Gracefully ReFreshed

"Wait Well....God Keeps His Promises." -Tony Evans

2016-07-08T11:23:00.003-07:00

In May of 2014, we were excited to be adding one more new member to our little family. The kids had been wanting another little brother or sister and they were thrilled as I told them the news. As I prepared the night before to have our first ultrasound, I spent some time alone with God. I felt Him telling me its wasn't going to happen. I wrestled with Him for awhile and then finally with a breath of sigh I submitted in my heart what ever He desired. I remembering checking on the kids that night watching them sleep and telling God, "I do not want to walk down this pathway again, but if that is what You desire, I will go.". The next morning in the hospital when the ultrasound showed a 6 week old baby and should have been 9 weeks, I knew God was sending me down the pathway of another miscarriage. I was at peace. I didn't cry much. I cried a little, I was disappointed, and scared to have another outpatient procedure one more time, but I kind of held my breath through it all just to hurry down the pathway God had for me. I figured, if I was a good girl and walked down the path He asked me to go again that I would have the same outcome as I had 8 years prior. You see, 8 years ago, I miscarried our first child. I was heartbroken and devastated. The Lord strengthened me through that trial and then blessed me with another pregnancy just 2 short months later, and that is when He gave us my first born. I felt thrilled that God had blessed me with my desire so quickly - and no complications at that! So you see, when I felt Him tugging on my heart telling me I would walk this path again, I felt like He would give me the same outcome - if I would just obey.

So, I did....and guess what....He did answer just like the first! Two months later, I was pregnant again. I was thrilled! I was rejoicing! But, I was very scared. I know many woman who have suffered from infertility or pregnancy loss or any type of loss of a child, you know all to well the fear that settles in your soul. So I prayed and I asked God, "Please do not let me loose this one. Please keep me from having another surgical procedure." Although I prayed, and prayed, I never could get peace. My symptoms were very light. The Doctor had me coming in every week for blood-work to watch my hormone counts, and she even had me on progesterone pills to help along with the pregnancy. Nothing seemed to bring me peace. Then one day, I was having my quite time with God, and my body starting miscarrying. While I was praying and crying out to God - my body started to loose the little one I was carrying. After having another ultrasound to only reveal what I already knew, my body miscarried our 5th child. I.was.devestated! I mourned for our 5th child greater then I had with any of our other losses. I can not explain it, but I felt like God had forsaken me and like He gave me a a bad hand.....even after I willingly walked the path again of miscarriage with our 4th child. I was extremely hurt at God and almost was on the verge of being done trying to live for Him. I just wanted to live a quite life and forget trying to serve Him wholeheartedly. I felt like He wasn't listening to me, and it didn't do any good to pray to Him. All He wanted to do was to hurt me and break me - so I felt. I can not tell you how many weeks, I would go into my quite place and try to pray, but only end up weeping bitterly. I mean I didn't just have crying spells.....I wept! I would try to lift my hands in praise during this trying time, but I would still feel such a heaviness in my soul. I remember one time after my miscarriage happened, going into a baby shower for a friend, and although I was happy (in away) for others who were expecting, I really couldn't rejoice with them. I heard a preacher once say, "Often times its easier to weep with those who weep but it is much harder to rejoice with those who rejoice." And boy, was he ever right. I didn't like not being able to rejoice with others over their new bundle of joy, but my soul was so heavy I couldn't. I remembering very clearly being at my friends baby shower and it took every ounce of strength in my body to stay there until the end. I felt like I couldn't breath. I just wanted to leave, but I knew I couldn't. I waited until after every little adorable outfit was unwrapped and I quickly told everyone bye and exited the building. I almost felt like running out and hiding. It took all I could to not just sit there outside and cry my heart out. This loss took me months to come to terms with. I will not tell you, I got over it. You never get over the loss and the pain, but God does give strength to go forward and to find joy again. It took me many hours crying out to God and many songs of praise to Him, before I felt like I was healing from this terrible dream. It also took me coming to terms that God's plans are bigger then mine and that I had to surrender all of my dreams and plans to Him. I had to trust Him enough to make my plans for my life. I had to believe that He loves me enough to create a plan for my life that is at my very best interest and one that will bring me everlasting joy. I had to decide to either believe Romans 8:28 and claim it, or choose to not take God at His Word. I chose to hold tightly to Him, because I know I can not walk this life's pathways without Him beside me. He is my counselor, my best friend, my comforter, my rock, my deliver, my King. This is definitely not a step you take over night, but a step that is chosen each and every day as you talk alone with Him on a daily basis. One day during my mourning time with God, He sent me this verse, Hebrews 10:35-36, "Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise." I knew that verse was sent from Him to me....but I sat there saying, "Okay, God, what is the promise? What am I suppose to be obedient on?"

Months after my miscarriage, He started tugging on my heart to take in a teenager. I struggled with that leading for weeks. I kept telling God, I wasn't the right fit, He should choose someone else. Nevertheless, He kept moving my heart and my husbands heart at the same time. So, we moved in obedience to become guardians over a young teenager who needed some love and guidance. I instantly fell in love. You see, my heart was broken and it was so ready to love a child. I welcomed this teenager with open arms and just knew we would be a big happy family. I felt like maybe that is why I suffered through the miscarriages so that I would be so ready to welcome another child that wasn't biologically mine. But, unfortunately, God had different plans. Is was only His desire for us to be guardians for about a year. The plan was far different then what I had imagined, but with peace in my heart, I knew we were obedient to God and He had yet another plan for me and my little family.

I have not spoken of much of this the last two years on social media. My close friends know some of these details, but I never felt moved to share until now. I just felt moved to encourage those who are suffering through great loss right now to not listen the voice of the enemy. Instead to listen to the Voice of Truth. Make that conscience decision today to listen to His voice over all the rest. God does love you. Seek His face during your pain and ask Him to give you a promise. He can use the pain we go through for His glory, we just have to seek His face and allow Him to direct our steps. Two years later, I still hold on to the verse of promise God sent to me. I felt the promise meant a baby, but I was never completely sure. I told God after my last loss though, that if He wanted to bless us with more children, it was going to be Him allowing it to happen. I was done with trying to put my hands into things. I thought I would be obedient and then just fix it myself by getting pregnant again that it all would be well and done and that I would earn a little obedient sticker in God's eyes. I learned you can not hurry God's plan and that He can teach you things in the darkest moments. He taught me that He had something He wanted me to learn, He wanted me to know Him on a deeper level. He wanted me to see that He does love me, just because we suffer here in this world, does not mean God is not love. God is love through the suffering. His hands hold me when I can not stand, and His lungs breathing for me when I have the wind knocked out of me. His peace is the peace holding my heart together, when I do not see the next step. He loves me enough to get me through the storms. He has a greater plan for me and my family, I just have to be patient and allow Him to order our steps.

I continued to pray the Hannah's Prayer the last few years. My children continued to have a desire for another baby, so they kept praying the Hannah's Pray as well. My husband, had a strong desire for another little one, and he too continued to pray the Hannah's Prayer. We all have a desire, but we also want Gods best and for God to give us what He desires for our lives. I was wondering if I should keep praying Hannah's Prayer, or if God was telling me it wasn't His will for another child, so a few months ago, I told God if He didn't want me to have any more children I would be submissive to that, if He would just help take my desire away. I also started praying a few months ago Psalms 37:23, "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way." Since praying that verse, I can not begin to tell you how I have started noticing Him in the smallest areas in my life. I try to move when He gives me an open door. Also we received the biggest surprise of our life just a few months ago....

So for those of you are reading this and going through a terrible storm in your life, keep praying, keep believing, keep listening to Gods voice, and keep letting Him guide your steps

One of my favorite songs, He has us in The Eye of the Storm!

A year to remember....2014

2015-01-01T08:38:00.001-08:00

2014 proved to be the toughest year Matthew and I have ever experienced. Anything and everything either needed to be replaced or repaired this year, the usual family, faith, finance, and health concerns always seemed to be staring at us in the face. We also mourned the loss of our 2 children this year due to miscarriage. We saw Gods hand take us to new levels of faith, and we saw hurt and brokenness shake our faith like never before. I had to ask myself the same question Job asked in 2:10, "What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?" Satan tried to win, and almost did, but so thankful that Gods love kept us near even when we felt our lives falling apart. While 2014 held a lot of bad, it also held blessings too. I got to see my youngest except Christ into his life. I got to see God bring my nephew safely into the world, I also watched Him safely protect my daddy when I feared death was near. 2014 has been one hurricane ride of emotion, doubt, fear,disappointments, and growth. Through it all, we try to find blessings in the midst of all the rubble. I pray 2015 brings restoration and a refreshed spirit. I also pray for new beginnings, new doors to be open, and new ways to fulfill our purpose God has for us. I pray we will experience His presence like never before and follow His Spirits guidance in obedience. I pray we stay sober and vigilant against Satan's traps and never allowing things in our life to quench His power or silence His voice. About 10 years ago, I asked the Lord "what is true faith", and I really wanted Him to reveal to me true faith, I knew all of the cliché answer or the boxed answers. But, I wanted to know what true faith is. He never told me until the end of this year.

"True Faith is trusting the character of God no matter what the eyes of your circumstances see."

Hebrews 11:1,
Faith is the substance of things HOPED for, evidence of things not seen."

Our only Hope is Christ Himself, everything lies within our relationship with Him, 2014 taught me a few things. It taught me True Faith and Trust, that I am not a spiritual Wonder Woman (and God doesn't want me to be), and that God still loves me, even when I doubt Him, get hurt at Him, and even when I feel He made wrong decisions in our lives. He understands my human heart and emotions and He finds a way to comfort me and reminds me of who He is once again. He gently reminds me of His character He possesses, along with His promises that He gives. I have learned to Trust His plan over my own, be grateful for the blessings He gives, and to hang on to Romans 8:28, Proverbs 3:5-6, and Isaiah 40:31 as my anchors.

Happy New Year!

Perfect verse for the new year:
Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. (‭Isaiah‬ ‭43‬:‭19‬ KJV)

The Hope in Psalms 23

2014-08-13T11:17:00.002-07:00

As I layed in my prayer closet one day, desparetly needing to hear the Lord's voice; He directed me to Psalms 23. When I looked down to read it, the Spirit began to show me direct details of my life in Psalms 23. As the voice of the Lord revealed to me Psalms 23 in a whole new light, I began to feel refreshed and restored. As a child, I was directed to memorize this specific passage in school. I grew up reciting it often at different times in my life; but I have never had the Lord highlight the passage as He did that day during my quite time. Now I find myself quoting the scripture all through out the day because right now, I am living Psalms 23.

Psalms 23:1-6

Verse 1: The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.

The Hebrew word that David used here for Lord was Yah-weh. I read that Yah-weh was such a Holy Word in the Hebrew language that when people would say it, they wouldn't even pronouce it the right way. They would change the pronounciation to the word Adonia, because they felt so unworthy to even speak His name. David here is expressing how unworthy he truly is and how Holy God is.

The Hebrew word that David used for "I shall not want" is Ech-sar. It literally means to lack, need. So David is saying, he will not have any lack of his needs. God is our Provider for every source of life. The most Holy God loves me enough to take care of unworthy me. David is acknowledging his supreme trust in the most Holy God.

Verse 2: He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside still waters.

As I was reading verse 2, one word really highlighted in my mind. The word, "Maketh". When you make some one do something, it is implied that force is used. I was puzzled, I mean, green pastures and still waters sound lovely and so peaceful. Why in the world would God have to force us to be in peace and tranquility? Then the Spirit reaveled to me, what does God often have to do to get me inside my prayer closet to spend quite time with Him? Often times, He has to send trials and circumstances that are beyond my control and that draws me to my knees pleading and supplicating with Him. He has to "MAKE" me draw peace and tranquility from Him. I mean, why do I have to be force to go spend time with Him? I know I will gain strength when I am with Him. I know I will fill refreshed after I hear His voice. I know I will leave encouraged instead of being beaten down by this world and all it has to offer. So, why exactly, does God have to makes us? Because we are human flesh and so often we get wrapped up in the business of our lives and we get side-tracked by things that have little value in the reality of our life. The Bible speaks of Christ being the Living Water, and those of us who drink from Him will thirst no more! (John 4:14) That is the still waters that He leads me beside. I thirst for Him, like a dear panting for the water. My soul pants for Him. (Psalms 42:1)Just like that day, I desparately needed to hear His voice. My soul was thirsty for Him to speak and to move in my life.

Verse 3: He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name sake.

Verse 3 follows verse 2 because it is contingent on verse 2 to happen. Once we spend time in His green pastures and experience the still waters, He will restore our soul. This has to happen daily. That is why Paul tells us that we must die to self daily and renew our mind daily. (Romans 12:2, 2 Corinthians 4:16) That day I was beggin Him to speak, I was so over come with all of the trials that seemed to be hitting our family all at once, and I even cried out to Him, and said...."I'm DONE! I quit!". I was physically weak (because I was extremely tired from lack of sleep) and I was spiritually weak (because of all of the hard hits we have been taken here in the last few months.) Lets just say the old saying, "When it rains, it pours" holds truth! On that day, I went into my quite time with the Lord very hurt and angry with Him. I was feeling let down by God. That is why I needed His voice so desparately. After He led me by the still waters, I came out restored. Restore means to bring back, to clean up, or to repair. That is exactly what the Lord does to us after we spend time with Him. The last part of the verse is so key in our Christian walk. God begans to mold us and change us in our prayer closet. He changes us in our quite time with Him. When a person is spending quality time with the Father on daily bases, other will notice because their life will bear one of righteous, holy living. Not for our name to be praised, but in order for Christ's name to be lifted up and pointing others to Him. The Spirit always points to the Son of God. He came to bear His name. So when we are filled with the Spirit and bear the Fruit of the Spirit, our life will point the Son of God...not lift our self up. Christ says, He will lift us up in His time to honor and glorify Him for His Kingdoms purpose. (1 Peter 5:6-7)

Verse 4: Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for though art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.

Alot of times I hear this preached at funerals, bringing comfort to those experiencing physical death. But here, I sense that David is speaking also of comfort through a spiritual death. There are times in a christians life that God wants to take them to a deeper walk with Christ and to higher levels in their spiritual maturity. In order to do that, He has to take us through deep, dark valleys. Through those valleys, He wants to purge us of some things we no longer need. He wants us to die to self, so that He can quicken us. (Luke 9:23) He wants us to die to our own desires and dreams so that He can make us alive in Him and restore unto us the desires and dreams He has for us. That is the reason David could write Psalms 37. The reason David had the confidence that he would not fear in those times of dark, desolate places is because of the promise of Gods Rod and Staff.
I have read that passage a hundred times and always read it as one item. After doing further research, I found out that the Shepherd would carry two items. He would carry a rod (a long straight stick) and a staff (a long stick with a curve at the end.) The Shepherd would use the rod for multiple things. He would use the rod to fight off the sheeps predators. He woud use it to discipline wayward sheep, and he would use it to assist in counting the flock. The Staff was used for another purpose. The staff was used to round up the sheep in the flock, to guide the sheep by applying pressure, and to extricate the sheep from bad situations. The word extricate means to free or remove someone or something from a difficult situation or trap! That is why David did not fear the enemy or the trials, or the difficult situations. He rested in that promise! He knew God was preparing him for a great position - the King of Israel. He knew God was maturing him and molding him. He had confidence in God. He trusted that He would chastise him when needed, protect him from enemies when they came, to place pressure on him to guide him in the right direction, and most of all - he knew God would rescue him out of traps and difficult situations. I love how the Shepherd places pressure on the sheep to guide them. I know in my own life, God often times has to place pressure on me to guide me into the prayer closet, to guide me down the right path, to guide me into the right decision. David understood that trials, difficult situations, and spiritual death wasn't a bad thing. It was God's way of directing him and preparing him for his purpose.....to be one of the greatest Kings Israel ever had.
The Lord allowed me to see that so I could hang on to that promise and hope of His rod and staff during these difficult times we are expereincing right now. He was assuring me that He will direct my paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6) He will tell me which direction to go, when I don't know what to do. One of my favorite verses is Isaiah 30:20-21:

"And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers:
And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.

Verse 5: Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

People of royalty are known for their abudance of food on their tables. David was confident in what God was leading him to do. He knew eventually he was to be King and that God would prepare his kingdom for him in front of all his enemies that were after him. Samual had anointed David's head with oil years ago before he wrote Psalms 23. David was picked by God to rule Israel, David just didn't know when. He had to wait until God removed the current King - Saul. Saul was Davids great enemy. He pursued him day and night, to try and kill him. David had several occasions where he could have killed Saul, but he honored the Lords anointed and chose to have self control over his desires and wants. He waited on God to move. He knew when God moved him into the Kings position that He would also raise him up before his enemies.
In the Bible, oil represents the Holy Spirit. After we go through the spiritual death and allow Christ to make us alive again in Him, we have the power from within - the Holy Spirit. I believe that power will not be silent or kept to our self. Our power will run over and out of us and others will see it. They will see Christ working through us. Our cup will run out and over into others. My desire is for others to see Christ oozing out of me in everything I do and say. Unfortunatly,I usually allow the flesh to creep in and stifle the Holy Spirit in my life. I know the more I spend time in my prayer closet, the more weak my flesh becomes and the more I will allow the Spirit to have control over me.

Verse 6: Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

David acknowledged is desperate need for God at the end of this chapter. The word good is defined by favorable character or tendency. David had tasted of the Lords goodness and knew it was sweet. In chapter 34, he tells us to "Taste and see that the Lord is good, blessed is the man that trusteth in Him." He had experienced the goodness of the Lord. Mercy is not getting what we deserve. David was expressing his humble heart. David had experienced humility through his spiritual death process. God sent him into a literal cave to live for a long time just to spare his life from the hand of King Saul. Humility was something the Lord taught David. I mean, he was after all, the great warrior that killed over 10,000 men. He was a great leader in the Kings army at one time, he killed a giant with a rock, he killed a bear and a lion with his bear hands; and now he was just struggling to survive in a cave! True humility can only be given to you by the Lord. God can not and will not use a prideful person. Even those who have a small amount of pride. The Bible says pride is an abmonation to God and that God hates it!I am learning that pride comes in all shapes and sizes in our life, and God wants to point out everyone of them. He must remove pride in me before He can use me.(Proverbs 16:5, Proverbs 6:16-19) David learned the power of humility. He also pledges his allegiance to God no matter what at the end of the chapter. No matter what, David was committed to be a follower of God. No.Matter.What!

I now see Psalms 23 in a personal way. I use to read it as a cute little childrens memory passage with a little rhythm to it. But now, I read it through experience and hope. I now can see how it lines up with my own life and my own desolate cave that I have been living in. I have the hope that it is just preparation in order for me to fulfill the purpose God has for me.

If you are going through your own cave of desolation and fear right now - hang on. Take this hope that David had and hold on it and don't let it go. The promises that he had then - we still have today. God is an unchanging, all loving God! (Hebrews 6:17-19, Hebrews 13:8) Find comfort and peace in His Rod and Staff and find hope in His promise, "He preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies."

It's just a season.....it will pass.

Be.Real

2014-05-21T20:55:00.002-07:00

As I scroll through another set of "happy, perfect life" photos through Facebook, I catch myself thinking, "I wished I had their life". I look around at my social peers and catch myself peeping into their lives and thinking, "Must be nice to be like that." I have gone through a season of life where I am so unhappy. I struggle sometimes with just who I am as a person, and the life I live. The Lord showed me, all I am seeing is the outside of my Facebook friends and my social peers. I don't see their struggles from within. I don't see their skeletons that they have to look at every day through their minds eye. I don't feel their heart breaking every beat because they are longing for more then this life is offering. Then it hit me! Pictures are decieving. Facebook is misleading. Peoples smiles are sometimes cover-ups. God started to cut out the ugly sins in the deepest part of my life; and I know others are just like me. They feel like I feel; they hurt like I hurt, and they struggle with things I struggle with. I took a step back for a moment and thought, "Do people think I have the picture, perfect life too?" I felt compelled to just write and to just Be.Real. I feel when we open up ourselves and remove the cover-ups we allow God to use us to the fullest potential. It is very uncomfortable to remove the cover-ups; but others truely reach back when we are real.

3 1/2 years ago, God started a process in my life that I had no clue where it was going to lead me or why. Now, after He has had a chance to remove all of the junk that keeps a gulf between me and Him, I can see things more clearly. In 2010, literally my life was turned upside down. I had no place to live (due to my landlords forclosing on their house), I had no where to go (living in an area where rent went up about $300 extra per month), and everything that we, as a family, were involved in seem to began to crumble. Our ministry that we had recently started seemed to vanish before our eyes. Our family seemed to be imploding, and things that I didn't want to happen were happening. As God moved us 1500 miles back to our original starting place, my heart was mixed with emotions and thoughts. I remember driving on one of the long Texas roads and hearing the song "I Will Praise You in this Storm" by Casting Crowns. The few words in the lyrics brought my eyes to tears because it was exactly how my heart felt. It says:

I was sure by now
God You would have reached down
And wiped our tears away
Stepped in and saved the day
But once again, I say "Amen", and it's still raining

As the thunder rolls
I barely hear Your whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away

I did think for sure, God would have stepped down and saved the day by now; but He didn't save the day like I felt needed to be saved. Little did I know, that was the beginning of my spiritual transformation. Before He can use us He must break us. Why? Because we are tanted vessels and He must purify us and make us holy. He has to remove those things in our lives that keeps us from knowing Him intimately.

When I was just out of high school, I started having this incredible longing to know God deeper. I would study my Bible for hours on end and hear His voice speak to me through every verse I would read. I would throw myself into Christian biographies of people with extrodinary testimonies. During that time, there was a song out that said, "I want to be so close to Him that when Jesus comes again, there is no big change." I remember thinking, "WOW, how awesome would that be? To walk so closely and intimatley with Jesus that when He comes again and I am in heaven that the only thing different is my scenery!" I starting longing for that kind of relationship. Then life happened. Sometimes whether we like it or not life happens and gets in the way, and unless we are intentional with our walk with Christ, it starts to be the relationship that gets less of our time and attention. Now fast forward about 9 years, I started to feel God moving my heart back to that desire again. But, what I didn't realize is what it would take to get my desire.

If Christ would have said, "Dear Child, I hear your desire, and I hear your prayer; and that is My desire for you too; but first you are going to have to experience some things. I am first going to have to take you to a dark place, one you do not like to visit often. You struggle too much with doubting Me. I have to take to you to a place in order to remove all of the torments of doubt in your heart concerning my forgiveness of your sins. Once I bring you to that place you will walk with freedom. Freedom to never have to walk with the torment of doubting my forgiveness ever again. Then my dear one, I will have to take you through severe loneliness. A place where you will feel like you don't have a friend in sight and your family is no where to be found. You may see them with your eyes but emotionally they will not be there. I have to bring you to this place, because I need you to be assured of my devotion to you. I am the One who will be here for you. I will be the One who sticks closer to you then any friend or family. Then after that, I will have to bring a great disconnect between you and your loving spouse. I know you two have always had a special connection and a special love; but my dear child, I need you to not have any other gods before me. I need you to love me with all of your heart, all of your soul, and all of your mind. Then my sweet child, I know this will be hard, but I am going to have to take your purpose away. I will make you feel like you don't belong any where, you don't fit in any where, and you have no purpose in life. I know this hurts me to take you through such depth of pain; but I have to show you that I am your Purpose. I am all that you need to focus on and when I become your Purpose then I will be able to bring your Purpose to you. You will loose your best friends too; just for a season though. You are going to experience some great pain; but it is for your good. I need to bring you to a place to trust me no matter what. No matter if your "why's?" are answered, and no matter if you can see the outcome. I need you to learn to just simply trust in me, in who I am.....your Loving Father, who is all-powerful, and has everything in control. Through all of these trials you are going to walk around and have the greatest agony of feeling like no one loves you; but I have to remove all of that, so that you will rest in the peace of my Love and if you have that confidence of my Love that is all you need through life. You see, once you experience my Love then I can use you to show my Love to others. That is truly what this world needs, a servant of mine, that has Charity. There will be times that the fear and satans fiery darts will be so strong that you will feel like you are losing your mind, like you are going crazy. But...don't ever give in to the those feelings. You are going to have to keep your mind on me. Because through all of this brokenness, there is one thing you will learn....how to pray to me. You will get to hear my voice, and walk with me, and know me intimately. You will feel my presence come over you like a flood and you will get to worship me like never before. You see, my child, I must break you in order to fill you. It will be hard but it will be worth it. When the breaking process is over, you will know Me like never before and I will restore what the locast has eaten. (Joal 2:21-29)"

If Christ would have told me ahead of time, this is what your life will be like for a few years; I am not sure that the desire would have been great enough to sustain the pain. But Christ in His perfect knowledge and wisdom knows exactly how to mold us into His workmanship. Friend, if you are feeling alone, lost, broken, in despair, hopeless, afraid, Jesus is calling you to come experience Him on a deeper level. Run to Him and sit at His feet and just worship Him and listen to His voice. It will make the pain worth it and it will make your burden light! My transformation is still in progress, but my eyes are becoming more fixed on Him.

Visitors for Christmas ------ Angels of Kindness

2013-12-02T17:58:00.000-08:00

I have been in the Christmas Spirit more this year than in the last few years. Now that my children are getting older, they are becoming old enough to understand the importance of Christmas. I am finding myself, this year, wanting to start new fun and exciting traditions with them, while keeping the True Meaning of Christmas at the center. I want them to have wonderful Christmas memories when they get older. A new thing I have been contemplating doing with them is Elf on the Shelf. I have been hearing a lot about it the last few years and thought it was a cute idea, and it looked like a lot of fun. While hashing back and forth whether or not to start Elf on the shelf this year, I ran across an interesting blog post that a Facebook friend shared. It is from the Imaginationtree, where the blogger speaks about doing Kindness Elves. She gives an interesting read on why she decides to tweak the Elf on the Shelf idea, and I think she makes some interesting points. (If you are doing Elf on the Shelf, please do not be offended. It just doesn't suit her family's needs.) After reading the article, my mind began turning. (I love taking ideas and revamping them to fit our family’s style and needs!) The more I began thinking on the Kindness Elves, the more I fell in love with the idea. I don't know about your household, but in mine, it is so hard for me to keep my children's minds on "giving" instead of "receiving" during this time of year. My heart’s desire is to raise thoughtful and kind children, and that they will be more cognizant of others than themselves; and according to the last few weeks, things haven't been looking good. The excitement of Christmas has been running rampant in our house, but so has the spirit of selfishness. I thought the Kindness Elves could be a perfect little "touch" in our house, during this time of year, to emphasize kindness, love, and giving. I love the Kindness Elves idea, but I am wanting something a little more “real."

So the Lord gave me an idea. (I love it when the Lord gives me ideas because, when He gives them, they smoothly come together). He reminded me that, in the Bible, angels are always sent to give mankind a message. I thought, “That is it! Angels of Kindness will be sent from God to our house every Christmas season on December 1st, and they will stay in our house until December 25th to deliver Kindness Missions to our family.” I am making the "missions" age appropriate for the children. I found our "angels" at Target ($3 each), and I had to glue their wings on using construction paper. Our angels are named Gabriela and Sarephina. Each morning they will be in a new, fun place in the house for the children to find their next "Kindness Mission". The angels will be watching how kind the children act throughout the Christmas Season, encouraging them to be unselfish and thoughtful, and highlighting in their morning notes their kind acts from the day before. The one thing on which I am really focusing is making this a fun traditional and positive atmosphere. My goal the last few months has been to make our home negative-free. Sometimes, whether we mean for them to or not, negative attitudes of our society creep into our homes and attitudes. The Angels of Kindness are here to remind us that a kind word or deed can mean the world to others, and it can change their Christmas season for the better. As the children grow older, the Kindness Missions will grow more intense. Here are a few ideas so far for our Kindness Missions:

*Make a card for someone sad this year - someone who has lost a loved one this past year.

*Make cookies for a neighbor.

*Make something special for a family member (favorite snack, draw a picture)

*Clean up something for someone else.

*Speak a kind word to someone in the grocery store.

*Buy a gift for someone who is sick this Christmas.

*Write a Christmas card to a soldier with a special treat.

*Sing a Christmas Carol to someone in our neighborhood.

*Visit someone who is lonely this year and take them flowers.

*Take coloring books to the Children’s Hospital.

*Make food/supply baggies for the Homeless.

Whether you choose to do the Elf on the Shelf, the Kindness Elves, the Angels of Kindness, or some other little fun tradition, remember to always emphasize LOVE for others. “…the greatest of these is [LOVE]” (1 Corinthians 13:13)

"Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares."

Hebrews 13:2

A Night to Remember

2013-06-27T09:07:00.000-07:00

Just like I will never forget the day that my children were brought into this world, I will never forget their spiritual birthday either. The Bible tells us in John 3:5, that unless a person is born of water (the natural birth) and of spirit (the spiritual birth) then they can not see the Kingdom of God (Heaven). As a mother, I pray fervently for my children to experience the 2nd birth, known as, "Being Born Again". When death comes knocking on our door, I want the peaceful assurance of knowing that death is not permanent separation for me and my family. I want us to be able to worship Jesus together for eternity in Heaven.
The last few months, my sweet girl, has been asking a lot of questions about Heaven and being able to go there. She knows that God sent us His son, Jesus, to die on the cross in the place of our sins. She understands that because of Adam and Eve sinning in the garden, it has made us all be born a sinner. But, one thing, she had a hard time comprehending was the faith of trusting Jesus to come into her life and washing away her sins when she asked. She believed that He was real, She believed that He was alive, She believed that He died on the cross for our sins; but she finally grasped last night, that when you ask Him to come into your life and to forgive you of your sins - HE DOES! (Ephesians 2:8-9, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.") Last night, as I watched her beam with excitement after her decision, it just kept a smile on my face. Jesus brings excitement to even the youngest of hearts. Something about Him moving into your life that gets you excited!
Now as a mother, I have peace of being with my baby girl for eternity. I do not have to fear of being permanently separated for all of eternity. I do not have to fear of her being tormented for all of eternity in Hell because ah rejected Him. The one thing she kept referring to was Bible stories that I had told her in school during our Bible time. If you are a Sunday School teacher, a School teacher, or a Mommy, Grandmother, ect....never give up. Keep telling them those Bible stories - they are listening. God's Word will never return void (Isaiah 55:11) - He will bring them to their memory, when He is dealing with their heart.
God's love for the World is so wonderful. He loves us all, no matter who we are, what we have done, or where we live. The Bible tells us that man's heart is desperately wicked.(Jeremiah 17:9). Even the best of people on their best day can not merit what it takes to get into Heaven. (Romans 3:23, "For ALL have sinned, and come short of the glory of God") Last night, my baby girl said it right, she started quoting John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man can come unto the Father; but by me." Jesus is the only true way to heaven. Sin can not enter into a perfect place (Heaven) with a Holy, Perfect God. We all are sinners because of sin entering into the world through Adam and Eve in the garden when they disobeyed God and took of the fruit that God told them not to eat. (Romans 5:12, "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.") Because of our sin nature that we are born with; it inhibits us to enter into Heaven; but God sent payment for our sin, through His perfect, sinless son - JESUS. Jesus dying on the cross took our punishment.(John 3:16-17, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. For God sent not His son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be save.") We have to do absolutely nothing to stay a sinner. We are all condemned already to Hell; because we are all born with a sin nature. Jesus came to free us from that condemnation. He wants to offer the gift of forgiveness to us - all we have to do is ask and accept it! By asking Jesus to forgive us of our sins; we are acknowledging that it takes something greater then what we possess (our self) and it is takes what we do not yet have (Jesus). We are accepting Jesus into our life as Ruler over our life and trusting Him to come into our life and make a change in our life. By asking Him to forgive us of our sins, we are acknowledging our sinful nature and turning away form our sinful nature. Does it mean we will never sin again? No, but it does mean the desire to want to sin will no longer be there. Because of what we possess inside of us after salvation (Jesus' Holy Spirit) Our desire to please our Savior will be greater then the desire to sin. Being born the 2nd time - means to allow someone else to move into our heart - a loving Savior named, Jesus.
Jesus's gift of Salvation is so simple but yet it baffles the minds of great men and women. So many people will reject the gift of Salvation because of pride, arrogance, unbelief, or simply because they have never heard of Jesus. When we reject Him and His gift; it tells Him that His death was in vain. The pain and agony He experienced wasn't worth us giving up ourselves to glorify and honor Him with our life. Salvation is really denouncing yourself and putting some one greater in it's place in your life - Jesus! It's so simple - even a child can understand.

Hormonal Balancing.......What it means

2013-06-23T20:06:00.000-07:00

I'm participating today in SUYL over at Kelly's Korner Blog on the subject of "Infertility". When I miscarried our first child, I was devastated. I had hundreds of "What if's" run through my mind and the biggest "What If" fear was, "What if that was my one and only chance to get pregnant!" I went through weeks of praying and asking God to grant me my request like He granted Hannah's in the Bible. One thing that someone told me I should try after my miscarriage was to use a hormonal balancing cream. I didn't know much about hormonal balancing at that time; but after some minor health issues years later, I begin to read on it. Here are some helpful tips I have discovered along the way.

Disclaimer: I am not a physician and do not claim to diagnose anyone. I am just a woman sharing what I have learned through my own research. I am passing helpful information along. If you have any questions please see your physician for further help or diagnoses.

Hormonal Balancing? Ever heard of it? Chances are, you have heard of it and thought, "I'm fine, I'm balanced!" A lot of women make the mistake of thinking they are balanced because they do not recognize the signs their body is speaking to them. Our bodies have been created by our Heavenly Father, and He created every little cell to work in order. The all-wise God that He is, He even created our bodies to signal to us that something is not right (or balanced) by giving us symptoms. After we educate ourself on what the symptoms look like, then we can make an educated decision based on our own research and what our own body is telling us. Sometimes, our Doctors can only help us so much. A doctor only knows you for 20 minutes in an exam room and he can only go on the symptoms you tell him. He is not with you 24 hours/365 days out of the year. You are with your body all the time. You know and are experiencing the symptoms. All too many times, our bodies are like our cars. We take our vehicle to the mechanic to be fixed, but the car never messes up in the mechanic's hands - it always sounds fine. {SMILES}. Here are a few symptoms that I have read about. These symptoms maybe signalling to your body that is might be experiencing Hormonal Imbalance. First off, let me clarify, I am not a doctor. I am just a female that has experienced health issues, researched natural ways of healing, and believe in Naturpathic/Homeopathic Medicine and healing through proper nutrition. Symptoms are there for a reason - to signal to our body. When I started seeing a Chiropractor over 7 years ago, the first thing he asked me was, "How many headaches a year do you experience?" Now, I have never been one to get a lot of headaches, so I thought it was good when I told him, "I may get around 10 a year." You know what his response was? "The normal amount of headaches one should have is 2 per year!" Wow, I was blown away....headaches is a common symptom that our bodies uses to signal to us that something is not right. It could be from being overly exhausted or mild dehydration. Sometimes a headache could just be signaling that our back may be out of alignment. Did you know that drinking Electrolytes can help some headaches? Often times our headaches are just simply from being slightly dehydrated. The Electrolytes in different sports drinks are just enough to help stop the headache.

Dr. John Lee (a pioneer in the use of natural progesterone cream and natural hormone balance) offers a few symptoms that may be signaling to you that you need a balancing cream:
Insomnia
PMS
Anxiety
Bloating
Mood Swings
Infertility
Cyclical Headaches
Foggy Thinking
Unexplained Weight Gain
If you have 2 or more of these symptoms, you may have a Progesterone deficiency.
You can go to his website and take a quick Q&A to see if you are imbalanced in Progesterone or Estrogen. He also has a test you can take at home and then mail it in to test yourself as well. (Click Here)

We can become imbalance through our diet, medication, environment, etc. We get synthetic hormones in our foods and in chemicals that are in our cleaners, skincare, personal care, etc. Also, foods like "Soy" have Estrogen "mimics". Another words, it mimics the estrogen that our body naturally produces so it causes our bodies to get too much Estrogen and causes the imbalance. Soy is in many of our foods these days and despite what you may have been told - Soy is not healthy for us. Go Here to read this wonderful and educating article on Soy. Also, some believe that some of our most common diseases can be linked back to Hormonal Imbalance. Dr. Deanna Osborn speaks in the video that some believe Fibromyalgia may be caused by hormonal imbalance, as well as Endometriosis, Fibroid Tumors, and many more.

Since, I am not a doctor and I do not claim to be a doctor. I would like to point you to a doctor who has studied Natural Hormonal Balancing - Dr. Deanna Osborn, DO. She has written a book called, "Bio-identical Hormone Handbook, if you would like to order it GO HERE. She also has a video on YouTube that explains in depth what Hormonal Balance is and what causes the imbalance and how to correct it. I will upload the video but it is in 3 parts. It is very informative and it is about 20 minutes in all.

Dr. Osborn speaks about finding a great quality of hormonal cream. In the video she speaks of making sure it is manufactured in a great place, plant based, and in a airtight container where air can not reach it, and that it comes in a pump bottle already dispensed in the dosage amounts. Arbonne International has a wonderful product for Pre-menopausal women and Post-menopausal women. They offer Prolief (Plat Based Progesterone for menstrual women) and PhytoProlief (Phytoestrogen and Progesterone for menopausal women). Arbonne's products are formulated in Switzerland; and manufactured in America. They offer the highest of safety, purest of products, and the most beneficial results. Their Balancing Cream is plant based with no toxic chemicals, their cream comes in a airtight, pump bottle that dispense the dose with each pump. We have some wonderful testimonies from women who have experienced wonderful results and even pregnancies from taking Arbonne's Balancing Cream. (Click Here for Testimonies). Be sure to speak with your doctor about Bio-identical Hormones; synthetic hormones are not healthy for our bodies. If you know me personally, and you are interested in finding out more information on Arbonne's balancing cream please contact me and I would love to help you. If you are interested in trying Arbonne's Balancing Cream and would like to order go Here to order Prolief or here to order PhytoProlief. (Sign-in as "Client" and when asked input Consultant ID# 13789323) Arbonne is a global company, they are in the U.K, Australia, Canada, and The USA.

Now many years later....I can thankfully say, God did answer my Hannah's Prayer! For those of you who might still be waiting....don't give up, keep asking fervently like Hannah. Ask Him to direct your steps to the right doctor, the right person, the right advice, the right thing that will help you, and into the right direction.{SMILES}

2 And he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children....

10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore.

11 And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head....20 Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of theLord...27 For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him:

1 Samuel 1:2,10-11,20,27 KJV

Here is the 3 part Video of Dr. Deanna Osborn explaining Hormone Balancing:

Is Your Hand Out?

2013-06-19T20:09:00.000-07:00

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Hebrews 11:1

The other day my daughter was out and about with my mom. They stopped at a local drive-thru restaurant for JUST a drink. My daughter begins to ask from the back seat, "Nana, ask them for a toy. I want a toy too." My Mom begins to explain to her that they were not getting a toy, just a drink. My persistent daughter still stated, "Nana, ask them for a toy because I want a toy too." My mom again, reassured her that they would not give her a toy because they did not order one and they did not pay for one and they were ONLY getting a drink. Well.....my daughter is very persistent. (That is a very strong point in her little personality). My daughter began to tell Nana what to say when she pulled up to the window. She said, "Nana, when they come up and ask you how many toys you want, tell them you want 2 - one for me and one for my brother." My mom, was trying to let her down gently so she wouldn't get her little heart broken or disappointed. She explained for the THIRD time that they would not be getting a toy! My daughter just couldn't believe that, so began to "prep" her brother on what to do! She said, "When we get to the window, roll your window down and just put your hand out, and when they bring you a toy - tell them you need 2!" So, the kind, little brother that he is - he did exactly what she told him to do and he put his little hand out the window. When they got to the window for just the drink they ordered, the employee walked up and placed 2 TOYS into my sons' hands! Yes, 2 toys! My daughter and son was so excited that their persistence paid off and their request was answered! A few days passed by and we were at the drive through window again for JUST a drink! My daughter begin to roll her window down and place her hand out the window, while giggling, because she remembered what happen the last time she did that. Once again, we tried to reassure her that it probably wouldn't happen again and that she shouldn't expect too much. Would you believe that the employee walked up with ANOTHER toy and placed it in my child's hand!!! We couldn't believe it. After all of that, for about a month, every time we would go and get a drink at the local drive-thru window, my children would roll their windows down and put out their hand. Their little hands didn't get a toy every time but they still would roll their windows down because of the past blessings they had received, in hope for future blessings. Sadly, I have noticed the last few weeks that my children have stopped rolling their window down and putting out their hand. They seem to have forgotten the past blessings because they didn't receive a blessing EVERY time they placed their hand out. So, now, they just quit asking, never to ask for another blessing again.

I thought, we are like that in our own prayer time and walk with God. We ask for something (maybe the impossible) and our friends and family around us try to "let us down gently" by saying, "Don't expect too much" or "it might not be God's will." But, we must put out our hand anyway - wide open - to receive the blessings of God. After we see God answer a huge request we had, it strengthens us and ignites us and we start reaching out all the time and we start praying more and more. Pretty soon, though, once again we forget the blessings of God because our hands weren't filled every time we prayed. Our prayers weren't answer immediately every time we asked. So, we just quit asking, never building a strong, intimate relationship with our Heavenly Father.

The Bible says, that "We have not because we ask amiss" (James 4:3) and the Bible speaks about being persistent with our prayers (Luke 11:5-13). Now, I am not saying, God answers our every beckon call and that He is our little "genie" to answer our request; but, God does like to give his children "good" things! Especially when we are walking with Him and obeying Him, He loves to answer our request. When we walk with the Lord and in obedience of His Word - our desires line up with His desires and He loves to answer our desires and our needs. (Psalms 37:4) Do you have a need today? Do you have an aching in your heart because you need to see God move in your life and speak to you about something you have been praying about? Do you have a mountain that needs to be moved in your life? Just roll your window down and reach out your hand!

And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
Matthew 17:20

Healthy Inside and Out!

2013-05-27T08:49:00.002-07:00

I am passionate about educating others about how to live and stay healthy. About 8 years ago, I really got serious about learning more about health and wellness; due to the fact that, 10 years ago my dad was diagnosed with a potentially terminally ill disease. He did not want to live his life on medication and pharmaceuticals. His health situation led him to educate himself on how to take care of his body the natural way. God, our Creator, has given us all of the resources we need to live healthy through His world. Our family does a lot of homeopathic and alternative medicines. We try to educate our self before taking medications. The more I research and learn about what is in our consumable products and food the more it gives me a passion to help educate others! Do you know what a Rendering Plant is? Rendering Plants are used by your most leading cosmetics companies unless otherwise stated on the package. Rendering plants take euthenized animals, "road-kill", dead zoo animals, farm animals, and restaurant grease and boil it at high tempatures. They skim the oils from the top and sell it to cosmetic companies. Meaning, we are getting sick, dead animals in our skin care items! We do not know the effects of this and it could cause major health issues for Americans. Cancer is on the rise. Less than 100 years ago cancer rate was 1 in 800...now 1 in 3. A recent study done by Columbia University discovered that 95% of all cancers are caused by Diet and exposure to Toxins! (Click here to take a quiz "Is Your Body Toxic?) The hormones that are in our products are effecting the hormone balances in us and in our children. After learning all of this, I was so excited when I found out about Arbonne. I am excited to team up with Arbonne as an Independent Consultant and spread the word on how to live a healthier life.

Arbonne is a Health and Wellness Company that uses botanically based ingredients and contains NO harmful Chemicals. All of their products are Vegan Certified, PETA approved, Gluten Free and Eco friendly. All of their personal care products are formulated without PABA, Parabens, Animal products or by products, formaldehyde (a preservative), and Petroleum based ingredients (Benzene, Mineral Oil, Petrolatum, Toulene, and Phthalates) Arbonnes Nutrtion and Weight Loss Products are formulated without artificial colors, artificial flavors, artificial sweetners, animal products or by products, cholestrol, saturated fats or trans fats. They do not use GMO's! (Remember to educate yourself and check your labels on your products) All of their products are Ph Balanced and Ph Correct. Arbonne is a 30 year old company. Their products are formulated in Switzerland and made in America. They also self regulate. They meet the European Health and Safety Standard, which means, in Europe they have banned over 1200 harmful chemicals and harmful ingredients in their skincare products. The FDA in America has only bannend 10!! Alot of prestigious companies like Johnson and Johnson and Kraft have to re-formulate their products to meet the European Standards. Arbonne does not have to change one thing to sell in Europe. You can rest assure you are getting of the highest quality.

In America, diseases and illness are growing at rapid speeds - could it be because of what we put on our bodies and what we put into our bodies. The chemicals that we put on our skins absorbs through our skin and into our blood stream in 26 seconds! The chemicals that they put into our products are causing cancers, allergies, skin disorders, autoimmune disorders and many more. (Watch News Report Here: ABC News) Because Arbonne is so healthy for you and your skin - you will never have felt so great! You are truly healthy from the inside out! If you have any questions regarding Arbonne please contact me on Facebook.

*Anti-aging Skin Care

*Normal/Dry and Normal/Oily Skin Care

*Clear Advantage Skin Care for Acne Treatment

*Baby Skincare

*Full Cosmetic Line

*Bath and Body Line

*Hair Care

*Vitamins

*Supplements

*Detox Teas

*Protein Shakes

*Hormonal Balancing Cream

*Weight Loss Supplements and Program

* and Much More!

After Using the Arbonne RE-9 Anti-aging Skin Care

Here is a list of just a few testimonials on Arbonne:

The RE-9 Body Lotion has helped dry, crack skin, hands, or feet in just a few applications

The Baby SkinCare Line has helped Rosacea and Eczema within just as little as one wash!

The Hormonal Balancing cream has helped infertility, regulate cycles, migraines, stabilize
PMS and Mood Swings

Arbonne's 30 days to Fit System has helped people loose 30 - 60 lbs!

If you have any questions or inquiries please let me know!

Here is an article about Johnson and Johnson's cancer causing ingredients here in America:

Click Here!

Confident Parenting

2013-05-23T13:49:00.003-07:00

I'm linking up with "Build Em' Up" with Kelly's Korner, Life in the Green House, Blue Eyed Bride, and Lil Light O' Mine.

Today they were discussing if you are a confident parent. I found this an interesting topic because it is something I have struggled with in the past. As I read my devotions today during my quite time I thought it was no coincidence that I was reading in Proverbs 31 today. When I think of the perfect example of what a confident mother is - I think of the example that God gave us in Proverbs. Now some people believe that she was not an "actual" woman - it was just a list of characteristics some mother was giving to her son in what he should search for in a wife. However, I do not believe that God would give us unattainable goals. I believe she was a real woman who knew how to walk in the Spirit of the Lord every day. Do I think she was perfect? No, because no human can be perfect in a imperfect world; but I do think she was a woman who was goal oriented, self-sufficient, self controlled, and very feminine all wrapped up into one woman. The Bible speaks of her as being confident. She had to make a lot of decisions that she could not have made without confidence reigning inside of her. (Proverbs 31:16,18) Confidence can sometimes be hard to come by. For me, confidence came through trials. I have never looked my age. I have always been on the smaller side and always looks much younger then my actual age. When I got married, everyone in the Bridal shop thought I was a 12 year old girl playing with wedding dresses. When I was pregnant with our first child - nothing changed - they thought I was a young girl who found herself pregnant. I would be so insecure about my age that I would make sure I wore my wedding band every where - even if I had to squeeze it on at 9 1/2 months pregnant! The thing that got me the most is when one young girl thought me and my newborn child was my husband’s children (My husband is only a year older then me)!!!

After I had my first child, I felt so inadequate as a mother. I had no idea how I would care for another human being. Making decisions for her - knowing what is good or bad for her. Realizing the fact that if I made a wrong choice it would not only affect me but now would effect another being. I quickly became overwhelmed. The older she got, the more I began to "fit" into mother hood. I started feeling comfortable wearing it; but what really helped me feel confident in decisions is when my husband and I went through some major trials and decisions. We were at a time in our life where we were making some major decisions for our family. It would include moving states and moving away from all that we knew as comfortable, familiar, and family. When I made that move it helped me realize my position as a mother. After our second child was born, I remember not feeling quite so over whelmed after bringing him home. There was a time in my life that I based all of my decisions on what my role models thought about it. I would look to them more then I would look to God. Trials taught me was how to hear God's voice. I started hearing Him speak to me and leading me in the decisions that I needed to make. Once His voice became so familiar to me, it became easier for me to start hearing him in the trivial things like every day life with 2 children. My walk with Him has helped me become a confident parent. Now when I hit a brick wall with my children, I have learned to go spend time with God and allow His spirit to direct my decisions. I still look to my role models for support and guidance, but they no longer are my sole decisions maker. Now, I listen for God's direction and then I go to my role models and ask for their insight. If they match-up I know God is speaking; if they do not match up, I go back to God and listen for His final word.

¹⁰Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.

¹¹The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.

¹²She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.

¹³She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.

¹⁴She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar.

¹⁵She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.

¹⁶She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.

¹⁷She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.

¹⁸She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night.

¹⁹She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.

²⁰She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.

²¹She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.

²²She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.

²³Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.

²⁴She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.

²⁵Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.

²⁶She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.

²⁷She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.

²⁸Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.

²⁹Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.

³⁰Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.

³¹Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.

Proverbs 31:10-31

Wordless Wednesday

2013-05-08T10:08:00.002-07:00

Sometimes a picture can say a thousand words and you do not have to say a thing! I love pictures. I love taking pictures. I love editing pictures. I love the stories that pictures tell you. I love the memories that pictures hold. I love taking pictures of my family, nature, my pets, etc. One day when everyone is grown and gone - I will only have my pictures to remind me of times past. Here is one of my favorite pictures:

With this picture I used:

Lighting: Natural Light - no flash

Props: Chalkboard

Editing: Picasso - soften and blurred the edges and faded the color

Like It? Pin It!

How To Monetize Your Blog

2013-05-07T13:59:00.000-07:00

I'm linking up this weekend with Kellys Korner Blog on SUYL. We are discussing "Tips on Finding Jobs." I know in todays market and economy it can be so tough finding a job. I watched my Father search and search for a job for about 2 years. One of the biggest tips is: Prayer. Pray every day that God would direct you to the job where He wants you. The job He wants may not be what we want. The second tip we have found to be true, is like Dave Ramsey says, it is "who" you know. You are more likely to land a job somewhere you know someone. So, word of mouth, has been the most beneficial in finding a job. Tell people you are looking and then ask those of who you know. Meanwhile, try to start something on the side that you love to do or can do. Never under estimate yourself and what you are capable of doing. Find books, ask for tips and pointers from those who are successful around you, educate yourself on becoming a business owner. Some of the most profitable CEO's are those who just had a "idea" and went with it. Now if you like to blog, here are some tips in making money while blogging.....

As some of you may know, you can make an income off of your blog. It does take a ton of traffic - like thousands of readers per day. So, in order to make an income, you must build your traffic. How do you build your traffic? By, marketing your blog. There are a few ways to market your blog. My favorite one is to find a popular blog with high traffic and participate in their "Link-ins" they host. My favorite Link-in I participate in is over at Kelly's Korner. She gives a specific topic every Friday and then gives her readers a chance to share their blog post on her site. Find a few of these blog link-ins. Click here for a bigger list. Another way to advertise is set up a Twitter Account and use #Hashtags for people to find you when you post a Tweet. Also, join some Blog Groups on Facebook. They will give you opportunity to share your site with other bloggers. Embrace other bloggers - bloggers help other bloggers build traffic and readers. Two great sites are BloggyMoms and TopMommyBlogs

Now, some of you may not realize but Pinterest can be your blog's best friend. Make sure you always have a "Pin It" button on your post. A bloggers dream is for one of their post to go "Viral" on Pinterest. Viral is one way you can generate thousands of readers on your blog. For more information on "How to go Viral" Click here. You can find the "Pin It" button on your Pinterest Profile under "About".

When finding affiliate ads to place on your blog - you want to use very reputable companies. You want to make sure they are not scamming you. Some of my favorites are:

ShareASale - these are Ads you can place on your Blog

Sponsored Tweets - you can get paid to Tweet out an AD

Another Way to Earn an Income through your Blog is by writing a review for other companies or by writing a post about a specific company. A great site that helps connect you with other companies and it helps build your traffic is Sverve. It is FREE to sign up and easy to do. You just look at the campaign board and ask to be engaged in the ones that you would like to participate in. If the company chooses you - then they will contact you and tell you what to do next.

Another site I love is Madames Deals. She will ask for Guest Post under her "Now Hiring" tab and she will pay you for each guest post she picks from you.

This is just a "tip of the iceberg to get you started. The Blogasphere is so large and you can just about do anything and make it what you want it to be. The more research you do - the better you will blog.

One great place to start is by E-Books about blogging. Here is a good one: Bloggy Guide to Monetizing Your Blog by Tiffany Noth

If you need help setting up your blog click here and here

Note:
If you like to add "links" inside your post. Then when you are writing your post, you will see "Link", on your post toolbar. Click it and add your actual domain link and then on what title you want to give it. Example: My Blog

Linkups:
Not Just a Housewife

DIY Blog - How to get started and giving it pizzazz in 9 easty steps!

2013-05-07T13:58:00.000-07:00

This article will be featured on Madame Deals!

When I was just getting into blogging, I had no idea how to start one or what all of the terminology meant. I knew I wanted a blog site that "looked" like a website but I could not afford to have a professional design my site. After searching many sites and looking at all sorts of templates, I found the key to turning your blog into a "mock" website. First, here are some basic "blog" terminology.

Background - That is the color or pattern that you see behind your blog frame. It acts kind of like wallpaper for your blog site.

Templates - This is a pre-design layout. It already has your post and title laid out for you.

Header - That is what you see at the very top of a blog page. It has your Blog Title inside of your header.

Monetize Your Blog - That means to set you blog up to make an income. You can make an income off of your blog by becoming affiliate partners with different companies or placing online ads on your blog space.

Post - That is where you write your article.

Pages - This is your toolbar. You click Pages to create different pages on your blog.

HTML Code - This is the gibberish you see on sites - it is in a computer code language. With these codes you tell your blog site what you want on it.

Gadgets (Widgets) - These are the little add-ins that you can add on to your blog site. Like a Facebook widget would have your Facebook page and by clicking on it - it takes your reader to your Facebook page. Another popular widget is Add This - it has a way to add follow buttons and Share Buttons so that your reader can follow you and share your post on social network.

Now Here is how to set up a Blog Site:

Step 1 - Create your blog site. Find out what blog site you would like to go with. I chose Blogger. There are tons out there and the two top sites are Word Press and Blogger. We will be using Blogger. Create a catchy Blog site name and title. Your name will go in the domain site link and your title is what appears on the top of your blog page. Your site name and title can be the same (like mine) or you can choose to have it different. When you go to Blogger - you will click create new blog and it will ask you, "Title" that is what appears at the top of your page. Then "address" that is what will appear in your domain link like: http://gracefullyrefreshed.blogspot.com.

Step 2 - Changing your Blog Template. Your Blog has a code already pre-designed to give it an ordinary look. If you would like for your blog to showcase your style and your taste then go to a free blog template site. My personal favorite is The Cutest Blog on the Block. They have free backgrounds and Templates.

Step 3 - If you choose a Background on The Cutest Blog on the Block then copy the code the site gives you. Then go to "Layout" on your blog site. Click "Gadgets" and add the "HTML" gadget. Once you add that paste your code into the box and click save. If you choose to only change the Background. Then be sure to click "Template" and go to "Customize" and choose "Backgrounds" and change your background to "Transparent". Then Skip to Step 6.

Step 4 - If you want to change your template. Go to The Cutest Blog on the Block and choose "Template" copy the code it gives you then go to your blog main setup page and click "Template". Click "Edit HTML" and then remove the code already there and paste the new code. A box will appear and ask you a question about your widgets. You want to click "Keep Widgets."

Step 5 -Go to your "Template" page and click "Customize". From there choose "Advanced" and change all of your background colors to "Transparent". Remember to click "Apply to Blog" when finished to save all of your changes

Step 6 - Once you have created your blog look - now you must set up your Header. If you choose to change your "Template" then it will come with an already designed header ready for use. You just have to type in your Title. If you choose to change the Background only then you will have to customize your own header. Go to the Cutest Blog on the Block. Pick out the header you like - save it as a picture and then go to a picture program (Like Picasso, Photobucket, or Photoshop) and add a Text to your image. Save it and then go back to your blog setup page and click "Layout" and upload the image into your "Header" line.

Step 7 - Once you have created all of that you then can change your font style and color of your font and links on the "Template" page. Click "Customize" and go to "Advanced" and change your fonts there.

Once you have finished then click "Apply Changes to Blog."

Step 8 - If you would like to add Gadgets to your blog then go to "Layout" and click "Gadgets" Depending on your blog layout, you can place gadgets on the right side, left side, or underneath your post. These gadgets can be easily moved around by double clicking the gadget and moving it with your mouse.

Step 9 - Now....if you would like a top toolbar with different landing pages then go to your "Gadgets" and add "Pages" then go to "Pages" on your Main Setup Page and add your Page Titles you want and in the order you want it to appear. (For example: Home, About Me, Favorite Blogs, etc.) Once you created your toolbar click where you want it to appear - top or the side. Click "Save Arrangements"

Voila! You now have created a nice looking blog site. Here are the pictures of my before and after. Be sure to visit www.gracefullyrefreshed.com for more posts.

Before:

After:

Background - That is the color or pattern that you see behind your blog frame. It acts kind of like wallpaper for your blog site.

Templates - This is a pre-design layout. It already has your post and title laid out for you.

Header - That is what you see at the very top of a blog page. It has your Blog Title inside of your header.

Post - That is where you write your article.

Pages - This is your toolbar. You click Pages to create different pages on your blog.

HTML Code - This is the gibberish you see on sites - it is in a computer code language. With these codes you tell your blog site what you want on it.

Now Here is how to set up a Blog Site:

Once you have finished then click "Apply Changes to Blog."

Voila! You now have created a nice looking blog site. Here are the pictures of my before and after. Be sure to visit www.gracefullyrefreshed.com for more posts.

Before:

After:

Background - That is the color or pattern that you see behind your blog frame. It acts kind of like wallpaper for your blog site.

Templates - This is a pre-design layout. It already has your post and title laid out for you.

Header - That is what you see at the very top of a blog page. It has your Blog Title inside of your header.

Post - That is where you write your article.

Pages - This is your toolbar. You click Pages to create different pages on your blog.

HTML Code - This is the gibberish you see on sites - it is in a computer code language. With these codes you tell your blog site what you want on it.

Now Here is how to set up a Blog Site:

Once you have finished then click "Apply Changes to Blog."

Voila! You now have created a nice looking blog site. Here are the pictures of my before and after. Be sure to visit www.gracefullyrefreshed.com for more posts.

Before:

After:

How to Build a Basic Blog

2013-05-06T13:07:00.002-07:00

Photo came from Derrickthomaswriter.com

I have had a lot of people ask me here lately about "How to Build a Basic Blog". It prompted me to write a post about it. I thought this post might be very helpful and informative to others who might be contemplating starting a blog - but they are just unsure where to start. Social Media, Computer Language, and Internet tricks can be a little over whelming and a bit time consuming if you do not know what you are doing. I am going to try to help eliminate a little bit of your frustrations and hopefully some time with this tutorial. I will try my best to explain everything in detail. If you have any further questions on "How to Build a Blog", please fill free to contact me. I am, by no means, and expert. Just passing along a few tips I have learned while blogging. Here.we.GO:

Step 1: Find out what blog site you would like to go with. I chose Blogger. There are tons out there and the two top sites are Word Press and Blogger. To me, Word Press was good but a bit confusing and not as "user friendly" as Blogger is. This is just my personal opinion I started out years ago on Blogger and then switched to Word Press and after much frustration switched back to Blogger. I don't know if it is because I learned first on Blogger or what...but, my opinion is: Blogger is Better! {SMILES} But feel free to try others out for yourself and see.

Step 2: Create a catchy Blog site name and title. Your name will go in the domain site link and your title is what appears on the top of your blog page. Your site name and title can be the same (like mine) or you can choose to have it different. When you go to Blogger - you will click create new blog and it will ask you, "Title" that is what appears at the top of your page. Then "address" that is what will appear in your domain link like: http://gracefullyrefreshed.blogspot.com.

Step 3: Choose a Template. It will ask you to choose from a few pre-designed templates. You pick the one you want and - Viola!, Your blog is started and ready for your first post!

Now if you are just wanting to Journal "on-line" then that is all you need to do. Just click "create new post" and start writing away.....but.....if you want to make your blog a little more advanced then keep reading.

picture from blogsfacebook.com

Next Level Blogging:

If you are more serious about blogging other then just an online journal, then you will want to take your blog to the next level. You can change your blog look and layout. You can customize it to have your post in the center of your blog or on the outer sides, if you want a toolbar at top, or side tools, etc.

If you want to change your layout (how to your blog looks, example: post in the center or right or left side) then on your blog homepage click the down arrow and choose "Template". Once you choose "Template" you can then choose to "customize". Once you click "Customize", another page will pop up. (It is a black background page).

At the top left corner there is a toolbar to customize. You will see Backgrounds, Widths, and Layouts, and Advanced. To change the layout, click layout then it will give you a few choices to choose from. Click your favorite layout.

To change the width size of your post - click "Width" and adjust the measurements that you would like for it to be.

To change the background color click "Background", then pick your favorite color you would like for your blog to be.

To change fonts styles and link colors then click "Advanced".

Remember: when you are finished making all changes you would like to make - click "Apply to Blog" at the top right corner.

This is how to build a basic blog. If you are a serious blogger and would like for it have a website feel with toolbars, etc. then go to my post: "How to Build a Blog Site". I will show you how to change your template with a more snazzy look and how to create a site just for your taste!

Blogging can be a great release from stress but it can also be a great income if you know how to build your site. Check out my post about "How to Monetize Your Blog for Beginners" and "The Blog Workshop."

Please feel free to Share This Post

Teen Years....or are they???

2013-05-04T19:40:00.001-07:00

picture came from www.kingjamesbibleonline.org

Although I may not have a teenager yet - sometimes I feel as if I do. I am amazed at how early the girly characteristics kick in. Sometimes the little girl that lives with me - seems to be 16 already. Some weeks we have ups and downs of emotional roller coaster rides. She already loves to accessorize. She worries with how she looks - she has used the phrase "I look tacky!" as early as 3 years old - and she always used that phrase correctly! The one thing that really blew me away is when she walked into my room and said, "Momma, I can not wear this because it makes me look fat!!!" Yes, I couldn't believe that my little girl was already aware and concerned with her physical looks. All of these social and personal characteristics start so young. But, I believe no matter the age of the child you may have in your household the rules are the still the same - we must allow God to be our help and guide.

Parenting is hard at any milestone and we all need the same - God's guidance and help. There are many days that I just have had enough of the emotions and the disobedience that I feel I am about to explode. During those times, I have to take a minute away and just pray for strength and patience. Our heavenly Father knows we are weak sometimes and that is why He tells us to lay our burdens on Him. I pray every day for my children to be protected and that they will love Jesus with all of their heart and be used of Him. That prayer is ageless. It fits into every walk of life - at any age.

picture is from www.kingjamesbibleonline.org

Since I became a parent I have learned God is a much better parent then I am. I place my children in His hands every day. I try to do my part in teaching and training them up in the Lord and giving them the tools they need throughout life; but when everything is done and said, God is ultimately the one who can guide them and protect them far better then me. Sometimes it is hard to let go; but the more I pray and the closer I walk with Him, the more my faith, my strength, my endurance, and my hope grows.

Dear Parent, all those burden, worries, concerns and fears you have for your children - just give them to Christ. He can handle it -Trust Him!

We never know the love of a parent till we become parents ourselves.
Henry Ward Beecher
quote from brainyquotes.com

National Day Of Prayer

2013-05-02T09:19:00.002-07:00

This is truly what our families, churches, and country needs this National Day of Prayer

picture from: http://blogofkayee.blogspot.com/2011/04/raining.html

Daily Scripture

And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain.

⁴²So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees,⁴³And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times.⁴⁴And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down that the rain stop thee not.

⁴⁵And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain.

1 Kings 18:41-45a

Today's Thought

In the days of Elijah there was a great drought all across the land. It had been a long time since it had rained. Elijah was proving to the King and all of his men that God was the One True God versus the gods that they chose to worship. Elijah began to pray for rain. Not only was he going to pray for rain but he knew and believed it was coming before he even prayed. He even told Ahab (the King) to prepare for rain - before he even prayed. What faith and assurance Elijah had with his God. Rain was needed in the land because of the drought but it was also needed in the land to prove to the unbelievers that their was a True God. I believe we are in a time in our life where we need to see rain. We have been in a drought for a long time now. The last revival America and the world has seen was in 1904 - The Great Welsh Revival. The Welsh revival started in Wales and it spread all throughout the world even to America. Our great land needs another revival. It has been over 100 years since we have seen God's Power rain. Elijah didn't get rain by just believing and having faith....he got it through agonizing prayer. The Bible says Elijah "Cast himself down and put his face between his knees". That is a picture of agonizing and pleading prayer with God. Notice, it took 7 times of praying and searching before God answered. Sometimes we give up after praying once and seeing no results. God wants us to want it with fervency and strong desire. The Bible tells us that if His people will humble themselves and call upon his name and turn from their sins that He will heal their land. He promises us revival if we do our part....humbly pray and purge our life from the sins that hold us back. (2 Chronicles 7:14). I believe revival can come and it must come if we are to see others turn to Christ and see our world change. It will only come through the Believers in Christ doing their part. Our part is being the salt in a dry, and thirsty land. (Read about how to be Salty here)

picture from acahnman blog

I want to be able to cast jewels at Christ feet not hay and sticks. I want to give Him my all, so at the end of time, I am not ashamed at the work I did for Christ. Will you pray for Revival - earnestly pray? Consistently pray? Do you desire to see the Holy Spirits reveal himself with power? Power that is so strong it changes lives, changes government, and changes the world? It has happened before, and I believe it can happen again. The next election is not our answer to better government - Revival is the answer if you want to see changes in Washington. It was said that Billy Sunday’s preaching had a tremendous affect on the passing of the 18th Amendment. Real change is not silencing the sin but praying for God to change those who scream for the sin. May we see God's power again on such men that can change hearts, lives, families, and laws.

Today's Prayer:

This song writting by Aaron Butler is my prayer today.

"I'm tired of the same old thing, of traditions wearing out Your name. I'm tired of man-made worship hour, I'm tired. I'm tired of a song without any praise. I'm tired of a song without any praise. I'm tired of religious formality. I'm tired.

Send the Rain, send the fire, send the wind, send the Holy Ghost in power. Send the rain

We're ready for Revival Lord, We ready to walk through that door. We're ready Lord oh let it pour. We're ready Lord. We're ready Lord enough is enough. We're ready Lord to drink from Your cup. We're ready, Oh, fill us up. We're Ready Lord

Send the rain, send the fire, send the wind, send the Holy Ghost in Power. Send the Rain."

Today's Bible Reading:

1 Kings 18:1-46

"To get a Nation back on their feet, we must FIRST get

back down on our Knees"

-Billy Graham

Linking up with:
All Things with Purpose
Catch A Glimpse

From Another One's Perspective.....

2013-05-01T11:45:00.002-07:00

Here it is for OK Thursdays! {SMILES}

I was reading one of the blogs I follow "Life In The Green House" and she was participating in a Linkin over at "From Mrs. to Mama". You are suppose to get a love one to write a few facts about "YOU". I thought this would be a fun thing to do; so, I texted my husband this morning and asked him to jot down 10-20 things about "ME" just whenever he had a chance for a new blog post I was working on. To my surprise - he took his lunch break to write it and by this afternoon he already had it completed. Yes, I love him very much and he amazes me every day! So, here is HIS outlook on ME! And to make it interesting I added my remarks in red. {SMILES} Enjoy! And hop over to "From Mrs. to Mama" and link your blog in as well.....

My Wife (From My Husbands Point of View)

1. I call her Zeva from NCIS. She gets her sayings (idioms) wrong.

{This is hilariously true! I one time told him to not "jump on the boat wagon" - It is suppose to be "band wagon"}

2. She usually forgets to order my sandwiches specially ordered with Ketchup only.

{I do, and I ALWAYS feel bad for forgetting it - I'm terrible!}

3. She loves chocolate and Dr. Pepper.

{YES, I do!!}

4. She loves to shop! She loves to shop! She loves to shop! Enough said.

{I am addicted - and I am at peace with that!}

5. Our family is financially stable not because she works or because I make a lot of money but because she is a financial nerd that is all over the bills and where money goes.

6. She is addicted to coupons.

{True!}

7. I always beat her at any kind of game we play. She won’t admit that and will argue this point.

{No, he doesn't, I just allow him to think he wins!}

8. She loves to spend time with her family no matter who they are: me, the kids, parents, in-laws, cousins, aunts, grandparents, uncles, etc.

9. She loves to have people over to the house to eat and fellowship.

10. She is a godly woman that resembles the Proverbs 31 woman.

{BLUSHING!}

11. She has been my biggest influence as far as spiritual matters goes.

12. She is the best friend you can have.

{Awww...he is so sweet!}

13. I call her Anne of Green Gables because she has big dreams like she does and high expectations.

{I never noticed how much I am like her until he pointed it out one night - he is right! I share a lot of similarities with Anne of Green Gables! It is true what they say, your spouse knows you better then you know yourself!}

14. She can be very naïve sometimes.

{True: One day in the grocery store I was noticing the price of grapes were going up. He began to explain to me that there was a shortage on grapes. When I asked why, he gave me some reasonable weather answer. I said, "OH, I see.." and then he begans to laugh at me because I believed him! Yes, he does this too me all the time....and I fall for it EVERYTIME! I'm sure I could write a post just on my naive moments!}

15. She looks like she is 12 and has looked that way past 10 years. Well maybe she looks 16

now.

{Unfortunetly, this is very true. After we had our first child, a teenage girl asked my husband if he had 2 daughters - me and my baby!!!! Now that I am getting older though - I do not mind it as much - I actually enjoy it now}

16. She says she is 5 feet tall. Don’t believe her she is not an inch over 4’11.”

{PSSSHHhhh....}

17. She loves date nights with me.

{Yes, I do!!!}

18. She will watch Football and baseball games with me.

19. Nobody will mess with her kids. She is protective like an eagle with her young.

20. She loves to pamper me.

DIY - Raised Garden Bed for LESS! (Under $30)

2013-04-30T14:51:00.000-07:00

Spring is HERE, and where I live, we have been having beautiful weather! I can not help but get the "itch" to go work outside when the weather starts warming up. This year, it will be my first Spring Season of being a new home owner. My husband and I bought our first house, this past fall. Something we are beginning to notice is, when you become a homeowner, you start caring for things you never did before - like yard landscape! Most of all of our neighbors have beautiful yards and as we drive around we get the desire for one too. Crazy how things change when you become a home owner. One thing I have been dying to have is my own garden. I didn't want just any garden - I wanted a raised garden bed. After searching Pinterest for hours and looking at hundreds of designs, I found the one that I fell in love with. There was only one problem - it was way out of my budget. It estimated to cost around $100 or more! Yeah, I didn't have that kind of cash to spend for a raised garden bed. As I was sharing my news with some dear friends, they began to help me find a way to build it for less - much less! {I love how God sends little blessings to us!} My sweet friends are super talented in building things {I am not!} so with their help and their expertise, we built 2 garden beds for around $25 per box!! Yipppeee!!! Yes, I am super excited. Now that we have them both built - I can not wait to grow some veggies!

I know many of my readers love frugal deals as much as I do; so we created a "How to" video to show all of you how to build your own raised garden bed for less. Here are the details and then watch the video by "3 Girls and a Drill" for a tutorial!!

- We built a 3 1/2ft x 5ft raised garden bed
- We got "imperfect" wood from the "Cull" section at our local Home Depot. (Sometimes these pieces of woods are not that imperfect. It may just have a "knot" on it. You literally can buy these pieces of wood for pennies versus dollars for their "perfect" pieces. This helps cut your cost tremendously)
- Here are the items you will need:
* (2) 5ft boards - these are for the length sides
* (2) 3 1/2ft boards - these are for the width size
* (1) 4x4 cut into 4 pieces - we used these for the corners - it is cheaper then buying brackets
* (10) 1x8 pieces for the braces on the outside
*Carpenters angle
*Tape Measure
*Pen
*Drill
*Screws (We used 2 different sizes: 3in screws for the thicker places and 1 5/8in for the thinner places)
*A level

Now watch the video and see how to put it together! Let me know if you have any other questions and I will do my best to answer them.

I am linking up with:
Our Delightful Home
Not Just a House Wife
Savvy Southern Style
Skip to My Lou
Fluster Buster
Creations By Kara
Snap Creativity
733 Blog
Marigolds' Loft
Think Tank Thursday

Add Some Salt!

2013-04-30T07:43:00.003-07:00

picture from www.theshiksa.com

This is just a thought I had on my mind today. May we all be a little more salty today.

Today's Scripture:

Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

Matthew 5:13

Today's Thought:

I love to cook but I instantly know when I have forgotten to add salt into a recipe. The salt enhances the flavor, when it is left out. BLAH, it is so bland! Our bodies need salt. Did you know that your body can shut down if your electrolytes (the salt in your body) are depleted - it causes dehydration. We need salt physically and the Bible compares Christians as "salt". The world needs "salt". We are to be salty. The definition of "salt" is - an ingredient that gives savor. Savor is a distinctive smell or flavor. We as Christians should have that distinctive smell or flavor of Christ's Love. Why did Christ pick "salt" as His comparison? It is because salt makes one thirsty. Our mission, as Christ Followers, is to share the gospel of Christ and when we share in the power of the Holy Spirit and in the Love of Jesus, we will make others thirsty for Christ in their life. Give the world the Word of God and let Holy Spirit convict and save - it is not us that convicts or saves them. The Bible tells us that Christ did not come to condemn the world. He tells us the world is already condemned to hell if they just stay like they are. We are the ones that are suppose to share them how they can have something different - the Love of Christ living inside of them. If Christ did not come to condemn - then why do we, as Christians, condemn? I believe if we could focus on giving them the Truth in the Word of God, then the Truth will be what sets them FREE! (John 8:3-36) Free from their condemnation. The sins in their life that are condemning them to hell. Unfortunately, I believe the reason why we are not seeing others becoming followers of Christ, is because we have lost our savor. Christians have stopped being the salt of the earth and now our world is in a spiritual dehydration. Our country is in a spiritual dehydration. The Word of God is so straightforward in this verse. It tells us, if we have lost our saltiness - we are GOOD FOR NOTHING! Why? Because we have become bland to the World. You know the definition of "bland"? Bland - "lacking strong features or characteristics and therefore becoming uninteresting." Today's Christians are becoming uninteresting to the world. Not because God has giving up on the world. Not because it is closer to his return and it just becomes hard to win others to Christ. It is because "WE" as Christians have become so bland in our walk with Christ that we are uninteresting to the world. They look at us, and they do not see anything in our life that would reflect something they need. It is time we lay aside our weights that so easily hold us back and take up our cross daily and follow Him. Your body can not stay dehydrated for long - you will eventually die. The same is true for our world today. It is time we as Christians hydrate ourselves; we need to gain our saltiness back. If we do not, our world, our nation, and our families will die of dehydration. Are we being salty Christians? My prayer today is like the one of the late Dot Jackson. She use to say, "I want to be so salty that when someone walks by me they become thirsty." That is what Christ's plan is all about. Others seeing the Light of Jesus in us that it makes them thirsty for Him.

Today's Prayer:

Lord Jesus, please open up our eyes today of things that do not represent you in our lives. Reveal to us those weights that are causing our light to grow dim. Give us the strength to purge those things in our lives for the sake of the gospel. May we be the salt of the earth. May we become so salty that we see a Revival spread across our land, simply because we gained our savor back. In Jesus Name, Amen!

Todays Daily Reading:

Matthew 5:1-48

Definition References came from the Merriam Webster Dictionary and Dictionary.com

Friendship - We All Need It!

2013-04-23T21:27:00.000-07:00

"A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly...."

Proverbs 18:24

Have you ever been a place in your life where you feel lonely? A place where you feel like you do not have a friend in the world? I have often felt alone, like I have no one to count on. I know when I feel that way, that it is just a mind game that Satan wants to play with me. If he can cause me to feel lonely, then he has his foothold already in my life. I have to learn to recognize those warning signs early, so I can STOMP him out! No matter what state of life you are in right now - you always have one TRUE friend - GOD. He loves each one of us very much and the Bible tells us that He will stick closer to us than a brother! Satan wants us to feel lonely so we will be distracted and forget to look to Jesus for all of our needs. During those times I feel lonely, God wants me to get alone and cry out to Him. Tell Him all of my troubles, my sorrows, my fears, my worries, my wants, my desires, my dreams, and my needs. He is my everything - however I often do not allow Him to be. I believe we all need friendships. God created us to be intimate beings. He made us to "connect" with others. He made friendship. He gave us the greatest example of friendship through the life of David and Jonathan.

Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art... It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival.

C. S. Lewis

There are all kinds of friendships out there. First, You have your soul mate - these friends are usually your spouse. This is reserved for one special person. The one who knows you at the most intimate level. The one who knows you like no one else - knows your faults, your flaws, your strengths, your fears, and your character. They are there when the whole world crashes in. Second, you have your BFF's - these are the ones I define as "Lucy and Ethel". This is usually reserved for just one or two people in your life. The friend you do everything together with, the one you can speak anything to, and the one you can create the most troublesome situations with. Everyone needs a Lucy or Ethel in their life. They are the ones that make your world feel complete. Thirdly, you have your close friends. These are the friends that you have a handful of. The friends you can hang-out with, go places, have a few laughs, a few tears, share stories, triumphs, struggles, enjoy the day with, and exchange long chats with. You gain encouragement from these friends. Whenever you are blessed to find a group of close friends it seems like the struggles are not as hard and life is a little more fun! Fourthly, you have your "seasonal friends". These are those who are only in your life for a season. You gain connection with these friends and even almost move them to the "Close Friend" group but they fade out of your life before the transition. It is never a harsh departure - just time for another season of life. You keep fond memories and maybe even a distant connection; but never the same again. Fifthly, you have your friends. This is usually your bigger circle. A lot more people fit into this circle. You know them, see them often, but do not know them in a close way. You enjoy their presence and their conversations. Sixth, you have your Facebook friends. This group can become rather large; sometimes, I think we even may forget who our Facebook kind of friends are. We recognize them when we see them out and about, we remember little details about them like whether they are married or have children. We sometimes "peep" into their lives but never make that point to connect with them in any other way. Seventh, we have our acquaintances. This group is huge and can sometimes run over into our Facebook Friends group. We know their name but we do not know much about them. We are not even sure if we "like" them; much less, move them to our "Close Friend" group.

The point is, God gives us all of kinds of friendships through out the walk of life to prepare us, to complete us, to encourage us, to rejuvenate us, to grow us, and to sometimes keep us focus. Each group of friends has a purpose, if we allow it and if we choose to see it. Everyone must all start out into the "Acquaintance" group and through interaction and conversations we decide from there which group we file them into. Friendships are important. It is what makes the world go round. We love our families and we can have the best family in the world but sometimes we just need to know that some one has chose us to be their friend. Finding common interest, common strengths, and sometimes finding someone with opposite strengths to help us grow and flourish through out life. But no matter how sociable or how reserve you may be, we must always remember our Best Friend - Jesus. He is there always with open arms no matter how we may fail him, mistreat him, ignore him, or even forget him. He always loves us and is watching us. He cares and he knows everything about us. Don't forget that Friend in your life. Embrace Him, get to know Him; because He already knows everything about you. He is just waiting for you to make that "relationship" with Him. We can never feel lonely again if we choose to make that relationship with Him.

Rare as is true love, true friendship is rarer.

Jean de La Fontaine

My Miracle Story

2013-04-18T12:43:00.002-07:00

"I thank my God upon every remembrance of you." - Philippians 3:1

A miracle happen for me a couple of years ago that brings back so many emotions, when I think on it. It was a joyous occasion because this is the day that God allowed me to bring a baby boy into the world. However, it is also a day when I remember feeling the strongest peace from God that I ever can remember. This day I was induced into labor. Baby Boy was one of the most active babies in the hospital that day. He was always active (and still is - may I add!). It literally felt like he did flips in my stomach. I was always afraid that the umbilical chord would get wrapped around his neck. Everything was going fine and progressing normally. Then the time came to push. I was excited the nurse said he would be here within 5 minutes! So, I made my first push. When I pushed, Baby's heart rate dropped really low. I don't know what number the heart rate went to - I didn't want to look; but the worry in my Doctors face said enough for me. She immediately tried me in another position, but whenever I pushed - he did the same thing - heart rate would bottom out. She decided to do an emergency C-Section. (I still remained calm - I can't believe I remained calm. Because I am a worrier. This, I know, was God's hand on me during this time.) So, She made a few phone calls, but there was no c-section room available. (I had him in a small hospital; but he decided to be born on a popular day. That hospital delivered over 15 babies that night!) My doctor would no longer allow me to push and she called NIC Unit Doctor into my room. I was in a hospital that did not have an actual NIC Unit; but God had a NIC Unit Doctor to be there for another patient at the same time I would need him. It was the hand of God at work again. As they began to suction baby boy out, the chord was wrapped around his neck. Whenever I would push it would choke him. I was hanging him in a sense. The doctor quickly delivered him. I remember so vividly, she place him on my stomach, he wasn't moving or breathing. She told me he was just stunned but quickly gave him to the NIC Unit Doctor. I turned my head and watch the Doctor suction my baby and maneuver him. I quietly prayed. I was still calm, but concerned. I simply prayed and asked God to help my baby boy breath. I remembered in that moment a dream I had had a few weeks prior. I remember seeing my baby in his bassinet. I held onto that vision for those eternal seconds and kept praying, "Please God let him breath." He finally took a breath and cried and a heavy sigh of relief went through out the room (by this time I probably had 10 people or so in the delivery room) I looked at my wonderful, God sent, Doctor as she heard him cry out - she had tears in her eyes. I knew then just how close it was. I look back so many times and think that that night could have very easily had a different scenario. But, I am thankful to God he held my hand through it all and he gave me a joyous ending - not one with sorrow. I often hold my baby now and I will think, "Thank you God for giving him to me." I know many women out there might have a different story, but no matter what scenario you have, the God is the same. He can and will hold your hand, bringing you peace through whatever you are experiencing. His hand is always reaching out - it is us that has to grasp on. I do not know how I had such a calm disposition that night, because it is not my character to remain calm. I panic over everything. I can only say it was the hand of God keeping me calm. Because I knew a calm energy from me would help my baby boy more then any worrisome thought. Grasp His hand and hold on tight!

I am linking-up with Pencilled Daydreamer and we are sharing our Miracle Stories

Work it, Girl, Work it!

2013-04-12T14:18:00.003-07:00

Today, I am participating in SUYL at Kelly's Korner Blog! The topic today is Healthy Eating/Weight loss/Favorite Workouts Tips.

I am a big advocate of eating healthy and staying in shape! I do my best to cook healthy meals for my family and to offer them healthy choices for snacks. I do not stay away from sugar completely - I just try to teach, and show by example, - proportions! "Too much of a good thing is bad!" One healthy eating habit we have adapted is, Juicing! We do it as a family -even the kiddos! They love it. I juice all kinds of fruits and vegetables like carrots, apples, oranges, pineapples, strawberries, mango, spinach, and kale. I have tried my very best to create tasty recipes that everyone will enjoy. I want my family to think of eating healthy as good and delicious - not a dread. Juicing has so many great benefits. One benefit I love is, it strengthens your immunity. When you juice you are getting ALL of the nutrients from the veggies and fruits - especially the nutrients from the skins. To gain more insight about juicing - I highly encourage to watch this movie about it called, "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead." It is very informative! You can also find some great juicing recipes on google or Pinterest. My families favorite recipe is: About 5-6 Carrots, 2 apples with peeling still on, 1 orange (I remove the orange peeling because it will give it a bitter taste), 2 pineapple spears, handful of spinach, and 2 Kale leafs!

I also love working out as long as it is a good (not boring) workout. I love it all - some of my favorites to do is Aerobics, Pilates, Yoga, and Strength Training. Yoga is a funny thing....it can be fun or boring - just depends on what type of yoga you do and who your instructor is. There is only one yoga I have found to love and that is by Denis Austin. She makes it fun and up beat. If you have to workout at home, Denise Austin and Leslie Sansone has the best DVD workout. Denise Austin has a great variety from aerobics yoga, pilates to even pregnancy workouts. Leslie Sansone is awesome because she helps you power walk in your own home (this is great if you can not go out). I love running or walking in the great outdoors though. Something about getting outside on a beautiful day and walking!

One thing I would love to try is Zumba. I have not yet tried it but it looks fun. I love any workout that is fun to do! I use to do Billy Blanks Tabeo all the time simply because it was fun and it gave you a great workout! {SMILES}

Leave me a comment! Tell me what are some of your favorite workouts or healthy living tips. Do you have a blog? Tell me about it! Thanks for stopping.

In order to change we must be sick and tired of being sick and tired. ~Author Unknown

I am in the 20%!

2013-04-09T08:46:00.000-07:00

I am participating in "Build Em Up Because We Need Each Other" linked in with some wonderful lady bloggers: Kelly's Korner, Life in the Green House, Blue-Eyed Bride, and Lil Light O'Mine.

I heard an astounding statistic the other day. They said around 80% of mothers work outside of the home. They spoke about how it takes a 2 family income now to survive and live. I thought, "Wow! I am in the 20%!" That statistic made me proud, grateful, and honored to think I get to be in the 20%. Only 20% of all women get to do what I do - stay at home with their children! I cannot say it is because we really couldn't use the 2 person income. I cannot say it is because my husband brings enough "bread and butter home" that we can live an extravagant and cushy lifestyle with just him working. All I can say is that my husband and I made a choice when we first married that I would eventually be a stay home mother - NO MATTER WHAT! This was something that was very important to my husband at a very young age. He said he use to dream of making a lot of money when he grew up just so that his mom wouldn't have to go to work! He told me, before we married, that he desired for me to eventually be a stay at home mother and that he would do whatever he had to do, in order for me to stay at home. He is a very hard worker and he has kept his promise! There have been times that we almost had to have that second income. There have been times, I have contemplated going back to work; but each time, he tells me, "I will work 2 jobs so you do not have to work." He never tells me "I can't work" or it is not because he doesn't want me outside of the home. He knows that I have a lot of work to do with taking care of children and the household duties. He says for me to work outside of the home is an added stress. He is always willing to add that extra stress to himself; so that, I will not have to bear it. Thankfully, God has always provided to where we never had to take on that second income. He has always came through and honored our commitment to each other and to our children. Children desire to have their mothers at home - it is the way they are built! I am a firm believer in the mother staying at home when it is at all possible.

I understand there are certain circumstances that require the mother to go work outside of the home - and I do not judge those who do work out side of the home. You who work outside of the home - are hard workers too. I simply do not know how you juggle everything! Staying at home requires a lot of sacrifices. My children may not get to be on every sports team or do every musical lesson - but they get me 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. We may not be able to take nice vacations every year - but they get to enjoy dates with mommy 2 days a week - going wherever they choose. We may not have them enrolled in the best private school - but they get me as their teacher every day and they get to enjoy fun field trips all year long! We may not drive 2 of the finest cars - but I get to rock my babies to sleep every day at nap time. We may not enjoy the top 200 channel cable package - but I get to read stories to them through out the day as they crawl into my lap. We may not always eat at the finest restaurants - but I get to cook my family healthy and nutritional meals every night. I may sometimes get tired of hearing "MOM!" all day - but I do not have to worry about them crying FOR mommy through out the day. I know we may do without of some things that most people find as a need - but we have learned to weigh out our needs from our wants. We believe it is worth it!

Sometimes being a stay at home mother gets misconstrued as to what it entails. I would like to tell you some things I do NOT do as a stay at home mom.

I do not...

Always go out in public in sweats, yoga pants, or lounge clothes. (I dress successfully when I go out - because I believe if you look good - you feel good! Yes, even to the grocery store!)

Sleep all day!! (I wished I could just snatch a nap sometimes! {WINK})

Eat chocolate all day (I wish I could eat all that I want and never gain an inch!)

Watch talk shows and soaps all day (There are days I do not even have the time to turn the T.V on!)

Now.....

I worked outside of the home for many years as a school teacher; and honestly, I LOVED it! I loved my job, I loved working....but right now, this is what my family needs from me. They need all of me. I enjoy the perks that being a stay at home has - like I have freedom through out the week to do what I want. I can enjoy sleeping without an alarm clock to wake me up. I can save our family money by having time to shop with coupons and shop on clearance racks. I can take my time doing housework without a strict time schedule. I can relax if I have had a busy weekend.....and many more perks. However, being a stay at home mother is hard work. I compiled a list of some of my "duties" as a stay at home mother.

I am.......

A Caregiver

A Nurse

A Nutritionist

A Teacher

A Professional Organizer

A Chef

A Chauffeur

A Personal Shopper

A Financial Adviser

A Budget Analyst

A Personal Assistant

A Professional House Keeper

A Professional Researcher

A Homeopathic Counselor

A Marketing Adviser

A Creative Strategist

A Personal Trainer

and......

A Blogger! {SMILES}

Even though, I enjoy being a stay at home mommy to my loving husband and beautiful children, I do have to remember to make "ME" time. My husband is very supportive of watching the children on those nights I need a GNO (Girls Night Out!). Sometimes, I like to stay up late, when the house is quite, and just have downtime. It might be reading, blogging, or just simply "wasting" time! I have always been a classy, girly girl. I love to shop, dress up, put on make-up, fix my hair, and look good. I have really tried not to "let myself go" after I became a stay at home mom. I try to still dress up and look nice, work out and keep in shape, and I keep the house clean. I believe it is important to keep a tidy self and a tidy house for your husband. Men really love it when they come home to a neat house and a HOT wife! {SMILES} It is harder to find the time to do when you are a busy housewife/mommy; but try to make the best of those times when you have those 5 minute pocket intervals each day. I am NOT a morning person, so I am not good about getting up and getting things done before the children are up. But, I do try to keep them busy so that I know where they are and I can still get things accomplished. I home-school and my children are out of the "napping" stage; so it can be extra difficult to make "me" time. One thing, I incorporate on those days I just need a minute- pick-me-up, is "Room Time". I LOVE "Room Time". Room Time now takes the place of nap time. My children have to go to their rooms for 1 hour and entertain themselves. It could be with puzzles, books, barbies, legos, or whatever they choose. They like it and it usually gives me a minute to re-group myself on whatever I need to do. It is usually not ever day, but it is for those days I really need to get some things finished! I also enjoy taking the children out for lunch 1-2 times per week with their Nana! I usually take them out for lunch when I have my grocery store runs or when I need to run my errands around town, and we all get to enjoy Nana time. The children enjoy it, it helps teach them social skills, (by how to act in public and how to NOT act in public - believe me we have experienced both!) and I get to enjoy a Sweet Tea! (It is sometimes the little things in life that make you have a good day!) We also enjoy scheduling "Play Dates". It helps me get my social skills in while they have an extra playmate! Whatever you like to do - be sure to carve out sometime to do it.

Being a stay at home wife/mommy: I love it, enjoy it; and I am thankful for it! I'm honored to be apart of the 20% {SMILES}

If you are interested in winning a Blog Makeover Click here for more details.

$500 Blog Make Over Giveaway....hosting by The Blog Workshop - Online Conference (#TBW)

2013-04-08T07:43:00.003-07:00

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This last month I have been posting about the upcoming Online Blog Conference. This will be my first Blog Conference to ever attend - so I am super excited. I have been blogging for a little over a year, and I am still new to everything in the blog world. I know that this online conference will help me learn how to contact sponsors and advertisers, teach me how to boost my traffic, and the learn the newest trends and innovations to blogging. I hope that all of my readers will be able to attend with me. This online conference makes it very affordable. You do not have to pay for travel expenses, food, childcare, etc. You can just wake up and attend - VIOLA! I love every bit of being able to attend a Blog Conference without even leaving my house!

Here is a list of the awesome speakers - you can follow them on Twitter or Facebook just click here. You can also follow The Blog Workshop on Twitter or Facebook as well! If you are sponsor and would like more information about becoming a sponsor to this awesome Online Conference click here for details.

Don't forget you have until April 12th to sign up with my $25 off registration code! This a great deal! An online conference without leaving your home, learning from the fantastic speakers line-up, and learning how to go from Blogger to Bloggerpreneur for only $150 is a great steal! The fact that 10% of your registration will go to 3 great charities is just a huge PLUS! Also those who attend will be able to review playbacks from the conference. Don't forget they will also have giveaways at the conference.....Register Here

.....Speaking of giveaways, I am hosting my first ever giveaway sponsored by The Blog Workshop (#TBW). They are giving away a $500 package to one super blessed reader. One reader will recieve a Blog Makeover AND a $25 Visa Card!!! I am super excited about this giveaway. If one of my readers win - we BOTH get a blog makeover. I would really LOVE a Blog Makeover and $25 to spend, wouldn't you?

The Blog Makeover will include working closely with a consultant from Your Site Makeover, you will be able to choose and customize a search friendly Wordpress theme and its standard files, themed related graphics, and a contact form. This is a great giveaway. Anyone who blogs would LOVE this prize. Plus after attending the Blog Conference this will just make you one step closer to becoming the Bloggerpreneur you want to be!

The Givaway will go Live on April 8th and it will end on May 10th. Please also note that May 10th will be the LAST DAY to sign up for the Online Blog Conference.

Here are the Rules for the Giveaway:
-Must be a Blogger or Vlogger
-Must be 18 years or older
-Your Blog must be self-hosted
-Your Blog MUST be Family friendly (illegal, violent, adult content, etc.)

How to enter:
-You must leave a comment and tell me why YOUR Blog needs a Makeover and WHAT you would like to learn from the The Blog Workshop - Online Conference, then Follow ME on Twitter and Tweet this post (or Facebook and Share this post), and lastly, grab my button to post on your page! Voila! That's it.

My goal is to have 5 of my readers attend the Blog Workshop - Online Conference with me. Please help me reach my goal!!! Sign-up here and then let me know you signed up by emailing me @ Gracefullyrefreshed@gmail.com

Here is to hoping one of my readers win this giveaway!!! {SMILES}

****NOTE****The Blog Makeover will be completed after the Blog Conference and by the end of July. The Blog Makeover will NOT include E-Commerce Solutions.****NOTE****

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Disclaimer: This is solely my honest opinion on The Blog Workshop - Online Conference. I am attending the conference as a complimentary gift for my post.

"The more you read, the more things you will know.” - Dr. Seuss

2013-04-05T07:23:00.000-07:00

I am excited to participate this week in Kelly's Korner Blog SUYL subject: Your Favorite Children's Books. Welcome all of the Kelly's Korner readers. I hope you enjoy Gracefully Refreshed and will stop by again. You can grab my button or sign up for my RSS Feed. You can also find Gracefully Refreshed on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. If there is something here you like - don't forget to Pin It and Share It with others!!

I love good children's books. When I taught Pre-K, I was always searching for great books for my classroom. All time favorite are the Dr. Seuss Books - who doesn't love Dr's Seuss Books, right? I love his fun stories of rhymes, his funny pictures, and his poetic quotes to live by. I found a few others that I love as well......one of my favorites for the classroom was Hermie: The Common Caterpillar! I loved the beautiful pictures - so bright and vibrant. The story line teaches children that God has a special plan for them!

The Kissing Hand and I Love You Forever are a few more of my favorites. These books teach children about a mothers love and how she will always be there for them!

I enjoy reading good books to my children that teach them valuable lessons.

My most favorite book of all times to read to my own children is The Princess and the Kiss. Within the story of a beautiful princess it entwines the valuable lesson of keeping your purity. I believe you can never start too young in teaching them about sexual purity in this sex-crazed world we live in. The Princess and the Kiss keeps the subject age appropriate and it has a great story line to follow. Even though it is mainly about the Princess it is a great read as well for your sons. Throughout the story is teaches of suitors that were not good-enough for the Princess' Kiss. In teaches boys about being a humbled, gentlemen that saves his purity as well. My children love this book and we read it often. I pray that I will read it enough so the moral of the lesson goes down, deep into their hearts. Guarding one's sexual purity is so precious and valuable. It is a rare jewel these days that people possess on their wedding day. A precious jewel that should be guarded with one's life until the day you say, "I DO!".

Proverbs 7:3, "Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart."