Prayer!!!!!!!

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

Why I'm a stay at home mom!

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!

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

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,

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

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....

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!

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

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!

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,

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

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....

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

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!

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

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!

3 years of Jhocy,

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,,

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

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....

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!

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!

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

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.....

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!

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...

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

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

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.....

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.....