Jillian Gallegos

I've MOVED!

2014-03-16T18:30:00.001-07:00

This blog has now moved to JillianGallegos.com. Please come visit me there!

You can still visit the Pancreatitis Link above if you are looking for my daughter story and success with beating Hereditary Pancreatitis.

THANKS,
Jillian

Raising STRONG, HEALTHY Kids

2014-01-11T09:44:00.003-08:00

If you want strong, healthy kids consider feeding them more than just organic, healthy food. Consider feeding them the Word of God.

He sent out his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds. (Psalm 107:20, 21 NIV)

We have started memorizing 2 scriptures a week with the kids as a family and keeping a journal of what they've learned. We have their scripture on the fridge, on the mirror in chalk pen and on the dining room table to chat about during dinner time. Why? Because this WORD will be life to their bones and a lifeline in the very darkest times of trouble that we all know life does bring. I want my kids to be equipped to WIN because they know who they are in Christ Jesus!

#kids #raisingafamily #familylifeinchrist #wordindarknessout

(img via weheartit)

2013-12-27T15:33:00.003-08:00

God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing. -C. S. Lewis

Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him. Isaiah 64:4 NIV

(img via weheartit)

Who Will You Choose?

2013-12-20T06:55:00.002-08:00

What perfect timing it is for such controversial matters to pop up in Hollywood. ‪#‎sarcasm‬ I'm not going to state my opinion on this matter because all I have to say in regards to it all is this -- there is a very strong pull to get our attention off of Christ and onto things of this world. Are you going to get caught up in the controversy or are you going to keep your Christmas holy? Are you going to focus on the power of God who came to earth in the form of man to save us or let Hollywood dictate your thoughts? I for one choose JESUS!

#mileycyrus #philrobertson #christmas #holychristmas

2013-12-20T06:10:00.001-08:00

God recently checked my heart about what I do as the very first thing in the morning. He wants the first fruits of everything in our lives including and especially our days. If the first thing we do is grab our phones and check Facebook, we can't be surprised to have a day that looks hectic - kind of like a Facebook feed. But if we take some time to sit down with our Heavenly Father and talk to him and worship him then he will take what was going to be crazy and hectic and bless it and make it holy.

Now thank God for his mercy because His grace is sufficient to cover our need to grab a cup of caffein before we sit down to His word. Haha!

For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches. (Romans 11:16 NKJV)

It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High, proclaiming your love IN THE MORNING and your faithfulness at night, (Psalm 92:1, 2 NIV)

#preachingtomyself

A Holy Christmas

2013-12-14T20:16:00.002-08:00

If you look for the holy in Christmas you will find it among the hectic, the hurried, the stressed and the strained. You will find peace and simplicity, grace and a Savior who always is and always was and always will be waiting for you to welcome Him into your Christmas. And when our Christmas is truly filled with Christ and not just "cliche Christ filled", it's THEN we will truly experience the majestic hallowed moments, the blessed moment of what truly came to pass the night our Savior came into this world. I can only imagine that all Heaven sang when his first cries rang out, A SAVIOR! Christ The Lord! The power of the cross began with the power of the manger. Let's find the holy in Christmas together this year.

2013-12-12T07:03:00.001-08:00

I read a line today “What was intended to tear you apart, God intends it to set you apart.
What has torn you, God makes a thin place to see glory.” -Ann Voskamp

Oh I love that! So true!! We all have had deep hurts in our lives that seem at times too much to carry, but God never meant for us to carry them because he sent his Son to carry our burdens for us. And those delicate places in our hearts that we are left with that feel so fragile, should not necessarily be looked at like scars but as little places for God's infinite mercy and grace to shine through our lives. In our greatest trials He demonstrates his greatest miracles. Through our deepest heartache he wraps us in his never ending love that our earthly minds cannot begin to comprehend. In our greatest disappointment Jesus stands at the open tomb and says, I am your greatest victory!
Don't over bandage and cover up what what feels like a scar or injury in your heart that is actually His glory trying to shine through.

(img via weheartit)

It Came in prayer...

2013-12-01T06:58:00.000-08:00

Like the mighty rain falls down, so will the glory of God if His people will wake up. It's time for the slumber to end and it's time for us to seek His face daily.

God is whispering to you, he's calling to you - it's time....
Some of you have been sensing the pull. Some of you have been hearing the whisper in your spirit that it's time to dig into His word and seek his face because He is coming very, very soon!

And his GLORY is going to rain down like FIRE from the heavens to those who are truly and earnestly seeking him daily.

Jehovah Shammah

2013-11-29T05:43:00.000-08:00

As we bring Thanksgiving to a close and I sit here during the early morning hours thinking about all I'm thankful for I find it so hard to make a list - there are just SO many things! All of you know that at the very top, my families health would reign supreme. I am beyond thrilled to have won the battle against that dragon! But it's really not what I find myself thinking on constantly this year believe it or not. We had such a whirlwind that I don't wait till November to count my blessings - I count them each and everyday and health is a blessing that never is overlooked.

But lately I find myself being thankful, so thankful, for the painful journeys of life. Kind of odd, huh? I can't even fathom going through another family illness or losing someone close to me or some of the other tough things in life - but it's been in those moments that I've sensed and felt God's presence wrapped around every inch of my being more than ever. God is with me daily and I'm surround by him but I can't accurately describe how his presence becomes so much more available, accessible and tangible during those heart aching times. And instead of feeling weak like I might collapse during those times, instead God strengthens me and gives me a dose of his supernatural power to withstand whatever is happening. And that's what he does for each of us when we let him. That's those moments when you look back and say, I have no clue how I got through that except by the grace of God! I'm not saying go looking for hardships - heck no! You can find God in the everyday beauty of life, but if you are going through hell and back right now, know that you are in the perfect spot to have the Creator of the universe wrap his arms around you and carry you through it! I look back at those moments in life now and although I in no way ever want to revisit, relive or re-experience any of them, I look back and I see such BEAUTY. I see an exotic flower growing out of the cracked arid soil of the sweltering desert sand.

I see Jehovah Shammah- The Lord is there!

I could write out a list a mile long but I'm most thankful for my beauty from ashes and the constant presence of my Father God in my life. I pray that as we continue in this holiday season that we are able to seek out His beauty, His will and His amazing purpose for our lives as He seeks to find our hearts in this busy world.

Our escape

2013-11-12T19:54:00.002-08:00

It's almost that time of night when the homework is done and the hustle and bustle of the day is finished. It's that time when the television gets shut of, iPhones put away, computers set to sleep and all technology is left behind.

With the fireplace ablaze,

the candles flickering,

we enter through the wardrobe toward the lamp post.

The children are snuggled up in blankets and suddenly the world that earlier screamed for their attention with apps and friend requests and notifications has suddenly been dissolved into the enchanted pages of fauns, dwarfs and snow queens.

The sons of Adam and the daughter of Eve are now beckoned by the mighty roar of Aslan. Eventually eyelids become heavy and chapter after chapter comes to a close. They of course beg for just one more and a promise is made to continue again same time, same lamp post when we can shut off the world again tomorrow.

These are the times that I cherish and what a perfect season to read some tales of Narnia together.

Mercy Tree

2013-11-12T18:11:00.002-08:00

Lacey Sturm, former lead singer of Flyleaf was an atheist as a teenager, ready to commit suicide until her grandmother showed her the love of Jesus. Now she sings of the awesome power of the mercy tree. I cannot find words to convey how much this touches my soul.

Honor to whom honor is due

2013-11-11T12:12:00.000-08:00

image credit Lars Van de Goor Photography

Freedom isn't free... It comes at a very high cost. Not just today, but everyday we honor those who have served and who continue to serve our beautiful country.

the lion of the tribe of judah

2013-11-06T15:51:00.003-08:00

(I would love to know who the artist is to give credit.)

I can't get enough of this picture. When I first saw it I immediately thought of the book of Revelation when God is referred to as the lion of the tribe of Judah. This picture evokes the feelings of safety that God has given me throughout the years when waves of sickness tried to drowned our family. God's peace is so tangible. I would love to just bury my face in that mane because that's what it feels like when He shelters you from a storm.

Imagine for a moment if your young child got separated from you in the middle of Black Friday crowds at the mall. It would only take one sight of you to send him running, full speed towards your embrace. He would bury his face in your legs, wrap his arms around your body and squeeze you sooo tight. And he would know with confidence that as soon as he reached you and felt your touch that he was safe. Even though the crowd is still just as large as hurried and hectic as before, all it would take is your presence to make his world right. That's how God is with us. He's there waiting to let you bury your face in his loving peace and drowned out the world around you until you are confident and safe again. We were never meant to face this world alone.

But one of the twenty-four elders said to me, “Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David’s throne, has won the victory.

Revelation 5:4-6

----------------------------------------

"You would not have called to me unless I had been calling to you." - Aslan

(and yes, I'm a C.S. Lewis fan to boot)

whisper

2013-10-23T09:08:00.000-07:00

His whisper is as thunderous as a symphony singing my name, beckoning me to sit at his feet and fill me with His wisdom so that He can empty my head of all the clatter the world tends to fill it with. And I wonder if I could just

stop

just stop… and listen…

would I finally see and hear what I've been longly to know. Would I hear what it is that I am supposed to do with my life and what my hearts calling is? Does it take me finally slowly down long enough to hear Him? Does it take me shutting off the world and even saying no to helping others for even 30 minutes to hear the whispers of my Father to my heart? I guess that would be worth it wouldn't it? Why do I have such a hard time slowing down? Why is it so hard to discipline myself to do just this one simple task?

(img credit via weheartit - if you know the origial photographer

please let me know so I can give credit)

Happy

2013-09-12T12:45:00.000-07:00

Don't wait to be HAPPY, look and find happy moments in each day. If you're waiting on happiness, you may never find it -- but if you look for it, your joy will overflow.

Breath

2013-08-21T11:50:00.001-07:00

Stop and take a moment to BREATH. Nothing is as impossible or as difficult as it feels. Nothing is too big that He can't help you get through. Everything will fall into place - just stop and BREATH.

Find perspective and peace in the silence.

can't remember img credit - google images

The Raging Storm

2013-08-13T15:49:00.000-07:00

Isn't it amazing to know that no matter what we face in life that God is ever present? When life is easy and no obstacles are in your way, it's easy to just casually say, "yep God's good." It's almost as if it's a pleasantry these days. Isn't it? We say it as easily as we say "hello" or "nice weather today". But once you've been through a storm you know that God is more than just good. I'm talking about the kind of storm that rages in your heart and threatens to destroy everything you hold dear. The kind of storm so dark you don't know if you'll ever see the light of day again. It's those dark, angry clouds that roll in over your heart when you lose a child, when a marriage fails, when pain and illness are lingering day after day. I've not only been in the middle of several of these storms myself but I've weathered through several of them with the people around me. I've clung on to life when it wasn't just the stinging pelts of sorrow hitting my face but the powerful current of doubt, anger and sorrow trying to pull me under.

Once you've been in a storm that has rocked your world to the very inner core, you know that there is only one way out. There's only one sure thing that remains and never ceases to be there.

And that is God.

When my daughter was rolled into surgery and her very life was on the line, I had to give her over to a stranger, also know as the surgeon. I had to place her in this (wonderful) man's hands and let go. At that very moment I wanted to scream a scream that could be heard round the world. I felt like that scream would wilt flowers and trees and cause sky high buildings to crumble. I felt like if I let that scream, from deep inside my heart escape my lips, that it would never end.

Do you know and have you felt that kind of pain and anguish? Where you feel like you're underwater waiting to gasp for air?

The best way I could describe it would be that part in the movie Twister where they are in the eye of the storm and all they can do to survive is to take horse reigns and strap themselves to pipes that were buried deep in the ground. Do you remember that part? The wind was unbelievable as it tore down the building that was sheltering them. Their bodies were tossed up into the air like rag dolls as the storm raged. But funny, if you should watch that movie again and see that very part, their faces are calm. There's no screaming or wailing but just a sense of peace. I know it's just a movie but it's so true to the storms that rage in our lives. When I kissed my little girl on the forehead, instead of letting that scream escape my mouth, I spoke life over her. I called for the King of Heaven to fill up that operating room and to have His angels encamp all around her. Honestly I could not have walked out of that room and left her lying on an operating room table and taken my sanity with me any other way. Was there an unbelievable amount of fear? YES! But there in that hospital waiting room a peace washed over us like a rushing mighty wind. Until that moment in time I had no idea that the peace of God could shake a place silent. My heart, although aching for my little girl, became calm. I was the one who was being secured down in the middle of the storm. Jesus was what I tied my heart to because He is what I am rooted in. This is how I kept that horrible storm from emotionally destroying me.

Once you've been through a storm as intense as this one (or worse) you are left with two choices. You can try to out run the storm, but we know that it's pretty hard if not impossible to outrun something that intense. Or you can tether yourself to the Almighty Healer and Protector of your heart. You can count on Him to hide you in His shelter and not let anything by any means harm you.

When storms like this hit, there can be a lot of devastation left around you. There might be pieces left to be picked up and many things that have to be rebuilt - but with Him you can rebuild and restore your life. I will not pretend or portray in my writing to you that life is full of happy easy road at all times. But I can tell you that once you've been in the eye of an incredibly intense storm you know that you are at all times in the presence of the king of Kings. You may not see Him but when it hits-- you KNOW Him, you FEEL Him and you have the opportunity to let Him sweep His power over your entire situation. These types of storms don't leave you the same, do they? They change the entire course of your life. Once you let Him help you rebuild and restore, you are a new, incredible person that is not easily shaken by storms. Your hope has become eternal and your life has new focus and new direction.

If you are currently in the eye of a storm in your life, whether it be a death or depression, illness or the ending of a relationship -- know that He is there to protect your heart and give you peace that passes all understanding. He will guard your mind from the stress and hurt of the situation that might other wise leave you emotionally broken. Rest in Him and let Him take over battling the storm for you. You in yourself cannot fight it but He can cause the winds to calm and the storm to stop raging. Take a deep breath and let his peace enter your heart.

I have been through many storms and because of what He's brought me through, I have never been more confident in my King. And what He has done for me, He wants and aches to do for you.

img credit liberty news.com and google images

Faithful

2013-07-23T22:27:00.003-07:00

I think sometimes we expect to remember what God has done for us when things in life get rough, but I am reminded every time life seems at its best. I'm happy THAT is when I most often recall what He's done in our lives because I know that it honors His goodness. It keeps him at the forefront during the good and the bad.

With tears streaming down my face, I want to tell each one of you that no matter what circumstances are present in your life - whether it be sickness, death, divorce, addiction, depression, adultery, a broken heart, financial troubles, low self esteem, doubt, fear, or loneliness - He truly cares and you are NEVER alone. Sometimes it's hard to feel His presence but in those times, when I was at the deepest depths of my despair and my spirit gasped for relief and cried out for help - THAT is when He showed Himself SO real to me.

When you truly cry out to God is when you find that you were never alone...

And life is not perfect- I don't ever want to portray that, because that is just a lie. Bad things happen. Hearts break, children get sick, people move to Heaven, marriages dissolve etc but bottom line - He cares. And I want you to know that He is faithful to multiply your joy in the future for whatever you've lost in the past.

Tonight I cannot even process His overwhelming goodness. Because of of Him I have a daughter and a husband who will LIVE and not die prematurely so they can declare his goodness.

-Jillian

Greater Things

2013-07-21T11:42:00.002-07:00

Jesus didn't save me for the stagnation of "good enough", He called me to greater things than those of this world. I want to live a life worthy of His sacrifice.

img via google images

Dream

2013-07-06T20:02:00.003-07:00

img credit via unshakeablebelief.com

Tonight the kids and I are talking about our dreams and goals. We're speaking them and praying over them. Tasia is even drawing them. It's important to teach your kids to DREAM and to believe God to prove Himself in their lives.

We will be like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Our leaves stay green, and we never stop producing fruit. Jeremiah 17:8

How to Clean The Machine

2013-07-05T10:32:00.002-07:00

I'm in a DEEP cleaning - "get in done" kind of mood today. Operation 'Laundry Room' has commenced.

Do you DEEP clean your washing machine on a regular basis? I have always just given mine a basic wipe down periodically when it looked a little grimy but I've never really paid attention to the inside where all the washing gets done. I mean it has soap and water in there all the time! It made me think it was probably just a naturally clean environment.

Right?

Wrong.

Next time you go to do a load look way down in there. It needs an overhaul if you haven't done it in a while. Your clothes will smell cleaner and will last longer too.

Not sure where to begin? Check out the steps on Somewhat Simple

Limitless

2013-06-26T17:48:00.003-07:00

When God closes a door, sometimes He skips the window, rips off the roof, shows you the sky and says, "YOU ARE LIMITLESS with Me!" Bigger, better and more than our minds can conceive. THAT's the God that I serve!

2013-05-25T18:31:00.002-07:00

A song of peace is being sung over our family and it is such a breath of fresh air. And all it took was a whisper of hope.

Protection

2013-05-18T15:29:00.003-07:00

Xander got a concussion from getting tripped at school and smacking his face on the ground. When he arrived home from school he had no memory of the day or the past week and was repeating phrases over and over like a broken record. It was scary! As Hunter and I rushed him to the ER we prayed constantly over him and spoke the word over his body. His little broken record statements made the tears roll for us be we rebuked everything coming against his little body and spoke LIFE over him. Praise God his scan showed no visual damage or bleeding.

I had to wake him up every 4 hours throughout the night to double check he was okay and the night went smoothly. Today he has stopped repeating himself and his memory is starting to return. The doctor called and told us to keep him home for approx a week and to keep him from reading, playing video games, going to school or exerting much energy to let the brain totally heal. This is his 3rd concussion is a years time. I guess this is what being a mom of boys is like. So very thankful to be working from home so I can be with my little guy and keep a close eye on him. I am overwhelmingly thankful to God for His protection over Xander and his brain. I am grateful that God gave us the power to move mountains with our words and that no weapon formed against Xander was able to prosper. Our God supplies all our needs! We love you all and thank you for your prayers and support. Now we are off to snuggle and have a Gilmore Girls marathon

Are you still en route or are you content at your current destination?

2013-05-16T21:44:00.002-07:00

Why is it when we become adults that most of us quit dreaming? I'm not talking about in bed at night, I'm talking about goals and aspirations. Why is it that most of us past the age of 25 or 30 something feel that our potential is reached and now we just "settle down"? God never intended us to quit dreaming! In Philippians it talks about "forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead! We were meant for so much more than our earthly minds tend to realize.

Some people have that natural drive to make all their dreams come true and to dream big, but many of us don't see past our insecurities to find our real potential. It's kind of crazy to think how many people have lived and died to never know their high calling. I ache to know and fulfill my high calling. Do I know what my high calling is at this time? No, but I have an idea of the direction I am supposed to be headed and so I've begun walking towards it. Do I know where it will take me? No, but God knows the very destination down to the very pin point on His map. And His directions are a whole lot clearer than Siri... All He's asking us to do is start walking. Back to the scripture in Philippians, it says that we strain forward to what lies ahead. It's not always just a simple walk in the park is it? A lot of the amazing places that we have been led to in our lives have come after much struggle to get there. Knowing what direction we were supposed to be walking at that time is what helped us to push through the woods, climb that mountain or trudge through a dark valley to get to a smooth, comfortable path. Our path still has rocks on it that may trip us up and there is an occasional up hill trek but we are on the journey that was planned for us.

Now you may be sitting here thinking about all the wrong turns and mistakes you've made in life. Who hasn't made a wrong turn? I know I've made plenty! When you're driving in your car and you make a wrong turn you either turn around or you find the nearest route to take you back on course, right? What about the dead ends? Yes, there are roads that lead to death whether that be ultimate death or the death of your happiness and joy. But have you ever been on a road that has a dead end that there weren't signs posted along the way that warned you to turn back? God has made the same type of warning signs in life! A map is a beautiful thing because there is nothing that can keep you from your course if you choose to take it. Just turn around!! Ahhhh, that just gives me goose bumps to think that He made it so simple.

So the question that leaves us with is, how do we know which direction to go? Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In ALL your ways acknowledge Him and He will make straight your paths."
God has given us the Holy Spirit to lead and direct us where to go. He is our compass. If we be still and quiet and ask him to show us the direction, much like a compass he will point us where to go. So are you content with your current destination or are you going to get out your compass and see where your next adventure leads?

img credit good-wallpapers.com