Learning To Live

"To Live Like You Were Dieing"

2010-09-22T19:48:00.002-06:00

There is a radio show that I love listening to in the evening time. It plays mostly love songs. Tonight it played a country song titled "To Live like you were dieing" I was sitting in the car on the way home from church listening to it. The story of the song is about a man who has found out he has cancer and someone ask him what he did when he found out. He said he went sky diving, rocket mountain climbing, he went on to list several things that were crazy and wild. Then at the end he says "I hope one day you can live like you were dieing." Well this got me to thinking about what would be my list as a christian if I knew for a fact that I have a number of days to live?
There are plenty of things that I would love to do. But are virtually unimportant. I started going over those in my mind, I would love to go see the rolling hills of Scotland, visit Ireland, swim with Dolphins, and then I thought is that really how I would spend my last days before I met the King of Kings face to face??? I sure hope not!!!!!! I would want to go around and tell everyone about Him! To make sure I had nothing with anyone that I had not asked forgiveness. To make sure that everyone I loved knew I loved them. To make sure that I spent my last days for HIM! But oh my goodness what is stopping me from doing all those things now? I don't know when I will take my last breath. I don't know when I say goodbye to people if I will see them again or not. The Bible tells me that anyone I pass and do not tell about Him their blood is on my hands. WHy do I not live today, this moment as if it is my very last one.
I have been thinking alot lately to live purposfully. WHich means every action, every word, every breath is thought out on how it will glorify HIM! My very life is HIS. So why do I continue to live as if it's mine? I will start eating for Him, I will start talking for HIM, I will start living as if i'm dieing because after all I am.....

Suffering

2010-09-16T06:44:00.002-06:00

It seems this has been a topic in my life lately. We talked about it last Friday at the Friday morning Bible study I attend. My husband preached on it to the youth last night at youth group. I feel as though i'm suffering right now. I realize that I'm not really suffering just going through some discomfort but I would really love to throw myself a pity party about it right now. My hip is hurting me so bad right along with my back. But oh well soooo not the point of this post. Anyways..... Our conversation at Bible study was about our reaction to suffering.... Do we call on the Lord more in the midst of our suffering? Is that the only reason at all we call on Him? Do we only ask for help or do we praise Him for it? Do we whine and complain about it while we are going through it, or do we "man up" and just focus on getting through it?
I try very hard to have a "praying without ceasing" relationship with Christ. I talk to him almost all the time. I'm constantly talking to Him in my head. I love that we can do that with Christ talk to Him about the random things that no one else really cares about. But I do have to admit my prayers get much deeper when i'm going through a crisis. I want to change that I want to have deep prayers with Him constantly.
Praising Him in the midst of the storm is something I am learning to do. It is coming with each trial I go through. I think the reason is, I have seen Him so much in my life use the trials for His greater good. Seen Him grow me, seen Him grow others, seen huge blessings come through the little bit of suffering I have gone through. I use the word suffering here very loosely. I really don't consider the trials I have gone through in this life as suffering. There are many, many people that have experienced suffering in the worst of its form. For those people I pray and will continue to pray that they will have strength and even in the midst of it they will see God working and loving them.
I just want to take every oportunity that He gives me in this life to grow closer to Him. I guess what I'm trying to say is that suffering is a necessary part of this life. I believe it makes us long for heaven all the more. Makes us long for His glory. O how I long for the day when all the suffering will be no more, when all the tears will be wiped away. O MY! Think about that! His hand wiping away your tears! It takes my breath away....

Random Thoughts.....

2010-09-15T17:13:00.002-06:00

I have had so much on my mind lately. So much is going on in my life and yet I feel like I lead such a boring one. School has begun yet again for us, so that means my days should be full and active and yet Sunday I hurt my hip and back and have only been able to lay on the sofa doing nothing! Ugh dont' like this at all.
But the real things that I have been pondering, contemplating is my life and walk with Christ. I need HIM, I crave HIM!!! The older I get the more I realize that. The thought that is constantly nagging me is "I want my kids to need HIM to crave HIM!" I want it to be their hearts desire. So i'm constantly tortured with "Am I doing this parenting thing correctly? Am I doing it the way He planned for me to?" I so desperatly want to please Him, to make HIM proud of me that I'm constanly thinking about it. The good thing is about that is that it has made me so much more aware of my actions, my thoughts, my words. Sorry I know this is taking a very random way about it. I will post more tomorrow....

New Chapter In our lives...

2010-07-08T07:04:00.002-06:00

Ever since we left texas my heart has longed, and cried out to be doing something in the ministry. I have missed our church we left behind in texas terribly. To be honest one of the hardest things for me to ever do was say goodbye to that church and the people in it! I fell hard for that place. I love Pastor Garcia and his family they taught us so much. I don't leave parts of my life easily. I don't enjoy change. It takes me a long time to get used to changes. But everytime we would consider leaving virginia and move on to something else God would close those doors. ANd He would close them HARD! It soon became obvious to us that He didn't want us moving that we needed to be content where He had us and serve in areas that we could. So we did. I started working with MOPS and Ramon and i started teaching a wednesday night childs class. And have just been part of the church. THen things started getting to a point where we were unhappy and yet God still did not give us the ok to move on. So we waited and prayed and got nothing. And then we were called to a meeting with the pastor of our church. He wanted to ask Ramon and I if we would be willing to take over the Youth Pastors position! We were thrilled and excited. THis is our very hearts desire to work with youth. We have such a passion in us to see the youth of today strive for Christ. To see them long for Him! O thank you Jesus!

Lord, help us! Be with us in this journey. Help us to glorify you, to never loose sight of the cross. To be willing and able to make the sacrifices we need to. Thank you Father!

Parenting is just plain hard...

2010-06-02T13:02:00.003-06:00

This week has been a tough week for me emotionally and physically. I have just not been feeling myself lately and because of some severe pain I was having in my back I was not able to do anything except lay around on the sofa most of the weekend. Which allowed me lots and lots of time for some deep thinking. It gave me time to think about my kids and the way I parent them. Most days I feel as though I fail miserably. My goal as a parent is to raise children that are God fearing and Christ serving. I want them to grow up to know who they are in Christ, to know that they are loved and to grow up serving and loving their heavenly father. And yet some days the impossibility of that seems so much stronger than anything else. Now, now I realize it is possible and I realize we can do it but some days like the weekend it just hit me hard. Around every corner the enemy is lurching to rob our children of their love of Christ. Whether is be something on a tv show, or language from a neighbor or even something major like a Wicca witch living a couple of houses down he's there, searching and hunting for our children. MY CHILDREN, GOD'S CHILDREN! AND TO BE HONEST IT MAKES ME MAD! The innocence of our kids is taken so early anymore. Pole our youth groups and see how many of them have never done something sexual. Go ahead I dare you, I bet it would be a sad few who have not. I'm scared for our kids, for my kids. I need to be on my knees more for them, seeking Christ on their behalf! Please don't misunderstand me I do realize there are parents out there who have done an amazing job and have raised pure, God fearing kids. I wish I could have them come sit in my living room and tell me how to do it, what I'm doing wrong, what i'm doing right, and help me through this journey of parenting. I pray i'm doing whats right for them, that I'm raising them correctly for HIS kingdom. I will keep going before HIS thrown with their names, I will do it more and more everyday, I will seek His word on how I do it. I will beat the kingdom doors down with my prayers for my kids that I will be strict, that I will not succumb to the worlds vision of what a good parent is but what Christ thinks. I love you Logan, Jhocelyn and Jesse I'm doing my best on your behalf. God help me on the journey of parenting even when it's just plain hard...

Two Years

2010-05-06T06:28:00.002-06:00

I have started noticing something about me recently. Two years, that is what it takes for me to start feeling at home somewhere, to feel comfortable, to feel like I belong. It was 2 years in december since we moved here to virginia from texas. I have just recently started feeling as if this is home. To start making friends. It took me 2 years in texas to actually start feeling like I liked it there. It's very difficult for me to move, to leave my life, to leave my friends. WHen I love something, anyone, I do it with everything in me. So when I leave them, those things in my life that bring me comfort I feel like I am abondoning them. It leaves a whole in my heart. Leaving texas was harder than I ever imagined it would be. I fell hard for the state of texas and the people in it. It's an amazing state with even more amazing people. It was hard for me to move past that. But thank God, I can finally say I'm happy now in virginia! I have great friends here, great ministries I'm involved in. Virginia is my home now. If we ever move again, I know now that it will be 2 yrs of a long hard process. A time of healing for me but I also know now there is light on the other side. Thank God, for the heart HE gave me of loyalty and great love but also Thank God that he brings other people into this life not to replace those friendships but only to add to the joy of life!

One Red Tulip among a field of Green

2010-04-13T14:06:00.002-06:00

Sunday morning on our way home was one of those moments where I wished I could have stopped traffic right there in the middle of the bridge and taken a breathtaking photo of the field below. Now since I can't really stop traffic nor am I one of those people that can take a "wow" photo there is no picture to accompany this post. Sorry just trust me it was amazing!
We were driving along and I looked down and there in a field of nothing but green grass was one lone bright red tulip! It was stunning, breathtaking! And the thought almost immediately struck me "A light in the world" The tulip was impossible to miss. It was a splash of color. It was amazing. It was perfect right where it was. Which then started my mind thinking upon other things. Is this what God means when He tells us to be a light, to be different? We are supposed to mix in with the world and yet be different, stand out. Is this how God see's us when He looks down on the world?
Then I thought. I want to be like that tulip! I want to be breathtaking to God! I want when people look at me that they see the light of Christ shining through. I don't want people to see the natural me, the part of me that desires to blend, the part of me that is content just being green. I want the world, God, to see the part that is like that tulip. The part that has been transformed and made beautiful through Christ!
Lord, help me to be a tulip among a field of green!!!

Life's a Dance

2009-10-08T06:05:00.002-06:00

For the last month I have been looking at my life and realizing how different it is than I ever thought it would be. I'm a 26 yr old woman married and with 3 kids. That part of life has gone "as planned" The moment I meant Ramon I knew we were destined for each other. I knew we would marry young and I knew we would have kids early. We even went to BIble school "as planned" He graduated on time "as planned" But none the less life is very very different than I ever thought possible. By this time I had hope to be on the mission field somewhere I really wanted to be in venezuela but that will not happen not now and not ever (unless life there changes drastically) But here we are coming up on 2 yrs out of Bible school and no where even close to being on the mission field. Ramon actually works as a Securtity Tech! What!? How did that happen? I also never thought I would homeschool my kids and yet here I am!
There are some days where I actually have to laugh at my self. I mean I will catch myself thinking things like "Is Logan understanding this english" "Is he getting this" "Am I teaching this right" Those kind of thoughts are not me! I always thought that I would be able to send him to school someone else would do the teaching and if there was a problem the teacher would let me know. Now I have to be the one making sure he gets his lessons done, I have to be the one to focus enough to see if he needs extra help. Then I start thinking is Jhocy going to be ready for kindergarten? Will I be able to teach her how to read?
There are days where I don't even reconize myself. This is not me people! I'm a laid back, carefree, take life as it comes type of person. Now I have turned into a write everything on a calender if its not there its not official, making everything into a routine, actually considering quitting doing a couple of things, simply for the sake of making homeschooling going simpler kind of person!
I have a brand new respect for people who have done this for years with multiple kids and make it look easy. They always told me it's not easy, its difficult you have to be commited to it. I'm here to say people it's difficult! Rarely do I have a chance to sit down, rarely do I have a moment to myself, there is constant bickering that I have to break up, constant laundry to do. It's hard work.
But you know what as odd as this is for me to say I enjoy the person this is forcing me to become. It's making me much more aware of my childrens needs, it's making me realize I'm stronger than I ever thought possible, it's making me be a much better wife to my husband and focus on him and stop being so selfish. My house is staying cleaner than ever because I'm focused and determined! I like this new me. I'm convinced it's because I listened to Gods calling and did as he asked of me. My life is a dance and God's leading!

One of THose Days

2009-09-24T12:35:00.002-06:00

Today I woke up groggy but with big plans in mind. Ever do that? Wake up with an open mind, today is going to be great, the kids are going to be wonderful, i'm going to get lots done and so on and so on.... well none of those things have happened. Its been one thing after another. At least I got Logan's school work done with him and the letter mailed off to the county I needed to send. Oh well it's just one of those days!!!

Brown Paper Packages: Twirly-Whirly Dress Showcase and GIVEAWAY!!!

2009-09-24T12:32:00.000-06:00

Brown Paper Packages: Twirly-Whirly Dress Showcase and GIVEAWAY!!!

This dress is so adorable. Jhocelyn would be to cute in it!

Grosgrain: Lisa Leonard Designs GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

2009-09-23T12:15:00.000-06:00

Grosgrain: Lisa Leonard Designs GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

hmm trying this again

Lisa Leonard Designs Jewelry GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

2009-09-23T12:04:00.000-06:00

Lisa Leonard Designs Jewelry GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

I love Lisa Leonard's Designs! I desperatly want one of her necklaces. They are beautiful and elegant and simple just breathtaking. But If i win I will actually give my card to me precious friend Stephanie as I have been trying to figure out a way to buy her the necklace she wants. So here's to hoping I win because Stephanie just got into MOI in her Haiti adoption process and what a better way to celebrate!

"Good Friends are Cheaper than Therapy"

2009-09-18T11:16:00.002-06:00

Today as I was cleaning I did something I rarely do I stopped and looked a picture that means the world to me. It is a picture of me and my 3 closest friends.... I have it sitting in my living room and see it everyday but rarely do i take the time to sit and stare at. Today as I was dusting around it I looked at the faces in it and such a sense of longing came over me. I had to pick it up and sit on the couch and just look at it until the kids interrupted me. I miss those 3 women..... Esther, Angie, Stephanie..... I talk to all of them whenever I can but I long to sit face to face with them and tell them about my life the past 2 yrs and to hear about theirs. Growing up in the remotest part of venezuela that there is I did not have many friends growing up. I had friends here and there but no one I could ever consider a best friend. Then I got to know Eshter. Our husbands lived next door to eachother there whole life we had to become friends. She means the world to me. She is someone who knows all about me and still likes me. She is always there for me. She loves my kids. I miss her and mundo more thant words can explain. Then I met Angie when we were in Bible school. She lived next door to me. We became game partners and alwasy beat the crap out of our husbands playing. We went to their house every friday night and stayed till after midnight. I miss them. THen I met Stephanie she lived across from me. And she changed the way I would forever look at missionary kids. She had been one to and she loved it. She taught me many things, she was the person who understood when i would show up on her door step and tell her i needed to cry but didn't know why. Through these 3 women my life was changed they each showed me strength, love, compassion, true friendship, I miss them all and I hope that I get to see them again this side of heaven but I'm so blessed knowing that one day I will share eternity with them!

Hope vs Longings

2009-09-02T16:10:00.005-06:00

As I was sitting here thinking about the things I "hope" for the thought struck me that I actually have hope and longing confused. You see there are many things that I long for. I long for that new pair of Nike tennis shoes I saw the other day, I long to have more money, I long for a bigger house, I long for more clothes. Do you get where I'm going with that? As a little girl I longed to be older so that I could do more things. But while I was pondering these things i realized that hope comes from somewhere deep inside of us. It comes from that place that is rarely looked at because the things that we truly hope for have the possibility of bringing with it a deep sadness if it hasn't been fulfilled. Because the things that we truly hope for are things that have the possibility of taking our breath away once they have been fulfilled. The things that I hope for is getting on the mission field. Even the thought of that brings tears to the surface because I hope for it so badly! I hope that my children will grow up to be Godly people who serve him with their entire being. The idea of that not coming about brings terror into my soul. Hope is something that God puts in us and it is something that keeps us going on this earth.

Inspired by http://www.incourage.me/

Not MY child!!

2009-08-24T08:40:00.004-06:00

The other day when I decided to brave shopping with my sister and ALL 3 KIDS. For some unknown reason. I mean I know not to try clothes shopping with all of them. I mean that is just insanity right! Well my daughter certainly did not have a meltdown on the way out of the store. And definantly not one of those kinds that involves serious screaming and red in the face from her. And i definantly did not receive stares from strangers that i just stared right back at. I have much better behaved children than that and that would never happen on my watch!

And yesterday while talking about my oldest son's dentist appointment with my mother my son certainly did not say "Grandpa needs to go to the dentist to." And I was certainly not there going "logan shh, logan bequiet" To definantly not have him add on "Grandpa's teeth are yellow!"

And last of all just a few minutes after the illfated not had conversation of people's teeth my youngest son certainly did not come to me and say "mommy i need to go potty." "ok jesse lets go inside" "no mommy, i wana pee in the grass!!!" Definantly not my child I have never let them do that, we always use the toilet inside!!!

Please go to http://www.mycharmingkids.blogspot.com/ to check out all of the Not My child post!

Guarding My Son's Heart

2009-08-24T06:53:00.003-06:00

Homeschool time is fast approaching!!! Everyday that passes i feel more and more panick rising up in me! I wasn't good in school, I'm not a teacher, I'm not an organized person!!! How can I DO THIS!!!!! None of my close friends here are going to homeschool, i won't have anyone to lean back on for support.... You see where my thoughts are going? They are becoming more and more chaotic and are starting to freak me out!! Last night when Ramon and I were chatting about nothing in particular I almost blurted out "Lets just send him to public school!!!!" I was so close to saying it, so close to meaning it..... But I didn't...... WHY???? I DON'T KNOW!!!! This whole idea is so scary and I'm not sure i'm up to the task.. But I do have someone on my side who is and His name is God!!! I have to rely on Him. He's the one who put this idea in my head, He's the One who assured me I would be ok and that we could do this together. I have to believe that because otherwise I might just break down andt sob at the impossibility of the task that lays before me. Would I rather send him to a christian school? Absolutly!! No doubt about it but finances don't allow for that right now.. Would I rather send him to public school? Absolutly not!! Why, alot of christian kids go and they are fine? Well, thanks for asking.. I totally agree with you many christian families send there children to public school and the kids are fine with no problems. But God had been laying on my heart for a while now that Logan should not go to one. Where we live I just don't believe it would be a good atmosphere for my six year olds eyes and ears to be around. Where we live there are many 12 yr old girls who are pregnant! That is 6th grade!!!! That is crazy and insane. There are many gangs that run the schools, there are drugs even in the elementary school. As a mother who believes that I will one day have to answer to God for the way my children were raised I just did not feel that on that day I could stand before my saviour and say "I did my best" if i had sent him somewhere where that would be "normal" behaviour. It's my job to guard his heart and how can I when on a daily basis he would be exposed to ungodly behaviour? So for that reason I didn't break down last night, for that reason I will try my best to prepare for homeschool, for that reason I will give up many things to keep my son home and guard his heart...

Courage!!!

2009-08-10T18:57:00.004-06:00

A new website started today especially for women! It's beautiful and i am so happy someone started something like this. They put out a challenge for us to write about what courage means to us so I will. Please check them out for yourselves it's called http://www.incourage.me/

Courage first came to me when I was 6 yrs old and I flew into a little Indian village with many brown faces staring at me and everyone was speaking in a different language I had never heard before. I was expected to come out and speak to be people and be polite to them. Courage then came to me and said "You can do it I am here with you.."

It came to me again when I was eleven and I was flown to a boarding school and had my first day of school and didn't know anyone. I wanted to crawl under the covers and hide in my dorm room but instead courage came again and said "You can do it I am here with you..."

Then again after I married the man of my dreams and was getting ready to have our first child. I was 20 and scared out of my mind that I had to raise this person for God! Me i can't do that! Courage came again and said "You can do it I am here with you..."

Then again when my parents helped us move to Bible college when I was 21 and left us and didn't know anyone. Had no money, no way of getting any courage came again and said "YOu can do it I am here with you..."

Then again when we were leaving Bible college and the future was unknown to us. Courage said "You can do it I am here with you..."

Courage to me is this still small voice that speaks to me and gets me through. In those moments when I am scared out of my mind and simply want to hide courage comes to me and eases my heart and soul and says "You can do it I am here with you..."

2009-08-10T09:54:00.003-06:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

Well I know it's been forever since I wrote on here!!! But finally decided I wanted to join in on the fun going on in blog world witht the "Not me MOndays!!" started my MckMama! So here it goes my first ever Not me Monday!!!

When at the church on saturday night playing games with the married couples group I certainly did not take Jesse's clothes off and allow him to run around the church in only his diaper! Because he spilled juice all over himself. Not in church!! That would be totally inappropiate and so Not Me!!!!

I did not let the kids eat cake for breakfast. That is completly non nutritous and would never do that because I had forgotten to get milk yesterday I am always organized and on top of things I would never let that happen! Nope Not me!!

I never tell my kids in the heat of anger the age old "Because I said so and I'm your mother!" I would never do that I am much more articulate than that nope not me!!!!!

And last but not least! I have certainly not been closing the door to my bedroom because I haven't cleaned it yet and simply don't want to see it. Nope not me!!!

Enjoy your monday!!!!

The Most wonderful Time of the Year.....

2008-11-25T07:10:00.002-06:00

Walking in a WInter wonderland!!!!! Ok so it's not really snowing outside my window and I don't have snow on the ground here but I just love this time of year! Getting my decorations out, listening to christmas music and watching christmas movies EVERY NIGHT! Yes I do really do that. Much to my delight ABC Family channel and the Hallmark channel are showing christmas movies every night!!! I am in heaven. This is the best time of year. I think i'm going to go wednesday night or thursday morning and get the christmas tree!!! Man I just can't wait to do that. It brings a great thrill to my hear to see my husband and dad fighting the tree (usually getting mad in the process) It just wouldn't be christmas without that. :) Time to get the stockings out, the fake winter village, the christmas light, bake the sugar cookies, drink the hot chocolate.
This is a time of year filled with joy, with hope, with giving, with family and friends. I hope you all out there in cyberspace have a great holiday season and truly enjoy each day for what it is!

2008-11-22T18:54:00.002-06:00

Christmas is literally just around the corner. In fact I have been watching Christmas movies all day and I even starting going through decorations and finding my stockings (thanks Esther!) I love this time of year. It is truly my FAVORITE time of year. I love the music, the movies, the cookies and cakes, the parties, the presents, the sweaters and boots, but most of all I just love the feeling of christmas. It has such a feeling of hope intertwined into it. THe feeling like you know something amazing is about to happen. The feeling that even though times are hard it's ok because it's CHRISTMAS!!! I wonder at times that even though the world so long ago had no idea that Christ was about to be born if they had that same feeling? THe feeling that something truly amazing is about to happen? Do you think it's possible, did the world feel that the savior was on His way?

This christmas is going to be a little different for us. Ramon and I have decided that we are not buying toys for our kids this year. We will buy them other things but not toys. WHy? Because I get so tired of them wanting and wanting something and then as soon as they have it they are done with it and want the next best thing. We have been talking to them and explaining to them what Christmas is truly about and why we really celbrate. And see this is actually hard for me. I want them to have the toys they so desperatly want. I want to buy them the next best thing and yet deep inside I know that it's best for them if I don't give in. I don't want kids that grow up EXPECTING to always get what they want. I want my kids to realize that there are other things in life than getting what you want. So we will have a wonderful christmas with eachother and have a wonderful holiday season but it will be toy free....

THe 3 of them!

2008-11-18T18:52:00.000-06:00

Jesse

2008-11-18T18:49:00.002-06:00

Talk about a little boy that keeps you on your feet! This little man is always on the move. The fact that Holly was able to get any pictures of him at all is amazing to me! And she actually got some great ones!

Jhocy

2008-11-18T18:40:00.002-06:00

The look on Jhocy's face in the first one is priceless to me. Gosh she is gorgeous. I prayed and prayed for a little girl she brings so much joy into my life.

Logan

2008-11-18T18:35:00.001-06:00

I absolutly love these pictures of Logan from that day. Even though the one in the middle is far away it's my favorite. It just feels so rustic like Logan has become. I am so in love with this little boy!

2008-11-18T11:48:00.000-06:00

2008-11-18T11:44:00.000-06:00

My 3 Favorite Shots of our Photo Shoot!

2008-11-18T11:33:00.000-06:00

Have we already forgotten???

2008-09-15T08:41:00.002-06:00

Last night my husband and I were flipping through channels and we came across the history channel and they were doing a show about 9/11. And my oh my I was so overcome with so many different emotions. I remember that day, where I was when I found out, the anger and the fear that swept through me, the way that the entire nation flew flags from every place possible for months after. I remember feeling completly terrified and not truly safe. That day the world changed for me. That day I saw human nature at it's worst. I saw satan in all his glory and cheering for what the world had become. And I also saw my Heavenly Father hugging and taking care of all of us in that time.
I don't want people to forget. We shouldn't forget how we felt, we should not forget the firemen who were some of the bravest people who I have ever seen. We should not forget the day that changed America forever!
So here is to our soldiers who are over there defending us, who are over there living bravery every single day so that me and my kids don't have to live in terror! So that my kids already have a safer America than what we had that day!
THis is to us never forgetting!!!

My husbands blog!

2008-09-15T08:38:00.002-06:00

Well Ramon finally did it! He finally decided to open his own blog! Maybe now through his writings we will be able to figure out what goes in in his mind! So go on over and check it out. It is www.elgagoylospanas.blogspot.com Enjoy!

Big Day in the Acosta Household!!!

2008-09-02T13:09:00.003-06:00

Today I woke up much earlier than I usually do. At 6:30! I wanted to make sure I made a favorite household breakfast and have everything nice and ready to avoid as much stress as much as possible. All for a very special boy in my life. Today was Logan's first day of kindergarten!!!! I can't believe it. 5 yrs have gone by so fast. As he got dressed in his uniform I was full of pride for this independent little boy. He is such a joy in our lives and he brings so much laughter to our house. And then as I was holding his hand in mine as I walked him in to his classroom and I looked down at his face and could see his eyes all puffy and red and trying his hardest not to cry and his hand held on a little tighter to mine I was full of love, sympathy, fear, protectiveness. I wanted so badly to hold him in my arms and take him back home with me. But I didn't, I squeezed his hand and told him he was going to be awesome and I would see him soon. And then as I walked out the door and turned around for one more look and saw him truly struggling I to was brought to tears for my little man! (Now for those of you who know Logan you know this is not a normal way for him to act and this is why it affected me so deeply) But he stayed and I left and he did GREAT! He even got a little award. He did tell me that he didn't really talk to anyone as he was to shy. But he is excited for his next day of school and is already practicing his Bible verse to say on friday. Way to go Logan!

Sadness Once Again....

2008-08-25T19:11:00.003-06:00

Today at around 4:00 Ramon's cousin died. We had been expecting this for awhile now. He actually lived longer than the doctor's expected him to. His name was Oscar and he been doing drugs for many many years. Him and his mother had lived with Ramon and his family for a very long time. So he was someone that Ramon was close to. As far as we know he was not saved. He had heard the Bible many times. We will always hold out hope that maybe someway somehow Christ got ahold of his heart in the last days. Even though we don't see how that could have been possible God does work in His own ways. So please please pray once again for the other part of our lives and our hearts. Because even though we haven't been with our family in venezuela for a very long time they are part of who we are. We have heard that Ramon's Aunt Glady's is not taking this well and is having a very difficult time. Glady's is also a Jehovah's witness so please pray that this will someway show her the true way to heaven.

The above picture is of Ramon's Aunt Glady's the day of our wedding. She is a woman who cares deeply for her family. Please, please pray for her as she is burying her son tomorrow. ANd pray most importantly for her soul.

New Favorite Picture

2008-08-20T19:28:00.003-06:00

Picture of the day

2008-08-06T08:09:00.002-06:00

THis is my new favorite picture. Logan's face just cracks me up. And Jesse just looks like he is having so much fun. And Jhocy is right in the middle her favorite place to be.

Haircuts

2008-08-05T17:53:00.004-06:00

All of the kids needed haircuts. SO any of you who know Ramon and I well enough should be able to figure out what we did. Any takers???? Yep you guessed it........
We did it ourselves!!! I have to admit I think they turned out super cute. Jesse looks the most different. As you can tell if you look at the post below this one. Anyways enjoy!

My cutie pie!

2008-08-03T20:24:00.000-06:00

The love of Jhocy's life!

2008-08-03T19:34:00.002-06:00

Us with the Clodgo's!

2008-08-03T19:16:00.001-06:00

Humbleness and Tears

2008-07-30T07:28:00.002-06:00

This week has been an emotional one for me so far. THere are some circumstances going on in our lives right now that are difficult. I was sharing some of them with one of my aunt's and she sent me something that she found on the internet that was encouraging to her. It humbled me and brought me to tears. I thought I would share it here with you all.

Circumstances created fear in my heart. The anxiety began to grow until, one day after my evening prayer walk, the Lord said, "How long do you want to keep your eyes on the circumstances instead of Me? Do you think I have brought you this far to throw you into the water?" The truth was that I was halfway in already because my eyes were looking at the "big waves" surrounding my boat. One night, in a support group the leader asked each of us to keep our eyes on two men who were going to walk from the room. One man represented Jesus, the other, our circumstances. "Now, I want you to keep your eyes on both people," he said. The men stood up and began walking across the room in opposite directions. It was impossible to keep looking at each of them at the same time. So we had to choose which we would focus on. The lesson was clear. We could not keep our eyes on Jesus and our circumstance at the same time.It was written by Os Hillman... Found it on the internet.

Struggles

2008-07-29T13:06:00.002-06:00

Every day, every hour there seems to be something new.
Another loved one gone, another job lost, another child starving.
Struggles, Struggles they never seem to stop.
You want to help someone else but you can't....
You to are struggling.
You want to feed that starving child, give money to the widow's fund,
But how with what money,
The electric payment,
The grocery money,
Are we simply to give it all?
To give and let GOd?
Struggles will never stop.
WHy?
Simple....
We have more to learn, more to understand..
Hope.... That's how we survive
God's faithfulness will never stop...
Here and in eternity
God's Beautifulness will always shine through

Good Friends, Good Times

2008-07-24T08:12:00.002-06:00

Last weekend we had the joy of spending the weekend with our very good friends Tami and Glenn Clodgo. Tami was an answer to prayer for me our first semester of Bible School. I'll never forget the day that I had just walked out of my apartment with my son who was only 7mths old at the time after a time of serious prayer asking the Lord to provide a friend for me. I walked down to the laundry mat when a car pulled up beside me and said "what a beautiful little girl!" of course my first response was "it's not a girl, it's a boy!" but from then on she became one of my best friends that semester. We spent just about every weekend at their house playing games, Glenn was the one who gave Logan his first piece of chocolate cake, Tami made me an awesome birthday dinner. They were wonderful friends of ours and it was wonderful to see them again. They are now missionaries in spain and their 2 kids have grown so much. We have 2 more kids than that first semester. So much had changed and yet it seemed like just yesterday that we had seen them. We have no idea when we will see them again so it was wonderful to visit with them. So thank you Lord, for that wonderful blessing. Please pray for them as they work in the country of Spain. As they try to break through the barriers there.

Tami and Glenn we love you guys and it was beyond wonderful to see you guys

Dog

2008-07-21T07:28:00.002-06:00

My mom's dog is lost. THis dog is very very special to her. She waited and longed and searched for a dog that she could afford and that was just perfect for her when she moved back to the states. She bought this dog about 2 yrs ago. One of the ideas of this dog was to be able to breed her so that they could make some money from puppies. SO last sunday she was taken to a place about 45 minutes from here for a week. My mom went to pick her up on friday and the lady informed her that she had LOST her dog. She just ran away. This lady has not been very helpful. SHe has put up a couple of signs and helped a little bit looking for her but no like someone who has lost a dog. The whole thing just does not sit right with me. THe dog (Pepper) is a very obedient dog she never runs away, she always comes when called, something just is not right here. My mom and dad have spent the last 3 days looking for her. Me and my sisters and husbands and kids all went last night looking for her. We saw her and she took off! We don't know what to do. SOmething has her spooked and there is nothing we can do! They can't catch her. Personally I don't trust the lady that had her. Pepper is not herself and I really think something happened to her. Please, Please pray that they catch her soon.

2008-07-09T17:52:00.002-06:00

5 THings that I Long For:

1)To return to Venezuela and spend time with my Acosta Family

2)To stop having to struggle so much financially

3)To get on the mission field

4)A completly organized home

5)A pool (I LOVE to swim!!!)

5 THings that I Am Striving For....

1)To show GOd's love to those around me

2)To be more diligent about doing daily devotions

3)To stop bieng so nagging

4)To be a better mother and wife

5)TO start running in the mornings

Prayer for my sister Tami...

2008-07-07T07:57:00.001-06:00

My oldest sister Tami is going in for a heart procedure tomorrow morning. It's a 6hr procedure so please keep her in your prayers.

Gago....

2008-07-07T07:45:00.002-06:00

Last night as we were driving home from my sisters house we were listening to the radio and a song came on. The song made me tear up because it reminded me so much of Ramon.

Ramon is THE love of my life. We have gone through so much together and for eachother. No one really understood it when we first started dating. But the moment I met him I knew without a shadow of a doubt that he was the man I was going to marry. I never had any doubts I never had any fears. Ramon came into my life at a time when I was really struggling. He taught me that I was worth loving, he showed me the way that God loves me, he helped me laugh and have fun. We faught to stay together. We went through alot in the years we were dating. And we went through it all simply because we knew we were the ones that God had chosen for eachother. There is nothing like being married to the one that you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that is the one God wanted you to be with!

So baby this is for you, it's not our anniversary, or your birthday I simply wanted to declare the the world that even after all these years "your still the one I love"

Why I'm irritated?????

2008-07-05T20:12:00.001-06:00

Here it is the night AFTER July 4th and my neighbors all around me are shooting off firworks! It's almost 10:30 at night to. I don't know if it just comes from growing up in the jungle where we didn't deal with this stuff. Or maybe it's because I have 3 kids sleeping and I REALLY don't want them to be woken up. Or maybe because it's just plain rude! Seriously why is it that people don't consider the others around them? I mean the houses are built so close together anymore and yet people still don't care if what they do around them affects those living next to them?
Am I overreacting here? Is it really not that big of a deal or do I have a right to be upset? Who knows I just know that right now I am HIGHLY IRRITATED!

New member of the Acosta clan....

2008-07-03T08:48:00.004-06:00

And no this time it's not me adding the member!!! Ramon's brother and his wife had there baby son last friday. Here are 2 pictures that they sent to us. He's a big boy!!

Felictaciones Jose y Marleny! Josias Reisab Acosta! June 27th 2008

Just for the record there has been a new baby added to the Acosta family every year since 2005. I wonder who will be next??

Worth Waiting FOr...

2008-06-27T08:38:00.002-06:00

As I've been working in my garden this summer, God has been using those moments of quiet to talk to me. I've been thinking so much about where we are in our life right now and the fact that we are not doing alot ministry wise. This has been especially difficult for me right now as I feel like "Ok Lord, you sent us to Bible school for 4 yrs and now here we are! Why aren't we doing anyting?" He has been using the flowers, trees and seeds to show me signficant things. Like one, we have a tree in our back yard that is in desperate need of pruning. It can't really bloom to all it's glory until all the useless branches are cut off from it. God has been using that to show me, that I still have things I need to work on before He can allow me to bloom. I can't be expected to go out and help other quite yet. I just need to focus on GOd and allow Him to prune me in the way I need it. Also when we were planting our flowers we bought some that were already flowers just needed to be planted but the majority of what we bought were seeds. So the kids and I went out and dug holes for our little seeds and planted them. We have been watching them with much anxiety. But it has seemed to take forever for them to produce any flowers! ANd then last night after the kids were in bed and I was out weeding my little garden I looked down and there was a purple flower! From our seeds! I was so excited. I ran inside and grabbed Ramon and forced him to come outside and look. You see, the last couple of months as i've been working out there and not seeing any flowers and was enviously looking around at the nieghbors garden who didn't buy seeds and went ahead and bought the more expensive flowers. I kept thinking "Man I wish we hadn't needed to buy the cheap seeds." God just kept whispering to my heart "The good things are worth waiting for" I felt like He wasn't just talking about the flowers but also about Panama. So you see God can and does use the little things to teach us things and as my little purple flower can attest to there are some things that are just WORTH WAITING FOR!

Transracial Family

2008-06-20T07:09:00.003-06:00

I have been reading alot of people's blogs lately who are adopting transracially and it seems to be a big topic among most of them about the world and them adopting children of a different race. And it ocurred to me that my family is a transracial family. I say "ocurred" because in all honesty it is something that I just don't think about all that often. Ramon is alot darker than I am but I truly just don't think about it very much. We do tend to get looks sometimes when we are out and about but not all the time. For the most part I think people accept more than we give them credit for. Another topic is making sure the children stay in tune with there "race" I do want to make sure that my kids realize that they are half latin and half american. I want them to be proud of both sides of them. But at the same time I don't want that to define who they are. I don't think the color or ones skin or where there race generated from should define someone. I want my children to realize that yeah my parents are 2 different colors and yes I do come from venezuela and america but my ultimate family is God's family. I can't really say that my kids are growing up Latino or American because we just kind of do things our own way. We take the best from both cultures and incorporate them into our daily lives. We try to live our lives simply by they way God wanted us to. I'm not trying to make my kids "white"or "latino" I just want them to realize that they are not defined by a race, but that they are defined by God's eyes and in his eyes we are all special! So I guess my point is, that yes we are a transracial family but that is not what defines us as a family. That yes my husband is a different color than me, but he has been the love of my life since I first layed eyes on him and he will be till I die. That yes, my kids are latin and american but they are not defined by either of those races. That we are simply put "All part of GOd's family"

ONe of THOSE moms!!!

2008-06-19T08:11:00.003-06:00

Well I've done it.... I've finally become one of those moms!! I have put my kids on a STRICT schedule! I have been so exhausted and irritated in the morning because all 3 kids wake up SOOO early. So Ramon and I talked and we came up with a schedule that we are going to keep! I'm determined. THe kids will not be allowed to come downstairs until 8:00 AM but they are also not going to be going to bed until 8:40 PM. We have chore time, craft time, free time, reading time, all kinds of things. To be honest they are not liking "the schedule" as they are calling it but you know what I LOVE IT! I loved having an hr to myself this morning before I had to be "mom" It is making for a much happier ME! And it is making things around here run alot smoother. So yes I am one of those mothers who do the schedule thing even though I swore to myself I wouldn't be, I have to admit it really is the better way to go!

NO MORE!!!!!

2008-06-12T07:40:00.002-06:00

Tonight as we finished the book "A Woman's Heart God's Dwelling Place" by Beth Moore I became completly overwhelmed with emotion. It was by something I had never really even given much thought to before. We were talking about heaven, she brought up the fact thaqt even though we don't have alot of information about what it is we do know something. NO MORE! Oh how this touched me to my very soul. NO MORE, NO MORE, NO MORE! No more watching the people you love die right in front of your eyes, No more loneliness, No more rejection, NO more having the people you love hurt you, No more sadness, No more feeling of self worthlessness, No more fighting, No more guilt, No more pain, No more tears, No more wishing for something more,
I could contine going on here about NO MORE but I think you get my idea. I was truly moved to tears by the thought of No more. There are so many things in my life that I just can't wait for them to be gone.
Not only does God want to make us a beautiful home to live in but He is going to make it a place where there won't even be a thought that will bring us pain! How amazing is that. Wow, we have a truly magnificent Father don't we.
What about you? WHat is your list of NO MORE'S???

Heat, Heat and more Heat!

2008-06-10T07:04:00.003-06:00

Well here I am I haven't written in a couple of days. Mainly because it's been so hot here I can't seem to get myself to do anything, except play in the pool with the kids. I have been cleaning and just about killing myself to get it done. But today I have decided to simply not worry about it and just relax with the kids. The pool is busted though have to figure that out. So we are not even going to go outside just hang inside and watch TV. I know there are many mothers out there who consider that completly awful but I just can't bring myself to care. I mean 1 day of mindless TV watching isn't really going to do anyone any harm. Is it????

Oops, just got a phone call from my sister. Looks like I don't have to sit in my non-airconditioned house. She's going to come and get me and kids to go over to her house! Yeah! I'll be babysitting but that's just fine with me! Anything to get out of the heat and into the air!!! So now I'm off to get dressed and ready to go. THank you Lord.

2008-06-06T06:18:00.002-06:00

Well it is only 8:19 and I have been up for about 2 hrs already. Oh the joys of young children who wake up at the crack of dawn.
Logan is at his cousins house for the weekend. He was so excited yesterday when he was leaving that he was going to get to stay for 2 whole nights! It's the most exciting that has ever happened in his young little life.
So Jhocy is in the living room watching a Barbie movie. For the mothers out there for have daughters Barbie movies are great for them. Clean and just to cute.
Jesse is running around causing havoc wherever he can. 1 yr olds.... there is nothing quite like them. :)
So not alot on the agenda for the day. CLean the kitchen AGAIN! I swear cleaning the kitchen has to take up at least 1 3rd of our lives! Never ending. Just going to clean up some, boil some eggs, give the kids some nap time and just enjoy the day. At the moment I'm feeling pretty relaxed and up for the day. I'll check back in tonight at let you know how long that feeling lasted!

Jhocy.....

2008-05-27T10:05:00.003-06:00

Dirty dishes lay in the sink,
Dirty laundry lay in a heap,
Things scattered here and there,
In came my daughter needing a hug,

Time is going by I remind myself,
3 yrs... they flew by,
I look at her and see a little girl,
THe toddler she was no more,

Now is the time to hold her,
Now is the time to hug her,
Now is the time to build those memories,

So the dishes, the laundry they stayed where they were,
As I layed on the couch and sang her a song,
Twinkle, twinkle little star,
Little does she know that my twinkle is her.

Logan's favorite things...

2008-05-27T07:04:00.002-06:00

Ok so I know the dogs eyes are shiny but I haven't figured out yet how to take care of that. But seriously Logan's favorite things are his puppy, his sonic (he got that from a special person in his life Mundo his daddy's life long friend and I have known him as long as I've known Ramon) and his remote control car that he got from his Uncle Darren for his birthday. My 2 favorite boys. Never a dull moment in our house.

Jesse and his favorite things..

2008-05-27T06:55:00.002-06:00

Now you might say but he's in the same place in all of these pics how can it be his favorite things? Well the answer is simple. His favorite plase is in his highchair where he can eat! He loves to eat it is his favorite thing so here is Jesse in if he could talk he would tell you the best place in the house. (:

Aren't we cute!

2008-05-24T16:36:00.000-06:00

Me and Jhocy!!

2008-05-24T09:53:00.000-06:00

Ramon's new Haircut!!!???

2008-05-24T09:52:00.000-06:00

Hot summer Days

2008-05-24T09:44:00.001-06:00

My Garden

2008-05-24T09:40:00.000-06:00

Flash!

2008-05-24T09:37:00.001-06:00

THis was Logan's birthday present from his Grandma and Grandpa! He loves to run!

CHAPMAN FAMILY!!!

2008-05-22T13:11:00.002-06:00

Please pray for the CHapman family as I'm sure many of you have heard that there youngest daughter was killed yesterday in a tragic accident. I can not imagine what they are feeling right now. Please just continue to pray for them in this time of suffering.

Me and my Man!

2008-05-15T12:51:00.001-06:00

Ramon and I took this one day with his cell phone camera in the car just goofing off. We still love to have fun!

Mother's Day Photo Contest

2008-04-30T15:02:00.001-06:00

what motherhood means to me ...

(photo entry for 5 minutes for mom)

2008-04-27T17:49:00.002-06:00

As the deer panteth for the water,
so soul longeth after thee,
YOu alone are my hearts desire,
and I long to worship thee,

You alone are my strength, my shield,
to YOu alone may my Spirit yeild,

These are the words that brought tears to my eyes today in church. I sing often to my kids, in fact i have several songs that I sing on a regular basis to them and this is one of the songs. It is one of my favorites and theirs. Today as I listened to it being played on the flute and then the voices of hundreds of christians joining in and singing it, I became totally lost in it's meaning. I want to pant of the Lord! I want to need HIm like the air I breath. I have been working on changing my spiritual life, on becoming closer to my Abba father and I think this song describes Him so well. I pray that I will keep this focus on Him and this love for him that I feel.

Jesse's First BIrthday!

2008-04-20T18:13:00.003-06:00

Well, I know these pics are late. But my camera wasn't working and we finally got it to work today so here we go. THe first cake is the one that everyone got to eat and then Jesse got his own cake which is the one you see him devouring. As you can see he loved this part of the party. :)

BTW: All my kids cakes are done by my older sister Tami.

My First Garden

2008-04-20T18:06:00.002-06:00

Ok so the Rose doesn't look that hot in this pic. BUt it looked really beautiful today. THe Rain was kinda messing up the pictures. BUt these are my first flowers ever I have had to actually bloom. THe rose bush is actually the first one I have ever had and I am completly enjoying checking on it every morning to see how it is coming along!! So far I have 4 blooms and this one is the first to start opening! Oh God's creation I just can't get enough of it.

Taken JUst Today!

2008-04-20T14:31:00.000-06:00

Prayer!!!!!!!

2008-04-16T12:19:00.001-06:00

Please pray for me. I'm having some personal problems.

Why I'm a stay at home mom!

2008-04-14T08:03:00.002-06:00

Ever since Jhocelyn asked Jesus into her heart she talks about God almost nonstop. She can not wait to get to heaven! She thinks (as she should) that it is the most exciting thing ever. This morning I was listening to some worship music as I was making breakfast and the song that says "People get ready, Jesus is coming, Soon we'll be going home" was on and she came running into the kitchen saying is Jesus coming now to get us mom? And I said once again (she is having a hard time understanding that no one knows when he is coming) "I don't know Jhocy, we just have to be ready for him" and she went running out saying "We just have to always be ready cause He's coming soon!"
That is why I'm a stay at home mom! There are days when I get so stressed and so tired. Like this morning. I was listening to praise music because I woke up in a bad mood and was trying to get my spirit in the right place. And then one of my kids will say something like that. It's all worth it so see my 3 yr old so excited about the return of Christ! To hear her say with complete confidence "I'm going to heaven because I asked Jesus in my heart!"

Thank you GOd for my children! Help me to be the kind of mother that will guide them and show them your love on a daily basis. Help me to remember that I'm reflecting you in the way I treat them and the way I interact with them. Help me when I get angry to remember that the sin has already been forgiven by you and I simply need to teach them the right way to go and not yell at them. Help me to be the kind of mother to Logan, Jhocelyn and Jesse that when I get to heaven I can stand before you and say "Father I did my best" Help me Father.....

To My Son Logan On your 5th Birthday!

2008-04-11T07:14:00.003-06:00

Logan, today you are turning 5! I can't believe 5 yrs have gone by already. This time 5 yrs ago you were being laid in my arms for the very first time! Literally you were minutes old and I couldn't believe that my dream of being a mother was finally true. So many things have happened in our lives since you were born. I can not even begin to tell you much I love you. YOu bring so much joy and happiness into my life. YOu are a little boy filled with passion and love for everyone around you. When you love someone you do it with everything in you. You have a spirit of adventure. You accepted Christ into your heart last year and even though you have your days loved one, I can see you growing in Christ. You don't know it yet but your Grandpa and Grandma are getting you a puppy for your birhday. You will get your first puppy today! In august you will be starting kindergarten! I just can't believe how fast time has gone by. YOu are a treasure in my life and I love you with every part of me. I thank God daily for you. My prayer for you is that you will grow up to be a man of God and serve Him with everything in you. I love you my dear son. HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Helping Others

2008-04-08T07:55:00.002-06:00

I would like to mention on here once again about my friends the Garcia's. They have a fundraiser going on right now to help with the adoption from Haiti. They are selling T-Shirts. They will also be selling a book of poetry that was written by Stephanie. Those are not for sale right now but they will be soon when they are ready. If you would like to spend a little bit of money and know that you had a part in helping bring a child out of poverty and into a loving home. Please go to www.iansadoption.blogspot.com and help in bringing a child into the arms of loving parents.

To My Dear WOnderful Husband,

2008-04-08T07:11:00.003-06:00

Gago, Sunday we celebrated our 6 yr anniversary and it was a wonderful day. I can not tell you how wonderful these 6 yrs with you have been. The day we got married we were still children in so many ways and I have loved growing with you. We have been through so much in the mere 6 years that we have been married. We have 3 wonderful children, you have gone to BIble school and graduated with a Bachelors degree, we have met so many people in those years who are still such a big part of our life. One of the best things have been just watching you grow into the man that God is making you. You are a man, who puts God first and then his family and I love you all the more for that. I love to watch you get down on the floor and wrestle with the boys and then you can go from that to brushing and fixing Jhocelyns hair. You are a wonderful man. We have so much fun together. Not a day goes by that we are not laughing together.

I can't wait to get to Panama with you so we can serve the Lord together on the mission field. Thank you so much for everything that you do for us, for all the little surprises that you give us, and simply for the way you love me. Thank you for 6 wonderful years together and I look forward to the next 60 with you.

Juntos Por Siempre, Nunmacapia!

Lee

My Friends the Garcia's

2008-04-04T07:29:00.003-06:00

Please pray for my friends Pedro and Stephanie Garcia as they recieved word that the twins that they are trying to adopt might not be up for adoption now. The grandmother is more than likely going to keep them and raise them herself. Please pray that the grandmother would make the best choice possible for them, and that either way it goes that both parties involved would have the peace of God with them. Please pray also that if the twins do stay in Haiti that as they grow older they would learn the love of God so that one day the Garcia's can see them in Heaven.

Have You Ever Stopped to Think....

2008-04-03T11:19:00.002-06:00

Have you ever stopped to think what will your kids remember about you when your gone?
Will you leave behind a legacy that leaves them feeling proud,
Will they think about you and immediately think of GOd?

Have you ever stopped to think what will your friends remember about you when your gone?
Will they think about you and say "She always walked with God?"
Will they remember you and be glad?

Have you ever stopped to think what will your spouse remember about you when your gone?
Will he remember you and know you loved him with your all?
Will he think of you and and know your worth was far above rubies and gold?

Have you ever stopped to think what will your testimony say about you when your gone?
Will you be remembered as a child of the King or one who simply lived?
Will people simply know where you are because of your testimony or will they have a small doubt?

Have you ever stopped to think???

A Success!

2008-04-03T07:05:00.001-06:00

Tricia's surgery was a success! Please continue to keep this family in your prayers. Be sure to check out their blog at www.cfhusband.blogspot.com for more info and continued updates.

Nathan and Tricia

2008-04-02T19:41:00.002-06:00

Tricia has gotten her lungs! She is in surgery right now as I write this. Please pray for her as she still has hrs in the surgery and then months of recovery. Pray also for the family who had to loose a loved one in order for Tricia to recieve these lungs. Please pray.

A NEW NAME ADDED TO THE LAMBS BOOK OF LIFE!

2008-03-26T06:52:00.002-06:00

And it was my daughters!!! Jhocelyn had been coming to Ramon and I for a couple of days asking us about heaven and hell and how she was supposed to get to heaven. Well yesterday afternoon she came to me and was asking some very serious questions so I explained it to her again and she told me that she wanted to pray and ask Jesus into her heart. So I prayed with her and I'm happy to say I truly believe that my daughter is now a daughter of the King!

March 25th 2008- Jhocelyn's birthdate into the kingdom of God

1 life born, 2 united, 2 to meet their Savior,

2008-03-23T16:11:00.002-06:00

ON Good friday all of those things happened. A very close friend of mine gave birth to her daughter EMily Esther in the wee hrs of the morning. Several hours later people from my church were married. I didn't know them but they attend my church and my mother helped organize the wedding for the church. ANd yet 2 others were taken very un-expectantly from their families. I didn't know them either but yet they were family to a close friend of mine.

Why am I writing about this? Simply because it's easter sunday, resurrection sunday, the day that explains and is the very basis of my faith.

Even though there are families out there who are celebrating the first easter with out loved ones they still have hope. Today as I was in the service I couldn't help but think about all of the people I am writing about. A child was born on the very day that Christ died for me! Two people went before Him and connected their lives on the day that Christ died for me! And..... 2 poeple met Christ on the very day that He died for me!

HOPE!!! That is the word for all of those people. The parents of EMily have hope for her life because Christ died for her. The couple who were married have hope for their marriage because Christ died for them. The family's who lost their loved ones have hope they they will see them again because Christ died for them!

All these people who have never met, know nothing about eachother and yet are somehow connected simply because of the fact that Christ died for them!

As you go about your week think of Christ and the sacrifice that He made for you and make sure that you have the same hope that they have and that I have.

1 Peter 1:6-9

2008-03-19T19:42:00.003-06:00

6:IN this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials. 7:so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 8: and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9: obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.

Just take a minute and think about these verses, of what they mean.

Things I've experienced in my 24 yrs....

2008-03-17T07:17:00.002-06:00

I have lived in the amazon,

I have had 3 children,

I married the man I love more than my own life,

I lived in texas,

And now on to the things most of you don't know about me.....

I went to boarding school for 2 yrs,

I have had my heart broken,

I have experienced the love and forgiveness of God in my life in BIG ways,

My husband and I have had some really hard times in our marriage due to circumstances only to come out closer to GOd in the end,

I've experienced true friendship from very special people in my life,

I've had moments of true doubt,

My children are the best things in my life and yet one of my biggest fears,

And now for some of my favorite things,

I love to dance with my kids everyday,

I love to swim in the rivers of venezuela it is one of my greatest joys and one of the things I miss the most,

I love the rolling hills of virginia,

I love to talk with my friends,

I love to lay on the sofa with my husband in the safety of his arms,

I love to be outside in the spring,

I love shoes,

I love to play games with my husband and friends,

I love to watch the look on my kids faces when they discover something new,

I love to greet my husband at the door when he comes home from work,

I love to study the Bible and learn more about GOd,

I love to dream,

I love coffee shops,

I love to work with teenagers and teach them the things I wish I knew when I was their age,

I loved my years in texas,

I'm learning and growing in Christ and the daughter of the king and I love it!

Haiti

2008-03-14T09:00:00.002-06:00

TOdya my father is leaving to meet up with a friend to leave for Haiti early tomorrow morning. THey are many people going on this trip. Please pray for their safety, for the work to get done and most of all that many more people will come to know the love of Christ personally.

Jesse's first words!

2008-03-13T07:28:00.002-06:00

Well it seems the time has come for squirt boy (yes that's really his nickname) to start talking. His first word as odd as it sounds was "guys" I was telling his oder brother and his older cousin to bequiet and I said "Bequiet Guys" and he jesse proceeded to yell it after me. And yesterday he said "kisses" and today he said "no"

Oh the joys of mother hood!

Prayer Request

2008-03-12T09:20:00.002-06:00

Please pray for baby Gwyneth she is having some difficulties right now. Go to her fathers blog www.cfhusband.blogspot.com to find out more.

Also please pray for my Grandfather a missionary in the amazon rainforest in venezuela he is 88 yrs old and is not doing well. Just remember both of these people as you pray today.

Thanks

Jhocy's 3!

2008-03-11T08:16:00.000-06:00

3 years of Jhocy,

2008-03-11T07:18:00.003-06:00

Monday was Jhocelyn's birthday so I thought I would show some of my favorite pictures of her since she was born until now...

Jhocelyn, I prayed and prayed for a daughter and God gave me you! You bring so much joy and laughter into my life. I love the way you are always laughing. YOu love to laugh and even at 3 you make up your own jokes to make others laugh with you. I love it when you tell me you want to be just like me when you get big. I love when I see you playing with your little brother, or when you try to "help" me in the kitchen. You are a loving, caring, adventurous little girl and I can't wait to see what God has in store for your life. We love you and you will always be "my girl"

For Tricia,,

2008-03-10T18:43:00.002-06:00

It's so funny that I'm doing this today. Today was an extremely frustrating day for me with my kids. I actually ended up in tears because i was so overwhelmed. Even though I don't know Tricia personally I do find myself thinking of her and Gwyneth when things seem never ending. So Tricia this is for you....
I can't wait for you to experience.....

Being thrown up on and pooped on at the same time,
Being woken up 12 times in one night,
Having your child be perfectly fine till the phone rings and then they decide that the world is about to come to an end and need your undivided attention right that second,
To be walking out the door and have someone spill something on you and truly not caring because it just happens all the time,
To have someone come to the door and realize that your 2 year old is running around naked behind you,
The moment your husband walks in the door inform him that it's HIS TURN!
To play in the snow or the rain with your children,
To experience the first REAL hug from your daughter,
TO have your daughter tell you she loves you and that your the best,
To hear her laughter as she watches her favorite cartoon,
To hear her thanking GOd for you,

I needed to do this tonight. I needed to remember why I wanted to be a stay at home mom in the first place. YOu are still in my prayers Nate and Tricia,,,,

Prayer for my kids

2008-03-04T19:05:00.002-06:00

Please pray for my kids they seem to have contracted the flu. Logan has thrown up 3 times tonight. Please remember them when your praying tonight.

When I actually took the time....

2008-03-02T20:22:00.002-06:00

When I actually took the time to just sit and enjoy my kids I got to......

Hear my 4 yr old helping his sister put her shoes on,

Play car races,

Hear my 2 yr old thanking GOd for every person in her life,

Hear the wonderful sound of my 3 kids laughing together,

Had the joy of sitting with all 3 of them and reading together,

Got to build a princess castle with my daughter,

Was able to listen to my son's dreams and ideas for when he is grown up,

Had my daughter tell me that I am the "best"

Fell in love with them all over again!

God is Bigger than we think!

2008-02-28T08:41:00.002-06:00

I just came from my Bible study and wow was it awesome! Not only what we learned but also because of the things that happened afterwards. God answered several prayers tonight in incredible ways and I am so thankful and in awe of Him right now.Let me share some of what we learned tonight. I am doing the studay Jesus the One and Only by Beth Moore and it is truly amazing. We are getting to see so many sides of Jesus and it's fabulous. The reason tonight has touched me so deeply is because it talks so much about things that have been a struggle for me the last couple of days. I have been talking lately about what we can do to help others who are struggling and I know i've been saying the least we can do is pray but in reality that is not the least that is the most. So many times we think that if we just had this much money, or a little bit more power in the world we could get things done. But who are we kidding! We serve a KING who has the most riches in the universe and who has the ultimate power. If we take our problems to HIS throne we are taking them to the ultimate doctor, the richest being in the universe, the guy with the most political power, the most compassionet, the one who created us! We are taking them to I AM WHO I AM! Jesus the ONE AND ONLY! wow! Just think about that for a minute. I am in awe of God right now.Anyways back the the study...... We were talking tonight about our perspective of Christ. I'm going to share some thoughts with you from Beth Moore my favorite one is.... Shatter my perspective of you God and show me the reality of you! Isn't that awesome. It struck home with me because I don't think we (i know i dont) think of God as big as He really is. We have to think bigger! He is capable of anything and everything if he so chooses. Nothing is to big for him. This thought is going to be something that I start praying daily. I want Him to show me who He really is. I want to know Him more and more! Another one I thought was good See me in every place, there is no place I don't have dominion! So true. Even in the problems that we think are to "small" He is there with them or in the ones where they just seem to "huge" He is there. Isn't it amazing to think and to know that He is EVERY part of our lives He is there. I mean wow He is amazing! So go about your day and just be calm because He is there nothing is happening without His knowledge or without Him there holding your hand through it all!

2008-02-26T21:45:00.002-06:00

Here I am yet again my heart full and unsure of what to write. I keep reading other peoples blogs and it fills me with so much sadness. I don't know what to do. I want to do something anything to make peoples lives better. Part of me says "just stop reading them they affect you to much" but they should affect me. Shouldn't they? I should want to go help them. SHoulnd't I? Even though it's hard for me to read them, I will have to continue reading. I want to be made aware. Because the more aware I am the more I pray and the more I pray the closer I know GOd!

Kindergarten

2008-02-26T18:52:00.002-06:00

Well it is now registration time for schools here. So my husband and I have been trying to find a school we want for our son logan one that we can afford. We want to send him to a christian school here for many differing reasons. But unfortunatly we aren't really able to afford that. So we've been praying about it. Well today we were able to go and register him. So he is registered at a christian school here in town. I don't kow where the rest of the money will come from to pay for his books, uniform, and tuition but GOd knows. Please just pray with us that we would be able to get all the money we need for this.

Potty Training is.....

2008-02-25T18:12:00.001-06:00

A SUCCESS!!!! We have gone 2 days now with no diapers and no accidents! Woohoo. Think of all the money i'm going to save!

2008-02-24T19:46:00.002-06:00

I'm sitting here in my bedroom with my heart full and unsure of how exactly to say what I'm feeling. You see I'm not a good writer I simply enjoy doing it. But I was just reading some other peoples blogs and I had tears streaming down my face. Let me explain why...
Nathan and Tricia who you can read about at www.cfhusband.blogspot.com I've written about them before but they truly have an amazing story. Tricia was listed and activated the other day on the transplant list. Which means at any time she could be called to have surgery. I was just reading Nathan's blog and he was just talking about understanding other peoples situations. He said he doesn't think we can ever fully understand what they are going through. I agree. I can't imagine how they are feeling right now. So many feelings my heart goes out to them. Congratulations TRicia!!
Pedro and Stephania Garcia www.garcias2chile.blogspot.com or www.iansadoption.blogspot.com they are in the process of adopting there 4th and 5th child. My heart feels for them in so many ways. You see concieving was never an issue for me and my husband. I truly can not understand how it must feel to desire that with everything in you and then making the decision to adopt and having that decision basically in someone else's hands. And then to finally get matched with your children and not be able to see them or hold them. Stephanie has a way of writing so beautifully about all of those feelings.
And then finally just thinking of all the little children that are out there right now suffering. I have really become aware of the country Haiti and all the people there in the last couple of months. I have another missionary friend who had been going to Haiti every other month working on a project there and my dad will be going next month and now my good friends are adopting from there. Haiti is the poorest country in the world. Children are dying there, eating dirt to simply survive, parents who are having their children die in their arms. I'm starting to tear up just thinking about it!
How can we as a society, as Christians do nothing. We were put on this earth to show Christ love to everyone. I cry for my kids when they are sad, how must these parents feel watching their children starve to death, or have them get sick and how no way of helping them? My heart cries out that this just isn't fair!!!!! My mind says "DO something Erin, don't just sit by and let all of this suffering go by for nothing" I want to be able to go to Tricia (who I have never met or spoken to, she knows nothing about me) and allow her to hold her baby and give her a wonderful set of lungs, I want to give Stephanie all the money she needs for the adoption and tell her to go pick up her kids, I want to go to Haiti and help every single person there in need. And yet.... I know this is not God's plan. I don't even try to understand the reason behind things. I know that God has a purpose for every little thing but that doesn't stop me from wanting to help. I don't know for sure yet how..... But I do believe that as child of the KIng I have a duty to show that love. I will pray for all of these people because I know that is the biggest and most powerful thing I can do for anyone. I will pray that Tricia is able to have her surgery soon and heal quickly, I will pray for the Garcia's adoption that they get the money they need and for the protection of the twins, and I will pray for the people of Haiti that they will feel the love and warmth of the One who created them!

One of those Days...

2008-02-23T10:11:00.002-06:00

Have you ever had one of those days where everything is just making you sad? Well that was me yesterday. I couldn't seem to stop crying.
I love being a stay at home mom but sometimes it just seems so overwhelming. My 3 young kids get so bored at home all day and they having been able to make any friends yet and they were crying and I was crying. I'm trying to keep the house clean and they are so bored they are just running all over the place and it's to cold to play outside....... I just needed an adult to talk to.

BUt it's moring now and I've feeling much better. It also helps that I have an amazing husband who is terrific about helping me and just being alltogether wonderful!!!

Jhocy

2008-02-20T19:03:00.002-06:00

I'm trying to potty train my 2 year old daughter (she will be 3 in a couple of weeks) well the problem is she doesn't want any part of it! Her answer to me usually is "I want to be a baby" So all the advice i've gotten from many other mothers who have potty trained numerous children is not to push them. So i'm not pushing her. Well today she had a full diaper I was getting ready to change her when out of her mouth came "EW" I said "What's wrong Jhocy" her response "I just smelled by myself, it's gross"

I thought it was rather humorous. If you have your own kids or have been around a lot of kids you will understand. If not..... sorry :)

Ian and Eliana Garcia

2008-02-20T09:46:00.002-06:00

THese will be the names of the twins that Pedro and Stephanie are adopting. I want to write about some other aspects of the adoption process. Adopting from Haiti is an extremly expensive process. THey will also be sending money to the orphange every month to provide food and medical care for the twins till they are able to be brought home to the loving arms of their waiting family. Please pray that GOd would provide the money to be able to BRING IAN AND ELIANA HOME!!! Please go to www.iansadoption.blogspot.com to find out more information on this wonderful family. You can also go to www.garcias2chile.blogspot.com to find out more information on the Garcia family.

Still working on it.....

2008-02-20T09:42:00.002-06:00

Ok well i'm still working on losing weight. And i'm proud to say that it's working. You can't really see the difference but i can feel it. And i'm also happy to say that I joined a program on line today to help me. They will give me healthy recipes, give me a trainer to talk to and allow me to talk to other people that are working on it to. So please continue to pray with me (and nag me) to eat right and to exercise. I have set a goal to exercise 30 minutes a day 4 days a week. Please help me to stay focused on this. I really want to lose the weight.....

An answer to a child's prayer....

2008-02-17T20:39:00.002-06:00

that she had been praying for 2 years.....
Let me fill you in on some good friends of ours. Pedro and Stephanie Garcia. When we met them in TX they had adopted 3 children and were in the process of adopting there 4th one. The night I met Stephanie she told me her daughter was praying that they would get twins. (Very specifically to she wanted a boy and girl. That is what she asked for daily) We all just laughed and said "kids"
Well the adoption in TX never went through. IT did not break Eva's prayers though. She daily prayed that GOd would bless them with twins in the family. Well when the Garcia's moved to CHile they started the process there to adopt. Well once again God said no. So just out of the blue Stephanie started researching adoption in Haiti. ANd prayerfully they were able to come to the decision to start that process. Eva continued to pray....
They had been in that process for about a month when they found out that Eva's prayers had come true. They had been matched to twins.... A boy and a girl!
NEVER EVER UNDERESTIMATE THE PRAYERS OF A CHILD.

Congratulations steph and pedro.... They couldn't have gone to better parents.

LOSING WEIGHT!

2008-02-11T19:18:00.000-06:00

Hello out there to all of you. I'm going to ask all of you a favor. I have decided to go on a weight loss endeavor. I want to be thin again. So I'm asking all of you out there to help me keep me acountable. Will you help me? Help me stay focused on eating right and even exercising. Leave me comments. I know you guys read people tell me about what is on there so I know there are people out there reading this. So please HELP!!!