New Years Resolutions

It amazes me how many people (myself included) make new year resolutions every year and maybe make it the first two weeks and then never really stay motivated to actually keep going all year long. How easily it is to make all kinds of resolutions to: loose weight, get in shape, start eating healthier, read and grow everyday (not growing from eating either) :) lol which seems all the growing I'm doing lately:) But every year around new years I usually start the year off with new or repeating resolutions from the previous year yet only to make it to the 3rd week of January (if I'm lucky to make it that far) on my new resolutions... Although if I would actually only start w/ 1 or 2 resolutions for the beginning of the year and keep @ it for 3 weeks "they say, you can get into a good habit within 3 weeks". Maybe that's where I need to start only set 2 goals to start the year off and then once I'm set into those good habits I can always add more resolutions as the year goes on and by the time the end of the following year comes I will have been successful in starting and setting several life changing goals and actually make them stick. Instead of trying to start 10 different resolutions and not even making it to the 1st of February completing and changing my life around only to land back where I started. (that's more frustrating to me to start something and never finish it). So, as I'm contemplating a set of life changing goals I want to complete in this new years I will think through the goals, write them out and then pick two to start the year off with. With all of you ready to start on your new goals and resolutions good luck and I wish you all the best staying commited to changing 1 day at a time!

what's your Perspective on LIfe?

Awe the joys of life! Or, is it the drudge of life for you?! Life can be exciting, fun, & an adventure just to be alive. Or it can be a drudge?! " DRUDGE: A person who does tedious, menial, or unpleasant work. To do tedious, unpleasant, or menial work." (Just trying to help us expand our vocabulary) :)
a drudge to get out of bed, a drudge to go to work, a drudge just to have to be...be there for others. At times being a stay at home mom can be a drudge, we do tedious, menial, unpleasant work each and every day. But in reality it's all in our perspective. It can be a drudge but it can also be a joy. The tedious, menial, unpleasant work has to be done anyways (like changing the baby's diaper for the 20th time today, but it has to be done). Our babies are only little for a short season. (Just ask any empty-nester). I'm having this reality hit with my baby girl who is going to be 4 in November and my baby boy Marcus just turned 1. Where has the time gone?! Before I know it Kai will be heading off to school. Exciting but sad all at the same time. I have to remind myself when I'm changing Marcus diaper for the 20th time today to find the joy in life when I'm in the trenches of life and it seems like a drudge.

Nehemiah 8:10b

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁰ ..."This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

Thanksgiving Tradition

For some reason even though I have spent 4 Thanksgivings in Texas and 3 in California it just for some reason doesn't quite feel like the Thanksgiving season I'm use to.

As you can see to the right a picture of Washington State in the winter...this is more so what I grew up with by the time Thanksgiving rolled around. We would have the big feast around the table with family and friends and then after the feast and saying what we are grateful for we headed out to the sledding hill or drove up to the mountains further to get some great tubbing in. They say that as you get older and you have kids of your own that holidays feel like holidays when you were a kid but to be quite honest the 7 years I've been away from home and family, even though I have a wonderful family of my own it just doesn't feel the same. Maybe next year I'll take my husband and kiddos up to my family I grew up with to enjoy a snowy, wintery Thanksgiving tradition with them (which by the way, they have about 5 inches of snow as I write this blog...wishing I was there with my kiddos). In the meantime this year will be spent with probably 70 degree weather, football and the feast which has become my new tradition with my immediate family now. For everyone out there travelling and going to enjoy a special Thanksgiving with whomever may you have safe travels and an enjoyable time of giving thanks for what God has given you.

This year I'm thankful for having my husband and kiddos to celebrate this holiday season with.

The Biggest Loser‏

I really enjoy watching the biggest loser. They just had the season premier this past Tuesday. It's very inspiring seeing people beginning the journey to completely change their life. I have to give it to them for the courage it has to take to stand up before all of America to do their weigh ins, just in their sports bras and spandex shorts for the women, and for the men just in their shorts. It would be extremely difficult to get up their to bare it all like that...although the grand prize might be tempting enough:) (A quarter of a million) hmmmm, I still think it would take a lot of courage to do what the contestants do. For me the reason I really enjoy watching the show is because it inspires me to get out & go for a run, hit the gym, just try to get back to a healthy weight and being all around healthier so I have the energy to play with my kids and be a good example for them and my family.

That small little place I can call my own‏

That Small Little Place

As a mom, whether you have a career you go off to everyday, or you're a stay at home mom like myself it seems as though everyone that exists in our world (whether it maybe @ home or @ our job) seems to clamor for our attention. Even that small little voice inside that says "don't forget about me". If only there was that small, quiet, little place we could escape to for at least one hour a day just to be by our self.

Whether it's to go for a run around the neighborhood,

go to the gym workout those frustrations, our local coffee shop-just to sit in that

big comfy chair with our favorite cup of yumminess...

YUMMINESS

or even the thought of being able to hide out in our closet (is quite a nice thought right about now) ;) Yes, these all at once use to be my small places at one moment in my life that I called my own small place {even hiding out in my closet} I use to have a hard time with confrontations plus I hated crying in front of people, (just ask Tommy...while we were dating he found me in my closet a few times).lol I had the false belief that crying is a sign of weakness. I use to also just take off for a run to clear my head (which is a great way to clear your head, but definitely don't advise you to go on a run when you're in the middle of an argument with your husband, they don't really appreciate that). FUNNY STORY: or, at least, I maybe the only one who finds the humor in this story, but just bare with me...when Tommy and I first got married I had a hard time disagreeing with him or actually talking calmly through our disagreements and so I would take off in the middle of our arguing and would go for a run, well Tommy would call me over and over and I would just push the ignore button...now I can see that definitely was not the best form of communication :)
Luckily as time has passed I've been able to face confrontations and our disagreements a little better.
Back to that small place we can call our own would be nice to have just so we don't have to do anything but think, ponder, even dream about our future...That still, quiet place we can get lost in, away from everything, and all responsibilities and call it our own space. Oh, just the thought of that place I could call my own, daily, just for one hour each and everyday...now that would be a dream come true:) I've read so many books, article, blogs, statements that say "in order to be able to take care of the ones you love you must first take care of yourself". Which is great advice, but when do you find the time to actually be able to do that?!
JUST THE THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK!!!

The Challenge

I challenged myself one day to send one encouraging text every hour to my husband to help build him up and make his day better. One of the reason I decided to challenge myself to encourage my husband is I'm the optimist and he's the realist in our relationship. He can be very hard on himself and just needs to have an encouraging cheerleader behind him cheering him on. I believe that is one of the reasons God put us together, He thinks the world of my husband and my husband just needs to be reminded of that every now and then and I don't mind being the vessel used by God to let my husband know how special he is in God's eyes. So as the day proceeded on I began to wonder if I could do it for a full week. (Everyday, send an encouraging text every hour while he was at work) just so I could see how it impacted him by the end of the week. At the end of his work week I could definitely see he acted more confident at the end of the week. So I began to wonder if I could do it a full month... We'll see what happens ;)

Draw Strings and Elastic Wastebands

What line do we cross over in life as we get older as women that draw strings & elastic wastebands become a main part of our wardrobes? I use to be able to wear cute jeans that fit great on me, or slacks & button up shirts that made me look more sophisticated & pulled together. Yet only 4 years later plus 2 kids during the time that has passed, my husband's elastic draw string shorts seem to be the most comfortable & have become my staple daily wardrobe.

(sorry not brave enough to show you how stylish I look these days) lol
With still 27 lbs to loose from both pregnancy I'm a bit disappointed in the way I look & dress...(feeling quite a little frumpy if you ask me). I don't really want to go clothing shopping b/c I have a lot of cute clothes to wear, they just don't fit right now. Plus I know I will loose the weight, I've lost it before when I was about 25lbs overweight I can do it again... It's just more of a challenge with two little ones @ home. But I am determined to get back into shape. So, I've joined a community Get Fit Program that last 8 weeks which will help me with my jump start that I have already started. One of my motivation to get into shape is in February my husband & I are looking forward to running a marathon together...

Onto my adventure in loosing these extra 27lbs & a more fit me...

I'm definately looking forward to getting back into my cute clothes.

(my beautiful kids are oh so worth the extra pounds but I'm ready for the pounds to come off and be back to my normal self)

The Roles in life we get lost in

I decided to write on this subject because as a woman we can relate to each other in the different areas of life in some point in our lives. We all have our ups & downs & sometimes the ups & downs hit us all in one day of our lives. As each day passes & I inevitably get a day older it seems as though I have lost myself in the roles that I play in everyday,

a wife, (a pastor's wife @ that, which I do love but that even adds more roles to play)

a mother (a nursing mother @ that of a 3 month old),

.....a daughter, a sister, an aunt, a friend... The list can seem endless yet as a woman we have a tendency to please everyone else & put ourselves on the back burner. So, in the midst of all our roles we play in, it's so easy to loose ourselves. There are so many things I use to love doing yet I seem to have less time to do them or the convients of those activities are not so convient. For instance, I use to love to go hiking but living in West Texas that convient is more so about 4 hours away from us...not that convient. I use to love running (which I still love to do but with much less time to do it). But one thing I'm learning is that you really have to be intentional if you still want to enjoy life & do the things you love doing. Even if that means getting up before the whole family & before the sun even gets up to do those things...it maybe less sleep but it's also taking care of yourself so that you can take care of the ones you love so much.

The In's the Outs of womanhood

Life can be complex at times...as I reflect on my everyday life what I have struggled with as being a woman and a mother of 2 young children is "I want my body back, and energy back that I had when I was 26... you may think that is a strange age but if you knew me back then you would understand. I was training for a marathon and I was in the best shape of my life. or even a few years later...pre-pregnancy...

Granted back then I did not have a 2 1/2 year old and a 2 month old at the time and was not married (don't get me wrong I love being married and being a mother...I have the most amazing husband in the world and the most beautiful, smartest, funniest kids. I love my life....I just don't care for the shape my body is in). When I was 26 I was single, had plenty of time to run, exercise, my time was my own. It's no longer my own and it's spread out between my family and sleep. It's hard to get up early in the mornings when I have adorable little ones to snuggle with in the morning. Plus my body is trying to tell me I'm not as young as I use to be. My heart and mind tell me I'm still in my young 20's but my body says I'm definitely older then that. I'm not ancient, but my body has aches and pains where I use to not to have....What's up with that"?! =] lol

I only have 24 more pounds to get back down to pre-pregnancy weight (where I was at in the picture above). I know life isn't about what size you are but as a woman it does help you feel more comfortable in your own skin.

Just a little snip nip of my thought on life for today.

Knowing the love of God

Having kids have helped me understand the love God has for us. As a parent I fall in love with my children more each day. They are so much fun and with my little girl as she gets older her personality comes out more. She has a very intellegent side to her but she also has a very

goofy side to her as you can see below.

She brings so much joy and laughter into my everyday life. As a mom I'm so proud of her and I love to just hang out with her because she is so funny and entertaining.
My relationship and enjoyment of just being around my 2 1/2 year old daughter and my 6 week old son makes me heart sing and dance at just the thought of them. Now how much more God our Father who is perfect in love must enjoy us as His children. He must just love sitting back and watching us in our goofy silliness at times and smile. I wish all parents could see how beautiful and fun their kids are in who they are as little people.
To all parents "enjoy every moment you have with your kids because they grow up oh so quickly and before you know it they are off into living their own lives."
I try to remind myself to enjoy each season I have with them and to see how much I enjoy them how much more God enjoys us as His children.

Love is not proud or rude

God is all powerful, mighty and glorious, there's no other that can compare...

He has all the reason in the world to boast about Himself and be prideful...but pride is a sin and there is no sin found in God. He doesn't have to brag on Himself to prove how amazing He is, if we really look into how He moves in our lives everyday we can be absolutely awed by His abundance of love for us. From the simple little acts of kindness others do for us or even the simple little delay in traffic. We never know what is going on ahead of us but just maybe God uses that delay to help us avoid being in an accident.
(Historic Earthquakes

Klamath Falls, Oregon
1993 September 21 03:28:55 UTC Magnitude 6.0
1993 September 21 05:45:33 UTC Magnitude 6.0

The Klamath Falls earthquakes caused two deaths and approximately 7.5 million U.S. dollars in damage. One person was killed when the car he was driving was crushed by a boulder in an earthquake-induced rockfall and another person died of a heart attack. More than 1,000 homes and commercial buildings were damaged. Maximum intensity VII in downtown Klamath Falls and at the Oregon Institute of Technology about three kilometers north of downtown. Three highways leading to Klamath Falls were temporarily closed because of rockfalls or concern about possible damage to bridges. Rockfalls and rockslides occurred in roadcuts and on steep slopes throughout the epicentral region. Ground cracks in fill material were observed at several locations in the area. Felt in southern Oregon as far north as Eugene and in northern California as far south as Redding)

I remember back in 1993 I was driving with my mom back home from Klamath Falls, OR to Chilliquin, OR (about a 30 minute drive). While we were driving a rolling earthquake hit (which if you've ever been driving during a rolling earthquake you don't really know it's going on...we just thought the wind picked up and was blowing the car back and forth). We found out the next day that there was a couple who drove the same road we were driving on only 10 minutes behind us and a 14 foot boulder came down off the cliff and landed on their vehicle killing the driver and the passenger got a scratch on her finger. That made me sad for the wife's loss of her husband but grateful at the same time because that could have been my mother and I who could have been hit by that 14 foot boulder, killing me and sparing my mother but at the loss of her youngest daughter. God watches over us in so many different ways.
He loves us so much that He is never rude or demanding. Even though He just desires to be in relationship with us He would never force us to be in a relationship with us. He draws us to Himself and calls us oh, so gently.

He whispers to us that "He loves us and wants to be a part of our life"

Are you open & willing to answer that calling?!

God's Love does not Envy or Boast

Just the thought of God ever envying us makes me Laugh Out Loud...what a joke. What would He envy us for?! There are so many others who may envy our lives or we may even envy their lives...I know so many who would love to have the kind of money Bill Gates has


or the fame of Tom Cruise, neither of those can buy happiness or true joy. Bill Gates is so wealthy he could buy anything he wanted. And it seems Tom Cruise has it all...money, fame, good looks, a beautiful wife, beautiful children (what more could a man want). But whose to say Bill Gates or Tom Cruise has a true joy deep down in their souls? The only ones who know the answer to that question, is themselves and God.
To be quite honest with you I don't envy either one....who would want the flip side to their fame> the paparazzi, news media up in your face all the time, no place to go to get your own privacy...definitely not a life for me. But to each his own, there's a cost for everything. God's been there, done that. He's came to us in human flesh and bone. Been tempted like all of us (but never sinned) Been persecuted, beaten beyond recognition, suffered even death on the cross through His son Jesus Christ. "For even I, the Son of Man (Jesus Christ), came here not to be served but to serve others, and to give My life as a ransom for many" Matthew 20;28. Now why would He ever envy doing that all over again. But you know the reason why He did all of that, was because He loves us so much that and doesn't want to have to spend eternity seperate from us and if He had to do it all over again He would. God doesn't boast of how powerful or majestic He is. Or brag of all that He has done

(we can just look around and see the vastness of His glory). All He desires is to whisper in our ears...

"I love you so very much"!!!

Never the Same

When we encounter God's love we are never the same!!! How big and vast is His love for us. How many of us have really taken a moment to contemplate how much God loves us? It's so amazing when we take time out of our busy lives to meditate on God's love for us...

John 3:16 says "for God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."

He loves us so much that He gave up His one and only Son to come die on a cross, suffering a horrific death.To see how muchg Jesus loves us Check out "See His Love" by Kim Walker video

www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMoSyqMEbIk&feature=related

just think, how much Jesus, His Son loves us, that He would give up His place in heaven to come down and share His love with a condemned and dying world. God is perfect and therefore loves us perfectly.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 tells us what perfect love looks like.

"love is Patient, love is kind, it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails..."

WOW! that's how God loves us... Now, some of you maybe saying "yeah right...there's no such love as this"...because in this world filled with sin and our human nature we are not perfect and we have never experienced that kind of love from another human being but God is perfect and He is patient with us...I know, because I've made plenty of mistakes and tried to do things on my own and He waits so patiently for me to return to His open and loving arms, to just hold me as I cry out to Him repenting and turning from my sin. He is so kind in His actions toward His people even when He has to discipline us to get us to turn from our sins because He knows they only lead to our entrapment and hold us captive not being able to live a free life He has called us to.

The list goes on and on how He loves us but I will stop with the first two and come back to the rest of the list on how God loves us so perfectly. But I want to leave you with one of my favorite songs... go check out the video on youtube...

"Oh How He Loves us" by Kim Walker

How Great Is Our God!!!

"God is so GREAT, STRONG and so MIGHTY there's nothing my God cannot do, for you"!!!

It amazes me how true this Sunday School song rings...if you have had a relationship for any length of time getting to know Him and what His word says about Him then you would know that He is GREAT, STRONG and most definitely MIGHTY...that's there's nothing He cannot do...I feel that there's so many of us (me included) that with our feeble human minds that we try to shrink God down to our level

yet if we take a step back and look at all His creation and the vastness of the universe,

there has to be a Creator who made it all...

"When I consider your heavens,

the works of Your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which You have set into place."Ps. 8:3

We didn't just "BANG" or explode into what we are today or even evolve into who we are as human beings...the intricate, little details of the mass cells we are made up of (there's no way we evolved to that)! Being pregnant and reading how we are put together as babies there's no way we evolved from monkeys or even a ghoulish piece of slime... He intricately forms and puts us together in our mother's wombs

Ps 139:13 "For you created my inmost being, You knit me in my mother's womb."

Ps 139:14
"....we are beautifully and wonderfully made..."

God's promises are so amazing about us!!!

He watches over us,

He loves us so much,

He desires to have a relationship with us.

Ps 8:4 "what is man that You are mindful of him,

the son of man that You care for him."

I love how much He loves us and how much He wants to be in an intimate relationship with us...oh how I hope everyone can grasp ahold of His love for us.=}