please google medical marijuana and get informed. Support GA HB 885 by liking the facebook page. I fully support the use of medical marijuana. I believe there are many natural leaves and herbs for the healing of the body. Finally, weigh-in on the debate with your comment. Are you a yay-sayer or a nay-sayer? What's the reason for your stand?

Awareness for Greylynn,
Tammy
The Happy Handicap

features health

My "Go-to" Savings Store

A new store is quickly becoming a favorite for my "go-to" savings store! Saving money is a fun game I like to play. Recently, on a trip to this store for essentials I saved almost as much as I bought. My purchase total was $14.31 including tax and my savings were....

Yes! I saved TWELVE DOLLARS and FIFTY-THREE CENTS on things my family uses every day. Do you use these?

Water & toilet paper go together like peanut butter & jelly. Well...if you're a girl anyway. Drink the water, use the toilet paper! I got 2 NINE-double roll packs of Quilted Northern and 72 bottles of purified water for $14.31! 

I used two store coupons. The secret store will be revealed in just moments. I used 2 Quilted Northern manufacturer coupons found here. And my "Go-to" savings store discount card. Can you guess the store by their brand of water in my buggy? Is the suspense building? Are all you coupon clippers foaming at the mouth, sweating profusely and just giddy in anticipation? 

my new favorite "go-to" savings store

Is there a CVS in your neighborhood? I used to prefer Walgreens over CVS for household essentials but CVS has really been treating me and my family right lately. Plus, they have awesome handicapped parking! Be sure to sign up for an ExtraCare card to begin receiving coupons like $4 off if you spend $20. Who can't spend twenty dollars, right? You'll get tons of specials and discounts delivered conveniently to your inbox!

Leave me a comment and tell me your favorite "go-to" savings store. What deals have you gotten lately?

Wheelin' and Dealin',

Tammy

The Happy Handicap

tips

Unnaturally Quick Running Shoe

This post contains affiliate links which means I may receive a commission if you click a link and make a purchase

Have you been looking for a cool new running shoe for your next workout? Reebok has been inspired by hi-performance, Z-Rated tires, and created the Reebok ZQuick training shoe that delivers sports car
handling for your feet. They have plenty of color combinations for those of you that like to mix and match your outfits. Best of all, these kicks come in at just under $90 and they are now available in models designed for both running (ZQuick) and training (ZQuick TR).

Check out this neat video below and let me know if you buy a pair of the Reebok ZQuick!


 And there's always the Classic Reebok Shoes & Apparel with the same great style, performance and price.

Running to get some Reeboks,
Tammy
The Happy Handicap

Reebok

5 Excellent Ways to act like a Child

I'm blessed to keep my granddaughter weekdays. She's a picture of how deep the Father's love is for us. She's just fallen asleep on my chest as I'm writing this. Tears well in my eyes when I look at her. It's amazing to think how much more God
loves us than we can ever love him. If you have children, you understand. We love the children we helped create and God created us all.

Lisette brings to my memory Mark 10:15 "Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein." How does a little child receive the kingdom of God? The exact same way that Lisette and I interact every day.  The "little child" model looks like this:

• She trusts me to feed, clothe and protect her without question. Do we trust God this much or rely on our own vices?
• She accepts what I offer her. Do we accept what God has for us or complain nothing is ever right?
• She cries out to me when she needs me. Do we cry out to God often or try to help ourselves?
• She is satisfied with what I give her. Is God enough or are we always looking for something else?
• She rewards me with a smile. Do we praise God for his goodness or let it go unnoticed?

The one thing Lisette does that impresses me the most, relating to the "little child" model, is she really doesn't like her pacifier. I love her face when you stick it in her mouth like she's sucked on a sour persimmon. From birth, instinctively babies know the difference in a bottle and a pacifier. She doesn't want a fake bottle with nothing in it. She's not happy with it. A pacifier doesn't give her what she needs. no substance at all.  Do you have a pacifier you've been sucking for years? Are you  satisfied yet? You'll never be happy with it. It will never give you what you need. Throw away that paccie, come as a little child, enter in and drink from a real Cup.

Being childish,
Tammy
The Happy Handicap

devotional encouragement

What's your temperature?

Do you remember the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears from your childhood? Can you tell the story from memory? Goldilocks tried every pot of porridge. Daddy Bear's was too hot. Momma Bear's was too cold. Baby Bear's was just right! The story goes on but always, always, Goldilocks found something that was just right.



The temperatures have been frigid in the South this month. The weather has been way too cold. Cold enough to freeze breathe in mid-air. Summer is headed our way though. The temperatures will get steamy and balmy. Can you feel and see the heat rising in squiggly lines off the pavement now? July and August will be way too hot. The perfect times of year are the few days we relish between Spring & Summer and Summer & Fall. The weather is just right!

Goldilocks picked a bed that was just right and went to sleep. She was unprepared for the return of the bears that lived in the house in the woods. We've heard the story that we will be judged by Jesus just as Goldilocks judged the porridge, the chairs and the beds. The difference in these stories are the Bible is not a fairy tale, rather truth. Goldilocks ran away and got a second chance not to wander in the woods. We won't run away from Jesus and we won't have a second chance to accept his salvation and live for him.

Hell is too hot. Unforgiven is too cold. Revelation 3:16 states "So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth." Have you taken your temperature lately? A personal relationship with Jesus is just right!

Checking up,
Tammy
The Happy Handicap

Please leave a comment and share your opinions on lukewarm living...

devotional encouragement