Faith, Hope and Love

Isaiah 43

2011-03-30T09:14:00.000-07:00

In Chapter 43 we have no doubt Who God is and what He will do! I made note of some things He said: I have created you, I have formed you, I have redeemed you, I have called you by name, I will be with you, I am the Lord your God, I gave Egypt as your ransom, I love you, I give men in return for you, I am with you, I will bring back your offspring, I will gather you, I created you for My glory, I am He, I am the Lord, I declared, saved and proclaimed, I am God, I work, I am the Holy One, I am doing a new thing, I will make a way, I blot out your transgressions, I will not remember your sins. He say's besides Me, there is no other savior. What other "god" is like our GOD. It reminds me of the old song, there is none like you, no one else can touch my heart like You do. And because of all this, I know that what He says in verses 1 & 2 are true. He will be with me, I will not be overwhelmed, burned or consumed. Thank you Jesus!!

Studies in Isaiah Chapter 40

2011-03-25T10:22:00.000-07:00

Wow, this is an amazing chapter!

We shall all see the glory of the Lord. I have always loved the story of Moses in Exodus 33, when he asks to see Gods glory. God covers his eyes, but then allows Moses to see His back as He passes by. Man, what I would do to see just Gods back, what an amazing sight that must have been! I am so excited for that day when I will be able to see God in all of his glory in heaven. But until that day, I am satisfied to see Him be glorified here on earth.

The word for Glory in verse 5 and also in Ex 33:18 is: Kabowd, which means honor, abundance, riches, splendor and reputation. May I always give God the Glory He is due.

In verses 7 and 8 we are put in our place. We are like grass that withers away with one blow and a flower that fades. That is so true, with one trial I can forget all that the Lord has shown me!

But then we see the Lord high and lifted up!

His word stands forever. He is a Victorious Warrior, a Shepard, He measures the waters, sky, soil and mountains. Who can teach God anything? The nations can offer Him nothing. Who is like our God? No one and nothing can compare to Him. But we are like grasshoppers. He can bring our leaders to nothing. He created the stars and knows each one of them by name. And because of His absolute power and strength not one of them is forgotten.

Wow, now that is a big and mighty God and we are nothing but little specks, a drop in a bucket.

In verse 28 he says, "Have you not known? Have you not heard?" He is the creator of the earth, he does not get tired or weary. He gives us His power, He increases our strength.

The message bible says it like this:

"Why would you ever complain, O Jacob, or, whine, Israel, saying, "God has lost track of me. He doesn't care what happens to me"?
Don't you know anything? Haven't you been listening? God doesn't come and go. God lasts. He's Creator of all you can see or imagine.
He doesn't get tired out, doesn't pause to catch his breath. And he knows everything, inside and out. He energizes those who get tired,
gives fresh strength to dropouts. For even young people tire and drop out, young folk in their prime stumble and fall. But those who wait upon God get fresh strength."

I think some times I am tempted to say to the Lord, "where are You?" I tend to put my own human weaknesses on Him. Pastor Greg has said this many times, if you have a small God, you have big problems. But if you have a big God, you've got small problems. We serve a big God, nothing is to hard for Him. Even life's biggest problems in view of God seem minute.

May I always wait on the Lord for renewed strength, may I never lose sight of how big my God is. He will always be there for me because He is an eternal God with an endless supply of wisdom, power and strength.

Disneyland as Therapy

2011-02-23T09:10:00.000-08:00

It's amazing what a little trip to Disneyland can do! The last 3 weeks my mom and I have gone to Disneyland on my day off. The night before we always debate about whether or not we should go. We say, "maybe we should rest tomorrow or go somewhere else." But we always end up going to Disneyland, even though we know it will be a long day and we will be tired! It's always worth it. We have so much fun and it gives us a chance to forget about all of our troubles (if only for a moment). It also gives us a chance to talk about things and encourage each other. When your going through hard times it's good every so often to get away and have some fun. Just like there is time to read the word and pray. If we didn't have something to take our minds off of our troubles we would go crazy. So Disneyland it is!

It feels as if you are in a different land, a different place in time. Even though I have been there many times, it never gets old. Every time we go we have a different experience. We eat at different places and we talk to different people. Yesterday, we did not go on one ride. We got there at 11 and left at about 9. We had fun just walking around all of the stores and sitting at all the different places. It was crowded so I didn't mind not having to wait in line. I am so thankful that the Lord has provided this little escape for us. Now in the weeks to come when my mom is not feeling well or feeling a little down, we can look back and remember all the fun we have had. Also she can look forward to the future and all the fun we will have. It gives her something to hold on to, something to look forward to.

We will never stop having fun, no matter what. Even when she is sick or her spirits are low, we will make our own fun. It's so important to get your mind off of your situation and on to the Lord. When your just sitting at home, thinking about how bad things are it can depress you.

Proverbs 17:22, "A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones."
Proverbs 12:25, "Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad."

These scriptures are so true. When my mom is feeling down, I remind her of a funny story or a fun memory that we have. Then we laugh and her countenance is raised. I keep reminding her of the promises the Lord had given us and how He has taken care of us in the past, this brings down the anxiety level in her heart. I also tell her every time some one says they are praying for her and when some one prays with me for her. When you keep doing these things a person can't help but be joyful. The scariness is still there, but it seem a little bit easier to bear and the Lord provides His peace.

So this week starts the harder things, but the Lord is there to carry us through it all and He has been from the very beginning. Thanks mom for being so strong and willing to learn and grow through this whole experience. Even though you do struggle, you always come out on top of things and your emotions. I am very proud of you!

Life can be so hard!

2011-02-16T10:16:00.000-08:00

Some times life can be so hard! Just when you think things are going to get better, something hits you in the face. You always try to be ready for the next big trial or the next big hardship. But you are never really prepared. Yes, the Bible says there will be trials and tribulations. But can we just get a break every once in a while. Now I'm not complaining, I'm just stating the truth. No one wants to be in the midst of hardship. I know there are good things that can come out of trials, growing closer to the Lord, deepening my roots in the Word and I know that suffering produces endurance, character and hope (Romans 5). But every once in a while it would be nice to have a break from suffering!!

There are so many more families who are going through even deeper and darker trials than my family. Lord please help us, we are suffering.

This is a very comforting passage in Philippians:
4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say, rejoice! 4:5 Let everyone see your gentleness. The Lord is near! 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything. Instead, in every situation, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your requests to God. 4:7 And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

I guess we will never fully be out of suffering until we are in Heaven and what a glorious day that will be!

Revelation 21:4, "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death will not exist any more – or mourning, or crying, or pain, for the former things have ceased to exist.”

Eating Healthy

2010-12-06T16:10:00.000-08:00

I never really new how hard it was to eat healthy until now. Everything is full of sugar or turns into sugar in your body. Now that my mom has been diagnosed with breast cancer, she is staying away from sugar and white flower and things like that. We have a gluten free mix that we use, it's by Pamela's. But even still it's full of sugar. So today I found some recipes using Almond flour or Almond meal and using alternative sweeteners. You can make your own flour by putting Almonds in the food processor and pulsing it. But make sure not to go to far or else you will have almond paste. There are a lot of benefits to eating almonds, they are heart healthy, they aid in weight loss, high source of protein, anti-inflammatory and I'm sure many more things!! Also you can use flax seed oil instead of regular oil, the benefits to that are endless!

So now lets talk about white flour. I took this from Answerbag.com:

"White flour is actually in a lot of high processed foods, it's in bagels, muffins, donuts. Donuts, bagels, muffins they're all the same thing. They all turn to paste in the body and what it does, it actually inhibits your villi. You have villi in the small intestines and what those do; they actually absorb nutrients and toxins into the body. So anything that goes into your bloodstream that goes into the body will go through your villi. So if you add water to flour, which is what all those are, bagels, donuts, English muffins, blueberry muffins you're in a hurry and you want to grab something like that. It would actually go in and it makes into a paste. Now those villi don't really have much to work with because they can't move so if they can't move they can't get nutrients into the body. Which is very, very important so white flour is actually not a very good thing."

Here is one from helium.com:

"White flour is created by removing the bran and germ from the wheat, which contains 76% of the products vitamins and minerals. In removing these parts, 97% of fiber is also lost. At this point, the product only holds less nutritional value, but it doesn't stop there. Once this has taken place, there are many things that are added such as chlorine dioxide, potassium bromated, emulsifiers, ammonium carbonate, alum, chalk, alloxen and sorbitan mono-saturate."

Eeek, that makes me not want to eat anything with flour again. Just to be balanced I looked up the good effects of white flour on the body and not one good thing came up.

It's to bad that eating healthy has to cost so much, most of the organic foods in the stores are twice as much as regular food.

I love baking and I have been wanting to make Christmas cookies!! So I am going to try the Almond flour with blue agave sweetener. I will post my recipe, but only if it turns out OK!!

Ahhh, Christmas time!!

2010-12-01T10:58:00.000-08:00

I love this time of year, it's so festive and colorful! I love looking at all the lights and the decorations and feeling the chill in the air (even though I like the warmer weather). So now that I am living in my apartment I am so excited to decorate it. I put up lights around our patio and some green garland and felt flower garland around our fire place. Next on the list is our Christmas tree. I have been slowly collecting decorations and I can't wait to see them all again. I'm sure that I have forgotten about some! But one of my favorite things that I have is a glass Christmas Tree shaped candy dish. My grandma Betty gave it to me years and years ago. She always had one at her house filled with M & M's. So I can't wait to go to the store and buy some red and green M & M's to fill it up with.

This is my first Christmas being married, it will be so different not waking up at home. But it will also be exciting to be with my husband.

One Month Mark

2010-10-21T16:32:00.001-07:00

Well, we have already hit the one month mark. When we first got engaged on January 29, 2009 it felt like our wedding was so far away. During the summer we decided that we would have to put the wedding on hold. That was the hardest time of my life. I knew who I would be spending the rest of my life with, but I didn't know when that would start. Looking back now I can see how the Lord was teaching me a lot of things. Like how to trust in Him, fully and completely, without having the answers I wanted. He showed me that His timing is best (I already knew that or so I thought). The Lord is never late and never early. If the Lord would have given me what I wanted, when I wanted it, I don't think I would be as blessed as I am right now. Some times it feels as though the Lord has forgotten our request or doesn't care. But I know that is not true. He does know and He does care. We do not see things the way that He does. We think in temporal, He thinks in Eternal. He is not bound to our time, nor does He see things the way we do. His ways are higher than our ways (thank goodness). I am so glad that He did not give me my own way the thousands of times I asked. Maybe some day I will learn that lesson. But for now I will just do the best that I can do and try not to repeat my past mistakes. Thankfully the Lords mercies are new every morning and I am forgiven. He does not hold those things against me.

A couple of years ago the Lord gave me a verse, Psalms 34:10 "the young lions lack and suffer hunger, but those who seek the Lord will not lack any good thing". So I know that those things which are good for me the Lord will not with hold. If He is not giving me what I ask for, maybe it's because He has a different plan or it's not the right timing. I must remember that He knows best!!! As long as I am seeking Him, He will give me the things that I am desiring. Maybe not right away or maybe He will change my mind about what I am asking for. But the Lord will always get the glory. When I go through a trial or a hardship regarding something major in my life, in the end the Lord gets more glory. Am I willing to go through some suffering in order for the Lord to get even more glory? I hope the answer is yes. It might be very hard during the trial, but after it gives you a sense of accomplishment.

My prayer is that the Lord would be glorified through my life and that I will be a good example of one who is submitted to His will whatever that may be. To God be the glory.

It's Dinner Time!

2010-10-05T11:21:00.000-07:00

I have been married for almost 17 days. Wow, time has gone by fast!! We had a great time at Walt Disney World and can't wait to go back!

So tonight will be the first night I am going to make us dinner. I've been lucky, RJ made us our first dinner, Chicken lettuce wraps (which was really good) and most of the other times we have been eating out. Now it's my turn. We got our pots and pans on Sunday, so I cant wait to use them!! I am going to make Butternut-Beef Chili. Oohhh, it sounds so good and warm! For dessert of course I'm making Pumpkin Muffins. This cold weather puts me in the mood to bake! I found both recipes online and if they turn out good I will post them for you!

For tomorrows dinner I'm going to make Crock pot split pea soup. It looks really yummy! I have an app on my phone that has all kinds of healthy recipes. So we'll see how it turns out!

I'm excited to cook us good healthy meals that we can both enjoy together!

10 days

2010-09-08T13:55:00.000-07:00

Wow, I can't believe we are at the 10 day mark! Time has really gone by fast! There are so many little details to be done. But I just have to take them one day at a time! This has made me ponder what kind of things can happen in 10 days.

I know one of my favorite movies is "How to loose a guy in 10 days". (but I don't want to loose my guy!)

There is the 10 day forecast (looks like we'll be in the high 80's).

There was the 10 Day War, which was a brief military conflict between the Slovenian Territorial Defence (Slovene: Teritorialna obramba Republike Slovenije) and the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) in 1991 following Slovenia's declaration of independence.

On the 10th day of Christmas my true love gave to me, 10 Lords a-leaping (which they say represents the 10 commandments).

Day of Atonement occurs in the seventh month on the 10th day.

If you get a second drunk driving offense within the previous 6 years, then the minimum jail time is 10 days in a row to a maximum of 6 months. (wow I don't want to mess with that!)

There are also 10 day diets and detoxes. (I guess I could loose a few lbs before the wedding)

So all that to say in 10 days from now my name will go from a Miss to Mrs. I am also excited to see what my first 10 days of marriage will hold. I can't wait to see what the Lord has instore for our life!

The Great Food Truck Race

2010-08-30T11:52:00.000-07:00

There is a new show on the Food Network called the Great Food Truck Race. It is such an awesome show!! The contestants have a business where they sell food out of a truck or van that is all set up with a kitchen and a window to sell their food from. They start in one city and they are given a certain amount of money to buy their food, then after 2 days they total what they have earned and who ever has the most money wins. Now it's on to the next city!! It's pretty amazing to watch them work and figure out the best way to make money. They have to make sure it's a place where there is a lot of foot traffic so people will be sure to walk by and they have to buy quality food for a cheaper price. So far they have been to 3 different city's and next Sunday night they are going to be in New Orleans. So check it out!!

Watching this show has really inspired me! My mom and I have always talked about having our own business and as I'm sure you know we love to cook!! I don't necessarily want to have my own restaurant, but I could see having a food truck! It would be so cool to go and pull up at different spots and sell our food to people! Now my wheels are turning, so let's see what the Lord wants to do!!

Ready or not, here I come!!

2010-08-24T14:13:00.000-07:00

In 25 day's, no matter if I am ready or not, I will be getting married. Now of course I am excited about getting married, who wouldn't be!!? But I am ready for the planning part to be over with! I can't believe how many details there are to think about. Just when I think everything is covered, 3 more things pop up! I'm sure it will be over before I know it, then I'll wish I could go back and do it all over again! But for now the countdown is on!

On a lighter note, I have been having a lot of fun crafting and making things for my wedding! Starting with my invitations. They were pretty easy to make, just time consuming to put together! I am so happy with the way they turned out! Next my table assignment boards. I took cork boards and covered them with fabric, then I will attach the seating cards (which i am also making) to it with push pins.

Soon I will post pictures up all my projects!

Then after the wedding I am going to take on a really big project! I am going to sew my chair cushions for our dining room chairs. I am so excited to start them. I already have the fabric, so I just need to get the foam to fit inside! I almost bought the inserts at Joannes, but I found better ones that are cheaper at Walmart. I hope they will turn out nice!

RJ bought us some new nightstands and dressers from Craig's list. He sanded them all down and painted them so they look brand new! So to dress them up even more I bought new handles for the nightstands from Anthropology. They look really cool!

I'm so excited to decorate our apartment and make it feel like home!!

Engagement Pictures

2010-05-25T13:35:00.000-07:00

On Sunday we went down to the beach to take our enagement pictures. Of course that day was cold and windy! But other than my hair flying around every where the shoot went really well! I have seen a couple of pictures so I know they will come out great!

When I do get them I will post them on my blog!! So stay tuned! :-)

Study #2: Proverbs 31:11-12

2010-04-27T10:21:00.000-07:00

In our second study of the Proverbs 31 woman we are going to look at the next 2 verses of what a virtuous wife should look like. We are painting a picture with words.

Proverbs 31:11-12:

The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life. (ESV)

Her husband trusts her without reserve, and never has reason to regret it. Never spiteful, she treats him generously all her life long. (MSG)

The heart of her husband has confidence in her, and he has no lack of gain. She brings him good and not evil all the days of her life. (NET)

Like we talked about last time this is an acrostic poem, meaning that the first word of every verse starts with the letters in order of the Hebrew alphabet. So now we are going to look at the second and third letters.

The first word in verse 11 is Batach which means Confidence. In Hebrew it's read from right to left בָּטַח . The 1st letter on the right is the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet, נ , which is Bet. Confidence is to full trust; belief in the powers, trustworthiness, or reliability of a person.

In verse 12 the phrase "she will do" means: recompense or to deal fully with. In the Hebrew it's Gamal,גמאל. The third letter of the Hebrew alphabet is ג, Gimel. Recompense is to repay; remunerate; reward, as for service, aid.

The husband of the Proverbs 31 woman has confidence in his wife because he knows she will reward him with good and not evil all the days of his life!

So what are some steps I can take to become a trustworthy person in every area so that the heart of my husband can trust in me?

The first woman who pops into my mind is Mary the mother of Jesus. At first sight it doesn't seem like Mary would be the best example of a "trustworthy" wife. I mean she did get pregnant before she was fully married to Joseph. They would be betrothed for a year, then after that they would be able to come together in marriage. During the betrothal they were considered married, but with out the intimacy of marriage.

Let's look at some points we can learn from Marys life.

1. She was a willing servant.

Luke 1:26-38:

"In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, a descendant of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. The angel came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled by his words and began to wonder about the meaning of this greeting. So the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God! Listen: You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will never end.” Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?” The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called the Son of God. “And look, your relative Elizabeth has also become pregnant with a son in her old age – although she was called barren, she is now in her sixth month! For nothing will be impossible with God.” So Mary said, “Yes, I am a servant of the Lord; let this happen to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her."

She was willing to serve the Lord no matter what the cost. No doubt the implications of what was about to happen fully resonated in her mind. Becoming pregnant out of marriage was not allowed or excepted back in her day! But even at her young age she knew the Lord was in control and his plan was best.

When our husbands know that we are listening to the Lord and are willing to serve Him, they will know that what we are saying and doing is from the Lord. Mary now had to tell Joseph that she was with child of the Holy Spirit. I'm sure that she was afraid to tell him, but she had confidence because this message came straight from the Lord. I wonder what would have happened if Mary was the type of girl who lied and tried to cover up the truth? I don't think Joseph would have been so willing to believe her, even when the angel told him it was true!

To become a virtuous woman or wife I must be trustworthy, willing to serve the Lord no matter what the cost, to my happiness or comfort level. And as a result of this the heart of my husband will safely trust in me, I will give him no reason to question or doubt my judgement!

2. She was willing to believe.

Luke 1:39-45

"In those days Mary got up and went hurriedly into the hill country, to a town of Judah, and entered Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. She exclaimed with a loud voice, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child in your womb! And who am I that the mother of my Lord should come and visit me? For the instant the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that what was spoken to her by the Lord would be fulfilled.”

Mary believed in the Lords word; His word always comes to pass. She didn't freak out when she heard the plan, asking a million questions. She did ask a couple of important questions, but she never questioned the Lords word. Mary knew that the road was going to be a rough one, but she believed that her God, the only God, would get her through.

We must be willing to believe the Lords word and His promises. There are a lot of things that go on in our lives, good and bad, up and down. We must cling to the promises that He will never leave us nor forsake us. When we are trusting in the Lord and turning to his word, we will be able to be that strong pillar for our families. Our husbands will know that we will be level headed and constant during bad times. Their hearts will be sure, knowing that we will be strong and able to handle whatever comes our way. All this comes from believing in the word of God like Mary did.

3. She was willing to rejoice.

Luke 1:46-55

"And Mary said,“My soul exalts the Lord, and my spirit has begun to rejoice in God my Savior, because he has looked upon the humble state of his servant. For from now on all generations will call me blessed, because he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name; from generation to generation he is merciful to those who fear him. He has demonstrated power with his arm; he has scattered those whose pride wells up from the sheer arrogance of their hearts. He has brought down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up those of lowly position; he has filled the hungry with good things, and has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering his mercy, as he promised to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.” So Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then returned to her home."

Mary rejoiced!! Wow, can I say that I have rejoiced in my circumstances lately? I don't think that even my trials can compare to what she was going through. What a blessing it is that we can look back at Mary's life and see how she handled things! I'm glad that people can't look back at my life to see the things I've said or done in different situations. When I rejoice in my circumstances the people around me won't be able to help but notice my attitude and follow suit. Matthew 1 says that as Joseph considered these things the angel came to him in a dream. Mary was right to put her hope in the Lord, He sent a messenger to Joseph telling him that what Mary said was truth. She was confident in the Lord, rejoicing in the blessing of being the mother of the coming Messiah.

Are we willing to rejoice, even when things are bad? How can the heart of our husbands safely trust in us when we have a bad attitude or if we are always flying off the handle? We need to be confident and steady, then our husbands will know that their hearts will be safe.

When Proverbs says His "heart" safely trusts in her it means this: inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding 1a) inner part, midst 1a2) heart (of man) 1a3) soul, heart (of man) 1a4) mind, knowledge, thinking, reflection, memory 1a5) inclination, resolution, determination (of will) 1a6) conscience 1a7) heart (of moral character) 1a9) as seat of emotions and passions 1a10) as seat of courage.

In other words we will bring him peace of mind. While he is at work he knows that we are at home, taking care of the kids, doing our job as a wife and mother and if we are working then he knows we will do what it takes to also help provide for our families. When we are out he knows that we aren't going to spend all the money in his bank account. When trials come he knows that we will stay cool under pressure, that we will stay the course.

Mary is the perfect example of a virtuous wife and woman. None of us is perfect, I will be the first to admit that! But when we are aspiring to these things the Lord will bless us!

Becoming a Proverbs 31 Woman

2010-04-14T10:15:00.000-07:00

I have always loved the Proverbs 31 woman, she is a great example of how to be a Godly woman, wife and mother. I wish I could have met her and watcher her in action!! But I'm glad that I have these 22 verses to learn from. Now that I am approaching becoming a wife, these things are becoming more important to me.

The Lord has pressed upon my heart to go through the verses one by one and dig deeper into them to learn what the Lord would say to me.

So here we go!!

Proverbs 31:10:

"An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels." (esv)

"Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies." (nkjv)

"A good woman is hard to find, and worth far more that diamonds." (msg)

First of all, who needs a book on self esteem!! Look at that, I am far more precious and worth more than diamonds, rubies and jewels!!! It has been said that diamonds are a girls best friend! What girl does not like pretty jewelry or want a diamond ring! In the worlds eyes those are precious things and they offer you a higher status and wealth. But for me, in the Lords eyes and in the eyes of a Godly man, I am more precious than all of those put together! A true Godly man will look for a woman with Godly character and she will be precious to him.

Verses 10-31 are called an acrostic poem, each verse beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The Hebrew word for woman or wife is Ishshah, אִשָּׁה. The text is backwards, so the last letter on the right is actually the first letter of the word and the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

The NET bible says that the Proverbs 31 woman is a woman of valor and excellence. This is the same expression the bible uses to describe Ruth. In Ruth 3:11 it says she is a worthy or virtuous woman. Here the title indicates that the woman possesses all the virtues, honor and strength to do the things that the poem will set forth.

So how do we become this excellent wife or woman?

1. Be Selfless
2. Be Submissive
3. Be Sanctified

As we look at these three points we are going to look at two examples of women who lived these things out on a daily basis, Ruth and Esther.

1. Be Selfless.

Selfless means to have little or no concern for oneself, unselfish.

Ruth 1:16-18, "But Ruth replied,“Stop urging me to abandon you! For wherever you go, I will go. Wherever you live, I will live. Your people will become my people and your God will become my God. Wherever you die, I will die – and there I will be buried. May the Lord punish me severely if I do not keep my promise! Only death will be able to separate me from you!”

Ruth was selfless, willing to leave her own country and people to take care of her mother-in-law. This promise is unto death, meaning no matter what she will always be there, with Naomi.

Esther 4:15-16, "Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: “Go, assemble all the Jews who are found in Susa and fast in my behalf. Don’t eat and don’t drink for three days, night or day. My female attendants and I will also fast in the same way. Afterward I will go to the king, even though it violates the law. If I perish, I perish!”

Esther was selfless, willing to risk her life to save the Jews from extinction. For her to go into the king without being summoned was punishable by death.

Being selfless is one step towards becoming a Godly woman. We need to be willing to put ourselves aside and do what is best for others. Not for us to be a push over or let people walk all over us. But if the situation calls for selflessness, then we need to call for the power of the Lord for strength. Ephesians 6:10 says, "Finally, be strengthened in the Lord and in the strength of His power."

2. Be Submissive.

Submission is to be characterized by tendencies to yield to the will or authority of others.

Ruth 2:5-23, "Boaz asked his servant in charge of the harvesters, “To whom does this young woman belong?” The servant in charge of the harvesters replied, “She’s the young Moabite woman who came back with Naomi from the region of Moab. She asked,‘May I follow the harvesters and gather grain among the bundles?’ Since she arrived she has been working hard from this morning until now– except for sitting in the resting hut a short time.” So Boaz said to Ruth, “Listen carefully, my dear! Do not leave to gather grain in another field. You need not go beyond the limits of this field. You may go along beside my female workers. Take note of the field where the men are harvesting and follow behind with the female workers. I will tell the men to leave you alone. When you are thirsty, you may go to the water jars and drink some of the water the servants draw.” Ruth knelt before him with her forehead to the ground and said to him, “Why are you so kind and so attentive to me, even though I am a foreigner?” Boaz replied to her, “I have been given a full report of all that you have done for your mother-in-law following the death of your husband – how you left your father and your mother, as well as your homeland, and came to live among people you did not know previously. May the Lord reward your efforts! May your acts of kindness be repaid fully by the Lord God of Israel, from whom you have sought protection!” She said, “You really are being kind to me, sir, for you have reassured and encouraged me, your servant, even though I am not one of your servants!”
Later during the mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come here and have some food! Dip your bread in the vinegar!” So she sat down beside the harvesters. Then he handed her some roasted grain. She ate until she was full and saved the rest. When she got up to gather grain, Boaz told his male servants, “Let her gather grain even among the bundles! Don’t chase her off! Make sure you pull out ears of grain for her and drop them so she can gather them up. Don’t tell her not to!” So she gathered grain in the field until evening. When she threshed what she had gathered, it came to about thirty pounds of barley! She carried it back to town, and her mother-in-law saw how much grain she had gathered. Then Ruth gave her the roasted grain she had saved from mealtime. Her mother-in-law asked her, “Where did you gather grain today? Where did you work? May the one who took notice of you be rewarded!” So Ruth told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked. She said, “The name of the man with whom I worked today is Boaz.” Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be rewarded by the Lord because he has shown loyalty to the living on behalf of the dead!” Then Naomi said to her, “This man is a close relative of ours; he is our guardian.” Ruth the Moabite replied, “He even told me, ‘You may go along beside my servants until they have finished gathering all my harvest!’” Naomi then said to her daughter-in-law Ruth, “It is good, my daughter, that you should go out to work with his female servants. That way you will not be harmed, which could happen in another field.” So Ruth worked beside Boaz’s female servants, gathering grain until the end of the barley harvest as well as the wheat harvest. After that she stayed home with her mother-in-law."

Ruth put her self under the submission of Boaz and her mother-in-law. She followed what they wanted her to do. Because she was a Godly woman she knew it was good to listen to the advice of those around her.

Esther 4:10-17, “All the servants of the king and the people of the king’s provinces know that there is only one law applicable to any man or woman who comes uninvited to the king in the inner court – that person will be put to death, unless the king extends to him the gold scepter, permitting him to be spared. Now I have not been invited to come to the king for some thirty days! When Esther’s reply was conveyed to Mordecai, he said to take back this answer to Esther: “Don’t imagine that because you are part of the king’s household you will be the one Jew who will escape. If you keep quiet at this time, liberation and protection for the Jews will appear from another source, while you and your father’s household perish. It may very well be that you have achieved royal status for such a time as this!” Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: “Go, assemble all the Jews who are found in Susa and fast in my behalf. Don’t eat and don’t drink for three days, night or day. My female attendants and I will also fast in the same way. Afterward I will go to the king, even though it violates the law. If I perish, I perish!” So Mordecai set out to do everything that Esther had instructed him."

We see here that Mordecai instructed Esther to go into the king and she agrees to do it. Esther put herself under the submission of her Uncle even though she was married and now the Queen. It would have been very easy for Esther to tell him no and do whatever she wanted. But she knew it was the right thing to do.

We as Godly women have to be willing to be under the submission of our husbands (one day) and also parents or others in authority. As we walk in the power of the Holy Spirit this will be an easy task. Ephesians 5:21 says that we must be under submission to each other out of reverence for Christ. We must first be selfless to become submissive.

3. Be Sanctified.

To be Sanctified is to be separate from profane things and dedicated to God.

Ruth 3:13-17 "So Boaz married Ruth and had relations with her. The Lord enabled her to conceive and she gave birth to a son. The village women said to Naomi, “May the Lord be praised because he has not left you without a guardian today! May he become famous in Israel! He will encourage you and provide for you when you are old, for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, has given him birth. She is better to you than seven sons!” Naomi took the child and placed him on her lap; she became his caregiver. The neighbor women named him, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” They named him Obed. Now he became the father of Jesse – David’s father!"

Ruth lived a set apart life and God blessed her for that. She was not concerned with worldly things, but Godly things. We see from the genealogy of Christ that Ruth is in the line of Jesus. What a blessing that would have been to be in the line of Jesus the savior of the world!!

Esther 8:1-17, "On that same day King Ahasuerus gave the estate of Haman, that adversary of the Jews, to Queen Esther. Now Mordecai had come before the king, for Esther had revealed how he was related to her. The king then removed his signet ring (the very one he had taken back from Haman) and gave it to Mordecai. And Esther designated Mordecai to be in charge of Haman’s estate. Then Esther again spoke with the king, falling at his feet. She wept and begged him for mercy, that he might nullify the evil of Haman the Agagite which he had intended against the Jews. When the king extended to Esther the gold scepter, she arose and stood before the king. She said, “If the king is so inclined and if I have met with his approval and if the matter is agreeable to the king and if I am attractive to him, let an edict be written rescinding those recorded intentions of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, which he wrote in order to destroy the Jews who are throughout all the king’s provinces. For how can I watch the calamity that will befall my people, and how can I watch the destruction of my relatives?” King Ahasuerus replied to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, “Look, I have already given Haman’s estate to Esther, and he has been hanged on the gallows because he took hostile action against the Jews. Now you write in the king’s name whatever in your opinion is appropriate concerning the Jews and seal it with the king’s signet ring. Any decree that is written in the king’s name and sealed with the king’s signet ring cannot be rescinded. The king’s scribes were quickly summoned – in the third month (that is, the month of Sivan), on the twenty-third day. They wrote out everything that Mordecai instructed to the Jews and to the satraps and the governors and the officials of the provinces all the way from India to Ethiopia – a hundred and twenty-seven provinces in all – to each province in its own script and to each people in their own language, and to the Jews according to their own script and their own language. Mordecai wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed it with the king’s signet ring. He then sent letters by couriers on horses, who rode royal horses that were very swift. The king thereby allowed the Jews who were in every city to assemble and to stand up for themselves – to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate any army of whatever people or province that should become their adversaries, including their women and children, and to confiscate their property. This was to take place on a certain day throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus – namely, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month (that is, the month of Adar). A copy of the edict was to be presented as law throughout each and every province and made known to all peoples, so that the Jews might be prepared on that day to avenge themselves from their enemies. The couriers who were riding the royal horses went forth with the king’s edict without delay. And the law was presented in Susa the citadel as well. Now Mordecai went out from the king’s presence in purple and white royal attire, with a large golden crown and a purple linen mantle. The city of Susa shouted with joy.For the Jews there was radiant happiness and joyous honor. Throughout every province and throughout every city where the king’s edict and his law arrived, the Jews experienced happiness and joy, banquets and holidays. Many of the resident peoples pretended to be Jews, because the fear of the Jews had overcome them."

Wow, what a blessing it is when a matter is resolved. Esther had the weight of all her peoples lives on her shoulders. She had to be set apart to endure this trial. How easy it would have been for her to fall away from her faith and relationship with God living in the palace. She was away from her uncle and surrounded by ungodly people. But she held fast to her faith and was sanctified for just a time as this.

We must be set apart from the world to be Godly wives, mothers, friends and daughters. John 17:17 says, "Sanctify them by Your truth, Your word is truth." We must be in the word daily to receive His truth for our lives. We must stay unspotted by the world so that we will be able to lead our families in the way of the Lord.

In our relationship with the Lord we must be selfless, serving Him daily and accepting His will for our lives. Then we must be submissive to Christ, obeying what He is telling us to do. Then we will become sanctified, dedicated and set apart to the Lord.

2010-02-16T12:51:00.000-08:00

Hello friends! We need your help, RJ and I entered a contest to win a wedding from Crate and Barrel. Please go to this web site and vote for us!! We would greatly appreciate it! www.ultimateweddingcontest.com/entries/30216 Thank you!!!

How Long, O Lord?

2010-01-13T14:48:00.000-08:00

Today's daily reading is none other than Psalms 13. The title is "How Long, O Lord?" Four times the Psalmist asks, "how long, O Lord?" I too ask Him over and over again, "How long, O Lord must I endured this trial?" "How long, O Lord must I continue in darkness?" In verse 3 he says lighten my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death. That means I am close to death and will die unless you intervene with encouragement or enlightenment. I don't know if you have ever felt that way, but some times I can feel like I am in the dark and unless the Lord "lightens" my eyes I will parish. Today I read my moms blog and it said that the Lord promises that we will not walk in darkness. So although I feel alone, like He doesn't hear me I can trust that He does. In the last two verses he gives praise and worship to the Lord. He says I will sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me. I love this word bountifully, it means liberal in bestowing gifts, favors, generous and abundant. Even though David is distressed, He still gives the Lord praise for His generosity. So even though right now the Lord is not giving me what "I" want, He is still worthy to be praised and He is being generous in other areas. He will not permit the righteous to stumble. And when the time is just right He will show me His path.

Daily Reading

2010-01-12T11:09:00.000-08:00

I am now on day 12 of my daily Psalms reading. So far I have been very blessed. If there is one thing I have learned from the past 12 days it is that the Lord is my refuge. When I am in times of trouble or fear I can run to Him for protection. I don't need to be afraid of anything, what can man do to me? NOTHING!

Now the real question is what can I do to myself? Alot! My mind can be a dangerous place if I let my thoughts run wild. All kinds of fear, wondering, worrying and doubt can take over.

In most of the chapters I have read in Psalms it says that the Lord hears the cry of the righteous! He will be there to help me, even against myself! 2 Corinthians 10:5 tells me to take every thought captive. In a sense I have to put my thoughts in jail and force them to obey Christ.

I have to let the Lord be Lord over my thoughts and my mind. This is a very hard thing to do, especially when you are a worrier! I need to retrain my brain to think differently, like to give praise to the Lord instead of thinking about things that bring me down!

Palms 9:1-2 "I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart: I will recount all of Your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and exult in You; I will sing praise to Your name; O Most High."

P.s. Click on the fish tank to feed the fish!! :-)

New Year

2010-01-04T14:06:00.000-08:00

Well I can't believe that it's 2010. Where did the last 10 years go? I heard this saying one time and it is so true, "Life is like a roll of toilette paper, the closer you get to the end the faster it goes" (Thank you Pastor Paul!).

Starting out this new year I wanted to start fresh with everything, eating healthier, reading more, getting organized and changing my mindset. The Lord has done many wonderful things in last couple of years, but it has also been some of the hardest years. Life is going by faster and faster and if I don't set my mind in the right place it's going to pass me by. I need a change of attitude and a change of mind if I'm going to push through this next year no matter what comes my way. So I decided that I'm going to start reading though the book of Psalms. One chapter a day, at that rate it will last a good part of the year. The Psalms offer so many wonderful things, encouragement, wisdom, guidance and comfort, just to name a few. Already the Lord has shown me some great things.

Chapter 1, I need to be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, so that my roots will run deep. No matter what I go through, I will stand firm.

Chapter 2, I will be blessed when I run to Him for refuge.

Chapter 3, many are the enemies all around me, but He is my shield. He will answer me then I cry out to Him, He will sustain me. Salvation belongs to the Lord.

Chapter 4, He has put more joy in my heart than those who abound. He has set me apart and He will hear me when I call. In peace I will lie down and sleep, for in Him alone I will dwell in safety.

Wow, that's only in the first four days of reading. I can't wait to see what the Lord is going to show me as the days go by. I know it's not going to be easy and I'm sure some days will be harder than others. But with the Lords help I know that I will make it through this year stronger than ever before. Thank you Lord for Your Word and how it transforms lives and hearts.

Acts 4:12

2009-11-30T10:41:00.000-08:00

"Nor is there salvation in any other name, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." Some times people say that Christians are narrow minded, and to that I say, your right!!! Jesus is the only way to the Father. There are not many roads that lead to heaven, there is only one narrow road.

Jesus says in John 14:6, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, no one comes to the Father except through Me." Jesus is the Way: a travellers way, journey. Jesus is the Truth: this is truth in any matter under consideration. Jesus is the Life: the state of one who is possessed of vitality, the absolute fullness of life.

John 10:9 says, "I am the door, if any one enters by Me, they will be saved and will come in and out and find pasture." The Lord is the entrance to salvation and heaven. When we enter through that door we will be in the Lords pasture. Wow, that is where I want to be! Imagine what His pasture looks like, my needs will always be met no matter what they are.

In the bible we are compared to sheep. I can see myself in His pasture, happy, healthy and satisfied. But then I look over and see a patch of green grass off in the distance. It looks very inviting, deep down inside I hear voice telling me that I shouldn't leave the pasture. But something is drawing me, maybe there is something better over there that I am missing. So in all of my wisdom I decide that I'll just take a little jog over there, what could it hurt. As I start out, before I can leave the boundaries of the pasture, I feel a poke in my side. "OUCH" I yell. In my mind I am thinking who is poking me and why won't they stop!!! As I look up I am astounded to see my Shepherd, with His staff pointed right at me. "Why are You poking me," I ask. He tells me it's to protect me and keep me on the right path. In my mind I think, "how is jabbing my ribs going to help." The Shepherd answers my thoughts and says, "How else was I going to stop you from making the wrong decision and leaving the safety and protection of the pasture?" I say to Him, "well you could have just told me!" "Ah" He says, "but I did, in a still small voice." Oh how often I think that I know best. Why do I insist that my way is the best way and that there are greener pastures some where else? I am very thankful for the jab of the Lord keeping me in line and in His pasture of protection and safety.

Memorization

2009-11-11T09:53:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago I asked RJ to help me with scripture memorization. I am horrible at memorizing things so I thought it would be a good idea to ask for help. He can memorize quick, but sometimes has trouble remembering things. I can remember everything, but I have trouble memorizing. So we should be a good balance! :-)

So my first verse was Galatians 4:4, "But when the fullness of time was complete, God sent His Son, born of a woman, under the law." I love this verse because it points out that God sent His Son just at the right time. There were things that needed to be in place before He came to this earth to sacrifice His life for us. This encourages me to know that the Lord always has a plan, He is never late and never early. In my life certain things need to be in place before I can get married, I don't know what some of those things are but He knows. Then at that perfect time when everything falls into place, we will be able to move forward. Some times I'm tempted to ask why, but then I remember that the Lord has a plan!

My second verse was John 1:1-3, 14, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him and without Him nothing was made that was made. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld His glory, like the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." Wow, this verse is full of great stuff. It wasn't as hard to memorize as I though, because I already knew the first part. God the Father sent Jesus (just at the right time) to this earth, to live among us, His creation. He, at that time was fully God and fully man. This verse says that He became flesh (that is man) and He had the Glory of the Father (that is God). Isn't that just amazing to think about, that Jesus Who created the world would come to His fallen earth to buy us back and sacrifice Himself for ME!!!! Wow, how could I not sacrifice my life on this earth for Him and live my life the way the He wants me to. My trials on this earth, though they might be difficult, are pale in comparison the Glory of the Lord. He has shown me so many new truths for my life and situations.

I'm glad that I am memorizing these verses because the Lord is teaching me so much through them. I can't wait for my next verse!!

It's about time!

2009-10-28T14:11:00.000-07:00

Well I figured since it's been 3 months since my last blog maybe it's time to update. But there really isn't much to update, everything is pretty much the same! I had my 1 year check up from my surgery and everything is good! So I'm really happy about that!

I guess one thing I have been learning lately is that Gods ways are not our ways. DUH! His plans are always perfect, even though I don't understand it! I really look forward to the day that I will be able to look back on these trials, rather than be right in the middle of them. I know all of the reasons why we go through trials, the Lord has told us many reasons. But it doesn't really make going through trials any easier. Right now the Lord is my strength, He is the only One Who can really bring us through these tough times! I hope that when I am done with these trials He will say to me "well done my good and faithful servant." Although right now I just want out, I pray for strength to endure until the end!

So enough about trials, we just went to a friends mountain cabin for the weekend! It was so nice, we went on a really long bike ride (I almost died), watched movies and just hung out! I hope we can go back in the winter time when there is snow!

I am still making my felt flowers, I'm really excited for some of my new designs! I will have some pictures to post soon!

So I guess your all updated now. Please remember to keep my family in prayer, we could really use it!!

Eeeewwww

2009-07-28T10:41:00.000-07:00

Well, we didn't even last 24 hours on our raw fruit and vegetable diet!

We felt nauseous, dizzy and sick all day!!! Finally at 7:00pm last night I said to RJ, "Can I please eat some real food now?" Ohhh, the first bite was glorious! I instantly felt better!

I have learned that it is very important to incorporate raw food into our diets because they have a lot of nutrients that we can't get out of the cooked food that we eat! But all that raw, cold food was just not appetizing!

I am going to try and make some smaller changes in the way I eat to improve my health, less sugar, less starches (but I still loooove spaghetti!) and less soda.

So I guess it was a good effort, but poor execution!

Our Yosemite trip was awesome! We went on a big hike, lots of bike rides, floated down the river, had campfires, saw wildlife and got no sleep! hahaha! It really was a great trip and I can't wait to go back next year!

Look at my facebook to see some pix!

Up-dates

2009-07-16T15:28:00.000-07:00

Well, I haven't written anything new in a while! So I figured it was about time to give an update.

Remember in my last post about the "detour" sign for the wedding. Well I finally know why that was there. RJ lost his job last month, so i guess the Lord was just preparing me for that! So for now things are on hold....which is ok I know that Lord will bring it together in His timing! We are still gathering ideas so that when the time is right we are ready to go!

I have started making custom felt flowers and cuff bracelets. So far I have fulfilled 4 orders! It's pretty cool, I love being creative! And it's really neat that people love my stuff! The Lord has definitely blessed me. I hope to be able to make a little business out of it!

Next week we are going to Yosemite, that will be awesome! I love going there, its so beautiful and a refreshing time! We weren't able to go there last year (but why live in the past). Thats about as close to camping as I like to get. Four brick walls and a patio with electricity. We ride our bikes every where and I'm gonna try to do a little hiking, even though I'm not that fond of it! But floating down the river is my favorite part! Hopefully the mosquito's will leave us alone. They like to eat me because I am so sweet! Heehee!

Then when we get back from Vacation, RJ and I will be going on an all raw vegetable and fruit diet for 14 days. Then after that we will add in meat again. It's a liver enhancing diet to strengthen our livers and detox our bodies. We went to a Christian Dr. last weekend and he is going to help us get our bodies healthy and into shape. Hopefully it will be a life long change for the better. We both have been under so much stress lately that it has taken it's tole on our bodies. But with the Lords help we will begin to distress! So I will give updates about how it's going. Just the thought of eating all raw veggies and fruits for 2 weeks does not sound appetizing, but I know the outcome will be well worth it! We will be trying some very interesting meals!

If you have some recepes that are yummy, let me know!!

Well that's the update so far!

The Wedding Bell Blues

2009-06-04T14:20:00.000-07:00

The Lord knows what He's doing all of the time, but sometimes I wonder He ever says "oops, I forgot about you!" I know He doesn't ever say that really, but that's how I feel. When you first get engaged your so excited and every ones so happy for you. Then the next question they ask is "Sooo whens the big day?" Then reality sets in and you remember that you've got a wedding to plan! So you get a book to keep all of your ideas and paperwork in, people offer to help you in the planning process. There's 1000 details to go over and decisions to make. For most people this is a wonderful and fun time. But so far for me it's been nothing but one big trial! Every corner I come to has a huge road block in it! So far I have my photographer, dress and a lot of ideas. Right now on the road of my wedding planning there's a huge sign that says "Take detour, bridge is out!"

I think the Lord is trying to teach me to not make my own plans, but to trust in His plans and know that what He does is best! I just think that I put to much hope in being married and planning my wedding that the Lord has to take it from me for now, but to give it back to me later. I feel like I have the wedding bell blues, but the Lord will turn my mourning into dancing! Some day when this is all over I hope I can look back and see how much I have grown in the Lord and see how this time was beneficial to my spiritual growth!

My family could really use your prayers right now! We are going through some really big trials with our house and money situation. We just need the Lords peace and direction! Thank you!

Crafty

2009-05-14T10:37:00.000-07:00

I love being crafty and creative! This Saturday I am having a tea at my house for the high school girls is my group and I know it's gonna be so much fun! And I made them some little surprises to take home!

I'm hoping this year to make some really cool things! I have a lot of ideas, but I'm just not sure how to make them become a reality. I want to go to the craft store so bad to get some things to start, but right now is just not a good time!

I just entered a contest to win a starter pack of felt flowers for a bouquet that you sew together yourself! It would be so cool to win, then I can get my creative juices flowing!

Well, hopefully soon I will be able to complete some sort of project!

RJ don't read, Hahaha!

2009-04-23T12:20:00.000-07:00

This would be soooo cool to win, every little thing would be helpful when planning a wedding! Thanks Superior Wedding Rings!!

Superior Wedding Rings is an online company that offers a HUGE selection of wedding rings. Their rings come in everything from ceramic to palladium, and in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Superior Wedding Rings is going to giveaway your choice of ring from their site (up to $120 in value).

Adventures with Kale

2009-04-15T10:15:00.000-07:00

So I love to cook! These days I haven't had much time to cook, but I'm always thinking about it! And because I'm getting married next year I'd better get use to cooking all the time!

I've been hearing alot about the benefits of eating Kale. It has a lot of vitamins and it also helps fight off cancer! I found this on a website:

"Kale absolutely rich and abundant in calcium, lutein, iron, and Vitamins A, C, and K. Kale has seven times the beta-carotene of broccoli and ten times more lutein. Kale is rich in Vitamin C not to mention the much needed fiber so lacking in the daily diet of processed food eating Americans. The "Icing on the Kale" are the natural occurring all important phytochemicals sulforaphane and indoles which research suggests may protect against cancer. Let's not forget the all important antioxidant Vitamin E. Rest assured kale spares nothing in providing one with much needed nutrients and associated health benefits."

So needless to say I am going to start adding Kale to my diet. Last night I tried a new recipe and mmmmmm it was so good!

Zuppa Toscana

Ingredients:

1 (16 ounce) package smoked sausage
2 potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch slices
3/4 cup chopped onion
6 slices bacon
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 cups kale - washed, dried, and shredded
2 tablespoons chicken soup base
1 quart water
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
Place sausage links onto a sheet pan and bake for 25 minutes, or until done. Cut links in half lengthwise, then cut at an angle into 1/2-inch slices.
Place onions and bacon slices in a large saucepan and cook over medium heat until onions are almost clear. Remove bacon and crumble. Set aside.
Add garlic to the onions and cook an additional 1 minute. Add chicken soup base, water, and potatoes, simmer 15 minutes.
Add crumbled bacon, sausage, kale, and cream. Simmer 4 minutes and serve.

I can't have milk, so I just substituted the cream for plain soy milk (next time I will probably use soy cream) and I added a little extra water and Chicken soup base to make the broth go a little bit further! I also used spicy sausage for a little kick!

It came out really good! And because I added the Kale in the last couple of minutes it didn't cook out all of the nutrients! I would definitely suggest trying this!

The next thing I'm going to try is a Kale and Banana smoothie. It sounds a little scary, but it's worth a try! I will let you know how it turns out!

A La Cuisine!

2009-03-06T09:39:00.000-08:00

We love watching the Food Network. But we especially love watching Iron Chef America. If you have never seen it, it's a really fun show. Each show has a secret ingredient that must be in every dish. The challenger picks one Iron Chef to compete against and then they battle it out in kitchen stadium.

This is from their website, "Based upon the Japanese cult sensation, Iron Chef America carries on the legend of Kitchen Stadium and the famed "secret ingredient." Each week, world-class chefs battle the legendary Iron Chefs of America: Bobby Flay, Mario Batali, Masaharu Morimoto, Cat Cora Michael Symon. Alton Brown serves as Commentator and Mark Dacascos is Chairman."

They must make a 5 course meal and the Judges choose "who's cuisine reigns supreme." The Chairman is a martial arts expert, he's always doing back flips and make cheesy facial expressions.

Our favorite part of the show is the introduction of the secret ingredient.

The start of the battle is typically announced by the Chairman in the following manner:
So now America, with an open heart and an empty stomach, I say unto you in the words of my uncle: Allez cuisine!

Wedding time!!

2009-03-01T08:14:00.000-08:00

I am very excited to begin planning my wedding and I am determined not to get stressed out about it!! I want to be able to look back in years to come and only remember that I was cool under pressure. Of course I know that at certain times some details will be more stress filled than others, but nothing is worth losing my cool over!!

Although I'm sure theres a little bridezilla in all of us,

But I just hope that side doesn't come out in me!

Since I have more than a year to plan I should be able to keep everything organized and well planned out. But I will be on the look out for a curve ball, just in case!!

In order to keep my cool I am just going to expect a couple of things in advance:

1. Expect money to be an issue.

2. Expect not to be able to make everybody happy.

3. Expect something to go wrong.

4. Expect some people to RSVP the day before.

5. Expect to live happily every after with the one I love!!! :-)

So during this time if you see me starting to get stressed out or if you see a Bridezilla starting to emerge, please remind me that I am not the one in charge, the Lord is. He will work everything out for His glory and that is the reason for all that I do!!

Ideas

2009-02-10T12:25:00.000-08:00

There are so many cool ideas out there for everything Wedding!! I love just researching and looking up weddings. I know what colors I want. Here is an example:

I love the Blue and the Green together. I also want little bursts of Pink, Orange and Yellow. RJ and I both love the tropical beach theme, with shells and sand.

This is cool too:

I want my cake just a little more girly, not so cut and dry, but this is a good start!!

And I love this because it's very clean and simple, yet colorful:

This is a really neat way to bring in the beach aspect in table seating cards:

Well, I think I'm off to a good start. Now I just have to pull everything together! We are trying to cut costs as much as possible and do alot of things ourselves. If you have any good ideas or cool websites to look at please let me know!!

Engagement

2009-02-05T13:48:00.000-08:00

Wow, I think I'm still in shock!! It's taken me a week to process everything and to gather my thoughts!

My first thought was "OH MY GOSH, ARE YOU SERIOUS?" and then it was "IS THIS REALLY HAPPENING?" Then when I realized that "yes this is happening" I was instantly so excited and shocked. He really pulled one over on me!! All my life I thought for sure I would be able to figure it out!! But I guess I was wrong.

When I think back to that moment I can't even remember what I said, I must have said yes cuz there is an amazing ring on my finger (haha). What I can remember is him getting down on his knee and saying will you marry me, then, putting the ring on my finger. I can remember my eyes welling up with tears and hugging him. He had to ask me a couple of times because I guess he couldn't hear me say yes!! But I was so surprised by the whole thing I couldn't get the words out!

After that we went to dinner (I couldn't eat) and called every one!! I am so blessed how genuinely excited every one is. We went through a lot last year and to tell you the truth I was a little worried about how this year was going to go. But in thinking about Jer 29:11 I am reminded that no matter what happens, good or bad, that the Lord has a wonderful plan for my life!! I can see that now.

We are praying about the perfect date for our wedding to take place. Possibly Spring of 2010. Thank you all for sharing in our joy and our sadness these last couple of months!!

Two Years!

2009-01-28T11:45:00.000-08:00

Well tomorrow is mine and RJ's 2 year anniversary. It was a Monday, the day after RJ got back from a missions trip to New Orleans. He was gone for 10 days and I missed him soooo much. But I couldn't really tell him because I didn't even know if he liked me or not. (deep down I kinda knew he did though).

He took me out to lunch and said "the Lord has been talking to me about you."(YAY) Then after that he said a lot of other nice things that I don't remember and then he asked me to be his girlfriend. Obviously I said yes! Our first year was awesome, just getting to know each other more and becoming closer! We had a lot of fun going to the beach, to Yosemite with my family and just hanging out together! Our second year was a little more difficult, only because I had a lot going on with my family and also having surgery wasn't easy! But looking back it was good for us because we were able to be there to encourage one another. When he was down, I would lift him up and when I was down, he would lift me up! He has also been a great encouragement to my family during our hard times! But now as we enter our third year my prayer is that the Lord will provide for us and continue to bring us closer together and to Himself!!

But tomorrow we are going out to the Griffith Observatory and also to Grauman's Chinese Theatre! It should be lots of fun!!!

Fun Day!

2009-01-19T15:54:00.000-08:00

We had such a good time at Disneyland! Mary and I were talking this morning about how much we love being there. We could just sit on Main St all day and just look at all the sights!!

Since it was a Thursday it was pretty empty. The longest line was for Nemo. The park closed at 8pm, but RJ and I stayed on Main St in the shops until about 9:30. It was so fun. Also because it was my birthday I got a pass to go to California Adventure next time! We have to use it within a month so I hope we can go there soon!

Then on Sunday we went to lunch with all my family, we had 30 people at the restaurant! It's such a blessing to have family close by, I feel very loved!! RJ blessed me so much this month(well all the time). I could never say thank you enough! But that makes me love him even more (if thats possible!)!!

Now the next big event is Mine and RJ's 2 year anniversary on the 29th!!! Wow I can't believe that we have been together for 2 years (I keep saying 1 by accident)!! I can't wait to give him his gift, but I can't say what it is cuz he'll probably read this!! hahaha!!

Birthday!!

2009-01-14T15:27:00.000-08:00

Well tomorrow is my birthday. Now that I'm getting older time is going by much, much faster. I can't believe that I'm already 26! I can still remember my 16th birthday like it was yesterday. My mom and I went shopping at Wet Seal (that was my favorite store!), she bought me a really cool strobe/disco light for my room! I still have it somewhere! Then I had a luau party with all my friends and family! Wow that was 10 years ago!

I can also remember other parties that I've had, one was a hippie party, another was a roller skating party at my house and I think I was 7 when we went to castle park. But my all time favorite so far was my 10th birthday! I was taking gymnastics lessons at the time so I had a party there. We got to do all sorts of cool stuff like jumping on the trampoline, jumping into the foam pit and alot of other cool stuff!

So tomorrow we are going to Disneyland!!! I know that we'll have lots of fun, I get in free for my birthday! I hope it's not to crowded with other birthdays, but I don't think it will be to bad.

I know my 25th year was challenging, but also a blessing! I wonder what my 26th year holds for me? I already know part of it might be difficult, but the Lord is in control so whatever He has in store for me is good!!

Hard Times

2009-01-09T21:32:00.000-08:00

Some times it seems like this trial we are in will never end. I was so blessed by the message on Wednesday night. I really learned alot and the Lord really spoke to me. As we go on in this new year it seems like things are getting worse and worse for us, not better. The Lord is absolutely in control, I just wish I knew what His plan will be for us. This is a time when the Lord wants us to just trust in Him and cling to Him not knowing what tomorrow will bring. It's really hard to be joyful in this trial right now, but I know that the Lord calls us to have joy. It's not a joy for the trial, but joy in what the trial will bring to our lives.

I really can't wait for the end of this, to see how the Lord is going to work. I hope that I can bring Him glory during this time and not be a burden to Him.

I just wish He would tell us what to do, should we start packing our stuff, do we need to start looking for a new place to live. I already know that for now we need to just rest in Him, He will tell us what to do.

Please pray for us, that the Lord will guide us and show us what to do and also bring us His peace. And also that the people who are suppose to be "helping us" will have soft hearts and compassion towards us! To God be the glory!

Busy Month!

2008-12-09T09:51:00.000-08:00

It has been such a busy time. Christmas time is always busy with parties, shopping and decorating. It seems like we wait all year for Christmas to come (at least I do) and in the blink of an eye its over. But I'm trying to enjoy it while it lasts. Tonight we are going to pick out our tree, then after we set it up we're gonna watch White Christmas, , I love Christmas movies.

On Saturday RJ and I are going to Coronado. I'm excited, I've never been down there before so it will be nice to see all the lights and to walk around the hotel. But I have a feeling it's going to be really cold, so we'll have to dress warm.

I went to the Christmas coffee last Saturday, it was really nice. The speaker was amazing. There was so much to glean from her message, but one thing is that Christmas is never over for Jesus. It didn't end with the baby in the manger, He gave us the most precious gift, His life. And every day we are blessed with His presents in our lives.

Merry Christmas every one!

Carrie Underwood

2008-11-09T08:47:00.000-08:00

Tonight my mom and I are going to a Carrie Underwood concert!! I'm soooo excited!! I saw her in concert a couple of years ago and it was a lot of fun!! I bought these tickets about 3 months ago and I thought it would take forever to get here, but finally we get to go!! My moms birthday is the 22nd so this is an early b-day gift!!

We ordered boots on-line, because you have to have boots to go to a country western concert!! And we just wanted to find some cheap boots!! Of course the boots we ordered were not in stock and they had to be shipped from the manufacturer. We ordered them at the end of September thinking that would be plenty of time to ship to us before the concert!! But NOOOOO!!!! After many emails and phone calls we finally got a confirmation email that my boots had been shipped out! At last!!! We got them on the 31st of October (over a month later!!) and when we opened the box, they turned out to be my moms boots and they looked nothing like the picture of what we ordered!!! Ok, at least we got one pair!! So my mom called and told them about the mix up and asked them to check on the other pair of boots to make sure they would be my size!! They said "Oh, I'm sure they'll be the correct size." But my mom asked them to check just in case and they said they would.

So the next day we got another confirmation email that the boots have been shipped. But of course in the wrong size!!!! Ugh!! So we called again and they were very rude to us, like we had done something wrong!! Hello, we just want the right size boots, is that wrong?? Now they tell us my boots aren't going to ship out until the 28th of November!!! Thats a little to late don't you think?

So, needless to say we canceled my boot order and my mom got 25% off her boots! Thank goodness for Boot Barn where I got a very cute pair of boots the same day!!

Carrie Underwood, here we come!!!

Back to work

2008-11-04T16:22:00.000-08:00

Well, tomorrow I go back to work!! I'm glad to go back, but I'm a little sad too! It has been a nice time of relaxation and recuperation for me. But now it's time to get back to reality! So I'm going to try to get some good sleep tonight to be rested for tomorrow. This time went by so fast!

I don't know how much sleep I'm going to get with this election looming over my head! I'm glad I'll be at work tomorrow so I don't have to think about it all day! Although I'll probably be looking online at Fox. I know that the Lord is in control, but I still want my candidate to win! And that of course would be John McCain! His ideas are the closest to what I stand for.

Lord please let your will be done, but let McCain have the victory!!!

Pumpkins

2008-10-26T23:04:00.001-07:00

As we were carving our pumpkins today, the Food network was airing their pumpkin carving challenge. It was amazing, it put our pumpkins to shame! But anyways, we had fun trying to be creative!! And I think they turned out pretty well!!

RJ's Pumpkin Paradise :

Melissa's Tropical Pumpkin:

Hospital Time

2008-10-25T09:00:00.000-07:00

My time in the hospital wasn't too bad! Here are some pictures of the waiting room before the surgery:

Thanks again every one for praying!! I am healing nicely and still resting! In a week and a half I go back to work!! This time has gone by so fast, the Lord has been faithful to us!!

Recovery

2008-10-14T14:29:00.000-07:00

Well, it's almost been a week since my surgery, I can't believe it's been that long!! I think the word to describe how I am feeling would be........BLAH. I'm feeling better than right after the surgery, but not good enough to say I am feeling great.

The pain medication does funny things to you!! I'll be feeling good, then all of the sudden I'm dizzy and nauseated. So I'm trying to ease off the the pain meds!! I still have lots of bruises and soreness. But thankfully I'm not in constant pain.

Yesterday I had to go to my doctor to have my blood tested just to make sure there was nothing wrong. Everything came back fine, I need to start taking iron pill because of my blood transfusion. I hope they will make me feel stronger!!

Once again thank you all for your encouraging words and prayers they really brighten my day!!!!!

Surgery........DONE!!!

2008-10-11T12:23:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that the surgery is over. Wednesday was a loooong day!!! We checked in at 7 am and I got all ready to go. They put in my IV and I was sitting and waiting. Then the Doctor came in and said there was a problem with the pipes in the OR. Some how the air conditioning went out and there was condensation on the pipes of the Davinchi machine. The water had run onto the ceiling tiles and they were worried about mold growing. They told us there was a possibility that they wouldn't be able to do any surgeries that day!!

But the Doctor said he had every reason to believe that we would be able to do surgery, but it might take a couple of more hours!! Then he prayed a wonderful prayer over us!! He said this had never happened before, of course!! So at 11:30 they came and took me away to the OR, they had fixed everything! Praise the Lord! I can remember going into the room, it was very cold and bright!! Then they gave me more "happy juice" and I was out!! The next thing I remember I was waking up in the recovery room and looking at the clock and it said 10pm!! I couldn't believe it was so late!! The Lupron medicine made the fibroid soft, so it was hard to get out! I lost 2oo cc's of blood and had to have a blood transfusion.

Once I got to the room, I felt relived. I Got to see everyone and talk to them! The next day on Thursday they sent me home!! It is so nice to be home. Now I am just recovering and trying to rest and relax!!

Thank you for all your prayers and support, I know that the Lord was with me!!

Pre-op.........uncheck!

2008-10-02T17:44:00.000-07:00

Well, the good news is that the Fibroid has gone down. The Doctor is pleased with the size and the Laporoscopic surgery is on!! He said it was still a pretty good size, but it's down enough! I love our Doctor, he is awesome! He went over every detail with us, it will be a 3 hour surgery and 2 hours in recovery. Probably a 1 night stay in the hospital.

Then it all fell apart!! We were suppose to go across the street to the hospital for the rest of my pre-op. But for some reason my appointment was canceled. They made it seem like I never had an appointment. We tried to tell them that I did, we even got a confirmation call about it! We also told them I had taken off today for my pre-op, but they wouldn't even fit me in!! So we have to go back the day before my surgery at 7:45am to get my blood work done.

After 2 hours we finally got a straight answer, our nurse called them to cancel my paperwork because my Doctor went over it with me, but not the whole appointment. So even after that they still wouldn't see me!! Some times I think insurance and some workers have no idea what they are doing!!!

But after all that I'm very thankful to the Lord for working everything out for the surgery!! Again thank you all for your prayers!!!

P.S. I got another amen on my "To God be the glory" shirt!

MRI...............Check

2008-10-01T20:45:00.000-07:00

Well the first hurdle is over, the MRI is done.

This time I had to go all the way into the machine, it wasn't too bad, I just kept my eyes closed. It was really loud with buzzing and humming, every picture or angle is a different sound. The contrast IV was weird, it didn't hurt but my arm got cold and it was tingling! Afterward the nurse let me see the picture of the MRI, it was so cool! I saw a big mass, the Fibroid is a lot bigger then I thought it would be. It takes up all the room in my uterus, about the size of a grapefruit. I know that it has shrunk a little bit, but not as much as I had hoped. My appointment with the Doctor is tomorrow at 9:20, so he will tell me whats going on. Thank you for all your prayers, I know they have helped. The Lord had given me a lot of peace. I will give an update tomorrow after my Pre-op appointment. Love you guys!!!

P.S. I wore my "To God be the glory" shirt, to remind myself what my life is all about. A lady stopped me and said she loved my shirt and asked me where I got it. So I was able to tell her all about it. Now that's cool!!

MRI

2008-09-23T09:51:00.000-07:00

On October 1st I have to have an MRI, Magnetic Resonance Imaging. The Doctor wants to have a better picture of the Fibroid for the surgery. This will be my second MRI, the first time wasn't that bad. The only thing was the noise. The clicking and banging is so loud!!! They tell you to relax and stay still, but it's hard when you jump from the noise. It will be all quiet, then all of the sudden you hear this loud racket!! They gave me head phones to listen to music, but I couldn't hear anything because of the noise of the machine! I also have to have contrast material in my system through an IV so the tumor will be even more visible.

At least my head gets to stay out of the machine so I don't get claustrophobic. The bed slides in all the way up to my neck and then it stops. It takes about 45 min to get all the pictures.

This is what WebMD says:

"During the test you will lie on your back on a table that is part of the MRI scanner. Your head, chest, and arms may be held with straps to help you remain still. The table will slide into the space that contains the magnet. A device called a coil may be placed over or wrapped around the area to be scanned. A special belt strap may be used to sense your breathing or heartbeat. This triggers the machine to take the scan at the right time. Inside the scanner you will hear a fan and feel air moving. You may also hear tapping or snapping noises as the MRI scans are taken. You may be given earplugs or headphones with music to reduce the noise. It is very important to hold completely still while the scan is being done. You may be asked to hold your breath for short periods of time."

Tapping is an understatement. They make it sound so scary, but like I said, the first time wasn't so bad, we'll see how the second time goes!!

Once again your prayers are appreciated!

My Life!

2008-09-18T23:36:00.000-07:00

This last year of my life has been very challenging. It started with my mom having a hysterectomy, she was very nervous about it. But she made it through with flying colors, with the help of the Lord!! In November my dad had an accident at work and his leg was cut with a piece of glass all the way down to the bone. He had to have emergency surgery to replace the tendons and nerves. It was a hard couple of months, he couldn't work and had to just sit and let his leg heal. It's much better now but two of his toes are still numb, so he'll need more surgery. Then in January my mom caught pneumonia. She was very ill for weeks. Even today her lungs still bother her!

And now to me, I have a fibroid tumor in my uterus. This is a non-cancerous tumor. We tried everything natural to heal it, but it didn't work. I had 2 shots of a medicine called Lupron to shrink it and I am having surgery on October 8 to remove it.

Even though this has been a very tough year the Lord has been so amazing to us!! He led us to a Doctor who will do my surgery by a robotic arm. This is a less invasive surgery and we are so thankful for him!! Although I am not thrilled to have surgery, I know the Lord is in control and He will work everything out for His glory!! Who knows, maybe I will be able to encourage someone in the hospital who needs it!!

I think we are on the up side of everything now (I hope), but whatever the Lord has planned for me is better than what I could have planned for myself!!

To God be the glory!!

If you think about it please pray for us, we need all the prayers we can get!!