Why Do I Blog?

Some people have asked me this question, and as I thought about it, my answer would be that it is a way for me to process my thoughts, my struggles, my victories, and prayers. All my life I have journal ed, I have a whole trunk full of my life experiences, poems, daily logs..I look back to my early 20's, and see the growth, and maturity since then, some of my experiences are pretty hilarious, some pretty painful, and a lot of growing pains. I was reading back in one of my prayer journals that I kept while my daughter was in her prodigal years...it was dated 11-2004, she was only 20 years old, she is now 27...and those months are just some heart-felt prayers, lots of tears and pleading, of learning to trust God..but it was during that time that I learned what it really meant to be on my knees.

Most people don't read my blogs..after all who am I. But at times I will post them on Face book, just in case someone may decide to read them, and it can be an encouragement to someone else. I have always wanted to be a writer, and someday may venture to write a book.

When the whole blogging thing became popular, I thought what fun..I can share with others, and read what others have to say, and be apart of their journey.

These days I'm in a good place in my life. Our family has been healed of a lot of pain, we have survived some "perfect storms", things are peaceful at this present moment and have been for awhile. I went through an intense bible study called "healing hearts," in which God did some major heart surgery in me. I am very grateful for that bible study.

Steve & I are in a place that we want to serve, and have started a ministry called, Neighbors In Need..were hoping to help provide some necessities in this struggling economy in our church neighborhood. It's been fun doing a ministry together..hopefully by the end of June our Church will have collected enough items, that we can invite the neighborhood.

Paco our dog is our new child, and we love him dearly. Ashley is getting married in August. Her and Dee are going to Las Vegas, they have been together for 7 years, and decided that it's time to get married. We pray for them both everyday, for Gods will in their life. She is a beautiful young lady, who has made some remarkable changes in her life...and she loves Jesus with all her heart. I am so proud of the woman that she is becoming...so today life is good!

My Day..Amazed!

5:am..Wake up to get ready for work, need to be at my Preschool by 6am to open up , get the mats ready, snack, and breakfast.

Kids start arriving and lay on their mats until breakfast time. I have 2 hours to prepare for my classroom. I do some prepping, re-organizing, get curriculum ready for the day, and then have my quiet time. I look out the window and I see the cross on the steeple of the church next to us. A nice view during my quiet time. I read some of the Word, do some praying, and go around and pray for each child that is in my preschool, for their salvation, their safety, and that the Lord would present Himself to each and everyone of them sometime in their life time. The Preschool I work for is not a Christian Preschool, so hopefully I can be a little bit of Light in my work place.

I have 9 preschoolers, and get to run my classroom pretty much the way I want. Their favorite time is circle time, and song choice. They love the song 5 little ducks, and when I tell stories of Paco's adventures.

I get off work around 12:15, go home, sometimes take an afternoon nap. I've started walking an hour day, tried the running thing, but my shins can't take the running. Last night Ashley started walking with me. My heart was very blessed, when she asked me if she could share some bible verses that she has started to memorize. 6 in all. Wow! God has done such a miracle in her life, we have the closest relationship today, and she continues to tell me that I'm her best friend. When I look back on the year, I am Amazed! We went through a lot of blood, sweat and tears to get to this place.

I so much enjoy my quiet mornings at work. It gives me a chance to reflect on all the many blessing that God has done. A few more days and its Easter, as I reflect on the price and the sacrafice that Christ did for us all. He took all our sin, and bore it on the cross. I wish that everyone would get it, Accept His love, forgiveness, see the price He paid on the cross, so that we may be forgiven and have eternal life.

As I look back on my life, and see all my sin, Him knowing every thought, action, sin, rebellion, and yet while I was yet a sinner, Christ died and suffered for me. Today I stand amazed, grateful, and full of His love and forgiveness and mercies.

Amazing Love, how can it be, that YOU my KING would die for me, Amazing Love I know its true, its my joy to honor YOU, and all I do, I honor YOU! YOU are my KING..

Love your daughter

He Did it Just For You, by Max Lucado

He Did It Just For You
by Max Lucado

When God entered time and became a man, he who was boundless became bound. Imprisoned in flesh. Restricted by weary-prone muscles and eyelids. For more than three decades, his once limitless reach would be limited to the stretch of an arm, his speed checked to the pace of human feet.

I wonder, was he ever tempted to reclaim his boundlessness? In the middle of a long trip, did he ever consider transporting himself to the next city? When the rain chilled his bones, was he tempted to change the weather? When the heat parched his lips, did he give thought to popping over to the Caribbean for some refreshment?

If ever he entertained such thoughts, he never gave in to them. Not once. Stop and think about this. Not once did Christ use his supernatural powers for personal comfort. With one word he could’ve transformed the hard earth into a soft bed, but he didn’t. With a wave of his hand, he could’ve boomeranged the spit of his accusers back into their faces, but he didn’t. With an arch of his brow, he could’ve paralyzed the hand of the soldier as he braided the crown of thorns. But he didn’t.

Want to know the coolest thing about the coming?

Not that he, in an instant, went from needing nothing to needing air, food, a tub of hot water and salts for his tired feet, and, more than anything, needing somebody—anybody—who was more concerned about where he would spend eternity than where he would spend Friday’s paycheck.

Not that he kept his cool while the dozen best friends he ever had felt the heat and got out of the kitchen. Or that he gave no command to the angels who begged, “Just give the nod, Lord. One word and these demons will be deviled eggs.”

Not that he refused to defend himself when blamed for every sin since Adam. Or that he stood silent as a million guilty verdicts echoed in the tribunal of heaven and the giver of light was left in the chill of a sinner’s night.

Not even that after three days in a dark hole he stepped into the Easter sunrise with a smile and a swagger and a question for lowly Lucifer—“Is that your best punch?”

That was cool, incredibly cool.

But want to know the coolest thing about the One who gave up the crown of heaven for a crown of thorns?

He did it for you. Just for you.

If I Could Be Granted One Wish or present a Gift...

As Easter is approaching, I am very thankful for the cross, and for what Jesus did for me on that day. I celebrate this day every time I think about it. And yet my heart gets saddened for those who will not accept or believe in Jesus, who being God, went to the cross, to take on the sin of each one of us, died a horrific death, but thankfully it didn't end at the grave. He rose again that first Easter Sunday, proving that He is the Way, the Truth and the Light, and that it is only through Him that we have eternal life.

If I had one wish to be granted me, that would be that all would accept His love, grace, mercy and forgiveness. I would wish that everyone would come to believe in His Truth. A lot of my family consider me "religious", but I am not religious...I just have a relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ, who came to me at the lowest time of my life, and while I was living in great sin, and so guilt ridden, He showed Himself to me..His love, His forgiveness and His grace, and presented it to me to accept. What a gift. And because of this gift, I want to share it with all those who I love.

As I look at the world today, and all that is going on, I don't see how people can live without this hope. God has answered so many prayers in my life, and I have seen many miracles.

When you are presented with such a great gift, and you have experienced the benefits of that gift, then you just want to share it with all those you love. The Truth that God revealed to me through His Word, and through His Son..is the best gift that anyone can accept, and I wouldn't trade it in for all the money, or pleasures in the world.

Easter Sunday is very special to me. It is the Day that Our Lord Jesus Christ, proved He was God, by His Resurrection.."Up from the grave He rose,"!

I will never stop telling people about His love, His forgiveness, the Hope that we all can have in Him. So if I could be granted one wish, and give one gift..it would be that all my friends and family would accept this Truth..and believe it. This life is so short..and some day we will all meet Our Lord and, one day at the name of Jesus, every knee will bow and every tongue confess, that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:10

He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." Philippians 2:8

John 11:25..Jesus said to her, "I AM the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies."

Truth is Truth rather we believe it or not

A Lump of clay

A Lump of Clay
I have the privilege of working in a job that I absolutely love! Working with children with Special Needs. To be honest, I feel that they have taught me more, then I have tried to teach them. Today I learned a lesson with playing with a lump of clay. A lot of times, while teaching our students, we do a lot of play time, in an effort to prompt communication.
Today, while sitting at the little red table..we got to play with clay. Many the students I work with have little communcation, so it is our responsibility to try to get some sort of verbal response from them. So I had this lump of clay in front of me, divided it among the kids I was working with. I took my clay into my hands, and squished it..and as I was doing it..said "squish, squish." I heard a few giggles, some just watched, and others said, "oooooooh". Then I took my clay and pounded it on the table, and with 1 finger, said, "poke, poke, poke," again trying to get the kids to imitate, me and hopefully get some words. Then I pulled my clay apart, squished it back together again, poked it, pounded it, rolled it, and as I was doing the action, was saying, the words, "Squish, poke, pound, roll, pat, put it back together again."
In reflecting back at this today, it made me think of all the lessons God taught in His Word, on Clay. Us... being the lump of clay, and Him being the Potter. When I think of a lump of clay, before the potter puts it on the potters wheel, that lump of clay has no features to make it look like anything, it is formless, and just as a potter takes a lump of clay and forms something with it, so does God do with us.
At times it feels like, Thump, Slam, Poke, Squish, Pound, Pat, put it back together again, but through that process, He is forming something beautiful in us.
I spoke at a Women’s breakfast last year, and our theme was "Cracked Pots."So when thinking what I was going to talk about, I went out to our garage, found two clay pots. One that was un-marred, no cracks or anything. And... the other one, I decided to break it, and then put it back together again. So I glued all the pieces back together, the best I could. After I was finished, there were many cracks, holes, gaps, very marred up. Then I brought a flash light with me.
While sharing my testimony, and all that I had been through, in my life, and what brought me to Christ, I started sharing my cracks.
An abortion that I had at 19, big crack! How that led me to Christ, and Salvation, Experiencing HIS unconditional love, understanding & acceptance, and His forgiveness. Addiction, another crack..my daughter’s father leaving me, while I was only 3 months pregnant..crack, crack, hole..being a single mom for 6 years..crack...dealing with a prodigal daughter, and watching her go through addiction, and other destructive life choices, slam, thump, broken. Loss of my mom, crack, slam...But through it all, The Lord was with me..comforming me, growing me, stretching me, maturing me, breaking me, drawing me closer to HIM..
In ending my testimony at this breakfast, I had 2 clay pots, the first being un-marred, perfect, no cracks. The 2nd, the one that I broke and glued back together again. I asked 1 of the ladies to turn off the lights, took my flashlight..and shined it through the perfect clay pot, no light shined through, nothing shined through, there was no need for Light. Then I put the light to the cracked pot, and the light came through all the cracks, the in-perfections, the holes, there was a need, and the Light shined through.
Through my sin, my brokenness, my failures, my cracks, that’s when Jesus’s light shined through. A cracked pot, broken, marred, but when I asked Christ into my life, He took the broken pieces, and formed it into something beautiful. A lump of clay, made into a pot, although cracked, and broken..that’s where HIS light shines through.
Jeremiah 18:3-6..Then I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, making something on the wheel. But the vessel that he was making of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he remade it into another vessel, as it pleased the potter to make. Then the word of the Lord came to me saying, "Can I not, O house of Israel, deal with you as this potter does?" Declares the LORD. "Behold like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand."

Break the stronghold in the next generation!

So it's been a hard couple days. One of my besties from the old days called me, her son is in the hospital, because of an overdose of drugs. He is a great kid. He has always had this light in him. But he got entangled by the snare of drugs. A stronghold that I see this next generation so bound up in. A trap from the devil. he is trying so hard to take this next generation down. I hate it. I have seen so many lives destroyed by drugs. These are kids who in most part have been raised in good, loving homes, with good families. I believe most these precious young adults are looking for purpose, looking to fill a void that only the LORD Himself can fill.

Some of them have had all the luxuries, money, handouts...without having to do anything. A lot of us as parents have failed, not purposely..but because we struggled and went without, we tried to make it up with our kids. We spoiled them. We induleged them. We gave them everything that we went without. We may have taught them, that things come easy, without a cost. We may have neglected to teach them about hard work. That the things worth while come with working hard.

In some cases, there is no blame. We live in a generation where the enemy is reeking havoc on the next generation. I know parents who have done their best, and yet their kids have chosen this distructinve way. It is such a stronghold.

I believe, that this generation needs to fight for the next generation. We who are Christians need to be fighting on our knees for these young adults. For it is only on our knees, humbling submitting ourselves to our Lord and Savior, and praying that He comes against the strongholds that are beating this generation down..it is only going to be, us on our knees, pleading to our Abba Father, who loves this next generation so much.

Lord, I pray that Your would have Your way with these precious young adults. Ignight a hunger and a passion in their lives, to be men and women who hunger and seek after YOU. You alone can break the strongholds. You alone can heal. You alone can turn ashes into beauty. You did it with me, You did it with my daughter..YOU are so awesome Lord..Please be with this young man. He has so many praying for Him..let him be a light to his friends and family..break the stronghold in his life. Give him a second chance..I pray in Jesus's Name..AMEN..AMEN..AMEN!!!!!

Meet Paco

I've never been much of a dog person, and if I did try out a dog, it was always a big one, like a lab, but usually they didn't last long. Then came Paco. Never did I think that I would like a chiuauaa. But I have fallen in love with Paco. He is almost a year now, and he is the best dog that I have ever had. Now that were empty nesters, he feels a place in our home.

Paco brings us much love, laughter, and fun. He's a handsome little guy. He gets so excited when we come home, like we've been gone for a month or longer. He has the cutest bark. His newest thing to do is toss the ball back and forth. We roll the ball, and Paco rolls it back for us with his nose. Paco loves to sleep under the covers with us, nestled between our knees

The kiddos at my preschool have gotten to know Paco quite well. I use him to tell lots of stories. Some true, and some make believe. Today I told them the story of my dream. In my dream was a gigantic Easter Bunny, and Paco started barking at the Gigantic Easter Bunny, so the Easter Bunny turned Paco into a Chocolate covered Paco. I was so upset, and begged the Easter Bunny to turn Paco back to a dog, so he did, and then the Easter Bunny decided to make me a Chocolate Easter egg instead. There was a bit more to the story, but they love all the stories that I include Paco in. Last week they got to meet Paco, and Paco has become their favorite dog.

So I just wanted to share about Paco. I have finally found a dog, that is going to stick around for awhile.

A Season of Joy

April, 5, 2011

So, at this present time I am enjoying a Season of Joy. Life is good! I have so much to be grateful for. My marriage, my daughter, my salvation, His provision, His protection, His grace and His mercies. For now I am going to enjoy the season, the time of rest and restoration. For many years I went through some very trying seasons. Places that I wouldn't want anyone to have to go through..some brought on myself, some not.

God has done some amazing things within my heart and within my family. There was a time not too long ago, that I doubted that my marriage would be healed. There was a time, that I thought that I lost my daughter for good. A time of deep depression and oppression. A time of loss and regret. A time of feeling that God had abandoned me. Although during that time, I did not feel His presence..I know He was there, just like in the "Footprints", He was carrying me.

During this Easter Season, I tend to think a lot about my mom. She died on Easter Sunday, 14 years ago, and she was way too young..not much older that I am now. I still miss her terribly. There is still an ache in my heart for my moms love, and I so miss being able to have our talks.

I also think of the Cross..of the sacrifice that Christ made for all of us, in His death. But His death was just the beginning, because it did not end there. We have hope in His Resurrection, in His love and His grace and our salvation through Him, so I have hope of one day seeing my mom again.

As I was having my quiet time this morning, I was reflecting of all the different seasons of life..I have come out of the winter season, and now am experiencing Spring. During the Spring and summer seasons, those are time that I get refreshed, renewed, built up..because I know that I will have to go through a winter season again..but for now I am enjoying this season of joy. There is Peace in my life, and always hope. I really don't know how people survive without His hope, especially while going through the Winter Seasons..I am so thankful for the love of Christ. For the times that I had to go through the fire to be refined..the times I've been like clay, and He has had to mold me, and at times the process hurt..for the times I cried my heart out..over losses, and He held me in His arms, and could call Him Daddy, and now for this time..to just bask in His love, His Peace and His rest..

So today...I am enjoying.."A Season of Joy" Ecclesiastes 3:3-4.."A time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build up. A time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance..." feel like dancing right now..