16 Years and Counting...

My husband and I celebrated 16 years of marriage on the 21st. Since we've been married, he's always tried to plan a little getaway or activity for us to spend a special time together. There were years when we just spent a nice dinner out somewhere, but usually, it's some top secret thing that he'd been working on for weeks in advance.
I love that about him. He really does try to think of things that we'd both enjoy together. This year was no exception. He took me to beautiful Santa Barbara for a few days. It was lovely and so needed.

We wanted to spend the day on the beach together, but it was rather chilly the first day, so he rented beach cruisers and we rode up and down the beach front for an hour. It was the BEST!!! I had not ridden a bike in almost 20 years. I felt so free. I could've ridden all day. This was a great motivator for me to keep working on getting "in shape"...round is a shape, right? Anyway, I really felt good and it reminded me that running felt that way once for me...
We laughed so much as we rode along!

Everything around us was more beautiful than usual.

What a great guy. I am so thankful that he picked me! =]

We reminisced about the last 16 years. Talked about all that we went through and all that the Lord had in store for us in the future.

We talked about our children and all that we could do to help them.
Our life is not perfect, but it's pretty close, most of the time.
Song of Solomon 2:16a ~My beloved is mine, and I am his...

God's Chisel...

A friend shared this video on Facebook. I was moved to tears. Such a great skit. God doesn't make junk. Sometimes it hurts to purge the bad things from our lives, but when we do and we completely surrender...wow. What a masterpiece! Worth the time - so watch it! Make sure you turn off my music first.

Where have I been??

Spending time with my awesome family...

getting together with old friends...

Trying to catch cool shots of the moon...

seeing our dear friends (Israel is like family to us) get ready to leave for Belize...

hanging out at the pool and having friends over to swim too...

celebrating my little guys birthday (Uncle Jaime got him this authentic bong set - really cool)...

taking the kids to neat activities like this one where they got to climb inside of a helicopter...

Yeah...so it's been a busy, but fun summer.

I've had so many blog posts written in my head or journaled in one of my many journals...but they just never made it this far.

That's okay. I've got plenty more to share.

School will be starting and I'll be in teacher orientation all next week.

Good bye summer vacation - it was memorable!!

Thankful Thursday...Little Marco is 2!

This is my little guy two years ago. After having three girls, I had no idea what to expect raising a boy. Well, let me tell ya. This kid is ALL boy. He is rough and tumble, loves dirt, loves to get into everything, is not afraid to climb.... makes me a nervous wreck.
But - he's also the sweetest, most affectionate out of all my kids. He loves to cuddle with his momma or sisters and he loves to sing along during our worship time at church.

We will be having a little party for him on Monday, but his sisters made him a little cake (which tasted incredible) and his dad gave him one of his gifts - a nerf gun.

It took him a while to blow out these two candles. So funny.

Of course, he didn't waste time with his new toys.
This little guy has changed our lives. He has brought joy to us that we didn't even know could exist. We didn't even know what we were missing! I don't know what he'll grow up to be, but I have dreams and I hope and pray that we can help him and guide him to follow his own dreams as well.
We love you Marco Joseph!!

Forgiveness is an act of grace...

Wow! It's been almost a week since my last post. The time has just been flying! I really want to know how we can request more hours in the day and more weeks to our summer. I get up early and go to bed late because there's so much I want to accomplish in a day. Oh, well...what can you do? =]
Matthew 5:7~Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
I just finished teaching a little series on Forgiveness in my ladies group. It's something that I really felt was necessary. I felt like I needed these ladies (and myself) to really understand that as long as we are carrying unforgiveness, grudges, guilt, etc...we are not fully allowing ourselves to move on. How can we serve others and live freely if we don't want to forgive?
Forgiveness does not mean that you are forgetting or accepting or approving whatever has happened. It is not a feeling, it's not trusting that person again, it's not pretending you weren't hurt, and it's not even reconciliation.
Forgiveness is a DECISION. It is a decision to obey God, but no one - not even God, can make you forgive. It is up to you.
Ephesians 4:32 ~ "And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."
Forgiveness can protect the forgiver from himself.
Forgiveness is an act of grace.
Surprisingly, one of the most needed lessons I taught was on "Forgiving Yourself". How many of us carry guilt from our past? Regrets that haunt your present day?
Psalm 25:7~Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness' sake, O LORD.
You may be thinking of something you did or even something that was done to you and you blame yourself. This can hinder you from living a free life!
I am sorry, friend, but there is nothing you can do to change the past. You need to decide to let those things go. Forgive them...forgive yourself.
You can choose to wallow in the pain and disappointment or you can walk away from those memories and start creating new ones.
Don't use what has happened as a crutch of disability. Face those things head on, move them out of your way and go forward.
If Christ can forgive all sins, why is it so hard to forgive ourselves? That burden is keeping you in bondage. It is like carrying an extra weight...and let's not get into how tiring that is!
There are people that have physical illness from carrying around an unforgiving spirit.
Problems with high blood pressure, stress, hostility, depression, etc. can creep up on you and stay with you as long as you are holding on to the past. Let it go. Give it to God.
1 Peter 5:7~Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.


I bid you peace and freedom today my friends! There is much to be done.

Thankful Thursday...

I don't know if it's already a meme, but it sounds good, right? Thankful Thursday! Sounds way better than Thoughtless Thursday or Thumbsucker Thursday...how about Thistle Thursday? Yeah, that is exactly what I thought. Thankful sounds best!
My sweet grandmother, who is 84 years old and well, gave me her copy of "Streams in the Desert". Her Aunt Zeda (my great great aunt) wrote a sweet note in the front and it is dated March 13, 1946. That's my grandmother's birthday.
Anyway, I love seeing it on the bookshelves at stores even today. Her copy was made in 1945 and was in it's 24th printing! I guess there's some good stuff in this book!
It's a daily devotional book of encouragement. Filled with great verses, quotes, anecdotes...and it's meant to be read daily and is dated as such.
It has been updated and modernized many times since it's original writing (I think 1925), and you can follow it on line. The stories are no longer in the same order, but it's all good.
Todays verse is:
"Giving thanks always for all things unto God." Ephesians 5:20
Well, isn't that just perfect timing? Right when I was about to get my thankfulness on!! Mrs. Cowman goes on to say that there once was a man that drew some black dots. They looked at his work and could not make sense of it. All they saw was an irregular assemblage of black dots, but then, this same man added a few lines, put in a few rests, then a clef at the beginning, and they saw that those black dots were actually music notes. On sounding them, they were singing,
"Praise God from whom all blessings flow, Praise Him all creatures here below."
There are many black dots and spots in our lives, and we cannot understand why God permitted them to come. But if we let God come in and take lead and adjust the dots in the proper way, and draw the lines and add the rests where they need to be - He will make a glorious harmony. Why would I want to get in the way of that?
"Many men owe the grandeur of their lives to their tremendous difficulties." ~C.H. Spurgeon


I'm thankful for the new property that we'll be renting for our congregation. So much room to grow! Lots of classrooms and lots of parking!

I'm thankful that my kids are active and that they love being outdoors and trying new things.
This is Hannah at Lake Perris during swim camp. Her first experience kayaking.

I am thankful that my children are happy. We may not be rich in material wealth, but we certainly are blessed beyond measure!
This is Taryn at SoupPlantation. She has a beautiful smile, don't you agree?

I am thankful that all of my children love to read. I hope that it will open up their mind, that it will allow them to dream and that they will know our Heavenly Father more because of it.
This is my little Marco. He loves to "read" back to us. He's pretty good with following the pictures. Not bad for someone who's not yet 2 years old. =]

I am thankful for the simple color and beauty that surrounds me.

I am thankful that my children all enjoy being silly. We love to laugh as a family. We laugh hard. Laughter is good for the soul.

Here's Naomi making one of her famous faces. I definitely need to scrapbook all the faces this girl makes. So funny. Of course, if you ask her to do it on command - she clams up. LOL

I am thankful for a husband who is my best friend, an awesome father, a hard working provider and loving pastor. He gives so much and never asks for anything in return.
Here's Marco carrying little Marco on a Sunday afternoon.

I am thankful for so much. I am thankful that I have a blog or place that I can come to put my thoughts. Until next time....

Oh, be sure and appreciate all the black dots and scribbles in your life. Someone is writing your song!!

Life is good...

I can not say that I have the perfect life,

but I can say that I have a good life.

I am blessed beyond measure.

I am surrounded by positive, loving people.

I have a God who loves me as I am.

I enjoy laughing and laughing hard.

I am not afraid to cry when I need to cry.

There is beauty around me.

I have friends all over the world,

some I've never met face to face.

I love all different kinds of music,

it speaks to my soul.

I enjoy trying new things.

I am learning from my mistakes.

Life is good.