God Performed A Miracle!!!!

I've been away from blogger world and from YOU my bloggy friends but I promise I have a really good reason:D Sunday night I checked out my calendar to see what my week would look like. I quickly realized I had a Pap scheduled for Monday at 11.



Monday morning I get up, do a little cleaning, and as I'm starting to get ready I hear a little voice inside tell me, "ask for a pregnancy test". I'm a little lost and stop to think about it but continue to get ready. A few minutes later, there it goes, "ask for a pregnancy test" by now it's intriging me a little more but I quickly remember that it's on ly day 31 of my cycle, my periods have been late before and I don't think I feel pregnant. I also think there's a lil bit of protection on my heart's part. You see, after trying for a little over 3 years...you've had many negative pregnancy tests, you've been hopeful only to find out you still have an empty womb BUT I never gave up, I still had faith and continued crying out to God! I honestly worked really hard at staying positive, being hopeful and rejoicing even through the neg. tests. God filled me with strength to go through each day and filled my heart with joy! I knew there was always tomorrow and I focused my energy on serving God, on giving Him my best, on obeying His calling for my life. I noticed I had a few minutes so I grabbed a snack and this is what I wanted to read? Huhhhh...Ya think God was up to something???



So I finished getting ready and took off. It was an odd day from the beginning...I get to the doc super early with traffic and all and I get called back right away, I wait like 40 minutes to be seen something that had never happened there before. Dawn, my wonderful Nurse Practioner comes in and looks over my notes. I quickly tell her that I'm loosing alot of hair. She proceeds to ask me if I'm stressed and I say, "YES, I lost my grandfather in Jan, then my aunt in March, then two very good, mother-like ladies early summer and have been going through some "stuff". I tell her that it's been a trying year. She gives me some comforting words and proceeds to the Pap. I noticed she did it quite fast....being in the medical field and assisting in Paps I noticed right away that she didn't do the entire procedure. She then goes on to give me results from a previous exploratory procedure and says everything's ok. I ask her for a referral for lab work to check my hormone level. She asks me if I've had a pregnancy test done...obliviously I say no. She then tells me to go ahead and leave her a sample while she writes out the referral. I simply say ok..again I'm still oblivious.

I go and and take care of business ya know fill up the cup and not even a minute later I come out and Dawn wants a high 5??? HUH??? I think...could this be it? Nah..lol. I give her the high 5 and then say "what?" lol. The entire office knows me because they've been seeing me for 3 yrs now. By this time they are gathered. I must have had a blank look on my face cause they giggle. Dawn goes and gets the pregnancy test...expect this time POSITIVE and all I do is stare at it and even take a few steps back lol. I was in complete shock. You see, when you wait so long to conceieve you've had time to envision this momment, you've relieved it in your head, you've been almost tasted it. I thought I would cry, scream, jump, hug everybody but it was the total apposite. I was speechless, shaking, my heart was racing, felt my blood pressure drop, was pale white lol. Thinking...Susan doesn't believe it...Dawn holds my hand, looks at me into the eyes and says, "sweety, you're pregnant" WOW...I will never forget those words. So YES God has created life inside my womb:



By now...I'm starting to get it. She then thanks me for making her part of this journey..I apologize to her for bugging her for 3 years lol. She then says.....we didn't do it, you did it sweety. I didn't do it....GOD DID!!!!! She takes the chart and I see her write what seems like slow motion PREGNANT with a smily face. Now that made it official because I know that my chart is a legal document and she cannot lie on there lol. I got my book from Dawn, schedule my first doctor's appt. for August 11 where we're going to hear the baby's heartbeat (so amazing) and get our actual due date and all the testing done. The secreatary told me she felt like crying because she knew how much we wanted this baby. I walked out of that office a completely changed person. I saw in the truch for 30 minutes in total amazement that God had remembered us! Everything around me became a blur and it was just me, God and my baby who know lived inside of me. I totally cried out to the Lord but this time...happy tears, tears of joy, of gratitude because He had chosen my womb to hold a miracle....maybe a future King David, or a John the Baptist, a Moses, a Ruth or even an Esther. I then said, "what now?" where do I go, what do I do? I want to take this and run with it as if I won the gold medal in a race. Believe me...I won much more than that:D I wanted to buy something significant for my beautiful unborn child on the day we found out so I went to Walgreens and felt the need to truly confirm the news....I needed this so I bought more pregnancy tests and took them righ there. Yep....still positive!!! I then went ahead and made a very special purchase, the very first one for our baby. I will post about my purchase in the near future....need to work on it;D When I went up to the counter, I felt like I was going to explode so I told the very nice cashier..."I just found out that I'm pregnant!" I told her about our struggle and she was almost in tears to also hear about our miracle. God told me something very real, very special through her, "Your life will never be the same again" Wow......biy did I notice this right away, I felt different already..like a parent wanting to reach the stars for their baby! A parents wanting to teach this baby about all the goodness of the world, about a living God! My husband called me to ask me about the appt. I was dying to tell him but I knew that telling him the way God has instructed me to would be 100x's sweeter so I kept it form it. I then managed to drive home...ahhhhh was this drive sweet and different from all the other drives home.


These are all the pregnancy tests I took lol...SO YEP I'M VERY PREGNANT!!! Thank YOU Jesus, thank you my Lord and Savior for the wonderful miracle!!!!


We are so amazed to see that God remembered us! After many tears, many sleepless nights staying up wondering when, after many neg. pregnancy tests, many disappointments, many struggles to concieve, my husband also had several factors that affected our conception. At the very beggining of our journey I wasn't even ovulating since I've had hormonal issues since I was a baby, went through several rounds of Clomid, hormone injections, a failed artificial insemination. GOD and ONLY GOD made it happen!!!!! About a year ago, my husband called me and told me that the Lord spoke to him and told him we needed to trust Him 100% and that we needed to stay away from all the meds and procedures. I felt the Holy Spirit speak to me with authority through my husband so I agreed. God wanted ALL the glory and He got it. It's been a year since we decided to fully trust God but I honestly think it happened when I did my "Just want you to know" post where I talked about surrendering it all to God. That day after reading my post a couple of times...I cried out to the Lord and felt the need to fully surrender this womb to Him. It's His and I asked Him to do His will with it even if it meant never concieving.I cried out so much that when I stopped I simply laid there exhausted yet feeling free! So many times we want something and we want it now...we can be very selfish. Maybe God is simply waiting for us to lay it before the cross and walk away so He can make it happen with His strength. It gives me the chills to know that when I cried out to Him, He had already created life inside my womb. It also gives me chills to know that when we went to the arcade and I won a minnie mouse I said, "for our baby girl" I was already carrying our baby...WOW! Last week, I had the joy of spending time with very special children: Our baby cousin Daniel (twin to baby Emily) and friends Oliver, Niki, Madison.






Honestly when I held the babies, I felt somewhat different, I can't explain it, just felt different. Maybe a deeper connection? To think that when I held these babies in my arms, I had our treasure in my womb already. WOW! God is simply amazing!

We also know that this baby is a miracle baby and will be someone big for God because God is already using it to minister to so many people. My mom said she cried out to God a week before she even found out the news telling God to bless us with a baby, at least one even if she never got to meet it. My good friend Carla who had a miscarriage three weeks ago just called me and told me that she asked the Lord to please make it happen for us. That if she didn't get the opportunity to at least give us that joy! Our good friend Martin who are deployed in Iraq told my husband Manuel that one week ago he had a dream where Manuel was telling him that we were pregnant! My cousin Diana who's Catholic had lid a candle to God asking Him to bless us with a baby on the day we found out..she had no clue. My sis in law Veronica had told her kids the previous day that she was very happy her girlfriends were expecting but that the one thing that would make it so much sweeter, the cherry on the top, would be for us to concieve. She also told me that she wanted many things but that her most fervant prayer had been for us to have a baby. My friend Irene told me that ne night she dropped what she was doing and felt the need to pray for us to concieve. And the list goes on.....all these people's faith has been strength, theyare in awe because God heard their prayers, God spoke to their hearts, God is minsitering to so many people through this. That's why this baby is God's and He will do His will with it! I also know that many you my bloggy friend and family prayed for us and God heard every single prayer. THANK YOU so much from the bottom of my heart for interceeding for us! I pray that God blesses you for it<3 Thanx Jess for all your encouraging words, for sharing your testimony of hope as the Lord also blessed your womb so you could have Emmy and for cheering me on! Thanx Lisa for sharing this journey with me...I will pray, pray, pray for you so we can have big bellies together:D

The Lord put in my heart to call our babies our TREASURES! In order to find a treaure there is a:

~ Journey = our 3 yrs trying to concieve which I wouldn't change for the world! These 3 yrs got me on my knees, made me stornger, alloud me to hear God's voice, allowed me to see a very special side of God, made me humble and taught me all about patience, really makes this experience much more sweeter, helped me relate to Hannah and great woman devoted to God, as well as a great lifetime lesson...surrending it ALL to God!

~ Map = The Word of God.It's what I grabbed to when the going got a lil touch, it's what brought me so much hope and joy as I read about His wonderful promises and as He opened the ocean so His peaple could cross....I knew He could open my womb!

~ Reward = a treasure is something desired, hoped for, a treasure is precious, valuable, cherished. There's a long journey involved to ge to this treasure but you go through it all in order to find it and finally enjoy it! Our babies are our treasures from Heaven, right out of God's hands!

On the 11th we have our first doctor's visit to hear the heart beat, get testing done and get our actual due date. Lord-willing we will meet our miracle baby in:



GOD HAS THE VICTORY!!! He and only He created this life regardless of, His powerful is immesurable....unstoppable!

Today marks 5 weeks...35 to go Lord-willing. I pray constantly for our treasure!

WE ARE SO EXCITED!!!!!!! Can't contain the joy and gratitude to our Lord<3

Just for fun:

My 4 wk belly lol.....ahhhhh I dreamed of doing this so many times...WOOHOO!

Just Want You To Know...

We serve a BIG God my friends! There's no doubt in my heart of this. But sometimes we need to be reminded, our faith needs to be refreshed. As I walked through my devotionals and recorded in my journal, I took notes of a few things that the Lord used to make my heart smile and today as find myself with alot of my mind, I look back at my journal and find much needed encouragement. I wanted to bless you today and share what seems to makes my heart smile every time I turn back to!

We serve a BIG God..the Bible calls Him:

*God
*Lord
*Father
*Heavenly
*Protector
*Provider
*Healer
*Counselor
*Almighty
*Invinceble in battle
*Strong
*My Shepherd
*Creator
*Savior
*God of Israel
*King of glory
*Everlasting King
*Master
*Encourager
*Alpha and Omega
*King of Kings
*Comforter
*El Shaddai - God Almighty
*El Elyon - The Most High
*El Olam - The Everlasting God
*Adonai
*Yahweh
*Yahweh Jireh - The Lord will provide
*Yahweh Nissi - The Lord is my banner
*Yahweh Shalom - The Lord is my peace
*Yahweh Ro'i - The Lord my Shepherd
*Yahweh Shammah - The Lord is there
*Yaheweh Elohim - The Lord, The God of Israel


He's no simple God!!!

His Son Jesus Christ is :

*Our friend
*Savior
*Witnesses of everything
*First to rise from the dead
*Commander of all rulers
*Lover
*Redeemer
*First and Last
*Holder of the key to death and the grave
*Walks among churches
*Died and rose
*has a sharp double edge sword
*Son of God
*Has eyes like flames
*Holy and true
*Ruler of God's creation
*Immortal
*The Lamb

Poem I found in my devotion:

God's love endureth forever
What a wonderufl thing to know
When the tides of life run agaist you
And your spirit is downcast and low
God's kindness is ever around you
Always ready to freely impart
Strength to your faltering spirit
Cheer to your lonely heart
God's presence is ever beside you
As near as the reach of your hand
You have but to tell Him your troubles
There is nothing He won't understand
And knowing God's love is unfailing
And His mercy unending and great
You have but to trust in His promise
God comes not too soon or too late
So wait with a heart that is patient
For the goodness of God to prevail
For never do prayers go unanswered
And His mercy and love never fail.

As you can see we do serve a BIG God


So next time you feel like the world is crashing down on you, like you can't go on, like giving up, paralyzed by fear, worry or you feel like all hope is lost, if the days seem dark, nothing makes sense in your life, if you feel like your drowning in your troubles, if your dreams have been shattered, if you feel all alone, if you can't seem to fight an addiction, if you can't get over a tragic past, if the shadows of failure hunt you, if your simply tired of trying to fix things on your own




Remember......we cannot do it alone...we need God

SURRENDER your life to Him, your everything, let Him change your life, your thoughts, let Him see you through....ask Him to restore your faith, to heal your heart from all the pain, remember who you are in Him! Don't continue to walk a lonely road, it will only leave you empty. Allow God to change your life.
I know that some of us if not most of us have a longing in our heart and want to have something really special such as a baby, a home. So many have felt the pain of lossing a baby to miscarriage like my good friend Carla who's had 8 miscarriages, some have lost jobs, have broken relatiosships, have been belittled, mistreated, feel the burden of a fallen economy, are homesick and miss the warmth of being close to family, are tired, overworked, feel helpless, lost.

***If you've never given your life to Jesus...I am here to help you do that if you feel the need to do so. For those of us who have been part of God's Kingdom for a little while and feel the need to be refreshed please know that you're not alone and that I would like to lift you up in prayer. We need to uplight each other as we continue to march!

I dedicate this to YOU.....Surrender to God and HE WILL SEE YOU THROUGH!!!!!

10 Things You Didn't Know About Me & 10 Pics

1. I'm an Army wife and Lord-willing we're going to make it a career
2. I speak Portuguese, learning to play piano and then viloin and love to scrapbook
3. I fell off a bike when I was 6, got five stitches on my face and have the scar to prove it yet I've never broken a bone....thank God!
4. Teaching a women's Bible study class this summer at church, I'm decorating for a women's ministry event 50's theme and will be the speaker's attendant for a church event....God is putting me to work....it's awesome! It's all for His glory:D
5. I've been to 28 US states and lived in 3
6. I'm the first grand-daughter on my mom's side...there are 12 boys ahead of me so I am #13 and was born on the 13th of Jan. pretty cool! I am told that the family was overcome with joy to finally have a girl (reminds me of the women in my life now who have longed to have a baby girl and God gave them their princess...wow so neat cause I just relaized the miracle that God did through me...He gave my entire family the desire of their heart...a baby girl...ME:D ), my mom says that I had 3 baby showers, over 40 dresses ...they must have been hanging in their closets waiting for a girl to arrive lol.
7. I would love to be a wedding planner! My hubby is encouraging me to go to school for it...I already have a logo I designed and my company's name lol......ya never know what God has in store
8. My favorite colors are red, burgandy, sage green and sky blue
9. I love glitter, butterflies, hearts, photography, Precious Moments and Willow Tree figurines, music,laughing, poetry and GOD!!!!
10. I loved playing make believe as a little girl..I wrapped my hair with a long towel = my long hair, put scotch tape on every finger = long fingernails, put aluminun foil on my teeth = braces (i know i wanted some so bad lol), had many baby dolls cause I wanted to be a mommy and had a pet chick for a lil while...it was soooo cute but I had to return it to its proper home.


(with my mini me...my cousin Melina...Sis..Manny and I say that she would make a beautiful bride for Walker....she's very smart,a girly girl, loves to talk, not shy, has a beautiful singing voice, says the funniest things, loves to sing about the Lord and says that He lives in her heart and is really cute! Ya never know what God has in store)




(with my brother Danny who lives in Costa Rica and looks so much like Elvis Presly lol and my mami)



(with one of my sisters, Irene on the day she delivered my nephew)



(My hubby and I after our date on Valentine's Day)



(with my hubby on his very cool motorcycle...he took me for a ride just recently and it was quite an adrenaline rush..fun!)




(riding Kayla at the Women's Retreat..a really sweet horse)





(with baby Oliver, my good friend's baby while I babysat him, such a good baby...he loves me!)






(these two were me playing with the camera and my timer....also experimenting with lighting...from my camera course)



(for entertainment purposes: didn't know this toy could be so much fun lol...love my cousin Raul's face)

TAGGED...YOU'RE IT!!!Now it's your turn to share with us. Looking forward to getting to know you a little more.......

_____________________________________________

Sis a couple more pics of my primita Meli (poor Walker he prob has several people trying to marry him off lol)

We Are Not Forgotten In God's Kingdom!

Back in March, the Lord blessed us with the opportunity to host Dovin and Ian along with uncle Alex and Untie Lyndah in our house. They are part of the children's choir called Watoto from Uganda, Africa. It is a choir composed of orphan children who have been recued from poverty, AIDS epidemic and violence. Most of these children's parents have died mainly from AIDS. It's so incredible how the Lord is using these beautiful children to touch so many people in very special ways! They sing a song that's called, "I am not forgotten" that really spoke to my heart because we all have struggles,afflictions, desires, dreams, goals and it really helps to know that God remembers us...that He really wants to see us happy!!! We were very honored to have them in our home and to see them perform at our church along with the rest of the choir..these kids have a amazing ministry. Well, I was emailed a video..and boy was I in for a sweet surprise! Our kids Ian and Dovin along with their friends got to perform with Chris Tomlin. I truly enjoyed watching them! They have a gift! I wanted to share this video with you...it's blessed my day!

BTW....please know that nothing is impossible for our Lord...He can use a broken vessel and make something very beautiful out of it!!!!!

ENJOY!!!

http://www.tangle.com/view_video?viewkey=be6f7327b970c4ac07f9

I was an honorable mention!!!!

I was honored today on my bloggy friend Tammy's picture caption post!!! You can check it out at http://tammyonthego.blogspot.com/. It's a beautiful picture!!!

This were my captions:
Honorable Mention - "1. If only time stood still 2. I want to marry someone like my daddy some day 3. God umm could you please protect my daddy? 4. Daddy I remember when you help me in your arms when I was a baby" ~ godms4ever

The winner caption was so awesome and very true!!!!

THANX Tammy<3

Who says it's not possbile........

#1 To have very bad cravings and not be expecting? Yes...I am proof that it can happen. I survived it and now I'm here to warn you about it:D Well, I don't know if it was something in the water or in the air but I now have a pretty good idea of what it feels like to want something, this one specific food item and yes it never fails....at a time you shouldn't be eating at all...let's say...10pm? LOL. I admit I'm guilty of it...or should I say..I've been a victim of it? I can't even blame the infomercials because that wasn't the case. They say that the longer you're with a person the more you get to know them. I can honestly say that I truly appreciate my husband even more now and I know that his love for me is very sacrificial and very selfless.

Couple of weeks ago, we were watching a movie when all of a sudden I felt the "need" to have a Wendy's Frosty....ok, ok...it was actually a Malt Frosty..a new item they now carry and I just had to have it. It was almost 10 my friends and when my husband who was now in his pj's offered to go get it my mouth dropped. Those of you who might know him well, know that he's a jokester so sometimes I can't tell if he's joking but he was determined to get me this treat. He went all over town trying to find an open Wendy's (things tend to close a lil earlier here...small town).

Well....I have a recurring episode of this unstopable attack on my taste buds. This time I was even more specific.....I wanted an Acai with extra Peach smoothing from Jamba Juice and you won't believe what I wanted along with this delicious drink.........fish ceviche lol. Really weird mix but in my mind and in my heart it sounded so good lol. Now I know why the big rap about women and strange cravings. This incident also happened kinda late...about 9:30ish and once again my hubby ran all over town hoping to find what I was craving so bad.

Doesn't this look delish? With lots and lots of lemon..yummm


Funny thing is: every time this happens to me my husband wants to be so supportive that he joins me so I don't feel so bad. He says that we can both be revels lol.


#2 To continue to be romantic and do thoughtful things for your spouse after almost 5 yrs of marriage? Why do people say that the honeymoon had to end? Honestly my mom taught me the total opposite. If you notice in God's Word, He spend quite some time talking about "LOVE"..."love your neighbor as yourself".... "and the greatest of these is love"...... "love never fails"...... "of you have love for one another".... A few days ago, my hubby got home from work and came in the room to kiss me. He left and I continued to get ready...when I turned around...I noticed something that wasn't there before. I found this on our dresser:

I am not one to cry easily but ya better believe it....I was in tears. It feels good to have a career something I am very proud of, it feels good to be teaching the ladies at church, it feels good to get a phone call from my mom, it feels good to hear my nephew on the phone "talking" to me, it even feels good have a friend tell you that you've made a difference in their live but besides being in the Lord's presence worshipping, praising Him, reading His word or praying, one of the best feelings in the entire world is to be loved the way only your soulmate can love you. It's really hard to put into words. I know that when we have kids, I'm going to love them beyond measure but the love that I have for my husband is unbelievable. Only God could have done something like that in my life. The Author of this love is God Himself who is love. That's why I thank God and put our marriage in His hands every day. I ask Him to continue to give Manuel and I this pure love for each other. My hubby knows I love surprises! He got me this huge card that sings. "Wild Thing" a fav song of ours and a song he dedicated to me at our friend's 30th 80's party this past Saturday (this will be my next post...it promises to be very entertaining...stay tune). He also got me delicious Ghiradelli caramel chocolate and to top it off...he put it next to our wedding picture. This is one of those times when words are not needed

I am tremendously blessed with an amazing man of God! The Lord reminds me every day in so many different ways of the gift He's given me...my husband! My hubby

-Opens my doors - something we've gotten alot of comment on such as, "wow, you don't see that anymore", "I wish my boyfriend would do that for me", "you are a true gentleman", "don't ever stop doing that for your wife", "how awesome to see such a young man do that for his wife".

- He always makes sure that we are doing the right thing spiritually, he protects me and makes sure someone doesn't try to decieve me and encourages me to honor the Lord always!

-When we are at a parking lot he walks me on the inside so I don't get hit by passing cars

- He makes breakfast for me every sunday so I can continue to get ready for church (my dad does this for the family and it's so neat to see that Manuel is doing it on his own)

-When I've had a long week and just can't get up that morning cause I'm so tired, he tells me that he wants me to stay in bed and rest.....then he goes and makes his own coffee, breakfast and fixes his lunch.

- He always introduces me to all his co-workers and people in general when we are in public...I feel like a princess when he does this.

These are just to name a few. I have been blessed far more than I ever imagined. Going through my heartaches was worth it and served a purpose in my life because I can now truly appreciate a true gentleman, I now know what true love really is. I hope our daugthers choose to marry someone like their daddy and I hope our sons become real gentleman and like Manuel said on his profile when we met online.....treat their wives like queens!!!! I love you babe....you are the best of the best, my sweet blessing from above!!!!

The honeymoon should never be over......you need to be creative and do thoughtful things for one another. I guarantee you....you'll love seeing your love for each other grow!!!

#3. To feel very loved and really special at a children's hospital? Check this hospital out. Last week our good friends' son was hurt while he was at a camp and was brought to the Madera Children's Hospital..about 30 min from our house. From far it looks like a castle so I've always wanted to go see it. We want to visit him and it was so neat. Notice the welcome sign as you walk into on of the floors.

They are also very sensitive to kids and their fear of hospitals so they've made the entire front of the hospital into a zoo....you can find a myriad of these animal like bushes all over the property. The very front has two huge giraffes and a flower garden that's very pretty!

Isn't this an adorable statue? They really make the kids feel special:D


#4. To help your dog overcome boredom? If you ever walk around the corner and find your dog dying of boredom like ours down below...let me tell you....they've created something very unique that your furry friends will enjoy.....


Yes, my friends...you are seeing right.....dogs have their very own cookies, several flavors to choose from. We got our dog "peanut butter." Our dog was willing to do jumping jacks for one of these. Every time I walk into the laundry room he thinks he's getting an irresistable cookie...now dogs also need to watch their weight lol . Don't they look just like people cookies? lol So next time you humans crave cookies make sure it doesn't say:



"Three Dog Bakery" on the left hand corner. Or else we'll have a very funny post to read lol.

Something new for 4th of July....

This year we happened to play it solo for Independence dayso we sat and thought about what would be fun to do. We normally either have company or drive to San Diego for our long weekend. This time around....it totally crept up on us. We had heard for the past almost 5 yrs about the fireworks that go on yearly at one of the high schools here in Clovis, CA so we decided this yr to give it a try. Little did we know that we were in for a treat!

Ameriacan Ambulance graciously gave everyone our very own flag to proudly wave!

Now that I've become a US Citizen I can truly celebrate and thank the Lord from the bottom of my heart for using this great country to bless me as well as my family with the opportunity to accomplish my dreams and goals, including meeting the love of my life, serving the Lord and becoming the person God intended me to be! I am a porud Costa Rica-American maybe nit by birth but in my heart! Every time I have to sing the national anthem I put my right hand over my heart and stare at that beautiful flag as I get teary for the wonderful things the Lord has done and is doing for this nation regardless of all the chaos mankind has created. We have the privaledge to live in a great nation!

My hubby new exactly what to do with the flags we got from the paramedics.....he creatively decorated his glasses.

Right after we took this pciture I turned around to point at a chucky little boy who looked so cute as he ran around when all of a sudden I felt a tiny hand grab me. In amazement I turned around and it was this beautiful little girl who was probably 3 or 4 and simply looked at me with big beautiful eyes and smiled! I as I began to talk to her she kept telling me, "that's my mommy" as she pointed her mommy's way. She wanted to find mommy a new friend lol. Mommy then smiled and waved at me. The little girl was so cute all dressed up in red, white and blue and even had a bit of chocolate around her mouth as she enjoyed her can dy bar. It was too cute! I continued to see her and her sister prancing around with neon bracelets and necklaces...very girly! My hubby did ask,"are you pregnant?" As I've told him that I've heard that when kids are drawn to you it could be because you're pregnant. Thing is.....kids have been drawn to me since I was like 10 lol. But ya never know......

Here we were excitedly awaiting the fireworks! We were really enjoying a sweet evening together....it was perfect. Great company, very inexenpensive ($10...vs $60 of storebought fireworks..it's always a blessing to find a bargain) a cool breeze was blowing (after a very hot day), had comforatble chairs, great snacks , a great game of cards, background music, cute kids playing around us, so happy to know we didn't have to pay an eye and an ear to see great entertainment and so ready to see a great show! It was actually quite romantic as my hubby held me in his arms while we enjoyed the fireworks! We couldn't believe we waited so long to see this show. We def plan on bringing our family if they're here for the 4th of July!

My effort to capture the awesome lights in the sky: ENJOY!

***Fatal Attractions***

A couple of weeks ago, our Pastor did a sermon that really spoke to me. One thing I love about our Pastor is that his messages are very relevant to many different kinds of people. You'll know what I mean as you continue reading.





Sometimes I committ myself to reading His word daily and become so passionate about this, I look like child about to start school. I make a plan, I envision it, I can almost taste it and anticipate it, I sit and smile as I await the many blessings and the joy I'm going to experience. Yet.....a few weeks maybe even days later I find myself disapointed to see how I failed to do what I told the Lord I would. How days went by and I didn't follow through, how I found time for so many other things yet God was patiently waiting for me and I never showed up. I sat and gave this alot of thought the other day...let me tell you...it didn't take long to realize that the main poison to are my DISTRACTIONS. I think many of us suffer from this disease....we want to do what is right but we let life and it's distractions get in the way to the point where they spiritually paralize us and eventually take control. Paul knew we'd suffer from this when he wrote:



"I don't understand myself at all, for I really want to do what is right, but I don't do it. Instead, I do the very thing I hate." Romans 7:15



It doesn't take long to realize that we are surrounded by many distractions or how my pastor called them "attractions". They come in many shapes, colors and forms but they all have one goal....to keep our eyes away from the Lord, to pull us away from the One who has created us and longs to spend time with us. We know that Satan is the father of lies and many of these if not all only bring temporary joy. Nothing compares to the kind of joy that only our Heavenly Father can give us. When we are in His presence and are filled with His joy..everything else such as our troubles, our sorrows, our worries, our trials, life.... becomes a big blur.



"These things I have spoken to you, that Ny joy may remain in you and that your joy may be full" John 15:11




These fatal aatractions are destructive with the intention to take us down the path of death like Proverbs mentions. The Bible also calls them chains.

Chain = bondage; servitude: to live one's life in chains (Dictinary.com)
Bondage = 1. slavery or invonluntary servitude; serfdom. 2. the state of being bound or subjected to some external power or control. (Dictionary.com)

WOW....notice it says "External" power or control. Who is really suppose to have control? If this is not the way we're suppose to live than why do we allow it to happen? Why are we serving the wrong person? Why would we allow the father of lies, of destruction, of murder to control us. Are we really asking for trouble or what?????

I believe with all my heart that satan's goal is to get our attention, take full control over us to ultimately kill us....no way around it. When we ALLOW to be bound by thse chains we are being deprived of God's fullness, of His joy, of the many blessings He wants to give us. We are unable to honor God, we fail to become the man/woman of God we were intended to be. Notice I said "allow" because satan has no power over us really....we are the ones who give him the power to destroy us. Remember.....God always give us a way out. You may be asking.."what do these chains or fatal attractions look like?"

They may come in the form of APPROVAL:

- We always want someone to notice us, when in reality we should serve an aundience of ONE....God!!! If someone doesn't like you....guess what...You serve a God who adores YOU!

- Most women struggle with self worth, inferiority, insecurities yet God says He has created us in His image with His very own hands. Remember....God doesn't make mistakes.

- Most men struggle with pride....God calls us to be humble

- Most women are pleasers and feel that they are suppose to fix everything..God says the we can come to Him when we are burdened.

- We notice how life has become a competition. Our children have to be the best atheletes, best behaved, we have to have the best marriage, be the best dressed, all because of what it says about us, we even compare ourselves with others only to find out that the person next to you has it made way better then you. You might as well run into a brick wall because you are bound to be disillusioned. Now God wants us to strive to have a good marriage, to have well behaved kids, to look take care of ourselves..the problem is when we pretend to be perfect and want to impress or even compete. You are running the wrong race my friend..you should be running the race to eternity instead. If we continue to do this to ourselves we are going to be miserable our whole lives and miss out on eternity.

They may come in the APPEARANCE

- We seek satisfaction in how we look, on what others think we look like....when in reality should strive to look like the SON!

- Magazines try to define real beauty as if someone in NY is going to tell us how we should look...God says that true beauty is inward, a quiet spirit, the Proverbs 31!!!

- The world says that we need to keep up. Honestly is it more like they want us to work hard to obtain that which is unrealistic and you will never be fully satisfied...it's a trap. Notice the pictures above....see the BIG difference??? Yep, arisbrush is what they use and sadly many people spend their whole lives seeking this kind of beauty,again at rap from satan. God says to seek His Kingdom first and everything else will be added! Our eyes have been fixed on the wrong place.


They also come in the form of MATERIALISM

- I'm pretty sure you've heard the word "Shopohilocs"......thy come in all ages now my friends...children are picking up on our bad habbits. The other day I was at the store and a mom with her two daughters right in front of me getting ready to pay. The little girls had picked out a stroller and a baby doll to go in it. The mom quickly realized and took out the dolls. The little girls immediately knew what do to...they threw a fit and loudly yelled, "I want this toooooo". Yes, mom did give in probably filled with embarrasement...this is a whole new topic.... but my point is that 5 yrs old and that 3 yrs old WANTED their dolls at any cost...no matter what:(

- It's never going to be enough....the more we have..the more we want. Our desire is to have things...the latest fashion, the newest car, that piece of jewelry, those bran new couches, that very funny DVD, those so desired video games, the best baby clothes, pretty cool gadgets, one of a kind purse, that awesome trip, money, money and more money, you can proboably fill in many blanks.

- There is nothing wrong with having nice things the danger is when we try to find satisfaction on those things, we try to fill a void, replace true joy...let me tell you...you're going to keep looking cause you'll never find what you really need in these.

They come in the form of RELATIONSHIPS

- Now days is so common to find people who have been through several marriages mainly because "they haven't found the right person to spend life with"...when God has created a soulmate for them. If you really think about.....God wants to do the searching for us..we are suppose be still, He already knew your soulmate before He even conceived the thought of creating you...so...why try to do the job ourselves and go through so much turmoil?

- We also see more and more people living together without being married. People go a long way to find "love"...when marriage is so sacred to God. Marriage has been twisted, ridiculed, understimated, it's now a joke:(

- We seek approval in friendships....yes, they are of great importance and vital but they will never fully satisfy us. Friends will fail us, hurt us and dissapoint us. They can even decieve us and actually have the wrong motives when wanting to be in our life BUT God is transparent, true to His word and His number one goal is to love us and to bring us home. He has our best interest in mind!!!

There's a song that says, "His grace is more than enough"... this is exactly what we need to remind ourselves every day! If you can remember the story about the lady by the well and Jesus having a word with her. She had been married 5 times and was living with her 6th mate. Notice that marriage was already loosing credibility. You know what's beautiful though???

She found what she was really looking for all along in man #7...JESUS CHRIST!!!!

Honestly, when we really fix our eyes on Jesus...we feel the pressure coming right off our shoulders. Life becomes more enjoyable, simpler because we are not running around "trying" to find happiness.

You have to remember....GOD doesn't think less of you. His approval is not based on all those things I spoke of..He simply loves you and wants the best for you. Our biggest problem is that we are looking in the wrong places for joy, for happiness. God is patiently waiting for YOU to make a choice...we have more power over this than we think. Are you going to continue to see yourself like the kitten and let satan tel you what to do or are you going to surrender everything you have to God and allow Him to take control? He sees you like a lion....able to conquer the world. He sees potential in you, He believes in you and wants to help you move mountains!!!


Peace, comfort and joy are not found in achievements or the perfect family but in Jesus Christ!!!

**** I wanted to share this video I found that really spoke to my heart. I pray it speaks to you too! I challenge you to join me in taking up our cross, taking our spiritual walk seriouly and to find true joy in HIM! I am ready to give up my chains and let God take control over me!

God bless you....Susan