He's got this.

Life is so beautiful.

It's not always easy, but it is beautiful nonetheless. We all go through trials in life, and we will keep going through them until we learn whatever we are meant to learn from each one. 

Trials are not a bad thing, and we should not fear them. Trials purify us. They make us better, stronger, smarter, kinder, etc.. 

There have been times when I have gotten so busy with life, that when I suddenly looked around and feel like I am drowning. I was struggling to do it all myself and when that didn't work,  I would get frustrated and upset. It's during those times, I have to remind myself, that God has got this.

He knows everything, and everything that happens in our lives, happens for a reason. It may be a stepping stone for something big in the future, it may be a trial that we have to endure to make us a better person. It may be a chance to help another person in need and show them God's great love. 

 Once that clicks, you start seeing things in a different way. Your world gets calm. You no longer feel like you are trying to control a little dingy on a stormy ocean, because you know that God has got this. 

Trusting God is easy until it comes to the point where you really want things to go a certain way. I have noticed this with myself many times. When I really want something to happen, I pray and try to shape things in my life a certain way so it happens. That is not trust. That is manipulation. And I am guilty of doing that many times. I don't always realize I am doing this until I feel stressed and worried. Thats when I realize I have been trying to manipulate things to happen in the way I want. When we trust God completely, we know He will take care of us weather things go as we want or not. We understand that everything that happens in our lives, happens for a reason. 

And that feeling we get in our hearts?  Oh, it is the most amazing feeling. 

You suddenly realize that you are not on my own. God cares so much about you. You are his child, and like any father, He wants the best for his child. So when you say you trust God in a certain trial in life, Do you have that peace in your heart? The feeling you get when you know that God's got this?

Life is beautiful. Life is short. Enjoy every moment. Don't spend it worrying, stressing or trying to control everything yourself. Give God a chance to show you that He's got this. 

Thanks for visiting, 

Living for Him....

I recently had an opportunity to meet an amazing and selfless woman. Every month she opens her house to young married women, and ministers to them, just as Titus 2:3-5 teaches us.

She has been ministering for 12 years now. She talks about how we should love our husbands and children, how to be graceful, and thankful in everything, how to dwell on the good and get rid of all bitterness in our lives. 

It was such an amazing evening that the time flew by way to fast. I could listen to her speak for hours. 

As stay at home moms, we may sometimes feel that our work is not important. But the bible says that it is God's will for us to minister to our children and husband before anyone else. 

We are to raise our children with all our hearts, and raise them for God's glory.

 

Last week I had a thought on my mind all week long. Why did God put all of these people on earth? Are we here to live for ourselves? To be selfish and do what ever we please? Is that really why God made us? NO, He is the king. He put us on this earth to glorify Him. To live for Him. Everything is for Him. We raise our children for Him, we honor our husband for Him. 

We are on this earth for such a short while, why not live for Him while we have the opportunity. 

Blessings, 

Trust

October has flown by in a blur, and although there were a few highlights, I have to say that I am glad that it is behind us.  It was a really hard month, because we all had a cold. It started with my hubby, who had a cold for 3 weeks, then I came next, followed by my daughter and now the boys (3rd week with this cold) This nasty cold had everything from coughing, to ear pain and pink eye. It felt like one thing after another :(

Being sick and having to take care of sick kids for so long has really taking a toll on me. I am so tired and sleep deprived. My littlest couldn't handle this cold as well as the older kids, he can't spit up the mucus stuck in his throat, so he starts coughing really hard, which makes him throw up,  and off course this usually happens during naps and bedtime, which means that we both have not been getting much sleep. 

One night, as I sat in a steamy bathroom with the shower on, trying to get my little one over a coughing spell, I just started to pray. I prayed and cried. I told the Lord that I was so tired. 

I told him that I am sorry that I am not strong enough not handle this situation. I prayed and asked him to help me.

That night, I kept repeating Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.

I memorized this verse last year and during a hard times, it pops into my head to remind me to trust the Lord. 

The next day I spoke with my sister, she suggested that I try a warm mist humidifier with vicks tablets, I decided to give it a try, I had nothing to loose, I have already tried everything I could think of, home remedies, essential oils, even cough medicine. Nothing worked. 

I bought a warm mist diffuser and set it up ad that night my little guy only woke up twice to cough, but did not throw up!! I thank the Lord for hearing and answering my prayer. 

We are still recovering, but I think we are over the hard part. 

I just wanted to reach out and tell you that if you are going through a hard time, to lay your trust in the Lord, He is there for you. You are important, you are his child and he loves you. 

Book Club #2- Five languages of Love

As you may know, I have started a book club with some friends, you can read about our first book  here.

June's book was The 5 Languages of Love by Dr. Gary Chapman. 

I actually had this book on my bookshelf since the day I got married, in fact someone gave it to us as a wedding gift 10 years ago. I am embarrassed to say I have never read it until now. 

I didn't think I needed marriage advice books, I thought I had everything figured out. But as I was going through my bookshelf, found it and decided to give it a try. 

I wish I read it sooner in my marriage, in fact, I wish I read it before I got married.  It opened my eyes to what my husband's love language is and what is mine. It made so many things make sense and fall into place. 

In the book Dr. Chapman, explains that we all have a love tank, which needs to be filled. 

Before you get married, the love tank is usually over flowing with love. 

He also talks about the "in love" feelings, and says that they usually only last about 2 years, after that you really need to work on the relationship. That is when you need to understand that love is a choice. It is a daily choice to put your spouse's interest before our own. 

Dr. Chapman talks about 5 different love languages in detail, I will just give a brief overview of them.

1. Words of Affirmation- This is your love language if you feel most loved and cared about when your spouse is expressive in telling you how wonderful you are and how much they appreciate you and everything you do. Compliments make you thrive. 

2. Quality Time- This is your love language if you feel lost loved when your spouse spends time with you. Fully there and focused on you. 

3. Receiving Gifts-  This is your love language if you feel most loved when your spouse gives you gifts. It can be as simple as getting you that box of chocolate he knows you like or picking some flowers for you. 

4. Acts of Service- This is your love language if you feel most loved when your spouse helps out with the chores around the house, cooking or watching the kids. In other words, you feel loved and taken care of when your spouse takes the time to make your life easier. 

5. Physical Touch- This is your love language if you feel most loved when your spouse gives you physical attention. It can be a hug, kiss, touch and sexual intimacy. 

Dr. Chapman says that Love is a choice, find your spouses love language and choose to show love to your spouse in that way. Its not about what YOU need to feel loved, its about what your spouse needs. 

I loved this book, I have read it twice so far and I will re-read it again when I need a little reminding.

Thanks for visiting, 

Book Club#1- Bringing up Girls

A few of my friends and I decided to start a book club. We are going to be reading books that can help us learn and grow spiritually and emotionally.

This was actually our book from May, and I am just getting around to posting about it.

I figured that since we all had daughters, Bringing up Girls would be a great book to start with.

I was able to take away so much information from this book. In fact, I love owning books because I can highlight, add sticky notes on everything I want to remember. My daughter is young, and I thought that this book would not apply, but it does, it really does! I also see myself re-reading it a few years down the road to remind myself, why girls act the way they do. 

As soon as our children can talk, we need to be teaching them the fundamentals of faith. Dr Dobson uses personal examples to show how this looked in his own family, and Scriptural examples of fathers who were great men of the faith—but failed to pass it on to their children. He also shares lots of studies and statistics. 

Throughout the book, Dr. Dobson is brutally honest about the challenges that today’s parents face in raising their children with Christian values. In fact, I really got scared about my daughter going into high school (which would be in about 10 years!) But Isaiah 41:10 quickly popped into my head :

Fear not, for I am with you; Do not be afraid for I am your God, I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. I know that with Gods help and with advice given by Dr Dobson, I can be armed with the knowledge to raise a wonderful, God fearing girl. 

Phillipians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Dr Dobson says that it is important to build relationships with kids from their earliest childhood. I can not agree with him more! Your sons and daughters must know that you love them unconditionally and that everything you require is for their own good.

 Dr Dobson covers the challenges our daughters face nowadays such as low self-esteem (wanting to be “beautiful” in the world’s eyes) Dr Dobson shows you how to help your daughter develop AND maintain a healthy body image, despite what society and the media want our girls to be.

He also talks about why girls (toddlers and teenagers) act the way they do (and how and why they’re different from boys). OMG, this part was so eye opening for me. 

He covers some points on how to teach girls to be ladies (basically manners and morals).

He also has a section in which he sat down with 16 college-age women and talked to them about their relationships with their fathers.  It was really enlightening, I also liked his chapter on “Why Daddies Matter” – for those dads who might not realize how significant they are in their daughters’ lives – how much of an influence they are in their lives. This part got me thinking about my relationship with my father, and how it has affected my life. 

Dr. Dobson is a Christian and therefore this book brings a lot of the word of God into the principles of raising your daughter to be a Godly woman.  But I do believe this is a book that could benefit anyone, especially if they’re needing advice on a difficult situation involving their daughter.  Dobson talks about culture, consequences, puberty, bullies and friends, and how to encourage a lifestyle of modesty (including the idea of a Purity Ball, which I love!).

I felt I was able to take away many helpful principles after reading this book.  There were some things I didn’t know or even realize, and many things I’ll be somewhat prepared for now that I’ve read about them. 

I am so excited to read more books that would help me become a better wife, mother and person, plus the fact that I have scheduled time to sit down with my friends and drink tea, have some dessert  together doesn't hurt at all ;)

Thanks for visiting, 

Happy Mothers Day!

Happy mothers day Mommas!  I just wanted to take a moment to say that being a mom is the hardest job out there, and you should be proud of yourself for doing your best every day.  I will not lie and tell you that it has been an amazing year.  It was probably my hardest year yet. With a newborn, both older kids had  minor surgeries and homeschooling I was in survival mode most of the time.  I want you to know that there is a season for everything, I know it may be hard to remember that sometimes, but I want you to know that if you are experiencing a hard season, you are not alone. I understand, you are tired, emotional, overwhelmed. Remember that everyone's kids make mistakes, everyone has marriage and financial problems, with Gods help you will work through it and this season will pass.  God has called you to be their mom. There are so many amazing and rewarding parts of motherhood, even though they may feel like a dream during the hard seasons, remember that motherhood is the most important role that he has given you, and He never gives you more then you can handle because he loves you so much, He knows when you need help even before you even ask for it. You are important to him. Remember that.  I am so grateful for being their mom, I can not imagine not having these three blessings in my life.  Each and everyone of them brings me so much joy and happiness. So I hope you have a happy mothers day my dear friends. 

Thoughtful Thursday

As a wife and a mother I feel like it is my responsibility to create a beautiful, comfortable home that we all want to come home to at the end of the day. My daughter and I were talking about how a mom changes a "house" to a "home" and the work that she puts into it. I asked her if she would like to come home to a dark, cold, and messy place. She off course said no. Even though she is 7, she already understands the importance of having a comfortable and clean home for your family. 

A lot of times in life we put our best foot forward when we are around friends, coworkers, customers and so on. But when it comes to our family at the end of the day, we are to tired. We throw some pizza on a paper plate and call it a day. We do not want our family to feel like an after thought. They should come before our friends and coworkers. 

We are given the powerful gift from God to be the nurturers in our family, and a lot of times we fall short on how we present life in general to our family. It could be something simple as using pretty napkins at dinner, it could be taking an extra hour out of your day to cook some pasta and toss a salad  together  for a home cooked meal, it could be as simple as lighting a candle, or cleaning the bathroom. 

I want my family to feel loved and taken care of, I want them to feel like mom has time for them. I want my family to feel not only is this the place they want to go to, but stay there to, I want then to feel like our home is the paradise.

Sure, I have some days where I am just to exhausted to cook dinner, and that is ok. It usually means that I either took my kids on a "field trip", or I was cleaning my home, grocery shopping, or working in the yard, Again, I have been creating a "home" by doing these chores. Now my family has a clean home to come home to, the fridge is stocked with food, and the yard is clean, which means my husband doesn't have to go out and mow the lawn when he comes home; so we get to spend more time with together with the entire family.

Lets take the time and create a lovely home for our families to come home to at the and of the day. We should not do it for praise, because the bible tells us that whoever was first will be last.  We should want to do this because we love our families and this is a way for us to express our love. We should do this so children can replicate this when they grow up, we should do this to please my Lord, because Proverbs 31:13 says "She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household and plan the days work for her servant girls. "

If you would like to take a moment in prayer with me,

Our Heavenly Father, I thank you for making me a nurturer for my family. 

You can see how much I love them, even though I do not always show it. 

Help me put my family first even if I have have had a long hard day. 

It is my desire to create a loving home for my family, a place they will want to come home to, A place where your light shines. 

Please help me be a loving mother and wife and remember that I can ask for help and rely on your strength when I have none left; for patience when mine is often gone and for wisdom and your endless well of compassion and love I need as a mother. 

Amen

blessings,

Thoughtful Thursday

A few sabbaths ago, there was a skit performed in church and it has been on my mind lately 

I don't remember it word for word but it went something like this:

A young girl who is tired of making the wrong choices in her life asks Jesus to take over and help her make all the decisions in life, she sits "Jesus" on a stool and tells him to make her decisions and he agrees. 

Soon her friends come one after another asking her to come do things with her: go partying, stealing,  joy riding, drinking, smoking and so on. Although it is hard to say NO, with Jesus' help she does. Her friends start looking down on her and not wanting to spend time with her, then finally there is a party she wants to go to where the boy she likes will be there, Jesus says NO because the parents will not be home, there will be underage drinking and more. But the young girl really wants to go and says that she is tired of being lame and an outsider and pushes Jesus off the stool and says that she wants to make her own decisions from now on, so Jesus leaves.

It was a nice skit, but I kind of forgot about it. Now a few weeks later I can't get it out of my head. 

This young girls temptations don't apply to me, but I have so many of my own temptations and faults in life like being quick to judge, being impatient, being materialistic, raising my voice, telling lies, putting other things before spending time with God,  and so much more. 

I asked Jesus into my life, yet a lot of times I don't listen to what he is saying. I think I am doing nothing wrong, but after I do what seems like little things, I start feeling the regret and pain in my heart. 

So I am praying and asking Jesus to help me make the right decisions before hand. So when I look back on my day, I don't feel regret, but peace that I made the right choices. 

If you would like, pray with me and ask him to help you to.

Our Heavenly Father, I know that I have broken your laws and my sins have separated me from you. I am so sorry, and you see that I want to turn away from my sinful life. 

I pray that you forgive me and help me make the right decisions in life to avoid sinning again. 

Your son, Jesus died for my sins, he suffered and injured so much for me. 

He was resurrected from the dead and is alive! 

I ask Jesus to come and sit on this "stool" in my heart and help me make the right decisions in my life. I ask for the Holy Spirit to help me obey you and do your will every day of my life. 

In Jesus name, Amen.

Blessings, 

Praising God First...

It is the woman's job to be helpers of the family. God made us this way. We can't help it. 

Sure the men help out occasionally or when asked, but it it typically the woman who will be up in the middle of the night, feeding the baby, or checking on the kids and pulling blankets over them, it will the the woman who will drive the kids to soccer practice (or our case gymnastics), it is the woman who is found nurturing her children and teaching them daily. We spend all this time taking care of others, but who will take care of us?

I was listening to the radio, driving home from the grocery store, tired and worn out. Then I heard something. I heard someone say: We all come to God and tell him all our troubles, our worries, and ask him to help us, but how often do we just come and praise him? God knows our troubles, he knows what we are going through, because He is God! After  I heard this, I turned on my favorite worship song and just started singing at the top of my voice, It felt so good to just praise him! I came home feeling refreshed and happy, instead of tired and grumpy.

Fall is such a beautiful season, probably my favorite. We went on the walk, and I could not help but praise Him! He is so good, he is such an amazing creator. He takes care of his creation. 

The Lord will take care of us. He is strong when we are weak, He is always there, ready to help. Rejoice in him, praise him and you will find strength to go on. 

Thanks for visiting,