Why I blog

One of the reasons I started to blog was so that I could get better at writing. Writing is something that I LOVE to do. For me writing is the best way to unravel my deepest thoughts and think and work through them. Writing in English is hard for me because it is my second language. And now, I sometimes mix both languages all together...aaahh! :)

It is interesting, but when I came to know the Lord that's when I truly started to write. What's more interesting is that I started to see more clearly what I really loved to do once I came to know Christ. It's like He started putting His purpose and vision and a love for things that I never knew I had. Before Christ, I was so confused and without purpose at all! In fact, this is one of the the reason of how the Lord drew me to Himself...it is so hard to live without purpose in life. I have LOTS of journals with prayers and thoughts and more prayers to the Lord. Writing helps me talk to the Lord and helps me sort through my true inner thoughts so that the Lord can deal with issues in my life. After I came to know the Lord I started to read more also and now I really enjoy reading. God has done so many great things in my life. He is truly a redeeming God!

Since I had not written much in the last year or so I thought blogging would help me and it has. I blog because I love to write...about life, what I am learning, what God is teaching me, about my family-my daughter and hubby-that I love so much!!!!! God is so good to us :)

If you ever come across my blog and feel like you don't understand at all what I am talking about...it's ok, go to the next blog. I am just learning how to write :)

Our little girl is growing so fast...

Look at these fun pictures of Rebekah! She is such a joy and learning SO MUCH these days. She loves to giggle and love being outside getting soaked in the water :)

These pictures were taken about 4 weeks ago. We got her a little pool for the summer and she enjoys it. Our neighbors asked us why we didn't get a bigger one so that ALL of them would fit in it :) So they asked, "could we use your chairs so that we can at least put our feet in it" :) They are so funny and Rebekah loves being around them. They take good care of her and love to hold her and make her laugh.

Rebekah also likes to swing in the hammock. She will just lay still while we swing her and it is so fun to watch. Sometimes she will play pick-a-boo with us or sometimes she will simply enjoy the experience.

Ambassadors

"We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were makings his appeal through us..."
2 Cor 5:20a

This was the verse we discussed in our Good News Club this past week. We started to teach our kids about the Great Commission and it was received so well by our kids. We continue to encourage and challenge them to share the hope of Christ to those they love, but also open their eyes to see not only those around them, but the whole world.

It was so neat to watch them grasp this verse and understand more of their purpose for their lives as followers of Christ.

Some of the highlights from this past Tuesday are the following:

• When we were telling them how some people in other countries have never heard of Jesus, Jacob's response was, "I want to go and tell them about Jesus." God has amazing plans for these kids...He truly has and we are so excited to be a small part of it.
• At the end of our time together we always pray for each other, but this time we showed them a globe and asked them to pick a country (any country) and it was precious to hear their simple prayer, "God I ask that you would send ambassadors to Ethiopia(etc) and that they would know about Jesus." I was so touched by those prayers!
• When they were going home Matt overheard one of the kids ask his mom, "mom, do you believe that God offers forgiveness for your sins?"He kept repeating this while his mom ignored him." God is at work!!! :)
  

Lord, continue to put your purposes and desires in these children's hearts!

Matt and I sat outside after all the kids left. It was a beautiful night and our hearts could not have been more full of joy and purpose and excitement! We were just talking about how blessed WE are by sharing God's Truth with the children and how God has been so good to us by putting this desire in our hearts and giving us this wonderful opportunity.

God is doing some beautiful things in our hearts and I will share something new that God is doing in the next blog...so make sure you check it out soon :)

So many things in my heart right now...

I just called home (Honduras) and my grandma is soon to be with the Lord. I am so sad, but so happy for her because she will be with our Lord and what a beautiful place she will be in!

She is in her last moments and all of her 10 children and many grandkids and great-grands are there with her. I will miss my grandma, but I will see her again :)

Some of the memories I have of my grandma are from real little. Every time I would come see her she would have some kind of fruit for me because she knew how much I loved to eat fruit. She didn't only raise ten children, but raised many, many grandkids and great-grands. She loved children and loved being surrounded by them. She liked to dance and we had our last dance together this past Christmas when we were in Honduras. She had a great sense of humor! She was so funny :)

Abuelita, I love you and I will miss you so much! Nos vemos en el cielo :)

note: My grandma actually went to be with the Lord yesterday at about 2:40 p.m. Please pray for all of our family.

It's like a love letter written for you...

I heard this a couple nights ago as I was watching a Billy Graham Crusade from 1978...the year that I was born :)

A lady was giving her testimony and she had given her life to Christ 25 years back. She said that her counselor was Ruth B. Graham. Ruth encouraged her to grow and read her Bible and she said the above quote, "It's like a love letter written for you."

I thought, what a beautiful way of saying it and personalizing it. And what a beautiful picture of what His Word is to us as well.

"But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does."
James 1:25

This is the verse that we memorized yesterday in our Good News Club. What an amazing verse! As we kept talking about it and learning it with the kids it just truly became so much more meaningful and full of life! His Word is truly alive and active!

I love the promise that comes when we look intently(examining, closely) at His Word. Not just on Sundays or just to get it out of the way, but continually and not just reading it, but doing what it says...and when we do this, His Word promises that we will be blessed in what we do. When we are obedient to His Word and we do what it says there is a for sure blessing that comes with it. Like we told the kids last night, "it does not necessarily mean a lollipop :)" but it means something better and more meaningful that that! And isn't that true! The peace, joy, hope and all those spiritual blessings are amazing and so much more worth than any material thing we can receive. As Matt and I talked about this verse this morning I was so overjoyed and challenged to be obedient and a doer of His Word. In it is a great reward! Lord, give us a desire, longing and thirst for Your Word!

Our kids are so special! We are blessed to be able to be a part of their lives! How much they are learning and how much they desire to live those Truths is truly amazing. I have been praying almost daily for them, that the Lord would set them apart for Him. That our Lord will use them mightly for His Kingdom! I can already see them going to all the nations proclaiming His hope and love to those who have never heard. Lord, continue the work that you have started in them.