Blue Like Jazz

This has been my latest read and I liked it very much. I actually have not read a book in a while that liked so much as this one. Donald Miller is hilarious, real, down to earth and honest about his struggles. I loved reading this book because in many ways it released a freedom in me and I could relate to him in many ways. Not only could I relate to him, but it was also very convicting.

Here are some things that I got out of the book that made me think, pray and allow the Lord to change in my life and give me freedom:

• I wish I wasn't so judgmental toward my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ and toward non-believers
• I wish I could love others UNCONDITIONALLY and not with all the "Pharisaic" conditions we put on others
• I wish I could love others even when they have other points of view that are different than mine.
  
• I wish that when I read 1 John I would not think of myself as the good person and everyone else the bad. Because when we read about living in the light I think I am a pretty good person because I don't cuss, or smoke marijuana, or drink or sleep around...but I do have pride, envy, jealousy, I don't love like Christ would want me to love, I am unforgiving...etc.
  
• I wish I would think of others better than myself and not think that I am more spiritual than them...the holier-than-thou mentality
  
• I wish God would strip me completely from my self-righteousness and prideful chip on my shoulder
• I wish I could show people how I truly love them and care about them not because I feel sorry for them, but because I see God in each one of them.
• I wish that intellect would not quench my desire to love God with all of my heart, mind, soul, and strength, since He is a person Himself, who is not only to be learned about, but to be experienced as well.
  

Oh Lord, forgive me for my pride, self-righteousness, jealousy, envy and unforgiveness. Lord, change me from within. Make me humble and give me a love that only you can allow me to give to others. I surrender all of me. Amen!

Some R & R

Yes, some rest and relaxation is what we did for our anniversary :) Matt took me to a nice and quiet bed and breakfast in the middle of nowhere and we had so much fun. We left REB for the first time with some friends and she did great! We were so thankful for that!

We walked around the little town, had a nice candle light dinner, had great talks, went for a walk, visited with the owners of the B&B, watched a movie, slept in :), had a delicious breakfast and sat on the porch for a couple of hours talking and reading and discussing 1 John, we wrote down what we called our Most Important Priorities List or MIP List ;), talked some more...and then headed home.

It's amazing what a day away from everything and everyone can do to you :) We were ready to get our little girl and be back home!

A fun top ten list for you about us

A friend of mine did this a while back and thought it was cute...hope you don't mind, Ashley!

1 - One sweet baby whom we are so in love with!
2 - Two people who love each other and whose love continues to grow even stronger
3 - Father, Son, H.S = God is the center of our marriage and the Source of our love
4 - The number of years we have been together and the best four years of my life!
5 - Five nicknames Matty calls Lidia: Dots, babe, stinker, Liddy, sugar-mama:)
6 - Things we don't have in common: both from different countries, I stick to something on the menu and Matt likes to try new things, I like going to the same places and Matty likes to try new places, I like to stay up late and Matty likes to go to bed early, Matt likes to sip his drinks and I chug them all at once, I like to explain every detail in a story and Matt just wants to give the headline :)
7 - places we have visited together: San Diego, Rosarito :), Albuquerque, North Carolina, Honduras, Washington DC, Seattle
8 - We have known each other for eight years and we still like each other very much ;)
9 - REB's bedtime and time for us to talk and love on each other
10 - Things we have in common: we both love the Lord so much and want to honor Him with our lives, our little girl, we are not picky eaters, we both like leftovers, we like to go bike riding together, we like picnics, we both like to have our coffee in the morning and spend time with the Lord in the mornings as well, Saturday family pancakes :), we buy stuff on sale, we both like Latin America so much that we could live there!

Words cannot even describe...

How thankful I am for my marriage to the finest man on this earth! As of today, we have been married for four years and I will say that they have been the best four years of my life! I feel so honored and blessed to be married to Matty. I have said so many things about him on this blog and I don't ever get tired of saying those things over and over because they are true in Matty's life. He is what he is whether he is at home, or after a hard day at work, or at church, or with friends, or anywhere. I know what to expect and I love that about him.

Before knowing our Lord I looked for love in all the wrong places and people. I was so messed up :) I was one of those girls that people probably felt sorry for because I was moving in the wrong direction and making really bad choices. I never thought somebody would truly love me for all that I was. I had lost hope of that. When I came to know the Lord I had a pretty rough past and so I was a little hesitant to share about it, but at the same time I was wanting to share it with the person that I thought would be my husband as soon as I could because I wanted to make sure he still wanted to be with me :)

When I shared my past with Matt, I was truly shocked at his warmth response and love for me. I did not understand how someone who hardly knew me would embrace me like he did. Not only did he do that, but that summer he was the first person who actually reached out to me so that my healing process would start to take place. I hope to share my whole testimony one of these days. The Lord used Matt in my life since the moment I met him. I was a babe in Christ when I met him with a zeal that God had placed in my heart and that's it! I had nothing much to offer. God started the process through wonderful people that the Lord placed in my life and Matt is one of them. Ever since I met Matty he has showed me God's unconditional love. He treats me like a princess and now he is the same way with REB. When I think of Matt, I cannot think of anyone better for me. He is God's perfect provision for me and as time goes by I see that even more and love him even more. Matty is not perfect and none of us are either, but he is God's perfect man for me!

Lord, my heart is overflowed with thankfulness to you for blessing me with an amazing husband and now dad. I could not have picked anyone better for me. Thank you for bringing us together for your glory and honor. I pray that we will glorify you with our marriage and lives!

Family Fun Times

We are always trying to find ways that we can have fun as a family. We absolutely LOVE being together and doing things together. So, last week we had our first bicycle ride as a family. We bought REB her own seat so that she can ride with papa and I followed them in my bike.

Rebekah seemed to like it. That was until I got injured :) I was riding in front of them and for some reason I felt like I was loosing my balance and my foot got trapped in the foot strap and before I knew it I was flat on the ground. And yes, Matt and REB were right behind me! I was not so much worried about myself but mainly praying that Matt would not fall off the bike since I was in his way and he could not turn sharply because REB was riding with him.

Thankfully Matt and REB safely made it through, but REB was in shock :) She saw her mama flat on the ground and her dad in shock saying, "why are you stopping in the middle of the road!" I was so thankful that I was the only one with the bruises and scratches because I would have felt horrible if Matt and REB would have fallen. I picked myself up and made sure REB knew that mama was OK! I said, "look Rebekah, mama is just fine(as I did some jumping jacks and smiled the whole time;)). She did not believe it too well, but we then made our way back home and our fun adventure was over. She was once again a happy and fearless little girl. I have some bruises in my arm and a few scratches but nothing that will stop me from going back again with those crazy kids!

The Brodines

I don't think I have shared much about Matty's side of the family, but just like Matty is my better half so are they! I remember that first Thanksgiving dinner we had after we got married and we were going around the table telling each other what we were thankful for and my first thought was how grateful I was to have such a wonderful and God-fearing family! I still feel this way. Matty's parents are so amazing and have raised four servants who are loving and solid believers. Mom, I admire you so much for raising such a beautiful family. I see how Matt is with me and REB and with everyone and it is so beautiful and I just think the world of you and dad for raising such a fine young man! He is the finest man I have ever met!!!!! You guys did a wonderful job! You both have supported us always, and yet have always been reserved in allowing us to make the decisions trusting God to lead us to make the right choices and praying for us always. Thank you!
Alex(Matt's oldest brother) and Beth have four great kids who LOVE to have FUN!!! They are so active and fun and full of energy and I love that about them :) They make me feel right at home :) They love Aunt Lidia's dance lessons and they love "kita"(we call Rebekah kita some times) as well. Alex is a pastor of a church in Holdrege and he and Beth are both wonderful parents too. I have learned a lot from Beth because she is so open to share her joys and struggles and it makes me feel like it's OK to have the different feelings and emotions that mamas have. Thank you Beth! I love you!

Liz(Matt's sister) and Gary are insane :) They have two sweet little girls and they are adorable and sweet and everything nice you can think of! We hardly spend time with them because they live so far away, but when we do, it is always full of laughter and joking. Gary and Liz are both quite the jokesters. They are so much fun and such good parents too.

Angelina is one of the finest and most godly girls I have met. She is fun, smart, has a beautiful voice, laid back and beautiful girl inside and out. She is quite the catch!!!! What impresses me most about Angie is her love for the Lord and her desire to be obedient to Him. I love you Angelina and miss you so much:)

Last but not least is Grandpa!!!! When I first met Matty and met his family I fell in love with Grandpa. He sold me on the family! He is one of those amazing people who makes everyone feel special. He usually says to me, "your are my favorite Honduran in Tulsa" or he will say to Matt, "your are my favorite grandson in Tulsa" or "your are the best engineer that I know." Every time he says it, he really means it and it makes one feel super special.

Quote by Martin Luther

Matt sent me this a couple weeks ago and I thought it was so good that I needed to share it.

"We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual,
sold as a slave to sin." Romans 7:14 (NIV)

Quotation:
In Romans 7, St. Paul says, "The law is spiritual." What
does that mean? If the law were physical, then it could be
satisfied by works, but since it is spiritual, no one can
satisfy it unless everything he does springs from the depths
of the heart. But no one can give such a heart except the
Spirit of God, who makes the person be like the law, so that
he actually conceives a heartfelt longing for the law and
henceforward does everything, not through fear or coercion,
but from a free heart.
... Martin Luther (1483-1546), "Preface to the Letter of
St. Paul to the Romans"

Quiet time reflection:
Lord, lead me to know what You desire from me, and grant a
cheerful heart to do it.

A Consistent Mom

As I was praying and asking God for a meaningful time with REB the other day and desiring to be a godly mom for her, the Lord showed me something that I have been thinking about and working on. It's neat because about 3 or 4 months ago a friend of mine was telling me about this same issue that she had seen in her parents growing up. I thought about it then, but it didn't hit me at that moment. Not like it hit me yesterday.

The issue that the Lord showed me was about being a consistent mom...not in the context of discipline this time, but being the same mom that I am at home with REB and the same mom when I am out with friends or other people. I want REB to grow up seeing one mama. NOT two mamas - the one at home and the one outside of the home. I struggle with this sometimes because I feel like I am more patient and graceful with her when I am out running around or when people are watching than when it's just the two of us.

Please pray for me that I can be a consistent and godly mom all the time and always honoring God everywhere I am. That I can BE in essence all that God created me to be and that it will be shown in every area of my life when I am alone or when I am around other people.