Memories
12 Jul 2010 Leave a Comment
in Thoughts
So I know it has been FOREVER since I have blogged. I have had a few things come up that were probably worth blogging about but just haven’t had time. Life has been crazy busy.
So the last few days I have heard a few songs and even a movie that hold some serious memories for me. The movie is one that I can so remember watching with a very dear friend and meant something to the stage of life we were in. Even after 10 years since we first watched it I can remember so clearly the day we watched it in the theater. One of the songs is one that was a life changing moment for me. I can remember the day so clearly that God just totally blew my mind. A moment that I was never the same after.
So it had me thinking and I was curious if anyone else had a song or movie that represented something for them. I think music really can be such a powerful form of media. For someone like me who can sometimes struggle to find the right words for how Im feeling, whether its joy or sadness or anything in between, I love when I find just that right song that totally describes how I feel. So what song brings up these memories for you? I would love to hear everyones thoughts. 
With All my Heart
12 Mar 2010 Leave a Comment
in 1
This was my devotional that was emailed to me today and I thought it was just a beautiful reminder of Gods deep love for us. Hope you enjoy!
“The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.’” Jeremiah 31:3 (NIV)
“I’m giving this to you with all my heart, Daddy.” Annie spoke those words as she handed her daddy the wrapped gift. Dan opened the gift to find a small cardboard box, the lid had been torn off, mailing label still attached and a rubber band had been secured to fashion a handle. Dan scooped up his daughter in his arms and thanked her for his birthday gift promising to carry his new lunch box to work the very next day. Dan was true to his word and proudly carried the new lunch box to work the very next day.
Now how many people would actually carry their lunch to the office in a tattered and torn cardboard b ox? Talk about showing your love with your life in a world where talk is cheap and we value appearances over promises! Dan’s tender act of love toward his daughter touched my heart and brought this verse to mind.
1 John 4:16, “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him” (NIV).
While Dan’s new lunch box fell apart within a day or two, Dan’s love for his daughter is real, personal and lasting just like the love God has for us. God’s love sees beyond our brokenness and sin and transforms our tattered and torn lives into something beautiful and precious.
Our heavenly Father’s love is not based on appearance or gender, education or wealth; it’s based on one thing: Love. It is God’s very nature to love. It is the love of self-sacrifice. God proved His sacrificial love by sending His Son Jesus to die on a cross to pay the penalty for our sin. God draws us to Himself by forgiving us of our rebellion against Him, and by sending His Holy Spirit to dwell within us. God did this in spite of the fact that we did not deserve it. “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8, NIV).
God’s love is personal. He knows each of us individually and loves us personally with all His heart. His love is a mighty love that has no beginning and no end. Why does God love us? It is because of who He is: “God is love.”
If you’re longing for the personal and individual love of a father and have never experienced the deep, rich, immeasurable love of God I encourage you to stop and follow these five simple steps.
1. Admit your sin and your need for a Savior. 2. Be willing to turn from sin (repent) 3. Believe that Jesus Christ died for you. 4. Through Prayer, receive Him as your personal Lord and Savior. 5. Surrender your will to His, and ask Him to help you trust and obey His ways.
Dear Lord, I believe You are the Son of God. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. Please forgive my sins and give me the gift of eternal life. I ask You into my life and heart to be my Lord and Savior. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
I don’t know anything.
05 Mar 2010 1 Comment
in Thoughts
Well it is officially not my birthday anymore. (Not a invitation for more birthday wishes i promise haha) And I have been doing alot of thinking about the last year. I have learned and been through a whole lot but one thing I have realized is that I don’t know anything. The older I get the more I realize how little I know and how MUCH I need God. I mean seriously need God. Ive just felt so humbled and kind of broken lately. I think it all started last weekend when Cornerstone put on Serve Day. I opted to go with helping work on food packs for Haiti. I was apart of the 4th shift of folks to go so we only had 21,000 left to take care of. Sounds like a ton I know but it only took about half an hour of actual work to complete those. The rest of the time was training and clean up. (Our church did 140,000 total) And in working I stopped to look at the bags for a second and was blown away by the fact that one of those bags was six servings of food. So basically one meal for a 4-6 person family. For those who dont know the bag was pretty much some rice, soy powder, bouillon, and some dehydrated vegetables. I probably waste more food than that in a week. There is no other way to put it but I felt humbled. As I was coming home trying to plan lunch I was thinking about going to pick something up because I had “nothing” in the pantry and then I thought of the food bags…..I felt so humbled and broken for those people whose lives depend on those small bags of dry food ingredients and while I have a pantry full of food that classifies as “nothing”.
This whole week leading up to my birthday off and on I have just been feeling kind of heavy emotionally. Had some off and on days. The kids have been sick, I have had a ton of stuff to do and I am not sleeping as well as I could. So then yesterday when I was going through my bible looking for a certain verse for something I stumble across a verse highlighted in my bible that hit me like a brick in the face.
“But while knowledge makes us important, it is love that strengthens the church. Anyone who claims to know all the answers doesnt really know very much.” 1 Cor 8:1b-2
Can I just say WOW!!!!!!!!!! I have been really chewing on this verse since yesterday. I know in this context it is talking about food sacrificed to idols but I think it definitely applies to other areas spiritually too. So I have been really chewing on it and meditating on it and here are some thoughts I formulated….
It is so easy to be quick to rely on our knowledge, our processes, and the cool things that we can do. I just started as a coordinator for Heartland at our church for a service hour that is desperately in need of volunteers so I have been trying to think of interesting ways to maybe recruit people to support the team I work with. So for me I felt like God was speaking saying….stop worrying about the “things” and just come pray. Love on people, encourage others in there faith, and the volunteers will come.
Along with this verse and some other things God has been showing me I feel like he has given me some new eyes for people. To try and see people how he sees them and not as I would and a heart that just loves them. I met a very sweet lady tonight who is the manager at Baskin Robbins. As I was putting change into a jar they hand on the counter to support Phoenix Childrens Hospital she thanked me for supporting them and started to tell me about a fundraising night they are doing next week for the hospital. I just casually told her that I love to support PCH however I can because my son spent two months there. And about how one of our pastors daughters is there right now fighting brain cancer. She then told me about how her 16 year old daughter has been there since October for a serious heart condition. She spent her 16th birthday on a helicopter flying to PCH where she has been since. Slowly I saw the face of the smiling clerk scooping ice cream disappear and I saw a lady who looked tired and whose heart hurt for her daughter. I dont know if she knows the Lord or not. I hope she does because I cant imagine fighting any health battle without Jesus, but I just wanted to reach over the counter and hug her. Just thinking about her makes me want to cry…. The managers name is Stacy by the way and her daughter is Samantha. Please lift up prayers for them.
So after chewing on this even more tonight I just feel like I want to just get together with folks and pray. I mean honest to goodness heart wrenching praying beyond words intercession. I think there is something really powerful in a group of believers getting together and being broken in front of the Lord together. Whether its on your face, crying laughing, dancing, singing…..however you feel the most open to God. To pray for our friends, for each other, for our ministries, for our leaders and pastoral staff, and for the broken people in our lives who need love so bad it hurts. Dont get me wrong I dont want to say this isnt going on in our church. I believe it probably really is. I have been seeing people all around me take steps of faith and growing more. Our church has wrapped its 32B series that discussed taking different steps to mature in our faith and i feel like this is another step God is wanting me to take. To stop worrying about “things” and what I should do and just rely more on him. I just want to be an open vessel for God to use. I want to be used for his Kingdom. To see other lives changed around me. Guys please share with me your thoughts on this or if God has been showing you something in particular. I would really love to hear it.
I apologize if my words are all over the place. Its late and to be honest I am just kind of typing it as I feel it. I am feeling very transparent at the moment.
Please pray for sweet little Kate
09 Feb 2010 Leave a Comment
in Thoughts Tags: cancer, Kate, McRae, pray
Hey guys! I know some of you may have heard me share this story before but really wanted to share again. Kate McRae is a beautiful 6 year old girl that is battling a very aggressive brain cancer. I have been so moved in MY life by this families story by what they are going through. Today is a VERY big day in Kates treatment. The way I understand it She is starting a 6th round of very intense chemo which will result in a stem cell transplant because the chemo is so intense it is going to pretty much kill her bone marrow. Because she is going to be so immune-compromised she is going to be in isolation in the hospital for about 6 weeks.
If you guys could could please take a moment to lift this family up in prayer. They really need it now just as much as ever. I have had the pleasure to communicate via email awhile ago with Holly when coordinating to deliver a care package to the Phoenix Childrens that our playgroup had put together. And have been following their story since day 1. Holly and Aaron are absolutely amazing people. In the middle of all that has been going on Aaron has still been working at our church (Cornerstone) and even coordinated an unbelievably HUGE toy drive at children to bless other children. ((If you go through some of Hollys old blog entries you can see how many toys they received and how much they were able to bless others at Christmas)) As a mother my heart absolutely just breaks for them. They have been through more in the last 7ish months than most people go through in a lifetime…especially sweet little Kate. There have been many small victories along the road already but we as a church (not just Cornerstone…but globally) need to keep partnering along with this family in prayer and pray for a HUGE victory…..Kates healing! If you go to their website www.prayforkate.com you can link to their blog on Caringbridge and read about their journey there or read all sorts of information on their site. In some of the most recent updates Holly has listed some specific prayer requests as treatment has begun today (vomiting, kidney function, etc). Please partner with me in praying for this unbelievable family and spread the word so we can ALL storm heavens gates on their behalf. Our Worship director Brian and his wife took some of these awesome pictures of this family. Please repost the pictures, do a twitter or facebook status update and lets really join together to intercede on their behalf. Thank you so much! I know this family really appreciates every little prayer!!
Been way to long
03 Feb 2010 Leave a Comment
in Thoughts
Well after seeing so many that have updated their blogs in the last few days I realized I hadn’t updated in a super long time either. January was a low key month of sorts. Nothing major went on just alot of little things that have kept us busy. I have started leading/fascilitating a bible study at our church Wednesday mornings. We have been going through a book called “Boundaries” that has really been awesome. We have an incredible group of ladies from all different stages of life and i love it. I am excited to continue to grow and learn more from each other. God has opened up some incredible new opportunities to serve in new ways at Cornerstone that I am excited to share later. Brent had his first Sunday serving with the worship team last weekend and it was so amazing. I am so proud to have such an incredible husband who loves the Lord so much. He encourages me so much and helps me to grow in my walk with the Lord daily. I am so proud to see him using the gifts God has given him! I fall more and more in love with him everyday.
We both have just been so blessed lately with all the new things God has been showing us and how we are becoming more apart of our church community. I absolutely LOVE Cornerstone and am so proud to call it our church home. I am so blessed to be able to serve others there. I am learning so many things from so many incredible people and making some really great lifelong friends along the way. I could go on and on about how much I love it and am proud to be partnered in “doing life” with such an incredible community of people. We have seen Ethan blossom so much in his love for the Lord over the last few months. In January he memorized his very first memory verse. To see the proud look on his face every time he recites it just melts my heart. And then the otherday I was giving him snack and ON HIS OWN he folded his hands, closed his eyes, and said “God is good, God is great……AMEN!”. I just broke down into tears. To think of how his sweet little life started to where his is now becoming a mature little boy who loves God makes me prouder than words.
I can’t wait to see my sweet little Madi’s personality start to grown and change more and more as she gets older. She will be 10 months tomorrow. I cannot believe where the time has gone. It blows my mind that i have to start planning her first birthday party already and have no idea what to do. Soon I will be the mother of 2 toddlers.
God has some really BIG things in store for our family this year. I believe there may be some pretty big trials but at the end of those trials will come even bigger with rewards if we cling to our Lord. I know he is going to be there every step of the way…through the good and bad. What and incredible God I serve.
BIG THINGS!!
13 Jan 2010 Leave a Comment
in Thoughts Tags: Christmas, family, New Years, spiritual growth, traveling
So I totally had a post written last week about all of our holidays and clicked the wrong thing and deleted it by mistake. I was so bummed and frustrated that I didnt have it in me to write it all over again. So here is the short version…
We traveled alot for the holidays. We spent a week with my inlaws in Yuma for Christmas. It was such an amazing time with them. I am so blessed to have incredible in-laws that I love so much. They are like a second set of parents. It was officially Madi’s first Christmas and she slept through most of it. Just like Ethan did his first year. haha But I got some super cute pictures of them in their matching PJs opening some presents and playing with toys.
From there we ventured to my dads house in CA for New Years. How awesome!! I always remember the little things I miss about CA the most when I go. Its amazing to me how much of a baby I have become to mildly cool weather. The first sign of a cool breeze and anything below 60 and i was bundled up in a scarf and Uggs. haha But I got to spend some amazing time with my family. We had a relaxing New Years with quality conversation and some amazing bonding time. It had been so long since I had been able to spend quality time with them and I enjoyed every minute of it. I was quite the emotional wreck when we had to leave.
We were gone for two full weeks and as much as I enjoyed it I was so ready to be home. I just wished that home was closer to family. Living out of a suitcase for 2 weeks with 2 babies, 5 multi-hour car trips in a car loaded with presents for both families proved to be an interesting challenge. It was the longest we have ever been away from home. Lots of memories over the course of the two weeks.
Now I am still trying to get caught up on my house chores after being back. I have a laundry pile still like you would not believe. Then everyone in the house but me caught a cold. It has taken some work to get back into the swing of things and get the kids back on schedule but we are almost all back to normal.
Today was such an amazing day for me ! I got to spend an incredible time with some awesome ladies this morning prepping for being a table facilitator for one of the womens bible studies that starts next week. (((If you want information on how to sign up for one let me know….its going to be awesome!!))) Its my first time doing a study at our church let alone being a table facilitator so I am excited for this experience. God has been growing me so much already and I know this is going to be a year for BIG THINGS!! I am ready to go so much deeper in my walk with the Lord and build some good quality relationships along the way. I am excited to make some new friends and really do all I can to serve God and help grow Cornerstone the way God wants to.
And then right after that I had a meeting with an awesome guy who works for the Student Ministry about volunteering for Merge. I think I have told a few people about this but this is something I have had a heart to do for a long time. God and i finally had a pep talk a few months ago and he told me its time to step out and do it. I could explain for hours my heart behind it but basically I gave my life to God when I was in high school and know how tough it can be to navigate high school as a Christian. There are so many different pressures that girls face trying to tell them who they need to be, what they need to look like, etc. and it takes alot of love to counteract all of the things the enemy tries to throw in the mix. I am really excited within the next few weeks to get involved and start serving in that ministry.
Well in short I feel like God has been telling me repeatedly there are definitely going to be some struggles but this is going to be a BIG year. He is going to grow his Kingdom and strengthen those who are already in it and I SOOOOO want to be on board for whatever He has in store. I am ready to be grown, stretched, and molded into who God wants me to be this year!!!!
The importance of spending time with my Lord
19 Dec 2009 1 Comment
So one thing I was reminded of this morning is how vitally important it is to have my quiet time. WOW. Juggling life with 2 kids and working from home is tough. Especially during the week when my husband is at work. There are a hundred things that are on my daily to do list and usually something doesn’t end up getting done. Thats just how things go. My “Quiet times” arent usually quiet. I usually try and sneak them in when Ethan is watching cartoons. Well yesterday we had a particularly busy day and I ended up not making the time like I know I should have. So lets just say today I woke up tired and really grumpy. Its amazing how something as simple as 10 minutes in the Word…even 1 chapter can make such a huge difference. Just a few minutes with my Lord can change the entire trajectory of my day and my attitude. It is something that I know I sometimes take for granted and don’t realize the importance of it until I don’t.
We all drink water in some form throughout the day. We need it to survive. I am terrible about drinking enough water. Well for the last week or so as I get about halfway thru my day if I haven’t had enough water I start to feel a little sick and the room feels like it is spinning. Totally throwing everything off. I get hot, I get grumpy, and it totally throws me out of whack. And it totally dawned on me this morning the same thing happens when I don’t get in the word and spend time with God. I get grumpy and it totally just throws my whole day off. Spiritually I am off balance. And once I get that time with God even if it is a few minutes when I can hear Mickey singing from the TV I feel so much better. I am so lucky to be able to own a bible. There are places in this world where you can go to prison for owning a bible and off the top off my head I can tell you where 4 bibles are in our house. We are so lucky to have GODS WORD written for us to be able to reference anytime we like…Reading it is like having a conversation with God.
So with this reminder this morning I recommit to myself that I cannot let a day go by without spending time with my Lord. When I do God shows me and encourages me more than I could even imagine. In my life personally, God has been calling me to step up and dig even deeper in my relationship with him. I know at Cornerstone there has been a call to step up and dig deeper too. This can be a hard challenge to step up to because the more involved God gets in your life the more he seems to shake things up and we arent always comfortable when God shakes things up. Sometimes he asks us to do things we don’t feel like doing, or sometimes he asks us to stop doing things we want to do. He doesn’t do this because he wants us to make us busier or deny us the things that make us happy. He wants to give us MORE happiness, MORE blessing, and MORE joy. I have a pretty happy life but who doesn’t want MORE happiness, blessings, and joy?! I read an incredible verse in Colossians this morning that I just loved.
“And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught and you will overflow with thankfulness.” Colossians 2:6-7
So as I’m listening to my ipod this song I think best describes how I am feeling today “My heart and my soul, I give you control, consume me from the inside out. Let justice and praise, become my embrace, to love you from the inside out…….and the cry of my heart is to bring you praise from the inside out oh my soul cries out!!”
I finally did it!
18 Dec 2009 Leave a Comment
Well I finally did it…I created my own blog! My husband has been telling me for a while “I’m surprised you don’t blog” and after thinking about it I have decided I want to. God has been showing me so many things in my life lately that if nothing else it will be nice to have a place to write everything down so I can read it later. Probably not that big of a deal but I am really excited about this!!!
