Seeing His faithfulness and purpose even in the small things..

Sometimes we expect God to always do something BIG, some great ministry opportunity, or some position of importance.  A year and seven months ago, we moved to KC from FL.  It all started out with a dream Moises had.  In the dream, Grace was just a baby, and he was sitting down with his parents telling them that God was sending us back to KC for just a season,  this was even before Grace was born and we were happily active in our House of Prayer back home.  Well, when the time was right for us to come live in KC again, Moes heart started to really long to be here....I on the other hand was hesitant, I didnt want to take Grace away from her family and I also didnt want to hurt our families either.   So we start to pray about it, and Moe secretly begins to pray for my heart and before we both know it we are planning our move and back in KC.

This is what we thought things would look like.....God would open a door to go full time at the house of prayer, Moe would take classes, as would I, we would be fully in ministry raising support, learning as much as we could  to then come back home and plug into our OHOP family.....Well.....That isn't quite the story almost 2yrs later....This is how things have gone....We had another baby, I have stayed home everyday without an extra car raising my kids, Moises has embraced being in the market place and working to partner with God in being our provider, we have bought a house, we don't get much time in the prayer room, we don't get to take classes,  we are together almost ALL the time, and the most I have been able to is join a wonderful moms group.....

But guess what??? We are starting to understand God's purpose in us being here.   I personally have grown to love being a mom, to embracing my call, of not just nurturing and loving my babies but molding them and daily teaching them about Jesus.  I have learned alot about being a homemaker and serving my family, I embraced the life of a servant wife, and serving my husband fully.  We have learned how to be a family, and have built a strong foundation for our babies, and for future kids.  My husband now knows, that his acceptance by God doesn't not come from how plugged in he is in the prayer room, or how many sets her can fulfill but God enjoys him for him, and it is ok to be a working man, providing for his family.  I am OK if this is why we left all the people we love thousand of miles away,  I have loved this journey, because it has made me a better person, wife and mother.  AND, we know, it was only for a season.......and He only knows when the season is going to end.......

Gods purposes are always big even if we are expecting something grand, His grand to us may look so simple and so small...I am so grateful for the perfect leadership of my Shepard! Your lines have fallen to me in pleasant places.

Home management

Piles of landry, clutter everywhere, overwhelming feeling of having tons to do and so little time...yeap that was me, and I'm no perfect momma or wife, it's still is a work in progress...After having my second baby, and really embracing the stay at home mom, homemaking lifestyle, I came to realize that I needed some order in my life.  I was to be in charge of how I wanted my home to run on a daily basis.  How could I balance my life out so that I could better serve my husband and my kids?

Well, once again my amazing friend Nicole over at Historic Homemaking introduced me to this awesome little e-book called Time management 101.  The woman who wrote it showed me how to make my very own management binder, in this binder is all I need to do to help me better manage my home.  What I love about this book is that it allows me to just be me, to run my house in a way that works for my family.  The author does an awesome job at making sure moms know that we are all different and do things differently.

What I really want to do is share with you guys things I have in my binder ;) I am working on revising some things right now but I'm about finished.   This little tool has helped me become more productive, encouraged to set daily goals, and has better helped me serve my family! I know you can benefit from it too.

Here is the link where you can get the book...have a look ;) It's goood stuff! Money Saving Mom

Oh, It's tricky having a toddler!

Discipline! oh Discipline...It has been one tricky week for us.  Our little girl, who we have always known has quit the spicy personality, has definitely been expressing her desires daily.  BUT, there is a problem, this week, little lady thought she was the boss of the house....it has been pretty stressful, and it is a hard thing to discipline out of complete love and not anger sometimes.  In the end, we do discipline her because we love her, and our desire is that our kids become more and more like Jesus, and love others well, but sometimes patience has really run low, and anger is released through my yells....:/

I think we all face the same fear.  The fear of our little ones not loving us or liking us because we discipline.  Sometimes I get sad after I discipline Grace, no matter how nicely I do it, I feel guilt that I made her sad, and fear that she wont love me anymore.  That is also where I believe parents fail, or at least " modern day parents", they don't want their kids to be upset, OR they don't want to deal with the stresses of discipline, letting them get away with it seems much easier......sigh....  I have fallen into the trap many times.  The only thing that keeps me firm is that as a parent, as a christian parent, I am called to discpline my children. It is my job and my responsibility. Here are some scriptures I always keep in my heart and mind.

Proverbs 13:24
Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them.

Proverbs 19:18
Discipline your children, for in that there is hope; do not be a willing party to their death.

Proverbs 22:15
Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far away.

Proverbs 23:13
Saying 13 Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish them with the rod, they will not die.

So, with all that said, it's Monday, and I am so ready to start this week, to show Grace who's boss.  I refuse to have a disrespectful, disobedient child, if she is rude at home, she will be to others as well.  Through the wisdom and direction the Lord gives Moises and I, I feel confident we will discipline and raise out kids rightly.   This truly is one of the trickiest, hardest parts of raising a toddler, a child in general for that matter.

Nicole and I are going to be reading the book The Happiest Toddler on the Block, this book can't get here fast enough.  Once I start reading it, I will post all of my successful moments with my toddler! Breakthrough is coming people hehe lol

PLEASE, share your thoughts and ideas on how you discipline your child!

Loving my husband...

That they may admonish the young women to love their husbands.

                                                                      Titus 2:4

 

This past week I was given the opportunity to really walk out this verse.  My husband was sick, not feeling well, he had a fever, the shakes, and terrible throat pain.   Although externally I was trying to care for him, internally I was more worried about my kids catching what he had or even me catching it...I mean after all, who would care for me if I were to be sick..These were all things that were crossing my mind and heart.  I felt the Lord really tugging at my heart, and asking me to examine it very well.  " You need to love your husband Melany, do it by caring for him to the fullest".   I have a wonderful husband bless his heart, and he was appreciative of me just allowing him to lay in bed for a couple days and rest.  BUT I know that doing something just because you have to and doing something out of PURE LOVE is very different. 

I talked to one of my best momma friends *Nicole* ;) and as I was telling her " well I made him stay in the room all day, I just dont want my kids to get sick", she quickly stopped me in my tracks and said, "girl, before the ministry of your kids is the ministry of your husband, and you need to serve him" ouch! lol I love Nicole for that because she was right.   I found myself more worried about my kids, or not being able to make it to my free hair cut appointment, or moms group, or having to do everything around the house everyday then worried about making my husband feel as loved and taken care of as possible.  

Once I realized my ugly fallen heart, I asked for forgiveness and was determined to care for Moises in the best way I could.  Soon after, he was feeling much better! I learned something great this past week, and its that I not only LOVE my husband by just showing him the affection he is due, but by showing that love is the lowest time, and by giving him that AGAPE love....The love that doesnt require anything back....the love that gives without expection...the selfless love...

Thank you Moises, for being a godly, selfless husband, for being thankful for what I do, even when I know I can do better. And for loving me rightly.....

What are some ways you live this scripture out?

Toddler Devotional part 2

I had shared before about toddler devotional time and how I find it works for me and my little girl.  Well, as I look through all that we have done, I felt kind of proud ;) I really am trying to teach my little ones about God and seeing everything we have learned layed out, I felt  Jesus smiling at me! I really wanna share with you some of the things we have done during our devotional time here in the Reyes home ;)  and I also want to share a couple tips that I find make our devotional time better. Here it goes....;)

I feel coloring and doing hands on things will help a toddler learn faster and make it fun and entertaining.  The problem I ran into, was that Grace wanted to skip the praying and worship and praise time and go straight to painting.  Its nice she is eager to learn, but first and foremost, its important to teach our kiddies how to cultivate a life of prayer and intimacy with Jesus.  So with that said here is Tip number 1: Always begin with prayer and worship..even if it means your toddler gets upset, show them and teach them that prayer and worship come first.  Grace is back to wanting to dance and pray before we paint. ;) 

Another thing that I loved having was a toddler bible.  Grace loves her toddler bible, it has pictures and bright colors.   Tip number 2:  Have a toddler bible.  Its great to show your little ones what it is your are talking about.  The last set of pictures below shows how sweet it is to have one. ;)   Here are some cool things Grace and I have worked on...I hope you feel inspired and motivated!  Please share with me all that you do during devotional time with your toddler!

These are some painting we did while going through  Creation and the Story of Noah!

 

Paintings of Psalm

Learning about the birth of Jesus 

Cultivating a life of worship and praise in the hearts of our little ones......

To love their children.....

We all know the popular chapter in Titus 2 where Paul lays out the qualities of young woman, He exhorts us to love our husbands, to love our children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, and obedient to their husband.  Two of these qualities have been tugging at my heart, but today, I want to share my heart on one.....To Love Their Children....

Some days, I end my days in guilt, laying in bed with all types of worries and questions running through my mind....Was I a good momma today?  I shouldn't of responded the way I did....Did I love on Grace and Joshua enough?  My patience stunk today! I have been asking the Lord these few days, how can I be a better mom?  How can I love my children better? and what all falls under the category of loving my children.  I do confess, that I fail, many times I fail to love my babies rightly, it may be the way I speak to them, or the way I react to the unimportant situations, or even when I discipline. 

So, as I asked Jesus, to show me His ways of love, and things I can do to LOVE my Children better, here are somethings that come to mind and heart.....create a joyful environment full of laughter and happiness, show much affections hugs and kisses galore!,  take designated time out of the busy homemaking schedule to play and give my full attention to them, discipline in love (always being aware that an affirming tone is always better then yelling), take care of their physical, spiritual and emotional needs....ooo and let me not forget my current lack.... patience!

Help me Jesus, to be the best momma I can be.....


Please do tell, what are some ways and somethings you do that help fulfill the calling to love your children??

 

Life...precious life...

My heart hurts so bad, as we contend for the life of one of my friends baby boy.  Avery is holding on to life, by the grace and strength of Jesus.  He has been such a little fighter, I haven't even been able to meet this sweet, precious little baby boy, but he truly has my heart.  Avery stopped breathing last night and is on life support.  From the reports of his momma, he is not doing well, the machine is doing all the breathing for him, his eyes are swollen shut from an infection and at this point he is lifeless.

I cant help but think of my little babies, especially Joshua, being that Avery is a baby boy.  Life is so delicate, and we should never take any moment for granted.  Every second that we have with our babies should be spent loving them as hard as we can, some moments we just never get back.  There are mommas out there, such as Jennifer, with aching heart as they have to watch their babies fight to live. Some don't even get the chance to snuggle, kiss and hold their babies.....

Jenny is my hero...she has placed her trust in God, and has still managed to have a smile on her face.  She is so strong, and so brave!!! Jenny, my heart is with you 100%, as I and many others contend for a miracle in the life of little Avery!

This is baby Avery, 2wks old. Please pray with me for Avery to be made whole!

To hear more on Avery's Journey visit heartonapilgrimage.wordpress.com.

finding satisfaction in Him....

There is always the pressure, you know, the pressure of fitting in & the necessity to look a certain way, and follow the hottest trends.  Happiness now is linked to being a certain pant size, and joy has become the product of being accepted by everyone around you.

I have been struggling with this image deal for a while now.  Four yrs into marriage, and two babies later, my body is not the same, I have gone up in pant & shirt size, and I am constantly faced with the same issue in my heart, the fight to fit in and look as good as others, and the longing to feel beautiful.

Why does it have to be this way?  Why must my happiness be based upon looks? or fashion? or whether I have the best clothes in my closet??

I have been thinking a lot about life, about God, searching my heart and asking myself...What is my source of Joy, and in who do I find my joy in?  I have come to this conclusion....I was made for Jesus, I was made to be satisfied by Him and not by what this culture thinks my satisfaction will come from.  There is Something so much bigger, and Someone so much greater then being so caught up with societies standards.  Don't get me wrong, I love feeling beautiful and confident, but where is the source of that confidence being pulled from? Is it Jesus, is it who He says I am or is it the size 6 pants I have been dying to fit back into!!

We were all created with this longing for beauty, with this longing for more, for the next big thing.   I'm constantly giving the longings of my heart over to other ideas, and letting material things be the things that give my life happiness & meaning...when in reality, the beauty is the one of our Lord, the longing is to long for Him and the next big thing, are all the mysteries He has to share with us.

What does it really look like to set my eyes on things above, what does it really look like to seek first the Kingdom of heaven, what does it really feel like to lay up my treasures in heaven and how does it feel to really, 100% be satisfied in Jesus Christ....Oh, how I desire to live for one thing and one thing alone, to meet Jesus! That as long as I have him, everything that this world has to offer is NOTHING.  Why not be happy and content with just knowing God, with searching Him out and living a life of simplicity that God and His truths would have preeminence in my life.

One of my bestest momma friends Nicole and I have been sharing our hearts on finding our confidence and joy in other things but Jesus! She wrote a post as well so go check her out over at The Chronicles of a stay at home mom;)

Having a Mary heart in a Martha world.

Feeling drained? Some of us work as stay at home mommas, some work a full time or part time job a long with having to run a home, take care of kids and make sure the husband is satisfied and taken care of as well.   Growing weary at heart is a place we often find ourselves in, I for one, tend to be in this place quit often.

The battle with in us always remains, and sometimes we fight it vigourously and other times we give in to all the mundanes and weariness this life may bring...The ever so constant battle is...

FINDING INTIMACY WITH GOD IN THE BUSYNESS OF LIFE...

I have been looking at the story of Mary and Martha out of Luke 10:38-42 ....Martha was so ready to serve, I mean after all, the great teacher and friend was going over for dinner!  The house had to be squeaky clean, everything had to be in its place, the food had to be cooking and EVERYTHING just had to be PERFECT.  She was so willing and so ready! Do you ever find yourselves in that spot?  I DO!! Not just when guest are coming to visit but I am like that everyday!  Going through my daily chores, making sure the kids are fed, house is clean, and lets not forget smelling amazing, dishes are done, laundry is washed, floors are swept and vacuumed, dinner is ready and served for the husband after work, and the list goes on and on! I know I am not alone on this one ;) 

During all that hard work and service Martha was doing for Jesus, she found her self in a place of discouragement...and even doubted if He cared!

Mark 10:40 But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell Her to Help me?

I am completely guilty of asking myself the same question, Jesus Don't you care??? All this that I am doing, why don't you care?? Then I find myself not only having a distracted heart, but a discouraged and doubtful heart as well.   What I really love in this story is the response Jesus gave Martha.  In His tenderness towards her, and in His love.....

" Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things, But onething is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken from her"

I don't think Martha was in the complete wrong, or that Jesus was pointing fingers at her and favoring her sister.  After all we are called to serve, BUT first we are called to LOVE HIM! and that is what Martha was missing.  Not that she didn't love Jesus, but she wasn't taking the time to just BE...to sit, to listen and to be refreshed by the words of Jesus, the onething that Mary her sister did understand.

Yes, our homes must be kept, children must be fed, and dishes are to be cleaned, but that servanthood must be birthed out of a place of prayer and intimacy with the Lord.  We must choose the good part, so that in our service to Him, we don't become burned out and truthfully miserable! 

He is the oil that will keep our lamps burning, and the one that will drive us to serve our families and others the way we do,  all out of a place of LOVE, and INTIMACY with Him.

Now, what are some ways you all maintain a Mary heart, in a Martha World?? please share ;)

Raising Spiritual Children

This past Friday, one of my best friends (Ms. Alexia ;) )shared with us an encounter she had a few yrs back. She had been meditating on a verse in the bible ( scripture to come) where Jesus says he is in heaven with the Father, and she kept asking herself, how could Jesus be walking on earth and be with the Father at the same time? So she took that scripture and started meditating on it, and then she drifted off, and the Lord spoke to her through this encounter on what Jesus ment. I really want to share this, because as she was explaining what she felt it ment, I was thinking of my life and of Grace and Joshua and how this revelation can be carried on in the way we raise our children.

  In her encounter she was standing on what looked like the sea of glass, and in front of her was a huge gate and she had the ability to somehow go under the gate and peak inside, when she would go under to peak inside she would hear music and see all different types of colors swirling around, as if the music produced colors, she just kept doing the same thing over and over again.   As soon as she woke up from the dream or vision she was having she felt like she understood what the Jesus meant.  Jesus' eyes had the ability to see things in the spirit, and that is how He could be here on earth yet still be with the Father.  She felt the Lord was saying, that we too have the ability to see things in the Spirit, but that our eyes have been consumed by other things, we have constantly given our eyes to entertainment and other things that block our spiritual eyes from seeing.  

We do not see with our spiritual eyes because we are caught up with earthly things, not taking into account the promises and things the Lord wants to show us. 

Ever since Lexi shared this with us, I have been thinking a lot of Grace and Joshua.  Athough, now they dont have the ability or understanding to chose rightly on what they give there efforts, time,  love & EYES to, we do!   What do I need to do to set them up for spiritual success.  How can I convince my children that there is something greater waiting for them, something more pleasurable and entertaining then the T.V or video games, or cell phones and lap tops.  How can I raise them to find their true pleasure in the Man Christ Jesus....

It's not about law, or religion, it is not about a list of things we are to do, or things we are not to do BUT it is about setting a STRONG foundation for our children of WHO Jesus is and WHY we choose to live the way we do.  I have the ability to, from a young age, raise and mold Grace and Joshua, to value simplicity and the things of God over earthly things and have faith that God would honor us as parents and even now begin to show our kids things in the spirit, give them encounters, take them through that open door in heaven that is open to all of us.

I know this all must begin with Moses and I,  and how we chose to live our lives. So, I ask myself... What do I need to do in my own life? What things do I need to get rid of so that Jesus can have the preeminacne in my home and in our lives as a whole?  How far oh Lord would you let me go and how abandoned would you let me be?  How far can I take this determination?  Much examination of the heart must take place...unforntunalty, we have grown up in a culture where humans are humans, and kids need to be kids...sure hrs playing a video game or watching T.V is great, let kids be kids....But I say, how about raising our children in preperation for the next life we will live and not this one, the one that will fade away.  How awesome would it be for our children to grow up with the truth that they live and breathe for Jesus, and for their hearts to ONLY be satisfied by Him....

Lord I just pray that you would give all parents the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge You, that you would open the eyes of their understanding.  Place a zeal in my heart and in theirs to raise spiritual children.  God I say that I will partner with You, I will  listen and be led by the Spirit.  I will do what it takes and give up everything so the I and my children would walk in the Spirit, that our spiritual eyes would be open to see greater things. Give us WISDOM, UNDERSTANDING, GRACE to raise children for Christ.  AMEN...

Finding BEAUTY in having children & in being a mom..

         Yesterday my little girl turned 2.  As I washed the dishes, thanking God for the gift of being a mom, of being Graces mom, I cried, because for just a few moments, my heart felt the joy,  and the beauty of being a mom.  I was feeling great gratitude towards the Lord for allowing me to raise children, to be a MOTHER.

Psalms 113:9..He gives the barren woman a home, making her the joyous mother of children. Praise the LORD!

We have grown in a culture the depicts mothers as lesser, or that think having a lot of children is complete waist of time, or waste of a woman's life.  I have been asked many times, do you want more??? Ofcoarse I answer, first response is, really?? but why?? your crazy!..but if people and even mommas would understand the great honor that lays in being a mother, if their hearts would just feel for a moment the GREAT JOY, it really does bring, they would think differently.

Yes, its hard work,  yes I do lay down some of my greatest passions, for now, yes, I have to schedule my date night with the hubby and friends, yes, I dont sleep in, yes I clean and I cook, yes I wipe butts and get spit on BUT all for the GLORY of one MAN...JESUS! He is faithful in giving the grace, and the joy to those who love Him.

 Genesis 33:5...And when Esau lifted up his eyes and saw the women and children, he said, “Who are these with you?” Jacob said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.”


I feel it is time for people and most importantly the BODY OF CHRIST to view and see motherhood as something to be valued, for godly mothers, fathers and believers to understand and see the high position mothers hold in the eyes of God and to view children through His eyes..  Yes, I have two kids, and YES I WANT MORE...This is all part of my life story....and of many other mommas who have CHOSEN to be a Titus 2 woman.

Titus 2:4-5...that they may admonish the you woman to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemaker, good, obedient to their own husbands, the the word of God may not be blasphemed.

finding beauty in the most beautiful calling.........motherhood.

A letter to my baby girl

Dear Grace,
      Today is your 2nd birthday! I cant believe how big you are, I still remember the great feeling of joy my heart felt as I held you for the very first time.  I still didn't quite understand just how blessed of a woman I was, and what an amazing journey I was about to embark.  But now, I get it, motherhood, the very thing I was born to be! Baby girl you along with your baby brother and your daddy, are my greatest gifts from God.  


You are smart, funny, full of joy, and you can even be a little spicy sometimes!!  I lay down thinking of you and wake up ready to start my day with you! I will always support you, and I try daily to speak words of encouragement over your life.  You are beautiful, brave, and Jesus is going to use you mightily! I love you my little tiny firecracker ;) HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

Aug 4th, 2009 8:24pm

My 2 yr old baby girl!!

Embracing this season...

I know some of you new mommas go through the struggle of letting go, for now the things you burn for.  I can speak from experience, and I know how it feels, BUT I also know that the Lord is faithful and that JOY does spring up during this point in life when you have to set aside many areas in your life, to give your 100% to your children.  And, for me, the call still remains, as it's here, the opportunity to sing in the prayer room once again, they even offer childcare for free now & the team I have always hoped to join is now going to be on the perfect time schedule that works for me, AND I would get to join IHOP staff!! It all sounds so awesome, and o how my heart longs to sing again.  It has been over 2 yrs since I have sang in the prayer room, or sang at all. ( really sang)

BUT....

Why does my heart tell me it is not time? and when will the time finally come?!?  One thing I can say, is that though at the moment I don't feel released to step on a team just yet, I am ok with that.  I know the time is slowly approaching, and I also know, my heart is here, in my house, with my babies.  Not to say I cant do both, but I feel the Lord calling me to give my 100%  to my children, husband and home.  It took A LONG time in these last couple of yrs to be OK with sitting on the side, with laying down something I am really passionate about, something I know He has called me to do,  to EMBRACE this season of motherhood..I know this time wont last forever. 

So I will continue to labor, to EMBRACE, to diligently give my heart and serve my family to the best of my ability!!! and now, I can say, from the bottom of my heart, that I find PLEASURE & JOY, in this season.  However long it may be....

Toddler devotional time...

Over the past yr, I have been trying to figure out different ways to have a fun, interactive devotional time with Grace.  It has been a challenge, there have been times when I have expected to much out of her.  I had it in my head that she would enjoy sitting down, having a thorough time of prayer, and reading the word.....I mean, what in the world was I thinking?!? After all Grace is only a toddler!!!

My goal, is to make daily time with Jesus a part of my children's lives.  So daily devotional time in the mornings is a must in our house.  I feel that if I set the foundation now, it will play a big part in their lives in the future.  I have come up with some tips on how to have a successful ( for the most part) lol, fun, interactive devotional time with your toddler. 

1. Mornings is best:  From personal experience, I have found that when I start devotional time right after breakfast, I have more of my kids attention.  They are ready to do something fun, and their mind is nice and clear.

2. Stick to the same music:  We use the same praise song and CD every morning for a long period of time before changing it up.  Once I turn the music on and Grace hears her favorite praise song, she knows its time to get her instruments, and dance ;)

3. Use instruments:  Instruments are so much fun.  Grace loves to beat the drum and shake her shakers, it adds to the enjoyment of praising Jesus.

4.  Use paint & crayons:  This one of the best ways to keep your toddler engaged.  I normally pick a scripture, and draw it out, then share the picture with her.  She loves it, and it is a good way to teach them scripture.

5. Pick a scripture:  Every morning, I have a verse  picked out.  I read the verse, ask Grace a question, and draw it for her. You can even stick with a theme! like creation!

7. Worship extravagantly:  Give Jesus your ALL..sing with all that you have, and dance your heart out.  Teach your children how to worship, show them the enjoyment that is found in worshiping God. 

6. Keep it short and simple:  I try to keep devotional time to 30 min.  Sometimes we even go less, depending on how Grace is doing.

Well that is all! I hope this helps....;) What are some of the things you do with your children during devotional??? 

Understanding the blessedness of motherood

I have been reading on Mary, and her reaction to the news that she would conceive of the Holy Spirit and give birth to the Son of God.  Not only was she a virgin, young, but she was CHOSEN by the almighty God, to take part in this big master plan of bringing His Son down to earth.  Did she run? Did she deny Him?  Was she not willing to ruin her reputation?.......She said YES to the call of motherhood, she set aside her own personal circumstances and said " Let it be unto me according to your word."

She was to become the mother of GOD himself.  wow! In her acceptance, she showed her willingness, her surrender, her servanthood, her obedience, her selflessness, and her love for God. 

O that we would rejoice with Mary, that we would understand and accept that motherhood is a blessing, that we would sing and rejoice, and thank the Lord for making us mommas.  No matter that circumstance that may stand in our way, whether finances, or space, whatever it may be, lets sing the song of Mary, the song of rejoicing, and lets magnify the Lord, being forever grateful for considering us as mothers and for CHOOSING us to nurture and raise the children He ordained for us.

The song of Mary: Luke 1:46-56

" My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.  for He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.  For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And Holy is His name.  And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation.  He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.  He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly.  he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty. He has helped His servant Israel, In remembrance of His mercy, As He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to this seed forever."

LORD, I REJOICE AND FIND JOY, THAT YOU HAVE REGARDED ME, AND HAVE FOUND ME WORTHY ENOUGH TO BE THE MOTHER OF GRACE & JOSHUA AND TO RAISE THEM FOR YOU! FOR THAT I AM SO GRATEFUL!

Vacation...bitter sweet!

OK! So after over a yr of living in KC we finally got to come back to FL to visit out family and friends!  Our flight didnt arrive to FL till 12am and I didnt get the kiddies to bed until 2am....It was tough, and today my babies were running on about 6 hrs of sleep, although troopers, Joshua had outburst of small crying sessions.  This is our first family vacation, AND both kids are not used to sleeping away from home, so it has been quite the challenge. 

I love being around my family! It will be sooo hard to leave them, once again...

Nevertheless, I do have some things on my heart, that I just cant figure out how to put on paper, and I will be doing a guest post on my wonderful friends Nicole Arrozollos blog. I prob wont be able to blog for a little, while on vacation, but will as soon as I get back home.

Love you all! ;)

12 principles: Apply in relationship to our Children...

This past Sunday on Fathers day, Mike gave an amazing message called God's Fatherhood released in the church and the home.  In my eyes and for my life, I would have to say that the success of parenting is being connected with the Father heart of God, and then releasing it into our homes.  When we better understand how His Father heart feels towards US and towards our CHILDREN we can teach better, guide better, and love stronger. 

This week, I have been asking the Lord to show me His heart, to reveal His love for me.  In all honesty I feel like I almost lost sight of His supremacy as God, as Yahweh and as MY FATHER.  When the revelation of who He is begins to fade, we live differently, get frustrated easily, lose sight of what our hearts burn for and then, there is patience....what patience?? sigh, yes I am guilty of sometimes being the most impatient momma ever!

I tried something different this week, I started out my days asking the Lord to show Himself to me, I opened the Word, and just surrendered it all to Him.  Praying He would reveal His love for me, that He would open His Father heart towards me expressing every emotion and thought, not only for me but for Grace and Joshua.  My one desire as I work on my relationship with my babies, is to love them rightly, to discipline them in a correct manner, and to speak life daily into their hearts...Lord, I want to know and EXPERIENCE your FATHER HEART!

Well, Mike shared 12 principles to apply in relationship to God, our family and others.   I found these principles so helpful, and this week I have been trying my best ( not always being succeful) at applying these principles in my home, and towards my children..

Here they are!

1. Relationship building: Invest in others according to their hearts cry and passions.  ( What are the passions of your children's heart? what is something they relate too?)  Even God connects with us according to our gifting and passions.
2. Affirming:  Our greatest emotional need is for assurance of being ENJOYED.  Even in their negative parts or their failures, make sure they feel enjoyed.
3. Calling forth: Envisioning and inspiring them to take action. Tell them things about their hearts they cant see.
4. Coaching: Training them, giving them responsibilities, then overseeing it.
5. Encouraging: Speaking words of Life and reminding them of God's perspective.
6. Serving: Seeking for the greatness of the children with a servant spirit.  Comminting ourselves to the childrens greatness and not ours.
7. Enduring: Being patient and gentle with their failures without giving up on them.
8. Celebrating: Supporting them emotionally and enjoying God's blessing on them.  Celebrate the small things.
9. Providing: Investing our resources (time and money) in them in practical ways.
10. Taking initiative in reconciliation: Take the lead in humbling yourself in strife. Even if it is only 10% your fault.
11. Correcting: pointing out blind spots without provoking them to anger.
12. Standing in difficulty: Supporting them in battles and difficulties.

Lord, I just pray for all mothers, that You would reveal yourself to them as Father, as our comforter, our defender, our greatest cheerleader, and as our  faithful leader.  Lavish the tenderness of Your heart on all of us.  That we would in return demonstrate Your Father heart to our children.  We know that without You there is no good in us, apart from You we will not be successful in anything we do.  Come Lord, with the spirit of wisdom and revelation and the knowledge of You, that the eyes of our understanding may be enlightened...Let us see you Lord and let our children encounter You through our parenting.  Amen.

Building strong relationships.

Yesterday, it seemed that my kiddies were tugging at me for more of my attention.  One side of me was thinking of all the things I had to do and the other side was telling me "sometimes house stuff just has to wait".  So as I looked down at my little girl who was telling me to sit and color with her, I set aside my routine and schedule and gave her all my attention.  As I sat down and looked into her big brown eyes, I was filled with such satisfaction and joy, and her smile and giggles were priceless!

One of the most crucial things in the life of a child is having strong godly relationships that are filled with the love of God, and the knowledge of Him.  As a parent, I know that my relationship with my kids will lead way to their relationship with God. 

Children long for love, for attention and it is up to us to demonstrate that to them, once they trust the love we have given them, they will trust the love the Lord has for them.  We are the gateway and the very thing that connects our children to Jesus. 

I am currently  reading a book called Raising Spiritual Children, and yesterday's chapter was on building strong relationships with our kids.  I had read this chapter after I had finished playing with Grace.  I felt like the Lord was confirming what I had felt that morning and telling me that it is in those times, when I give her my attention, my love and when I make her feel important, that I am not only building a good relationship with her but building a good foundation for the relationship she will one day have with Him.

As parents, we are the vessels that are being used by the Holy Spirit to lead their hearts into the love of God and our relationships have an incredible impact on their spiritual health and wholeness. 

Grace, momma promises that she will always give you her love and attention! forever & ever baby girl!

 

Joshua,  momma promises to always give you her love and attention! forever & ever baby boy!

My new blessing...

In April, one our dreams came true!! We bought a house, a place of our own where we can be at peace and where we can raise Grace and Joshua, a home we can call ours!  Although our house isn't something huge and outstanding, it is perfect for us in every way.  We would of never thought we would be homeowners at this point in our lives and after trying for a while the door finally opened up.  We found the perfect house, and the perfect seller ever!


I promised one of my friends I would post pics of the house last month...so here it is! =) Enjoy!!

My house, with a new porch built by my father in law =)

Living room area, we have added a new area rug & new modern fan (not in pic)

My kitchen

Laundry room

Kids bedrooms

Master bedroom

Bathroom

and my pretty back yard =)

I took these pics a few wks back, and we have added somethings and of coarse there are still stuff we have to get up on the walls and such! but this is it =) Thank you to all who kept us prayer through the process, it was smooth and we know for sure this is the house Jesus had for us all along!

Serving whole heartidly....

Days come and go, being swept away with the the loads that are being carried.  All the the different hats that are being worn, the mommy hat, wife hat, maid hat, chef hat and the list goes on.  What is it that gets us through the mundane, schedules & routines?  The simple answer we so easily forget....we serve Jesus Christ.

One of my favorite speakers, Dwayne Roberts did an awesome message on Sunday, he entitled it " Serving Jesus Christ".  I was reminded that I do what I do with a purpose, and I do it as service to Jesus, and as I serve my family whole heartidly, am serving Jesus whole heartidly.  In this season of my life, this is what Lord has given me to do and their IS a reward for all of my labors. 

Colossians 3:23-25

And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance: for you serve the Lord Jesus Chirst. 

Once this revelation is understood, we will be able to overcome the boring and the mundane, as we do our daily routine. Whether you are a stay at home mom or a working mom, always remember you are doing it as unto the Lord, you are serving Jesus, do it heartily, knowing that no matter what Jesus is looking down at you, and delighting in all of you labors.

Matthew 25:43

Then the King will say to those on His right hand, Come, You blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world...

Always know that there is a great inheritance for those who serve Him.....we will rule and reign with the King forever & ever!!!!! How glorious is the thought!

So, today...as I opened my eyes, I set it in my heart and mind that from the rising of the sun and to it's going down, all that I do I do to serve one Man and one Man alone...JESUS! and what a joyful day it as been........

Time...Time...Time

Time, sometimes my worst enemy.  Many times I find myself completely off track and unfocused, which affects my mood and how I parent my babies.   This week my good friend Nicole Arrzollo emailed me an e book called Time Management 101, I read it just in time...It is super simple and is written by a Jesus loving momma!  Many times I have fallen short, I was setting my expectation so high,  I had every  minute scheduled out which often drove me to focus on all I didnt accomplish instead of all I did accomplish, and then I would just stop it all together!! 

One of the most important things that I failed to do, is to make a list of my priorities, making a list of set priorities has better helped me understand how I want to run my home.  I know that if the things that are most important to me are being fulfilled then everything else will fall into place. I want to share with you my priorities, and hope that you will share yours as well.  We are all in different seasons, and have kids of different ages, I think it would be amaizing to see where other mommas are at in their season!!

Here are my list of priorities:

1.  Have a strong relationship with Jesus
2. Have a strong bond and relationship with Moises. 
3. Teach, Love and nurture Grace & Joshua ( this includes teaching them about Jesus)
4. Cook  & feed my family healthy foods. ( as much all natural and organic food as possible)
5. Keep house clean and orderly
6. Blogging

There are many things that I wish were on that list right now but in do time and season I know this list will change...  During these least few months, especially after having Joshua and now owning a home, I have come to realize that I am truly a homemaker.  Beyond just staying at home raising my kids, I take care of my husband and my home.  I love how the Lord really does give grace, grace to care for my children, grace to care for my husband, to cook, to clean, to go grocery shopping,  all while opening my heart and loving as hard as I can!!! I say, without Jesus all that would surely be depressing, but with Him it is a honor, a priviledge and a joy to serve my family!

I encourage you to make a list of your priorities and to read this book ( you can click on the title above to get the book).  I am gonna be starting my homemakers binder too (learn more about this through the e -book),  in it I can have my daily cleaning schedule, my priorities, my daily schedule and so on!

sooo really...I would love to know some of your priorities??

The need to lean and my need to learn how to lean....

Yes, finally I get some time to blog! It has been a crazy month.  I am one week post surgery, and thanks to all the ladies that kept me in prayer.  The day of surgery I woke up and was pretty calm, I didn't even shed a tear that morning and was just ready to get it over with.  I have a pretty big cut on my lower neck from the surgery, I am praying it heals good and that the scarring wouldn't be bad.  Other then that my mom has been here with me, taking care of the kiddies, I cant lift for another week, which has been hard for me not to do, lets just say I have gotten so much rest and hands off time, my mom had done EVERYTHING for me.  The first couple of days I was taking it all in, resting up as much as I could but it wasn't soon enough that I started getting antsy and was ready to take care of my family and home.

So, here I am 11pm, I was already tucked in my bed ready to fall asleep, but these last few nights there has been a huge weight on my heart and mind.  One of these nights, I was laying in bed and the fear of death gripped me out of nowhere, at first I thought I took medicine the wrong way and overdosed myself or something, by the way I will never take pain killers again! lol  But, then as I layed in bed my body became numb, I couldnt move and I tought to myself surely I am dying.  The moment I snapped out of it, I new it was a demonic presence, and began to pray, feeling much better I was able to fall back asleep.

I have never felt anything like that, the feeling and thought that surely I was close to dying...I dont know what it all means, but what I do know is that my faith and hope is being attacked.  The fear of dying, and leaving my babies behind, or the fear of losing them and my husband.  Yesterday, tornadoes struck an area just 15 min from my house, the sirens were going off, and I was extremely panicked, I felt like throwing up, all the what if's kept creeping in...

What if a tornado hits us? how do I protect my family??
What if I die? but my babies need me!
What if my babies die?  How could I live without them!
What if Grace gets scared?  I don't want to see her scared or panicked, I want her to be happy always!
What if where Moe is gets hit? He is far from us!
What if he dies? What will I do??

Seriously, you might think I am nuts right now...and yes at the moment I was...where was my faith?? where was my hope? Faith in the very God  who holds the stars His hands? The very God who created this world?  The one who has the power to do ANYTHING!! where was my faith and why can't I just trust?!?!

It is a battle between all that I know and all that I believe.  I know God is all knowing, He is all powerful, He is the protector and the defender of my family, and He knows my life and my families life from beginning to end. I know that I must live as one with hope, hope in Him.  I just feel like I am getting attacked but I refuse to live a life of fear, I want to walk in full confidence in God and in all that He is...I desire to not only know but to believe all that His word says He is...

These last couple of nights, as I layed in bed, talking with God, expressing my heart (even though he already knows it) I ask for His help, and lean as much as I can...God is really all we have in this life...I know that I, as a woman, mother and wife can only survive in this life by trusting, hoping, leaning and living for Jesus Christ....I long so deeply for that peace...and I must learn to LEAN!


Have any of you mommas felt the same way? or am I the only weirdo out there!! ;)

Strengthening our foundation in Jesus

Last night Moe and I were talking.  He was sharing his heart with me on his relationship with God, and how he feels about being the head and priest of the home. I love how honest and open he is with me, sometimes I have to set aside things that cross my mind and ask God to give me his heart for my hubby so that I can better encourage him.  We talked about having vision, he shared his deep desire to lead us as a family to Jesus and of his need of Him.  Most of the time we are feeling the same way, it is like we are in tune with one another. 

As we talked we realized how much we lacked more of Jesus in our own personal life.  Yes, I strive to teach Grace & Joshua about Jesus, doing devotional time, playing worship music and setting the atmosphere,  but I get so consumed with the reality that my kids need God so much, and how I want to raise them in the ways of the Lord that I tend to neglect my own need of Him.  I need more knowledge of who Jesus is in order to not only teach Grace and Joshua but to train them, and most importanly to be able to affectivly with Moises lead our children.

What is our vision? What are our goals? Where do we want to be in 5 yrs or even 1yr? What is the root reason for confusion, or lack of vision? these are all questions we asked ourselves last night...the only answer we had was MORE OF JESUS. If we lack a strong foundation of the person of Jesus Christ then we will have no vision, we will feel like we have no purpose and we will NOT know where to lead our children.   We need our foundation to be strengthen, to be built on solid ground, and our faith to be strengthened so that in return our vision as individuals and as a family can be strengthened as well..

Lord give us the ability to love you, spark our hearts, return us to our first love...We need our hearts alive, we need to know You, apart from You there is no good in us, Jesus preserve us, refresh us and help us lead our family into the knowledge of You.

New home, new goals...praise Jesus for fresh beginnings!

It has been a crazy wk.  We finally closed on our house last Wednesday, I had a blog post ready for you all that same day but for some reason it wouldn't let me upload pics of my house, so I just gave up lol  So a little update, Yes, we are home owners!!! It feels so good, and I feel so blessed, God led us to the perfect house! The house was in amaizing condition, the seller was a believer and the sweetest lady ever! I was just amaized at how smooth the process was.  We spent all weekend and all of Monday painting the inside of the house, every bedroom and the living room are all nicely painted and we are officially ready to move in all of our stuff!!

How were we able to manage with two little kids?!? Well, I have the best babies ever, they were such troopers!! we painted the entire house with them right there with us.  It was a challenge but Grace was obedient and behaved awesome, and Joshua as long as he was fed and held for some time on and off  was happy too.  Grace took long naps, which was a huge surprise because she will not sleep anywhere but in her crib, that showed me that she felt peaceful enough in the house to take her naps. =) Every morning  she woke up say "house, house".  She loves it and I cant wait to wake up every morning there.

Well I have been thinking alot, now that we are moving into a new house, I have a clean slate, I can really make my home a place where the fragrance of Jesus dwells.  I want to make new goals, both in the spiritual and in the natural.  I am already afraid of failing! but never the less I shall lean on Jesus to help me! Here are some of my new goals

• Make Jesus the first priority in our family. ( faithful devotional time in the mornings and with daddy before bed, prayer room time...etc)
• Eat all natural foods and start making my own baby food.
• Go on daily walks with the kids. Mainly so I can get some exercise.
• Minimize the use of the TV. 
• Make my own all natural cleaning products ( I think it's safer for the kids)
• Put Joshua on a more consistent sleeping schedule. ( He is not the best napper)
• Keep my house smelling nice and as clean as possible. 

This seems like so much to me....and scares me but they are just goals, something to aim at! 

With all that said, I prob wont be able to blog much this month, I wanted to start my study on Mary the mother of Jesus and I just haven't had the time to really sit and meditate but I will.. May is an insane month so please keep our family in your prayers.

Two main things to pray for are:  A smooth transition while moving everything to our house, and for my thyroid surgery this month! I am not thrilled and will prob cry the day of but I am asking God to give me dreams and visions while I am asleep during the whole thing.

OK! I have an entire apartment to try and pack and I have done NOTHING yet! lol Thank you all for
your prayers!

Here is my house =) and yes that is me hugging it! =) Glad this thing let me upload it!

Mary the Mother of Jesus...

So I decided I want to do a long study on the mothers of the bible.  I am not sure how I will do it, I am not the best study on my own kind of person.  I'm the type that has to sit and meditate for a while to really get something out of scripture.  One momma that I really want to study for a while is Mary, the mother of Jesus.  I just saw From Patmos an original play from IHOP-KC and most of the time my eyes were on Mary.  I just kept connecting with her heart in many ways, and not to mention the things that I mostly sing about spontaneously is the incarnation of Jesus. wow...I just remembered I wrote a song about Mary carrying the Son of God! O my word God just totally reminded me of that!! ahh! This just got a lot juicier!! lol Dont you just love when He does that???

Well today I started at  Luke 1:26- 38, I will most likely stay on these passages for a while.
 These are some questiongs that I asked myself while reading:

• What was Mary's heart feeling as Gabriel appeared to her?
• What thoughts were going through her head?
• What did she feel and what did it look like when the Holy Spirit overshadowed her? was it bam your pregnant? or did she feel the power of the holy spirit in a paralyzing kind of way?
• What characteristic qualified her to be the chosen woman to carry, give birth and nurture the very Son of God?

Think of these things this week, and lets share what the Holy Spirit highlight to us...

Motherhood...designed to draw us near to Him

I did it!! I finished "Raising Your Children for Christ" and as I finished the last line I let out a big sigh not a finally finished sigh but a Lord please help me sigh...lol This wont be the last time I read this book, shoot I almost want to start it all over again ;).  I really want to encourage you to put this on the top of your list to read, it is filled with such truth, and it is not based on someones opinion but on biblical truths. 

One thing that I can really say I have learned from this book, is that motherhood was made to draw us near to God, not the other way around.  Since the moment I became a mom, I began to learn many things about myself, God has truly been gracious and merciful to me.  Thus far on this road of motherhood, I have been happy, sad, joyful, depressed, lost, distant from God..etc, etc!! You all know what I mean, it is a roller coaster of emotions as our lives change when we are the least prepared.

But God, through His beautiful tenderness and faithfulness has shown me, that I was made to encounter Him as a mom and through my children.  That being a mom is more then just nuturing a child, but nuturing them in Him.  He has so graciously chosen me to mother my babies, to raise them up for His glory, to teach them, train them and demonstrate to them what a life of consecration and holiness looks like. This can only be attained by drawing nearer and nearer to Him.

All you believing mommas, don't get caught up in the to "do's" of mommy hood, first and foremost know that you were set apart, chosen by the all powerful God to train these moral beings for Him, and this should be reason enough to seek Him diligently, because that, in the end is what will bring salvation to your kids, and the Holy Spirit into your homes. 

We are ALL our babies have to reach Jesus.  Draw near to Him, open your heart, even in your failures just keep going because your children need you.   Our children are children of the kingdom, are set apart, but us mommas MUST partner with God and MUST do our part...because years down the road God forbid one of our children stray away from Jesus all because we didn't take our place in our home and in their lives, we will look back with the terrible feeling of regret, and say "I should of".   This is the very fear that this book has placed in my heart,  I felt like the Lord woke me up and said " get with it, seek me, pray, and most importantly LIVE AND LIFE FOUND WORTHY OF ME that your children may reach me through you"!

I vow, to give Jesus all that I am, that my children will love Him and find all their pleasures in Him...even when I fail, when I feel weak, I say yes! will you vow the same??