Politics, schmolitics...

We are news watchers in our home... FOX news is on A LOT! As you all know we are Christians who do NOT believe in partial birth abortions, desecrating our flag, or socialism. My husband escaped communist Cuba many years ago and we have been talking about how a Socialist president, without Christian values is not what we want to elect. Well, my baby girl (almost 9 years old!!) soaks all of this in and prays for our country with us, asked a comical question last night:

Maya: 'Mommy, I'm scared that Obama is going to be elected.'

Me: 'Girls (her friends were here), there is no reason to be afraid. God already knows who our next President will be and it is all a part of His plan...yada, yada...'

Maya (with big wide eyes): 'Momma, you don't think God is a Democrat do you?'

=) How cute was THAT?

CHANGE!???

Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez used this strategy: they were charming, they were manipulative, they were liars and frauds! After they were elected they imposed “socialismo” and this started the growth of extreme poverty, and corruption. They also appealed to many with the idea of “redistributing wealth” but are now leaders of countries where hunger and desperation is prevelant!

It's amazing to me that we have seen it happen and heard the same 'promises' and seen the results of that and yet have so many people falling for it here in the U.S. AMAZING! Are we really that gullible that we honestly can't see that this man's 'change' means socialism?

My husband and his family and MANY other friends of mine escaped Castro's Cuba to make the United States their home. Countless others have risked their lives (and many have lost and are losing them as I write this) to get away from Fidel's 'change'.

Obama is singing the same song...can't we hear it?

A friend of mine told me the other day to stop worrying about it because it's in God's hands. She's right.

Oh Be Careful Little Mouth...

Remember that little song, "Oh be careful little mouth what you say..."? Well, here is my 'Kids Say the Darnedest Things' for today...

One of my K4 boys said, with big wide eyes and a loud voice..."oooooooh, Ms. Linda!!!!! Her said a potty word and it was a BAAAAAAD one! The kind my mommy says!"

Oops!

Funny stuff but remember, not only are they watching, they are LISTENING...closely!

Proud Momma!

Today, Maya had the opportunity to sing a short little solo in chapel at school. I cannot even BEGIN to tell you how proud I was of her. She was AMAZING!!!! I captured the song on video tape so that Jorge could watch it but I could not capture the elation on her face as she walked off the stage.

When she came down and sat next to me I asked her if she had been nervous and she said, "I was very nervous, Mommy, when I started, so I closed my eyes, lifted my hands and started singing to God, for Him and not for all the people in the audience. After that I was fine!"

She is remarkable!

Overheard in K3

I have said it before and I'll say it again, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my babies at school! Today in my 3 year old Art class we were reviewing primary colors and the kids were given a chance to draw anything they wanted to as long as they used primary colors to do it, while I traced their hands for their next project. This is what I overheard:

3 yr old #1: I'm gonna draw a TORMATO

3 yr old #2: I'm drawing a TORMATO too and mine is gonna be blue (and he started drawing swirly lines that began to resemble a tornado)!

#1: oh no! That's not a TORMATO! It has to be red and round like this (and he starts his tomato)!

I adore them!

Parenting 101, as I see it...

You know, I will never claim I have the right formula for parenting but I do my best and hold God's hand along the way and pray my way through it! There are a few basics, as I see it. I'm sure I will miss a lot but these are the ones I hold closest (by the way, these are not numbered on purpose because the value of each one varies daily!)

Be a good example (walk the walk, don't just talk it!).

KEEP YOUR PROMISES!! (I work in a school, if you tell your child you are going to pick them up early, pick them up...if you tell your child if they behave they will get rewarded, reward them!!!)

Spend time with them, play with them, read with them, pray with them!!!

Pray OVER them, constantly, for everything, big, small and future!

Be affectionate! This morning as I was waking up Maya with kisses and hugs and raspberries things turned silly very quickly and we were both laughing and she said, "Mommy, do you think other moms & daughters act like us?" I told her I hoped so and she said she did too! Love your babies!!

These are obviously very fundamental, very 101, if you like but SO, SO important!

What are some of your Parenting 101 concepts?

One of my favorite verses:

1 Samuel 1:27-28
I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD.

Paul Puttin' it Plain!

We finished our Galatians Bible Study last night. Paul left us with this at the end of the book. He always slams the truth into us! Just something to think about:

Galatians 6
Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.
Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. For we are each responsible for our own conduct.

So relevant!

Prototype!

Today we started a new series at church. It's called 'Heaven'. It is going to be a really awesome series that I am looking forward to! Robey said something today that was very cool. He called Jesus a 'prototype'. I'd never heard that before and think it's so appropriate! He was the original! He died and rose again so that we can follow his example if only we believe! I liked the analogy!

prototype
Dictionary.com Unabridged (
pro·to·type /ˈproʊtəˌtaɪp/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[proh-tuh-tahyp] noun, verb -typed, -typ·ing.
–noun 1. the original or model on which something is based or formed.
2. someone or something that serves to illustrate the typical qualities of a class; model; exemplar

Do You Feel Guilty?

As a native Floridian, hurricane warnings, threats and such are a common occurrence. What makes me uneasy about the whole thing is not the winds and rains but the feeling of gratitude when I realize it is going to miss us and go somewhere else.

My family prays for the storm to dissipate and a lot of the time it does. What about the ones that don't? What about katrina? What about Gustav? What about Hannah, where is she going? Our good luck is someone else's nasty reality. It stinks. I try hard not to think about it, but when I do I feel like pond scum. Am I really happy when I see it veer off into the Gulf or up higher to the Carolinas? Yes, I am. I feel awful admitting it. Obviously I would never pray for the storm to GO elsewhere but I still feel extremely guilty! Do you?

I am praying that Ike will just be a tropical storm...he looks like he's on a mission straight to South Florida. Pray that ALL of us will be safe, not just us South Floridians!

Keep praying for it to disintegrate!

Psalm 107:29
He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed.

Lifesong

Today was our first day of school. We were heading back after having the summer off and a two day bonus (thank you tropical storm FAY!). Maya was ecstatic to be returning and I was..I was..I was sad that my summer was over to be quite truthful! Now, don't get me wrong, I love my job, I work with amazing women and the cutest children in Broward county but I was already missing my summer.

Maya and I sometimes do this "Daily Praise Song" game where we can only pick one song (and we take turns unless one of us has been TRULY inspired and just have to have our own spoiled rotten way!). Well in the middle of all of her exhilarating chatter I decided that we HAD to have our DPS for our first day of third grade. I chose LIFESONG for today. We all know the song and sing along with it all the time but I wanted Maya to start her day with the reminder that she is HIS hands and feet and that the way she lives her daily life should be pleasing to HIM and bring a great big 'ole smile to her Father's face!

Lord I give my life
A living sacrifice
To reach a world in need
To be Your hands and feet

So may the words I say
And the things I do
Make my lifesong sing
Bring a smile to You

The kicker to this and the reason I began blogging again after such a long hiatus is that when we said prayers tonight she told me that she had a great day and that she could 'sign His name to the end of this day' (another line of the song).

Were you able to say the same?

$15 for a MOVIE ticket?!?!

A couple of my girlfriends and I took our little chicklets to see the Hannah Montana 3D movie! The ticket price was $15 per person! Is that crazy or what?

You wanna know somethin' tho? It was totally worth it! We had all tried to get tickets for the concert (they went last year) and none of us were successful. So, movie? Sure! It felt like we were at the concert, it was great...even better than being there because we saw behind the scene stuff & we were RIGHT there!

Miley is such a clean, wholesome role model for younger girls. I was checking out her modest, hip clothes tonight, her clean lyrics and the way she is surrounded by family and I said a little prayer for her. So many of these little pop tarts end up on a path of self-destruction I just pray that she's not one of them. I recently saw her and her father on Oprah and was impressed to hear them speak about their faith and salvation. I'm not sure if Oprah was trying to trip her up or not but I said a little cheer for her when she was asked what her favorite Bible verse is and she immediately recited it (and no, it wasn't something like Jn 3:16! LOL!). Go Miley!

If you haven't taken your daughter to see this movie, do it! It's totally worth the $15!

Neigh!

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my little guys at work. LOVE them! I think I've said that before...

They make my day. Every day. Here's my cute moment of the day:

One of my 3 year old girls came in with a raspy voice today. I asked her if her throat hurt to which she replied, "No Ms. Linda, it doesn't hurt. My mommy says I'm a little horsey."

SCRUMPTIOUS!

Tuesday Tips by Mindy

My friend Mindy started this in her blog so I'm puttin' in my tips as well. You can view her tips by clicking on her 'Tuesday Tips' button on the right.

Jorge and I have been eating healthier and shedding some weight. We don't count points. We're too lazy but we have restricted our calories and are eating all of the things we enjoy most (carbs for me and sweets for him)in strict moderation. We are pretty inventive when it comes to snacking. Beside fruit, which we eat a lot, we also snack on sugar free Jello and fat free whipped cream, carrots and cucumbers dipped in hummus (YUMMUS!), Special K Bliss Bars in chocolate orange...at 90 calories they are a yummy treat, we also snack on Mindy's DEEE-LICIOUS breakfast idea:

"First, I start with Danon Activia Light yogurt.

I don’t know if it “works” like they say that it does, but I chose it because it is only 1 point (for the light brand) and it tastes very good. So far, I’ve only tried the Strawberry and Blueberry.

Next, I add to the yogurt 1/4 cup of Bare Naked Fit Granola.

The granola is 2 points for 1/4 of a cup. I know that doesn’t sound like much, but when added to the yogurt it seems like a lot. Remember, for only a 2 point serving, you must get the “Fit” version. I’ve found mine at the Target stores (with the grocery in them). They cost somewhere between $3.50 and $4.00 a bag, but using only a 1/4 cup at a time really makes the bag last."

Her newest snack idea will be in my pantry tomorrow also. Sounds great!

Quick to Forgive

That's me! Quick to forgive...that is, if it's me you've done wrong. Hurt my baby or hurt my husband and uh, well, I'm not so quick to forgive and I will NEVER forget it!


When my stepdaughter was in high school in Bangkok with us, she would come home from school and tell me about a friend that hurt her or worse yet a BOY that had hurt her. UGH!!!! I would still be upset when she was inviting them over again. Loyal, that's me. To a fault. My little bro would fight with his ex-wife and tell me. A few days later he'd expect me to be nice to her when I talked to her. HUH????


Last week a close friend of ours hurt my husband. REALLY hurt him. It was ugly, uncalled for and totally unexpected! I was SO, SO angry at this guy. I couldn't even look at him! Jorge was sad but he wasn't angry. Why was I?

Yesterday (6 days after it happened, SIX!!!) our friend called Jorge and left a message on his phone apologizing and asking Jorge to call him back. He called him immediately and all was forgiven. By Jorge. I heard the message and it was a beautiful apology. Why was I still angry? Maybe because I could still see the look of hurt and disbelief on my husband's face? Maybe because I had been with him all week as he relived it and retold it to me? I'm not sure. I do know that if it had been me that he hurt I would have forgiven him almost instantly.

Jorge had already left for church this morning and I was standing in the kitchen washing up breakfast mess. I was thinking about how I didn't want to see this guy today and I swear I heard this voice in my head (I know, sounds like I need to be institutionalized) as clear as if someone were standing beside me talking:

If you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.

Okay, Lord, I got it! I felt so humiliated. I stood there and cried. This wasn't even my grevience and I was upset. Isn't it amazing when you hear Him?

BTW, I saw my friend, gave him a huge, long hug and we both understood. Jorge was pleasantly shocked!

Prayers

I attended a funeral last night. It was for my friend's father. His struggle with cancer is over. He is free. Those of us who have been left behind by a loved one's passing are the ones who suffer. He's the lucky one!

His story parallels my father's story in so many ways. His fight was a brave fight Jorge just reminded me last night that "no one wanted to live more than Dean". That was true! Right up until his last day my dad wanted to live and he wanted to do it his way! And he did! My friend's father did it his way also. My dad accepted the Lord as his Savior precisely one week before he went to be with Him. My friend's father was saved 8 days prior (I think it was 8!). Isn't that amazing???

When my dad opened his heart to the Lord, my mom, Jorge, Maya and I were there (along with a whole congregation of people praying specifically for him) and that is one of my most precious memories of all. What makes it so much sweeter is that Maya WAS there. She witnessed her 'Pa' accept the Lord and all she could say for days was that she would see him in heaven one day! She was 6.

I thank the Lord for loving me and dying for me but I have another reason I am so glad I'm a Christian. My faith that I will see my loved ones again. I always wonder what parents without faith tell their children when their loved ones pass. I cannot imagine telling Maya that her grandfather passed away and 'oh well...life well lived but he's gone!' My baby cried a river. Her little heart was broken but she looked at Jorge and I through the tears and said, "Well, at least he's in heaven and not hurting anymore. He's gettin' it ready for me!" Thank you Jesus for letting her know that. I am so grateful for her blind faith!

My friend is an amazing Christian woman who really seemed to have it together last night. I will keep her in my prayers as the days go by. It won't be easy. The selfish part of us wants them here with us. I have a day like that atleast once a week. I know she will too. Please say a prayer for her and her family.

Overheard in Spanish class today...

During Spanish class today I was asking my 4 yr. old students what some of their favorite animals are. We then put a sound or hand motion with them and translated them to Spanish. The kids were having so much fun with this and their imaginations never cease to amaze me! Here are some of the answers I got:

dinosaurs
bulls
sharks
giraffes
gorillas
and....

DADDIES!!!! I laughed so hard and said, "Well, technically your daddy is not an animal." To which she replied, "Uh-huh, he has his own special animal noise he makes when he sleeps", and proceeded to make the most obnoxious snoring sounds!

How cute is that?

3 John 1:4
I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

Sometimes they can be too truthful!
I'll never look at her dad again without hearing that noise. ;)

Psalm 34:8

"Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him."

This verse has been helping me in this weight loss quest. Jorge and I have TOTALLY stuck to our healthy eating habits. The worst thing I consumed this week was a stinkin' VITAMIN WATER....I freaked out while as I was drinking this bottle of seemingly healthy H2O my friend, who's husband distributes this water says, "Do you know how much sugar those things have?" HUH??? AGGGGGHHHHH! They tricked me!

Jorge had a professor in Architectural School that lived by the theme, 'less is more.' We have said it jokingly for years but never applied it to our eating habits, I mean that just doesn't even make sense, right? Well, too much is harmful no matter what aspect of your life it is in, apart from our love of the Lord (which spills over into the love of others). We've noticed that we enjoy our food more when we are truly hungry, not just habitually eating at designated times. Our food tastes better. We feel better with less food. We aren't walking around with that bloated feeling. It's working! Less food means more energy, tastier food, more weight loss! So, yes, less is more even in food!

The Lord is really helping me through this. I'm not saying that it's easy. I have to retrain myself but I finally feel like I am getting it under control and respecting His 'temple'.

I love what the tag on the right said today:

Change without conviction is like a race car low on gas. Conviction is the very thing that fuels our plan of action, and makes it a lifestyle change.

Girl Scout Cookies

Let me preface this rant by stating that I grew up in a small town. I am convinced that this has had a direct effect on my outlook in life. I don't do well with rudeness.

We spent the afternoon selling Girl Scout cookies. I am not for one minute fooled into thinking that this encounter at your local Publix is by any means a pleasant one for any of us. No one likes to be accosted by cute little girls with pleading eyes and overpriced cookies. Ya know what? JUST SAY NO!!! These girls were so bewildered by people completely ignoring them and walking away as if they didn't just hear, in stereo by the way, "Would you like to buy some cookies?" Is it so difficult to be civilized, personable, polite?????? Just say 'no'...a 'no, thank you' would be nice but these girls would have even accepted a shake of a head.

Is it because of where I grew up? I think so. People were nice. People said hello when they passed by you. People said, excuse me, if they stepped on your foot. People waved at passing cars (okay, this did freak out my cubanito the first time we visited my parents!). It's simply manners.

What is wrong with us?

Motherhood

I have been thinking about motherhood a lot these last few days. My friend Ivy wrote a beautiful post yesterday about motherhood and her daughter Dani(you can view it by clicking on her link on the right).

I had been thinking along those same lines for a few days.

I was talking to a good friend of mine about how hard it is to be a mommy. Don't get me wrong, as difficult as it is, it is one of my greatest pleasures in life. I LOVE being a mommy but MAN IS IT HARD?! My friend has two children and her husband wouldn't mind having another...we all know couples like that. He is not pressuring her at all but she knows he'd like it. We were talking about how much more work we, as moms, have compared to the dads.

We tend to be the ones that cook for everyone, clean for everyone, launder the clothes, wash the hair, check behind the ears, check their teeth, check the homework, help them study, drive to lessons & playdates, soothe the wounded spirits, bandage the bruised bodies, administer time-outs...the list goes on & on...

But ya know what else? To them, in their little world, 18 months or 18 yrs. there is no one like their mom. I know that my daughter ADORES her father. ADORES HIM! She would probably inhale him if she could, and I wouldn't have it any other way, but there is definitely an amazing bond between the two of us. It brings tears to my eyes to even think of it. She's my girl! I am so proud of the child that she is! She loves her Lord. I am never more proud than when she is complimented on her heart, her perceptiveness, her spirituality. Isn't that proof that I am working on getting my job done? One day I hope to hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant."

So, as much as I mess up, as many days as I think I might lose it, I receive my reward each time she tells me she loves me out of the blue.

I place her in His safekeeping each and every day. I can do my exhausting job and do it thoroughly but unless I give her back to Him every day, it's all in vain!

I have this old quote that I found somewhere that I read pretty often. I'm not even sure where it came from or who the author is but here ya go:

When I washed their faces, I prayed that they
might be cleansed by the Saviour's precious blood.
When I put on their garments, I prayed that
they might be arrayed in the garments of salvation and in the robes of God's righteousness.

When I gave them food, I prayed that they
might be fed with the Bread of life.
When I started them on the road to school, I
prayed that their faith might be a shining light.

When I put them to sleep, I prayed that they
might be enfolded in the Saviour's everlasting arms.

Isn't that great?

Ramblings...

~!!WARNING!!~ This post is TRULY just a jumble of random thought!

I had such a great day yesterday! We went to the Keys to have brunch with my in-laws to celebrate my mother-in-law's and my birthday (same day, cool, huh?). I am blessed with a wonderful mother-in-law. When Jorge and I first got married she, in her broken English, was introducing me to one of her friends and she said, 'Dis es my daughter-en-LOVE'. Later I corrected her and she decided that she liked her interpretation better so she kept it! It didn't take long for me to use it also.

After a wonderful feast (remember, I had just gone off the wacky diet) of an egg beater omelet with spinach and feta cheese & sliced tomato, we headed back home to babysit our little 1 year old niece, Amber. We had such a nice time playing with her and also hanging out with our 19 year old niece! Jorge is so good with babies...it got me thinkin' about life. Scary, I know!

I ALWAYS wanted children, ALWAYS! I wanted three! There would be 2 boys and a girl. I already had their names picked out (Maya was Maya since I was 9 years old!)and their birth order. My friend Nina and I would have husbands who were best friends... you get it! Don't all little girls do that? The Lord obviously had other plans for me. Infertility issues saw to it that Maya would be our only one. I prayed during those days that if He would just give us one I would be satisfied and I am! It's just days like yesterday that got me to thinkin' about all of that again!

One of my close friends is still doing the adoption waiting game. Another friend is going to pick up her baby, hopefully, in March. Their family has been waiting for such a long time! Both of these women are loving, beautiful, patient, godly women. They are both in my prayers.

Today at church I was reminded again of why things like infertility happen to women that were CREATED to be mommies! Our message was from Acts 17:26-28.

From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 'For in him we live and move and have our being.'

I was reminded of how He is sovereign and in control of the plan He has for each of our lives. Did my friends plan to adopt children? Probably not. Did I plan to have one baby? Absolutely not! One thing I DO know is that these women are going to bless these babies and raise them up to glorify our Creator. That's exactly what He wants!

I am beyond blessed with my sweet, perceptive, beautiful daughter! I thank My God for her all the time! This book, Quaker Summer, Mindy passed on to me, has a quote that made me read it over and over and wish that I had written it first!

"Knowing I wanted a dozen, God only blessed me with one. In a kingdom of children He might have given me, He was merciful enough to give me the prince(ss)."

I like that.

Biblical Encouragement

As I am on this weight loss quest, seeking biblical encouragement, I am being slammed with messages! Thank you, Father! Here is one I keep referring to in my mind! It's a great one!


1 Corinthians 6:12

"Everything is permissible for me"—but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me"—but I will not be mastered by anything.

Does it speak to your life in any way?

5 + 4 = 9

I'm on day 4 of this diet...I've lost 5 lbs. so far. Last week just being moderate gave me a weight loss of 4 for a grand total of 9! This has been such a fun time, HONESTLY, I mean it! I won't say it hasn't been weird, depriving or boring but it has been FUN!

Who celebrates their 40th birthday eating spaghetti squash and vegetable soup?! Oh, let's not forget the clementines I had for dessert! FUN, right??? RIGHT???

I have somehow been lead to Corinthians in my devotion time (God is GOOD!). How's this verse???

1 Corinthians 10:13
The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.

AMEN SISTERS!

The 'Wacky' Diet Starts Tomorrow!

I bought all of the stuff for this wacky diet we are doing this week! My friend called and said she bought hers also...my other friend called this afternoon and started TODAY! A day early! It should be easy since we work together and can encourage each other...it's only for a week!

My friend at church today asked me if I was crazy picking a week like this. See, it's my birthday week. She told me to cancel! CANCEL!?!?!?! Is she CRAZY? There is never a perfect time to start. She was kinda sad because we have our small group tomorrow and she wanted to bake a cake for me...well....she's gonna bring fruit instead! What a great friend! Her husband said I was selfish for depriving all of them of his wife's chocolate cake! HA! Gotta love the honesty of men!

As I previously posted, I am doing this weight loss deal with the help of the Lord. I am totally looking at it from a biblical perspective and seem to be more determined than ever! I finished the week with a really nice weight loss. ;) Makes it SO, SO worth it! Let's see what this little fad diet does...

Good luck to all my friends out there struggling with the same insane issue I am!

23 Psalm

Okay, I already posted today but as I was updating what made me laugh out loud I knew I had to blog this!

Yesterday morning as I am doing Maya's hair she told me that she needed to learn the 23 Psalm. Apparently her wise teacher, Mrs. Lopez threw down the challenge! She prefaced the whole learning of the 23 Psalm with, "Only one student in all of my years of teaching has ever learned it..." (something very close to that anyway)! Well, to my lil' one that means WAR! It was not for a grade, she wasn't doing it for the trip to the prize box, it was because Carter was the only boy who ever learned it in Mrs. Lopez' class!

Soooo, I say, "Sure, we can go over it in the car on the way to school...I know the 23 Psalm!

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.


My daughter was hysterically laughing by the time I finished my good Baptist girl King James Version of the 23 Psalm! She ROARED each time I said one of the words I have put in bold up there! C'mon people, I learned it 33 or more years ago!

In our house we study from the New Living Translation. At school she uses the NIV so that KJV was like Chinese to her! Pretty funny stuff!

BTW, on our 15-20 minute ride to school she learned the 23 Psalm! Pretty impressive. I hope Mrs. Lopez keeps throwing down those challenges! She bragged that the Lord had given her a good memory. I told her that He gave that to her so that she would glorify Him with it to which she replied, "Whaddya think I just did?"

Wonder where she got that smart mouth from?

SATURDAY! AAAHHHHHH!!!

I am so happy it is Saturday! Our first week back was rough! It's difficult getting back into the groove of things after a couple of weeks off but WE DID IT! Jorge, Maya and I had easy, peaceful evenings to assimilate ourselves back into the school/work week. Maya was asleep by 8 every night and by Thursday night Jorge and I were in bed at 9:30. Friday I woke up refreshed and ready to end my week!

Last night I spent a nice evening with some sister-chicks, hanging out, going over a new book we want to study and laughing! How much better can a week end? Well, I'll tell you how much better...when I got home, Jorge and I had some time together to reflect on our week, read a little scripture together and go to bed to the happy song of Maya and her friend, Olivia, giggling and whispering in her room...pretending to be asleep...

Ahhhhh, my happy place!

now I'm off to take down those Christmas decorations I was so happy to put up...ugh!

I am so grateful for my many, many blessings. At the top of the list are:

family
friends
laughter

I Guess We'll Try it!

Okay...my last post told of how I'm trying to get away from the FAT & FORTY thingy... well, today at work we all started talking about shedding the junk in our trunks and SOMEONE mentioned a diet that someone else used and lost a lot of weight...before you can say, "BAVARIAN CREME DONUT!" we were ALL on board! atleast 4 of us were onboard! ;) Let's see what happens. I have never heard of this particular method before so it will be interesting to see how it goes. It's a week long torture...ummm...diet that people use as a 'jumpstart'. We will decide to morrow if we will begin Sunday or Monday...one of us is going away on Friday so she's the one pushing for the earlier start! You GOTTA eat on vacation! I'll keep you posted...

BTW, I have not had one thing I shouldn't have (I'm only ending day 5).

SATAN STAY BEHIND ME! :)

Okay, let's see if you guys can guess what I have been thinking about as I pour these verses into my soul ('cause not much is being poured into my mouth...oopsy, was that a ~HINT~)...

Proverbs 23:19-21 (The Message)
Oh listen, dear child—become wise; point your life in the right direction.
Don't drink too much wine and get drunk; don't eat too much food and get fat.

1 Corinthians 3:16-17
You realize, don't you, that you are the temple of God, and God himself is present in you? No one will get by with vandalizing God's temple, you can be sure of that. God's temple is sacred—and you, remember, are the temple.

Matthew 4:4b
"It takes more than bread to stay alive. It takes a steady stream of words from God's mouth."

AND FINALLY...
Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Okay, here's the issue...In a few short days I will be turning FORTY! Yes, four-zero, 40, cuarenta, see-sip (Thai)...OLD! OLD! OLD! Remember when we were 18 and thought 40 was like a grandma? LOL! Well, I am almost forty and I don't want to be fat and forty...hmmm, I guess I'll start out fat and forty but I am definitely not staying fat and forty! I have decided that I will look at it biblically. Since other aspects of my life are put right with applying biblical principals, I'm thinkin' that maybe I can use it for this part also...after all, I'M HIS TEMPLE! So, while this is not a 'RESOLUTION', I have decided that now is the time to start.

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE pray for me. My biggest downfall is lack of exercise...I have been putting in a little time lately and I'm watching what goes into the temple so hopefully I will see some results by the end of the month.

I have officially declared it so if any of you see me lapsing, grab me by the shoulders, gimme a shake and yell, "GET BEHIND HER SATAN!"

Back to Reality!

Well, my alarm went off at 5 am this morning! UGH! Do I hafta get up???? My first thought was that I needed coffee! My second was that today I was gonna need Jesus a whole lot more! Now, I need Him to walk with me every day but today I knew I needed to spend a little more time in prayer and I asked Him to be with us as we resumed our 'real life'. REAL LIFE. I prayed that He would protect us today. I needed Him to protect my heart, keep me in check, help me do all things unto Him. It's so easy to feel grouchy, tired, & short tempered on a day like today.

We have had quite the break! It was long, relaxing, & amazing! We spent a lot of family time playing, reading & just hanging out together. It was a great time to recharge my battery.

It was NOT EASY getting up this morning but ya know what? I had a nice day. Not a GREAT day but a good one. Each time I would feel my 'grouchies' creepin' up I would pray. Just a short, silent prayer. God is good!

For all of you that started your 'real life' again today, I hope it was a good one! I prayed for all of us!

Maya is in bed, fast asleep. My kitchen is clean. I have showered. Jorge is next to me on the couch watching the last college football game of the season (can I get a HALLELUJAH?). We are all safe, protected and happy. Life is good!

It starts all over again tomorrow...Maybe my FIRST thought will be Jesus instead of coffee...

passing the baton

Today at church I was teaching in our children's church. I was in charge of our 1st thru 6th graders. My typical group consists of about 10 girls between the ages of 8-10. I host a children's Bible Study in our home on Thursday nights that includes most of these girls (plus a few more). These girls are such a joy to me! Their eagerness to share their struggles (even if they are mostly grades or friends)and their willingness to be little missionaries is such an encouragement to me. Many times as I close us in prayer I thank God for them and what a blessing they are in my life. I ALMOST ALWAYS tear up as I pray for them. Today was no exception. When I finished praying one of the girls came up to me and asked me why I think they are a blessing. As I began listing the things they bless me with they became more and more intersted and proud of themselves. Let me tell you that I was not blowing smoke. These girls are awesome and their love for the Lord makes my heart sing!

I recently read a chapter of a book that talks about 'passing the baton'. That's what we do when we spend time with our children in the Word. When we are good examples of what the Lord asks us to be. When we invest time and love in our children. Let me tell you that I could not be prouder of the girls that are my runners! As I reach for their outstretched hands and they take off running I will continue to pray that I have helped to 'train' & equip them for the race they are running. They are eager to please the Lord, to share His message and to volunteer their time to help others. They try to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord. I see it in them over and over again. They are amazing!

So you see, they really do bless me!

Guitar Hero(ine)

I had a glimpse of what I hope will be a big part of Maya's future last night.

We were playing the wii (still!). Our favorite game is Guitar Hero. You actually make your guitarist and you are given a song list to complete. You are physically holding a guitar (well, this plastic guitar shaped thing that you stick your remote into)and you rock out! It is such a fun game with old school rock...we are having a blast with this game. Welllll, Maya's turn comes up and she looks at her song list. At this point of the game there is an easy level and a medium level. SHe says, "Papi, do you think I can play 'Barracuda'?" to which Jorge replies, "Baby, that song is really hard until you get some more practice." Maya:"So you don't think I can do it?" Jorge:"Not just yet mi amor. Practice some easier songs some more before you try the medium ones."

I just sat there silently watching them and wondering what was going through her head. Did she feel crushed? Hurt by her father? Inadequate?

NOPE, not my girl! She said, "Papi, I'm gonna give it a try cause you never know until you try, right? Maybe I CAN do it!"

Well, she tried. And she tried. And tried. On the 5th try she passed the song. She looked at Jorge and said, "You should never tell people they can't do it, Papi. We should see for ourselves!"

Now I ask myself, does that mean I am in for trouble? She is definetly determined if nothing else. That's a good thing. My prayer is that she will channel that perseverance into the right avenues of her life. Is she going to be one of those teenagers who wants to do something just because we don't want her to? I'm hoping and praying that this isn't the case.

Right now she is a good girl with a good heart and a lot of respect for her parents. She's eight so I'm just gonna hold onto that for a while!

Happy 2008 to those I love!

I want to take just a second to wish all of my friends and family a 2008 filled with love, happiness and piles of blessings!

My prayer for all of us comes from Nehemiah:
Nehemiah 1:11

O Lord, I pray, please let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant, and to the prayer of Your servants who desire to fear Your name; and let Your servant prosper this day.


I will blog some more tomorrow but I am so tired...it's been a long coupla days...late nights and early mornings.

Thank all of you for loving me, even when you sometimes didn't like me (you know who you are, don't be coy!) and I just want to tell you that I don't know what I'd do without the friendships and 'family-ships' that all of you bless me with. I love you guys!

Thank you, Lord for a healthy and safe 2007. Hold my hand in 2008.